Chapter 108: The Bronze-Forged Body

From then on, every day, Xu Xuan spent an hour tempering his body with True Fire, dedicating the remaining time to assimilate and absorb the pure and potent power of the flame.

Though it demanded an enormous consumption of spiritual materials from heaven and earth, as well as intense, agonizing burning pain, the result was a rapid and remarkable improvement in his cultivation and strength.

Each day, as the True Fire coursed through his body, his flesh, muscles, and bones were hammered and refined relentlessly. Throughout this process, the primal energy within him grew stronger, purer, and increasingly robust.

After about half a month, Xu Xuan sensed his primal energy breaking through to the fourth level of Qi Refinement, steadily climbing higher. Not only that, but his physical strength had surged dramatically, nearly increasing by half compared to when he had just entered the tenth tier of Body Refinement.

As a body cultivator, the utmost priority was naturally the physical form. Unlike martial cultivators, whose true power converged in the dantian and flowed through the meridians and beyond, where even a slight misstep might trigger unimaginable consequences, ancient body cultivators faced no such dilemma. Their power stemmed from every inch of flesh and bone; when cultivated to perfection, even a single drop of blood could harbor devastating might. The simplest, most unadorned cultivation method was, paradoxically, the most direct and forceful, striking at the very essence of the Dao.

“Nearly half of the fiery spiritual materials have been consumed. It seems even these won’t suffice to complete the Bronze Casting Body,” Xu Xuan murmured one day, pausing with a slight frown.

The cultivation of ancient body techniques was several times more arduous than that of ordinary cultivators. Breaking through a single stage in half a month, though astonishingly swift, came at the cost of vast amounts of fiery spiritual materials.

Despite his ample resources, the fiery materials in his possession were already running low—enough to last only another half month at best.

“Don’t use only the intense fiery materials. If you persist, your body might develop hidden ailments. Other spiritual materials may also be worth trying,” a voice from his past suddenly suggested.

Xu Xuan found this advice sensible. The blazing attribute of True Fire was undeniably fierce and overwhelming. Long-term tempering with such fire alone was indeed unwise.

With this realization, he sought out other spiritual materials of different elemental affinities. Just as the human body has elemental tendencies, so too does the spiritual material of heaven and earth, some bearing mixed properties.

He casually selected several types and cast them into the True Fire furnace, as long as they were not of the fiery attribute.

A breath of pale blue flame emerged from the dragon mouth of the cauldron, tinged with a gentle green glow—likely from milder spiritual materials.

Xu Xuan led this flame into his body with his primal energy for tempering. As the fire flowed through his limbs and bones, it felt like a gentle stream washing over him or a soft breeze through forested mountains and blooming flowers.

Compared to the scalding blazing fire, these other True Fires were much gentler. Not only could they dispel internal stagnations, but they also nourished the body, revitalized it, and stabilized his cultivation realm.

“Yes, this method works. It reduces the consumption of fiery materials, nourishes the body, and eliminates hidden ailments,” he mused.

From then on, Xu Xuan prioritized fiery spiritual materials, supplemented by these gentler ones, combining them to temper his body.

Unexpectedly, this method proved even more efficient than before. While the True Fire refined from other elemental materials was less potent in promoting his cultivation and physique, the body’s vigor greatly improved after nourishment. Subsequently using the blazing True Fire yielded even better results.

After about a month, Xu Xuan’s physical body grew increasingly formidable, nearing the “Bronze Casting Body” stage of the Body Refinement phase.

Yet, by this point, all his fiery spiritual materials were exhausted.

After pondering briefly, he came up with a solution: “There are so many disciples on Fengyu Mountain; there must be a considerable supply of fiery spiritual materials. I have enough spiritual stones and materials to trade for some.”

Thus, Xu Xuan began traversing within the sect, trading with many inner disciples, true legacy disciples, and even some elders in the Qi Refinement stage, exchanging for fiery spiritual materials.

Money made things easier. Within a few days, he had gathered a large batch of fiery spiritual materials, feeling pleased as he resumed tempering his body with True Fire.

Finally, about half a month later, Xu Xuan achieved his goal, stepping into the Body Refinement phase and forging the “Bronze Casting Body.”

With the Bronze Casting Body newly formed, every inch of his flesh, muscles, and bones became as hard as bronze, endowed with immense strength.

His skin still appeared as pure and white as before, but when he exerted force, a subtle bronze hue shimmered across his body surface, harboring terrifying power.

As for how formidable the Bronze Casting Body truly was, Xu Xuan could not estimate. Even in his previous life, he had never entered the “Casting Body” stage of a body cultivator. But he was confident that without expending any primal energy, he could contend with cultivators at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refinement.

Meanwhile, after these days of tempering and strengthening, Xu Xuan’s primal energy surged close to the fifth level of Qi Refinement. Such cultivation speed was astonishing. When not using primal energy, all his power was embedded and distributed throughout every inch of his blood and flesh, making it difficult for ordinary cultivators to gauge his true strength.

“With the Bronze Casting Body newly formed, my current strength is more than enough to survive and establish myself within the Immortal Sect. However...” Xu Xuan’s eyes suddenly flashed as he recalled a long-unfulfilled wish.

It was his father’s leg injury.

His father’s leg had been wounded by the true power of a martial cultivator; after more than three years, ordinary spiritual blood no longer sufficed for healing.

He remembered his father’s coughing up blood that day, saying only the extremely rare and precious “Three-Spirit Deer Blood” from the cultivation world could cure the leg injury.

Now, with his greatly enhanced strength and abundant resources, this was Xu Xuan’s most urgent task.

Seeing the next opportunity to leave the mountain approaching, he took advantage of the interval to visit the sect’s inner library, researching various spiritual materials from heaven and earth.

In his past life’s memories, the Three-Spirit Deer Blood had been but a passing mention without detailed explanation.

Soon, Xu Xuan found information on it in the library, but after reading, his brow furrowed.

The Three-Spirit Deer Blood came from a rare demon beast called the “Three-Spirit Deer,” whose rank reached a formidable third tier.

Perhaps the concept of a third-tier demon beast was somewhat vague, but its combat power was comparable to the legendary Condensation Pill stage.

Generally, in the cultivation world, Three-Spirit Deer Blood was harvested from juvenile spirit deer. Even these young Three-Spirit Deer possessed strength rivaling that of Immortal Masters at the Spirit Refinement stage.

“Three-Spirit Deer Blood... it seems I must make a trip to ‘Yellow Dragon City,’” Xu Xuan murmured to himself, his expression peculiar.

He did not believe such high-grade spiritual blood could be traded in the small town of Pinghua. Even in Yellow Dragon City, there was no guarantee it would be available—it would require some luck.

Leaving the library, Xu Xuan began planning. A journey to Yellow Dragon City would be long and arduous, so he needed to prepare thoroughly.

“Hear that Nie Han from the Sword Sect has come up the mountain to challenge. Looks like there’ll be some excitement to watch.”

“Challenge? Nie Han is a rare talent in the Sword Sect, once in a century... let’s go see.”

Several nearby inner disciples hurried toward the mountain gate.

Nie Han? A challenge?

Xu Xuan’s eyes flickered as he walked halfway up the mountain, when suddenly a familiar figure approached in haste.

“Ah, Senior Sister Yang, what a coincidence,” Xu Xuan greeted, noticing a hint of anxiety in Yang Xiaoqian’s clear eyes.

“Senior Brother Xu, Nie Han has come up to challenge Senior Brother Le. Let’s go support him,” Yang Xiaoqian said urgently.

“Support? Heh, then we must go see,” Xu Xuan replied, a relaxed smile crossing his face as he quickened his pace alongside her toward the mountain gate.

Indeed, as they neared the entrance, the sounds of combat grew distinct. Soon, they saw the two combatants locked in battle.

The duel was between Le Feng and Nie Han, taking place at the “Wangxian Terrace,” the very site where Xu Xuan first entered the Immortal Sect. At that time, it had served as the first test for comprehension.

When Xu Xuan and Yang Xiaoqian arrived, the battle had reached its climax.

Nie Han radiated an overwhelming and disdainful sword intent. His magic sword slashed out brilliant sword auras, each attack sharp and decisive. Occasionally, the sword even left his hand, controlled remotely with sword qi, assaulting from afar.

Compared to the skirmish when they had once suppressed bandits, Nie Han’s sword techniques now exhibited a ruthless dominance layered with endless variations.

“He’s already ascended to the fifth tier of Qi Refinement...” Xu Xuan predicted the outcome.

On the other side, Le Feng was forced backward repeatedly by the fierce and dazzling sword light. His wind-fire fan erupted with azure flames, exuding a majestic momentum and considerable power, yet before Nie Han, it was as fragile as paper.

No matter how varied and splendid Le Feng’s immortal techniques and divine arts were, Nie Han’s simple, powerful, sharp, and domineering sword strikes shattered everything—wind, fire, water, or earth—like dry twigs snapped by a single blow.

Xu Xuan could not help but marvel: the elite sword cultivators were the most formidable. No matter how their divine arts changed, under the strongest and simplest attacks, they paled in comparison.

In terms of cultivation, Le Feng was at the peak of the fifth tier of Qi Refinement, holding an advantage, but in actual combat, the defeat was evident.

“He’s lost,” Xu Xuan said, shaking his head after a brief glance.

“Does Senior Brother Le have no chance at all?” Yang Xiaoqian asked, concern and a trace of disappointment in her bright eyes.

“Hope is slim.” Xu Xuan noticed Nie Han still held back some strength. Curiously, he asked, “Do you wish so badly for Senior Brother Le to win? Is winning so important to you? Is it more important than his life?”

“Ah...” Yang Xiaoqian paused, a hint of confusion flickering across her eyes. To her, as the man who protected her, Le Feng ought to perform better.

Xu Xuan soon understood her feelings.

“Xiao Xuan, there’s something I want to ask you...” Yang Xiaoqian’s eyes reddened slightly, her radiant face lowered shyly, unable to meet Xu Xuan’s gaze.

“Xiao Xuan”—Xu Xuan’s childhood nickname—sounded both intimate and distant now, oddly so. He looked at her and said, “Go ahead.”

“I want to confirm something...” Yang Xiaoqian hesitated, her words unfinished.

At that moment, a thunderous explosion erupted from the Wangxian Terrace. The wind-fire fan burst forth a blue flame about a zhang long, colliding with a silver sword aura like a shimmering rainbow.

An instant later, a scattering of sword qi and exploding flames surged around the terrace.

The dozen or so onlookers panicked.

A streak of blue flame whistled toward Xu Xuan and Yang Xiaoqian as they talked.

Caught off guard in her dazed state, Yang Xiaoqian turned pale, unable to defend herself.

With reflexes sharp as lightning, Xu Xuan reached out, clutching the blue flame in his hand, shielding Yang Xiaoqian from harm.

“Sorry for dragging you into this,” she said, guilt-ridden.

But in the next moment, she froze: Xu Xuan’s palm holding the flame emitted faint wisps of blue smoke. When he opened his hand, his skin, tinted like ancient bronze, immediately returned to its original pale and rosy hue, utterly unharmed.

(End of first update. Growing support is difficult...!)