Whiz
There was a faint sound, and a slight sword mark appeared on Chu Ming's left hand. He frowned, and the refined iron sword in his hand quickly changed.
As the raindrops slowly drifted in the sky, Chu Ming's cultivation technique, the top-tier Yellow Level technique "Cyan Yuan Technique," had reached the peak of the Second Layer. The abundant spiritual power within him was like an endless ocean. Under Chu Ming's full exertion, the refined iron sword completely turned into a green glow.
The burly man's cultivation technique was merely a low-level Yellow Level technique; the spiritual power amplification was far inferior to Chu Ming's.
"Rainfall Kill!"
A profound killing intent erupted from Chu Ming's body, and several drops of rain silk manifested out of thin air, bringing a sorrowful aura due to the influence of the intent.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
As the burly man's new strength waned and old strength hadn't regenerated, the raindrops flew directly in front of him, aiming to kill him in one strike.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The burly man couldn't help but step back a few steps, his clothes shattered, revealing bronze-colored skin with several white marks.
"It's useless; I've cultivated a body refining technique. Your attacks can't break my defense!" The burly man tore off his remaining clothes and mocked Chu Ming.
The Hundred Refinement Sword in his hand once again turned into a flowing cloud, transforming into white specks of starlight, drifting towards Chu Ming with fierce killing intent.
Though his Flowing Cloud Swordsmanship was only at great success, his Martial Arts Realm was so high and the quantity of spiritual power was ample, making the great success Flowing Cloud Swordsmanship exhibit more power than Chu Ming's perfected Rainfall Swordsmanship.
Chu Ming's face darkened. Body refining techniques were extremely rare and invaluable; the human body's strength has limits. A body refining technique allows a martial artist to break through those limits.
In Cyan Yang Sect's outer sect, there is only one body refining technique, "Hundred Refinements Battle Body," a middle-tier Yellow Level technique. But in terms of rarity, it can completely compare to the top-tier Yellow Level martial arts technique "Cyan Yuan Technique" that Chu Ming cultivated. This body refining technique requires a lot of contribution points to cultivate.
Body refining techniques are hard to find and even harder to cultivate, requiring the endurance of inhuman pain.
But once successfully cultivated, the flesh becomes invincible. At the same level, unless using exceptionally strong martial techniques, his defense cannot be broken.
He never thought the burly man possessed a body refining technique. Even if it was only low-tier Yellow Level, it was equivalent to a high-tier Yellow Level technique.
Chu Ming's mind was racing with thoughts while their swords continuously clashed, alternating between flowing clouds and falling rain.
Bang
After a fierce battle, the two separated. The burly man hesitated, but thinking of the three stalks of Seven-Star Grass, his hesitation vanished in an instant.
"Flowing Cloud Kill!"
Two white light slashes, filled with Flowing Cloud intent, broke through layers of airwaves and quickly attacked Chu Ming.
"Rainfall Fall!"
Chu Ming leaned forward, the spiritual power within him began to flood, and a Rainfall Sword Intent emanated from his body. The surrounding branches and leaves suspended mid-air, filled with Rainfall Sword Intent. Chu Ming had mastered the Rainfall Swordsmanship to the extreme, even unintentionally mending some flaws.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The two Flowing Cloud Light Slashes instantly shattered, followed by a dense Rainfall Sword Intent rushing towards the burly man.
Whiz
The burly man's head burst into a mist of blood, his body fell, and Chu Ming exhaled a turbid breath.
He felt extremely fortunate that body refining techniques could only cultivate below the neck—the area above the neck is a fatal weakness, incredibly vulnerable!
It is said that those who reach perfection in body refining can achieve the legendary Life and Death Realm: blood rebirth, eternal immortality, creating life with a single thought—a realm all martial artists dream of!
However, achieving the Life and Death Realm is not simple. As far as he knew, the Celestial Realm hadn't seen a Life and Death Realm King in five hundred years. The Life and Death Realm Kings on the continent are few, but all are extraordinary figures, invincible in their same level, seizing fortune and luck to achieve the Life and Death Realm!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As the burly man's body fell, the other two repelled Zhou Qing's group, their eyes filled with astonishment looking at Chu Ming. They had seen many challenges across levels on the martial arts path. Sect disciples traversing the Jianghu often possess the ability to challenge above their level, as their cultivation techniques and martial arts are of different tiers. But defeating a Postnatal Seventh Layer challenging a Postnatal Ninth Layer middle stage, perhaps only top-tier talents of the Great Yan Kingdom can accomplish such a feat!
Boom
Before their shocked eyes faded, countless green Rainfall Sword Intents flew from the sky, absorbing the surrounding spiritual power into a vacuum, the airwaves emptied!
The two turned to flee, but it was too late!
"Don't kill me..."
"No..."
Whiz Whiz
Numerous sword intents directly pierced them like sieves, their clothes shattered. Chu Ming's eyes showed no mercy; such desperados surely had countless lives in their hands. Meeting him today was their bad luck.
"All their belongings are mine. You have no objections, right?" Chu Ming collected the three's packages and slung them over his back before asking.
At this moment, the other four were utterly stunned. Asked by Chu Ming, they finally reacted.
"No... objections..."
"Chu brother killed them, so the belongings should belong to Chu brother."
"..."
Chu Ming nodded, turned, and disappeared into the forest with four large packages.
When Chu Ming vanished, the four from the Blue Heart Sect awoke completely, their eyes filled with deep shock!
"Seems Jianghu has gained another top-tier talent!" Zhou Qing looked in the direction Chu Ming disappeared, took a deep breath, and said!
"Senior Brother, could he rival Tian Xing Zi of Celestial Star Sect?" Zhang Mei asked in surprise.
Tian Xing Zi, the top talent of Celestial Star Sect, though only at Fourth Layer Transcendence Realm, is said to make Seventh Layer Transcendence Realm martial artists avoid his edge. His strength was not as strong as the core disciple Liu Lin of Celestial Star Sect, but his fame was not inferior, being the most likely talent to approach the first tier!
Moreover, it's rumored that he possesses innate talent, mastering cultivation techniques with exceptional progress!
"Not rival; in practical talent, Chu Ming has far surpassed Tian Xing Zi. Even Tian Xing Zi, at Postnatal Seventh Layer, could only hold his own against Postnatal Ninth Layer, never capable of killing!" Zhou Qing said deeply, feeling powerless to be contemporaries with such a genius was their sorrow!
Several were silent. Chu Ming left them and finally sighed in relief; his spiritual power was almost depleted. Finding a safe place to restore his spiritual power to the peak, he then left calmly.
...
Days to challenge Wooden Men Alley became near; Chu Ming returned to Cyan Yang Sect and used the Seven-Star Grass, breaking through to Postnatal Eighth Layer. Driven by the spirit power, his Cyan Yuan Technique also broke through to the Third Layer, making his spiritual power as abundant as Postnatal Ninth Layer martial artists!
The third style of Tyrant Fist reached perfection, Rainfall Swordsmanship perfected, Stealth Step perfected, Cyan Yang Swordsmanship perfected...
In Cyan Yang Mountain Range, all gains were exchanged into elixirs, yet only gave him Power of Five Tigers, perhaps why he perfected Tyrant Fist!
Under the pressing situation, the outer sect disciples of Cyan Yang Sect seized the chance to cultivate, aspiring to secure the top ten to enter the inner sect in the Wooden Men Alley challenge!
"Dong! Dong! Dong..."
One day, while Chu Ming was cultivating, a bell rang suddenly. In the peaceful morning, it was exceptionally piercing.
Chu Ming calmly rose and walked towards the outer sect square. Along the way, many outer sect disciples headed in the same direction, chatting and laughing!
"Have you heard? Senior Brother Wu Lei broke through to Transcendence Realm, becoming an outer sect disciple, not participating in the Wooden Men Alley top ten contest!" A fair-skinned young man said to the nearby disciple.
"So, the first will be Li An then?" The disciple exclaimed. Li An, originally the second top expert of the outer sect, had reached the peak of Postnatal Ninth Layer. His "Jade Brightness Technique" had reached the Fourth Layer, his spiritual power unparalleled, almost rivaling Transcendence Realm martial artists.
"Not necessarily; Wooden Men Alley isn't just about martial strength; it tests a martial artist's body technique. The fifth top expert Fang Jie is renowned for his body technique; the first might be him!"
Some disciples disagreed, rebutting immediately. Chu Ming quietly listened.
If it were the former Chu Ming, he might join their discussion, but the current Chu Ming thought they were simply naive!
"Quiet!"
An authoritative voice sounded from the high platform, an inner sect elder stepped out and spoke to the disciples below.
The disciples below showed obvious respect. Inner sect elders were True Dao Realm experts, insurmountable to them!
"Today is the Wooden Men Alley challenge. The top ten not only enter the inner sect, but the first gets one Golden Cicada Pill, a hundred lower-grade spirit stones, and free cultivation of one low-tier Profound Level martial technique!"
"The second gets one Silver Cicada Pill, fifty lower-grade spirit stones, and half contribution points for cultivating one low-tier Profound Level martial technique!"
"The third gets twenty lower-grade spirit stones and seventy percent contribution points for cultivating one low-tier Profound Level martial technique!"
Boom
As the elder finished speaking, the disciples below erupted, their eyes blazing!
Not just spirit stones and low-tier Profound Level martial techniques, the Golden Cicada Pill in the first reward can save a martial artist two months of hard cultivation—an exclusive elixir of Cyan Yang Sect, usually rewarded to prominent inner sect first ranks. Giving it to outer sect disciples was unprecedented!