Chapter 6: Longhu Mountain Range

In the following days, Qin Nan immersed himself entirely in his cultivation.

The War God Soul hovered behind him, drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy from the heavens and earth in a continuous, rolling flow. With each breath Qin Nan took, the spiritual energy surged into him like two long serpents, permeating his body.

After elevating the War God Soul to the Yellow Tier 7, his cultivation speed had doubled compared to before.

Even so, it took Qin Nan a full three days to advance his cultivation to the second level of Body Tempering.

“The Body Tempering realm is divided into ten levels. With each advancement, the physical body is further enhanced, and the difficulty of progressing increases significantly, requiring more and more spiritual energy.”

“Even with the War God Soul, I cannot afford to be complacent. I must strive diligently.”

With unwavering resolve, Qin Nan plunged back into his practice. Despite possessing such a formidable martial soul, his current cultivation level of Body Tempering Second Layer was still too low.

……

At this moment, in the Qin family’s council hall.

Qin Tian, draped in a purple mink coat, sat at the head of the table. His originally imposing stature radiated an invisible pressure.

Below him sat three elders.

The foremost elder, clad in a golden robe, appeared indifferent to the pressure emanating from Qin Tian. From the moment he entered the council hall, he had not once looked directly at Qin Tian.

This elder, Qin Tieba, was the eldest elder of the Qin family and the father of Qin Changkong.

The two elders behind Qin Tieba were the second and third elders of the Qin family, holding significant authority within the clan.

The second and third elders sat cautiously behind, their eyes flickering as they scrutinized both Qin Tian and Qin Tieba. Since Qin Changkong awakened his martial soul, the conflict between the eldest elder and the family head had become starkly apparent.

“I wonder why the family head has summoned us today?” Qin Tieba asked casually, lifting his tea cup.

The second and third elders were equally puzzled. According to protocol, a family meeting should not be imminent.

“Since the eldest elder has inquired, I shall speak plainly,” Qin Tian said expressionlessly. “I have summoned you today to inform you that I intend to allocate one thousand Body Tempering Pills for Qin Nan’s cultivation.”

The words struck the hall like a thunderbolt, and the faces of the three elders turned ashen.

Qin Tieba was so shocked that he spat out the tea in his mouth, then bellowed, “What? Qin Tian, are you out of your mind? You wish to allocate one thousand Body Tempering Pills to that worthless son of yours? Have you lost your sanity?”

The second and third elders also looked astounded. One thousand Body Tempering Pills was an enormous quantity!

Qin Tian remained unmoved, replying coolly, “If the eldest elder disagrees, I will reduce it to five hundred.”

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“Five hundred Body Tempering Pills. I have already made a concession. Shouldn’t you also make a concession?”

“What did you say?”

Qin Tieba shouted in a sharp voice, nearly driven mad by Qin Tian’s brief statement.

What kind of concession is this? Reducing from one thousand Body Tempering Pills to five hundred is hardly a concession!

“Qin Tian, let me tell you, I absolutely refuse to agree! Even if it were my own son, he would only receive ten Body Tempering Pills per month. To give your worthless son five hundred is pure delusion!”

Qin Tieba roared angrily.

The second elder also shook his head urgently, “Family head, I also oppose this. Five hundred Body Tempering Pills are equivalent to the entire Qin family’s disciples’ resources for five months. We did not object to the ten pills you previously allocated to Qin Nan, but now five hundred are simply impossible!”

The third elder immediately concurred. Although he had not intended to involve himself in the dispute between Qin Tian and Qin Tieba, Qin Tian’s demand was excessive.

Qin Tian’s expression did not change. He said calmly, “I did not summon you to negotiate. My decision is final. Rest assured, from now on, I will forgo my monthly allowance entirely, using it to compensate for the allocation of the Body Tempering Pills.”

As the head of the Qin family, Qin Tian received fifteen Body Tempering Pills monthly.

In the long term, Qin Tian’s sacrifice would indeed cover the cost of the five hundred pills, and he would be taking a slight loss.

“No! Absolutely not! There is no way I will allow that worthless son to receive so many pills…” Qin Tieba shouted. He had originally planned to allocate a large number of Body Tempering Pills for Qin Changkong’s cultivation. With Qin Tian’s allocation of five hundred, how could he possibly provide the necessary pills for Qin Changkong?

But before he could finish, a thunderous voice erupted beside him.

“Enough! It’s decided! Everyone, leave!”

Qin Tian’s authoritative shout, infused with the aura of the ‘Innate Realm,’ sent a powerful pressure sweeping through the hall.

Qin Tieba’s previously furious face turned pale in an instant. His whole body trembled, and even the second and third elders behind him could not hide their fear.

Qin Tian was indeed the foremost expert of the Qin family, the only one who had reached the ‘Innate Realm.’

……

Qin Nan, unaware of the dramatic events unfolding in the council hall, remained fully absorbed in his cultivation.

“The human body consists of flesh, bones, internal organs, and blood, in that order.”

“The Body Tempering realm enhances the entire physical body, but the cultivation process must also be incremental.”

“At present, my flesh has been tempered to great hardness. Now I should focus on tempering the bones.”

Since awakening the War God Soul, Qin Nan’s thinking had subtly changed, becoming more agile and perceptive. Complex issues that previously puzzled him now seemed straightforward with just a brief thought.

However, Qin Nan was unaware of this change in himself.

With this new insight, Qin Nan guided the powerful spiritual energy through his bones. As the energy flowed, it gradually diminished, integrating into the bones.

After circulating the energy through all his bones, a faint explosive sound signaled the enhancement of his physique.

Time passed slowly, and three days went by in a flash.

Qin Nan continued to direct the spiritual energy through his body, lost in his practice, and had lost count of how many times he had cycled the energy.

Suddenly, Qin Nan’s body trembled, and he felt a surge of terrifying power erupt from within him.

His eyes widened, and he stood up as a series of bone-explosive sounds emanated from him. An invisible force, centered on Qin Nan, surged outward, scattering the dust around him.

“This is… the third level of Body Tempering!”

Feeling the tremendous power within him, Qin Nan’s eyes gleamed with joy. The intensive training over the past few days had indeed borne fruit.

What Qin Nan did not know was that news of his rapid breakthrough to the third level of Body Tempering would drive many to the brink of madness.

His cultivation speed was nothing short of astonishing.

The Yellow Tier 7 martial soul was indeed formidable.

“Since my father has agreed, he will certainly provide the five hundred Body Tempering Pills. However, obtaining such a large quantity might be challenging, at least in the short term.”

Qin Nan pondered briefly. Although he was unaware of the council hall’s proceedings, he could guess this much.

“Merely improving my cultivation is not enough; I must also master my martial techniques to unleash my full combat potential. Therefore, I will head to the Longhu Mountain Range to practice the Thunderclap Blade Technique!”

With a glint of determination in his eyes, Qin Nan made his decision.

The Longhu Mountain Range lay to the north of Linshui City. It was named for the rumored sounds of dragon roars and tiger roars heard from the mountains.

Although this legend remains unproven, the Longhu Mountain Range is filled with numerous beasts, making it an ideal location for honing martial techniques.

Before awakening his martial soul, Qin Nan had frequently ventured to the Longhu Mountain Range under the protection of the family guards to practice his skills.

His acquisition of the War God Soul had also occurred there when he was struck by a bolt of lightning.

Yet, Qin Nan had no inkling that his journey to the Longhu Mountain Range to practice the Thunderclap Blade Technique would lead him to encounter an entirely unexpected individual.

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