Because the ironwood tree, the material used to craft the Cloud-Piercing Bow, is quite difficult to fell, Hua Tianxiong ordered his secret guard to stay in the area for an additional two days. He also wanted to give them time to better hone their blade techniques, so he instructed them to assist in cutting down the ironwood trees. Benefiting from their improved strength, the soldiers began to chop at the trees without pause. With the sharpness of their Duandi blades, a soldier at the Seventh Rank could generally fell an ironwood tree in five or six hundred strikes.
Due to the heaviness of the blades, at the beginning, they needed to rest and restore their spiritual energy after only forty or fifty swings. However, after two days of grueling practice, all the soldiers were able to fell two trees a day. This hard training resulted in a significant improvement in their strength.
Hua Tianxiong also had Wang Jie give each of the three Ninth-Rank Martial Disciple deputy commanders—Wang Zhao, Ma Han, and Zhang Fei—one Body Tempering Pill. Once all three had advanced to the First-tier Martial Warrior level, Hua Tianxiong took the remaining demonic beast meat and led the group further into the depths of the mountain range.
Chapter 51