BOOM!
A string of Sin Coins surged into the Mottled Copper Ring.
The Golden Light within it grew ever brighter.
Lin Shu’s expression faltered, and he abruptly slowed his movements.
’Still no reaction?’
Even the Ninth Grade Foundation Establishment Howling Moon Soul-Eroding Curse had only cost a single string of coins.
’What on earth did Old Yang and Jin Gui give me?’
Lin Shu winced, feeling the sting of the expense.
He had originally planned to see what this Immortal Technique did first, then use the remaining Sin Coins to help his Seventh Grade Soul-Eroding Curse break through to Middle Grade.
’I’ve already spent so much; I can’t just give up halfway.’
He took a deep breath. The surrounding pitch-black coins flew up in succession, transforming into a black light that completely enveloped the Copper Ring.
Once ten strings of Sin Coins were consumed, two notifications appeared in succession.
[Consumed ten strings of Sin Coins. Evil Immortal taking form...]
[Foundation Establishment Fourth Grade. Golden Lion Hundred Bones Formulas: Entry-level]
"A Middle Grade Immortal Technique?"
Lin Shu’s pupils shrank. It wasn’t just a Middle Grade Foundation Establishment technique, but a Fourth Grade one—just a single step shy of Upper Grade!
A scroll suddenly unfurled in his mind.
But before he could get a closer look, a tearing pain swept through his entire body.
One moment, Lin Shu was the very picture of calm, sitting atop the Signal Tower after annihilating four Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators with a flick of his finger.
A few breaths later, he was lying on the same spot, curled up and convulsing violently.
The scroll in his mind completely unfurled.
The scene was surrounded by mountains and rivers. A waterfall cascaded from the clouds, rushing and surging like a great river, carrying an immense, unstoppable force.
A massive creature, at least forty feet long and twenty feet tall at the shoulder, strode through the landscape. It had a powerful, majestic build and a thick mane that shimmered with flecks of gold.
This Golden Lion ambled to the base of the waterfall.
It allowed the torrent to crash down upon its body, then, with all its might, it slammed violently into the high mountain!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The earth quaked and the mountains shook. The sprawling forests and rivers trembled in unison.
The lion’s skin split open and its flesh was mangled, its bones shattered, yet a Golden Light emerged to help it reforge its physical body.
With each successive tempering, all the bones in its body began to glow with a golden-jade luster, becoming as indestructible as refined steel.
Until the final collision.
The mountain and forest collapsed entirely!
[Foundation Establishment Fourth Grade. Golden Lion Hundred Bones Formulas: Minor Success]
Lin Shu dazedly opened his eyes.
The fifteen strings of Sin Coins from before, along with the one he had saved for an emergency, had vanished without a trace.
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and pressed his palms to the ground to sit up.
KRAK... KRAK... KRAK!
Fine cracks suddenly appeared on the weathered surface of the Signal Tower.
The entire structure began to tremble violently, looking as if it might collapse at any second.
HISS!
Lin Shu hurriedly pulled his hands back.
Only then did he notice the golden sheen on his skin that had yet to completely fade.
He quickly closed his eyes and looked inward.
He saw that all the bones in his body, just like the lion’s in the scroll, were glowing with a golden-jade luster.
It had taken ten strings of Sin Coins just to manifest it, and another six strings to barely advance it from entry-level to Minor Success.
His Cultivation hadn’t improved in the slightest.
Because all of those Sin Coins had been spent on his Physique!
His qi and blood roared like a furnace, his physical strength surged like a raging river.
Beneath his robes, his once thin and scholarly frame had undergone a complete transformation.
His muscles grew firm and his frame became defined, without a single trace of excess fat. He looked as if he’d been meticulously sculpted by a master artisan, his body now agile and powerful.
"What’s happening! Are you all right?"
"I’m so hot..."
"Ah! My hands got a little bigger!"
The panicked, helpless, and childlike cries of Yu Sheng echoed one after another in Lin Shu’s mind.
He froze for a second, only then realizing that during the transformation, the wisp of Essence Blood floating within him had been used as a nourishing supplement by the Body Tempering Formulas and forged into his very being.
’No wonder it only took six strings of coins to raise the mastery of a Fourth Grade Foundation Establishment Immortal Technique by a level.’
’This is bad... I can’t force it out anymore!’
The corner of Lin Shu’s eye twitched.
’I never actually intended to hold onto this little chick forever.’
’It’s just that I’m still unfamiliar with the outside world and don’t have enough power to protect myself. I was planning to return her Essence Blood once the situation improved.’
"I’m fine, but you seem to be having some issues,"
Lin Shu cleared his throat and replied via Divine Thought, "Never mind. We’ll talk about it when I get back."
He composed himself and turned his attention back to his new physique.
Clenching his fist, a look of astonishment flashed across Lin Shu’s face.
’This is insane.’
’With just my bare hands, I feel like I could crush that Mid-stage Jade Liquid Foundation Establishment Cultivator... I could even crush my former self.’
’Of course, that doesn’t mean my physical body alone is stronger than my entire previous self.’
The Golden Lion Hundred Bones Formulas at the Minor Success Realm was equivalent to a Fourth Grade Inner Technique also at the Minor Success Realm.
This was roughly equivalent to the Mid-stage Jade Liquid realm, perhaps even a little weaker.
Being able to crush someone isn’t the same as being able to win a fight against them. It sounds strange, but the reason is quite simple.
This Immortal Technique had two terrifying aspects.
First, it strengthened the physical body directly, requiring no Spiritual Power to activate. Second, it produced no spiritual fluctuations when he attacked.
The former guaranteed he could unleash his full strength at any moment, without needing to form hand seals or circulate Spiritual Power.
The latter was equivalent to blinding a Cultivator’s Spiritual Sense, effectively blocking their "eyes and ears."
Lin Shu shuddered to think what would have happened if those blasts of Sword Qi from before hadn’t attacked from a distance, but had appeared right at his back. He feared not even the Ink Flood Dragon Sword Bracelet could have saved him.
’So insidious. I must be on guard against this.’
A trace of apprehension flashed in his eyes.
’As I thought, arduously training my Cultivation isn’t enough. I also need plenty of real-world experience.’
’Only by seeing more can you gain the experience to defend against all kinds of tactics.’
’But this Immortal Technique doesn’t seem to have the ’Half-Life Immortal’ prefix.’
’That means it’s a technique from a Scattered Immortal.’
’The Immortal Body, just like the Cyan Simurgh, has no Soul. It can’t be brought to life.’

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