Chapter 393: Proving the Dao Through Force

A major difference between body cultivators and spell cultivators is that body refinement involves no abstruse, ethereal trials of the mind; however, because it requires tempering the physical body to its utmost limit and shattering that limit, the practitioner must endure unimaginable pain as the body disintegrates and reforms, constantly testing one's willpower.

Fortunately, as long as resources keep pace, body refinement hardly presents any bottlenecks.

Thus, when Hua Changxi condensed her soul marrow, as long as she gritted her teeth and endured the agony caused by the collision and permeation of soul power, qi and blood power, and the power of the fire elemental law, the soul marrow could condense one after another without obstruction, embedding itself into the meridian nodes.

The excruciating physical pain had numbed Hua Changxi; time seemed to stand still for her, her entire consciousness focused solely on the soul marrow.

One, two...

When the eighty-first soul marrow condensed and embedded itself into a meridian node, the meridian network within Hua Changxi's body, which glowed red like a starry sky, immediately gained a complete layer of sacred white soul clothing.

Red flames and white soul light shone together, making the interior of her starry-sky-like body appear even more brilliant and luminous.

[Realm: Infant Transformation Stage 9.999 billion/1 billion; Divine Sense: 1 billion points]

With the eighty-one soul marrows connected end to end, the soul body formed its own cycle, and Hua Changxi's divine sense instantly surged ninefold.

Extending her divine sense outward, Hua Changxi discovered that its radiation range could now reach the 'not far away' Fire Axe.

This discovery caused Hua Changxi's expression to tremble with shock.

If she couldn't catch up to the Fire Axe, could she use her divine sense to 'pull' it over?

Hua Changxi immediately attempted this, trying to drag the Fire Axe with her divine sense.

Alas, the Fire Axe remained immovable as a mountain.

Divine sense, which is soul power, weakens in strength the further it spreads; by the time it reached the Fire Axe's location, its power had become negligible.

Therefore, although her divine sense could not shake the Fire Axe, Hua Changxi was not discouraged.

As long as she continued to strengthen her soul body, once her divine sense became powerful enough, the Fire Axe would inevitably be pulled before her.

The seventh chapter of the 'Nine Cycles of Mystical Art' mainly comprises four parts: manifesting the meridians, illuminating the meridian nodes, widening the meridians, and condensing soul marrow.

With the condensation of the soul marrow complete, Hua Changxi could be considered to have entered the door of the seventh chapter of body refinement.

Yes, it could only be considered entering the door.

Since meridians are 'innate trajectories' branded by the 'Great Dao of Heaven and Earth' within the human body, serving as the 'natural interface' for cultivators to resonate with heaven and earth and as channels to bear the power of heaven and earth and its laws, naturally, the wider these trajectories and channels are, the better.

For Hua Changxi to cultivate the seventh chapter of body refinement to perfection, she must continue to widen her meridians.

Once the meridians are widened, the meridian nodes will grow larger; with larger nodes, there will be room for the soul marrow to grow; with larger soul marrow, the soul body will naturally become stronger.

Whether to obtain the Fire Axe or to increase her strength, body refinement must continue deeper.

Hua Changxi forcibly suppressed the urge to retreat born from the extreme pain of body refinement, took out a seventh-grade Fire Spirit Ganoderma, and while devouring it in large mouthfuls, watched Chu Junshan and Zhu Yan, who were still chasing the Fire Axe.

During this period, while her own strength was improving, the strength of those two was also rising.

As the two chased the Fire Axe, they seemed able to restrain it somewhat; now, the Fire Axe's movement was no longer as smooth and fluid as it had been initially.

After transforming into fire, Zhu Yan could sometimes even cause the Fire Axe to pause momentarily.

Furthermore, the direction in which Zhu Yan and Chu Junshan chased the Fire Axe had changed; both were moving closer to her.

It was evident that these two were impatient to kill her!

Zhu Yan could control others by manipulating black flames, and as a member of the imperial family, Chu Junshan likely knew some secret arts unknown to ordinary people.

Neither of these two was easy to deal with; a moment of carelessness might lead to a stumble.

Hua Changxi's mood grew heavy; she accelerated her consumption of the Fire Spirit Ganoderma, and once her stamina recovered, she disregarded the pain of body refinement and quickly began cultivating the seventh chapter of the 'Nine Cycles of Mystical Art' again.

With the meridians already open and the soul body formed, the circulation of the 'Nine Cycles of Mystical Art' became increasingly smooth.

At this moment, the formidable power of this top-tier body refinement technique, the 'Nine Cycles of Mystical Art', was fully revealed.

Qi and blood power, the power of the fire elemental law, and soul power surged into her body simultaneously, yet according to the technique's circulation, the powers within did not become mixed and chaotic but instead formed their own order.

Within the meridians, qi and blood power surged forward to clear the path, the power of the fire elemental law condensed to reinforce them, and soul power cooled and permeated through.

Operating the 'Nine Cycles of Mystical Art' at full speed, Hua Changxi endured inhuman pain a hundred times more severe than death by a thousand cuts, yet she maintained perfect clarity, using her physical body as a furnace and her divine soul as the fire, repeatedly tempering and widening her meridians.

At this moment, her entire body was dyed crimson by qi and blood power, her physical surface draped in a thin layer of white soul clothing, while the fire elemental law swirled around her; her hair moved without wind, each strand adorned with burning flames.

Qi and blood power was fierce and domineering, representing the fire's 'momentum'; the fire elemental law was agile and ethereal, representing the fire's 'structure'; soul power was cool and resilient, representing the fire's 'wick'; the three each followed their own rules yet fused and permeated one another, allowing Hua Changxi to truly comprehend what it meant to have the 'physical body as a furnace'.

Upon perceiving her physical body becoming a furnace, Hua Changxi immediately gained a different perception of this chaotic space.

She perceived the looming, faint majesty of heaven and earth; she also perceived the omnipresent laws of heaven and earth within the space, though this particular space contained only the power of the fire elemental law.

This physical body of hers, now a furnace, seemed to truly possess the power to contain the force of heaven and earth and its laws.

With each complete cycle of meridian widening, Hua Changxi's physical furnace became that much more resilient.

When the ninth cycle of meridian widening was completed, Hua Changxi felt as though she had truly become a vessel capable of bearing heaven and earth.

Hua Changxi opened her eyes, her gaze sparkling; for a brief moment, she even felt that if her body were large enough, she could contain this entire space within herself.

[Realm: Infant Transformation Stage 9.999 billion/1 billion; Divine Sense: 10 billion points]

Her divine sense surged once again.

This time, extending her divine sense outward, Hua Changxi directly used it to forcibly pull the Fire Axe to where she stood.

Witnessing this scene, Chu Junshan and Zhu Yan were utterly stunned.

The moment Hua Changxi grasped the Fire Axe, an astonishing scene floated into her mind.

A giant phantom, towering between heaven and earth, stood within the egg-like chaotic space; the giant was bathed in fire, holding a fire axe, with terrifying power flowing along the blade; every swing of the fire axe caused the chaotic qi to explode and the world barrier to crack.

When the giant swung the axe down, there was no earth-shattering roar, yet every strike represented the ultimate release of 'force'.

Proving the Dao through force!

From the giant's axe swings, Hua Changxi clearly and distinctly perceived these four words.

Not far away, seeing Hua Changxi obtain the Fire Axe, the expressions of Chu Junshan and Zhu Yan became extremely grave and ugly.

"We cannot let Hua Changxi continue cultivating."

Chu Junshan looked seriously at Zhu Yan: "Hold back no further tricks; you and I must eliminate Hua Changxi immediately."

Zhu Yan said nothing, which counted as acquiescence.

Next, the speed at which both moved toward Hua Changxi increased; they even abandoned chasing the Fire Axe, as both had a premonition: either they would kill Hua Changxi first, or Hua Changxi would kill them.