Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Water Refining! Sorting Out the Path Forward

The Wind Refining Technique required one to temper their entire body with wind.

But now, an ordinary breeze could no longer affect Zhu Ge.

He estimated that he would only be able to progress further by harnessing powerful astral winds, either by waiting for a super typhoon or by reaching the Third Realm, where he could fly.

Before that, he could first use the Water Refining Technique to temper himself.

’Once I reach the Third Realm and can fly, I’ll just find a mountaintop to sit and cultivate on. That’ll be that.’

"I’ll start by soaking in a wooden tub."

Zhu Ge got a tall wooden tub from Tongzhen, one large enough to completely submerge his body, and filled it with fresh water.

At first, of course, he could only cultivate in still water.

Later on, he would be able to cultivate in deep pools, small rivers, or even great rivers and oceans.

He wouldn’t have to worry about hitting a bottleneck like he did with Wind Refining.

SPLASH—

Zhu Ge instructed Hua Liusha and Liu Jianjian to stand guard outside, then stripped off his clothes and stepped into the ice-cold water.

With his current indestructible body, he wouldn’t feel cold even in the dead of winter, so the water’s temperature didn’t affect him in the slightest.

He stepped in, submerged himself completely, and with a single thought...

His soul left his body!

His giant, egg-shaped soul leaped out of his body and hovered in mid-air as he mentally activated the technique for the Great Sun Glaze Body.

Just ten seconds later, Zhu Ge returned to his physical form.

This was his first time practicing Water Refining, so Zhu Ge didn’t dare overdo it. It would be troublesome if he ended up seriously injured or, even worse, caused his physical body to collapse.

But the moment he returned, an unbearable pain washed over his entire body.

"Hiss... This chilling pain and suffocating dizziness..."

Zhu Ge shot up from the wooden tub, gasping for air.

Pain!

It was too painful!

The pain of Wind Refining was merely the pain of being tempered.

But this Water Refining brought a cold, sinister energy into his body.

Although it had some tempering effect on his physical form, it also caused him an excruciating, unbearable agony.

SPLASH!!!

In his agony, Zhu Ge lost his footing, and the wooden tub tipped over.

BANG!!

The back of his head slammed directly onto the ground, cracking a hole in the hard floor, yet his head was completely unharmed.

His head was so hard and shock-absorbent that he wouldn’t get a concussion even if someone hit it with a hundred-kilogram hammer.

However, the loud noise instantly alerted Hua Liusha and Liu Jianjian outside.

"What happened?" Liu Jianjian hurriedly opened the door.

Meanwhile, Hua Liusha emerged directly from Zhu Ge’s mind and helped him up.

"Hiss, it hurts so much..." Zhu Ge grimaced. "Liusha, hurry and get the Profound Red Feather Ointment for me. It’ll be perfect for strengthening my body."

Before leaving Jianshui City, Zhu Ge had bought many body-enhancing Spirit Medicines from Shihu Pavilion.

This Profound Red Feather Ointment was a high-grade Spirit Level ointment, most effective when applied after Body Refinement.

"Alright." Hua Liusha took the ointment out of a grass bowl, preparing to apply it.

"Let me, let me!" Liu Jianjian, however, eagerly volunteered. She scurried in, her bright eyes desperately trying to sneak a peek at "Little Zhu Ge."

Zhu Ge was completely naked at this point. Seeing Liu Jianjian’s behavior, he snapped irritably, "Out, out! Go stand guard and don’t let anyone in."

’What kind of nonsense is this little hedgehog thinking about all day?’

"Oh..." Liu Jianjian’s voice fell, but she still craned her neck and managed to see. Her eyes immediately lit up. "Hehe, I’ll be heading out then."

Seeing this, Zhu Ge didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry. "That little minx."

As Hua Liusha applied the ointment, she said, "Husband, I am a Xigui. Before I can condense a true physical body, why don’t you take Jianjian in?"

Zhu Ge gave her a strange look. "Is there really a wife who pushes her husband away like this?"

Hua Liusha’s expression was gentle. "Considering my husband’s needs is a wife’s duty."

’Good heavens.’

Zhu Ge decided to drop the subject.

He suddenly remembered that in this world, having three wives and four concubines was completely normal.

For many principal wives, it was better to recommend a concubine they knew and could control rather than have their husband find one outside who might cause discord.

However, Zhu Ge was currently focused solely on getting stronger and didn’t have much interest in such matters.

Romance and passion were things that were only meaningful to discuss in a peaceful society.

As he was now, taking anyone in would just be wronging a good woman.

"It’s all applied. I’m going outside to continue drilling them." After covering Zhu Ge’s entire body with the ointment, Hua Liusha dissolved into a red mist and vanished.

To help Zhu Ge, Hua Liusha had also been studying the Eight Armored Arrays in her spare time, and she would assist him in maneuvering the array’s formations during battle.

She could be said to be wholeheartedly devoted to Zhu Ge.

"Sigh..."

Thinking of this, Zhu Ge shook his head.

’Both Liu Jianjian and Hua Liusha are wonderful.’

’It’s a pity we were born in such chaotic times.’

’Forget it. I’ll think about cultivation first.’

Zhu Ge lay there, unable to move. He had originally planned to set out today, but now the entire army would have to rest for another day.

And as it happened, Zhu Ge hadn’t been this immobilized since he had mastered Wind Refining.

This was a perfect opportunity to sort out his future path.

When he had used [Spider], Zhu Ge had already set his short-term goals: to kill the Red River Dragon Python and the Plague God Sparrow, and to replace the Yuan Yang City Lord, becoming the new master of Red River Prefecture.

After that, he would invade Nanyue Mianhuang and make it a part of his own strength.

True Monarch Minmian had eliminated the upper echelons of Nanyue Mianhuang, leaving only people at the Third Realm and below.

A Nanyue Mianhuang like this was a juicy piece of meat, ripe for the taking.

It would be an offense against heaven not to devour this prize.

At the same time, Zhu Ge planned to continuously increase his strength while liberating and recapturing the various cities.

So far, he already possessed the strength of the Martial Arts Second Realm, the Confucian Dao First Realm, and the Witchcraft First Realm.

Furthermore, his Martial Dao’s Blood Qi could be directly converted into the power of the Martial Dao, the Heroic Dao, and the Military Dao.

This meant that even if Zhu Ge were to break through to the Third Realm right now, his strength would still see a significant increase.

However, this was not Zhu Ge’s limit.

’Let me think, what’s the best way to break through to the Third Realm...’

Zhu Ge began to ponder deeply.

From what he currently understood, when breaking through to the Third Realm, the more power one had accumulated in their body, and the stronger that power was, the better.

Only then could one open a Mud Ball Palace that was sufficiently large and powerful.

The Upper Yuan Palace’s Mud Ball Palace, the Middle Yuan Palace’s heart, and the Lower Yuan Palace’s Dantian—a trinity.

Weakness in any one of these areas would affect his future growth and development.

That was why Zhu Ge had been suppressing his realm; otherwise, he could have broken through to the Third Realm long ago.

But he had many things to consider.

’How to strengthen the Lower Yuan Palace’s Dantian? By cultivating new powers!’

’Literary Energy, Blood Qi, Witch Power, Spiritual Power... All sorts of powers gather in the Dantian. The emergence of each new power means an expansion and strengthening of the Dantian.’

’And after advancing to the Second Realm, the condensation of a Literary Heart, a Demon Heart, a Martial Arts Heart, and so on, would naturally strengthen the Middle Yuan Palace as well.’

’Finally, through steady accumulation for a powerful release, the combined force of the Middle and Lower Yuan Palaces could truly open a mighty Upper Yuan Palace.’

’No, there’s no rush to leave tomorrow either. I should first go ask Tongzhen City Lord about the differences in the Third Realm, so I have a better idea of what to expect.’

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