Chapter 0346 – Yumen Pass

With the Gourmet Cells and the Life Orifice of the Culinary Cauldron, enhancing one's physical strength through gourmet food was far faster than pure hard cultivation. As long as there was enough delicacy, no matter how immense the power, Yi Tianxing could quite literally eat it into existence. That was his path of body refinement. All other cultivation methods were just supplemental, serving as nourishment for the main practice.

Having obtained the legacy, he didn't hesitate. He left the Scripture Pavilion, nodded to the Old Man of the Book Mountain, and returned to his residence.

In the backyard—

"Visualize the Bull Demon Sky-Battling Diagram!"

Back home, without pause, he activated his mind. The Bull Demon Sky-Battling Diagram naturally appeared in his mind. To form a Visualization Diagram, one had to use their own spirit and will to imprint the Dao Rhyme within.

If one's spirit and will couldn't endure the Dao Rhyme, visualization would be impossible—and thus, cultivation of the technique couldn't begin.

With a single thought, a powerful image of the Mighty Bull Demon took form in his mind, and instantly emerged in his Divine Sea.

Boom!!

At the moment the visualization diagram solidified, a mysterious Dao Rhyme radiated from it, seemingly exerting a profound influence on the world. Threads of heaven and earth energy naturally surged into his body, flowing rapidly into the Divine Sea and converging upon the illusory visualization.

Simultaneously, a strange suction force was transmitted from the bull demon's four hooves, and Yi Tianxing immediately sensed the earth's immense power surging in from beneath his feet, rushing madly through his body. As soon as it entered, the earthly power began coursing through his muscles and bones, rapidly stiffening his body at a visible speed.

A profound yellow hue surfaced in his blood, flesh, and bones—producing a horrifying sight.

"I'm turning to stone? Is this technique actually transforming my body into rock?"

Startled and alarmed, Yi Tianxing realized he had no way to stop it. The earth force had already entered his flesh and blood, quickly petrifying him. In an instant, his entire body had become a cold block of stone.

He stood there like a lifelike statue—motionless, breathless, unnervingly silent.

This petrification was complete. Not only skin, bones, and muscle, but even his blood solidified, his internal organs turning to stone.

Shua!!

Just then, the Mighty Bull Demon in the visualization, having absorbed vast quantities of energy, suddenly roared toward the heavens with an ancient, desolate aura. It stomped its four hooves violently, sending out a terrifying storm of bull demon force from each one—manifesting as profound yellow divine light that spread throughout his body.

Crack!!

The divine light exploded from within, shattering his stone body with violent force. The fragmentation was brutal—his entire petrified form obliterated into dust.

Even though his body was stone, the pain was agonizingly real.

But the divine light didn't just destroy—it also repaired. At the moment of collapse, the stone body reformed into flesh, with the earth force naturally integrating into the blood and muscles, greatly enhancing his physical strength.

It was a mystical technique.

Using the earth force to temper the flesh, and the bull demon's strength to shatter it, the body was reborn again and again—fusing the power of earth directly into flesh and blood. But this method brought excruciating pain. If one's will shattered during this trial, the visualization would collapse and death would follow.

Cultivation was always fraught with peril.

"Still, this method… shattering and reconstructing the body using earth force leads to an extremely rapid increase in strength. My body just gained an extra 1,000 jin of raw force!"

Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed with excitement.

The pain of body destruction was hellish, but the improvement was shockingly fast. At the White Cauldron Realm, his physical strength had already reached 100,000 jin—an achievement extremely rare even among body refiners. Most could only reach a few tens of thousands before hitting their limit.

The stronger the foundation, the more earth force could be absorbed—and the greater the boost in power.

This kind of transformation was blisteringly fast, though not as comfortable as absorbing power from gourmet meals.

"To grow stronger, I must endure pain and hardship. Body refinement is also a training of the will. The torment of today becomes the fear of my enemies tomorrow."

Yi Tianxing did not stop there. He immediately resumed the technique's cycle, entering another round of cultivation.

To truly turn the Mighty Bull Demon Physique into an internal divine ability, he had to deeply comprehend the Dao Rhyme within it. Only by fusing this essence into his flesh could the transformation be permanent. Otherwise, it would all be meaningless.

Without understanding, there could be no fusion—and no divine ability.

Time passed quietly.

Since the end of the alien race invasion, half a month had gone by.

Yet in Xuanhuang Town, activity was livelier than ever.

The tens of thousands of rescued people, after being fed meat porridge, had begun to recover their strength. Through conversations, they gained a firsthand understanding of Xuanhuang Town.

When they learned that every single citizen was a cultivator, they were all deeply shocked.

And upon hearing that anyone could officially register as a townsperson, receive a Heavenly Registration Card, and gain access to the Scripture Pavilion to receive a free cultivation method and combat skill, excitement spread like wildfire.

Joining Xuanhuang Town was a no-brainer.

For days, Jia Yucun and his staff in the Heavenly Registration Hall had been too busy to sit down—but always wore satisfied smiles. He understood the importance of population. In chaotic times, people were everything. Population meant development—nothing else mattered as much.

With so many people joining, Xuanhuang Town was on the verge of explosive growth.

New residents rushed to the Scripture Pavilion after receiving their Heavenly Registration Cards, picking out their first techniques and throwing themselves into training with fervor.

Having personally experienced captivity and death, these survivors knew the value of strength. None were willing to waste their opportunity. All desperately sought to become cultivators.

Having tasted misfortune, they now clung to power for safety.

Many young people even joined the military without hesitation.

This influx made Xuanhuang Town bustle with activity.

Ruins were rapidly cleared, new buildings sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain. With no city walls to restrict them, the town expanded freely in all directions—becoming grander and more formidable than ever before.

Old and new citizens coexisted peacefully.

More importantly, the battle's aftershocks were now spreading widely.

Every day, people arrived from all directions—some were refugees who joined immediately; others were emissaries from nearby villages bearing goods to trade and forge alliances.

Thousands joined the town each day—sometimes over four thousand, never fewer than a thousand.

That was the power of reputation and its massive influence.

Xuanhuang Town was becoming the center of a thousand-mile radius.

The marketplace was thriving like never before.

On this particular day—outside the Iron-Blood Great Wall, before Yumen Pass—

A group of refugees stood at the foot of the towering, blood-colored wall, awe in their eyes.

Yumen Pass had formed where the canyon once stood. With the wall cutting through it, a natural checkpoint had emerged—now called Yumen Pass.

To reach Xuanhuang Town via the Great Wall, one had to pass through this checkpoint.

It had no gate.

But it radiated a mysterious power—an invisible barrier that allowed humans through, but repelled all beasts and monsters, who would be violently hurled back upon contact. This mystical force came directly from the Great Wall.

On the wall itself, soldiers stood at attention. Repeating crossbows, ballistae, archers, and spearmen all patrolled vigilantly.

If enemies approached, they would be immediately repelled or killed.

Even now, a hostile bird drew near—only to be instantly shot down.

Everything inside the Iron-Blood Great Wall belonged to Xuanhuang Town.

The wall had drastically boosted the town's security.

"So this is the legendary Iron-Blood Great Wall… It's majestic. Clearly not of mortal origin. A true marvel! This is the power of our human race," a refugee exclaimed.

"Thank the heavens. Once we're inside, we'll be safe. I heard Xuanhuang Town even defeated savage alien races. It's strong enough to protect us. Once we enter, no more fear of beasts—or dying in our sleep…"