Becoming a Saint Starting with the Chasing Wind Leg Technique

Chapter 180 Turning Point

North of Tianshui City, beside a secluded mountain path leading to Pingtianmen, Song Jing, like a stone blending into the shadows, held his breath and concealed all his aura.

His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, fixed on the strategic valley pass several miles ahead.

A faint stench of blood and malevolent energy permeated the air. In the forests on either side of the pass, at least a dozen powerful auras lurked, their shadows flickering. Three of them were particularly striking, like torches in the dark night, exuding a chilling pressure—the fluctuations of mid-stage Refining Realm cultivators!

These are no ordinary individuals. Their auras are deep and heavy, their killing intent intense; clearly, they are ruthless individuals with blood on their hands, seasoned in countless battles.

Besides these three strongest auras, there were seven or eight other auras at the early stage of the Refining Realm scattered around, echoing each other and forming a tight blockade.

What made Song Jing's heart sink even more was that a person was sitting cross-legged on a rock at the highest point of the pass. Although the aura was also at the mid-stage of the Refining Realm, it gave him an extremely dangerous feeling. The aura vaguely overlapped with a certain figure in his memory.

Preface to Sheng Huai!

At this moment, Sheng Huaixu's aura was far stronger than he remembered, clearly indicating that he had already reached the mid-stage of the Refining Realm. He closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, and a faint blood-red light flowed around his body, indicating that he had just broken through not long ago and his foundation was still somewhat unstable, but the pressure belonging to the mid-stage of the Refining Realm was real and substantial.

"The Zhou family's elixirs—truly potent."

Song Jing sneered inwardly. This Sheng Huaixu, relying on the Bone Strengthening Pills supplied by the Zhou family, had actually broken through to the mid-stage of the Refining Realm in a short period of time. It seemed that the Zhou family was truly sparing no expense in order to eliminate him and Chen Yanzhou.

At this moment, Sheng Huaixu must be dreaming of killing himself to obtain more pills, or even glimpsing the late stage of the Refining Realm, the Perfect Realm, or even the Marrow Refining Realm.

His gaze swept across the direction of the official road, which was faintly visible on the other side. There, two powerful auras of mid-stage Refining Realm cultivators were also lurking, along with an unknown number of early-stage Refining Realm cultivators.

Both essential routes to the capital city and the route to seek reinforcements have been completely blocked by the Blood Lotus Sect's elite troops!

"Three mid-stage Refinement Realm experts, at least ten early-stage Refinement Realm experts, and the traitor Sheng Huaixu is in charge—"

Song Jing's heart sank slowly.

With this lineup, let alone someone like him who is only at the mid-stage of Bone Forging, even if it were Captain Chen Yanzhou at his peak, he would be in grave danger if he were surrounded.

He was able to kill Chang Wei and Hong Kun before because they underestimated him, his own martial arts countered theirs, he possessed powerful weapons, and he launched a surprise attack. Now, however, the enemy has come prepared, with many experts gathered around them, watching out for each other. Once exposed, they will be immediately surrounded and attacked, with no chance of survival.

"Trying to break through is certain death."

Song Jing made a calm judgment. Although he was confident that his strength was no weaker than that of an ordinary early-stage Refining cultivator, and that he could even contend with a mid-stage Refining cultivator with the Five Elements Dao Spear and many other methods, forcibly breaking through in the face of such a formidable opponent would be tantamount to suicide.

Moreover, he was on the heavy responsibility of seeking help, and he absolutely could not afford to perish here.

He quietly retreated until he was completely out of the other party's perception range, then quickly took out the jade pendant from his bosom.

Lu Jiutian had told me that I could use this jade token to ask him for help in times of danger.

Without hesitation, Song Jing followed the secret method taught by Chen Yanzhou and sent a short divine message containing the message "Tianshui City is in danger, Commander Chen is seriously injured, the Blood Lotus Sect will attack the city in three days, requesting reinforcements," along with his approximate location, into the jade tablet.

The jade pendant glowed slightly, then its radiance subsided, indicating that the message had been successfully transmitted.

In Lu Jiutian's arms, the mother talisman, whose pattern echoed that of the child talisman in Song Jing's hand, suddenly became hot and emitted a faint light.

His expression changed, and he quickly retrieved his sensory abilities.

A moment later, Lu Jiutian's expression turned extremely grave, his eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and anxiety: "Junior Brother Song has sent a message! Tianshui City is in danger! Commander Chen is seriously injured! The Blood Lotus Sect will attack the city in three days! Junior Brother Song is being held back a hundred miles north of the city by three mid-stage Refining Realm cultivators and more than ten early-stage Refining Realm cultivators!"

"What?!"

Chen Mo and the others were shocked to hear this.

"Hurry! Full speed ahead!"

Lu Jiutian acted decisively, pushing his movement technique to its limit. However, they were still quite a distance from the location Song Jing had indicated, and along the way—

Just an hour into their hurried journey, a towering figure blocked their path at a treacherous canyon pass.

The terrifying aura of a Perfected Refining Realm cultivator was released without any concealment, its murderous intent soaring to the sky. The man carried a large, ghost-headed sword that resembled a door panel, its blade covered in grotesque blood grooves.

"This road is blocked."

The newcomer's voice was hoarse like the grinding of iron stones; it was none other than Tu Gang, the "Earth-Splitting Demon," ranked ninth among the ten villains of the Blood Lotus Sect!

His bloodthirsty gaze swept over Lu Jiutian and his group of five, and he grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "Old Ten paid such a high price to hire me, so I'll do my job as long as I get paid. Gentlemen—don't go anywhere."

Lu Jiutian's heart sank to the bottom.

With a formidable enemy blocking their path ahead and Tianshui City and Songjing City in imminent danger from behind—

Time is running out!

"Hopefully, it'll be in time—"

Song Jing gripped the jade tablet tightly, but he wasn't very confident.

Pingtianmen is quite far from here, and even if they received the message and rushed over immediately, it would take at least three days to arrive.

Having done all this, he turned his gaze back to the two blocked passages, his eyes darting around as he rapidly considered countermeasures.

A forced breakout won't work.

Taking a detour?

The map shows that, apart from these two relatively easy routes, the other directions are either steep and treacherous wild mountains infested with ferocious beasts, or turbulent and difficult-to-cross rivers. Detours would take longer and carry unknown risks, and might not be able to bring back reinforcements before the Blood Lotus Cult's attack.

"Does this mean I have no choice but to rely on myself?"

A heavy pressure weighed on my heart.

Chen Yanzhou was critically injured and on the verge of death. Tianshui City was leaderless, with only a few family patriarchs at the early stage of the Refining Realm at its strongest. Facing the Blood Lotus Sect's elite forces led by three mid-stage Refining Realm cultivators, along with potentially more cannon fodder followers, they had virtually no chance of victory.

Three days from now, it will likely be a bloody massacre and a living hell.

No.

We absolutely must not let that happen!

A ruthless glint flashed in Song Jing's eyes.

Chen Yanzhou had shown him great kindness, and he had relatives and friends in Tianshui City, as well as countless innocent civilians!

He has to do something!

Since foreign aid is hard to come by, let's make ourselves stronger!

Powerful enough to break through this blockade!

Powerful enough to carve out a glimmer of hope for Tianshui City in dire straits!

Without further hesitation, he found a more secluded, naturally formed rock crevice cave, crawled inside, and carefully concealed the entrance with pebbles and withered branches.

He sat down cross-legged and first checked his own condition.

Mid-stage Bone Forging, 610/2000. Thanks to the power of the "Mysterious Origin Heavy Water True Skill", the quality of true qi is pure and vigorous, far surpassing others of the same level.

He had mastered the "Prairie Fire Spear Technique" to its peak, perfected the "Nine Shadow Steps," and broken through the limits of the "Wind and Thunder Leg Technique"—these were all his strengths.

However, when facing powerful enemies at the mid-stage of the Refining Realm, especially if there are more than one, they are still struggling to cope.

His gaze fell upon the external martial arts technique, "Golden Bell Cover".

He had already mastered this ordinary-grade martial art to perfection, making his skin far more resilient than that of ordinary people, and difficult to injure with common swords and blades. However, his defense was insufficient against the true qi attacks of experts in the Refining Realm.

However, thanks to the innate talent of "Heaven rewards diligence," this technique seems to have reached its limit, just one step away from breaking through the shackles of the mortal realm and stepping into a new world—

Breaking the limits!

"Now!"

A glint flashed in Song Jing's eyes as he took out the few remaining bottles of pills from his robes. These included Crimson Blood Pills, Bone Strengthening Pills, and even the last two Profound Origin Pills, whose effects on those in the Bone Forging Realm had greatly diminished, but whose medicinal power remained formidable.

Without the slightest hesitation, he swallowed all the pills at once, as if a whale were gulping down the ocean!

The violent drug power exploded within his body like a floodgate being opened!

For an ordinary Bone Forging Realm martial artist, taking such medicine would be tantamount to suicide.

However, Song Jing's solid foundation, strong physique, and resilient meridians are far beyond what is common.

The Xuan Yuan Heavy Water True Technique rapidly activated on its own, frantically refining and guiding this immense, almost terrifying energy.

Instead of using all of this energy to improve his cultivation, he forcibly directed most of it to the skin, muscles, and fascia on the surface of his body, following the cultivation path of the "Golden Bell Cover" technique, and began the most primitive and brutal impact and tempering!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

It felt as if war drums were beating inside my body, or as if thunder was exploding between my muscles, bones, and skin!

Intense pain instantly swept through my entire body. Every inch of skin, every muscle, every fascia felt as if it were being repeatedly pierced by countless red-hot steel needles and repeatedly forged by a heavy hammer!

Sweat poured out like a stream, instantly soaking through clothes, and then turning into steam under the high temperature.

The pale golden radiance that was originally only faintly visible on the skin's surface has now become brighter and more solid than ever before.

It felt as if countless tiny golden runes were actually moving, rearranging, and imprinting on the skin!

"Not enough! Still not enough!"

Song Jing gritted his teeth, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth—a minor injury caused by the immense pressure on his internal organs.

But his eyes were as firm as iron. Instead of stopping, he urged the "Mysterious Origin Heavy Water True Skill" even more frantically, squeezing out the medicinal power in a more domineering way to break through that invisible but indestructible barrier!

The name "Golden Bell Cover" implies "cover". A cover means to protect and defend, and it is indestructible and impervious to all laws.

My golden bell is not forged from ordinary iron. It must be forged with water and fire as the furnace, the primordial energy as the hammer, and willpower as the fire to create an indestructible golden body!

Break it!

Click!

It was as if a shattering sound, originating from the depths of his soul, could be heard only by him!

The pale golden radiance on the body surface suddenly receded—not disappeared, but completely merged into the deepest part of the skin, muscles, and bones!

The skin color returned to its normal bronze, but it had a strange luster that was as warm and lustrous as jade, with a metallic texture, delicate yet resilient.

The muscle lines are smoother and more perfect, full of explosive power. The fascia is like a fully drawn bowstring, containing amazing elasticity and resilience.

An unprecedented, solid, and heavy feeling filled my entire body!

It was as if boundless power surged within his flesh and blood with every gesture. Beneath his skin, it was as if an invisible, indestructible "golden bell" had truly been forged!

The external martial arts technique "Golden Bell Cover" breaks through the limitations of ordinary techniques and enters a completely new realm!

Song Jing suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of golden light disappearing from them.

He slowly stood up, stretched his muscles and bones, and his joints cracked and popped like popping beans.

Look down at your hands, clench your fists, relax, and then clench your fists again.

hum!

An invisible force field emanated slightly from him, and the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The skin appears no different from that of an ordinary person, but when pressed lightly, it is as tough as century-old cowhide. When squeezed firmly, one can feel the rock-like hardness and elasticity beneath.

He pointed his fingers like a knife, gathered thirty percent of his strength, and stabbed his own arm fiercely.

clang!

It produced a faint metallic clang!

Only a faint white mark remained on the skin, which disappeared instantly.

Even with increased force to 50%, only a few red marks were left.

Only when he used 70% of his strength to unleash a strike powerful enough to pierce through ordinary iron armor did his skin feel a slight stinging sensation, but that was all; not even his oily skin was broken!

"This defensive power—"

A startling light flashed in Song Jing's eyes.

He felt that his physical defense, in terms of toughness alone, was now no less than that of an ordinary mid-stage Refining Body Martial Artist!

Even worse!

After all, once the limits of the Golden Bell Shield are broken, it brings not only resilience, but also the ability to deflect power and increase resistance to true qi attacks!

More than just defense.

As his physical body was thoroughly tempered by this limit-breaking power, his strength, speed, reaction, and even his five senses all experienced a significant improvement in all aspects!

The circulation of Qi and blood becomes more vigorous and powerful. True Qi flows more smoothly and rapidly through the more resilient and wider meridians.

He moved slightly, his body swayed, and he left afterimages in the narrow crevice of the rocks. His speed was several times faster than before!

With a single punch, the air crackled with a dull thud. The sheer power of his physical body was no less than the burst of true qi from an ordinary early-stage Refinement cultivator!

"Strength, speed, defense, reaction time—all improved. Especially defense; I can now withstand attacks from mid-stage Refining Realm cultivators without serious injury!"

A surge of indescribable joy and confidence welled up in Song Jing's heart.

The increased value brought by the "Golden Bell Cover" after its limit was broken far exceeded expectations!

This is not just about having an additional defensive technique; it fundamentally enhances his overall combat strength—especially his survivability and ability to sustain combat!

Now, relying on the powerful true energy and strong recovery of the "Mysterious Origin Heavy Water True Skill," the formidable physique and defense brought by the "Golden Bell Cover" (a technique that breaks through limits), and the unparalleled speed and agility provided by the "Nine Shadow Steps" and the "Wind and Thunder Leg Technique" (a technique that breaks through limits), he has reached the peak of mastery.

The "Prairie Fire Spear Technique," which contains the transformations of water and fire, and the Five Elements Evolution Spear, a near-rare divine weapon connected to his mind and possessing astonishing power—

His true combat strength has already firmly reached the mid-stage of the Refining Realm!

Furthermore, with the advantage of divine weapons, the wonder of cultivation techniques, the unpredictability of movement, and the strength of defense, he is by no means weak in the mid-stage of the Refining Realm!

If he were to encounter someone like Chang Wei, who was just beginning his cultivation and had a weak foundation, Song Jing was confident that he could kill him instantly within one move and take his life!

Even when facing someone like Sheng Huaixu, who relied on pills to reach his current level and whose cultivation was unstable, he was confident of winning!

"call----"

Exhaling a long breath of foul air tinged with the smell of blood, Song Jing's eyes flashed with a cold light.

The previous solemnity and oppression vanished, replaced by a sharp, knife-like edge and a chilling killing intent.

"Blood Lotus Sect — Sheng Xu — Zhou Family —"

He murmured the names, each word seeming to carry shards of ice.

"Trying to block my path? Want to massacre Tianshui City?"

He slowly raised the Five Elements Dao Spear. In the dim light, the spear tip flowed with five colors of light: dark blue, crimson, pale gold, earthy yellow, and cyan, intertwining with each other, mysterious and dangerous.

"Let's see if your blockade is stronger, or if my gun is sharper."

"Let's start with you guys."

Song Jing's figure flashed, and he emerged from the crevice where he was hiding like a ghost.

Instead of rushing towards the two heavily guarded main roads, he turned around and sped off towards the way he had come—the direction of Tianshui City!

He already had a plan in mind!