Chapter 220 - 219: Straight and Hard

Chapter 220: Chapter 219: Straight and Hard

When she was tied up, she was crying and begging, making all sorts of promises, willing to do anything to get her way.

But the moment she was untied...

’I really did prefer the honest, tear-streaked version of you when you were tied up tight...’ Wu Chen grumbled internally, retracting his gaze and closing his eyes to rest.

However, her current behavior was exactly what Wu Chen had expected.

Besides, she was just running her mouth. She hadn’t done anything else truly aggravating along the way. Compared to Zhao Deyi, she was a thousand times better.

By that comparison, the young lady’s character could be considered top-notch.

If it weren’t for the complicated powers backing her, and the fact that Wu Chen only wanted Martial Arts and not any messy entanglements...

...he might have even thought about becoming friends with her.

...

Sun Yuting noticed Wu Chen’s intense gaze leave her face as he closed his eyes to rest, clearly having no intention of engaging with her. She hadn’t expected him to be so blunt and, feeling a bit speechless, she mumbled:

"So blunt and stubborn..."

Wu Chen, who was resting with his eyes closed, heard this, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

’You’d better be talking about something else.’

"Alright, alright, I’ll tell you."

Sun Yuting raised her voice slightly, and just as she expected, Wu Chen opened his eyes and looked at her again.

She stopped trying to be mysterious and began to explain in detail:

"The earth qi that erupts from this mountain at night is bitterly cold and difficult to endure, but for the members of Hidden Wind Valley who possess a special body refining technique, it’s considered a treasure trove."

"When the earth qi rages at night, they use it to temper their bodies. This practice makes the physiques of Hidden Wind Valley’s members exceptionally tough."

"This transformation isn’t just limited to the four stages of skin, flesh, muscle, and bone. The subsequent stages, involving the qi of the five organs and even Origin Condensation, also undergo a qualitative change through the constant tempering of the earth qi."

"But not everyone can withstand such suffering. Generally, a Martial Artist below the first four realms who uses the earth qi for body refining can only last for a quarter of an hour at a time. Two or three sessions a night is their absolute limit."

"Only those at the Organ Refining Realm can endure for more than half an hour. As for the Blood Coagulation Realm, like that Elder for instance..."

As Sun Yuting spoke, she nodded her chin towards the figure on the giant rock:

"I estimate he could last an entire night in the most intense area of earth qi without any problem."

"Of course, this Body Refining Skill definitely has its benefits for those in the Organ Refining Realm and Blood Coagulation Realm when used with the earth qi. But the specific effects are a secret of Hidden Wind Valley, never shown to outsiders."

"Even I don’t really know what abilities someone above the Blood Coagulation Realm would gain after refining their body with this earth qi."

"Thank you for the explanation, Captain Sun."

Wu Chen nodded lightly. He knew that since Sun Yuting had explained this much, there was no reason for her to hold back the rest just to earn his contempt.

’Still, this earth qi and this Body Refining Skill are quite interesting.’

He rubbed his chin. Based on the information she’d provided, he had reason to suspect that Hidden Wind Valley’s Body Refining Skill was a ’Treasure’ grade technique.

It was effective even for those above the Blood Coagulation Realm, allowing them to achieve a qualitative transformation!

’This Body Refining Skill... even if it can’t compare to the three ’Treasure’ grade Martial Arts my master gave me, it can’t be that much weaker.’

A fiery glint flashed in Wu Chen’s eyes. He had already set his sights on this Martial Art.

Thanks to the vast number of Martial Arts he’d mastered in the first four realms, he had already gained the ’Body of Adamant’ trait.

His physical toughness had long reached a point where ordinary weapons could barely scratch him.

But as his realm increased, this trait was clearly becoming less effective and couldn’t keep up with his current level.

At his current realm, an all-out battle could crush even metal into dust, let alone a mere stubborn rock.

Although he had yet to be injured, he had always craved a higher-level Body Refining Skill.

Now that Hidden Wind Valley’s earth qi Body Refining Skill was right in front of him, there was no reason not to learn it.

’If I learn this...’

’My Intercepting Meridian and Dragon Capture will deal true damage to you.’

’But when you hit me, you won’t even break my defense!’

Wu Chen rubbed his chin, the corners of his lips curling into a smirk.

Just imagining the scene was amusing.

"Whatever you’re thinking, I’ll give you a piece of friendly advice: you’d better not practice this Body Refining Skill."

Seeing the irrepressible smile on Wu Chen’s lips and the fiery passion in his eyes, Sun Yuting could easily guess that he was planning to cultivate this Body Refining Skill.

Wu Chen was puzzled. "Why?"

Sun Yuting pointed a slender finger at the figure of the Hidden Wind Valley Elder on the giant rock and said:

"Look at that Elder at the Blood Coagulation Realm. Logically, even with his age, he shouldn’t look so withered. Yet he gives off a lifeless, deathly aura."

"This is all due to the long-term ravages of the bitterly cold earth qi."

"This Martial Art is not easy to cultivate. While it is beneficial to the origin of the five organs, the slightest mistake can cause a backlash from the earth qi, completely destroying your origin."

"Moreover, tempering your body with their method, while making you solid, will also make you age prematurely. You’ll look extremely old."

As she spoke, she gently caressed her own cheek, clicked her tongue, and shook her head. ⅇℓ.

’Anyone who refines their body this way is a complete lunatic.’

Wu Chen nodded lightly. From Sun Yuting’s words, he could imagine the tyrannical nature of the earth qi. While it could temper the body, it could just as easily destroy it.

’Staying here for three to five years would probably turn a beautiful young woman into a wrinkled old crone.’

"However, if you absolutely insist on practicing it, there’s no need to rush."

After a moment of silence, Sun Yuting added, "After this is all over, Hidden Wind Valley’s Martial Arts and its personnel will all fall under the control of the Demon Suppression Bureau."

"At that time, this Martial Art will surely be modified within the Demon Suppression Bureau to be gentler. It will no longer rely on the ferocious and unbearable earth qi here for tempering; other items will be used as a substitute."

"I can give you the Martial Art then, and you won’t have to worry about these lingering problems."

"Thank you, Captain Sun."

Wu Chen thanked her politely but shook his head internally.

’It’s hard to say whether a Martial Art modified by the Demon Suppression Bureau would be better or worse.’

’What if using a gentle, painless method to temper the body results in a physique that doesn’t meet my standards at all? One that shatters on impact in a real fight.’

’The loss would truly outweigh the gain.’

The earth qi might be tyrannical, and tempering the body with it might be agonizing.

But Wu Chen believed that tempering the flesh should be done brutally. A little pain didn’t matter.

Only a physique forged in such a way could face powerful enemies without fear and allow him to fight without restraint.

’Besides...’

Wu Chen glanced at the panel, which had been dormant for a long time.

’Even if this body refining technique is different from my previous Martial Arts, and I might have to absorb the tyrannical earth qi when I ’add points’...’

’Even if the process is excruciatingly painful, the panel will condense the decades of tempering it would take a normal person into an extremely short period.’

’As for the earth qi destroying my body... the Rhombic Crystal origin within me is a higher-level Silver Origin! It can continuously repair any damage!’

’Not to mention my solidified five-organ qi, which can be used to digest pills at incredible speeds and to recover from injuries!’

Therefore, Wu Chen wasn’t the least bit worried about whether the earth qi would ravage his body.

He wouldn’t be learning this Body Refining Skill step by step; he was already starting from a sufficiently high level.

Thus, he had no lingering concerns.

...

The two spoke a little more about Hidden Wind Valley, and as they talked, the light in the mountain forest gradually dimmed.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!—

A fierce wind, sharp as a knife, blew down from the mountaintop, causing the forest leaves to rustle violently. At the same time, invisible wisps of cold qi began to seep out from the ground.

Wu Chen and Sun Yuting didn’t seem to feel much, but a hundred feet away, the several Silver Wolf Captains clearly shivered and instinctively shrank their necks.