In the cultivation world, techniques define a cultivator's path.
Some focus on manipulating spiritual energy or external forces, but this technique was different. Starslayer God Arts was a body refinement technique—a method that would transform Su Xiaobai's physical body into a weapon of terrifying strength.
Unlike typical techniques that channel Qi (spiritual energy), body refinement toughens the bones, muscles, and skin to withstand immense pressure and external attacks.
Through this method, Su Xiaobai could turn his body into something capable of shattering mountains or enduring the harshest blows.
Body refinement was the most grueling and dangerous path in cultivation.
It required repeatedly pushing the body to its absolute limits, tearing it down and rebuilding it stronger with each cycle.
But for Su Xiaobai, this was the strength he needed—strength beyond what spiritual energy alone could offer.
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'Starslayer God Arts' was renowned for drawing power directly from the stars, making the body as resilient as the celestial bodies themselves.
He would need to absorb the essence of starlight and build a foundation first.
The first stage was called 'Celestial Foundation', and it required him to meditate under the stars for 30 consecutive nights.
Each night, Su Xiaobai climbed to the rooftop of the inn, the cool night air surrounding him as he sat cross-legged, eyes closed, focusing on the distant stars.
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Night One – Conditioning the Meridians
On the first night, Su Xiaobai focused on conditioning his meridians—the energy channels that would allow his body to absorb celestial energy.
As he chanted the incantations of the 'Starslayer God Arts', the starlight intensified, seeping into his body. His meridians glowed faintly, but the sensation was painful, like molten metal flowing through his body.
"Argh!" Su Xiaobai gritted his teeth, enduring the pain. Slowly, he activated one meridian after another, each one like a new star being born within him.
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Night Seven – Strengthening the Veins
By the seventh night, Su Xiaobai's meridians were fully attuned to the starlight. 'Meridians' acted as the primary channels for Qi (spiritual energy), responsible for circulating power throughout the body, while veins were the physical conduits that carried blood and energy to nourish the body's strength.
Now, Su Xiaobai directed the celestial energy into his veins, reinforcing them to handle the immense power of the stars.
His veins pulsed with light, each beat strengthening his body further.
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Night Fifteen – Fortifying the Muscles
On the fifteenth night, Su Xiaobai shifted his focus to his muscles, bathing them in starlight. Each muscle fiber absorbed the energy, becoming denser and stronger. The pain was intense, but with each wave of agony, he could feel his body growing tougher.
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Night Thirty – Establishing the Celestial Foundation
By the thirtieth night, Su Xiaobai had absorbed enough celestial energy to establish a solid 'Celestial Foundation'.
His body shimmered faintly, his strength and senses greatly enhanced.
He had only mastered the first stage of the Starslayer God Arts, but the foundation was set. To advance to the next level, and form his 'Starry Veins', Su Xiaobai would need to meditate under a 'meteor shower' and absorb raw 'star energy', which would grant his veins self-healing properties and further indestructibility.
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Knock! Knock! Knock!
A knock on the door interrupted Su Xiaobai's thoughts.
"Ah, today's the last day of my stay here," he muttered, walking over to open the door.
"Mr. Su! I've brought you some warm water to freshen up." At the doorway stood a striking woman, Xiao Lu, dressed in a sleek qipao that hugged tightly to her slim waist. Her cleavage was shamelessly on display, and the way her hips swayed as she stepped inside was impossible to miss.
Xiao Lu was just an inn waitress, but in this world, she was little more than an ant struggling to survive. Without family or connections, and lacking any access to cultivation techniques, all she had was her beauty. In a land dominated by cultivators capable of defying the heavens, her chances of rising on her own were slim to none.
To Xiao Lu, men like Su Xiaobai were jackpots—a way out of a life of scrubbing floors and scraping by on crumbs. Her flirtations weren't just for fun. They were a means of survival.
Su Xiaobai smirked as she strutted into the room, her hips swaying with deliberate sensuality. He stepped forward, his hand playfully cupping her firm buttocks, "Xiao Lu, has anyone asked about me these past few days?" His gaze lingered on her face, but his mind was already moving beyond the pleasantries.
Xiao Lu's cheeks flushed slightly, and she shook her head, smiling sweetly. "No one, sir. Just as you instructed. Everyone thinks you left without a refund. Now, they believe another man, Mr. Xiao Feng, is staying in your place." Her lips curled into a sly grin as her eyes sparkled with a mixture of admiration and calculation.
For her, this wasn't just flirting—it was a chance. A shot at turning her miserable life into something worth living. If she played her cards right, maybe she could secure a better life…
Su Xiaobai gave her hand a squeeze, his amusement barely concealed. "Good girl." He pulled out a small pouch of spirit stones and dangled it before her. "Here's the rest of your payment, as promised."
"!"
Xiao Lu's breath hitched.
The sum in that pouch was more than she'd make in half a year—enough to make her legs wobble. But she wasn't going to let herself be bought off too easily.
"Mr. Su, Xiao Lu is not a woman who serves merely for coin." She purred, leaning closer, the scent of her sweet perfume filling the air. "It is only for the honor of serving a man as esteemed as you that I've gone to such lengths."
'Tch, admirable indeed. Funny how a month ago, she didn't mind accepting a partial payment,' Su Xiaobai thought with a chuckle, seeing right through her game.
"Well then," he said, pulling back the pouch, "if you insist."
Swoosh!
As the spirit stones vanished into his robes, Xiao Lu's heart sank.
She bit her lip in frustration, but her sweet smile remained intact. 'So heartless... doesn't he know how to treat a woman?'
Still, she wasn't giving up. She had a chance here. If she could get on his good side, maybe she could grab onto his powerful thighs for good.
"Mr. Su…" Her voice was soft, sultry, as she pressed her body against him, the curve of her waist fitting perfectly under his hands.
Su Xiaobai grinned, enjoying the game as he pulled her closer, wrapping his hands around her hips.
But before she could escalate—
Thud!
Xiao Lu's body hit the floor, her cry of surprise ringing out. "Ah~!"
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Thump! Thump! Thump!
"Damn it, not again!" A man downstairs cursed, glaring at the ceiling as the thumping noises echoed through the inn.
In the eatery below, the rest of the guests glanced upwards in irritation.
Bang!
A cup shattered as a man slammed his hand on the table. "Son of a bitch! Humping like rabbits at this hour?!" He swore, wiping spilled tea off his sleeve.
"What the hell is this circus?" another grumbled. "Can't they be a little quieter?"
A third voice chimed in with a bark of laughter. "Steel-balled dragon up there, no doubt! This happens every morning!"
The inn's usual peaceful breakfast atmosphere was ruined by the racket from above.
_____
Later that evening, after freshening up, Xiao Lu lay watching Su Xiaobai curiously. She was a beauty—round face, big eyes, with a body that was built to turn heads—but for Su Xiaobai, there was more to this arrangement than just satisfying his lust or erasing his tracks.
His true goal was something else entirely.
He was testing a theory about the strange changes happening within his body.