Breaking through to the Arterial Circulation Realm

Upon seeing the wicked grin spread across Fan Lie's face, Makino's heart plummeted like a stone into the depths of a valley. He, despite being in the Arterial Circulation Realm, found himself helpless while falling through the air, only able to watch as arrows soared skyward.

"Whoosh, thud..." Makino desperately tried to block the arrows but couldn't deflect the third one, which found its mark right in the middle of his forehead. This time, the price of pursuit was death.

Simultaneously, Haku leaped from his black eagle, hurtling toward Fan Le.

Qin Wentian stepped forward, unleashing the full might of his Dragon Subduing Fist, colliding head-on with Haku.

"Kill." A wave of murderous intent flashed in Haku's eyes as he executed his own technique, the Star Descending Fist. The immense energy surged toward Qin Wentian, who felt an overwhelming force approaching. His expression changed dramatically as he used the force to propel himself backward, abandoning the idea of a direct confrontation. The explosive impact flung him back, causing him to collide with Fan Le.

Fan Le staggered several steps, inadvertently retreating within the boundaries of the misty valley.

"We can't defeat him. What should we do?" Fan Le helped Qin Wentian to his feet, his expression heavy with disappointment.

"Since we can't defeat him, let's escape," Qin Wentian replied, his arm throbbing with pain. If he hadn't quickly retracted his fist, his entire arm might have been incapacitated.

Little Rascal seemed to grasp Qin Wentian's intent, enlarging in size. They both mounted it, and Little Rascal raced toward the misty valley.

This turn of events left Haku stunned. Did they not realize that Mirage City in the misty valley was forbidden territory?

"Useless fools don't even know they're marching to their deaths. They decided to eliminate Makino first to prevent the demonic beasts under his control from tracking them," Orfon remarked as he approached. He couldn't help but feel fortunate for their flawless cooperation, not counting the shape-shifting beast. If they hadn't deemed Makino the greater threat, Orfon would have been their first target for elimination.

What a cruel twist of fate, they were now in a dire situation. The Dark Forest, vast and sprawling as it was, had its no-go zones. Mirage City nestled within the misty valley was one of those forbidden places. Once you stepped in, getting out was virtually impossible.

"The deed is done. As for Makino's demise, you deal with it yourself," Haku coldly declared before turning away and leaving, leaving Orfon to grind his teeth in frustration. This situation was becoming quite troublesome.

Within the misty valley, Little Rascal continued to sprint at breakneck speed.

"Is no one chasing us?" Fan Le's voice echoed.

"Nope," Qin Wentian responded.

"Something's not right... Could this place be incredibly dangerous?" Fan Le shivered, wondering why they had suddenly ceased pursuit.

"It's possible."

"Are we going to die here?" Fan Le's voice quivered with fear.

Inside the Misty Valley, they had lost all sense of direction. They were genuinely lost.

"I'm still a virgin! If I'm going to die, I want to go out with a beautiful babe in my arms." Fan Le sobbed, hugging Qin Wentian, while Qin Wentian responded by raising his foot and kicking Fan Le's rear end.

After another hour, they finally emerged from the misty area. As they stepped out, they were greeted by a jaw-dropping sight. Before them stood a castle, not the city they had expected. Mirage City in the misty valley was, in fact, a castle.

What's more, armored warriors filled the castle. They all donned black armor, exuding an aura of solemnity and death. Upon spotting the intruders, a group of black-armored warriors advanced, spears pointed at them, emanating a killing intent that nearly caused Fatty to stumble backward.

"Could I really be this unlucky?" Fan Le bemoaned. These warriors were all at the Arterial Circulation Realm, and their cultivation far surpassed his. There was no way to escape.

Qin Wentian hadn't anticipated the existence of a hidden castle within the Dark Forest, let alone a formidable army like this.

The intensity of the killing intent grew, prompting Qin Wentian and Fan Le to summon their Astral Souls, prepared to fight even if there was no hope of escape.

"Qin-Wen-Tian!" At that moment, from a distance, a figure clad in full armor approached, calling out Qin Wentian's name. The voice was somewhat hoarse, and the figure's face was concealed by a helm, revealing only a pair of eyes.

"Huh?" Qin Wentian's pupils constricted in surprise. In this remote place, someone actually knew him?

"Retreat, all of you," the figure commanded with indifference. It was only after the troops of black-armored warriors had withdrawn that Fan Le finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Who are you?" Qin Wentian asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Mirage City is a forbidden area. Those who enter never leave, but you are an exception. Follow me," the mysterious figure replied before turning and heading toward the castle. Qin Wentian and Fan Le followed, puzzled.

The figure led them to an opulent abode, complete with maids serving them.

"Take good care of them," the mysterious figure instructed the maids before continuing, "Qin Wentian, if you wish to leave, just inform the maids, and I will arrange for an escort to safely guide you out. But remember, you must not disclose the location of Mirage City. If you do, I guarantee that neither of you will survive for more than three days."

"Absolutely," Fatty replied with a grin. The mysterious figure then glanced at Qin Wentian and added, "Since you are at the 9th level of the Body Refinement Realm, it's time for you to attempt breaking through to the Arterial Circulation Realm."

With that, the figure left, leaving Qin Wentian bewildered.

"Who is he?" Fan Le asked after the figure and maids had departed.

"How should I know?" Qin Wentian shrugged. Even after searching through all his memories, he couldn't guess the identity of the mysterious figure.

"Do you want to escape secretly?" Fan Le whispered, instantly regretting his words as several pretty maids brought over dishes of delicacies, causing Fan Le's eyes to widen. How could he ever think of escaping from such a heavenly place?

After the maids arranged the food on the table, they withdrew to the side. Fan Le invited them to join, but the beautiful maids declined with a shake of their heads.

Fan Le sighed with regret, then looked back at the sumptuous food as his stomach growled loudly.

"Leopard's guts, bear's hearts, crimson snake fruit... the food here is incredible!" Fan Le marveled. This castle, situated within the Dark Forest, had a natural advantage in hunting thanks to its formidable residents.

What amazed Fan Le even more was that soon after, people brought Yuan Meteor Stones for Qin Wentian's use, claiming they were for his breakthrough to the Arterial Circulation Realm. Fan Le began to suspect that Qin Wentian might actually be the young master of this castle.

Being good buddies, Fan Le generously divided the Yuan Meteor Stones evenly between them, pretending that Qin Wentian wouldn't be able to use them all.

Seeing the Yuan Meteor Stones prepared for him, Qin Wentian understood that they had no malicious intent. He then began to cultivate quietly in an attempt to break through to the Arterial Circulation Realm.

Fan Le, on the other hand, was in paradise — enjoying the free food, chatting with the beautiful maids — the days passed leisurely. The food provided here was even better than that in the Royal Palace. Fan Le estimated that not many from the aristocratic clans could afford such luxurious conditions. Eating high-quality demonic beast meat daily was immensely beneficial for cultivation.

Aside from the excellent treatment, they were left undisturbed.

As night fell, Qin Wentian sat cross-legged on the ground. The mist in the valley couldn't block the starlight. Thunderous cracking and grinding sounds emanated from within Qin Wentian's body, as a corona of radiant Astral Light seemed to revolve around him.

"His fleshly body is emitting its own light, and Astral Light is nourishing his body... he's reached the pinnacle of the Body Refinement Realm," Fan Le observed, lying down and watching Qin Wentian cultivate. This guy was incredibly diligent — for the past few days, all Qin Wentian had done was immerse himself in cultivation.

"Poof." A crisp sound rang out, causing Fan Le to widen his eyes in surprise. He stared at Qin Wentian, then broke into a slight smile. "He's begun preparing to break through to the Arterial Circulation Realm and has opened all his acupuncture points."

"The speed of this guy's cultivation is insanely impressive. Didn't he just break through a few days ago?" Fan Le muttered to himself. While external factors like eating demonic beast meat and using Yuan Meteor Stones played a role, the main reason behind his rapid progress was his exceptionally potent cultivation technique and the overpowering energy from a constellation in the 5th Heavenly Layer, perfectly suited for refining and strengthening his body.

The purpose of the Body Refinement Realm was to refine one's flesh until they achieved a perfect body. Those with weaker cultivation methods, relying on absorbing Astral Energy from low-level constellations, would have a less effective process. In contrast, those with higher-level techniques and powerful Astral Energy could achieve a perfect body much faster. Qin Wentian fell into the latter category, with an excellent cultivation technique and a mighty Astral Soul.

The dominating Astral Energy from the 5th Heavenly Layer's Heavenly Hammer Constellation continued to descend upon Qin Wentian's body. Within him, an endless flow of Astral Energy surged, converging at his acupuncture points with great intensity.

The human body contained numerous energy channels and acupuncture points. In the Arterial Circulation Realm, one had to "open up" all these acupuncture points to store more Astral Energy effectively. After that, they had to use this energy to cleanse the acupuncture points of impurities, connecting the energy channels to the points. This formed a main circular pathway through one of the nine primary meridians, allowing Astral Energy to flow freely throughout the entire body.

Once this circular pathway was fully established, Astral Energy would course unobstructed through the limbs, bones, and energy channels, greatly enhancing both offensive and defensive capabilities. Moreover, it would penetrate the senses, sharpening perception.

Regardless of whether one was a Martial Cultivator or Stellar Martial Cultivator, both could enter the Arterial Circulation Realm.

Each cleared acupuncture point brought increasing pain to Qin Wentian's face. He clenched his teeth and persevered, his labored breaths echoing in the room.

Fan Le, standing by, muttered to himself. This guy was putting his life on the line, but Fan Le wasn't worried. A slight smile played on his lips.

The disdainful look from Orchon and the relentless pursuit by Orfon remained fresh in his mind. Qin Wentian had to break through as soon as possible and condense his second Astral Soul within the shortest timeframe.

Now, the deadline for the examination had arrived.

>.>>>>>>>

As the morning sun rose, the candidates who had ventured into the Dark Forest emerged, with examiners and senior members from the nine martial academies awaiting them on the outskirts. Those who had survived this grueling test would officially become members of their respective academies.

Janus and Mustang stood together, with Orchon, Luo Huan, and Mo Qingcheng by their side.

"Orfon made it out," Janus chuckled as he spotted Orfon. In the future, Orfon would become one of his disciples.

Luo Huan's beautiful eyes betrayed a hint of worry. Orfon had previously targeted Qin Wentian while they were in the Dark Forest. Even though she and Mo Qingcheng would closely monitor Orchon, there was no guarantee that Orfon wouldn't conspire behind their backs and seek assistance from others to harm Qin Wentian. After all, the applicants for the training exercise came from all over the country, and only those from the Royal Capital, especially the aristocratic clans, would be familiar with each other.

Mo Qingcheng cast a cold glance at Orfon, causing him to stiffen and avoid her gaze. In front of this woman, he wanted to steal more glances at her, but he didn't dare to meet her eyes.

Mo Qingcheng paid attention to the candidates exiting the Dark Forest. She felt guilty about the events of that day. When she saw Qin Wentian chasing Orfon with the intent to kill, she had jumped to conclusions without properly investigating. She deeply regretted not taking the time to understand the situation.

As the sun began to set, casting beautiful red rays on the Dark Forest's trees, Qin Wentian had not yet emerged, while over 300 applicants from the Emperor Star Academy had safely exited.

Compared to the other martial academies, the Emperor Star Academy had the highest passing rate, despite having the fewest applicants.

"What have you done to Qin Wentian, Orfon?" Mo Qingcheng's gaze turned cold as she questioned him.

"I have no idea. The Dark Forest is vast, and he may have fallen to demonic beasts," Orfon replied nervously.

Mo Qingcheng's aura became oppressive, and Orfon sought refuge behind Orchon. She continued, "If anything happened to him, I will hold you responsible. Just wait and see."

With that, Mo Qingcheng soared away on her demonic crane. Luo Huan, seeing the remorse in Mo Qingcheng's demeanor, held no blame for her.

Her icy gaze now turned to Orchon and Orfon, mirroring Mo Qingcheng's determination.

"I will investigate this matter thoroughly," Mustang muttered, regretting his agreement with his esteemed teacher's intentions. After all, Qin Wentian was currently a weak cultivator at the Body Refinement Realm. If anything were to happen to him, Mustang would be unable to quell the unease in his heart.