Leo spent a full 10 days cultivating.
Leo's days went by rather well throughout these 10 days. He studied the Blinking Sword Skill every day in addition to growing the Soulforge Soul Return Tactic, and the rapid improvement made him feel extremely happy!
Leo's extraordinary abilities allowed him to reach the third level of body refining within just 10 days. He was practically at the fourth degree of body refinement.
Encouraged by the fact that his fist strength exceeded 1400 jin, Leo felt reassured despite not reaching the fourth level of body refining yet.
Without a doubt, the Soulforge Soul Return Tactic was the natural source of this type of development.
The degree of fist strength was typically what determined the level, but that only applied to regular martial artists. The explosive power was different for certain martial artists who had trained to a higher degree using the same level.
The Soulforge Soul Return Tactic traveled through all twenty-six meridians in Leo's body. Truly, every muscle in Leo's body has been worked. In comparison, the Guiding Qi Tactic, which relied on a single meridian for its progression, was entirely unimportant.
In addition to a significant increase in his domain, he had also reached the Blinking Sword Skill's huge success stage.
Master the art of blinking sword tricks. Although this was Leo's first martial talent, he distinctly remembers the Blinking Sword talent. Thus, achieving results was only half the effort when he practiced.
"Two days have passed since I reached the summit of the Body Refining third level, but I still haven't managed to advance to the fourth level. It seems like I won't be able to make quick progress, no matter how much I cultivate."
Leo furrowed his brow. There was a time when the road to cultivation could be pursued openly and without interference. Blindly and furiously nurturing would not lead to a breakthrough. Leo was currently facing a snag.
Leo was able to effortlessly achieve the third level of body refining the previous time he did it for two reasons: first, he had reached the ethereal state, and second, the sword crystal had helped him sweep away some of the obstructions. He wanted to succeed so badly right now, but he just couldn't.
Keeping that thought in mind, Leo made the decision to stop cultivating cruelly. He needed to get out of these woods because he had spent ten days here already.
Given that he possessed a killing move with the Blinking Sword skill and strength equivalent to a fourth-level body refiner, one may wonder why he would still be terrified of running across Harold. Leo was very strong in fighting!
After showering and changing clothes, Leo headed towards Stellaria City.
To be honest, not much needed cleaning up. The first incident was Harold knocking him out cold and dragging him outside. The Whitaker family's slaves stripped Leo of his belongings and took the little money he had. Luckily, he had stolen a few silver pieces from the corpse of the Second Brother; otherwise, he would have been left without any money.
This was the only item Leo possessed; the other was a silky bamboo staff. For his blinking sword skill, he had made that a few days prior.
Leo decided to keep the bamboo staff because it had become smooth after days of use and was easy to carry.
The time on the road was short. After getting a significant strength increase, Leo felt completely carefree. He could immediately make out the grand entrance of Stellaria City before the half-hour had even passed.
Returning to Stellaria City after ten days in the woods, Leo felt a twinge of nostalgia, especially considering the significant changes that had occurred.
Upon returning to Stellaria City, Leo initially secured accommodation. Before signing up, Leo had reserved a room at an inn. He had previously paid half of the deposit, and his room remained available.
Just as Leo was about to enter the door to his own room, the next door room unexpectedly opened. A tiny chubby arrived at the door, noticed Leo, and his face brightened up.
"Eh, brother Leo, have you returned? Where did you go off to during this time? I even assumed you weren't planning to participate in the Zephyr Blade Sect examination!" As he spoke, he had already flown out of the room.
The name of this fatty was Alden Throne. Although he was half a year Leo's junior, he was also half a head shorter. He got along well with Leo. Criticizing him as a "small fatty" is unfair; he isn't actually that overweight, but his round face makes it seem that way. Similar in stature to the Sinclair family, the Throne family likewise belonged to Azure Peak Village's tiny clan. On this occasion, they had converged in Stellaria City to take part in the Zephyr Blade Sect evaluation.
"Oh, I went outside of town to cultivate for a while to get ready for the test." Leo did not talk about Harold. There were far too many events occurring outside of the city, most notably the one involving the crystal sword. Regardless of the identity of the person, Leo would remain silent.
"Growing? you visited a wilderness area? Whatever the case, I couldn't stand that kind of resentment. Nevertheless, I assume that there is now a chance to join the Zephyr Blade Sect." Alden said it sourly. "I was bored to death while you were away. Nobody was around to play with. But things are better today. Let's go forward quickly. Join me as we take a stroll. Hein. I still haven't spent enough time at this fireworks display in Stellaria City.
Leo fell silent when he saw the wide smile on Alden's face. This was all this guy could think about. Never mind that he was only sixteen; at that age, he had already visited every brothel in Azure Peak Village.
Shopping is okay, but I refuse to go to that location. "If I were to leave and return, I would have to shed my skin." Leo's demeanor made it evident that he was turning down Alden's invitation.
"Alright, alright If you decide not to attend, then we will also choose not to go." Alden was overjoyed when Leo agreed to go play with him, and he immediately led Leo outside.
Having played with Leo since childhood, Alden was well aware of Leo's reputation as the village's renowned cultivation enthusiast. Despite the upcoming assessment, he had decided to go out and play. This was receiving a lot of attention.
"Older Brother Leo, come with me to see the dan medicines." Rumors circulate about potent medicines capable of greatly boosting a martial artist's strength. It has the power to assist a martial artist in achieving a breakthrough. "If we purchase two pills to enhance our strength, perhaps there is a chance of successfully completing the assessment," he suggested optimistically.
While pulling Leo along, Alden chattered incessantly during their journey. Leo's absence seemed to have caused him to become more reserved.
As Leo listened to Alden, he couldn't contain his emotions: "Is there really a medicine that can help martial artists overcome their limitations?"
Currently, Leo found himself struggling to overcome the bottleneck at the body refining fourth level. Imagine a world where a miraculous medicine existed that could enhance one's abilities. In this world, Leo's strength would skyrocket once he reached the fourth level of body refining.
Sure thing. Have you ever wondered why the disciples of those large clans and sects are so formidable? It's all about the guys with money. They consume medications as if they were sweets. Their strength would naturally rise to new heights." Alden wore a look as though he were instructing someone completely unaware.
Leo was often engrossed in cultivation and didn't grasp things as well as Alden did.
"So, it must be quite pricey, correct? We don't have that much money…" Leo found himself grappling with uncertainty. The money he currently possessed had been taken from the two servants, Second Brother and Old Third. Altogether, the total still fell short of 50 taels of silver. (1 tael is equivalent to 1/16 of a jin).
Alden casually waved his hand and asked, "What is it that scares you? Shall we venture forth and explore? Observing comes at no cost."
As they were pulled along by Alden, the pair made their way towards Stellaria City's Spirit Materials Streets. Spirit Materials Street was a bustling marketplace in Stellaria City, catering to the unique needs of martial artists. It contained a wide array of materials, medicines, weapons, and enchantment scrolls. In some of the bigger shops, they also offered top-tier cultivation techniques and martial skills for sale!
During Leo's absence, Alden had already sorted everything out. At that moment, it felt as if he was journeying down a well-known path while leading Leo directly to Spirit Materials Street.