"Die!"

The woman suddenly attacked, a dart shooting from her sleeve, aimed directly at Ling Chen's throat.

However, Ling Chen was well-prepared. With a mere tilt of his head, he dodged the dart.

Simultaneously, the Cloud-hidden Sword in Ling Chen's hand thrust forward, piercing the female disciple's neck like a bolt of lightning.

After killing the female disciple, Ling Chen advanced towards the other Shocking Death Sect disciples.

"Don't... don't kill me—"

CRACK!

Before his words were finished, a Shocking Death Sect disciple's head flew high and landed in a pool of blood.

There was no longer a trace of mercy in Ling Chen's eyes.

In an instant, Ling Chen had slaughtered all dozen or so Shocking Death Sect disciples, wiping them out completely.

Bodies lay scattered haphazardly on the ground, severed limbs and spilled innards everywhere.

The potent stench of blood spread rapidly, pervading the entire wilderness.

SPLAT!

After killing everyone, Ling Chen suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face turning a pale gold.

The backlash is too severe. If I delay any further, I'm afraid I'll truly suffer cultivation deviation and be consumed by demonic impulses.

Ling Chen had now become bloodthirsty; if he didn't suppress the True Qi of Mr. Wu within him, he would undoubtedly become even more terrifying.

Activating his Light Skill, Ling Chen swept towards the distance.

***

Several thousand li away stood an unremarkable mountain peak, over a thousand meters high and spanning seven or eight li in area. The surroundings were desolate and sparsely populated.

Halfway up this mountain, there was a hidden cave, its entrance half-blocked by a huge boulder and overgrown with wild grass.

Mr. Wu's True Qi is too complex and vast; it has already permeated various meridians and mixed with my Lingtian True Qi. It's incredibly difficult to separate it for refinement now. I can only tackle it piece by piece, refining it bit by bit. Without ten days to half a month, recovery will be difficult.

Ling Chen sat cross-legged on the dry ground, numerous thoughts flashing through his mind. This time, he had managed to turn danger into safety entirely thanks to that True Qi Tube. If the True Qi Tube hadn't killed Mr. Wu, Ling Chen wouldn't have been able to eliminate Protector Cao and Longyang, and he certainly wouldn't be alive now.

I still don't know who placed that True Qi Tube in Ling Tianyu's tomb. Ling Chen's expression turned contemplative. It seems the person deliberately intended to deliver this life-saving item into my hands.

Enough of that for now; recovery and recuperation are the priority.

Pushing aside distracting thoughts, Ling Chen consumed a Healing Pill and closed his eyes to meditate.

The True Qi in his body flowed like myriad streams, circulating rapidly.

To suppress the violent aura within him, he first had to refine all of Mr. Wu's True Qi, a time-consuming process.

In the mountains, days and nights blurred into one.

「More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye.」

I've finally refined all of Mr. Wu's True Qi.

On this day, Ling Chen opened his eyes again. A sharp glint of light flashed in them and vanished, like the gleam of a swordsman's blade, sharp and imposing.

After nearly half a month of recuperation, Ling Chen's injuries had completely healed, and he was just a step away from the Martial Master Eighth Level. Additionally, the Ling Tian Sword Scripture, which had shown no recent changes, also achieved a breakthrough, initially reaching the Fourth Level, "Sword Heart."

The Ling Tian Sword Scripture had seven levels in total: "Severing Tendons and Bones," "Fetus Sword Qi," "River Inclusion," "Sword Heart," "Refining Heart and Spirit," "Binding Soul Sea," and "Unity of Heaven and Man."

The first three levels constituted the first stage, the middle three formed the second stage, and the final level was the third stage.

Having cultivated to the "Sword Heart" level, Ling Chen had naturally entered the second stage.

The second stage of the Ling Tian Sword Scripture was naturally a qualitative leap from the first.

If the first stage was "Qi Refinement"—condensing True Qi to bolster strength—then the second stage was "Heart Refinement," focusing on elevating one's martial realm to, in turn, enhance overall power.

Moreover, cultivating the Cultivation Technique to the second stage also increased its difficulty. The Fourth Level, "Sword Heart," was further divided into three sub-realms: "Boundless Sword Qi," "Sword Spirit Universe," and "Clear Heart Sword."

Currently, Ling Chen was at the "Boundless Sword Qi" sub-realm. This sub-realm still focused on Qi refinement—cultivating sword qi, honing it to be sharper and utterly indomitable.

Upon reaching the second sub-realm, "Sword Spirit Universe," one's cultivation elevated to "Heart Refinement." A sliver of Sword Spirit would form in the heart, allowing the sword to follow the heart's intent, and the heart to move with the sword.

And upon reaching the third sub-realm, "Clear Heart Sword," one would attain a state of Kongming. In this state, one could easily discern weaknesses in an enemy's techniques, remain unswayed by illusions or distractions, and even foresee danger and fortune as if clairvoyant.

As Ling Chen learned about these three sub-realms, he was inwardly astounded. The Ling Tian Sword Scripture was truly a peerless technique; the more he cultivated it, the more profound and unfathomable it seemed.

However, cultivating the Ling Tian Sword Scripture was fundamentally different from advancing one's martial arts realm. Martial arts cultivation primarily relied on accumulation, whereas the advancement of a Cultivation Technique hinged on comprehension.

If one couldn't grasp that layer of understanding, they would remain stuck at that level; no matter how long they accumulated power, it would be futile.

My cultivation has reached the limit of the Martial Artist Seventh Realm. I might as well break through to the Martial Master Eighth Level here in this cave before leaving.

Having made up his mind, Ling Chen rose and walked out of the semi-sealed cave. After taking in some fresh air for a while, he returned to the cave and sealed the entrance completely. From the outside, it appeared as just a pile of rubble and overgrown weeds. No one would notice a cave hidden behind the stones, much less that someone was inside in secluded cultivation.

Ling Chen took out a Solid Reality Pill and swallowed it. Following the unique meridian route of the Ling Tian Sword Scripture, he circulated his True Qi slowly yet powerfully. With each completed cycle, Ling Chen felt a trace of impurity being refined from his True Qi, making it a fraction purer.

Within a day, his True Qi had circulated eighteen Zhou Tian.

Then thirty-six Zhou Tian.

...And finally, one hundred and eight Zhou Tian.

Only when his meridians began to ache faintly did Ling Chen cease circulating his True Qi and rise to practice his Swordsmanship.

The human body possesses a self-healing function, and a warrior's restorative capabilities far exceed those of an ordinary person. As their cultivation advanced, the toughness of their meridians would gradually increase. It was said that upon reaching the Sky Apex Realm, the duration for which one could circulate True Qi increased tenfold, and their meridians became as resilient as copper and iron, such that even sharp weapons could hardly inflict the slightest damage.

Once his meridians had mostly recovered, Ling Chen resumed circulating his Lingtian True Qi, aiming to break through to the Martial Master Eighth Level.

「Seven days later.」

Ling Chen suddenly opened his eyes. By now, the True Qi in his body had been thoroughly refined. Mr. Wu's residual True Qi had been completely assimilated, without a single trace remaining.

Simultaneously, the True Qi in Ling Chen's Dantian began to churn violently.

The True Qi Virtual Pill rapidly expanded as True Qi surged into it. Ling Chen's aura surged with his advancing cultivation, and as time passed, the entire cave filled with True Qi energy.