The boundless Dharma power, drawn from the Chi Wen formed by the cloud, poured into his body. His own magic power had already reached its peak, but as this external energy continued to flow in, his internal reserves grew thicker, denser, stronger—yet his meridians could no longer contain it.

Every channel in his body felt on the verge of bursting.

The sensation of impending breakthrough he’d felt moments ago now seemed more like imminent explosion.

Lu Yuan couldn't quite grasp what this meant.

The peaks and troughs of life arrived too swiftly.

Amidst this dramatic swing, he could not control his physical form; he could only anchor his clearest, purest core of consciousness.

Bang! His body seemed to shatter, and immediately after, countless streams of Dharma power erupted outwards, flooding every part of him. The immeasurable energy permeated his tissues, melding with his bones, flesh, blood, skin, and hair. At that instant, Lu Yuan understood: he had reached the Body Tempering stage.

Body Tempering—to forge an immortal physique.

Body Tempering was, essentially, using Dharma power to refine the physical body, bringing it closer to the immortal form and shedding the constraints of the mortal one.

The Body Tempering stage made one’s physical form vastly superior to what it was before.

And what was required for this tempering? Naturally, it demanded Dharma power.

In the Qi Condensation stage, no matter how much power a cultivator refined, that energy remained obediently within the meridians and rarely altered the physical flesh. A cultivator in the Qi Condensation stage was not much physically stronger than an ordinary mortal.

The human body naturally separates its meridians from the rest of the physical structure, held in check by a formidable barrier. To reach the Body Tempering stage, one must shatter this barrier, allowing the Dharma power held within the channels to circulate throughout the entire body. Only then could one break through the bottleneck and enter Body Tempering.

Once that barrier was breached and the Body Tempering stage achieved, the power flowed unrestricted through the entire physique, capable now of remolding the flesh.

The first tier of Body Tempering, Qi Circulation Through the Air, was surprisingly straightforward: after reaching this stage, the Dharma power began remodeling the body to make it more suitable for aerial travel. This was the secret of the initial mastery.

Now, sustained by the endless flow of power from the Chi Wen behind him, he had finally blasted through that barrier. The power that had been banked in his meridians surged outward to every corner of his being.

This was the Body Tempering stage!

He felt every fiber of his being—bone, blood, muscle, skin, and hair—infused and energized by the surrounding Dharma power.

In the Body Tempering stage, the body became inherently stronger. Moreover, the power that could be stored within the physical structure was immeasurably greater than the energy held during Qi Condensation. Furthermore, one could now command the air to move.

It could be said that the Body Tempering stage elevated every aspect of one's capabilities far beyond the Qi Condensation stage.

Even with Lu Yuan’s naturally easygoing, detached, and carefree disposition, he was overcome with immense joy. This breakthrough, from Qi Condensation to Body Tempering, was monumental—far more arduous than previous advancements like reaching the fifth tier, Minor Celestial Convergence, the sixth tier, Qi Manifestation, or the ninth tier, Major Celestial Cycle.

The Chi Wen behind him continued to input Dharma power, though the transmission speed was noticeably slower than before.

Lu Yuan understood instantly; the surrounding water-elemental energy was nearly depleted.

By now, the water-elemental energy within him had been completely consumed. His injuries had also seen some degree of repair—the third property of water elementals was a degree of healing, though inferior to the Wood element’s regenerative capability, it was still substantial. Under the repair of so much water energy, his wounds had significantly lessened.

With his reserves full and his spirit sharp, it was time.

He flipped his hand, gripping his Yangwu Sword with more force than before. The power of the Water Dragon Wave surrounding him had nearly vanished, making it easy to shatter. Lu Yuan cleaved his sword backhand, instantly slicing through the Water Dragon Wave, driving toward Li Feng, who looked momentarily stunned that his spell hadn't annihilated Lu Yuan.

One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud: Raging Wind Severing Waves.

The raging wind could indeed cleave the torrent.

Li Feng was startled. He had absolutely not expected Lu Yuan to escape his Water Dragon Wave. Furthermore, this Raging Wind Severing Waves attack came with terrifying speed. Though Li Feng dodged quickly, a thin line of blood appeared on his left hand.

Li Feng frowned. To think he, a cultivator in the Body Tempering stage, would suffer an injury from Lu Yuan, merely at the peak of Qi Condensation—it was humiliating. However, the priority was completing the mission to kill Lu Yuan. Once that was done, he could change his identity, disappear for a time, wait for Li Yuanbai to pass, and then reap endless rewards.

“It’s time to counterattack,” Lu Yuan murmured.

Hearing this, Li Feng almost laughed aloud. What an arrogant junior. He’d merely survived the Water Dragon Wave by chance and now thought he could strike back? Li Feng was a Body Tempering cultivator; how could a mere Qi Condensation practitioner possibly fight back? Ridiculous.

One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud: Raging Wind Passes.

This move erupted instantly from Lu Yuan’s hand. Li Feng paid it little mind; regardless of how exquisite Raging Wind Passes was, under the power of a Body Tempering cultivator, it was all just mist. Facing this fierce strike, Li Feng met it without hesitation with his own sword counter.

Li Feng assumed his Body Tempering advantage in Dharma power would easily block this attack. But as the blades met, an overwhelmingly potent energy surged from the Yangwu Sword. In an instant, all of Li Feng’s defensive maneuvers were mercilessly shattered by Raging Wind Passes.

The counterattack had begun.

After breaking through the opponent’s defense, Raging Wind Passes was followed by Wind Cannot Be Pursued. Before Li Feng could react, the Yangwu Sword had carved a long, deep gash across his right flank.

Next came Cloud Entwining Sword Disturbance. The sword movement suddenly became bizarre, bypassing the defensive posture Li Feng desperately tried to reorganize, leaving a bloody wound across his left back.

One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud: Great Wind Heavily Falling. This strike left several fresh gashes across Li Feng’s body.

One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud: Wind Blows, Clouds Roll. This move flowed like the wind and moved like the clouds; Li Feng couldn't react at all before several more wounds were inflicted.

A complete rout. The battle between Lu Yuan and Li Feng had turned entirely one-sided.

Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship now carried a hint of anger and boldness that was usually absent. Normally, his temperament was peaceful; even when overpowering an opponent, he would wait for them to strike first, slowly grinding them down with calculated moves. His temperament dictated this fighting style. But nearly dying by Li Feng’s hand had enraged him. This time, there was no waiting; he pressed the attack, each move swifter than the last, his sword energy like a raging gale or a massive wave, striking hard and fighting fiercely with every technique.

In the midst of this exchange, Lu Yuan felt a rare surge of exhilarating satisfaction.

Complete suppression!

Li Feng could only cry out internally. Before engaging Lu Yuan, he had never imagined being so thoroughly suppressed by someone so much younger. He had always believed Lu Yuan was merely a beneficiary relying on inherited prestige, possessing little true ability himself. Yet now, he was being dominated by this junior.

The others arriving swiftly were equally stunned. This place was Dark Sword Manor, one of Li Yuanbai’s strongholds established at the foot of North Peak Mountain. The manor housed many cultivators, but the few at the Body Tempering stage had been sent away on prior errands. Those remaining were utterly shocked to hear that Li Feng was assassinating the Young Master. Moreover, this was disastrous: Li Feng was Body Tempering, and the Young Master was only Qi Condensation. Wouldn't the Young Master be killed? If he died by Li Feng’s hand, it would trigger an earth-shattering crisis.

No Body Tempering cultivators remained at Dark Sword Manor, but upon hearing the Young Master was in danger, they rushed over regardless. Even if their arrival wouldn't make a difference, they had to come. Most remaining personnel were fiercely loyal to Li Yuanbai. When they reached the courtyard, they froze in terror at the scene before them.

The youth in green was suppressing the elder in grey, neutralizing every counterattack, whether sword or spell. The Yangwu Sword circled above and below, tearing through the elder’s layers of defense.

Were they seeing correctly? The men of Dark Sword Manor rubbed their eyes, convinced they were mistaken. But after blinking, the sight remained: the Young Master was indeed dominating Li Feng. Such an absurd scenario—a Qi Condensation cultivator overpowering a Body Tempering one? Impossible.

The men of Dark Sword Manor stared intently. Upon closer observation, they realized that during the clashes of swords between the Young Master and the grey-robed Li Feng, the Young Master was clearly not falling behind in terms of Dharma power fluctuations. Did this mean the Young Master was also at the Body Tempering stage?

What was Body Tempering? It was the true gateway into cultivation.

Only at Body Tempering did Dharma power begin to remodel the physique.

Only at Body Tempering could one truly fly through the air.

Only at Body Tempering could one’s lifespan extend to five hundred years.

The breakthrough from the tenth tier of Qi Condensation to the first tier of Body Tempering, Qi Circulation Through the Air, was notoriously difficult; countless cultivators stalled forever at that gate. Unexpectedly, the Young Master had cleared that hurdle and reached the first tier of Body Tempering! For those loyal to Li Yuanbai, this was joyous news.

The Old Master had, at most, a year or slightly more remaining in his lifespan, and now that the Young Master was stronger, those who had followed the Young Master would also benefit greatly.

They had been deeply worried moments ago, but now they watched with relief as the Young Master crushed Li Feng. The youth in green's sword struck again and again, wave after wave of offense that drove the grey-robed elder to the brink of despair.