Chapter 106: Tiger-Form Body! The Whale Hunter!
Chapter 106: Tiger Aspect! The Whale Hunter!
Chapter 106: The Power of One Whale, Reaching the Peak!
Inside the secret chamber.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With every breath Bai Xuan took, the air within the entire chamber surged and vibrated with a thunderous roar. Deep within his physical body, every inch of muscle was igniting power, frantically devouring blood-energy to strengthen itself. The body-tempering imprints forged by the Extreme Abyss Body-Forging Technique were being continuously activated.
"This feeling is truly incredible."
Joy filled Bai Xuan’s eyes. He could feel it… at sixteen, nearly seventeen years old, he would normally have needed five or six more years to push his physical growth to its absolute limit. But at this moment, as the Myriad Life Pill took effect, its medicinal power acted like an invisible key, opening a gate deep within his flesh and blood. His life force flowed out madly, transforming into his own raw strength.
It was as if five or six years of growth had been compressed into a single day.
An endless river of blood-energy, vast as the sea, surged toward him, constantly replenishing his reserves so that his strength could increase without draining his lifespan or causing his body to decay. His physical growth—copper skin, iron bones, jade marrow, mercury blood—all grew in tandem with his life essence. His potential was ignited, becoming more magnificent and terrifying than ever.
"No wonder Master said the Myriad Life Pill is even more important for me."
Bai Xuan felt immense joy. "If I wield my spear with both hands, I can exert at least six hundred thousand jin of force; the power of my spear techniques is now beyond calculation."
Moreover, no matter how formidable a human body is, growth eventually hits a limit. Once full maturity is reached, the body no longer grows stronger but gradually weakens. This worried him, as this situation was not the intended effect of the Myriad Life Pill; it was terrifying, rare, and deeply unsettling.
This transformation lasted for an entire day before gradually slowing, subsiding, and finally ceasing.
Though a martial artist without talent who has never cultivated the path of the Immortals finds it difficult to perceive the trends of heaven and earth, the terrifying momentum Bai Xuan generated while in seclusion—where everything seemed to collapse toward the center of the room—was visible and palpable even to a blind man.
As the medicinal power of the Myriad Life Pill was gradually exhausted, the gate of growth it had opened slowly closed.
"It’s just about at the limit."
Inside the chamber, Bai Xuan was adjusting his state. His inner breath circulated, his golden viscera hummed, and the flow of his mercury blood slowed down. About half a day later, when he opened his eyes, his bodily functions had entered a semi-dormant state.
If he didn't fight a Grandmaster, how could he judge the level of his own strength? Remaining in seclusion forever was not the best choice.
With a single punch, even condensed blood-energy would shatter. One must realize that even a real giant whale weighs only three hundred thousand jin; Bai Xuan could now catch one with a single hand and lift it clean off the ground!
Single-arm strength: three hundred and fifty thousand jin!
"This is no longer a feat for a mortal martial artist. Where did Bai Xuan obtain such a miraculous treasure to have such divine might while in seclusion?"
Outside the chamber, the White-Browed Marquis watched the stone door. He felt terrified.
"How could there be such terrifying momentum? This is a shift in the natural order of heaven and earth—even the naked eye can see it!"
The terrifying aura had ended, and half a day had passed, leaving the room silent. But now, Bai Xuan’s strength was completely different from before.
"I must control this. My body is now too powerful; every moment requires the consumption and circulation of condensed blood-energy. It is better to remain dormant for now."
Bai Xuan’s eyes held a flicker of anticipation.
...
Finally.
Boom!
Bai Xuan clenched his fist, and the surrounding air seemed to crack, thundering loudly. The entire chamber trembled.
He knew that if he were to unleash his full power now, he would be like a terrifying beast; anyone standing near him would feel the crushing pressure brought by his immense physical constitution.
"I wonder what level my strength has reached... It is time to try sparring with the Grandmasters."
...
Boom!
The stone door was pushed open by a single hand.
"Master."
Bai Xuan stepped out. He seemed to have grown another two inches taller, likely because his physical growth had not been controlled to the absolute perfection during the process. He now stood at one meter ninety, with broad shoulders and bulging muscles. He looked martial and imposing, and with every glance, a faint, terrifying aura radiated from him.
As he took a step, he sank three inches into the ground—even a slight leak of his power was truly frightening!
"Bai Xuan! How much strength did you gain in this seclusion?"
The White-Browed Marquis was overjoyed to see Bai Xuan unharmed and asked immediately. He saw the footprint and guessed that Bai Xuan had experienced a terrifying growth.
"Generally speaking, a Myriad Life Pill can increase one's strength by at most thirty thousand jin. At that level, even an ordinary peak Grandmaster would be wary. If you could gain more than twenty thousand jin, I would feel much more at ease for the upcoming sea voyage."
The White-Browed Marquis watched Bai Xuan, pondering. Strength was crucial in the battles between Grandmasters of hard-body cultivation. He suspected Bai Xuan’s power now exceeded sixty thousand jin.
"Thirty thousand jin?"
Bai Xuan blinked. His initial growth had already exceeded thirty thousand jin.
"Master, I need some time to settle and master my own strength," Bai Xuan said calmly.
His strength had just doubled, and he could not yet control his every movement perfectly; he needed to refine it gradually. He would need to spend some time in seclusion again.
"Very well. Continue your cultivation. As it happens, I will not be leaving Thousand Mountain Island for a while. With the storm approaching, I fear the Star-Hunting Pirates' surveillance of the island will soon lead to war. If we win, the Thousand Mountain Army will have overcome a great obstacle, and the seas will be in turmoil—the Age of Greatness will be upon us! If we lose, everything ends."
The White-Browed Marquis spoke solemnly. "You must continue to build your strength. If we lose... the Bai family will not perish. You will take a ship out to sea, avoid the brunt of the conflict, and travel the Eastern Sea. By the time you reach the stage where your blood-energy is as vast as the sea, it won't be too late to restore the Bai family!"
The White-Browed Marquis had clearly prepared for every eventuality. The creation of the Thousand Mountain Army was an inevitable trend, but if they failed, the family was the last thing to preserve. With a peerless genius like Bai Xuan, the Bai family would eventually rise again.
"I understand," Bai Xuan said, his eyes narrowing.
...
A few days passed in a flash.
In the spacious courtyard, Bai Xuan held the Azure Water Blade. As he swung it casually, the entire courtyard was affected by his terrifying power. The air screamed as it was compressed and exploded, sending out terrifying shockwaves.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The air explosions pitted the ground, and the edge of the Azure Water Blade began to crumble, with faint notches appearing.
"Indeed, once one reaches the level above blood-energy flowing like a river, ordinary weapons simply cannot withstand a Grandmaster's power," Bai Xuan sighed inwardly. "Only Divine Weapons can remain indestructible."
Beyond Divine Weapons, some Grandmasters wore armor. Armor of divine quality, combined with condensed blood-energy, provided seamless defense. Even the most terrifying attacks could hardly harm such wealthy Grandmasters. The only drawback was that if the opponent's strength was too overwhelming, it was like using a battering ram against chainmail; no matter how hard the armor, the human body inside could not withstand the impact, and one would be crushed into pulp in a single blow.
Swish!
Bai Xuan suddenly retracted the blade. His muscles vibrated, and his strength instantly converged. He moved like a breeze, circling the courtyard in a blur before returning to his original spot.
Whoosh!
A gentle breeze swept past, blowing a small flower in the corner, which instantly turned into dust.
"This strength is finally under a certain degree of control."
Bai Xuan was satisfied. The physical strength he gained from the Myriad Life Pill was now fully under his command; he would no longer be unable to control it.
"The Dragon Tail Transformation still needs improvement... That day, when I killed the Taoist, a single blow contained half of all my blood-energy. But if I can reach the level where blood-energy is like a river, a single blow could contain all my blood-energy—truly reaching the heavens and shaking the earth!"
The third layer of the Whirlwind Spear Technique he practiced was called "Whirlwind Reaching the Heavens." A single strike integrated all the power and blood-energy of his body into a massive vortex that could shroud and shatter everything.
Currently, Bai Xuan had more than enough control over his own "Nine Brooks" of blood-energy. However, controlling the giant whale blood-energy—which had the intensity of two rivers—was somewhat beyond him. At most, he could only control one.
"When I reach the 'Blood-Energy Like a River' stage, I will be able to control it perfectly. It will be time to catch and hunt more giant whales."
...
In the afternoon.
"You've finally come out of seclusion! Come, let's spar, Master!" The White-Browed Marquis arrived at the monster fish pasture, overjoyed.
He had wanted to catch Bai Xuan to teach him personally, but Bai Xuan had been controlling his strength. Now that he had truly mastered it, he had finally emerged.
"Very well!"
Bai Xuan’s eyes flickered. He did not object.
The moment he spoke, the White-Browed Marquis vanished from his spot, his speed reaching an extreme!
"What speed!"
Bai Xuan’s eyes narrowed. Although he had seen it before, he was still slightly shocked. The Marquis’s entire cultivation was focused on the Tiger Aspect Diagram; when he exploded with full speed, it was truly shocking!
However.
"I can keep up."
Bai Xuan could see the Marquis’s movements. Even without using his divine strength, relying on his "Nine Brooks" of blood-energy, he could instantly keep up!
"I haven't spent long contemplating the Mountain Lord Howling Wind Tiger Aspect Diagram, but... I am no longer inferior to Master."
Bai Xuan’s eyes could pierce through the changes in the Tiger Aspect Diagram. His speed was skyrocketing!
Swish!
Bai Xuan also vanished from his spot!
At this moment.
Swish, swish, swish!
In the entire courtyard, no human figures could be seen—only the howling wind, controlled by both sides, forming vortexes!
"It feels so good... After this surge in strength, everything else has improved, including speed."
He did not strike easily, trying his best to control his power while gradually increasing his speed. His leg strength was no less than his arms—also three hundred and fifty thousand jin. At this level, every slight increase could determine victory.
"Indeed, this divine strength is the most fundamental guarantee. If I were to face my former self, a single strike would be a crushing blow. I estimate that with one sweep of my spear, the entire person would be like a cannonball, sent flying hundreds of meters."
Bai Xuan continued to dodge the Marquis’s blade light, still not attacking.
On the other side, the White-Browed Marquis was stunned.
"How is it possible... this speed, it's still increasing!"
He wasn't trying to defeat Bai Xuan; he was gradually increasing the speed and frequency of his blade light to let Bai Xuan reveal his strength. But the terrifying thing was that the black tiger markings on Bai Xuan’s skin were fading, and his blood-energy was no longer condensing—yet his speed was not slowing down!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Every step Bai Xuan took caused the ground to crack; the intense vibrations shook the small courtyard, sending mud flying as if hit by explosives.
"He is using pure power to increase his speed! Terrifying, truly terrifying. After taking the Myriad Life Pill, my disciple's physical constitution has reached a shocking level!"
The White-Browed Marquis was stunned. Such strength was terrifying even to him. Even though his own blood-energy was like a river, he felt a tremor in his heart when facing such divine power.
He feared that with a single strike, his tiger markings would fail to defend, his condensed blood-energy would shatter, and his entire body might be blown to pieces!