Becoming a Saint Starting with the Chasing Wind Leg Technique

Chapter 153 Unexpected Advancement

Half a month passed quickly as Song Jing devoted himself to arduous cultivation, neglecting sleep and meals.

After being promoted to the B-rank zone, he made the most of his six-hour daily cultivation privileges in the cultivation pavilion.

In those life-and-death battles and insights against the "afterimages" of masters of spear techniques, body techniques, and external martial arts from past generations, his Wildfire Spear Technique became increasingly refined and sophisticated. His "Wildfire Hundred Slashes" gradually stabilized at around thirty spear shadows, which were initially only able to barely generate twenty or so. Moreover, the spear shadows became more solid and explosive.

The use of "Wind and Thunder Leg Technique" and "Nine Shadow Steps" has become more unrestrained, integrated into the instinctive reaction of combat.

As for the "Golden Bell Shield," it is still making progress little by little on the basis of perfection, but its understanding of neutralizing force and protecting its weak points is becoming more and more profound, and its defensive power is gradually increasing.

At the same time, he did not slacken in consolidating his own cultivation.

After defeating Sun Sihai and receiving the promotion reward, he had some extra money. Apart from reserving some contribution points for emergencies, he exchanged the rest for pills to aid his cultivation and monster meat. This, along with the fixed amount of twenty Qi and Blood Pills he received each month, and the high-quality Xuan Iron Ore quota that Qingyun Martial Arts School would send later, made him feel more financially secure.

He chose to exchange a portion of it directly for cultivation resources and began his final assault on the late-stage barrier of the Body Refining Realm.

The talent of "Heaven rewards diligence" can unleash astonishing efficiency when resources are relatively abundant and one works extremely hard.

The body's Qi and blood grow stronger day by day, like a snowball rolling downhill, flowing faster and faster through the meridians. Each circulation is like a giant hammer forging iron, making the tendons, bones, skin, and membranes more resilient, and the power contained in the muscles also grows slowly but steadily.

Just before heading to Master Xuanwu to retrieve the spear, after he had completely refined and absorbed the last "Essence Blood Pill" he had exchanged, which was three times stronger than the standard Qi and Blood Pill, the power that had been accumulating in his body for a long time finally reached a certain critical point.

In the quiet room, Song Jing, who was sitting cross-legged, suddenly shuddered!

"boom!"

It felt as if an invisible dam in my mind had been breached by a torrent, or as if a dormant volcano within me had suddenly erupted!

The immense blood and medicinal power accumulated over half a month, or even longer, were transformed into the purest power to break through the realm at this moment. With overwhelming force, it forcefully broke through the solid barrier between the middle and late stages of the Body Refining Realm!

"Click, click—"

A continuous, subtle yet clear sound of bones popping and muscles stretching rang out from all over his body.

A faint golden luster flashed across the skin's surface, then completely disappeared, blending seamlessly with the skin, flesh, and bones, exuding a more profound and weighty aura.

The total amount of Qi and blood suddenly surged!

The level of refinement has reached a new level!

His five senses became sharp again, his mental strength also increased, and his control over his own power reached a new level.

Every gesture he makes exudes an explosive sense of power, as if he could crush metal with a single grip.

Late stage of the Flesh Refining Realm!

Achieved!

Song Jing slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and bright, like two cold stars that shone brilliantly in the dimly lit room.

He gently clenched his fist, creating a sonic boom as the air was squeezed into his palm, the force of his fist surging.

"Finally—the later stages." He exhaled a long breath, which condensed and did not dissipate, like a white arrow of energy that shot three feet away before slowly dissipating.

His consciousness sank into the invisible scale that represented his cultivation progress.

Previously it was 600/1000.

Now, the scale clearly points to 700/1000!

In just half a month, he went from initially entering the 600s level to breaking through the barrier and stepping into the 700s level, officially becoming a late-stage martial artist in the Body Refining Realm.

Such a rapid pace of improvement, if it were to spread, would be enough to make most of the so-called inner city geniuses feel ashamed, or even fearful.

"Seven hundred points — I'm still three hundred points short of reaching the Perfection of the Flesh Refining Realm (1000 points)." Song Jing calmly assessed in his mind, "With my current cultivation speed, combined with the resources of the B-rank area, the training in the Cultivation Technique Pavilion, and the stable supply of Xuan Iron Ore resources from the Qingyun Martial Arts Hall — if I can ensure a sufficient supply of cultivation resources such as Qi and Blood Pills, I will no longer have to worry about contribution points and resources —"

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "In a month and a half at most, or even sooner, I'm confident I can break through to the Perfection of the Flesh Refining Realm! And perhaps—even explore the higher 'Bone Forging Realm'!"

Refining the Body to its peak signifies tempering the physical body to the limit of the current realm, with blood and qi like a furnace, and strength, speed, and defense reaching a peak. It is the foundation for breaking through to the higher life level, "Bone Forging Realm".

Once one enters the Bone Forging Realm, one truly begins to temper the deeper layers of the human skeleton, resulting in a qualitative leap, increased lifespan, and a surge in strength. Within the Pingtian Gate, one is qualified to serve as a steward, and outside, one can be considered a powerful figure in one's own region.

"If I can successfully enter the Bone Forging Realm—" Song Jing's heart raced slightly, "then challenging the top four inner city heroes, or even breaking into the top ten, and joining the outer sect of Pingtian Gate will be a certainty! Furthermore, I'll have enough confidence and strength to settle my grudges with Jinglei Martial Arts School and Lei Zhen!"

Strength is always the greatest source of confidence.

Only with strength can one control their own destiny, protect those they want to protect, and achieve their desired goals.

"One and a half months—" Song Jing clenched his fist, feeling the surging new power within him, his fighting spirit burning like a raging fire.

The next day, at noon.

Song Jing arrived at Master Wang Xuanwu's secluded courtyard on time.

The courtyard gate was ajar, and he gently pushed it open.

In the courtyard, Wang Xuanwu, still wearing his gray robe, stood with his hands behind his back under the old pine tree. Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned around.

When his gaze fell on Song Jing, a barely perceptible look of surprise flashed in his eyes again.

"You've reached the late stage of the Flesh Refining Realm? That's a few days faster than I expected." Wang Xuanwu's voice was calm, but the subtle appreciation remained. "It seems you haven't been slacking off these past two weeks."

"It is all thanks to the kindness of the master and the captain, as well as the support of the sect's resources. This junior dares not slack off." Song Jing bowed respectfully.

The aura following the breakthrough still needs time to fully stabilize, but with Wang Xuanwu's keen eyesight, he could see through it at a glance.

"Hmm, not arrogant or impatient, very good." Wang Xuanwu nodded, said no more, and simply gestured.

From the direction of the quiet room, a stream of light, crimson mixed with tiny silver rays and a trace of pale purple lightning, shot out as if it had a life of its own and landed steadily in Wang Xuanwu's hand.

The light faded, revealing the gun.

Song Jing's breath hitched for a moment.

The spear still retained the general shape of the "Crimson-Patterned Starfire Spear," with its length and weight seemingly unchanged. However, the overall character of the spear had undergone a complete transformation!

The gun barrel, which was originally dark, now showed a deep dark red color, like cooled lava or settled blood, full of a heavy and vicissitudes of power.

On the gun barrel, the originally distinct reddish-gold natural wood grain and the later-integrated star silver pattern have now completely disappeared, or rather, they have been perfectly merged together, transforming into a new, more mysterious and complex pattern!

It was a strange pattern that resembled lava flowing through the starry sky and lightning traversing through flames!

With a crimson base, it is adorned with sparkling silver starlight, and tiny pale purple electric filaments appear and disappear among the gaps in the patterns, moving erratically!

The three colors are not simply superimposed, but rather intertwined, forming a dynamic and destructive beauty—the Crimson Star Thunder Pattern!

The spearhead gleamed even brighter, and the three-edged blade, in addition to its original sharpness, faintly revealed a scorching heat and a numbing sensation that made one's heart tremble.

The dark gold cloud and thunder pattern at the junction of the spearhead and the shaft has become clearer and deeper, as if a faint light is slowly flowing within it, echoing the crimson star and thunder pattern on the shaft.

The spear lay quietly in Wang Xuanwu's hand, without any deliberate activation, yet it naturally exuded an incomparably sharp aura, a scorching and explosive flame intent, and a subtle but undeniable thunderous pressure! The three auras intertwined and entwined, yet remained perfectly integrated, inspiring awe in all who beheld it.

"This spear, I used Gengjin Leizesha to stimulate the remaining spirituality of the star-patterned iron essence and draw out a trace of thunder power; I used the earth core fire jade marrow to enhance the origin of the red-patterned ironwood and purify the power of the flames; and then I used Xuan iron essence to solidify the spear bone."

"The three elements have been fused together on your original spear base to form this Crimson Flame Star Thunder Spear." Wang Xuanwu said slowly, with a hint of satisfaction in his tone. "Rank: High-grade Fine, already touching the threshold of Rare. The spear body is tough, far surpassing ordinary High-grade Fine weapons."

The spear's sharpness can sever ordinary, high-quality weapons, and it has additional effects on protecting the body's internal energy, burning, and paralyzing those trained in external martial arts.

The boost to your Qi and blood, especially to fire and lightning attribute techniques, is about 40% to 50%.

What's even more remarkable is that a faint wisp of "fire and thunder" spirit has already been nurtured within the gun. Although it lacks sentience, it can already subtly communicate with your mind. With your nurturing and use, its power and spirituality still have room to grow.

A 40% to 50% increase! Song Jing was shocked! The previous Crimson Starfire Spear only increased by about 30%.

Now it has increased to 40% to 50%!

This will be a qualitative leap in his combat power!

Moreover, the "fire and thunder" spirituality was an unexpected delight!

"The potential of this spear has not yet been fully explored. If you can find a higher-grade spiritual object with the attributes of thunder and fire, or if your cultivation breaks through to the Bone Forging Realm, and you nurture it with your blood and true energy for a long time, it may be able to be upgraded to a rare item in the future, or even higher." Wang Xuanwu handed the spear to Song Jing.

Song Jing took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and accepted the gift with trembling hands.

"Buzz—!"

With the Crimson Flame Star Thunder Spear in hand, a clear and resonant tremor, like the roar of a dragon and the cry of a phoenix, instantly echoed throughout the courtyard!

The crimson flame and starlight patterns on the gun barrel suddenly lit up!

Crimson, silver, and purple light swirled around, and a scorching, sharp, and domineering aura suddenly erupted, resonating strongly with the powerful and surging late-stage Body Refinement Realm blood and qi within Song Jing's body, which had just broken through!

Song Jing could even sense a subtle, joyful emotion emanating from the spear in his hand, as if it were a long-lost companion, or as if it had finally found the most suitable master for itself.

"Great gun!" Song Jing couldn't help but exclaim. Just holding it gave him a sense of immense power and confidence.

He couldn't even imagine how powerful the Wildfire Spear Technique would be if he unleashed its full power, especially the "Wildfire Hundred Slashes".

Although compared to the weapons in the hands of the Four Heroes of the Inner City, which have been passed down for many years and may have reached the level of top-quality or even rare items, this Crimson Flame Star Thunder Spear may still be slightly inferior in terms of its foundation and additional effects, its superior quality, combined with its unique "fire and thunder" attributes and a power increase of up to 40% to 50%, is enough to narrow this gap to a negligible degree!

At least in terms of hardware, he no longer has any obvious shortcomings!

"Thump!"

Song Jing took two steps back, held the spear in both hands, and bowed deeply to Wang Xuanwu once again. This time, he did not get up for a long time.

"The master's kindness in saving my life and bestowing upon me this spear—Song Jing will never forget! This kindness and gratitude will never be forgotten!"

His words were sincere and heartfelt.

Without Wang Xuanwu's all-out assistance and generous donation of materials, this spear would never have achieved its current power.

Wang Xuanwu accepted the salute without hesitation, then waved his hand, saying, "Alright, the spear is now complete. Treat it well and do not disgrace it. Go and cultivate diligently. I look forward to you wielding this spear and carving out your own territory within the Pingtian Gate."

"Yes! This junior will certainly live up to Master's expectations!" Song Jingzhi stood up, carefully wrapped the Crimson Flame Star Thunder Spear in a special soft cloth, and carried it on his back.

He bowed to Wang Xuanwu again before turning around and striding away from the courtyard.

His steps were more steady and powerful than when he arrived, and his silhouette exuded unparalleled confidence and sharpness.

With divine weapons in hand and a breakthrough in cultivation, the road ahead suddenly becomes clear.

Bone Forging Realm, top fifteen, even top ten—here I come!

Lei Zhen, Jing Lei Martial Arts School—it's time to settle our score!