To be honest, improving defense wasn’t anything new, after all, it was a defensive martial art to begin with, but what truly excited Ling Xiao was the increase in strength.
For a martial artist, strength was an immense advantage.
At the same level, with similar Gang Qi, strength could be the deciding factor.
If he could cultivate the Nine Transformations Golden Body Art to the Sixth Transformation, Ling Xiao believed his power would take another significant leap forward.
But considering others wouldn’t stand still either, he naturally wouldn’t get complacent, the stronger he became, the more satisfied he’d be.
At the Seventh Transformation, one could forge a golden body, when using the Nine Transformations Golden Body Art, the body would take on a golden hue, with a thin film-like layer adhering to the skin’s surface, capable of even reflecting enemy attacks.
The Eighth Transformation was even more impressive, rendering attacks from martial artists of the same level nearly ineffective, while reducing damage from those one level higher by half, and those two levels higher by thirty percent!
The Ninth Transformation, known as the Nine Transformations Golden Body, claimed that as long as there was gold and no fatal injuries were sustained, even severed limbs or a broken body could heal and regenerate!
…
Reading about the Ninth Transformation, Ling Xiao’s heart trembled uncontrollably.
This was simply too astonishing, though it consumed gold, far more precious than silver, the ability to regenerate severed limbs meant that as long as he didn’t die, he’d have a chance to survive.
Just how terrifying a realm was this?
Truly worthy of being a top-tier martial art!
He had every reason to believe that if he could cultivate the Nine Transformations Golden Body Art to the Ninth Transformation, unless someone decapitated him or killed him in one strike, he’d be nearly invincible.
“Where did they even find such an incredible defensive martial art?”
Images of his loved ones’ faces and voices flashed through Ling Xiao’s mind, a pang of sorrow hitting him.
He was still too weak, if he were strong enough, who would dare touch his family?
He had to keep getting stronger, strong enough that no one would dare provoke him!
With that thought, Ling Xiao took a piece of gold from Li Xingyun’s storage ring and held it in his hand.
As he cultivated, the gold turned into golden powder, slowly seeping into his arm and spreading throughout his body.
At first, it felt a bit uncomfortable.
But he got used to it.
The First Transformation was relatively easy to cultivate, taking just one hour and consuming all ten taels of gold in his hand.
After reaching the First Transformation of the Nine Transformations Golden Body Art, Ling Xiao examined his body, his skin membrane was noticeably tougher than before, almost as if forged from steel.
Excited, he pressed on with his training.
The Second Transformation was indeed much harder, taking a full three hours and consuming a hundred taels of gold to complete.
This time, it strengthened his tendons and bones, the difference was palpable.
But this tenfold consumption really made Ling Xiao wince.
He’d used up all the miscellaneous gold in Li Xingyun’s storage ring just to barely break through.
“All that’s left is a golden inner armor, it’s of good quality, about a thousand taels worth, plus some scattered gold items in this house, it should be enough to reach the Third Transformation.”
With that in mind, Ling Xiao left the training room and ransacked the house.
The gold items in the residence, left by Second Uncle Ling, amounted to roughly a hundred taels.
Combined with the golden inner armor, it should suffice.
Back in the training room, Ling Xiao resumed his cultivation.
This time took even longer, a full six hours, before he broke through to the Third Transformation of the Nine Transformations Golden Body Art.
Now, Ling Xiao’s vitality surged, he felt brimming with energy, as if he could go ten days without sleep without issue.
He hadn’t expected a defensive martial art to have such benefits.
But continuing further hit a snag—he had no more gold, no wonder no one practiced this defensive art.
It was practically a tycoon’s defensive martial art.
It devoured gold!
After much hesitation, Ling Xiao made a trip to Tianfeng City, exchanging all his silver, as well as the herbs and beast cubs he’d harvested from the Mountain and River Diagram, for gold.
In total, it came to just over twenty thousand taels of gold.
“Well, I’m broke again.”
Ling Xiao gave a bitter laugh, he’d had plenty of silver before, now all he had left was this twenty thousand-plus taels of gold, all earmarked for cultivating the Nine Transformations Golden Body Art.
His goal was to reach at least the Fifth Transformation—small success—by the time of the grand finals.
That would require over a hundred thousand taels of gold.
But he didn’t want to think too far ahead, for now, the twenty thousand-plus taels should be enough to get from the Third to the Fourth Transformation.
To boost his Gang Qi and speed up the Nine Transformations Golden Body Art’s progress, Ling Xiao swallowed his last Gang Qi Pill, his most valuable one.
In the training room, he piled up ten thousand taels of gold, if anyone saw him practicing like this, they’d be dumbfounded.
In his earlier sessions, the golden powder had entered his body slowly through his hands.
This time was different.
The gold around him all turned to powder, seeping into his body through every pore, merging with his Gang Qi and continuously reinforcing his physique.
Hm?
Unexpectedly, this cultivation triggered a strange change in the Mountain and River Martial Soul, a stream of energy from it seeped into the mix of golden powder and Gang Qi.
Starting from the Fourth Transformation, Ling Xiao’s version of the Nine Transformations Golden Body Art diverged noticeably from others’.
His defensive martial art not only grew stronger but also reinforced his martial soul alongside it.
Most remarkably, when the Mountain and River Martial Soul’s energy joined in, instead of slowing his progress, it accelerated it.
The Gang Qi Pill and golden powder’s potency were fully absorbed by his body, he could clearly feel that the once somewhat unfamiliar Mountain and River Martial Soul now seemed linked to his very bloodline.
Ling Xiao wasn’t sure about other aspects, but he was certain his cultivation speed and efficiency in absorbing medicinal effects far surpassed the average person.
That was the unique trait of the Mountain and River Martial Soul.
Most people could only absorb about fifty percent of a pill’s potency at best, but he could take in nearly all of it, wasting nothing.
This alone gave him a massive advantage.
In effect, the same pill used on him yielded twice the results compared to others.
But while the effects were great, the consumption was terrifying, watching the mountain of gold in the training room dwindle rapidly made his heart ache.
How could it not hurt? This was his entire fortune.
Fortunately, the gold wasn’t wasted, as the powder was absorbed, Ling Xiao could distinctly feel his Gang Qi surging.
Of course, the fastest growth was in his strength and physical resilience.
Even his soft internal organs were steadily strengthening, old hidden injuries from being beaten by Ling Chong were healing this time around.
He had to admit, this gold wasn’t spent in vain.
