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A single sword strike moved as if it were the heavens and earth in motion, carrying an endless momentum!
The bear's movements immediately slowed down, as if time had suddenly come to a halt!
Zhou Heng, however, didn't slow down at all. He struck towards the bear's head and neck with a horizontal sword strike, the blade lightly trembling, seemingly howling with a mysterious melody, like the chanting of the Great Dao, deafeningly clear.
It was marvelous!
This was nothing like when he practiced on his own!
As the sword passed, a massive bear head suddenly soared into the sky, drawing a high arc in midair before thumping down to the ground, rolling seven or eight meters away before coming to a stop.
A one-sword kill!
Although the bear wasn't a demon beast, an adult bear possessed immense strength, and even the fierce tigers of the mountains dared not contend with it. But before Zhou Heng, it couldn't muster the slightest resistance, as fragile as an infant.
This Sky-soaring Nine Forms was truly too powerful!
Zhou Heng felt he had mimicked the Sky-soaring First Form to eighty percent of its essence, and that was just the form alone; grasping its rhythm was another matter entirely, and he didn't know how much time it would take! Yet, with just the form at eighty percent, he was able to slay the black bear with a single sword.
Yet this one sword... had consumed more than thirty percent of his True Yuan Force!
Indeed, the Black Sword was greedy for True Yuan Force, and the imparted swordsmanship was the same! However, its power was also incomparably strong!
Zhou Heng suppressed the excitement in his heart, drew his sword to open the bear's body, dug out the bear's gallbladder, then chopped off a bear's paw. After finding a small stream to wash it clean, he made a fire, and placed the bear's paw on it to roast.
Before long, the fragrant bear's paw was ready, and Zhou Heng wolfed it down, revealing a satisfied smile.
Although the Zhou Family was the ruler of Origin Stone Town, the town itself wasn't wealthy, so the Zhou family's status as a noble house wasn't really justified. Their living conditions were indeed better than those of ordinary people, but not by much.
Of course, as one of the six Great Elders of the family, Zhou Dinghai was naturally treated with great generosity by the family, receiving as much as five hundred taels of silver for his monthly stipend. However, because of Zhou Heng's "illness," this money was mostly spent on buying medicinal materials.
So although Zhou Heng carried the title of a young master, he had always lived a frugal life. Good things like bear's paw, he had only tasted in his childhood. Since the onset of his "illness," he had not had the chance to taste it again.
His appetite was not small, but then, neither was the portion of bear's paw. Just one was enough to fill his stomach to fullness. Although he still desired more, he couldn't overindulge and make himself sick.
With some time before midnight, Zhou Heng lay on a clean, large rock, recalling the scene of his sword striking down the black bear, and comparing it with the Sky-soaring First Form in his mind. He danced lightly with his fingers as if they were his sword, constantly improving his comprehension.
With each comparison and recollection, he gained new insights, especially in that moment when blood splattered, which caused his heart to inexplicably throb, as if his thoughts had suddenly expanded and could envelop an entire world!
"The sword is a weapon of violence; it must taste blood!"
"Therefore, even though I've practiced for a month, the comprehension I've gained from today's single sword strike surpasses all of it!"
"Indeed, real combat is the most effective way to improve oneself!"
Over and over again, Zhou Heng polished his understanding of the Sky-soaring First Form. With every new insight, his mind would thunder dramatically as if the heavens and the Dao resonated with him, indescribably comfortable.
Not until midnight did he stop. The Black Broken Sword trembled lightly, releasing a huge amount of free energy.
"Hm?"
Zhou Heng was slightly startled. He suddenly found that the energy released by the Black Broken Sword this time was much more than before!
What's going on?
Could it be... because I have entered the Flesh Refinement Realm!
Zhou Heng guessed in his heart, but he did not forget to run the Fierce Sun Jue, continuously absorbing and refining the free energy into his own True Yuan Force, storing it in his muscle cells.
Body Refining Twelfth Layer is a process from the outside to the inside, storing True Yuan Force in the skin, muscles, bones, and blood, eventually lighting up the entire body. When one punches, billions of cells simultaneously burst out with True Yuan Force, capable of shattering stone and breaking metal with endless power!
More than half an hour later, Zhou Heng had absorbed all the free energy in his body.
"Compared to before, the energy released by the Black Sword this time is a full half more!" he said with excitement, "If this old man isn't going mad, then it can be determined that as my cultivation level rises, the energy released by the Black Sword will also increase!"
"If so, I can reach the peak of the Fourth Layer of Body Refinement within ten days!"
Zhou Heng laughed heartily, filled with immense joy, yet no one was there to share it.
"The Black Sword is a matter of great importance, and telling anyone would be inappropriate. It's better to keep it as my own secret! When my father returns, I will teach him the Sky-soaring Nine Forms!"
"However, even I have yet to fully grasp the form of the sword technique, let alone integrate it with myself. Can I truly teach it to my father?"
Putting aside his doubts, he found a wide crack between the rocks, crawled into it to hide, and his excited nerves gradually calmed down, quickly falling into a deep sleep.
A whole night passed, and after washing up by the creek, he roasted and ate another bear's paw before continuing deeper into the forest, looking for ferocious beasts to hone his skills.
One day, two days, three days, time passed quickly, and the last day of October arrived in the blink of an eye.
Zhou Heng sat cross-legged in a cave, his eyes tightly closed, and his handsome face reflected a determined radiance. Ten days of bloody battles had taken away some of the timidity of his youth and added a bit more steadiness.
He had reached the pinnacle of the Body Refinement Fourth Layer, and was now assaulting the Fifth Layer of Body Refinement!
Boom!
After a surge of True Yuan Force within his body, Zhou Heng let out a long cry, and suddenly sprung up from the ground.
Fifth Layer of Body Refinement!
He burst into laughter, in just over a month, he had leapt from the initial period of the Body Refinement First Layer to the Fifth Layer of Body Refinement. Who would believe this if he told them, and who would dare to believe it?
"Anyway, no one in that family is happy to see me. Father is likely to return for the New Year, so I might as well wait until then to go back and stun everyone at the celebration!"
"Although Father has never said so, I know he holds great expectations for me! This time, I will not let Father down again!"
Zhou Heng walked out of the cave and looked down at the lush, dense forest below. The mountain breeze swept through, rustling all the trees, and a boundless heroism spontaneously surged in his heart. With his sword clanging out of its sheath, he fiercely wielded a series of profound and mysterious sword shadows.
"Sky-soaring First Form, I've already basically mastered the shape. Now it's time to comprehend its essence!"
"Continue fighting!"
"Up to now, I have not encountered a single demon beast. Truly, such creatures are extremely rare!"
Zhou Heng's feet pushed off, and he immediately leaped into action.
With the elevation of his realm, he had gained significant improvements in both strength and speed. Each leap covered nearly ten meters, like a sharp arrow cutting through the air, incredibly fast.
As evening approached, Zhou Heng entered a forest. Suddenly an open space appeared ahead, although only ten meters in diameter, it was strikingly abrupt and made Zhou Heng involuntarily halt.
Hum, the Black Broken Sword in his dantian trembled slightly, its tip pointing toward the center of the clearing.
Zhou Heng was taken aback; this lord would only tremble and release energy at midnight, and it was unresponsive to his conscious touch at other times. Why did it suddenly move now?
He directed his gaze toward the open space. The black and yellow soil, a few sporadic leaves—nothing seemed unusual. And in the center of the clearing stood a half-human-height stone, with nothing peculiar about it either.
Undeterred by a lack of a spirit of adventure, Zhou Heng took a few steps forward, walking towards that stone.
An indescribable sense of danger suddenly enveloped him. Zhou Heng instantly stopped, with the sword that had already been unsheathed held horizontally in front of his chest.
"Hiss!"
A low growl sounded, and a head suddenly emerged from behind the stone—covered in golden fur, with two enormous eyes that occupied half of its face, revealing the rest of its fiercely grimacing mouth.
Its teeth were white and sharp, with two long fangs at least an inch long, and a lengthy tongue flicking in and out, blood-red as if it were a flowing ribbon!
Thump, the beast leaped onto the rock, revealing a body as svelte and muscular as a cheetah, covered in a mix of white and yellow fur, shaking the three tails protruding from its rear end continuously.
Three-tailed Wolf Eagle!
A name suddenly flashed through Zhou Heng's mind—Demon Beast!
Such demon beasts were not to be trifled with! Once they reached adulthood, they existed at the Flesh Refinement Realm, and with their natural brutal strength far surpassing that of humans, they could elevate their battle power by one or two minor realms!
Why are demon beasts considered formidable? Because, in addition to cultivating True Yuan Force, their innate brutal strength is also terrifying!
"Hiss—" The Three-tailed Wolf Eagle let out another low growl, its eyes fixed tightly on Zhou Heng, radiating a daunting ferocity. It did not immediately attack because it was uncertain of Zhou Heng's strength.
Demon beasts possess a certain level of intelligence!
Zhou Heng knew that if he took a step back now, the Three-tailed Wolf Eagle would undoubtedly launch a relentless assault like a thunderstorm.
Flesh Refinement Realm Demon Beast!
A fervent fighting spirit rose in Zhou Heng's heart. All the beasts he had hunted before were ordinary wild beasts, fierce indeed, but too weak to withstand even a single stroke of his sword.
Without pressure, there is no motivation. He had not yet fully mastered the form of the Sky-soaring First Form because he lacked a real bloody battle, missing that quiver between life and death!
Fight!
Sword in hand, Zhou Heng assumed an attacking stance.
The Three-tailed Wolf Eagle, which was still observing Zhou Heng, immediately became enraged at his provocative gesture. With an angry roar, it propelled itself with its four legs, and its robust body shot like lightning towards Zhou Heng.
Zhou Heng's feet slid, and he dodged to the side just enough to let the Three-tailed Wolf Eagle's strike pass by.
It was then that the three tails behind the Three-tailed Wolf Eagle began to move in unison. The beast's body that missed its target eerily bent in mid-air and once again lunged toward Zhou Heng!
Clang!
Zhou Heng swung his sword, colliding with the claws of the Three-tailed Wolf Eagle. Swish—a splash of blood flew!
He stumbled back seven steps, and looking down, he saw a new wound on his abdomen. Although he had managed to bring his sword up in defense in time, he was still injured by the Three-tailed Wolf Eagle!
The strength of a demon beast was indeed formidable!