Chapter 130: The Battle of Body Cultivators (Part II)

(Thank you all for your support with the evaluation tickets. The rating is climbing rapidly; truly, righteousness prevails over evil!)

The first clash left the surrounding family disciples buzzing with excitement. Every eye was drawn to the stage, the casual indifference and disdain they had previously held now vanished.

Xu Xuan stood on one side of the martial arts arena, quietly observing Fang Gang in the opposite corner. He remained locked onto his opponent, showing no intention of making the first move, as if he were merely observing and contemplating something.

Facing a body cultivator two levels above his own, he appeared remarkably composed and indifferent.

Fang Gang’s expression was grim, his heart filled with shock. The opponent’s strength was so formidable—was he truly just a martial cultivator? And why did this person possess an aura that felt so strangely familiar to him?

Deep within his body, the peculiar spiritual energy that had fused with his flesh and blood surged, filling him completely. His presence swelled, and his eyes glowed like lanterns in the night.

Xu Xuan narrowed his eyes as he watched Fang Gang’s muscles expand, bulging like heavy lumps of iron.

Already possessing a physique that exceeded that of an ordinary person, Fang Gang now grew even larger, appearing like a small giant, radiating a suppressive and intimidating aura.

"Is this the power of a body cultivator? It is far more formidable than I imagined. If one were to get too close, even a martial cultivator would suffer."

"It’s terrifying just to look at him!"

Many people off-stage felt a chill down their spines, staring in trepidation at the figure as sturdy as an iron ox.

"Body cultivator... is this what they call a body cultivator in later generations?"

Xu Xuan sensed the unique spiritual energy fluctuation fused within Fang Gang’s flesh and felt a trace of inexplicable sorrow and disappointment.

This expression caused the anger already building within Fang Gang to erupt completely.

"Let me see the true strength of a second-tier guest advisor! If not, how can you expect the disciples of the Fang family to be convinced?"

Fang Gang’s fury soared to the heavens. With a roar, his body launched forward like a cannonball.

*Thud!*

The ground of the arena shuddered. A blur of movement left a small crater where he had stood.

In the next instant, Fang Gang’s massive, imposing figure was already before Xu Xuan.

*Whoosh! Boom!*

A leg like an iron pillar, carrying a fierce and astonishing wind, swept toward Xu Xuan in the blink of an eye.

Everyone off-stage held their breath. A full-force kick from a Level 8 Qi Refining body cultivator possessed such terrifying power that even an iron statue might be shattered by a single blow.

Against such overwhelming force, even the protective spiritual light of a Qi Refining cultivator would be no more effective than paper.

Yu Qin, standing below the stage, flushed red with intense nervousness and reflexively closed her eyes.

Zhang Feng’s heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself that this was bad; the opponent was a body cultivator two levels higher than Xu Xuan—how could he have so easily agreed to this fight?

Lin Hui wore a cold, triumphant smirk.

The most composed of all was Zhang Yuhan, standing further away. In her beautiful eyes, she recalled the unfathomable confidence Xu Xuan had displayed last time at the Zhang Tianling Pavilion, and this time, his calm was even more profound.

It all happened in a flash. The iron-pillar leg had already slammed toward Xu Xuan.

Xu Xuan did not dodge. In that split second, a scorching heat, as if the heavens were burning with flame, erupted from him. A hand, hardened like red copper, struck firmly against Fang Gang’s leg.

*Boom!*

A heavy, heart-stopping sound exploded in everyone’s minds. The hearts of Zhang Feng and the others nearly leaped out of their chests.

The hard rock beneath their feet peeled away and shattered, kicking up a storm of stone dust.

At that moment, even the Spirit Refining stage immortals watching from the crowd were moved.

The collision of fist and leg lasted for a heartbeat. With a loud *bang*, Fang Gang’s body was sent flying several yards back, a muffled groan escaping him in mid-air.

As for Xu Xuan, his feet sank several inches into the earth, but he did not retreat a single step.

The difference was clear!

"How can this be..."

Fang Gang’s face was ashen. After landing, he swayed, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

The outcome had not yet been decided, and he had not truly lost, but the psychological gap left Fang Gang feeling as though he had fallen into a bottomless abyss.

He was a body cultivator—a body cultivator two levels higher than his opponent—and yet he had been repelled by this man.

If the opponent had gained the upper hand through speed, magical treasures, or divine abilities, he might have accepted it. But this man had gone head-to-head with him in a pure display of physical strength.

*Whoosh!*

A wave of astonished gasps broke out among the crowd.

"It seems this person isn't just a second-tier guest advisor for nothing; he has real substance."

"This youth can’t be more than sixteen or seventeen. His potential is immeasurable. The Eldest Miss certainly has a sharp eye."

The crowd discussed animatedly.

One of the Spirit Refining guest advisors remarked with emotion: "The Zhang family gathers talent from everywhere. The Patriarch’s prestige commands respect and he employs people based on their merits. The Young Master is benevolent and makes friends with extraordinary people, and the Eldest Miss is peerless in wisdom. With their guidance, they will surely unify the Yellow Dragon within a century, and perhaps even have a chance to contend for the peak of the heavens..."

A smile bloomed on Zhang Yuhan’s beautiful, alluring face, and she nodded secretly.

"Great!"

Zhang Feng clapped in approval, and the nearby family disciples cheered and lent their support.

Beside them, Lin Hui’s expression froze, his face turning as sour as a frost-bitten eggplant.

"You... you are not a martial cultivator!"

On the stage, Fang Gang suddenly screamed.

Not a martial cultivator!

A dead silence fell around the martial arts arena.

"Laughable and pathetic. Is this what you call a body cultivator? A method of fusing external spiritual energy into flesh and blood—neither immortal nor physical—it is simply a mongrel path."

Xu Xuan’s face revealed deep sorrow and disappointment. A mongrel path!

The words struck like a heavy hammer, causing Fang Gang’s body to tremble.

"The body cultivators of later generations—have you seen them? They are barely a branch of immortal or demonic cultivation. The true body cultivators were long ago drowned in the torrents of history..."

The voice of his past-life remnant soul echoed in his mind.

Xu Xuan took a deep breath. At this moment, he was even more determined in his ambition: in this life, he would wash away the reputation of body cultivators as mere cannon fodder and make the practitioners of later generations tremble in shock!

"Body cultivator... you are not one!"

Xu Xuan stood tall and straight, looking down at Fang Gang with a sense of superiority.

"Body cultivator... you are not one!"

The phrase hit Fang Gang’s heart like a heavy hammer.

In the cultivation world, as body cultivation gradually faded, those who practiced it became increasingly rare and often relegated to cannon fodder.

Fang Gang’s talent was poor, but by chance, he had obtained a method for physical cultivation. Although it did not necessarily guarantee victory over other cultivators of the same rank, the rarity of body cultivators meant he was highly valued in the current cultivation world.

After all, things are valued for their scarcity. Besides, body cultivation in later generations was still a valid path, not necessarily inferior to others; it was just that the training was extremely arduous and monotonous. Those without sufficient perseverance could never succeed.

"I am not a body cultivator? What right do you have to say that? What qualifications do you have?"

Fang Gang roared in anger, nearly losing his sanity.

"Body cultivator, you have already gone down the wrong path. Let me show you the strength of a true body cultivator."

Xu Xuan took a long breath, his figure darting forward as he took the initiative.

He had finally moved!

The moment he moved, an "aura" that existed in the cracks between heaven and earth emanated from him.

A primitive and rustic energy, mixed with the scorching heat of flame, surged toward Fang Gang like a tidal wave.

Fang Gang’s whole body shook. Amidst the burning heat, he sensed an aura that felt both intimate and repulsive.

In that moment, he felt as if he were witnessing the primeval era: volcanic eruptions, mountains collapsing, floods rising, and living beings suffering. Countless tiny creatures wailed, but there was one kind of simple "human" standing alongside heaven and earth, resisting countless disasters. That unyielding, arduously tempered strength was enough to make even the most powerful existences of the primeval era pale in comparison.

In the blink of an eye, Xu Xuan closed the distance, his fists and palms striking out in a simple, rustic manner.

*Snap! Snap! Bang!*

With every blow, Fang Gang retreated a step or two, as if undergoing the baptism of a volcanic eruption. That hot, violent energy shook his soul again and again.

With each clash, he felt that primitive, raw power. His flesh throbbed inexplicably, and his soul trembled in submission.

Off-stage, the crowd watched, dumbfounded, as Fang Gang was completely suppressed, forced into a continuous retreat.

Finally, the violent, fire-like energy on Xu Xuan reached its limit. He threw a simple punch, as if a volcano had erupted right before their eyes, sending terrifying, molten lava rushing into the world.

That punch was also an outpouring of all the grievances and frustrations in Xu Xuan’s heart, like the raging flame of a dragon.

*Boom!*

Fang Gang’s tall, sturdy body was blasted away by the punch. He fell to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.

The spectators off-stage were left in a state of shock and awe.

"So powerful!"

"No wonder he could become a second-tier guest advisor despite being only at the Qi Refining stage!"

The crowd whispered among themselves, their gazes toward Xu Xuan filled with deep reverence.

A Level 8 Qi Refining body cultivator had actually been defeated.

Lin Hui’s face was filled with utter horror. He had used Fang Gang to deal with Xu Xuan, never imagining such an outcome.

Zhang Feng finally snapped out of his shock, his face showing joy: "I never expected Brother Zhang to win."

Zhang Yuhan’s eyes shimmered with delight. He had won again, as if this outcome was not entirely unexpected.

Yu Qin’s small face was excited, her smile like the morning clouds, her hands tightly clenched as she struggled to come down from her intense nervousness.

"You are gradually grasping the essence of ancient body cultivation. There is no strongest cultivation method, only the strongest person. Even among body cultivators, there are differences in strength. You are now an elite among them..."

The voice of the remnant soul from his past life carried a hint of admiration.

Xu Xuan agreed deeply. Any cultivation method only grants the strongest power when one masters its essence. The reason he chose ancient body cultivation was that it was more rustic, closer to the Great Dao, and offered the best chance to surpass his past life; it was not necessarily that it was inherently stronger than other methods.

Fang Gang, the loser, struggled to climb up from the ground. He looked at Xu Xuan with a complex expression and said with difficulty: "Body cultivator... so you are one, too."

Once these words were spoken, they sent shockwaves through the crowd once more. Countless family disciples were stunned.

A body cultivator—he was one, too?

"Brother Xu is actually a body cultivator?" Zhang Feng was also greatly surprised, murmuring, "No wonder he is so strong."

"Yes, I am also a body cultivator," Xu Xuan took a deep breath, a compelling light flashing in his eyes. "But I am not the kind of body cultivator who becomes cannon fodder, nor am I one who has gone astray and been looked down upon. I am a true body cultivator who seeks to revive this path. And you—you are clearly walking on the wrong path, which is why you lost to me."

(The second update will be later; you can read it tomorrow morning... Also, I am asking for monthly tickets. I won't miss a chapter, and my condition is recovering; I think adding more updates won't be difficult.)