C24 Blood Refining Netherworld Palm

After departing from Lanqing Pavilion, Su Ling made his way back to the Su Family under the cover of night. He was in possession of eight Highest Grade Soul Pills, which would allow him to elevate his Soul Force to the second grade with ease.

Upon arriving in his room, Su Ling locked the door to ensure privacy. "Boosting Soul Force is incredibly costly. If these eight Highest Grade Soul Pills were auctioned at Lanqing Pavilion, they'd fetch no less than one hundred and fifty thousand High-Grade Profound Crystals. Even the wealthiest families in Qingyang City might find the price too steep."

He pulled the embroidered box containing the Soul Pills from his chest and sighed with relief. His past life as a Peak of Ninth Grade alchemist had saved him a fortune in Profound Crystals. Without the ability to craft his own pills, he would have needed tens of millions of High-Grade Profound Crystals.

"Enough of that," he thought, setting aside impractical considerations. "Let's see just how effective these Highest Grade Soul Pills are."

As he opened the box, a potent scent wafted out. Su Ling grabbed the eight pills and swallowed them without hesitation. The pills dissolved instantly, leaving a searing sensation in his mouth. He winced as an intense heat swept through his body, stirring the Mystical Qi within his Sea of Qi into turmoil.

"Since becoming a Peak of Ninth Grade Alchemist in my previous life, I've not felt such a rapid ascent of Soul Force," Su Ling mused. The potency of the pills was beyond his expectations, making him feel as though his soul was being wrenched from his body.

He sat down cross-legged, his expression contorting with the strain. The Spirit Soul Pills were tearing at his soul, inflicting excruciating pain on his psyche.

"The pain is unbearable!" Su Ling's face was ashen as he groaned, his voice heavy with agony.

Suddenly, a resonant "thump, thump" echoed within him, and in an instant, Su Ling's strength drained away, leaving him slumped on the floor, utterly spent.

Su Ling's face was ashen as he hastily unleashed his Soul Force to examine his body, only then realizing that his Soul Force had surged to a new level.

Second-grade Soul Force!

"No, my Soul Force isn't just second-grade!"

Just as Su Ling became aware of his advancement to second-grade, he immediately recognized that his Soul Force was not merely at an ordinary second-grade, but at the Peak of Second Grade, merely a step away from the third.

"It's a miracle! An absolute miracle—I've actually broken through to the second rank and reached the Peak of Second Grade. What an unexpected gain!"

Su Ling exhaled deeply, his eyes alight with excitement. To have his Soul Force jump from just fulfilling first-grade to the Peak of Second Grade in one go was an incredibly rapid progression.

Enhancing Soul Force differs from advancing one's martial cultivation.

For a Cultivating Warrior, mastering a potent technique or encountering some extraordinary fortune can cause their martial cultivation to skyrocket.

However, for an alchemist, increasing their own Soul Force requires a steady, disciplined approach. They must continually hone the strength of their soul, incrementally bolstering their Soul Force. Rushing the process could lead to disastrous setbacks, or worse, soul collapse.

"Now that my Soul Force has reached the Peak of Second Grade, I can finally start practicing soul attack techniques."

While the promotion of his Soul Force was cause for celebration, Su Ling hadn't lost sight of his goals. With his current capabilities, striving to gain entry to the Sword King Pavilion would demand even greater effort.

Pursuing the mastery of soul attack techniques was a necessary journey for Su Ling. As both a Cultivating Warrior and an alchemist, his Soul Force was destined to grow increasingly potent. With the opportunity to train in soul attack techniques within his grasp, Su Ling had no intention of letting it slip by.

"In my past life, I practiced the formidable Soul Absorbing technique. Despite its strength as a soul attack, the Soul Absorbing technique had one fatal flaw—it couldn't target souls stronger than my own. This time around, I'm determined to overcome that limitation and master the most challenging soul attack technique there is—the Blood Refining Nether Technique."

The Blood Refinement Nether Palm is a martial arts technique consisting of just three moves. The first strike, known as Mirror Flower Water Moon, can cause an enemy's soul to quiver and even induce short-lived illusions. The second move, Blood Refinement Hell, inflicts irreversible and severe damage to the enemy's soul. The third and final move, Netherworld Among Men, can eject a Cultivating Warrior's soul from their body when mastered to perfection.

Apothecaries, lacking the combat prowess of Cultivating Warriors, must rely on soul attack techniques to bolster their defenses. In his past life, Su Ling was a dual practitioner of both alchemy and martial arts, mastering not only formidable martial techniques but also potent soul attack methods.

Among these was the Blood Refinement Nether Palm, a Sky-Rank cultivation art and one of the most powerful soul attack techniques Su Ling remembered. Regrettably, in his previous life, he had already committed to the Art of Soul Capturing by the time he discovered this technique, missing the prime opportunity to master it. Reborn in this life, Su Ling is determined to cultivate the most formidable soul attack technique.

"Blood Refinement Nether Palm, first strike: Mirror Flower Water Moon!"

The hallmark of Mirror Flower Water Moon is its ability to induce hallucinations in the opponent's soul. While this strike doesn't inflict physical harm, Su Ling favors it for its capacity to disorient the enemy, granting him precious time to launch an attack.

In essence, by combining the Mirror Flower Water Moon with his formidable combat skills, Su Ling's power would undoubtedly multiply.

Without a second thought, Su Ling seated himself cross-legged, took a deep breath to steady his excitement, and commenced his training in the Mirror Flower Water Moon technique.

Meanwhile, in a sinister chamber deep within Qingyang City, the Phantom King was seething with malice. "I never imagined that wretched girl would possess such formidable strength! Barely thirteen or fourteen years old, and her cultivation has already ascended to the Martial Essence Stage. The Su Family truly is a den of hidden dragons."

The Phantom King's eyes brimmed with ferocity, haunted by the thought that he had been wounded by a mere teenager.

In an instant, the Phantom King's gaze grew icy, a hint of chilling intent flashing in his eyes as he spoke with a sinister tone, "That Su Ling is no ordinary adversary. Despite his modest level of cultivation, the sword technique he practices is exceedingly profound and intricate. He's capable of condensing Mystical Qi into sword energy, unleashing such formidable power. His comprehensive strength is on par with the eighth tier of body refinement, perhaps even verging on the ninth. Otherwise, he couldn't have possibly injured me."

"Tsk, tsk!" he cackled. "It seems I must revise my plans. Before I slay that accursed Su Ling, I shall wrest that sword technique from his grasp."

His eyes narrowed into a cold glare, and the Phantom King's mocking laughter echoed ominously. His figure loomed menacingly in the shadows, his words dripping with icy detachment.