Half an hour…
One hour…
Two hours…
Finally, the agony experienced in the marrow-cleansing process began to subside. Ji Mo felt like he had been stripped bare of his energy. His body had been restored to a clean slate as if he had never cultivated any Body Tempering Art.
However, the three acupuncture points on his chest that were flushed open were still there. The Marrow-cleansing Pill had merely cleansed his body and the boundaries he had broken through were still in place. Nonetheless, the three acupuncture points which used to be shiny had lost their usual spark. Now, they just looked like three black holes.
The Heavenly Cauldron floated within his tanzhong and exuded an ancient aura.
The marrow-cleansing was complete.
Without further hesitation, Ji Mo reached out for a Purple Spirit Fruit and took a bite. The fruit's potent medicinal properties began to nourish his flesh and bones. Each trace of the medicinal effect contained large volumes of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy that healed his organs.
Ji Mo started to channel the Celestial Devil Tempering Art. He transformed the powerful medicinal properties of the Purple Spirit Fruit and the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy into his own innate strength, sustaining his physique and fortifying his meridians and muscles in the process. By doing so, his meridians and muscles, which had already returned to their former state, were strengthened once more and became solid and tough.
Ji Mo took each bite of the Purple Spirit Fruit until he devoured the whole thing. Large volumes of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy had been converted into energy that invigorated his body. Under the spell of the Celestial Devil Tempering Art, Ji Mo's body shimmered brilliantly as if every inch of his flesh was covered by countless tiny particles that shone like stars.
"Phew!"
Ji Mo let out a long sigh. He had eaten a Purple Spirit Fruit, and the Celestial Devil Tempering Ar had converted the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy to fortify his body. The pain he felt after the marrow-cleansing was finally gone.
The long and agonizing marrow-cleansing process had almost cost him his life. He had been so close to dying and meeting the real Celestial Devil from Hell.
Suddenly, Ji Mo noticed something amiss. "Huh? Strange! Why don't I feel full?"
When he consumed Purple Spirit Fruits last time, half a fruit could make him feel the expansion of his meridians and result in a feeling of satiation. However, after digesting and absorbing that Purple Spirit Fruit, Ji Mo felt that his body had become stronger, but he did not feel full at all. The Purple Spirit Fruit's medicinal properties had been completely refined.
'Is it because the Purple Spirit Fruit's Spiritual Energy has nourished my body after I've undergone the marrow-cleansing? Or is it because I've flushed open three acupuncture points in my body and can sustain more Spiritual Energy now?' Ji Mo wondered.
He took another Purple Spirit Fruit. This time, he swallowed the entire fruit without thinking. The powerful Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy burst out of the fruit and filled his meridians.
The Celestial Devil Tempering Art was channeled. In the blink of an eye, a huge volume of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy was suppressed and refined bit by bit.
Two hours later, he consumed another Purple Spirit Fruit. Strangely, Ji Mo realized that he still did not feel full. This time, he finally understood that it was not a strange occurrence that took place after his marrow-cleansing, but a demanding aspect of the Celestial Devil Tempering Art.
The Celestial Devil Tempering Art allowed one to cultivate the physique of a Celestial Devil from Hell. This physique was extremely demanding. Apart from the Path of Hell, it was not easy for most types of powers to suppress a Celestial Devil.
As Ji Mo channeled the Celestial Devil Tempering Art, his body was completely altered and he was on the way to cultivate the true physique of a Celestial Devil. This domineering aspect of the Celestial Devil's Body far surpassed any physique created from regular Body Tempering Arts. The Celestial Devil's Body was more resistant to damage and was tougher, so it could sustain the pressure that would be fatal to others.
The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy found in spiritual medicines could cause pressure toward normal Body Tempering Arts, but it was nothing to the Celestial Devil's Body. The Celestial Devil's Body was like a bottomless pit or an insatiable beast. The incoming supply of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy was digested very quickly to become food for the body.
"I see…" Ji Mo could not hide the excitement in his eyes. He held up his fist and sensed the improvement in his own strength. Evidently, he had entered the first tier of body tempering, and his body had undergone a significant transformation.
Initially, his capability had been stuck at the third tier of body tempering. However, since he had consumed the Marrow-cleansing Pill, all of his meridians had been cleansed and his previous capability was no longer there. After consuming two Purple Spirit Fruits, Ji Mo tempered his body with the Celestial Devil Tempering Art once more and advanced to the first tier.
It was his first step made using the Celestial Devil's Body.
He got another Purple Spirit Fruit from the wooden box and swallowed it whole. Then, he began to channel the Celestial Devil Tempering Art intensely. Now that Ji Mo had discovered how demanding the Celestial Devil's Body was, he no longer cared whether his body would feel full or not. After all, the Celestial Devil's Body was an insatiable beast.
As long as he had enough spiritual medicine, Ji Mo could level up the Celestial Devil Tempering Art at one go until he successfully cultivated everything and finally attained the Celestial Devil's physique.
One, two, three Purple Spirit Fruits were consumed.
Traces of red light glowed on Ji Mo's body. The red light gave off a devilish vibe and Ji Mo sensed another breakthrough within himself. He felt mightier and more dominant. The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy in the spiritual medicine altered his body under the influence of the Celestial Devil Tempering Art, reinforcing every muscle within him. Moreover, a slick form of power was gradually beginning to take shape in his flesh and blood.
This power was immense and carried a hint of violence.
It was the Celestial Devil Power!
Apart from making his body tougher, cultivating the Celestial Devil Tempering Art caused Ji Mo to develop Celestial Devil Power. When the Celestial Devil Power fused with his flesh and blood and his body moved, the Celestial Devil Power would be activated. The formation of this power in his body signified that he had reached the second tier of body tempering.
It was already sunset on the second day. Ji Mo had used a day and a night to level up the Celestial Devil's Body to the second tier.
If anyone got wind of this cultivation speed, they would have been shocked senseless.
Of course, there were two reasons that allowed Ji Mo to make such impressive progress. Firstly, it was due to the demanding nature of the Celestial Devil Tempering Art. Secondly, he had already flushed open three acupuncture points in his body and did not need to waste any more time doing the same thing. Thus, his cultivation speed increased by leaps and bounds.
'Hehehe, with this speed and a sufficient supply of spiritual medicine, I can finish cultivating the Celestial Devil Tempering Art in one go!' Ji Mo thought excitedly. For the first time in his life, he discovered the great feeling of improving his strength. He was impatient and continued his consumption of the remaining Purple Spirit Fruits.
One day, two days, three days…
Ji Mo stayed at home the whole time. As his body was constantly evolving, he neither felt fatigued nor hungry.
This time, he straightaway maintained his capability at the third tier of body tempering. In a few days, after undergoing the marrow-cleansing, he brought his capability back to his prior boundary. This speed was simply unattainable by others. In addition, Ji Mo could feel the looseness in the fourth acupuncture point at his chest. It was a sign that he was about to reach the fourth tier of body tempering.
'Don't be too hasty.' Smugness was written all over Ji Mo's face. He was smug as hell.
Looking at the remaining Purple Spirit Fruits in the box, Ji Mo gritted his teeth and decided to drive forward. He consumed and refined all of the Purple Spirit Fruits, thereby flushing the fourth acupuncture point open and achieving the fourth tier of body tempering.
The Celestial Devil's Body was different from a body tempered via regular Body Tempering Arts. It bore the aura of a Celestial Devil, so it could channel the Celestial Devil Power and no other body stood a chance against the Celestial Devil's Body. Although Ji Mo was only on the third tier of body tempering, as soon as he channeled the Celestial Devil's Body, he could utilize the Celestial Devil Power and overwhelm those with boundaries greater than his own.
Another Purple Spirit Fruit was refined. However, Ji Mo began to frown because this time around, there were not many changes after he consumed the fruit, but the fourth acupuncture point in his body loosened further. However, his body merely changed by a little.
Ji Mo clenched his teeth and forced himself to go on. He swallowed all of the fruits. All of a sudden, a massive, unexpected gush of Spiritual Energy filled him from within. Immediately, he channeled the Celestial Devil Tempering Art to flush open the loosened fourth acupuncture point.