In the Body Refining Realm, the first three levels are the easiest, but the fourth level is a threshold that many find themselves stuck at, unable to break through.
Luo Lie was also facing this threshold.
In the previous three levels, each breakthrough felt as if the next level was within reach. However, upon reaching Body Refining Level Three, he felt that Body Refining Level Four was still far away.
"Sigh! Too slow."
Luo Lie sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.
It was already early morning, the surroundings quiet and dark, with only a sliver of the moon hanging in the sky, casting a dim light.
Liu Hongyan and Xue Bingning were still awake, lost in thought, and upon hearing Luo Lie's sigh, they both looked at him.
"If you know it's slow, you should give up," Liu Hongyan said.
"Slow is normal. Even the extraordinary geniuses Jiang Ziya and Wen Zhong took ten years to barely reach Body Refining Level Five. According to them, it took them half a year just to step into Body Refining Level One using the Celestial Dragon-Elephant Scripture. You've only been practicing for less than a day, and you probably don't even have Qi Perception. If you don't give up now, you'll find it even slower in the future," Xue Bingning said, unusually speaking at length.
"Bingning is right," Liu Hongyan also advised. "Give up. The Celestial Dragon-Elephant Scripture is too far beyond our reach."
No Qi Perception?
Luo Lie's expression was peculiar. The most dazzling geniuses took half a year to reach Body Refining Level One, yet he had reached Body Refining Level Three in less than a day. It didn't seem that slow after all.
"Don't be discouraged," Liu Hongyan said, seeing Luo Lie's expression and thinking he was troubled. "I once tried, and it took me a month to achieve Qi Perception, even with someone explaining the mysteries of the Celestial Dragon-Elephant Scripture to me. You don't need to be upset about not having Qi Perception. Spending time on the Celestial Dragon-Elephant Scripture isn't worth it. Come, sit over here. I'll explain the Southern Li Body Refining Art, passed down in your family. You'll find it rewarding to practice this."
Luo Lie sat down as instructed.
The three of them sat in a triangular formation on the ground.
"Sister Hongyan, I..." Luo Lie began to speak, but then he saw Liu Hongyan's previously calm face suddenly show a hint of surprise. She sat up straight, exuding an astonishing aura, her long, enchanting eyes shining with a captivating light.
This change left Luo Lie bewildered. He looked back but saw nothing behind him. When he turned back, he realized Liu Hongyan was looking at him.
Xue Bingning hadn't noticed anything at first, but in an instant, she too was staring at Luo Lie with eyes full of disbelief.
"Am I more handsome now?"
Luo Lie touched his face, speaking as he went to find a mirror to check.
The two women's gazes shifted to the mosquitoes and flies buzzing around.
It was early morning, and in the mountains, mosquitoes and flies were abundant. With their high cultivation, Liu Hongyan and Xue Bingning naturally kept them at bay.
Yet, they noticed that the insects only hovered about half a meter around Luo Lie, buzzing without getting closer.
An ordinary person couldn't achieve this.
And Luo Lie wasn't carrying any treasures to repel the insects.
Why was this happening?
Xue Bingning said, "In the Body Refining Realm, ordinary techniques achieve insect repelling at Body Refining Level Nine; the Ten Supreme Techniques achieve it at Body Refining Level Six; only the Celestial Dragon-Elephant Scripture achieves it at Body Refining Level Three."
"You've only practiced the Celestial Dragon-Elephant Scripture," Liu Hongyan continued, "and for less than a day, so it's impossible for you to have reached Body Refining Level Three. Luo Lie, tell me, have you practiced any other techniques?"
Xue Bingning also stared at Luo Lie.
The two women's attitudes left Luo Lie at a loss.
They outright denied that he was practicing the Celestial Dragon-Elephant Scripture.
"What if I told you that I've reached Body Refining Level Three in less than a day of practicing the Celestial Dragon-Elephant Scripture? Would you believe me?" Luo Lie asked.
"No!"
The two women answered in unison.
Luo Lie was puzzled. Why did no one believe the truth, but they would believe a lie if he claimed to be the Young Prince Luo Lie?
He shrugged, spreading his hands, with nothing more to say.
"Are you serious?" Liu Hongyan asked, puzzled.
"Very serious." Luo Lie replied.
In a flash, Liu Hongyan moved to Luo Lie's left side, grabbing his shoulder, and a vast energy surged into his body to examine him.
Liu Hongyan's face showed excitement, her cheeks flushed with intensity.
"Body Refining Level Three, it really is Body Refining Level Three!" Her voice trembled slightly.
Xue Bingning said, her breath quickening, "Only the Celestial Dragon-Elephant Scripture at Body Refining Level Three can achieve insect repelling and immunity to heat and cold."
Liu Hongyan withdrew her hand. "Yes, starting from Body Refining Level Three, each level of the Celestial Dragon-Elephant Scripture has unique traits. Body Refining Level Three grants immunity to heat and cold, and insect repelling."
She took out a bead from her Qiankun Bag.
A chill emanated from the bead, causing the surrounding temperature to drop sharply.
Luo Lie estimated it dropped by over ten degrees, but Liu Hongyan stopped the bead's power, and he felt no cold at all.
This was immunity to heat and cold.
Neither severe cold nor scorching heat affected him.
Seeing this, the two women finally confirmed that Luo Lie had indeed reached Body Refining Level Three in less than a day, an unbelievable feat.
Putting away the bead, Liu Hongyan pinched herself, muttering, "It hurts. It's real, not a dream."
Xue Bingning wasn't much better off. The usually cold beauty kept rubbing her eyes, thinking she was seeing things.
It took a while for the two women to recover from their shock. Even with Liu Hongyan's composed nature as a ruler, she couldn't hide her inner astonishment. Indeed, reaching Body Refining Level Three with the Celestial Dragon-Elephant Scripture in less than a day was astonishing to them.
"Did you have some kind of fortuitous encounter?" Liu Hongyan asked.
Luo Lie had already thought of an answer. "I don't know, I vaguely remember eating something, then having a terrible headache, and then I don't remember anything."
Liu Hongyan wasn't surprised. Many people have fortuitous encounters. Her own secret journey had been full of strange experiences, though she couldn't speak of them. She took a deep breath and said, "Luo Lie, your encounter might give you the potential to become a Saint. This potential is a tremendous blessing but also a great danger. Do you understand?"
"I understand." Luo Lie nodded vigorously. He wasn't foolish. If others found out, they'd treat him like Tang Monk's flesh, wanting to consume him to gain his abilities.
"As long as you understand. Remember, apart from the two of us, no one else must know, not even those you trust the most." Liu Hongyan said, glancing at the distant guard captain, Su Qiusheng.
Luo Lie nodded again.
Only then did Liu Hongyan feel reassured. But thinking about Luo Lie's unbelievable cultivation, she felt a bit itchy with curiosity, wanting to know what other changes he might have. After a moment of thought, she said, "Body Refining Level Four is a threshold that can't be easily crossed, I have a martial technique here. Practice it, and I'll guide you. With the Celestial Dragon-Elephant Scripture and a powerful martial technique, it will greatly benefit you when you return to the Royal Capital."
"Great," Luo Lie was overjoyed. He already knew that combining martial techniques with cultivation methods was true strength. "Please guide me, sister, so I can master this martial technique soon. Oh, by the way, what is this martial technique?"
Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ].
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan