Chapter Thirty-Three: Forcing Through the Barrier

When Ye Mo returned to the camp, Mo Ling, Wang Hu, Yang You, and the others were busy reinforcing the spiritual wood palisade and building new low wooden arrow towers.

In recent nights, more and more sea beasts had been scaling the island under cover of darkness. The group felt the defenses of their cave camp were still insufficient, so they decided to strengthen the spiritual wood barriers and erect an additional defensive tower.

As long as the palisade was tall, thick, and sturdy enough, Ye Mo alone could hold off sea beasts near the fence and prevent them from breaching it.

Mo Ling, Wang Hu, and Yang You each took their positions atop the low arrow towers, attacking any sea beasts that strayed within a hundred feet of the camp from above.

Wang Hu had even installed large, powerful bows atop the towers, capable of loosing arrows. Crafting spiritual wood spears was too time-consuming and laborious; in many cases, slightly weaker bows and arrows were more suitable for dealing with the smaller, less dangerous sea creatures.

Unfortunately, lacking high-quality bowstrings, they had to use tough vines instead. As a result, the strongest bows could only bear a draw weight of roughly one hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds—suitable for early- and mid-stage martial artists, and only effective against weaker sea beasts, unable to pierce the hides or scales of more formidable ones.

After greeting the three who were hard at work, Ye Mo entered the cave. His recent task had been to venture out each day to gather various herbs; the jobs of strengthening the camp fell to Mo Ling and the other two.

He deposited the herbs and wild fruits he’d collected in the cave’s storage area for food and medicines. The medium- and low-grade body-refining herbs were reserved for Mo Ling, Wang Hu, Yang You, and the others; only the highest-quality ones were for his own use.

Then, Ye Mo sat down and took a bottle of elixirs from his robe.

“The Vital Energy Pill was originally meant to bolster the soul of a cultivator. But when a martial artist takes it, their bodies, still weak and lacking a soul, are instead nourished by this vital energy, greatly enhancing their blood and essence.

“These three Vital Energy Pills—after consuming one, a martial artist can rapidly ascend an entire level. Someone at the eighth level could break through to the ninth. At the ninth, one could directly forge a soul and step into the path of cultivation.

“I’m currently at the seventh level of body refinement. Even with daily use of top-quality herbs, it would take at least half a month at best to reach the eighth level. As for the ninth, that would take even longer!

“Danger looms constantly on this island; many of the other martial artists harbor hostile intentions, the great tidal surge at month’s end draws near, and swarms of sea beasts could appear at any moment. Time is pressing!

“At my current level, I can’t even handle a juvenile demon crab—I still have to rely on the apothecary’s ‘Ghost’s Bane’ poison! If I encountered a true sea demon, I’d likely die on the spot, or see the camp overrun and be forced to flee across the island!

“My original plan was to rely on herbs to reach the ninth body-refining level, then use a single Vital Energy Pill to break through into the cultivation realm, thus saving two precious pills for later stages.

“But that would take too long. Neither the threat of sea beasts nor my rivals will allow me such leisure to train. Only by quickly advancing, breaking through the ninth level and forging my soul, can I hope to survive here!”

Ye Mo pondered for a long while.

In the end, he gritted his teeth and swallowed a Vital Energy Pill.

The pill slid down his throat and slowly dissolved.

A mighty, vigorous current of energy soon welled up within his abdomen, brimming with the essence of life, suffusing every channel in his body like sweet dew. The surging vital energy spread rapidly along his meridians, permeating his muscles and bones, swiftly nourishing his flesh.

This current seeped into his marrow, transforming into a great reservoir of fresh essence and blood.

The ultimate goal of a martial artist’s training was to refine their essence and blood into vital energy, and thus forge a soul. Yet now, the process reversed: vital energy devolved into a vast tide of essence and blood.

It was like a river flowing into the sea, yet when the river ran low, the higher sea would flow back into the river.

“So this is vital energy!”

Ye Mo guided the powerful stream, letting it surge through his blood, sinews, and bones.

After half an hour, his essence and blood had grown denser, their brilliance more intense.

“No wonder it’s called an immortal’s elixir—the effect is incredible! It far surpasses the body-forging results of seventh-grade Red Blood Vine or ninth-grade Dragonblood Palm!”

Sitting cross-legged, Ye Mo meditated.

His essence and blood surged so rapidly that his whole body glowed red, as though he were bathed in blood. Sweat evaporated in the rising heat, turning to wisps of white vapor that wrapped around him.

Yet the pill in his belly had dissolved less than a third. The vital energy continued to circulate through his veins and blood, slowly soaking into his marrow and sinews, reshaping his body and thickening his essence.

“It seems the effects of this pill can’t be absorbed quickly. At this rate, it’ll take several more days before I can fully refine its power. When it’s done, I should be able to break through to the eighth level of body refinement.”

Ye Mo could clearly sense his body being continuously transformed by the pill.

As the vital energy tempered his constitution, a layer of grime and impurities formed on his skin, leaving him sticky and damp.

...

Two days later.

Ye Mo finished refining the last traces of the pill’s power, his body now immensely stronger and his essence denser—he had leaped to the eighth level of body refinement.

“The eighth level—finally, I’ve made the breakthrough today!”

He opened his eyes, feeling the surge of new strength, and exhaled in relief.

“I wonder how far I can project my true energy now?”

At the seventh level, he could release sword energy just an inch beyond the blade. Now, at the eighth, that distance should have increased.

Mo Ling and the others were still immersed in their training.

Ye Mo left the cave quietly and entered the forest to practice the Wave-Cleaving Technique.

Vortex Slash!

Centered on Ye Mo, the dense brush around him was swept into a swirling vortex of shredded grass by his raging sword energy.

His sword aura now enveloped the blade, extending a full two inches from the tip.

This was the mark of deepening inner energy.

The Martial Canon recorded that peak masters with profound internal strength could even project their energy a foot from their blades—an awe-inspiring feat.

“I never practiced formal internal arts, so my sword energy isn’t as powerful. At the seventh level I could project an inch, now at the eighth it’s two inches. When I reach the ninth, it should be three!”

He then spent an hour honing the Double Wave Slash.

His proficiency with the move increased markedly; it felt more and more natural in his hands.

Yet he still couldn’t execute the final move of the Wave-Cleaving Technique—the Triple Wave Slash—a finishing strike capable of unleashing nearly a thousand pounds of force.

To surpass a thousand pounds of power was a feat only a true cultivator could achieve.

“My body isn’t strong enough yet—that’s what’s holding me back. I won’t be able to master the Triple Wave Slash until I reach the ninth level of body refinement,” Ye Mo mused.

These two days, he wasn’t the only one training hard.

Mo Ling, Wang Hu, and Yang You showed no sign of slacking either.

Wang Hu and Yang You had each broken through to the fourth level, entering the mid-stage of martial training, and were both elated.

Mo Ling’s cultivation method and martial techniques were all of the highest grade, though tailored exclusively for women. With advanced internal arts, the best body-forging herbs, and considerable talent, her progress was swift.

The final move of her Feather Spirit Sword Technique, the Thousand Spirit Slash, was a wide-area, devastating attack that even Ye Mo greatly envied. If she could break through to the late stage of martial training this time, the strength of their group and the defenses of their camp would be considerably enhanced.