"Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique, Spirit Snake Transformation!"
Duan Lingtian sat cross-legged inside a wooden tub, his expression serene as he closed his eyes to cultivate.
At some point, the water in the tub had begun to swirl around his body, forming a turbulent vortex. The Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid gathered at the very center of this swirl, flowing ceaselessly into Duan Lingtian’s body to assist his cultivation.
Subtle changes were occurring within Duan Lingtian’s body at every moment. His blood and energy were growing stronger, and his muscles were twitching.
"Splash!"
Once Duan Lingtian had fully absorbed the Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid in the tub, he opened his eyes, stood up, and stepped out.
"It seems it will still take some time to break through to the Second Level of the Body Tempering Realm."
He clenched his fists slightly, feeling the power coursing through him, and a flicker of sharp light flashed in his eyes.
"I must break through to the Third Level of the Body Tempering Realm before my battle with Li Jie! Otherwise, even with the help of an Inscription, fighting him will put me at a disadvantage."
Li Jie was a Fourth Level Body Tempering Realm martial artist. His cultivation not only granted him an extra two hundred catties of strength but had also fundamentally transformed his body, bones, and internal organs, making them far tougher than those of an ordinary person.
If Duan Lingtian failed to reach the Third Level of the Body Tempering Realm within a month, he might not even be able to injure Li Jie, even if Li Jie stood perfectly still and let him attack. No matter how strong his Xingyi Fist was, it would be useless. It was the same principle as a child who had just learned to walk having the combat insights of a grandmaster—he still could not harm an adult. The two were simply on completely different levels. If one’s own strength could not break through the opponent’s defense, what good were advanced techniques?
"Right, I promised to meet Kecier."
Duan Lingtian stepped out of his room, his mind occupied with what kind of cultivation technique he should pass on to her. In the memories of the Samsara Martial Emperor, beyond the two top-tier techniques—the *Three Lives Samsara Sutra* and the *Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique*—there were several other powerful techniques that could carry a practitioner all the way to the Martial Emperor realm. It wasn't that Duan Lingtian wanted to be secretive or was unwilling to share the superior *Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique*; it was simply that the later stages of that technique pursued a path of sheer, aggressive power that was not suited for a woman.
"That's it, this technique is perfect... the *Cold Ice Divine Sword Technique*. It was the cultivation method of a Martial Emperor from over twenty thousand years ago. That Martial Emperor was a powerful sword cultivator, and more importantly, she was a woman!"
Whether on Earth in his past life or here on the Yunxiao Continent, it was an undeniable fact that women were physically weaker than men. On the Yunxiao Continent, for a woman to become a powerful warrior, she had to exert effort far beyond that of a man. The Cold Ice Martial Emperor was a figure who commanded even Duan Lingtian’s respect. Through the memories of the Samsara Martial Emperor, he knew that the Samsara Martial Emperor had once fought the Cold Ice Martial Emperor. That battle had been a wager on their respective cultivation techniques, and in the end, the Samsara Martial Emperor had won, obtaining the Cold Ice Martial Emperor’s method.
"Yes, I will teach her this technique."
Having made his decision, Duan Lingtian arrived outside Kecier’s bedroom and knocked lightly. The door opened.
"Young Master." Upon seeing Duan Lingtian, the young girl’s delicate, beautiful face flushed slightly as she spoke softly.
Duan Lingtian entered her room and closed the door behind him.
"Kecier, I’ve decided on the technique I’ll teach you. Come, let me pass on the Body Tempering Realm portion to you orally first; make sure to memorize it well."
Duan Lingtian smiled at the girl, who looked nervous and somewhat uneasy. She nodded gently and listened intently. It had to be said that Kecier was a very clever girl. Even though Duan Lingtian only recited the cultivation mental state for the Body Tempering portion of the *Cold Ice Divine Sword Technique* three times, she memorized every single word perfectly.
However, a problem soon arose.
"Young Master, I... I’ve memorized the technique, but I don’t know where the acupoints mentioned are located. What should I do?" Kecier looked at Duan Lingtian with wide, imploring eyes, looking utterly pitiable.
Duan Lingtian paused, then shook his head and laughed. "That was my oversight. How about I teach you how to identify those acupoints?"
"Okay, okay!" Kecier nodded excitedly. In her heart, she was desperate to become a martial artist. In her eyes, if she could become a martial artist, she would have the ability to protect the Young Master and the Madam, who treated her like kin.
At Duan Lingtian's gesture, Kecier sat cross-legged on the bed, facing him.
"Kecier, the Jiuwei acupoint is located seven inches above the navel... yes, right here."
Duan Lingtian slowly reached out. Through the girl’s thin garment, he confirmed the location of her navel and moved his fingers upward, stopping at the Jiuwei acupoint. "Kecier, did you memorize it?"
Duan Lingtian could feel the girl’s body trembling slightly. He laughed inwardly, thinking that this girl was quite sensitive.
"I... I memorized it." The girl’s face was like a red apple, and her voice trembled, overcome with extreme shyness.
Duan Lingtian proceeded to teach her to identify the acupoints one by one. His hands gradually moved higher. The girl’s trembling grew more violent, making Duan Lingtian’s heart wander. Although Kecier was only fifteen, she was well-developed, and to Duan Lingtian, she was undoubtedly a great temptation.
In his past life, after becoming a mercenary, Duan Lingtian’s life could be described as unrestrained. Of course, most of it was just for show. As a mercenary who had walked through a hail of bullets, he was self-aware. Love and such were mere trifles; he refused to let a woman become a weakness that others could use against him.
"Kecier, are you still holding up?" Seeing the girl was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, Duan Lingtian asked.
"Young Master, please, continue." The girl nodded stubbornly.
"Kecier, this is the Shanzhong acupoint." Duan Lingtian nodded and reached out his finger to press it again.
The girl’s body jolted as if she had been electrocuted; she could no longer hold on, and she collapsed, falling right into Duan Lingtian’s arms.
The beauty, drenched in a light sweat, fell against him, bringing with her a fragrant scent. Duan Lingtian caught her reflexively. The sensation of her softness in his arms made the atmosphere turn somewhat romantic.
The young girl’s body shook, and she lowered her head in shyness. She accidentally collided with a certain rigid object, causing Duan Lingtian’s expression to change as he let out a muffled groan.
"Young Master, are... are you alright?" The girl quickly raised her head, looking at Duan Lingtian with some alarm.
"I... I'm fine." Duan Lingtian let out a low growl from his throat.
At this moment, the girl seemed to realize something, and she lowered her head in shame, not daring to look at him again.
"Kecier, I'll have my mother teach you to identify the rest of the acupoints later. I’m heading back now." Duan Lingtian left the bed with lingering reluctance and beat a hasty retreat.
"How mortifying... I actually... I actually..." the girl whispered to herself, left alone, her face red enough to bleed.
After leaving the girl’s room, Duan Lingtian took a deep breath. He was genuinely afraid he wouldn't be able to stop himself from doing something reckless. In the parlance of his past life, the fifteen-year-old Kecier was just an underage girl.
"Tian'er, why are you coming out of Kecier’s room, hmm?" Li Rou, who had just returned from outside, happened to bump into Duan Lingtian and noticed his flustered state.
"Mother, I have things to do. I’m going back to my room first." Noticing Li Rou’s gaze, Duan Lingtian gave an awkward smile and hurried to his room.
Li Rou, having seen enough of the world, couldn't help but laugh. It seemed her son was growing up.
She stepped forward and entered Kecier’s bedroom, the door of which had not yet been closed. "Kecier, you..."
Seeing the girl sitting on the bed, her face flushed red, a playful glint appeared in Li Rou’s eyes.
"Madam!" The girl was startled to see her. "Madam, it’s not what you think, I... the Young Master... he was just teaching me how to identify acupoints."
"Identify acupoints?" Hearing the girl’s explanation, Li Rou’s expression grew even more peculiar.