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Baiyun Temple.
After returning, Ling Xiao parted ways with Leng Mei, each retreating to their rooms to cultivate.
To facilitate absorption, Ling Xiao didn’t directly use gold for cultivation.
He sought help from the Baiyun Temple Master, draining a pond in the temple and pouring molten gold into it.
To prevent the gold liquid from solidifying, Ling Xiao added special herbs, as Lin Ze’s true disciple and Baiyun Master’s initiate, obtaining herbs was relatively easy.
After these preparations, Ling Xiao fused the beast core of the Mighty Divine Ape into the molten gold.
This cultivation wasn’t just to elevate the Nine-Turn Golden Body Art to its ninth turn, but also to advance his cultivation and the Heavenly Dragon Golden Body’s realm.
Besides the gold liquid, the Mighty Divine Ape’s beast core and seventy-two special body-tempering herbs were essential.
In the past, he couldn’t have afforded these herbs, but now he got them for free.
This was likely the greatest perk of being Lin Ze’s heir.
The pool of prepared gold liquid was worth over fifteen million taels of gold, a staggering sum to anyone.
Even Baiyun Master’s former true disciples, Zuo Leng and Ming Tian, were shocked by Ling Xiao’s extravagant cultivation method.
With everything ready, Ling Xiao jumped into the gold liquid.
The scalding liquid would burn or even melt most warriors’ bodies.
But Ling Xiao was different.
His physique was exceptionally robust, with the Nine-Turn Golden Body Art at the eighth turn, Heavenly Dragon Golden Body at the second layer, and the bloodline of the Golden Dragon.
No ordinary seventh-stage martial master could compare.
The seemingly molten gold liquid couldn’t harm his body.
The challenge was he couldn’t use the Shadow Cultivation Secret Method, as his clones couldn’t withstand the heat, only his true body could.
This wasn’t a big issue.
It was about tempering his body, enhancing all aspects, no need to be greedy.
Gurgle!
As Ling Xiao circulated his true essence, the gold liquid churned, emitting wisps of heat, the golden liquid gleaming beautifully.
Pain!
Ling Xiao felt excruciating pain, as if searing flames burrowed into his body’s crevices, dismantling it.
The agony exceeded what most martial masters could endure.
Even Ling Xiao sweated profusely, his face pale.
But he didn’t give up.
He knew this intense pain wasn’t harmful, but the potent medicinal effects taking hold.
Enduring it meant success.
Nearby, the Baiyun Temple Master sat cross-legged, with Ling Yixue and Leng Mei beside him.
They were guarding Ling Xiao.
Ling Yixue and Leng Mei’s presence was expected.
The Baiyun Temple Master, entrusted by Lin Ze, secretly protected Ling Xiao.
“Your friend is remarkable, such terrifying medicinal power would overwhelm even an eighth-stage martial master, yet he endures?” the Temple Master said, shocked.
Ling Yixue nodded but stayed silent, focused on improving her strength.
Ling Xiao’s rapid progress pressured her, feeling that if she lagged behind, she couldn’t protect him.
Fortunately, as Baiyun Master’s true disciple, she had access to resources ten times greater than Ling Xiao’s, barely keeping pace.
Leng Mei was purely astonished, never dreaming of matching Ling Xiao’s cultivation speed, her potential no match for the monstrous talents of Ling Xiao and Ling Yixue.
Her goal was simple, follow Ling Xiao loyally, even at the cost of her life.
Ling Xiao’s Mountain and River Martial Soul churned wildly.
The Mountain and River Diagram seemed to form a massive vortex, drawing all surrounding resources into his body.
The pain gradually lessened.
The Martial Soul played a crucial role, controlling the gold liquid’s influx to prevent Ling Xiao from passing out from pain, which would be dangerous.
But this pace didn’t satisfy Ling Xiao.
As his Martial Soul, he could control it freely.
He began increasing the influx.
The pain surged again.
His veins and meridians felt swollen, overwhelmed by the energy surging through narrow channels.
He increased it further.
His meridians felt on the verge of bursting.
Only then did Ling Xiao stop.
Eager to grow stronger, he remained calm and rational, this influx already surpassed what mid-eighth-stage martial masters could handle, a point of pride.
An hour later, his meridians adapted to the bursting sensation, becoming tougher and wider.
He increased the influx again, stopping at the limit.
During this, he activated the Snow Lotus True Solution.
His strongest internal art, it aided in absorbing the medicinal power and easing pain.
The gold liquid was fiery, the Snow Lotus true essence icy, a perfect balance.
Three hours passed.
The pool of gold liquid was half gone, Ling Xiao’s body glowed golden, radiant in the night.
A day later, the entire pool was absorbed.
Golden light shot from Ling Xiao’s eyes.
He dressed and returned to his dedicated training room to refine the immense energy absorbed.
Ten days later, a blinding golden beam erupted from his training room, piercing the clouds above Baiyun Peak.
Nine-Turn Golden Body Art, ninth turn!
Finally achieved!
But he didn’t stop, needing to stabilize this realm and digest the remaining energy.
Another ten days passed.
The Nine-Turn Golden Body Art was fully consolidated at the ninth turn, reaching perfection.
The Heavenly Dragon Golden Body progressed slowly, as a mortal martial art, advancing to the second layer was like a snail’s crawl, but he glimpsed the third layer’s threshold, not a wasted effort.
Aided by the potent medicinal power, the Snow Lotus True Solution reached the great success realm, its sixth layer.
Ling Xiao’s Snow Lotus true essence grew more robust.
The most thrilling was his cultivation breakthrough, riding the momentum of the Nine-Turn Golden Body Art and Snow Lotus True Solution, he reached the late seventh-stage martial master, nearing the peak.
At this level, no one within the seventh stage could challenge him, the only question was how many moves it’d take to win.
He could even contend with early eighth-stage martial masters.
With his Martial Soul and Heavenly Dragon Golden Body, victory wasn’t impossible.
But he knew, while he could defeat typical early eighth-stage masters, monsters like Zuo Leng and Ming Tian were another matter.
Like him, they were genius-level talents capable of fighting above their rank.
Thus, Ling Xiao’s priority was to advance his cultivation, reaching the eighth stage to rival prodigies like Zuo Leng.
Ming Tian was still out of reach, a ninth-stage martial master, the gap too vast.
