The night was quiet, almost serene. The Outer Sect courtyard was bathed in moonlight, shadows stretching across stone paths and training grounds.
Lin Tian sat cross-legged atop a cliff overlooking the sect, the wind tugging at his long hair. His body hummed with the residual energy of yesterday's battle. Every fiber of his being vibrated with potential.
The fifth layer of his Body Refinement had stabilized. Now… it was time to push further.
---
Ling Yue appeared silently beside him, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
"Tonight," she said, her voice calm but firm, "you will attempt the sixth layer. Understand this—the pain, the energy, the refinement… all must be perfect. A misstep, and your body could collapse."
Lin Tian opened his eyes, glowing faintly in the moonlight.
"I understand," he said.
Ling Yue nodded once and stepped back.
"Then begin."
---
Lin Tian exhaled slowly. He focused inward, circulating Blood Refinement energy while harmonizing it with the Heaven-Defying Body Art.
A faint red glow appeared beneath his skin, pulsating with life. Muscles tensed, veins bulged, and bones creaked audibly as his body stretched the limits of its endurance.
Pain bloomed—sharp, searing, like molten iron tearing through his veins.
Good, Lin Tian thought calmly. Pain is the path to power.
He allowed the pain to flow through him, compressing it, redirecting it. Each convulsion of his muscles strengthened his skeletal structure. His blood boiled and condensed, flowing faster, denser, hotter than ever.
Hours passed. The moon traversed the sky.
Cracks formed in the cliff beneath him. Stone shattered, but Lin Tian remained seated, calm as ever.
The sky began to lighten. The first hints of dawn crept over the horizon.
Then—
Boom!
An explosion of energy erupted outward. The cliff trembled. Stones were blasted into the air. Qi surged violently, rippling across the mountains like a storm.
Lin Tian opened his eyes.
They glowed faintly red before returning to normal. His body, once confined to the fifth layer, now hummed with a terrifyingly solid power.
Body Refinement — Sixth Layer.
---
He stood slowly, testing his strength.
A single step caused a shockwave to ripple through the ground. He clenched his fist, and the surrounding air vibrated violently.
"This…" Lin Tian murmured. "This is beyond everything I've ever known."
Ling Yue stepped forward, eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and approval.
"You've done it," she said softly. "Few Outer Sect disciples ever reach this stage. Even among Inner Sect candidates, this is rare."
Lin Tian exhaled, feeling the surge of energy stabilize within him.
"Good," he said. "Then let's continue."
---
Back in the courtyard, the outer disciples whispered feverishly.
"Lin Tian… he's pushing beyond the fifth layer?"
"Impossible… the sixth layer is rare even among seasoned Inner Sect disciples!"
"Does that mean… he's untouchable?"
Mo Xue watched silently from her perch above, lips curved.
"Untouchable?" she murmured. "Perhaps. But untouchable invites attention… and enemies."
---
Later, in the Outer Sect dormitory, Lin Tian returned.
Two girls peeked at him from the doorway, their expressions a mix of awe and nervousness.
"You… you really did it," one whispered.
Lin Tian looked at them, calm and collected.
"Strength isn't a gift," he said softly. "It's earned."
The girls giggled nervously and retreated.
Harem seeds planted, he thought with a faint smirk.
Su Yan approached silently from the shadows.
"You're not even trying to hide it," she said, exasperated but amused.
Lin Tian smiled faintly.
"I don't hide anything. Those who matter will see."
---
That night, Lin Tian sat atop the cliff once more.
He meditated, refining the sixth layer of Body Refinement.
Pain and energy intertwined, flowing seamlessly. Every strike, every movement he had learned or experienced, was processed internally and transformed into raw, pure power.
The Heaven-Defying Body Art pulsed violently, integrating fully with his Blood Refinement energy.
His body was no longer just strong. It was terrifying.
Tomorrow, he thought, eyes narrowing, I will show the Outer Sect—and the world—that I am unstoppable.
The wind howled around him, carrying the whispers of mountains, trees, and stars.
Lin Tian's eyes gleamed under the moonlight, sharp, cold, and unyielding.
"The storm begins," he murmured.