Chapter 306: Flesh Shines with Sacred Radiance, Fame Spreads Across the World

After examining the Ink Jade Bottle, Lu Qing picked up the White Jade Bottle for inspection. Like its counterpart, it bore a seal—but due to Xuan Ming’s death, the seal had grown exceedingly weak. With little effort, Lu Qing shattered it effortlessly.

As expected, the bottle contained Benyuan Qi. Even more surprising, the quantity within was several times greater than what had been stored in the Ink Jade Bottle.

Then again, it made sense. Xuan Ming and his companions had carried Treasure Artifacts and were themselves a force of numerous powerful cultivators. They could seize Benyuan Qi without fear—no one dared stand in their way.

Unlike the Black Robe Man, who had to sneak around in shadows, fearful and cautious.

Gazing at the two bottles brimming with Benyuan Qi, Lu Qing felt immense joy. He had suspected the contents might be Benyuan Qi, but never imagined the sheer volume. Combined, the two bottles held over a dozen strands of Benyuan Qi.

“Benyuan Qi not only allows one to undergo a complete transformation, elevate their innate talent, and turn an ordinary person into a genius—it also carries a mysterious Dao Resonance capable of embracing and evolving all things. The single strand of Benyuan Qi that was originally mine merged into my body during the day’s heavenly tribulation, amplified by the Jie Lei’s power. My body’s strength has surged far beyond that of an average Xian Tian Jing Wan Man. Yet I can still sense… it’s not my limit.”

After surviving the tribulation and absorbing one strand of Benyuan Qi, the strength of Lu Qing’s body had stunned the Third Holy Lord. But Lu Qing knew deep within himself that this was far from his ultimate peak. His body still craved more Benyuan Qi—its desire was insatiable.

No time to waste.

Lu Qing immediately stored the rest of his belongings, moved to a corner of the room, and with his finger as a sword, drew a simple concealment array on the ground. Then, he sat cross-legged inside the array, lifted the Ink Jade Bottle, opened his mouth, and swallowed a single strand of Benyuan Qi.

The Qi entered his Dantian, and Lu Qing instantly began refining it with his spirit.

Now that he had ascended into the Xian Tian Jing, his cultivation had grown vastly stronger than before. Combined with the fact that his body already contained one strand of Benyuan Qi, the refinement process was far faster than the first time.

Not long afterward, the strand was fully refined and absorbed.

His body instantly became even more formidable.

Feeling that his strength still hadn’t reached its peak, Lu Qing didn’t hesitate. He took another strand, swallowed it, and began refining it again.

As he continued consuming and refining Benyuan Qi, the power radiating from him steadily intensified. Had he not used his Shen Hun Fu Lu to mask his aura and remained within the array, he would’ve surely drawn the attention of nearby cultivators.

“Counting the one already fused into my body, this is already the ninth strand.”

When Lu Qing pulled out another strand from the bottle, his eyes glimmered with an unusual light.

Nine was the ultimate number. He could feel it—his body could only absorb one more strand before reaching its limit.

“After enduring nine Jie Lei trials… does that mean I can only hold nine strands of Benyuan Qi?”

He paused, then mentally resolved. I wonder… what transformation will my body undergo after absorbing this final strand?

With a flick of his will, Lu Qing swallowed the ninth strand.

As the Qi was refined, something extraordinary began to happen.

His skin, already pale and smooth like jade, started emitting a faint shimmer. The light grew brighter and brighter.

Finally, when the Qi was fully absorbed, a thunderous boom echoed through the room.

Not only did the radiance around his body surge violently—but within, his organs, blood vessels, flesh, bones, and marrow underwent a complete metamorphosis, rapidly transforming and refining.

When the process concluded, the radiance surrounding him had solidified into a mysterious, radiant aura—dense, luminous, and incredibly resilient.

Within the glow, Lu Qing opened his eyes.

At first, he stared in disbelief at the soft light emanating from within his body. Then, astonishment flooded his face.

“Radiance from the flesh… My body has reached the Jingjie of Rou Shen Bao Guang?”

Lu Qing was overjoyed.

What exactly was Rou Shen Bao Guang?

From the teachings of Li Hua Zong Chuan Cheng, he knew that in the ancient cultivation era, cultivation paths were divided into many schools: Fa Xiu (Law Cultivation), Rou Xiu (Body Cultivation), Fu Xiu (Talisman Cultivation), Jian Xiu (Sword Cultivation), Dan Xiu (Elixir Cultivation), and so on.

Fa Xiu relied on spirit and soul to commune with the heavens, unleashing powerful spells that swept across the land.

Rou Xiu focused on forging an unbreakable body, shattering laws with raw strength.

Jian Xiu specialized in a single flying sword—cutting through all laws, its edge sharp beyond imagination.

Each path had its own unique strengths. Lu Qing’s inheritance from the Divine Seal Sect was a form of Fu Xiu—but unlike ordinary talisman cultivators who focused on crafting talismans, his sect cultivated a Shen Hun Fu Lu within the Brow Qi Cavity.

This required far stricter talent than standard Fu Xiu.

Now, the phenomenon of Rou Shen Bao Guang—the body glowing with sacred light—was a hallmark of the Rou Xiu path.

Rou Xiu cultivators dedicated themselves to refining their bodies, drawing in heavenly Qi, and using secret techniques to forge their flesh and bones into something beyond human limits. In essence, they treated their bodies like Treasure Artifacts, endlessly refining them.

True masters of Rou Xiu could even forge their bodies to rival Treasure Artifacts—capable of withstanding direct blows from enchanted weapons, unshaken by even the most powerful strikes.

And at a certain stage, a clear sign emerged: when Qi surged through the body, its surface would emit a sacred glow—like a Treasure Artifact.

This radiant aura wasn’t just for show. It offered powerful defense, and could be shaped into razor-sharp spiritual force, enhancing combat prowess.

It was one of the most distinctive features of Rou Xiu cultivators.

“Rou Xiu practitioners are judged by the color of their radiance: white for the lowest stage, then red, gold, purple, and beyond. The brighter the light, the stronger the cultivator.”

Lu Qing’s current glow was white—the most basic level.

But even so, the significance was staggering.

Even among Rou Xiu disciples, reaching Rou Shen Bao Guang required at least the Zhu Ji Qi realm.

This meant that, in terms of pure body strength, Lu Qing now stood equal to a Zhu Ji Qi-level Rou Xiu cultivator.

“If I fought again, I wouldn’t even need to use any divine techniques—just my body’s strength alone would be enough to shatter the Third Holy Lord’s puppet body.”

Lu Qing clenched his fist, feeling the overwhelming power coursing through him. Confidence surged.

But the body’s strength was only one aspect.

After refining nine strands of Benyuan Qi, Lu Qing’s potential had become bottomless. Even he couldn’t predict just how high his innate talent truly was.

“I should probably choose one or two Rou Xiu techniques to cultivate alongside my current path.”

Lu Qing had never formally trained in Rou Xiu—but already, his body could emit sacred light. To ignore such a gift would be a waste.

Fortunately, the Lihuo Sect’s inheritance contained a few basic Rou Xiu techniques. Though not high-level, they would suffice for now.

Still, the continuous refinement of Benyuan Qi had drained much of his spiritual energy. He decided not to rush. He’d wait until after leaving Sheng Cheng to carefully select his next cultivation path.

With that plan settled, Lu Qing turned his gaze back to the two Jade Bottles before him.

The Ink Jade Bottle was empty, but the White Jade Bottle still held five remaining strands of Benyuan Qi.

“Xuan Ming and the Black Robe Man… you’re truly my lucky stars. You’ve left me such a generous gift.”

Lu Qing carefully resealed the Spiritual Artifacts, locking away the Benyuan Qi’s aura. Though he could no longer refine any more, these were still treasures of immeasurable value.

No one could know how many powerful cultivators would offer everything they possessed just for a single strand.

Of course, he wouldn’t trade them. But he already had a plan for what to do with the remaining Qi.

After stowing both Jade Bottles into his Qiankun Yiqi Dai, Lu Qing took out the other Spiritual Artifacts he’d taken from Xuan Ming.

But after a thorough inspection, his interest quickly waned.

Though all were rare treasures—especially the Jiang Mo Jin Gang Chu, which was a Treasure Artifact—each required specific Buddhist incantations to activate.

Lu Qing had no intention of becoming a monk, nor did he possess any Buddhist combat techniques. So he simply stored them away, planning to deal with them later when the right opportunity arose.

With everything settled, exhaustion finally crept over him.

Today had been overwhelming. Surviving the heavenly tribulation, slaying the Xuan Kong Shan monks, battling the Third Holy Lord—then refining nine strands of Benyuan Qi in succession. Even with his strong spirit, he could no longer endure.

So he extinguished the lamp, climbed into bed, and fell asleep.

That night, he slept deeply, his spirit finally at peace.

But he had no idea that, during that very night, his deeds had spread like wildfire.

The news traveled across Sheng Cheng, then swiftly spread beyond, reaching every corner of Zhong Zhou.

Especially among the great sects—each had its own unique methods to communicate with their Xian Tian Jing Qiang Zhe.

Within a single night, Lu Qing’s name echoed across the land.

“What? During the day, the Heavenly Gift scattered across the sky. In Sheng Cheng, a youth appeared—the first cultivator to pass the heavenly tribulation since the Tian Di Bian Hua?”

In a grand hall of a major sect, a powerful figure shot to his feet, eyes wide as he stared at the elder responsible for intelligence.

Beside him, other elders wore equally stunned expressions.

“Report confirmed, Zong Zhu,” the elder replied solemnly.

Then came a more shocking revelation.

“Not only did the youth slaughter Xuan Ming and the other monks from Xuan Kong Shan after the tribulation… even the Third Holy Lord personally intervened—and still failed. The youth defeated him.”

“Killed the entire Xuan Kong Shan sect… and bested the Third Holy Lord?”

The Zong Zhu and the elders were utterly stunned.

No one could believe it.

Xuan Kong Shan’s monks were powerful—no one dared provoke them. And the Third Holy Lord? His might was legendary.

Not long ago, during the Tian Di Bian Hua, the Three Holy Lords had visited each major sect to prevent chaos. The Third Holy Lord had come to this very sect.

They still remembered the terrifying presence—the man stood silently, emitting no aura, yet every one of them felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness, as if they could never win.

And now, this man—whom they had once deemed invincible—had been defeated by a mere youth?

For a moment, disbelief gripped them all.

The same shock echoed across Zhong Zhou.

Every sect that learned of the events in Sheng Cheng reacted with disbelief. When confirmation came, the news sent shockwaves through the cultivation world.

Some sought to uncover Lu Qing’s identity. Others wanted every detail of the day’s events. And a few even began packing their belongings—determined to travel to Sheng Cheng and witness it all firsthand.

“The first tribulation cultivator since the Tian Di Bian Hua… why has he appeared so suddenly?”

On a peak high above the clouds, a figure radiating terrifying power gripped a Jade Token, his face dark with fury.

“The Heavenly and Earthly Laws have only just begun to stabilize… and already someone has triggered Jie Yun and passed the tribulation?”

His expression was grim.

He had always considered himself unmatched—peerless in talent. Even the Three Holy Lords of Sheng Shan held no fear for him. He knew they were only strong because of Sheng Shan’s divine terrain. If he had been granted Sheng Shan’s approval, he believed he would surpass them all.

As for the Four Secret Places? He held no reverence for them.

Arrogant to the core, he even scorned visiting Sheng Shan to learn ancient arts. He believed anything those three old turtles had could be surpassed—by his own genius.

He was certain that, without ancient techniques, he could still forge his own path by mastering the Heavenly and Earthly Laws.

Indeed, since the Tian Di Bian Hua, during his deep cultivation, he had made remarkable progress. He had believed he would be the first to break through and enter a new realm.

But now, holding the Jade Token, feeling the truth of the news… his calm was shattered.

“Just as the world changes… someone already triggers the tribulation?”

A cold, seething fire burned in his eyes.

“I’ll see just what kind of demon you truly are.”

After long moments, he regained composure. Gazing at the endless sea of clouds before him, he took a step forward—and vanished from the peak.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end