Leroy and Jing Lin had searched the various lakes and islands. Finding countless more bodies and dead demonic beasts while doing so. The chill in the water had increased but not enough that he looked into the matter underwater again. Jing Lin did act odd every now and then near certain islands.
Sitting dead center in a Formation and deactivating them before reactivating them. Where she learned such a Formation was beyond him but if she could do it, no reason for him to get involved and do it himself.
A small deal formed between the two unexpectantly. They picked up some of the bodies to turn back in to the Officials later. He specifically told her to do so herself that way she gets the credit and not her family itself.
The Metal Seed had absorbed as much Cold Qi that was possible. He just needs to take the time to push the breakthrough for it now. The Flame Vortex Core was close to a breakthrough but he held off on it to keep using it to purify and refine the ever-abundant poison in the area.
Instead, he used the majority of the Qi to nourish the Dantians even further. As well as the rest of his body with small traces of poison. But he wanted to test something out. Mimicking The Monument effect some, he used the energy to strike against his dantian to see how much it could be mutated.
"Urggh!" Leroy felt his dantian fight back. Almost as if it was betrayed at the very notion he would subject it to this. 'Well, shit! Maybe this was a bad idea, but I need to test this theory! Work with me dammit!'
His cultivation was in danger from the assault, he continued on all the same. A carapace, stronger than before formed around his Dantian. Before it closed all around, he stopped. Lighting from his Flame Vortex Core was sent to heal his Dantian.
"Kuk!" Leroy spat out a mouth full of blood that it might as well have been vomit. His body shook out of control as he started to spasm. The lighting ate away the carapace using it to heal the Dantian faster. The Dantian grew bigger and stronger. His Icebeast Martial Arts lining up more and more with his Flame Vortex Core in the level of Purification and Qi Refining. "Have to keep pushing it!"
More and more understanding of the way to use his Flame Vortex Core appeared in his mind. A quick check on Spotter was nothing to worry about. Whatever it swiped from the demon beast the other day was still doing something to it.
*Crack!* The breaking of something within echoed loudly enough to cause all his Qi to rebel for a split second. Then it was all silent as nothing happened in the surroundings or outside in the sky. Of course, Leroy assumed this went against Heaven but one crucial thing he overlooked.
As a Champion, the Heavens couldn't track him in this way. What was taking place was within. Now if he tried to do this on the outside of himself or in someone else it would go badly. But if he brought them into his Internal Space...
It was a dangerous concept to imagine. Not only would he be hunted down by all kinds of Cultivators, but the overall danger would be too much to bear as he was. Of course, he had no reason to try it until improvements were made.
"It worked!" Leroy cheered happily. He just needed the bodies of more Martial Arts and Demon Beast cultivators to push it even further. 'With time, I can blend them all into one! Even the Monuments Antilife Qi will be no match for me eventually!'
The technical third soul he basically had was not something to share or show others. And mostly to help him disrupt three types of Qi's easier. Antilife, Corpse, and Poison Qi.
Cleaning himself up, Leroy kept thinking over matters while heading to the Elemental Festival tournament area. Scoffing he was already in another tourney but this was for different reasons.
'If I become strong enough, I can crush that blasted Monument and use it instead of countless Life Martial Artists to fuel much higher Body Tempering Ranks.' Leroy didn't pay attention to the crowd much as he moved really. Using Spatial Sense to step around them. 'The Flame Vortex Core supplements other martial artist styles but still grows stronger through it. The original body's Dantian contains the Flame Martial Arts that changed into the Flamelighting Martial Arts so it can not change my Flame Vortex at all. Since Flame Martial Arts was something the Dark Tiger-fire Family originally prided themselves on, it is safe to assume the Flame Vortex Core would really be what came or was created by me if I was just reborn in the womb of someone. The Flame already mixing with it and changing blue due to me acquiring this body.'
"Leroy!" A voice called to him. But he was too deep in thought to notice. "Is he worried about the competition?" Xiao Mei said. She shook her head immediately after saying that. "That can't be it. What do you think Tang Bo? Did they get to him somehow?"
"Might have something going on." Tang Bo, rather wait till things were less stressful to tell him about what happened. "We can wait till later. Don't worry too much." He rubbed her back gently. Mindful of the wounds she had there. For he had some of his own that needed to be careful with. "I am sure he will know how to handle the matter once we tell him."
"I hope so. The Dark Tang Family has gone too far!" Xiao Mei was still upset and could barely control herself in regard to what happened. But she did not have the power to resist just yet. "I truly hope you are done with them!"
'How much I will need to create a Dantian for the Earth Martial Artist and the rare Weapon Martial Arts though? This still evades me how much is truly needed.' Leroy stood anxious thinking it over. Not paying attention to the tournament proceedings. 'Even the other types I can recreate still require fine-tuning for the numbers but they are way too sparse.'
Another person was anxious for different reasons.
Jing Lin sat in the chair looking miserable. She was after all, not very happy with everything going on. A man stood up announcing everything. It was her father Jing Van. The man was charismatic as he played to the crowd and what they wanted.
"Today is the date of my daughter's martial contest! I thank everyone in advance for turning up today! I, Jing Van, represent the whole Clear Jing-fire Family of Fire Lake Town in welcoming you all here!"
People murmured taking in his words. A lot of influential families were around in the place thinking about how they were about to get a big reward after their disciples took the win. As well as the prize of the bet.
Jing Lin was the most outstanding genius in the Clear Jing-fire Family currently. Yet here they were adding additional bets with her as a prize out in the guise of the tournament portion after her refusal to be married off earlier to someone in an influential family.
'Without power, I am just another pawn to be used! No way around the sugar coating!' Angered the young woman gripped a pendant in her hand so tight it almost cracked. 'I will not be used like a bargaining tool no matter what they think!'
From the pendant Leroy gave her, Lighting Qi flowed into her. Not enough to be detected even by herself.
"Why is the Clear Jing-fire Family in such a rush to get the only daughter married off anyway?" A local asked thinking this was odd since she was quite the cultivator. "I mean why not wait a little longer for her to develop in either direction?"
"Oh, it is because of her pops messed the business sup." Another local said knowing a few details more than others. "Jing Van tried to marry the young miss off to the old protector of the West Kingdom, but she rejected it. Created a big old fuss before the contest was in the works this year."
"Ah, a bit of a shit heel of dad it seems. But her brother has such a pretty face." A female cultivator said. "No way will I suck up to that guy and get screwed over."
A few other female cultivators looked at the Noble with ugly looks. As the saying goes, the apple does not fall far from the tree.
"In the end, he could only resort to the contest to fix this up while taking control of the area. The reason why she is so downcast today and so irritable lately I imagine. Heard she barely smiles anymore." The locals felt sad thinking about it. "Even turning into a smug brat lashing out at people for the smallest thing."
'Hmm, that is something to think about.' Chu Xue heard everything and felt bad for Jing Lin. Not enough to forgive her but he did feel bad. It reminded him of Victoria. 'I guess noble ladies have all sorts of issues to deal with that I didn't think about deeply.' His eyes looked to Jing Lin briefly. 'For the sake of their own Family's standing, they marry off the children to obtain a higher position. The various families have so many sick little games when attention is paid closely that I don't even know what to say.'
Not saying anything out loud and putting it out of his mind, Chu Xue cultivated a little to steady his mind. It would do no good if he lost and made the situation even worst for his family.
"Humph!" Jing Van caught Chu Xue looking at Jing Lin oddly. Thinking this was why the Light Lion-ice family really wanted the wager and not some resources. 'Still, cultivating at this point and time? There is no point!' Feeling more confident, a smug smile appeared on his face. Looking over to the other competition area, he missed Leroy and spotted the top fighter of the West Kingdom. Carlos of the Royal Family is the only one I need to worry about.'
Carlos, like the rest of the Royal Family kinda emphasized thunder. He was arrogant without trying and standing proudly for all to bask in his glory. The spike bracers on his wrists were thick and powerful weapons. His yellow cape had a little thunderbolt on it that had lighting going all the way to the top. His hair was wild like a savage and moved in the air despite no wind present.
Leroy would have thought he was the protagonist of a story by the looks of it.
"I'll explain the rules of the martial portion, everyone has just one chance to lose, and falling off the stage means that you lost." Jing Van waved a hand around the crowd getting the attention of the unruly and bored people. "The one who stands undefeated at the end will then qualify to challenge my daughter Jing Lin if she so choses."
Jing Lin kept a passive look on her face as she was to angry to say anything right now. The matter may determine her future but she still had her own plans about what to do. She thought about what Leroy told her at the lake and hoped it worked out well for their little plan.