"Feng Long asked, 'Sect Master Du, what were you doing at the Xingluo border area? From my understanding, although the Body Sect's base is hidden, its disciple often operate in the Tianhun Empire.'
Du Bojing smirked and replied, 'It's not only the Riyue Empire that can send spies to our continent. We also have spies in influential positions in their empire. This time, we were informed way earlier, so many clans with titled Douluo were sent in advance. We were patrolling near the village where you were staying, which is why there were fewer casualties.'
Sect Master Du's expression darkened. 'But still, there were casualties even though we had been prepared beforehand. More than a hundred Soul Emperors were killed, twenty Soul Saints also perished, almost everyone who survived was severely injured. Only the Soul Douluo and titled Douluo remained unharmed. Riyue Empire's actions this time were unusual; they did not send any of their Soul Douluo or titled Douluo.'
Seeing Du Bojing's grim expression, Feng Long tried to change the topic and asked, 'How many members are there in the Body Sect?'
Sect Master Du answered, 'Don't say Body Sect but our sect, because we believe all Soul Masters with spirit bodies are our members. It has been our founding ancestor's wish that every spirit body master has a home they belong to. So every spirit body practitioner is naturally our sect member. The exact number we have in our sect is 62, including all students and teachers. We treat every member of our sect as family. We have a popular saying: "A body soul is a godly gift."'
'Founding ancestors?' asked Feng Long.
Feng Long felt very happy because he now had a family in this world and started to truly feel like a disciple of the Body Sect.
'The earliest Soul Masters with body souls were believed to be mutants. Furthermore, the advantages of body souls weren't known yet, so they were looked down on. But a genius with a body soul appeared and managed to unlock the secret of making a body soul strong. This person was the first sect leader of our Body Sect! Our ancestor went through a period of tireless cultivation and discovered that having one's own body as a martial soul was more reliable than any other type of martial soul. This is the reason we say that a body soul is a godly gift,' said Sect Master Du Bojing with a proud yet weary smirk on his face.
Du Bojing and Feng Long's journey was very long. They rested in an inn during the night and began flying in the early morning.
After continuing this cycle for four days, they finally arrived at the border of the Tianhun Empire.
At the border area, there was a plaque with big words: Tian-Xing Border Station. Soul-guiding trains, which traveled from the west to the east and from the north to the south of the Tianhun Empire, could be found here. Du Bojing and Feng Long both boarded the train. The train was very fast, almost twice as fast as flight soul-guiding tools.
Feng Long asked, 'Why didn't we board the train in the Xingluo Empire?'
Sect Master Du scoffed and said, 'As you know, our Body Sect has a prejudice against soul-guiding weapons. Not only us, but many other sects also have a certain level of partiality when it comes to soul-guiding weapons. The most prejudice and intolerance against soul-guiding tools, in general, is found in the Xingluo Empire because their emperor died at the hands of the Riyue Empire.'
'Because of this, not only did they not use soul-guiding weapons, but they also didn't develop soul-guiding tools, which caused the empire's people to start a revolution 80 years ago. This led to the original heir with the surname Dai being replaced. The new heir to the empire has already begun to change the old policy and develop soul-guiding weaponry for military purposes. The old Xingluo Empire is no more, and the new Xingluo Empire is very powerful. But still, I don't think there will be soul-guiding transportation in the future,' said Du Bojing.
'And why is that?' asked Feng Long.
Du Bojing answered, 'It's because of the Riyue Empire. If the Xingluo Empire were to build a soul-guiding transportation tool, it would be detrimental if the enemies used it as transportation during wartime. The Xingluo Empire's border is connected not only with the Riyue Empire but also with the Tianhun Empire and the Duo Ling Empire.'
Feng Long complimented Sect Master Du, saying, 'You are really smart despite how you look, huh!'
Du Bojing dramatically smacked Feng Long on the head with his oversized knuckle and started whining, 'Young people nowadays know no respect,' thinking that Feng was making fun of him. Old Man Shu also nodded in agreement inside the spiritual sea. A cartoonish bump appeared on Feng Long's head, so he stayed quiet for the remaining journey.
Five hours later, upon arriving at the destination, passengers heard announcements informing about the Tian City Station they had arrived at. These announcements also reminded passengers to take all belongings with them before disembarking.
After disembarking, Sect Master Du Bojing again picked up Feng with one hand, but this time he did not use soul-guiding tools for flight. Instead, he used his unique Body techniques to create propulsion, enabling him to lift off the ground and maneuver in the air temporarily. Du Bojing began to admire Sect Master Du's ability to fly without using soul-guiding tools.
Du Bojing had been flying for a very long time without rest. For some reason, he wasn't taking rest in between despite his exhausted expression. Sect Master Du pushed himself to the limit, and his muscles started feeling heavy. Seeing this, Feng Long asked, 'Sect Master Du?'
Du Bojing suddenly began slowing down and slowly descended onto a clear field. His complexion did not look good. Feng Long began to worry more and more. Du started having difficulty breathing and began to feel increasingly nauseous and dizzy, and slowly fainted.
Feng Long began panicking and started calling Old Man Shu for help. Old Man Shu instructed Feng Long to inspect Du Bojing's body clearly. Feng Long immediately began inspecting the unconscious Sect Master who showed signs of severe distress. Du Bojing was pale and sweaty, with shallow breathing. Guardian Shu said, 'He is poisoned. Feng Long, activate your spirit eyes and search if you can find anything in his body.'
Feng started activating his spirit eyes and searched for anything suspicious. After some time, Feng found extremely fine needles that were almost impossible to detect.
Feng Long started following the Guardian's instructions and utilized his soul force to slowly collect the needles without touching them. The needles were highly poisonous and could penetrate even the toughest defenses.
Old Man Shu instructed Feng Long to direct the poison that was lingering in Sect Master's meridian points with his soul strength and feed Du Bojing an origin-grade treasure so that he could survive and fight back the poison.
After a long period of time, Feng Long had finally exerted all of the poison out of Master's body. Feng closed his eyes, and a jade-green glow appeared between his brows. Suddenly, a beautiful shiny lotus materialized out of thin air. Old Man Shu stated that Azura Lotus Dew should do the job. Feng ended the treatment by feeding Sect Master the origin-grade treasure.
Feng was feeling exhausted and shut his eyes. Had it been anyone else, they would have already been drained of their soull energy. But Feng Long only felt a little tired even after completing the treatment because his spiritual sea was filled with mystery.
Feng heard someone calling him in his sleep. As he opened his eyes, he found out that it was Du Bojing who was calling for him.
Du Bojing asked, 'Feng, did you save me?'
Feng began boasting, 'Do you know what people used to call me? What is a dead horse like you? They used to call me the divine doctor who can even cure ghosts in the underworld!'
Du Bojing again smacked Feng Long's head with his oversized knuckle. A cartoonish bump appeared again on his head. Both of them started laughing heartily. Du Bojing and Feng Long had formed a close bond on this journey.
Du Bojing began thanking Feng for saving him and said, 'I know you must have used a precious treasure to save me because it not only helped treat the poison but also helped me breakthrough a level which I was stuck in for five long years. I finally achieved the Limit Hyper Douluo and now I can begin to cultivate that technique which I have been meaning to for ages. So, if you have anything I can help with in the future, don't hesitate to ask me for help.'
Soon night fell. Feng began asking, 'By the way, do you know how you got poisoned?'
Du Bojing answered, 'I don't know when I was poisoned. I didn't even notice when my body was pierced by those needles. It was most likely the work of the Riyue Empire.'
Feng Long started clenching his fists with an intense glare as soon as he heard that it was the Riyue Empire's plot. Du Bojing was surprised to see such rage in a 6-year-old child.
Sect Master Du cleared his throat and continued, 'Our Body Sect prides itself on having the strongest bodies in the Douluo continent. If even my body was pierced and couldn't counter the poison, then a normal titled Douluo will likely not survive. Only our Body Sect's secret Arhat Body has even the slightest chance to resist this poison.'
'Arhat Body?' asks Feng Long with a curious look.
Du Bojing looks at Feng Long with a raised eyebrow and begins explaining, 'Arhat Body, also known as Golden Body Arhat, is the highest cultivation level of our Body Sect's Innate Secret Technique. It is also known as 'Godmaking'. A hyper Douluo would be able to enter the Golden Body Arhat realm when one cultivates the Body Sect's Innate Secret Technique to perfection.'
Feng asks again, 'What is the Innate Secret Technique?'
Du Bojing answers with a smirk, 'It's the technique that makes our sect famous across the Douluo continent. If one cultivates it to the extreme, they would be the strongest soul master below the god rank in the entire world.'
'Are there really gods?' asks Feng Long in amazement. Old Man Shu inside the spiritual sea sighs and mutters something inaudible with a disappointed expression.
Sect Master Du starts explaining again, 'Yes, there used to be a god in our Douluo continent who was from the Tang Sect in the old Tiandou Empire. He won a Great War by fighting two gods all by himself. Also, our founder was said to have reached the God realm and ascended to the realm above the mortal realm.' Feng listens in amazement with sparkling eyes.
Sect Master continues praising, 'Our Body Sect's old masters were no less than gods. At the Golden Body Arhat realm, the strength of one's body could rival that of a real god. One would possess the most powerful body in the world. Upon achieving the Golden Body Arhat realm, the person would be immune to all negative conditions. Any soul skills that would result in negative conditions would be rendered ineffective. Moreover, it can cleanse a person's body and deter all poisons. Control-type soul skills and energy-type attacks would all be ineffective against it.'
Feng Long listened attentively without interrupting Sect Master. Du Bojing added, "In our Body Sect's history, no fewer than two masters achieved the Arhat Body. Our founding ancestor and my grandfather were the only ones to achieve this realm when they were at the Limit Hyper Douluo. The Golden Body Arhat is said to be 'born and bred by the heavens, a leakproof golden body' in our Body Sect. Any form of energy between heaven and earth would become a part of one's nourishment. one would not encounter any more bottlenecks until reaching quasi-god rank in one's cultivation. Everything would be free from obstruction, and one would be able to achieve that rank in a short period of time."
The two of them conversed throughout the whole night. As a new day arrived, they continued their journey. On the way, Feng Long saw a warning sign saying "Soul Beasts Ahead." Feng asked Sect Master Du in a terrified tone, "Where are we going?"
Guardian Shu complimented Feng, "Good acting!"
Du Bojing replied with a spooky smile, "Body Sect."
In a remote and rugged mountainous region lay the stronghold of the Body Sect. Feng Long finally arrived at the doorstep of the highly revered Body Sect. Feng, with wide eyes and insatiable curiosity, marveled at how wonderful the sect looked from outside.
(The Body Sect was located between the three empires inside the Beast Forest, and the disciples frequently seen in the Tian Hun Empire were a disguise. The main entrance to the sect was a colossal gate crafted from reinforced oak and iron, adorned with intricate carvings depicting scenes of martial triumph and legendary battles. The gate was flanked by statues of legendary warriors, their imposing figures serving as guardians to those who sought entry. As Feng tried opening the giant door, he stumbled upon a sight that both awed and frightened him.)
Towering over Feng stood two enormous, muscular men. Their bodies were like mountains of muscle fibers and strength, clad in rugged leather armor that highlighted their formidable builds. Each step they took seemed to shake the ground beneath Feng's feet. The first man had a face etched with scars, his jawline sharp and square. His brows furrowed beneath heavy brows, framing eyes that gleamed with intensity, like steel in the sunlight.
Beside him, the second man had a more rounded face, though no less imposing. His features were weathered and rugged, with a nose that looked like it had been broken more than once. His beard was thick and unkempt, emphasizing a fierce expression that made Feng Long's heart race.
These two men bowed towards Sect Master Du and began to exchange words in deep, rumbling voices that echoed through the square. Despite their fearsome appearances, Feng couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the sheer strength and presence these men exuded. He wondered what kind of adventures or battles they must have faced to become such formidable figures.
Sect Master introduced these two men to Feng Long and vice versa. The sharp-looking one was named Tong, and the round-shaped one was named Gong; both of them were Soul Douluo-level powerhouses. Characters such as them would be welcomed with dignity throughout the Douluo continent, but here they were mere guards.
Sect Master took Feng inside the main gate for an excursion where they could witness massive pillars flanking the entrance, each inscribed with writings from the founding ancestors symbolizing strength and unity among sect members.
(Inside the Body Sect, the architecture was utilitarian yet grandiose, designed to withstand both the harsh elements and potential intruders, adorned with sculptures of legendary heroes from the sect's history. The central courtyard was expansive, paved with sturdy flagstones and surrounded by training grounds where disciples honed their combat skills under the watchful eyes of seasoned masters.
Nestled amidst towering cliffs and ancient pine forests, the Body Sect's headquarters was a fortress-like structure carved directly into the rocky mountainside. Massive stone walls, reinforced with iron bands and defensive fortifications, encircled the sect's grounds, giving it an imposing and formidable appearance. Guard towers equipped with 14 Soul Saints dotted the perimeter, keeping watch over the surrounding wilderness.)
Towering stone pillars supported the roofs of the main halls and pavilions, which were constructed from heavy timber and reinforced with iron bindings. Both Feng Long and Du Bojing entered the interiors, adorned with trophies of battle—soul-guiding weapons, the sect's secret techniques, and more collected from defeated foes—as symbols of the sect's martial achievements.
Many specialized training facilities were scattered throughout the sect's grounds, catering to various aspects of brute force combat. These included weightlifting chambers equipped with massive stone weights, where disciples strengthened their muscles and enhanced their endurance through rigorous training regimens.
Sect Master introduced everyone to Feng Long as a new disciple. Everyone showered Feng Long with love and a warm welcome. Sect Master asked everyone to get back to what they were doing and resumed their excursion.
Special facilities also existed where disciples cultivated techniques that harnessed the unique properties of their spirit bodies for combat and defense. This included techniques to enhance the resilience and power of their spirit bodies. Sect Master began explaining, "There are currently no disciples cultivating there because everyone has already harnessed their unique properties. It all depends on luck and hard work if you can harness strong unique properties. So, work hard."
(Feng Long started becoming restless with burning passion. )
Feng wanted to train as fast as he could. But Sect Master stopped him from doing so because he still had many disciples to introduce so that Feng didn't get into trouble with other disciples. The disciples were like family to other disciples but often got into fights when it came to unidentified people.
(The Body Sect emphasized the cultivation of physical strength and resilience. Disciples were taught to be headstrong and challenge other sects and clans. Disciples underwent rigorous training regimens to strengthen their muscles, bones, and overall physical endurance, as well as for awakening strong unique properties. This type of cultivation allowed disciples to enhance their martial prowess and withstand powerful attacks.)
Sect Master began explaining as they walked past the faculty containing secret techniques, "Many secret techniques can be found inside the faculties that integrate body refinement and soul power cultivation. These techniques were passed down through generations and have been designed to unlock the full potential of a disciple's physical and soul abilities. Mastery of these techniques allows disciples to achieve higher levels of strength and combat prowess."
Both of them reached the Combat Arenas. It was enclosed by high stone walls, serving as battlegrounds for sparring matches and Body arts competitions.
These arenas were equipped with sturdy platforms and obstacle courses designed to simulate real-life combat scenarios, allowing disciples to test their skills in controlled environments.
As they reached the heart of the Body Sect, there lay the Spiritual Center, a sacred sanctuary where disciples meditated and cultivated their soul strength. The center was adorned with ancient tapestries and ceremonial altars dedicated to the sect's founding ancestors.
Within the Spiritual Center, disciples practiced breathing exercises and mental focus techniques to harness their soul energy that helped them cultivate their soul level and display soul rings techniques.
Sect Master reminded Feng Long, "While the primary focus of our sect is on physical cultivation, it is also very important to cultivate soul power in order to complement their physical abilities. Soul power is vital for activating martial soul abilities and enhancing overall combat effectiveness."
At this point, it was clear to Feng Long that all the Body Sect members were muscleheads, as all the faculties were focused on making one muscular and increasing their battle strength.
Sect Master finally took Feng Long to a very old and ominous-looking faculty. "Advanced disciples of the Body Sect can cultivate innate secret techniques that further amplify their physical attributes and combat skills. These techniques are considered pinnacle achievements within the sect." This faculty was closely guarded by an old man with a creepy smile. "That man is from my grandfather's era. Don't be scared. Despite how he looks, he has a reason to smile like that. That smile keeps some foolish Titled Douluo from entering the secret faculty. He is our strongest powerhouse."
Overall, the architecture of the Body Sect embodied strength, resilience, and discipline, reflecting its dedication to mastering the art of brute force combat. It stood as a bastion of martial prowess in a rugged and unforgiving landscape, where disciples trained relentlessly to uphold the sect's legacy of power and honor.
Witnessing such dedication and emphasis on strength, the old guardian Shu relayed, "Hoh!" in amazement.