On the Divine Wilderness Continent, Martial Arts flourished, and mortals all believed in gods.
As for Martial Arts Cultivators, they were single-mindedly devoted to the Path, seeking to pursue the road to eternal life!
...
The Great Tang Empire, Celestial River County, Longtan Town!
It was the dead of winter. Snowflakes drifted from the sky, blanketing the earth in a fresh, silver coat.
As far as the eye could see, the mountains and rivers were sealed in ice. The land was a vast expanse of white, and human figures were a rare sight.
Dragon Pool Mountain rose thousands of feet high, completely covered in ice and snow.
At the foot of the mountain, nestled in a valley, was a Cold Pool.
At this moment, a young man was submerged in the bone-chilling waters of the Dragon Pool.
A cold mist swirled within the Cold Pool, making it look like an earthly Illusion Realm. A dense Cold Intent spread out, seemingly capable of sealing the heavens and earth in ice.
It was hard to imagine how a mortal could be soaking in this Cold Pool during such a harsh, snowy winter.
The young man's eyes were shut tight. He sat cross-legged on a rock in the pool, the waters of the Cold Pool submerging the upper half of his body.
Through the swirling Cold Qi, one could vaguely make out his exceptionally handsome features.
The young man had sword-like brows and facial features so exquisite and perfect they seemed carved by the gods themselves. As if etched stroke by stroke by the finest master sculptor, his handsomeness was overwhelming. It wasn't hard to imagine that in another two years, his dashing and heroic presence would capture the hearts of countless young women.
However, a trace of boyishness still lingered on his handsome face.
Judging by his appearance, he was about sixteen years old.
This young man was Ling Fei, the son of Elder Ling from Longtan Town's Ling's Medical Clinic.
WHOOSH WHOOSH!
Within the Cold Pool, an invisible Cold Qi gathered around Ling Fei like a True Dragon.
Looking closely, one could see his hands formed into claws, positioned one above the other. The formless qi was gathering between his claws from all directions within the Cold Pool.
This Cold Qi, drawn in by his hands, coiled like dragons and snakes as it entered his skin, passed through his flesh and blood, seeped into his meridians, and penetrated his very bones.
The Cold Qi of the Dragon Pool was bone-piercingly cold; even Martial Arts Powerhouses dared not approach it.
If an ordinary Martial Artist were to draw this Cold Qi into their body, they would surely be turned into an ice sculpture!
Yet Ling Fei had been cultivating in this Cold Pool for nearly eight years.
As the Cold Qi entered his body, the muscles on his handsome young face couldn't help but twitch, contorting into an expression of pure agony.
At this moment, frost had already formed on Ling Fei's eyebrows, and a thin layer of ice crystals had appeared on his cheeks.
Inside Ling Fei's body, wisps of Cold Qi entered and sank into his bones.
This Cold Qi was like a dragon, wild and tyrannical, as if it could shatter mountains. The power it exuded felt like it could tear his muscles from his bones.
Ling Fei clenched his jaw, his brows tightly furrowed in an expression of extreme discomfort.
But he showed no intention of crying out in pain.
Even though he felt as if his bones were about to be destroyed by the Cold Qi he had drawn into his body.
Even though he felt he might burst from the Cold Qi at any moment.
Even if it meant death!
But!
He...
...was still gritting his teeth and enduring!
'In the vastness of the heavens and earth, all was primordial chaos, and all things were ignorant... The world opened, dividing Yin and Yang... Dragon Qi is the ancestor. To temper the body with it is to make one like a dragon...' While gritting his teeth, Ling Fei silently recited a chant in his mind. At the same time, the posture of his hands changed, forming a moon-embracing gesture.
The qi from the Cold Pool was no longer being drawn toward him.
However, because of the change in his Hand Technique, the Cold Qi inside his body began to move through his bones in an orderly fashion.
The Cold Qi was under control, yet it remained incomparably tyrannical and unbearable.
It was as if it were tempering his very bones.
If one looked closely, one could see faint wisps of a black stream of air overflowing from Ling Fei's bones.
Then, this black stream of air was annihilated into nothingness by the Cold Dragon Qi.
As the black stream of air was expelled and dissipated wisp by wisp, a faint luster began to appear on Ling Fei's bones.
In addition, a cool and comfortable sensation welled up from his bones and spread through his mind.
The feeling was exhilarating, as if he were being completely reborn, like a great weight had been lifted.
Ling Fei had felt this sensation before when he used the Cold Chi Dragon Qi to temper his skin, muscles, and meridians.
However, this time the feeling was clearly much stronger than before.
'I've been frail and sickly since I was a child. Adoptive Father said it was because I suffered a severe injury when I was young that damaged my foundation. But he said that as long as I worked hard to train, I would still have a chance to recover and become a Martial Artist. Now, after cultivating this True Dragon Body Refining Technique for eight years, my body is truly recovering.' With his Heart Spirit Sensing, Ling Fei also noticed the changes in his bones.
This immediately filled Ling Fei with confidence.
He cast the pain of the Cold Qi Bone Tempering to the back of his mind.
'As long as I persevere, I definitely won't be weaker than anyone else! I will become a powerhouse and enter the Divine Academy!'
Ling Fei gritted his teeth, striving to continue using the Dragon Qi from the Cold Pool for Bone Tempering.
In the Great Tang Empire, only by becoming a Martial Arts Powerhouse could one stand out from the crowd.
If one reached the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering, they could distinguish themselves in the divine selection competition, enter the Divine Academy, and have the chance to become a Divine Guard.
Once someone became a Divine Guard, it would be an event that brought immense honor to their ancestors.
'If I can distinguish myself at the Divine Academy, I'll be able to obtain a Celestial Essence Pill. With that, Adoptive Father's injuries can be alleviated.' Ling Fei's thoughts churned.
Every time he thought of his adoptive father's kind face and the care he had shown him, his resolve became unshakable.
This was precisely why he was determined to become strong, why he could endure the pain brought on by tempering his body with the Cold Chi Dragon Qi.
His adoptive father was clearly his motivation to become stronger.
Even though Ling Fei had been weak and sickly since childhood, he had never given up.
When he was eight, after hearing that a dragon once appeared in the Cold Pool, Ling Fei had come to Dragon Pool Valley with a heart full of hope.
He still remembered how the bone-piercing Cold Qi had nearly frozen him solid when he approached the Cold Pool back then.
But at that critical moment, a flash of light flickered within the Cold Pool. It soared like a dragon and shot directly into his mind.
Afterward, a Body Refining Technique called the True Dragon Body Refining Technique appeared in his mind.
This made Ling Fei ecstatic, as if he had seen the dawn of his own path to power.
Because this Cultivation Technique was incredibly powerful, capable of making a person as strong as a dragon or a tiger and granting them world-shaking Divine Power.
And so, he began trying to cultivate in this daunting Cold Pool.
This was because an Ancient Beast, a Cold Chi, had once resided in the Cold Pool, leaving behind residual Dragon Qi.
Legend had it that this Cold Chi was a descendant of the Dragon Child, Chi Wen, which was how Longtan Town got its name.
And Dragon Qi was the essential Essence Qi required to cultivate the True Dragon Body Refining Technique.
Cold winds gusted through the valley as Ling Fei continued to follow the True Dragon Body Refining Technique, drawing the Cold Chi Dragon Qi from the Cold Pool to temper his bones.
This tempering process required ninety-nine Circulations to completely purge all impurities from the bones, shed their mortal nature, and make them as hard as iron.
If he continued to cultivate, he could even make his bones like those of a True Dragon, impervious to Divine Soldiers.
However, that was a realm far beyond Ling Fei's current reach.
WHOOSH WHOOSH!
Within Dragon Pool Valley, the cold wind howled.
At this moment, on the peak of a mountain opposite Dragon Pool Valley, a man in a green robe stood against the wind, as straight and unyielding as an iron spear.
The man's temples were graying, and his dry, white hair fluttered in the wind. A haggard look was etched between his brows, and his face was somewhat pale.
One glance was enough to tell he was ill. It seemed a single gust of wind could sweep him into the valley's vortex, yet he stood as firm and immovable as a mountain.
When he gazed toward the Cold Pool, his eyes were incredibly sharp, as if he could see the subtle fluctuations within Ling Fei's very bones.
"Brother Tianyou, Fei'Er has now stepped into the Eighth Layer of Body Tempering. Soon, he will be able to completely purge the Demonic Qi from his body. Your humble older brother has finally fulfilled his promise to you." The man retracted his gaze from the Cold Pool, then looked up and murmured toward the distant Void.
This man was none other than Ling Fei's adoptive father, Elder Ling.
The past was still vivid in his memory, filling him with a deep sense of sorrow.
Back then, in order to treat Ling Fei, he had searched far and wide across mountains and rivers, finally finding a Dragon Pool here.
What Ling Fei didn't know was that the True Dragon Body Refining Technique he had obtained was arranged by his adoptive father.
In fact, Ling Fei was only able to enter the Cold Pool because Elder Ling had added some special medicinal herbs to its waters, which, when combined with the True Dragon Body Refining Technique, allowed him to enter without being harmed by the Cold Qi. Of course, for an ordinary person to enter would be next to impossible.
'Once Fei'Er steps into the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering, the life that truly belongs to him will begin.'
A flicker of light suddenly flashed in Elder Ling's eyes, and a complex emotion spread across his face as he looked down at the Cold Pool.
COUGH COUGH!
Suddenly, Elder Ling let out two soft coughs, and his pale complexion began to turn ashen.
A mouthful of dark blood gushed from his throat.
He immediately raised a hand to cover his mouth. When he pulled it away, his palm was covered in black blood.
Wisps of black qi swirled within the blood.
Seeing this, Elder Ling frowned slightly. Then his eyes flashed, and a Light Pattern suddenly flickered at the center of his brow. A soul-shaking ripple of power erupted forth.
The Light Pattern between Elder Ling's brows vaguely formed into a Tai Chi bagua diagram and suppressed the energy within his body.
With that, his ashen complexion gradually improved, and a hint of a healthy red returned to his pale cheeks.
A moment later, the powerful aura surrounding Elder Ling dissipated.
'Once Fei'Er's body has recovered, I must also find a way to heal my own injuries.' Elder Ling thought to himself.
This injury had tormented him for more than a decade.
In the Cold Pool, Ling Fei remained completely oblivious to all of this.