"The foremost body refinement technique of the Divine Continent!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Tian's face was a canvas of astonishment. While he could discern the formidable nature of this body refinement technique, he never imagined it would possess such lofty stature.
It is important to note that the Divine Continent is vast and boundless, rendering the eighteen northern kingdoms mere specks of dust in comparison. Yet, here lies a body refinement technique that boldly claims the title of the greatest on the Divine Continent.
Ye Tian found it hard to believe; despite his confusion, he felt that the elder before him was not one to deceive.
"Young man, it seems you are unaware of the legends surrounding the Nine Transformations of the Battle Body. This technique was crafted by a Martial God. It comprises nine layers, and achieving the ninth layer would elevate one to the status of a Martial God. Tell me, can such a body refinement technique not be deemed the foremost on the Divine Continent?" The elder, observing Ye Tian's bewilderment, chuckled.
"Hiss!"
Ye Tian inhaled sharply, unable to contain his shock. "If that is the case, does this not imply it is a divine-level technique? How could you casually place a divine-level technique here?"
"Pfft!"
Before the elder could respond, Wu Dao, standing nearby, chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Brother Ye, divine-level techniques are not necessarily rare treasures. Take the Martial God who created this technique, for instance; he made the Nine Transformations of the Battle Body publicly accessible across the continent in search of a successor. At that time, nearly everyone possessed a copy of it. Do you think others would still care?"
"Such a thing truly happened?" Ye Tian exclaimed, utterly astonished.
"Eh!"
The elder guarding the Battle Hall looked at Wu Dao in surprise, puzzled. "Seventh-level Martial Master? How did you pass the assessment? Moreover, your strength may be lacking, but your knowledge is quite broad, to know even this."
"Hehe, I am an adventurer, having traversed many places, so I am aware of certain rumors!" Wu Dao replied with a grin.
Ye Tian, however, did not fully believe his words; this fellow was shrouded in mystery and undoubtedly had an extraordinary background.
The elder, seemingly uninterested in Wu Dao's status as a seventh-level Martial Master, patiently advised Ye Tian, "Young man, your talent is commendable; do not squander it on this technique. Instead, await the arena competition. Once you enter the inner sect and find an elder to take you as a disciple, you will have access to powerful techniques."
"But elder, did you not just say that the Nine Transformations of the Battle Body is the foremost body refinement technique of the Divine Continent? How could I possibly refrain from learning such an exceptional technique?" Ye Tian responded with a smile.
"You..." The elder guarding the Battle Hall was momentarily taken aback, then huffed in exasperation, gesturing toward Wu Dao. "Since you are aware, you should explain the reason to him."
Ye Tian immediately turned his gaze to Wu Dao.
"Brother Ye, the elder advises you because the Nine Transformations of the Battle Body is indeed exceedingly difficult to master. However, I have faith in your talent; you will surely succeed," Wu Dao asserted with a smile.
"Arrogant!"
The elder guarding the Battle Hall was thoroughly exasperated. He glared and declared, "What do you mean by 'exceedingly difficult to master'? Over the past few millennia, aside from the predecessor who created this technique, no one else has successfully cultivated it. Moreover, this technique consists of nine layers, each more challenging than the last, demanding exceptional talent in both martial souls and martial skills. Countless prodigies have emerged on the Divine Continent, yet they have all been unable to conquer this body refinement technique. You dare to claim that he can succeed?"
"Uh... Hehe!" Wu Dao chuckled awkwardly.
Ye Tian instantly recognized the elder's good intentions but still shook his head, saying, "Thank you for your advice, elder, but I firmly believe I will succeed. After all, I am young and have ample time. If necessary, I can always switch to another body refinement technique later."
"Sigh, young man, if you do not cherish your time now, you will surely regret it later. Very well, I shall say no more; this technique requires ten thousand contribution points for exchange."
The elder shook his head. Having presided over the Battle Hall for many years, he understood that such talented individuals were often brimming with confidence; it was impossible to dissuade them with just a few words. However, seeing Ye Tian's talent, he felt a certain fondness.
The elder then cautioned, "Any techniques exchanged in the Battle Hall are strictly prohibited from being shared with others, even if they are disciples of the Divine Star Sect. Do you understand?"
"Understood! However, it pains me to part with ten thousand contribution points for this incomplete technique," Ye Tian lamented as he handed over his identity token, knowing that ten thousand contribution points could also be exchanged for a profound-level martial skill.
"You foolish boy, do you have any idea? This is a divine-level technique! If not for its immense difficulty and the fact that it has been widely disseminated, you wouldn't be able to acquire it even for a million contribution points," the elder shot him a glare.
Ye Tian smiled sheepishly, accepted his identity token, and respectfully bowed to the elder before departing with Wu Dao.
...
After leaving the Battle Hall, Ye Tian returned to the courtyard with Wu Dao, procuring some fine wine from the thirteenth prince, and the two began to drink heartily.
"Wu brother, you mentioned that the Nine Transformations of the Battle Body is widely known; why does the Divine Star Sect only have this first layer?" After a few rounds of drinks, Ye Tian asked, puzzled and eager to learn more about the subsequent techniques.
Wu Dao chuckled in response, "Brother Ye, this technique was indeed widely circulated thousands of years ago, with even ordinary commoners possessing complete copies. However, as time passed, many could not even master the first layer, wasting their time. Consequently, after millennia, this technique has become quite rare on the Divine Continent. But fear not; after all, this is a divine-level technique, and some major powers are sure to have retained it, so your chances of acquiring the complete version are quite high."
"Mm!"
Ye Tian felt a wave of relief wash over him upon hearing this.
As for the difficulty of mastering the Nine Transformations of the Battle Body?
Ye Tian was confident; the elder guarding the Battle Hall had mentioned that mastering the Nine Transformations required exceptional talent in martial souls as well as martial skills.
Regarding martial soul talent, it goes without saying that he possessed the Devouring Martial Soul, which had already reached the blue martial soul level and could continue to improve. Thus, that requirement posed no issue.
As for martial skill talent, Ye Tian held a strong belief in his abilities, especially since he had mastered a profound-level martial skill like the Stellar Hand to perfection in less than a month.
Moreover, within just a few years, he had grasped a tenth of the intent of the blade.
With such martial skill talent, if it were not deemed formidable, then Ye Tian would have nothing to say.
...
That night, after Wu Dao departed, Ye Tian returned to his room and began to cultivate the Nine Transformations of the Battle Body.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly closed his eyes and commenced his practice according to the technique's prescribed route. Gradually, a faint golden halo began to manifest on his skin, so subtle that it was nearly imperceptible.
Boom!
Suddenly, the surrounding spiritual energy surged toward Ye Tian's dwelling like a flood that had burst its banks.
The golden glow enveloping Ye Tian intensified, transforming into a brilliant radiance that illuminated the entire room.
Then, this golden light gradually receded, but Ye Tian's skin took on a golden hue, as if coated in a layer of gold.
The surrounding spiritual energy continued to rush toward Ye Tian, saturating not only his location but also the courtyard, making it denser than elsewhere.
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed in, Ye Tian slowly opened his eyes, revealing a pair of clear orbs that shimmered with a hint of golden light.
"No wonder no one has mastered the Nine Transformations of the Battle Body; this technique demands an endless supply of spiritual energy to refine the body. Even with my blue martial soul talent, I find the first layer to be quite challenging."
"And in this Great Yan Nation, how many possess a blue martial soul? Even if there are, they would not squander their time on this, for with such talent, mastering other techniques would yield rapid progress. Why bother with the Nine Transformations of the Battle Body?"
"Moreover, this is merely the first layer; the subsequent layers will likely be even more arduous!"
Ye Tian pondered, a hint of hesitation flickering in his eyes.
Although he had progressed smoothly with the Nine Transformations of the Battle Body, gaining considerable strength and enhancing his physical resilience after just one night of practice, the thought of the remaining eight layers filled him with trepidation.
After all, he possessed a blue martial soul, with only the blue and purple martial souls being superior to his own.
With such martial soul talent, barely managing to cultivate the first layer, he wondered if achieving mastery over the subsequent layers of the Nine Transformations of the Battle Body would even be possible with a purple martial soul.
"Never mind; for now, I only need to focus on this first layer. To cultivate the Ten Meridians Blood Pill, I must possess a martial spirit-level physique. I must master the first layer of the Nine Transformations of the Battle Body; the future can wait!"
After a moment's deliberation, Ye Tian shook his head, stepping out of his room.
At that moment, the thirteenth prince, Lin Fei, and Yun Shuiyao had returned from their spiritual pool baptism and were engaged in conversation in the courtyard, clearly having reaped substantial rewards.
"Junior Brother Ye, I have ascended to the Martial Spirit realm!" Lin Fei exclaimed, his face alight with excitement, a powerful aura subtly emanating from him, a result of his recent elevation.
"So have I!" the thirteenth prince chimed in, his presence similarly suffused with a formidable energy.
Only Yun Shuiyao appeared to have reined in her aura, resembling an ordinary person, yet Ye Tian knew she was the strongest among the three.
With her exceptional talent, Yun Shuiyao had long since ascended to the Martial Spirit realm, and after the baptism in the spiritual pool, her cultivation had deepened, possibly reaching the second level of the Martial Spirit realm.
"Congratulations to you all!" Ye Tian took a seat, scratching his nose in mild frustration. "All three of you are now Martial Spirits, while I remain merely a Martial Master."
Though he had already condensed seven Blood Pills, his true essence was comparable to that of a Martial Spirit.
Even his physical body, after practicing the Nine Transformations of the Battle Body, was approaching the level of a Martial Spirit.
Yet, Ye Tian's realm remained at the pinnacle of the tenth level of Martial Master, barely a half-step into the Martial Spirit realm.
"Haha, you almost made us forget! By the way, what on earth did you cultivate in the spiritual pool to create such a commotion that even the elder guarding it had to personally intervene and expel you?" Lin Fei teased, a playful grin on his face.
The thirteenth prince and Yun Shuiyao leaned in, curiosity evident on their faces.