Chapter 45: A Sword Cultivator Must Aspire to Reach the Summit

Chapter 45: A Sword Cultivator Must Aspire to Reach the Summit

Hundreds of people attended Yuan Hualong’s celebration, each possessing at least a Spirit-Grade Divine Trait and a cultivation base of at least the Tenth Transformation of the Body Forging Realm with four temperings of strength. Their identities and statuses were all extraordinary.

Thus, when these individuals spread the events of the celebration, the credibility of their words was astonishingly high.

"Has the true disciple of Juejian Peak lost his mind?"

"Perhaps he knows Juejian Peak won’t last much longer and is spouting nonsense under the pressure..."

"Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous."

"I heard that so-called hidden divine trait of Juejian Peak is high comprehension."

"Hahaha, high comprehension is certainly good, but it’s merely good. Unless his comprehension rivals that of a God-Grade Divine Trait, it’s hardly comparable to other divine traits."

The younger generation mocked relentlessly.

"High comprehension allows one to grasp the mysteries of martial arts and divine abilities faster and better. But those with Innate Divine Traits not only possess extraordinary power but also have considerable comprehension. Moreover, when cultivating martial arts or divine abilities that align with their traits, they can master them even more swiftly. Most importantly, those with Innate Divine Traits can eventually wield innate divine abilities—something those with mere high comprehension cannot achieve."

"What a pity..."

"I thought the closed-door disciple of Juejian Peak was something extraordinary..."

"This time, we misjudged him..."

Even the older generation of experts voiced their opinions, as if delivering a final verdict.

...

Black Tide Hall, Tiancang Peak.

"Wang Yuandao, oh Wang Yuandao, you’ve suppressed me for centuries, only to misjudge in the end and take in such an arrogant and ignorant disciple. Hahaha..."

Mo Wusheng laughed heartily.

"Disciple, Chen Feng is no longer a concern. You must set your sights higher and aim for the position of Sect Heir."

Though Ye Yunqi’s Saint-Grade Divine Trait was achieved through breaking and rebuilding, making it slightly inferior to an innate Saint-Grade Divine Trait, it was still a Saint-Grade Divine Trait.

As such, he qualified to advance as a Quasi-Sect Heir or even a Sect Heir Candidate. Naturally, he could also compete for the position of Sect Heir.

"Master, though Chen Feng is no threat, I will still kill him in the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm to settle this grudge," Ye Yunqi said coldly.

"Kill him. There’s nothing wrong with that," Mo Wusheng laughed.

It was as though master and disciple had already decided Chen Feng’s fate.

...

Juejian Peak.

"Disciple, pay no heed to them. It’s all just the foolish prejudices of the world."

Wang Yuandao had also heard the various rumors and comments. Worried that Chen Feng might struggle to bear the weight of them, he offered words of comfort.

"Master, rest assured. I am unaffected," Chen Feng replied calmly, his gaze growing sharper. "Instead, I will use my sword to make them realize their own ignorance—until they have no choice but to look up to me."

"Good. A sword cultivator must aspire to reach the summit," Wang Yuandao said with a smile, pleased to see that his disciple was not only unharmed by the criticism but had also tempered his will even further.

For a swordsman, an unsettled mind was the greatest taboo.

An unsteady heart and restless spirit would lead to an unsteady sword.

"Master, I’ve already mastered the fourth level of the Huntian Sword Body. As for the fifth level..." Chen Feng said, sounding slightly embarrassed.

"The Huntian Sect possesses dozens of body tempering techniques, but the finest among them are the Huntian Combat Body and the Huntian Sword Body," Wang Yuandao said unhurriedly. "Those with an Innate Divine Trait Physique need not deliberately cultivate body tempering techniques, as they inherently possess formidable physiques and potential. They only need to continuously unearth the depths of their divine traits."

"Others with divine traits also have physical potential surpassing that of a Mortal Body. They can cultivate body tempering techniques that align with their divine traits, enhancing their physiques while accelerating the awakening of their latent potential."

"However, the Huntian Combat Body and the Huntian Sword Body do not require any specific corresponding divine traits to cultivate."

"Originally, body tempering techniques were developed for those with Mortal Bodies, allowing them to attain physiques comparable to those with divine traits to a certain extent."

"The founder of our Huntian Sect, the Huntian War Emperor, absorbed the mysteries of numerous body tempering techniques and created the Huntian Combat Body, which can be considered the pinnacle of such techniques."

"The Huntian Sword Body was derived from the Huntian Combat Body by our Juejian Peak and has been refined over generations."

"Now that you have achieved the fourth level of the Huntian Sword Body, your physical strength rivals that of an ordinary Innate Saint-Grade Divine Trait Physique, while your potential matches that of a top-tier King-Grade Divine Trait Physique."

"If you cultivate the Huntian Sword Body to the seventh level, your strength will initially rival that of a God-Grade Divine Trait Physique."

"And if you fully master all nine levels of the Huntian Sword Body, you will approach the level of a top-tier God-Grade Divine Trait."

Chen Feng was astonished.

Innate Divine Traits are ranked from low to high as Spirit-Grade, King-Grade, Saint-Grade, and God-Grade.

Among the God-Grade, the highest tier is referred to as the Supreme-Grade.

However, throughout the history of the Eastern Wasteland, those with Supreme-Grade Divine Traits are exceedingly rare—sometimes not appearing for several eras.

In most cases, the God-Grade is the highest achievable tier.

The fact that mastering the Huntian Sword Body to the ninth level could bring one close to a top-tier God-Grade Divine Trait Physique left Chen Feng utterly stunned. "All the resources I possess can only support your cultivation up to the fourth level of the Huntian Sword Body. To reach the fifth level, you must seek opportunities within the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm," Wang Yuandao concluded.

Chen Feng suddenly understood.

No wonder his master had delayed teaching him the fifth level despite him having mastered the fourth level some time ago.

Under these circumstances, the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm was a necessity.

"In a way, the Huntian Combat Body and the Huntian Sword Body can be considered semi-divine traits. They grant strength comparable to divine trait physiques but lack their unique abilities," Wang Yuandao continued. "Nevertheless, they are methods to bridge the gap with those who possess divine traits. Remember this well, my disciple."

"Master, rest assured. I am determined to master all nine levels of the Huntian Sword Body," Chen Feng solemnly replied.

Wang Yuandao nodded.

Of course, he didn’t truly believe his disciple could achieve the ninth level of the Huntian Sword Body.

After all, throughout the history of Juejian Peak, the highest anyone had reached was the seventh level. The final two levels were theorized and refined over time, but no one had ever mastered them—simply because the resources required were far too staggering.

Ignoring all external matters, Chen Feng began his seclusion.

This time, his sole focus was achieving Copper Skin Iron Bones and breaking through to the Eleventh Transformation of the Body Forging Realm.

Inside the pavilion, Chen Feng cultivated the Huntian Sword Force.

A force tempered to the extreme—vast, domineering, and razor-sharp—surged between his skin and muscles, ceaselessly scouring every inch of his flesh like tidal waves of a river.

His skin trembled, his muscles quivered.

Such tyrannical and piercing force was akin to countless sharp swords thrusting through his body, instantly subjecting Chen Feng to excruciating pain as if his skin were being torn apart and his muscles gouged through.

An ordinary person would have long fainted from such agony.

But Chen Feng didn’t utter a sound. Not even the slightest change flickered across his face, as though he felt nothing at all.

Compared to cultivating the Huntian Sword Body, this pain was nothing—he had long since grown accustomed to it.

Most of his time was spent tempering his skin and muscles with this surging force. Occasionally, he would spare moments to comprehend and practice sword techniques. He also took some time to visit the Wanwu Pavilion and exchanged for the Heaven and Earth Wandering Dragon, a top-tier movement technique, to cultivate.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

The various rumors about Chen Feng had long since quieted, with almost no one mentioning them anymore. Combined with his extreme low profile over the past month, it seemed he had gradually faded from people’s memories.

The force surged and scoured, and all the pain vanished.

A faint bronze hue now suffused Chen Feng’s skin, while his muscles grew even more resilient, their contained power becoming increasingly formidable and astonishing.

It was common knowledge that the stronger one’s innate physique, the harder it was to achieve Copper Skin Iron Bones.

Copper Skin Iron Bones was merely a term—its true meaning lay in an exceptionally powerful physique.

For those with a Mortal Body, cultivating Copper Skin Iron Bones was relatively easier due to their inherently weaker foundation. But for those with King Bodies or Saint Bodies, whose innate strength was already immense, tempering themselves to greater heights was far more difficult.

Yet, once achieved, there was a fundamental difference.

The Copper Skin Iron Bones of a Spirit Body and that of a King Body were clearly on two distinct levels.

Let alone that of a Saint Body.

It signified both strength and potential.

As for those with divine traits unrelated to physique, the difficulty of achieving Copper Skin Iron Bones was somewhat lower compared to those with physique-related divine traits of the same level.

Each had its own strengths.

"Finally, I’ve achieved Copper Skin..."

Chen Feng pinched his faintly bronze-hued skin, sensing its resilience and power, and murmured to himself.

The force withdrew inward, and the faint bronze hue faded, returning to his normal skin tone.

Having initially achieved Copper Skin, the next step was to begin tempering his bones—Iron Bones.

Another month passed in the blink of an eye. Chen Feng had spent this time tempering his bones, a process far more arduous and painful than tempering skin and muscles. Yet, he endured.

Through internal vision, Chen Feng could see a faint iron-gray sheen spreading across his bones.

"In about half a month, I should achieve Iron Bones. Then, I can attempt to break through my cultivation..."

Just as Chen Feng was about to resume his training, Li Xinyue arrived with news.

"Chen Feng, Ye Yunqi has broken through to the Eleventh Transformation of the Body Forging Realm..."

Her expression was grave.

Over the past few months, with ample resources, Yang Tao’s guidance, and her own efforts, Li Xinyue had completed her second tempering of force. However, being a Mortal Body, she couldn’t endure further tempering and was now cultivating a body-refining technique called the Mystic Jade Body.

However, she did not possess Chen Feng's capabilities, so her progress in cultivating the Mystic Jade Body was not particularly fast.

Usually, aside from her own cultivation, Li Xinyue would also pay attention to various news within the Huntian Sect, filtering and relaying it to Chen Feng to ensure he wasn’t left completely in the dark.

"Ye Yunqi has broken through..."

Chen Feng's eyes narrowed, a sharp glint flashing within them.

Still, he himself was on the verge of a breakthrough. Ye Yunqi possessed a divine trait related to bloodline, which made achieving Copper Skin Iron Bones easier compared to those with divine traits related to physique. It was only natural for him to break through earlier.

"Not only that, but it's said that Tiancang Peak has also applied for Ye Yunqi to become a Quasi-Sect Heir," Li Xinyue continued, then added with a worried expression, "If Ye Yunqi successfully passes the application and becomes a Quasi-Sect Heir..."