Tempered Body

Evading the guy from earlier was easy enough. Lin Fei greeted him normally, lamented his fate as a Trial Disciple, and spoke of the weather. The guy kept nodding along until he realized that Lin Fei was gone.

The man in question sat in his room instead, finding a big tub and filling it with cold water. Dissolving medicinal concoctions would've gone faster and easier in hot water, but the Trial Disciples lacked the facility.

After emptying a vial of the liquid into the tub, Lin Fei stripped naked and stepped within. The cold water sent chills throughout his body, but he barely paid it any mind.

Instead he focused on the earthly essence within his dantian, revolving the energy and feeling the effects of the combined technique and medicine.

He soaked in there for over an hour before stepping out and starting on his cultivation of Earthly Titan Body Art. Once more the effect compounded and grew, filling his body with renewed freshness.

His muscles expanded, growing denser, while his viscera grew resilient. His skin already clean, somehow grew smoother. His looks, which he inherited from his mother, were already divine, even in his new body, so much so that they had once gotten him into trouble. But now they were being refined further.

Lin Xinyue had once wondered how natural advancement would affect his body and face. Usually a cultivator grew more beautiful and handsome with each advancement. But already as a mortal he was more handsome than some immortals. What would happen if he truly cultivated? The thought had been so arousing for her that for the next few days they had broken five beds that could withstand blows from a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

And that was when she was vastly restraining herself.

Lin Fei shuddered at the thought of her losing restraint. Although it felt wrong, a part of him was glad that she was incapacitated. He needed vastly more strength before she would willingly submit to him.

And submit her, he would. His pride as a man wouldn't allow otherwise.

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗ 

║ Congratulations on Tempering your Body! ║

║ Reward: 50 SP ║

╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝

It was late in the evening that he was greeted with this prompt. He had already exhausted his stash of medicinal concoctions and was only left with three Body-Strengthening Elixirs.

Looking through his stat sheet, he only found two differences.

║ ✦ Minor Realm: Body Tempering [Perfected] ║

And the Earthly Titan Body Art being displayed among the abilities.

At 50 SP, he couldn't buy much of anything. Aside from some Tier 1 techniques, and he already had more than enough of those. He wanted a weapon for himself, but a tiered item each cost more than 100 SP.

Sighing, he closed the window and stood up. After draining the tub of its water, he donned his robe and stepped out of his room.

He hadn't eaten since last evening, and as much as his tempered body could supplement, there was a limit. It was another thing if the need wouldn't exist after the Qi Refinement Realm.

As he moved toward the courtyard, he finally saw the face of the guy who had sold him out.

But there wasn't just Ye Chenxi in the courtyard.

"Fuck!" Someone cursed. "I can't believe he made a fool out of me."

Lin Fei sought the face and found the man to be the same as the guy who guarded the door all day.

Aside from him, there were five more people present, not counting Ye Chenxi. The most prominent of the group was no doubt a tall and hulking brute with rough skin and a permanent scowl etched on his face.

Lin Fei nodded in greeting and moved toward the gate, only to be stopped by the gate guardian guy. "Listen," he said, "if you're looking for Lin Fei, he lives in that room." He pointed to a door with paint flaking in the shape of a dragon. "I heard he hasn't come out since coming back yesterday."

"The name is Yun Yi." The guy said. "And you better cut the crap."

"Oh." Lin Fei raised a brow. "So, it won't work anymore?"

Yun Yi shook his head. "Mm-hmm."

And then a punch to the face struck suddenly and with ferocity that no one had any time to react. Yun Yi fell to the ground, nose bleeding and unconscious.

Lin Fei glanced at his fist and nodded. "Talking may or may not work, but the violence always works." He then turned to stare at the hulking man. "Wouldn't you agree, Chen Wei?"

Chen Wei glanced at his unconscious accomplice and spat to the side. "Couldn't agree more."

Lin Fei glanced at the stunned Ye Chenxi and then at the rest of the four men who flanked his sides. They drew their weapons, and he cautiously drew back.

A peak Mortal Foundation Realm expert could crack open boulders with their bare hands. Wielding a sharp weapon only enhanced their might.

"You're here for my contribution points, right? Well, guess what, Ye Chenxi lied to you." Lin Fei spoke in a hurried manner. "I don't have many contribution points left."

"I didn't ask." Chen Wei stepped forward with a threatening gesture.

Lin Fei felt his brow twitch, and he reached into his pocket to pull out a jade slip. "If you don't believe me, here, look at this."

Chen Wei didn't even spare more than a glance at the jade slip before snorting. "Did you also exchange those for Spirit Stones?"

"Well," Lin Fei drawled, "I used them to temper my body. Now all I have left is this."

"You fucker." Chen Wei cursed in a calm manner. "Now, what the fuck am I supposed to offer to brother Song?"

"Nothing, I guess." He shrugged.

"I needed that money." Chen Wei ground his teeth.

"And how's any of that my problem?"

"I am about to make it your problem."

Before Chen Wei had even given any order, the two men flanking his sides kicked off and rapidly advanced on his unarmed form. Off to the side, Ye Chenxi crawled toward a safer place.