Martial Ascent to Divinity

Zhou Leng carefully calculated the uses for this money.

"I already have 66 Replenishing Essence Pills. With the 20 from the Eagle Plan reward, and all the odds and ends, I estimate I won't need to buy any more to reach 100."

"Strengthening Body Pills cost 200,000 each. Buying three before promotion should be enough."

"After that, I need to prepare for the 'Promotion Elixir' of the Body Refining Stage."

"At the moment of advancing in Body Refining during Blood Transport, the body undergoes qualitative change."

"It's essential to use the correct pills to perfect one's body refining."

"Otherwise, it could result in Qi and blood deficiency or flawed body refinement, which would take a long time to compensate for."

"Next, I'll need to prepare a bottle of 'Flesh and Blood Potion' valued at 1.5 million, which helps shape the flesh and avoids accidents during body refining."

"Prepare a 'Great Returning Pill' worth a million, to better integrate Qi and blood into the body, opening up more micro-meridians."

"Finally, a 'Tongqiao Pill', also valued at a million, which is an Innate Realm pill but has been found to be even more effective when used during the Body Refining Stage, enabling the formation of more capillaries."

"A total of 3.5 million, half of the money on hand is gone, not to mention 100 Strengthening Body Pills..."

"Everything else is manageable, but Flesh and Blood Potion is a product of the Demon Spirit World and can't necessarily be bought, even with money."

"It can be exchanged for battle points, but that requires spending a third-class merit. Moreover, I need to keep the battle points to exchange for Gravity Cultivation Armor."

"The utility of the Gravity Cultivation Armor is immense..."

Early morning, November 28th.

At the Shuizhou base, a massive caravan slowly exited the base gate.

camel-like beasts dragged hundreds of large carts, moving slowly forward.

There were times when caravans used Blue Star vehicles for long-distance transport, but after encountering various annoying incidents and calculating costs, they settled on using the camel beasts of the Dwarf World for transport.

A ten thousand-strong team composed of dozens of Pioneer Companies embarked on their journey, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Zhou Leng and Zhang Xinglie were in the ranks of the "Huahong Exploration Company" team, moving forward slowly.

The Huahong Exploration Company is a powerful Pioneer Company in Xiong City, established by a Grandmaster.

After Zhang Xinglie and Zhou Leng joined the team, the team leader personally welcomed them and told the other pioneers to take good care of the two of them.

Zhang Xinglie found an opportunity to hand over five Blood Replenishing Pills, which the other party accepted with a smile.

After the leader left, Zhou Leng took out five boxes of Blood Replenishing Pills to give to Zhang Xinglie.

"You came because I asked you; I can't let you spend." Zhou Leng said.

Zhang Xinglie laughed, "At the table, you said you wanted to dine on my dime, and now you've forgotten. We're brothers; there's no need to argue over such matters."

Zhou Leng nodded, no longer refusing, and looked around.

"I'll share some medicinal fruits and leaves with you; don't give them to others." Zhou Leng whispered.

"Alright." Zhang Xinglie did not hesitate either.

Zhou Leng took out several fruits and leaves from his Magic Spirit Bag and stuffed them into Zhang Xinglie's Magic Spirit Bag.

Zhang Xinglie glanced around, noticing no one was paying attention, and whispered, "Your methods are quite unorthodox, huh? I can't even recognize these things. Don't give them all to me."

Zhou Leng shook his Magic Spirit Bag and said, "I have plenty in here, well-prepared."

To trade for medicinal fruits and leaves with Xiaoba, Zhou Leng bought as many as six whole roasted pigs and four whole roasted sheep.

He also gave Huang one low-sodium whole one, and Huang and Xiaoba had a great time.

Xiaoba even secretly gifted a crystal-clear Crystal Fruit.

Huang and Zhou Leng had to gesture and explain to understand its effect.

When severely injured, eating one could make even an Innate Mammoth lively again.

Zhang Xinglie also took out five Replenishing Essence Pills to hand to Zhou Leng.

"I have already eaten 100 Replenishing Essence Pills before body refining; now I'm starting on Strengthening Body Pills, so keeping them won't help. You can use them."

Zhou Leng accepted without hesitation, saying, "I'm just about to hit 100."

"How many are you at now?"

"With these five, 71."

"Good." Zhang Xinglie sincerely felt happy, seeing that his brother for many years had also encountered an opportunity.

After speaking, Zhou Leng took out a fruit and said, "Let's eat this first to replenish energy and comprehensively enhance our physique."

Zhang Xinglie selected a similar fruit from his own Magic Spirit Bag, and they ate together.

The fruit resembled a red cucumber, slightly bitter at first but increasingly sweet as they ate.

After finishing, both men's skin turned slightly red, and their nasal passages tingled when breathing.

"Not bad." Zhang Xinglie glanced at Zhou Leng. Having eaten more pills since childhood compared to Zhou Leng and expanding his horizons in Xiongjing, he knew the value of this fruit.

The efficacy of any pill has a limit.

Even natural medicinal fruits and leaves have their limits, but directly consuming natural medicinal fruits raises the limit significantly.

This was especially true for such a never-before-tasted medicinal fruit. It seemed ordinary but for someone like him who had consumed 100 Replenishing Essence Pills, the effect equaled that of over a dozen Replenishing Essence Pills.

"Shall we start the morning training?"

"Yes!"

The two found people from the caravan and located a bag of merchandise weighing about six hundred kilograms. Zhou Leng carried it on his shoulder for weight training while walking.

Zhang Xinglie adjusted the Gravity Cultivation Armor and, along with Zhou Leng, walked under weighted conditions without True Qi.

It wasn't just these two; many martial artists in the team began training their bodies while walking or practicing external skills as they walked.

After weight training and some rest, the two started True Qi training.

Afterward, they engaged in sparring without True Qi.

The martial artists of the Huahong caravan occasionally glanced over, nodding in approval regardless of their strength.

"As expected from Yunhua Martial Arts Academy students..."

By noon, the team didn't rest, and everyone used Marching Pills to satisfy their hunger.

In the afternoon, the two continued their cultivation, but the intensity was reduced.

More time was spent exchanging insights on cultivation, contemplating the key aspects of training.

It wasn't until nine in the evening that the large convoy stopped and, under the command of the leader, set up camp.

Unlike ordinary small teams, this huge camp was extremely safe.

After everyone had eaten and drank their fill, they quickly became lively.

Soon, many people began sparring and formed temporary martial arts dojos.

Within the Huahong Trading Team, some in the Body Refining Stage politely asked Zhang Xinglie for guidance.

Zhang Xinglie couldn't refuse and thus sparred with other pioneers in the Body Refining Stage.

This quickly attracted many martial artists to join in and watch.

After each sparring session, everyone exchanged their insights.

The atmosphere on site was excellent.

Occasionally, experts in the Vitality Stage would offer a few comments, greatly benefiting those below that stage.

Zhou Leng had been earnestly learning, gradually understanding why the Pioneer Company also produced experts.

Unlike the Academic School, the Pioneer Company placed more emphasis on actual combat.

Ultimately, they achieve the same goals by different means.

However, pioneers were busy with various jobs, so their actual cultivation time was less than that of the Demon City Army or the Martial Guard Department and other major forces.

The next morning, after everyone had eaten, they gradually proceeded with their morning exercises.

Then, they set off on the journey.

The large convoy moved forward like a marching army, encountering no wind or waves along the way.

Occasionally, they saw demons in the distance, but there was no need to chase them away as they fled on their own.

On the road, Zhang Xinglie met his classmate from Yunhua Martial Arts Academy, Zhao Le, exchanged a few words, and then parted ways.

After traveling for three consecutive days, the team emerged from the forest and entered the desert.

After another three days traveling through the desert, they reached a city with a style notably different from the Human Race.

One by one, steel dwarves came and went, walking along the city walls.

"We've arrived at the Shuizhou base of the dwarves. Everyone, be cautious and avoid tangling with the dwarves. Especially those dwarves that drink…"

The people in the convoy continuously reminded each other of the various precautions.

The long convoy slowly entered the dwarf base.

Zhou Leng took a brief look around.

The overall style was different from humans, but many places imitated human architecture.

It was much cleaner and neater than dwarf cities he'd seen in videos.

Here, a small number of people stopped.

The convoy crossed the barrier between the worlds in the dwarf base, officially entering the dwarf world.

Subsequently, the convoy split into three, heading to different dwarf cities.

Zhou Leng and Zhang Xinglie chose to head to the largest nearby dwarf city, Furnace of Flame.

The Royal Capital constructed by the Ancient King Mountain Furnace back in the day.

The group of five thousand continued onward.

In the afternoon, Zhou Leng saw a person in leather attire in the team ahead, someone he had clashed with in a nightclub before — Tu Rong.

At nightfall, they set up camp, and Zhou Leng called Zhang Xinglie to a secluded place.

"I spotted some rivals here; be prepared," Zhou Leng said.

"Who are they?"

"People from the Five Tigers of Shuizhou and some foreign martial artists…" Zhou Leng briefly explained how he became enemies with the Five Tigers of Shuizhou, and about previously killing Yu Baocheng and others.

Zhang Xinglie slowly said, "Now I understand why you've improved so much. Compared to you, my time in Yunhua over these months feels like being a flower in a greenhouse."

"Don't you undergo various real combat training?"

"It's different. I haven't gone through a life-and-death battle like the Celestial Ladder entrance exam, nor experienced being hunted by others. At most, I've killed some solitary demons. When I return to Xiong City, I need to change my cultivation strategy," Zhang Xinglie said.

"I'd rather not have encountered these people," Zhou Leng said helplessly.

Zhang Xinglie said, "The strength of Huahong Exploration Company far surpasses the Five Tigers of Shuizhou. They wouldn't dare act rashly. Once inside Furnace of Flame, they wouldn't easily make a move either. As long as we don't encounter them in the wild, we should be fine."

Zhang Xinglie looked into the distance, continuing, "If we really can't avoid them, the two of us can team up and fight, as long as they're not in the Vitality Stage. We have nothing to fear."

"Have you consolidated your Mid-Stage of Body Refining?"

"After these days of cultivation, I'm almost there. Meeting an ordinary Late Stage Body Refiner is not an issue," Zhang Xinglie said calmly.

As a student close to the top tier at Yunhua, he possessed this capability.

"Sorry for dragging you into trouble," Zhou Leng said.

"Actually, I might be the one dragging you into trouble," Zhang Xinglie replied.

"How so?"

"Do you remember Zhao Le, whom we met a few days ago?"

"I remember. You mentioned he was a humanities student at Yunhua Martial Arts Academy, grew up mastering Divine Text. You also said he suggested introducing you to the third prince of the Zhao Family, which you declined," Zhou Leng said.

Zhang Xinglie said, "The people they're with this time are no ordinary folk. From what I heard, the person leading the group is from the Zhao Clan's kin, the Lou Family."

Zhou Leng paused for a moment, clenched his fists, then slowly relaxed.

Zhang Xinglie, not noticing Zhou Leng's expression, continued, "A member of the Lou Family married into the Zhao Clan's second branch, the brother of the current patriarch of the Zhao Family."

"Like other martial clans, besides Saint Zhao who maintains integrity, the rest of the descendants... are indistinguishable from each other. The Lou Family was originally small and insignificant, but since latching onto the Zhao Clan, they've been even more arrogant than the Zhao Clan."

"I rejected Zhao Tong; they might be displeased, but they wouldn't harm me without any direct conflict of interest. However… the Lou Family's reputation isn't good," Zhang Xinglie said.