Chapter 265: Chapter 264: Battling a Body Refiner

Zhu Ge took the light gauze from Hua Liusha’s hands. It was soft to the touch and virtually weightless.

The gauze was a pale red, and a faint fluorescent light flowed through it, making it look like a cloud condensed from a sunset.

He tried infusing a wisp of Blood Qi into it. The gauze glowed faintly, and its texture against his skin grew even softer.

"Low-grade Spirit Level." Zhu Ge nodded. "The grade may not be high, but this is the first piece of Spiritual Clothing you’ve woven yourself. That makes it exceptionally meaningful."

From the red mist, Hua Liusha coalesced into the form of a veiled bride. Her voice held a note of delight. "Brother, put it on. You’ll have much stronger protection now."

Zhu Ge didn’t refuse, draping the light gauze over his body.

The gauze automatically conformed to his frame, fitting like a thin layer of skin—neither too tight nor too loose.

The next moment, the gauze merged into his body, becoming a thin, membrane-like layer around his giant, egg-shaped soul.

A pale red fluorescence flowed across the surface of his soul, warm and gentle.

He already had Hua Liusha protecting his soul, but she wasn’t omnipotent.

An extra layer of protection meant more security.

"Thank you for your hard work," Zhu Ge said sincerely.

Hua Liusha dissolved into red mist, circled him gently, and then merged back into his body.

Her voice carried a trace of weariness. "Brother, I’m going to rest for a bit. Weaving the Spiritual Clothing was quite draining. I need to recover my Yin Qi."

"Okay." Zhu Ge didn’t disturb her. Instead, he sat cross-legged in the carriage, closed his eyes, and continued to cultivate.

The Thunder Sound Divine Refining Technique began to circulate.

The sound of thunder echoed through his meridians, and each reverberation made his Divine Soul more solid.

Ever since obtaining the [Fallen Scale] trait, he found that his efficiency in cultivating the Thunder Sound Divine Refining Technique had increased significantly.

A portion of that thunder sound was stored by [Accumulation] for later use.

The Array Star in his Dantian was also slowly rotating.

Thirty-six Array Patterns circled the Array Star, absorbing the free-roaming Spiritual Qi from the heavens and the earth.

Although the number of Array Patterns was still thirty-six, each one was more solid than before, and their silver light was much richer.

The golden dragon scale patterns under his skin were faintly visible.

They weren’t real scales, but defensive patterns brought about by [Dragon Transformation].

Normally hidden beneath the skin, they would only surface when he was attacked.

Zhu Ge tried to activate his Dragon Transformation, making the patterns surface on their own.

Pale gold patterns spread from his chest to his arms, from his arms to his back, and finally covered his entire body.

He raised his hand and looked at the dense golden patterns on its back. They looked like dragon scales, but also like some sort of ancient totem.

’Good thing I didn’t fully transform. If anyone saw me, they’d probably mistake me for some kind of Demon Beast.’

He retracted the Dragon Transformation, and the golden patterns slowly faded.

Just then, the horse carriage suddenly stopped.

"Master, someone is blocking the road ahead." Liu Jianjian’s voice came from outside, tinged with a hint of helplessness. "It’s another challenger."

Zhu Ge lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out.

On the main road ahead, a burly, powerfully built man was standing there.

He was bare-chested, his body a mass of knotted muscle. A green dragon was tattooed on his left arm, and a white tiger on his right.

At his waist hung an iron mace thicker than his arm. The body of the mace was jet black and faintly flickered with lightning.

Third Realm, Peak of the Martial Arts Venerable Realm.

"You’re Zhu Ge?" the large man’s voice was like muffled thunder, shaking the leaves from the trees by the roadside.

"I am. And you are?"

"Iron-Arm Thunder God, Lei Zhen!" The large man pulled the iron mace from his waist and slammed it on the ground.

BOOM—

The ground cracked, and shattered stones flew everywhere.

"Seventy-ninth on the Sheji Chart! I’ve come to test your skills!"

Zhu Ge glanced at the iron mace, then at the tattoos on Lei Zhen’s arms. He had a good idea of what he was up against.

’Another martial arts prodigy who walks the path of brute force.’

"Please."

He took the Purgatory Star Rod from Mazhu’s back and walked to the center of the main road.

Lei Zhen didn’t stand on ceremony. With a swing of his iron mace, he brought it smashing down on Zhu Ge, the weapon whistling through the air.

Up until now, the experts Zhu Ge had encountered were all more cunning than the last.

Whether it was the Fungus God at the beginning, the Raincoat Fisherman later, or even the Hongmi Immortal.

They were all exceptionally cunning individuals.

But it had been a long time since Zhu Ge had met someone like this man before him, Lei Zhen.

Direct, straightforward, and uninhibited.

In comparison, even the foul-mouthed Guan Julan and the supremely arrogant Su Feibai weren’t so direct.

CLANG—

The mace and rod collided, sending sparks flying.

Zhu Ge was forced back three steps, while Lei Zhen retreated one. Both were stunned for a moment.

Zhu Ge was surprised. Lei Zhen’s strength was far greater than he’d expected. He had used thirty percent of his power and had barely managed to block the blow.

Lei Zhen was surprised that Zhu Ge, a Second Realm cultivator, could actually block his full-powered strike.

"Good!" A sharp glint flashed in Lei Zhen’s eyes, and he swung his iron mace down again.

This time, he used his full strength.

Lightning flickered over the mace, and the faint sounds of a tiger’s roar and a dragon’s cry could be heard.

’True Meaning of Martial Arts?’

Zhu Ge was astonished, but instead of using the Incense Lighting Body Technique to evade, he chose to meet it head-on.

CLANG!!!!

When the two collided, Zhu Ge was knocked back several steps this time.

"You practice Body Refinement too?!" Lei Zhen exclaimed in shock. "What incredible strength!"

Lei Zhen shook out his numb hand.

Logically speaking, in a real life-or-death battle, the momentary stiffness Lei Zhen experienced would have been enough for him to be killed.

But this was a friendly spar, so of course, Zhu Ge wouldn’t deliver a killing blow.

"Brother Lei, you’re not bad yourself. Your Body Refinement skill is top-notch," Zhu Ge praised.

Although this Lei Zhen possessed that dragon-roaring, tiger-howling True Meaning of Martial Arts, it hadn’t yet reached the stage of materialization.

Being able to fight Zhu Ge like this without his True Meaning materializing was proof enough of the power of the Body Refining Martial Dao.

"We who follow the Martial Refining Dao are really something else!" Zhu Ge couldn’t help but exclaim.

"Hahaha, indeed, indeed!" Lei Zhen’s eyes shone. "It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a satisfying fight! Again?"

"Again!"

Zhu Ge held his long rod and shot forward.

CLANG!!!

CLANG!!

CLANG CLANG CLANG!!!

A series of deafening strikes rang out, sending sand and stones flying, and dirt scattering in all directions.

A Second Realm cultivator already possessed the power to shatter mountains, and the strength of Zhu Ge and Lei Zhen was on par with true Third Realm prodigies.

The two fought with increasing intensity, until the shockwaves from their clashes were enough to kill an ordinary Second Realm cultivator.

As a result, several nearby mountains suffered.

BOOM BOOM!!

BOOM BOOM!!

BOOM BOOM!!

The great mountain beneath their feet could not withstand their battle and split in two, as if struck by an earthquake.

BOOM BOOM BOOM—

Two figures shot up into the sky from the sundered mountain, while rubble and dust scattered like a torrential downpour.

Zhu Ge flipped twice in mid-air and landed on the top of a large tree. The branch bent but did not break, his figure as light as a feather.

Lei Zhen, on the other hand, smashed directly into the opposite mountain face, creating a crater about ten feet deep.

"Exhilarating!" Lei Zhen leaped out of the crater, covered in dust, but the fighting spirit in his eyes was even more intense.

He brushed the rubble from his body and grinned. "Zhu Ge, are you fucking sure you’re in the Second Realm? I feel like you’re tougher to deal with than some of those Third Realm guys!"

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