Chapter 454: Chapter 441: What a Brave, Miserable Howl...
"The human body has nine Mystic Gates that are nearly impossible to open, so they are considered useless. These nine Mystic Gates are also known as the Nine-Stars: the Phecda Star, the Tianren Star, the Tiansheng Star, Merak, the Celestial Brilliance Star, the Tiannv Star, the Pillar Star, the Celestial Heart Star, and the Celestial Bird Star."
"These nine Mystic Gates are distributed from head to toe in a tree-like pattern. During a Martial Artist’s Cultivation, they seize and store a large portion of Spiritual Power. In a sense, you can think of these nine Mystic Gates as defunct Pill Seas that have absorbed Spiritual Power. In fact, the Energy within each of these ’Pill Seas’ far exceeds that of an ordinary Martial Artist’s own Pill Sea!"
As Shen Lang spoke, he flicked his hands, sending Jade Scrolls sailing through the air. Each one landed precisely in front of a member of the crowd.
In addition to the over one thousand members of War Wolf, Nalan Ziyun and Shen Moran also received two scrolls each.
Everyone looked astonished, as Shen Lang’s explanation was something they had never heard before.
Shen Lang continued, "Not only do these nine Mystic Gates absorb a large amount of Spiritual Power, they also severely restrict its circulation within a Martial Artist’s body, creating multiple blockages."
"The Nine-Star Profound Meaning allows you to unlock these stars one by one. In a single instant, you can remove your body’s restrictions on Spiritual Power and temporarily draw out the energy stored within for your own use. Once a restriction is lifted, your power will surge, allowing you to unleash ten, or even dozens, of times your normal strength. However, in exchange for this power, the user will suffer immense harm. The stronger your Physique, the less damage you’ll take..."
Before he could finish, Nalan Ziyun looked up from the Jade Scroll and exclaimed, "Holy crap! The first level requires Xuanwu Realm Second Heaven or higher? Isn’t this impossible to practice?"
"That’s why I didn’t teach you this Cultivation Technique in the first place," Shen Lang replied. "Your physical strength hasn’t met the minimum requirement to practice it yet. However, I have a plan to deal with that."
"This Secret Technique is extremely demanding on one’s physical strength. For someone with a weak physique, using it is basically self-harm. In severe cases, the injuries could take a very long time to heal."
Shen Lang’s gaze swept over the crowd as he added, "You all need to study the Combined Attack Technique carefully. Shortly, the five Commanders will divide you into teams. You’ll be split into five-person units based on comparable Cultivation levels. Your first step is for these squads to master this Combined Attack Technique as quickly as possible."
"Once you’ve mastered the Combined Attack Technique, War Wolf’s combat strength will skyrocket!"
"The second step is to temporarily halt your practice of other Cultivation Techniques. As long as your bodies can withstand it, you will focus on mastering the first star of the Nine-Star Profound Meaning: the Phecda Star."
"Yes!"
The thousand-plus members of War Wolf roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.
A fervent light shone in everyone’s eyes.
It was already shocking enough when Shen Lang had taught them profound techniques like the Thunder Control Divine Technique and the Netherworld King’s Three Extremes Sword.
’Who would have thought he also had an auxiliary technique like this, one that could boost everyone’s strength so much in such a short time!’
’The sight of hundreds, even thousands, of people performing a swordsmanship like the Netherworld King’s Three Extremes Sword was already freakishly powerful.’
’Now there was a dedicated Combined Attack Technique to focus their power, which was once like scattered sand, and unleash it with many times the force!’
’With these advantages alone, in just a few days, War Wolf could probably dominate a comparable force from any Spirit Copper Level Influence!’
’It all felt like a dream...’
At that moment, Shen Lang took out a huge wooden barrel, one taller than a man.
"Tie Feng, go fill this barrel with fresh water."
After Tie Feng returned like a whirlwind with a full barrel, Shen Lang pointed at it and said, "Get in."
Tie Feng froze, his face flushing. "Uh... Sir, there are so many young ladies here. How can you ask me to bathe in front of everyone? It’s too embarrassing!"
Black Death came over and smacked Tie Feng so hard he grimaced.
SPLASH! Before Tie Feng could react, Black Death had grabbed him like a chick and shoved him directly into the barrel.
"If you wanted me to get in, you could have just said so! Was it necessary to be so rough?"
Looking like a drowned rat, Tie Feng clung to the edge of the barrel and gave Black Death a deeply wronged look.
The crowd desperately wanted to laugh but didn’t dare, stifling it until they were in agony.
With a flick of his wrist, Shen Lang produced a small bottle.
The bottle seemed to contain some kind of crystal-clear Potion.
"S-Sir... y-y-you’re... you’re not doing another one of your experiments, are you? My Cultivation is too low... c-can’t you... let Commander Black Death do it?"
Having witnessed Shen Lang’s Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and various "experiments," Tie Feng’s teeth were chattering so hard he could barely speak.
’Shen Lang’s experiments were terrifying. Every single one left its subject half-dead.’
It wasn’t just Tie Feng who was afraid. Even the Ghost King and the four Bone Demons wished they could sprout two more legs and run for the hills whenever they saw he was about to start an experiment.
Compared to his experiments, the furnace explosions from Bai Feifei’s Artifact Refining were complete child’s play.
"This is a Body Refining Special Potion I concocted. It’s incredibly precious and can dramatically increase your physical strength in a short period... Hmph. Everyone’s portion is limited. You get to be the test subject, which means you get an extra dose. You should be secretly thrilled."
As he spoke, Shen Lang gently tilted the bottle and let a single drop of the Potion fall into the barrel.
A chilling aura, so cold it felt like it could freeze one’s very soul, emanated from the barrel. The surface of the water instantly began to freeze, and in a flash, the ice enveloped Tie Feng completely, turning him into an ice sculpture!
A bloodcurdling scream, like that of a pig being slaughtered, immediately erupted from within the ice.
"Circulate your Spiritual Power to resist the Cold Power! At the same time, sense the Ice Soul around you, draw it into your body, and temper your meridians!"
Shen Lang barked out the command.
"O-Okay... *chatter*... AHHH!"
Tie Feng’s screams rose and fell, undulating with a surprisingly regular rhythm.
"Everyone, listen to that! Such brave wailing! Such a loud, sonorous voice..." Black Death said, looking extremely "proud."
The other four Commanders gave him a sidelong glance. ’This bastard has sadistic tendencies,’ they thought. ’His own man is howling in agony, and he’s over the moon.’
’Let’s see if he’s still laughing when it’s his turn.’
Just then, at the back of the crowd, the four Bone Demons, who had been sitting cross-legged as still as stones and were all but forgotten, stood up.
Bone One: "OONCE-CHKA OONCE-CHKA!"
Bone Two: "Oh, those mournful screams are my only love,"
Bone Three: "And the flowers bloom at the green mountain’s base!"
Bone Four: "What kind of rhythm is the grooviest beat..."
Bone One: "What kind of screaming is the sweetest treat!"
Nalan Ziyun drew her Nebula Chain and lashed out, whipping it right at them.
The War Wolf members wanted to laugh but didn’t dare, their shoulders shaking violently as they tried to hold it in.
...
The chilling air continued to pour out of the barrel, and the temperature within the gorge seemed to drop by several degrees.
Faced with such a bizarre, intense cold, the five Commanders all took a few steps back in alarm.
The members of War Wolf felt the unnatural cold, their gazes burning with intensity as they stared at the frozen Tie Feng.
The more frightening something appeared, the more potent its effects were likely to be.
Besides, Body Refining Potions that were still effective on Xuanwu Realm Powerhouses were exceedingly rare on the market. Everyone was eager to see just how potent this one was.
While the five Commanders retreated, Chu Qingcheng, strangely enough, moved closer out of curiosity.
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, he circled the wooden barrel again and again.
"Well now, this is some good stuff! Xiaolang must have gotten his hands on an Exotic Treasure like the Ice Soul Water Jade. He must have performed Refinement on the Ice Soul to create this Body Refining Potion. According to legend, this is a top-tier Body Refining Holy Medicine!"
"With something like this, a Martial Artist can undergo Purification of Essence and Marrow in a short amount of time and be completely reborn. It’s an incredibly rare find."
Chu Qingcheng’s words brought sudden understanding to the crowd.
Most people had never seen Ice Soul Water Jade, but they had all heard its name.
This was a Marvelous Treasure one might not encounter even once in several thousand years!
No wonder the chilling aura was so frightening!
However, most people only knew that it could double the results of cultivating an Ice Technique with half the effort, and that it could help a Martial Artist comprehend the Ice Realm.
They also knew that Cultivation near an Ice Soul Water Jade had the benefit of strengthening one’s physique.
But very few knew that it could actually be used to concoct medicine and create a Body Refining Elixir!
Before anyone could respond, Chu Qingcheng suddenly shivered, moved a little farther away, and added, "This cold is terrifying. I can barely stand at the edge of the barrel for a moment. Tie Feng’s Cultivation is only at the Xuanwu Realm Third Heaven. I’m afraid this is going to be dicey..."
"Huh? Dicey?" The crowd was stunned.
Chu Qingcheng grinned. "Either he’ll be completely reborn, or he’ll just kick the bucket. Heh, what a shame..."
Everyone broke out in a cold sweat, unsure if he was lamenting the potential waste of the Medicinal Liquid or the potential death of Tie Feng.
But hearing the gravity in his voice, everyone was shocked. ’You could actually die from using a Body Refining Potion? Isn’t the risk way too high?’
But when it came to Shen Lang’s affairs, who besides a select few like Chu Qingcheng and Nalan Ziyun would dare to question him?
The crowd stared nervously at the barrel, all of them growing anxious for Tie Feng.
Fortunately, Tie Feng never stopped letting out strange cries. Although the sounds were unnerving, it was a relief to know he was still alive.
Half an hour passed. Tie Feng’s wretched howls, which had been rising and falling, finally faded into silence.
At that, Shen Lang’s expression shifted slightly. He pressed his palm against the ice sculpture that was Tie Feng, released a burst of Spiritual Power, and shattered the thick Ice.
Then, he lifted Tie Feng out of the barrel.
Everyone’s eyes went wide. ’No way... Did Tie Feng really die?!’
’It’s only been half an hour! If it’s this dangerous, who else would dare to use it?’
The four Commanders, however, weren’t worried. With the power of their Divine Thought, they knew Tie Feng was alive and well without even needing to touch him.
"Black Death, you’re next. If you can’t handle it, Ying Huo will take your place."
The other four Commanders turned in unison to stare at Black Death.
’Talk about instant karma...’
’The bastard had been gloating and laughing on the sidelines just moments ago, and now his turn had come so quickly.’
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