Chapter Twenty-One: The Seventh Level of the Physical Body

The fierce winds raged, their roar shaking the heavens. With the shattering of the bodies of the demonic clan’s mighty warriors, the ground was left strewn with torn flesh—a scene so brutal it seemed a living hell, sending chills through all who beheld it. Lin Fan strode like a dragon, fists of the Great Kunpeng style flying, crushing one demonic warrior after another. Their bodies were devoured by him, as if even the god of death could not surpass such a feat. As the battle dragged on, Lin Fan’s momentum soared, his vigor unmatched, and his power increased ceaselessly, breaking through to seventy thousand jin. His cultivation reached the peak of the sixth tier of the Body Refinement Realm.

“Die!” Lin Fan’s gaze was icy, his killing intent undisguised. The Seven-Star Beads swept across the battlefield, obliterating a demon, leaving not even bones—only a pool of blood and mud.

With the strike of an eagle soaring through the skies, a massive Kunpeng unfurled its wings, slashing down like celestial blades, unstoppable and fierce. The screams of the demons echoed endlessly as their bodies were shattered and scattered.

“You, retreat!” The bone demon clan’s warrior trembled in terror. Though his strength surpassed Gu Renfeng and the others, the gap was not great; his power barely reached fifty thousand jin. Faced with Lin Fan’s overwhelming might, he had no chance to resist and ordered a retreat.

But Lin Fan would never allow the demon clan to escape. Unleashing his full strength, he summoned his yet-unformed Dao principles, sending a terrifying aura soaring skyward.

“Since you’ve come, you think you can leave? How absurd!” With a thunderous shout, Lin Fan thrust out his right hand. His five fingers shone with light, countless runes fell like a deluge, engulfing the world.

Pitiful wails resounded as the bone demon warrior trembled, his skeletal frame quaking, emitting a piercing grinding sound. Then, a massive fist descended from above. Lin Fan rose, fingers clenched, launching a overpowering attack.

With a crack, the bone demon warrior was silenced forever. His body shattered, the fire of life extinguished, and a tremendous essence was devoured by Lin Fan. His power seemed to break through a limit, surging explosively.

“Seventy-three thousand jin, seventy-five thousand jin, eighty thousand jin…” As his realm stepped into the seventh tier of Body Refinement, Lin Fan’s strength soared dramatically. However, since he had not yet entered the Condensing Meridian Realm, his comprehension of the Dao remained stagnant. Even at his utmost, his battle power was capped at one hundred thousand jin.

Still, the perception of Dao principles had a terrifying impact on his strength. Ordinary body refinement cultivators had no resistance against Condensing Meridian warriors and would be suppressed instantly. Lin Fan, however, was different; his preliminary grasp of the Dao gave him some confidence when facing such opponents, preventing him from being crushed mercilessly.

“Excellent! The demonic clan truly holds great fortune. Devouring their flesh grants far greater power than that of humans or savage beasts. Merely half the flesh of thirty-odd demons has pushed me to the seventh tier of Body Refinement, my strength reaching ninety thousand jin. Who among the eighth tier could be my rival?” Lin Fan laughed heartily, unable to hide his joy. The surge in power made him radiate a terrifying aura; from afar, he resembled a humanoid beast, exuding overwhelming pressure.

“Brother Lin.” Gu Renfeng’s lips trembled; he felt a deep sense of unease. At this moment, Lin Fan was far too frightening—even though he was at the eighth tier of Body Refinement, he stood no chance.

“I never expected Brother Lin’s strength to reach such heights after only a few days. Truly, I am left in the dust,” Gu Renfeng sighed sincerely. Just over ten days ago, Lin Fan had seemed formidable, but if they had fought then, the outcome would have been uncertain. Now, after only these few days, Gu Renfeng realized he had no power to resist—an utterly astonishing transformation.

“Haha, Brother Gu, fate truly brings us together. To meet again here in Ancient Red City is a rare fortune.” Seeing Gu Renfeng, Lin Fan was delighted. He held great admiration for this young master of the Gu family, who bore no trace of arrogance.

“Zhuge Tai greets Brother Lin. I will never forget the favor of your rescue,” Zhuge Tai approached as well. He was shrewd and perceptive, immediately seeing that Lin Fan and Gu Renfeng were genuinely friends, which put him at ease.

“It was nothing worth mentioning,” Lin Fan waved his hand. For Gu Renfeng’s sake, he treated Zhuge Tai courteously.

“I—I’m not dead?” A weak voice drifted over as Feng Yu slowly regained consciousness. He seemed much recovered from his injuries.

Lin Fan remembered there was another person and turned to look. On the ground lay a massive tortoise shell, from which a head slowly emerged. Even Lin Fan could not help but smile at the sight.

“Damn it, I’ve used every trick my grandfather left me!”

Feng Yu stood up, resembling a humanoid giant tortoise. The enormous shell seemed weightless, hanging lightly from his back.

“Huh? Who are you? How did you end up here?” Feng Yu looked at Lin Fan in confusion. He had fainted shortly after the warrior from the Asura clan struck, and had not witnessed Lin Fan’s display of might.

“But that’s not the point! Hey, demon clan, hurry up and come die at the hands of Grandpa Feng!” Feng Yu shouted, his tortoise shell quivering with bravado, itching for a three-hundred-round battle with the demons.

But then his face turned to astonishment, stunned by the mangled corpses scattered about.

“My grandfather gave me defensive techniques, not attack skills… Could it be that all these demons were killed by me?” Feng Yu frowned, utterly bewildered.

“All right, stop embarrassing yourself,” Gu Renfeng shot Feng Yu a glance and said, “Everyone in the Heavenly Gate knows about your Feng family’s tortoise shell. Attack skills? That’s nonsense. It was Brother Lin who slew these demons. Otherwise, even with your shell, you’d have been eaten alive.”

Feng Yu finally understood. Yet, thick-skinned as he was, he showed no embarrassment. “So that’s how it is. Thank you, Brother Lin, for saving me. If you ever need anything from me, just ask—I, Feng Yu, won’t even bat an eye. But allow me to clarify: the shell on my back isn’t a tortoise shell, it’s a Black Tortoise Shell. It's just that they look similar.”

“Haha, Brother Feng’s Black Tortoise Shell truly deserves its reputation as a defensive divine technique,” Lin Fan nodded, recognizing its extraordinary qualities.

“Absolutely! Brother Lin, let me tell you, this Black Tortoise Shell is a unique secret of my Feng family. When we have time, let’s study it together. With this technique, I don’t even have to worry about most attacks. At my grandfather’s level, he can even use it to heal injuries—it’s an essential tool for any journey!” Seeing Lin Fan’s genuine appreciation, Feng Yu grinned from ear to ear and began chattering endlessly.

Gu Renfeng and Zhuge Tai exchanged glances, each seeing deep helplessness reflected in the other’s eyes.