Turmoil Within the Sect: Chapter 19: Tempering the Body with Medicinal Mist

Chu Xing returned to his small courtyard and bolted the dilapidated wooden door behind him.

The nine blood-stopping herbs, emitting a faint, refreshing fragrance, were neatly arranged at the head of his bed. Chu Xing took out the small porcelain bottle he had taken from Zhao Hu and poured out the final two round Body-Tempering Pills.

These few items were all the resources he had at his disposal.

The duel with Wang Meng had already been set; there was no use in overthinking it. Becoming stronger was his only way out.

In the small, open space in the middle of the room, Chu Xing stood still, feet shoulder-width apart, and slowly lowered his center of gravity.

A perfectly standard horse stance.

This was the most basic body-tempering posture issued by the sect to all outer disciples. It was dry and tedious, lacking any real power, and few continued to practice it after mastering the basics.

However, Chu Xing felt that this simple movement might have miraculous effects.

When he sat in meditation the previous night to absorb the energy, the pain brought by the medicinal mist had been too scattered. If he could tense every muscle in his body using the horse stance, perhaps the tempering effect could be more concentrated.

"Come on."

Chu Xing whispered, a flash of determination in his eyes.

He picked up a blood-stopping herb, focused his mind on his dantian, and poured his full strength into activating the stone bead.

The herb withered in his palm at a visible rate. A stream of pure energy was devoured by the stone bead, and immediately, wisps of gray medicinal mist overflowed, rapidly enveloping his entire body.

A rich, slightly pungent medicinal scent instantly filled the small room.

"Hiss!"

The moment the medicinal mist entered his body, the agonizing pain that threatened to crush his very bone marrow arrived right on schedule.

Chu Xing’s body trembled violently, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

Under the intense pain, his body instinctively wanted to curl up, but his will pinned his legs firmly in place; the posture of the horse stance did not waver in the slightest.

Pain!

An indescribable pain!

Last night, he had merely sat and endured it. But now, he not only had to withstand the erosion of the medicinal mist, he also had to maintain the horse stance, keeping every muscle in his body taut.

This caused the tearing pain to be amplified several times over as it coursed through his tense body, becoming all the more concentrated!

Beads of sweat, mixed with foul-smelling black impurities, rolled down his temples.

Chu Xing felt as if his legs were being torn apart by an invisible force, and his bones were emitting groans of unbearable strain.

When the pain from the first wisp of mist subsided slightly, he did not hesitate to pick up the second herb, once again activating the stone bead to replenish the mist, keeping his body in a state of extreme tempering.

Breaking and establishing, injuring and healing.

Amidst this ultimate torment, Chu Xing's tense body instead found a bizarre sense of balance.

Three hours later, there were three more herbs on the ground that had completely lost their essence. Yet Chu Xing remained in that basic horse stance, motionless.

...

During the day, Chu Xing still went to the Hundred Herb Ravine to work and collect the guaranteed three contribution points.

But as night fell, the dilapidated hut became his personal purgatory.

Under the shroud of gray medicinal mist, Chu Xing practiced those basic movements—long since abandoned by other disciples—over and over again.

The first night, he practiced until his whole body spasmed and he nearly passed out.

The second night, he was able to complete a full set of straight punches despite the excruciating pain.

The third night, as the last blood-stopping herb was drained of its essence, Chu Xing threw a punch, and the force of it created a distinct, low whistle in the air.

He slowly retracted his fist and stood in place.

Chu Xing was now shirtless. His originally thin frame remained unchanged, but he looked more solid than before, exuding an understated sense of physical density.

"Still not enough."

Chu Xing felt the changes within, but his brow furrowed slightly.

The strengthening of his physique had reached a bottleneck. All nine blood-stopping herbs were exhausted and could no longer provide new medicinal mist.

And the Yuan power within him remained stagnant at the seventh stage of Body Tempering, without any progress.

Chu Xing looked at the small porcelain bottle on the table.

It was time.

That night, Chu Xing first sat in meditation for an hour to adjust his spirit and energy to their peak.

Then, he pulled out the cork and swallowed a Body-Tempering Pill.

The pill melted upon contact with his tongue, and a pure, scorching medicinal force exploded in his abdomen!

Now!

Chu Xing's eyes flashed with intensity as he focused his mind on his dantian. This time, he attempted to simultaneously activate the stone bead to devour the medicinal force surging through his meridians!

An attack from both inside and out!

"Arghhh!"

Chu Xing finally could not help but let out a repressed, extreme roar!

If before it had been like blades scraping against bone, now it felt as if a raging fire was burning through his internal organs!

The energy of the pill frantically battered his meridians, while the stone bead domineeringly intercepted a portion, converting it into the purest gray medicinal mist, which in turn tore at his flesh and blood!

Chu Xing's eyes were blood-red, as if he had gone mad.

He did not collapse; instead, he roared like a beast, and in that cramped space, he threw that set of basic boxing techniques he knew by heart, over and over again!

One punch, two punches...

He forgot the time, forgot the pain; only one thought remained in his mind.

Get stronger!

Just as his consciousness was about to sink into darkness, the Yuan power of the seventh stage of Body Tempering within him suddenly solidified under the impact of the pill.

That pure medicinal force finally found an outlet, and like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, it completely filled the last remaining void in his cultivation. A feeling of unprecedented fullness surged through his limbs and bones.

Body Tempering Realm, seventh stage peak!

However, the physical pain did not diminish in the slightest; if anything, it became more violent.

A thought flashed through Chu Xing's mind: if he had possessed this physique back then, even with only the sixth stage of Body Tempering, how could he have been so pathetic against someone like Zhao Hu? A single punch would have surely brought him to his knees.

Because of this thought, his spirit was invigorated, and the pain seemed to lessen slightly.

He grabbed the last Body-Tempering Pill, didn't even look at it, and threw it into his mouth. Under the dual torment of the pill and the stone bead, he continued his monstrous training.

The night deepened further.

Inside the room, there was only the sound of Chu Xing's heavy breathing and the faint, popping sounds of his joints being pushed to the limit.

Just as he was completely immersed in this self-abusive training, with his perception of the outside world reduced to its lowest point:

Knock, knock, knock.

The courtyard gate was suddenly struck.

Every movement Chu Xing made froze instantly.

His bloodshot eyes, strained by pain, snapped toward the door. All the madness faded in an instant.

Who?

At this hour, who could it be?

He stood up slowly, his movements filled with hesitation, and finally walked toward the gate.

Outside the door.

Mu Wanqing stood silently, the moonlight casting a long shadow behind her.

She felt a hint of regret; perhaps she shouldn't have come.

Just moments ago, as she approached the courtyard, she had heard a suppressed roar from within—a sound of someone enduring immense pain—mixed with heavy, rapid breathing.

The sound made her, a young girl, blush, and a sense of disgust rose in her heart for no reason.

She had wanted to leave then and there, but at the thought of the lingering medicinal toxins in her body that had vanished, she forcibly stopped herself.