Chu Feng had never been this interested in cultivation before. As for this body-tempering technique….he would learn it even if he had to skip meals!
He originally thought Protector Hu would say something profound and let him comprehend it on his own, just like when Aunt Zi explained the Soft Sword Intent to him.
But he didn’t expect Protector Hu to bring over two large stones, thread a piece of black iron through the middle, and tell him to carry them.
If it had been before, Chu Feng would have thought it impossible. But now that he had cultivation… this was it?
The very first second he lifted it, he regretted it. The true qi inside his body was suppressed to the point that it could barely circulate. Moreover, the stones were extremely heavy….definitely not ordinary stones.
Three seconds later, Chu Feng couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed from exhaustion.
Seeing this, Protector Hu immediately caught the stones.
“Haa… haa… Wh-What kind of stones are these?”
Chu Feng lay on the ground, panting heavily.
“This is how our demon race trains the power of flesh and blood. No matter what methods your human race uses to temper the body, you always rely on true qi as assistance. That way you can never truly unleash the body’s potential. Only by suppressing true qi and relying purely on the blood and vitality within the body can one forge a truly powerful physique.”
Protector Hu took away one of the stones, leaving only a single stone for Chu Feng.
“Human, start with one stone. When the day comes that you can lift it with a single finger, then you can try two stones.”
Chu Feng stood up and looked at the stone, which was nearly half his height. He asked, “Protector Hu, how long did you train for? I mean with just one stone.”
Hearing this, Protector Hu immediately revealed a proud expression. “I broke the record of our tiger clan. It only took me a short ten years.”
Ten years!! And that’s considered short!!
Chu Feng felt that even now, he still couldn’t get used to the sense of time among cultivators. How could the words ten years and short possibly be used together!?
“Is there any faster method?”
Chu Feng felt it might be necessary to take a crooked path. Even cooking had shortcuts. Cultivation should have some too.
Protector Hu looked toward the rabbit-eared girl. “Hey! Rabbit, when Her Majesty told me to train him, did she also say he wasn’t allowed to lose a layer of skin?”
“Hmm… Her Majesty said as long as his life isn’t in danger, it’s fine.”
The rabbit-eared girl replied.
Before they came, Su Tiantian had told Protector Hu that Chu Feng must not lose even a layer of skin; it was to ensure his safety. But now that she had publicly declared in front of all the Demon Kings that Chu Feng belonged to her, none of them would dare harm him anyway.
“Since Her Majesty said that, then I can really let loose!”
Protector Hu’s face was filled with barely restrained excitement.
At that moment, Chu Feng’s right eyelid began twitching uncontrollably.
A bad feeling arose. His sixth sense was warning him.
Following Protector Hu’s instructions, he lifted a single stone. Compared to the previous two, this one was much easier.
“Hold it for a quarter of an hour!”
Hearing Protector Hu’s words, Chu Feng felt that he should be able to endure it.
Just as he was exerting all his strength, Protector Hu, who had been standing nearby, somehow appeared with a small leather whip in his hand. He gave Chu Feng a wicked smile.
Suddenly, Chu Feng’s heart skipped a beat.
Smack!
The whip lashed across his body, burning with a fiery pain.
“!!??”
Chu Feng’s eyes widened.
“Hey, hey….what’s going on here?!”
Since when did training involve whipping people with a little leather whip?
Protector Hu panted slightly as he said, “Human, this is the fast method you asked for. It helps stimulate your blood and make it circulate faster.”
Just as Protector Hu raised the whip, preparing to strike again—
“Wait! I have a request!”
Chu Feng hurriedly shouted.
“What request?”
“I don’t want you to hit me. I want the Rabbit Sister to hit me instead!”
“What’s the difference if she hits you?”
Protector Hu was greatly puzzled.
“Of course there’s a difference!”
Chu Feng rolled his eyes inwardly. If a burly grown man beat him, that would be punishment…painful not only physically but mentally as well.
But if it were a fair-skinned, beautiful big sister doing the whipping… ahem… then that would be a reward, alright!
The mentality was completely different!
Let it be stated in advance. This Chu definitely doesn’t have any strange fetish. Really!
Protector Hu could only reluctantly hand the small leather whip over to the rabbit-eared girl.
The rabbit-eared girl took it with a somewhat confused expression and pursed her lips. “Human, are you sure you want me to do it?”
“Rabbit Sister, go ahead. I can take it!”
Smack—
***
In the distance, atop a towering pavilion.
Behind Su Tiantian, her fox tail swayed gently. Her golden eyes watched Chu Feng as he trained below, and the fox ears on top of her head flicked from time to time, showing that she was in a rather good mood.
She stood quietly by the railing. Around her radiated an aura as terrifying as mountains collapsing and the earth splitting apart. If low-level cultivators were here, they would probably struggle even to breathe.
This was the true aura of the Demon Race’s Empress. When facing Chu Feng, she would naturally never reveal such a terrifying presence to her little troublemaker. The current her was the sovereign who stood above the countless members of the demon race.
By her side stood a woman with long cyan hair, pointed ears, and vertical pupils.
“Your Majesty, some human factions have secretly approached us for talks, saying that as long as we hand over Young Master Chu Feng, any price can be negotiated.”
The green-haired woman spoke respectfully.
“They’re just a few ants. If you encounter humans like that again, just eat them.”
Su Tiantian said calmly.
“Yes. There’s also another matter.” The green-haired woman took out a map. “Some time ago, a spirit vein was discovered at the border between our territory and the human factions. The humans have already sent representatives to discuss with us whether to jointly develop the spirit vein or divide its boundaries.”
Su Tiantian said, “I’ll leave this kind of matter to you, Xiao Qing.”
The green-haired woman responded with a soft “Mm,” then withdrew.
***
Demon Race, Council Hall.
There were no luxurious decorations, only stone tables and stone chairs.
Here were four humans. Three old men and one young man.
Among the three old men, two were at the sixth rank and one at the seventh rank, while the young man was astonishingly only at the first rank!
Before long, a graceful green-haired woman appeared.
When he saw the green-haired woman, the old man with seventh-rank cultivation stood up and said, “Green Snake Demon King, it’s been a hundred years since we last met. Your cultivation has improved quite a bit.”
Xiao Qing glanced at the four humans, her gaze finally settling on the young man. “You three old fellows actually brought along an ant. Aren’t you afraid he’ll die here?”
The old man smiled faintly. “This young gentleman is a rare prodigy of the ages. Even the three of us feel inferior to him.”
His words were filled with admiration.
The young man sized Xiao Qing up, then slowly said, “Peak if seventh-rank. You possess the bloodline of an ancient green snake. Although it isn’t pure, it’s enough for you to break through to the eighth rank. If you’re lucky in the future and your bloodline evolves, you may even step into the ninth rank.”
With just a single glance, he had seen through Xiao Qing’s background completely.
A flash of shock passed through Xiao Qing’s eyes. A human with only first-rank cultivation had actually revealed both her cultivation and bloodline at a glance. Even seventh-rank cultivators couldn’t accomplish such a feat!
“Human, who are you?”
The young man slowly stood up. His entire body radiated a vibrant aura of youth, yet his pair of eyes seemed to have lived for ages, filled with deep weariness and the weight of countless years.
“Li Jiuyue. Or, if you prefer, you may call me by my former title Imperial Preceptor.”
The Imperial Preceptor was the teacher of an Emperor. Only those who stood at the very pinnacle of the ninth rank could be called an Emperor.
And throughout the countless ages of the human race, the number of those who had borne the title of Emperor could be counted on one hand.
The young man took out a yellowed piece of sheepskin parchment from his robe and said, “Ten thousand years ago, I made a contract with the previous Demon Emperor of your demon race. With this contract, I may propose marriage to your current Demon Empress.”
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