The Su family came to Ping Yang Town 15 years ago. There were only Uncle Zheng, Liu Yu and some other people with them. Su Hong was 15 years old, while Su Zimo was only two years old and Su Xiaoning was just born.
Their parents died that year.
According to the Su family, they encountered a lot of beasts where they passed by Cang Lang Mountain range. Many of them died, and their parents were among those who died.
Su Zimo had always been skeptical of this statement all these years.
Su Zimo felt that his older brother and the rest of the Su family had been hiding many things, other than their parents' death from he and his sister.
Back then when his older brother gave him the mansion, it was said that he could study hard without anyone disturbing him, but Su Zimo knew that his older brother meant to send him away.
Su Zimo studied hard to get scholarly honors so that there would be a day where he could help his brother. However…
Su Zimo had finally sorted out his thoughts after reaching his mansion.
Since his brother refused to tell him, he would not force him. His only hope was that he would become stronger so that no matter how dangerous the situation was, they could survive it.
Su Zimo stepped into the cultivation field. Die Yue was lazing around on the green stone. She did not cast him a look. It was as if she did not see Su Zimo come in.
"I have succeeded at Bovine-tongued Saber," Su Zimo said.
Die Yue acknowledged him with an indifferent attitude.
Su Zimo knew that it was considered as a praise to get Die Yue's acknowledgment.
"Go in to cultivate." Die Yue pointed to the wooden barrel not too far away.
The wooden barrel had been in the cultivation field for quite some time. It had always been empty. Su Zimo had no idea what it was used for.
Today, the barrel was filled with a thick black liquid, exuding a strong smell of medicine.
"So it is for my cultivation."
Su Zimo jumped in without another thought.
"Psst!"
Su Zimo sucked in a cold breath as soon as he jumped into the barrel. His countenance changed.
Cold!
Too cold!
Su Zimo felt that his hands and limbs were turning numb in no time. His hair was covered with a layer of frost. His face had turned gray and his lips purple. His body could not help but tremble uncontrollably.
"W-what is this?" Su Zimo said in a quavering voice.
Die Yue spoke lightly, "You can come out if you can't take it."
Su Zimo could not stand it anymore.
He even felt that if he continued to stay in the barrel, he would freeze to death.
Su Zimo had just gotten up getting ready to jump out when he caught a glimpse of scoff in Die Yue's eyes. He was riled. He clenched his teeth and sat back down in the barrel.
He had only taken ten breaths and he felt a chill to his bones. Under the stimulation of the medicinal liquid, Su Zimo began to lose his consciousness.
Su Zimo remembered what Die Yue said to him in the past, "If you want to learn this cultivation technique, you will experience unimaginable dangers. You may lose your life at any time. Do not expect me to save you."
Su Zimo knew that even if he froze to death, Die Yue would not save him.
Su Zimo shut his eyes, trying to ignore the coldness that he felt. He used the breathing and expiration method of skin tempering and began to breathe slowly.
All of a sudden!
There were a few mysterious and lengthy sutra in Su Zimo's mind and he could hear Die Yue's voice. "There is in fact only one sutra in Body Tempering. Since you have no foundation, hence I divided it into two parts, skin tempering and flesh tempering. What you saw just now is the sutra for flesh tempering. From today onward, you will combine both of them when you cultivate."
"The breathing method of flesh tempering originates from Rock Bear Demon King. The flesh of the bear is thick and sturdy. It is slow but powerful. It has the power to erect its neck, strengthen its upper limb, come out from its cave with full force, and to fight the tiger majestically. Combine the two methods of breathing and it will be the Body Tempering Sutra."
Die Yue explained while she taught Su Zimo the breathing and expiration method.
Su Zimo began to get the gist of it gradually and his breathing became slow and long.
With each breathing and expiration, the essence of the medicinal liquid in the wooden barrel would rush into his body through the pores on his skin, supplementing the skin and nourishing the blood and flesh.
This kind of cultivation method was much more direct and effective than devouring food and cultivating!
Su Zimo felt that his own flesh and blood were being nourished. His skin had toughened and he seemed to have grown more muscular.
If Su Zimo opened his eyes at this time, he would see an even more shocking scene.
The black viscous liquid had formed a huge vortex in the wooden barrel. Su Zimo hovered in the middle of the vortex.
A cow-shaped monster and a bear-shaped monster loomed next to Su Zimo. They were hazy but their eyes were bright and exuded a cold eerie light. They looked ferocious and they exuded an aura that could shake Heaven and Earth!
With the passage of time, the chill in the body gradually dissipated. An inexhaustible amount of essence continued to cleanse his muscles and skin. Su Zimo's realm had been advancing rapidly.
In the blink of an eye, the night had passed.
Su Zimo opened his eyes and was surprised to find that the liquid in the wooden barrel had become transparent and was as clear as water.
Die Yue jumped down from the green stone, saying, "I will impart three more styles to you. The first style is Ground-rupturing Palm. The angle of the palm can change as you please. All you need to remember is the technique to execute the force and to understand the concept of rupturing the ground."
Die Yue raised her hands slightly as she explained.
Su Zimo had an idea and he shut his eyes.
Su Zimo had a strange thought. It was as if he was not facing Die Yue but a hideous bear demon. It raised its gigantic bear paw and smashed it down suddenly!
Although Su Zimo knew that it was only an illusion, under the powerful impact of the slam, he could not help but retreat.
Swoosh!
Su Zimo forgot that he was still in the barrel. He collapsed on the ground, looking like a mess. The water in the barrel was spilled all over the floor.
"The second style is Mountain Reliance. You have to exert all your strength and press forward, and the opponent will die. He will have no time to react."
Die Yue nudged her foot and pressed forward, her body shaking!
Su Zimo's pupil constricted instantly.
The air around Die Yue froze when she executed the Mountain Reliance. It seemed to turn solid then spread out thereafter!
The air around them was not immune to the swiftness and impact of the pressing in movement!
"The third style, Body Petrification."
Die Yue paused before saying, "This is the defensive method of The Mystic Classic of the Twelve Demon Kings of the Great Wilderness. It can be considered as a mental cultivation method. After you succeed, the flesh and blood will turn into a boulder instantly. One becomes indestructible, minimizing the injuries sustained."
Su Zimo began practicing Tri Rock Bear Style while Die Yue watched coldly by the side, pointing out whenever he made a mistake.
Whenever Die Yue pointed out his mistakes, Su Zimo would be in agony.
At the end of the day, Su Zimo had not made any progress with the Tri Rock Bear Style, but he was already covered with wounds. He had bruises all over his body and he was drenched in perspiration, lying down drained of all energy on the grass, panting heavily.
Of course, Su Zimo knew very well that if not for such a harsh environment, it would take him even longer to succeed in Tri Rock Bear Style!
At night, Die Yue prepared another barrel of medicinal liquid for Su Zimo's cultivation.
The amazing part was that, regardless of how heavily injured Su Zimo was in the day, after cultivating in the wooden barrel for a night, he would be alive and healthy in the day and he would not have any scars on his body.
In the next three months, Su Zimo slaughtered cattle and ate them, practicing Tri Rock Bear Style in the day and going into the wooden barrel at night, practicing his breathing and expiration under the stimulation of the medicinal liquid.
Su Zimo gritted his teeth to endure the endless cultivation.
Under such a harsh cultivation environment, Su Zimo had a deeper understanding of Body Tempering Sutra. He was able to reach lesser mastery at his Ground-rupturing Palm and Mountain Reliance.
However, he did not make much progress with Body Petrification.
Su Zimo's skin, had changed from the rough texture when he first practiced Tri Bovine Style to being smooth and delicate. It was as if he had regained the natural state.
His skin looked as fair as jade, but in fact it was even tougher than before!
Su Zimo had become more muscular and his body was firm and sturdy. He seemed to become taller. Although he was only 17 years old, he was more than six feet tall, similar to Die Yue's height.
Three months ago, when Su Zimo tried his hand at Shen family's residence, he was slashed by swords in the fight. Although he did not sustain any external injuries, the impact from the saber and sword still caused damage to his muscles and he was in pain for a long time.
Right now, Su Zimo surmised that if he was stabbed by Postnatal Perfected Experts, it would not cause any damage to him.
After cultivating Body Tempering, and through half a year of tough practice, his body was similar to swords and sabers.
Of course, these were not the only changes he underwent after cultivating Body Tempering.
He had immense strength and amazing speed. There was a sharpness in his gaze. All these brought about a transformation in Su Zimo.
This morning, Su Zimo walked out of the cultivation field. He changed into a green robe, tidied up and went to the Su family's residence.
Su Xiaoning would be back today.
Regardless of whether it was Su Zimo, Su Hong or anyone else in the Su family, everyone doted on her and could not bear for her to suffer any grievances.
Su Zimo reached Su family's residence in no time.
"Second Young Master is back." The people in Su family were delighted and greeted him warmly.
Su Zimo smiled and nodded at them.
After recuperating for three months, Uncle Zheng's injuries had healed, but he seemed much older than before.
"Brother is not around again?" Su Zimo asked casually.
Uncle Zheng smiled. "He is caught up with business recently. He had to take care of the business and won't be able to make it back today."
Su Zimo and Uncle Zheng chatted in the hall while waiting for Su Xiaoning to return.
Two hours had passed…
Four hours…
Noon had passed.
Cang Lang City was not too far from Ping Yang Town. It would take at most two hours to reach by foot. But right now, Su Xiaoning had yet to come back.
Su Zimo turned solemn, there was a cold glitter in his eyes.
Uncle Zheng frowned, thinking before he shouted. "Liu Yu!"
"Here!"
Uncle Zheng said in a deep voice, "Bring some men to Cang Lang City and check whether Miss Su has set off or not. Report to me if there's any news."
"No need."
Su Zimo waved his hands.
He knew his sister best.
Su Xiaoning had been very obedient since a young age. She would never do things that would cause her family to be worried.
Since Su Xiaoning had yet to reach Ping Yang Town, there was only one explanation. She had run into mishap!
Su Zimo stood up slowly, his expression cold.
Uncle Zheng and Liu Yu could feel a suffocating pressure at his single movement!
These two people had been through multiple fights and battles and had many experiences where they had a close brush with death. They had no fear even when they faced immortals or thousands of army.
But right now, they could not help but tremble with fear when facing Su Zimo!
"Second Young Master has indeed changed!" Uncle Zheng and Liu Yu stared at each other, having the same thought.
"Report—Shen Nan from the Shen family is outside the door, seeking entry." One of the Su family guard shouted.
Uncle Zheng took in a deep breath. "Let him in."
"Hehe, how are all of you doing?" Shortly after, Shen Nan who was clad in white strolled in smilingly.
Su Zimo did not utter a word, his eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at Shen Nan.
Shen Nan's heart skipped a beat.
For some unknown reason, Shen Nan felt like being targeted by a ferocious tiger and a starving wolf. He might be torn into pieces in a blink of an eye!
"I am only here to send a message. Zhao family and Lee family wanted to invite the two young masters of Su family to a banquet," Shen Nan hurried to say, feeling somewhat guilty.
Su Zimo came to Shen Nan's side, saying calmly, "My brother is not in, I will go with you."
"Second Young Master, there must be something funny about the banquet. You must not go!" Liu Yu hurried forward and whispered to Su Zimo's ears.
Su Zimo swept his gaze at him.
Liu Yu bowed his head, and said through clenched teeth, "Second Young Master, I will go with you!"
Su Xiaoning was missing and the Zhao family suddenly invited Su Hong and Su Zimo to a banquet. It was obvious that it was an ambush. He might not make it back alive. But he would never stand by while Second Young Master went alone to fight the enemy.
"Liu Yu, Young Master Zhao has said that he only invited the two young masters from Su family, no one is to go with him, otherwise…" Shen Nan did not finish his sentence, but it was obvious that he was threatening them.
"Lead the way," Su Zimo said coolly.
Shen Nan gave Uncle Zheng and Liu Yu a provocative look, before he sneered and swaggered away from Su family's residence.
"Mr Zheng, what do we do? Should I bring people to attack then. Nothing must happen to Second Young Master!" Liu Yu was anxious.
"No!"
Uncle Zheng shook his head, frowning. "The other party is obviously ready. Right now, the Zhao family's residence is full of danger. Given our current strength, we will not be able to compete with them."
Uncle Zheng paused for a long while before he said in a deep voice, "Get the nearest black armored cavalry to come as soon as possible!"
"But… will they be able to arrive in time?" Liu Yu asked.
"I have no idea." Uncle Zheng sighed. "Right now, we can only hope that Second Young Master and Miss Su can hold on for as long as possible. This is the only solution."