Now, Ye Jingyu’s body was no longer ordinary. While it appeared unchanged externally, its internal structure had undergone earth-shattering alterations. It was like the difference between crystal and glass: they might look identical, but in reality, they were worlds apart.

The body no longer possessed the network of extraordinary meridians, nor was there any longer the concept of a Dantian. Instead, within him now resided nine locations that served a similar purpose...

The first nine levels of the Battle Technique Chapter required the condensation of nine Golden Cores in these nine specific locations. The five Zang organs—heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney—each housed one. These five organs represented the five elements: It was heart fire, liver wood, spleen earth, lung metal, and kidney water. In other words, Ye Jingyu had to condense Golden Cores representing these five attributes in these five locations.

The remaining four locations were situated in the centers of his feet and palms. The right palm centered the power of lightning; the left palm held the energy of the netherworld; the right sole condensed the power of the stars; and the left sole was destined to gather the power of wind...

Once these nine Golden Cores were fully condensed, the Battle Technique Chapter would reach its Ninth Level of mastery. As for the Tenth Level, it demanded simultaneously shattering all nine Golden Cores, using their resultant violent energy to reforge the physical body, allowing the Chaos Physique to truly reach its Great Completion.

Reading this, Ye Jingyu instantly felt the urge to curse. What kind of bizarre cultivation method was this? Achieving the Great Completion of the Body Nurturing Chapter required shattering one’s own soul for tempering. Now, reaching the Great Completion of the Battle Technique Chapter demanded shattering the painstakingly condensed Golden Cores. Did they not fear instantaneous self-destruction?

Perverse, utterly perverse...

But perverse or not, Ye Jingyu had already accomplished the most difficult feat—shattering his soul. How could he fear subsequent dangers? Moreover, condensing nine Golden Cores was anything but easy.

According to this cultivation manual, even with his current prodigious speed of energy absorption, condensing a single Golden Core would take at least a thousand years. To condense all nine, without ten thousand years, was impossible.

Fortunately, his current body was the Chaos Physique, and his soul was utterly fragmented—or rather, it had completely merged with him. As long as the physical body persisted, the soul could not perish. In essence, unless he was killed by an external force or met some natural catastrophe, he was granted eternal life, with no possibility of aging.

Difficult, difficult, difficult... Knowing all this, Ye Jingyu sighed softly. Achieving mastery in the Battle Technique Chapter was no less challenging than mastering the first, the Body Nurturing Chapter. Unless he could locate the Five Elements Desolate Lands mentioned by Liang Xiaoke, the time required to condense the five elemental Golden Cores would be drastically reduced.

Of course, finding spiritual medicines containing pure elemental energy would also significantly cut down cultivation time. However, the sheer energy contained within these Golden Cores was immense. Ye Jingyu’s absorption rate of various spiritual energies was already several times that of others, yet he still required millennia for one—a testament to the energy these Golden Cores contained...

“Sigh, should I sneak into Medicine City again? At least to cultivate the Wood Attribute Golden Core first?” At this moment, such a thought flickered through Ye Jingyu’s mind. But he quickly dismissed the idea. Even cultivating in a Wood Absolute Land would take over a year, and who knew what might transpire in that time? He certainly didn't want to emerge a year later to find everyone around him gone.

Most importantly, he vaguely sensed that with his current strength, unless he encountered an old monster like Dugu Bachen, even an ordinary Martial Saint, or perhaps even Bai Yunlan, a peak Martial Saint, might not be his match. Furthermore, with the constitution of his current body, his speed in cultivating anything was hundreds of times faster than others. Even though he currently held not a trace of True Essence within him, achieving the body of a Martial Saint would only take a matter of days...

Moreover, although his Chaos Physique had just formed, equating it to infancy, its inherent toughness had already surpassed the Saint level. In other words, relying solely on his physical might, he could already contend with Martial Saints, let alone the fact that he could still utilize Tyrant Essence Power.

Ye Jingyu also had an inkling that his true advancement wasn't marked by the condensation of a single Golden Core. His progress owed a great deal to the growth of his body and the increase of Tyrant Essence Power within him. The condensation of the nine Golden Cores, ultimately, was merely a prerequisite for the Chaos Physique's final Great Completion.

With such formidable strength, he could accomplish myriad things. At the very least, he needed to ensure that those he wished to protect remained safe—not just from human harm, but from the dangers of heaven itself. He had achieved a near-immortal Chaos Physique, but what about those around him? They were still mortal flesh, incapable of eternal life.

As he quietly pondered these matters, the myriad spiritual energies between heaven and earth continuously poured into Ye Jingyu’s body, refining his physique while congregating toward those nine critical points...

Meanwhile, Jiu Feng, resting nearby, slept soundly. A blissful smile graced her lips, as if, beside Ye Jingyu, everything felt intensely sweet...

After three days dwelling in this canyon, Ye Jingyu’s body had completely recovered. Although he looked no different from an ordinary man, devoid of any True Essence Power, his physical resilience had reached an astonishing, almost incomprehensible level.

He had been away for a considerable time and needed to hurry back to Yunjing. Besides checking if Gongsun Xiangyi had arrived safely, he needed to see Luo Ling’er, who remained in the Imperial Palace. It had been over a month; she must miss him terribly.

Knowing Ye Jingyu intended to leave, Jiu Feng felt profound reluctance, yet she said little. During her absence, Ming Yan Tower had nearly ground to a halt; she too had to return.

However, she was deeply concerned about Ye Jingyu's current combat prowess. Only when Ye Jingyu effortlessly shattered a massive boulder with a single punch did Jiu Feng’s anxiety finally ease slightly.

Until the moment they parted ways, Ye Jingyu never managed to tell Jiu Feng that another woman now resided in his heart. It wasn't that he refused to speak; it was that faced with Jiu Feng’s gentle gaze, he truly didn't know how to bring himself to say it.

Ye Jingyu also felt it inappropriate to interfere with Jiu Feng’s obligations. After all, she was a disciple of Xue Luosha, who had saved her life. Her need to repay that debt of gratitude was entirely reasonable. Furthermore, the reason Ye Jingyu didn't ask Jiu Feng to accompany him was because he lacked certainty in his own heart—or rather, he didn't know how to face both Jiu Feng and Luo Ling’er simultaneously...

At the foot of the Tiangang Mountain Range, at a fork in the road leading towards Yunjing and Blazing Flame City, Jiu Feng, mounted on her Yingzhao, watched Ye Jingyu’s receding silhouette. A single, crystal-clear tear traced a path down her cheek.

“A'Yu, whether you have made room for someone else in your heart, or whether I am there or not, I am still yours, forever and always...” After murmuring this final sentence, Jiu Feng wiped away the moisture at the corner of her eyes, urged her mount, and soared into the sky...

(Three updates today and tomorrow, four updates on Monday!)