Chapter 004: Waterfall Body Tempering

The next day.

Yang Tian left home early in the morning, heading straight for the back mountain without stopping. His steps were steady, his breathing long, but his speed was fast; each step covered almost a zhang, and the intervals between his steps were nearly identical.

If one observed closely, when his feet landed, only a thin layer of footprints remained on the ground, almost invisible to the naked eye, showing Yang Tian's exceptionally precise control over his body.

The mountain path was rugged, but Yang Tian was extremely familiar with the terrain. Without pausing, after a long run, fine beads of sweat appeared on his nose, and his breathing deepened, but his pace did not slow in the slightest.

After about three quarters of an hour, the sound of babbling water suddenly reached his ears. Yang Tian finally slowed his steps and arrived at a waterfall.

"Rumble, rumble, rumble! ..."

Ahead, a thousand-zhang-high waterfall cascaded down from the top like a dragon plunging into the sea, crashing into the pool below, sending up splashes a zhang high, roaring like muffled thunder.

The pool was deep and bone-chillingly cold, though the water from the waterfall was not cold; but once it touched the pool, it completely changed. This puzzled Yang Tian.

This waterfall had become his little secret.

It was mainly because Yang Tian had inadvertently caught a type of fish in the pool, called the icefish. This fish was usually found in the depths of cold pools or extremely cold places; encountering it here was rare.

This fish was delicious, with an excellent texture, and was considered a delicacy. Not only did it come from a cold pool, but it was also expensive. It was a highly nourishing substance, especially helpful for refining blood. Body cultivation required not only good bone structure but, most importantly, qi and blood. Some people were naturally deficient in qi and blood and had to rely on external substances to supplement it.

Although there were many spiritual medicines to supplement qi and blood, they were not something ordinary people could afford; only disciples of large families were qualified to enjoy them.

Since discovering the fish in the pool, Yang Tian dared not speak of it; if someone powerful learned of it, his life might be in danger.

His gaze fell on the cascading waterfall above, the torrent crashing against the rocks, the roar incessant in his ears.

After a moment, Yang Tian took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and a look of determination settled on his brow.

Yang Tian stepped forward, bent his waist slightly, and did something astonishing: he leaped onto the boulder beneath the waterfall, the very spot where the torrent struck.

"Rumble, rumble..." The torrent instantly slammed into Yang Tian's entire body. Unable to withstand the impact, he was pressed against the rock, excruciating pain tearing through him, his bones groaning under the pressure—a testament to the immense suffering he endured.

"Ha!" Clenching his teeth, Yang Tian let out a low roar, his qi and blood surging. Suddenly, he straightened his back, struggling to sit cross-legged steadily on the rock, resisting the torrent's assault.

This was Yang Tian's daily routine. Though crude, this method improved his cultivation speed far more than sitting in meditation. Moreover, with the Ancestral Dragon Ring, the celestial energy he gathered was even more formidable.

"Rumble, rumble, rumble! ..."

The torrent crashed into the pool like thunderclaps. Yang Tian's body, on the verge of toppling, suddenly straightened under the continuous roar. Bathed in the torrent, his body was soon covered in blood streaks.

"Yang Tian, hold on! If you want to repay your foster father, hold on! If you want to uncover the truth about your family, hold on!" His face twisted in a grimace, he roared on the boulder. The waterfall seemed to echo the youth's roar, the thunderous sounds ceaseless, bearing witness to Yang Tian's terrifying growth.

"Huff... huff..." His breathing was rapid, the abundant blood energy in his body rapidly shrinking. Yang Tian's face was pale and bloodless, his teeth chattering from the cold.

The dozen or so drops of blood in his Sea of Qi were nearly dissipated.

After a quarter of an hour, Yang Tian's body could no longer withstand the torrent's impact and he fell into the pool.

"Hiss..." His nearly drooping eyelids snapped open. The biting cold sobered him somewhat. He struggled to move his body and crawled onto the bank.

"Huff... huff..."

Lying paralyzed on the bank, Yang Tian gasped for air, slowly easing the suffocating sensation from moments ago. His actions had indeed been reckless, but to fulfill the obsession in his heart and find where his parents had gone, the youth could only train desperately. Only by becoming stronger could he be worthy of protecting them!

Inside the Ancestral Dragon Ring.

Yang Tian's figure appeared. He supported himself with his arms, slowly drew his legs together, and formed hand seals. The surrounding essence of heaven and earth was stirred, surging wildly into his body. Yang Tian's spirit jolted, and his breathing gradually steadied.

His body was like a black hole, devouring the surrounding essence of heaven and earth.

Under the scouring of essence, his stiff muscles slowly softened. A tingling numbness swept over him as the essence slowly repaired his damaged skin, the blood streaks fading.

Blood refinement not only condensed blood energy but also tempered the physical body. Only when the body was strong enough could it contain more blood energy. With a body as firm as a rock, one could advance to higher realms. Disciples of great families used spiritual medicines to hone their bodies, making their cultivation speed several times faster than that of scattered cultivators.

After a moment, Yang Tian's damaged skin returned to normal. The repaired skin was slightly tougher than before, but he did not stop absorbing. Now, his skin greedily absorbed the essence of heaven and earth, contracting tightly like a shriveled hide.

Essence continuously poured into his body, irrigating his flesh and blood. A faint luster emanated from Yang Tian, and the blood energy within him swelled again, rumbling like thunder.

Feeling the sensation of growing stronger, a faint smile appeared on his young face. It seemed a bit silly, but beneath that smile lurked a chilling determination.

"Huff." He exhaled deeply and slowly opened his eyes. Now his whole body was full of energy, and his blood energy was much richer than before.

"What a monstrous technique. It used to take hours, but now I recover in a quarter of an hour. Could this be a Heaven-grade technique?" A thought crept into his mind, but he quickly extinguished it. Heaven-grade techniques were too monstrous; Yang Tian had only heard of them—only those at the pinnacle of this continent were qualified to possess them.

"Come on!" Bracing against the tremendous force, the youth's face twisted as he roared, but the excitement in his eyes was undeniable.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of loud crashes seemed to answer the youth. His brows were set with determination. The allure of power was indeed irresistible...

As time passed, the sky gradually turned a fish-belly white. Yang Tian's tightly shut eyes slowly opened, a faint crimson light slipping across his gaze. Just as he was about to head to the pool, a barely perceptible sound came from afar.

Huff.

Taking a deep breath, Yang Tian calmed his instantly racing heart. He pressed his hand to the ground and silently moved behind a large boulder, his gaze fixed on the source of the sound.

"Eh? Who is he?"

Looking at the furtive shadow creeping over in the distance, its build quite thin. Staring at the distant shadow, Yang Tian frowned slightly. This person meant no good.