"The increase in strength is indeed less than nine hundred jin, as I anticipated."
Lu Lin thought to himself.
The strength growth fell short of before, but the reduction was not substantial. Each breakthrough still brought a significant improvement.
He went on pouring Training Time into the "Nimble Cat Technique."
This time, it took a full seventy years to elevate him to the ninth level in the "Nimble Cat Technique".
Now, he had hit the limit in "Nimble Cat Technique", with no further room for advancement.
With his strength skyrocketing by over three thousand jin in such a short time, Lu Lin felt as though he was holding inexhaustible power, as his Qi and Blood surged like tidal waves.
At this moment, he had seventy-seven years and two months of Training Time left, which was insufficient to break through the seventh level in the "Steel Elephant Body".
"This should be enough."
A determined look crossed Lu Lin's eyes. He came to an abrupt halt, pointed to the left front, and urgently said, "Immortal Master, look over there..."
"Hmm?"
The young cultivator behind him was momentarily taken aback, instinctively turning his head. But being cautious by nature, as he turned, he secretly summoned up his spiritual power.
Boom!
At that very moment, Lu Lin whirled about. Stomping heavily on the ground, he propelled himself like a cannonball straight toward the youth, his palm going for the other party's chest!
The palm strike kicked up a howling gust, sweeping up fallen leaves from the ground, while he was lunging at the youth like an enraged dragon.
"You... how dare you!"
The youth was both shocked and angered.
At such close range, he had no time to activate a magical weapon to counterattack. Fortunately, he had mustered his spiritual power in advance. His robe instantly glowed, forming a shimmering protection barrier.
Thud!
Lu Lin's palm struck the barrier squarely, his immense Qi and Blood erupting. The barrier dented inward and then shattered with a thunderous crash!
Lu Lin's palm went tearing through, smashing heavily onto the youth's chest.
"Pfft—"
With bulging eyes, he was sent flying backward at an astonishing speed, crashing into a tree that would take several people to embrace. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning sallow.
His reaction, however, was swift. He immediately patted his storage bag, and a turtle-shell-like shield flew out, spinning and swelling in midair, positioning itself protectively in front of him.
At the same time, he quickly swallowed a healing pill. Only then did his overwhelming killing intent burst forth.
"A mere warrior, daring to defy an immortal and attempting to slay him... You deserve a thousand deaths!"
The youth was almost roaring, his killing intent bone-chilling, but he was also shaken to the depths.
Although he had been keeping a bone nail in hand, it was merely out of habitual caution. He had never imagined that Lu Lin would dare to attack him!
In this cultivation world, not only was the status of martial artists and cultivators vastly different, but their strength was also worlds apart. A martial artist in the same Realm was like a helpless infant before a cultivator, flimsy as a sheet.
It was even commonplace for a cultivator to slay a martial artist several levels above them.
Moreover, the strongest warriors who had entered the mountain were only at the Body Tempering Ninth level. He could crush them with a flip of his hand; they should pose no threat whatsoever.
"Still unharmed?!"
Lu Lin furrowed his eyebrows, equally surprised.
Worthy of being a cultivator, his reactions and defenses far exceeded expectations.
Although that palm strike excelled in speed, not force, it still carried over ten thousand jin of power—enough to kill a Body Tempering Tenth Level martial artist.
Yet the opponent had only coughed up blood and could put up immediate defenses.
But Lu Lin only hesitated for a brief moment. He did not pause in the slightest, lunging forward again like a nimble cat!
"You're courting death!"
The youth's gaze turned icy. With a wave of his hand, the bone nail shot straight toward the center of Lu Lin's forehead, trailing a streak of light.
It was as fast as lightning, arriving before Lu Lin's eyes in the blink of an eye!
Lu Lin was startled. In that split second, he twisted his body and flipped backward. The bone nail grazed past his forehead, its sinister aura making his hair stand on end.
Before he could catch his breath, the bone nail traced an arc in the air and shot toward him again!
"An immortal's means is indeed extraordinary!"
Lu Lin was alarmed. He didn't dare be the slightest bit careless. Executing the Nimble Cat Steps, he leaped onto a tree, once again evading the attack.
But the bone nail clung to him like a shadow, snapping at his heels, constantly changing direction in the air.
Lu Lin shifted between the trees, his speed so fast that he left afterimages. He narrowly avoided the attacks time after time, but couldn't shake it off.
"Can't keep going like this; I'm too passive! If other sect cultivators arrive, I'll be in trouble... I must seize the initiative and end this quickly!"
Once resolved, Lu Lin leaped into the air, charging straight at the youth!
Whoosh!
The bone nail came immediately after him.
This time, Lu Lin did not dodge. As all his Qi and Blood erupted and converged in his right palm, he seized his moment and struck upward with the palm!
The timing of this palm strike couldn't be better, hitting the bone nail squarely in the middle!
Thud!
The bone nail trembled violently, knocked off course by the immense power, and embedded itself deep into a large tree.
Swish! Swish!
With two leaps, Lu Lin threw himself at the youth.
"Demonic Ape Palm!"
He shouted low, unleashing a palm strike with all his might!
As his vast Qi and Blood surged, a thick, shadowy arm of a demonic ape formed around Lu Lin's and smashed down fiercely toward the youth's head.
The shield before the young cultivator flashed with light, swiftly moving to block above his head.
Boom!
Lu Lin's palm struck the shield heavily, producing a dull, thunderous sound.
The shield shook violently, forcing the young cultivator to stagger back step after step.
"How is this possible!?"
The young man's eyes widened in utter disbelief.
Since when had martial artists become this strong?
Forget the Body Tempering Ninth level; even a Body Tempering Tenth Level martial artist would be utterly helpless before him.
He had several personal guards at the Body Tempering Tenth level. During usual sparring, once his bone nail was unleashed, they had no way to dodge; their lives and deaths were entirely at his whim. Their so-called ten-thousand-jin strength couldn't even budge his "Spirit Turtle Shield."
Yet Lu Lin was not only astonishingly fast, able to evade the bone nail multiple times, but his strength was also terrifying. A single palm strike had nearly severed his mental connection with the "Spirit Turtle Shield," the impact churning his blood and tearing his internal organs.
Could it be that this man wasn't at the Body Tempering Realm, but a... Inherence Blood Qi martial artist, who had entered the mountain undercover?
Boom!
While the youth's mind was reeling, Lu Lin's assault came again.
The Demonic Ape Palm strikes fell like a violent storm, one shortly after another!
The young cultivator hurriedly gathered his focus, channeling all his power into the "Spirit Turtle Shield" for defense.
Thud! Thud! Thud...
Dull, heavy thuds rang out in quick succession. In just a few breaths, Lu Lin had already unleashed over a dozen palm blows!
Each blow forced the young fellow back several meters. After more than a dozen palm smacks, his face flushed red, and blood once again trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"Damn it... Damnable martial artist!"
As the youth's face contorted, he suddenly flung out a talisman.
The talisman ignited without wind, transforming into a flaming blade that slashed at the center of Lu Lin's forehead!
Startled, Lu Lin dared not meet it head-on. He twisted his body and retreated to evade.
The youth seized the opportunity, summoning a red flying blade, intent on mounting it into the air.
How could Lu Lin let him succeed?
Once the cultivator rose into the sky, Lu Lin would become nothing but a sitting duck at the other party's mercy.
Thud!
He sprinted up a large tree and flung himself over ten meters across, appearing right above the youth, dozens of meters off the ground. Then he plunged downward, delivering two full-force punches.
Ferocious Elephant Charge!
His Qi and Blood surged, morphing into a vague, massive, crimson elephant before his fists that slammed savagely into the youth!
Boom!
The youth, having just lifted off, was smashed by Lu Lin's dual fists. The irresistible force sent him plummeting like a meteor, blasting a large crater in the ground!
Pfft!
The youth coughed up large mouthfuls of blood, his face filled with terror.
His "Spirit Turtle Shield" was now covered in cracks.