AN - Stone me
Inside the grand hall of Qingyang Sect, Gu Qingfeng sat on the throne belonging to the Sect Master. At the same time, his mind was entirely focused on his inventory. With a mere thought, a secret book appeared in his hand.
It was the ultimate martial art!
The Tiangang Divine Body.
Gu Qingfeng didn't hesitate and immediately opened the book.
In an instant, the book transformed into a stream of light and disappeared into his consciousness.
Immediately after, countless memories surged into Gu Qingfeng's mind, as though he had been cultivating the Tiangang Divine Body for years. The twelve layers of the technique appeared vividly in his thoughts, one after another.
Strictly speaking, the Tiangang Divine Body was the advanced form of the Tiangang Tyrant Body. But unlike the relationship between the Hunyuan Iron Shirt and the Bailian Golden Body—where the former was a part of the latter—the Tiangang Divine Body was independent.
Thus, when Gu Qingfeng cultivated the Tiangang Divine Body, the Tiangang Tyrant Body did not disappear.
At the same time, Gu Qingfeng's blood surged within his veins. His aura grew rapidly, visible to the naked eye.
Intermediate stage of marrow cleansing!
Advanced stage of marrow cleansing!
Marrow cleansing, complete!
In just a few breaths, Gu Qingfeng's cultivation skyrocketed, reaching the Perfect Marrow Cleansing Realm.
Now, Gu Qingfeng turned his attention to his attribute panel.
He saw that a new martial art had been added to his repertoire: Tiangang Divine Body.
Tiangang Divine Body (Twelve-fold, Perfect Body Protection Qi, Level Nine)
Satisfied, Gu Qingfeng decided to activate his protective qi. Almost instantly, a formidable, almost tangible energy emerged from his body. It was several times stronger than the protective qi generated by the Tiangang Tyrant Body.
Feeling the overwhelming protection surrounding him, Gu Qingfeng's eyes lit up with joy.
"With this level of protective energy, even if I stood still, someone like Patriarch Qingyang would have a hard time breaking through my defenses," he thought.
Indeed, the protective qi from the perfected Tiangang Divine Body was incredibly powerful.
Gu Qingfeng took a deep breath and examined the Tiangang Divine Body on his attribute panel again.
"When the twelfth level of the Tiangang Divine Body is perfected, I will reach the peak of marrow cleansing. If I break through its limit, I'll ascend straight to the Organ Refining Realm!"
The Organ Refining Realm was the pinnacle of martial power below the Innate Realm.
The battle with Qingyang Sect had made Gu Qingfeng acutely aware that in these turbulent times, there were many powerful warriors. While the Marrow Cleansing Realm was not weak, it was no longer the supreme power it once was.
Dealing with Patriarch Qingyang had required all of Gu Qingfeng's strength. If his opponent had been any stronger, he wasn't sure he could have prevailed.
Keep in mind, the Qingyang Sect was only one sect in Guangyang Prefecture.
Who knew how many more formidable warriors lurked within the region?
The destruction of Qingyang Sect would certainly send shockwaves throughout Guangyang Prefecture. And once the news spread, it was inevitable that the Gu family would come under scrutiny from major factions.
Unlike Baishidao, where the Gu family had only limited influence, the aftermath of this event would thrust them into the limelight. The Gu family would need overwhelming strength to back it up.
Thus, breaking through to the Organ Refining Realm would significantly reduce the Gu family's vulnerabilities.
Breaking the limit of the Tiangang Divine Body requires 40 improvement points!
"Upgrade!" Gu Qingfeng decided.
In that instant, a flood of memories surged through his mind.
He witnessed a version of himself painstakingly striving to perfect the Tiangang Divine Body for decades, only to repeatedly fail. He roamed the world, clashing with numerous masters and honing his skills.
Finally, just before death, he had a profound epiphany. He shattered the limits of the Tiangang Divine Body, reaching an entirely new realm.
Decades passed in his mind, but only moments had elapsed in the real world.
The blood and energy in Gu Qingfeng's body surged back into his heart. His heartbeat slowed to a near stop, plunging him into a death-like stillness.
Then, after what seemed like an eternity, the pulse returned.
Boom! Boom!!
The powerful drumming of his heart filled the hall. A torrent of pure energy flooded out of his heart, flowing through his limbs, revitalizing him.
In moments, a surge of terrifying blood and energy erupted from his body, filling the hall with an overwhelming presence.
Gradually, the energy subsided.
Gu Qingfeng remained seated, calm, and focused, as he looked at his attribute panel once more.
Name: Gu Qingfeng
Age: 36/200
Realm: First level of Organ Refining
Martial Arts:
Gu Family Fist (Indestructible Level 1)
Iron Body Skill (As Strong as Iron Level 1)
Big Stone Smashing Hand (Minor Success)
Iron Leg Skill (Perfect)
Iron Refining Finger (Minor Success)
Blazing Sun Palm (Ninth Level Perfect)
Sky Thunder Sword Skill (Introduction)
Hundred Refinements Golden Body (Indestructible Level 9)
Seven Killing Sword Skills (Not Introductory)
Tiangang Tyrant Body (Ninth Level Perfect)
Tiangang Divine Body (Immortal Divine Body Level 1)
Improvement Points: 60
"The first stage of organ refining... and a lifespan of two hundred years!" Gu Qingfeng's eyes gleamed.
The Organ Refining Realm was unlike other realms. It wasn't divided into early, middle, or late stages, but into five distinct levels, each corresponding to the refinement of one of the five internal organs.
Gu Qingfeng had successfully tempered his heart, marking his entry into the first stage of the realm.
Even this initial stage of organ refining was far beyond anything in the Marrow Cleansing Realm. His current power dwarfed his previous strength, utterly crushing what he had at Perfect Marrow Cleansing.
With his newfound strength, Gu Qingfeng felt confident that he could easily suppress someone like Patriarch Qingyang in a single confrontation.
This was the might of the Organ Refining Realm.
Moreover, after breaking the limit of the Tiangang Divine Body, Gu Qingfeng's protective qi had evolved into the Immortal Divine Body. Now, his physical defenses were always at their peak, even without needing to consciously activate them.
With this Immortal Divine Body, Gu Qingfeng realized that no one below the Organ Refining Realm could harm him, even if he stood still.
The sense of security that came with this new realm was immense.
Although Gu Qingfeng wasn't sure how many warriors in Guangyang Prefecture—or the entire Qingyun Province—had reached the Organ Refining Realm, he was certain their numbers were few.
As for those who had surpassed the Organ Refining Realm, they would be even rarer.
After all, the Qingyang Sect was considered a major sect within Guangyang Prefecture, yet Patriarch Qingyang had only reached the Marrow Cleansing Realm.
Thus, now that Gu Qingfeng had entered the Organ Refining Realm, he believed that anyone daring to target the Gu family would need to seriously reconsider their strength.
At that moment, Gu Yang entered the hall. The stench of blood clung to him—he had clearly just been through battle.
"Father, we've discovered something unusual!"