Inside the inner institute's secret manual tower, there was only a total of four earth class low-tier body refinement arts.

(TL note: I shortened body refinement martial arts to body refinement arts. Do not confuse it with body refinement technique)

They were the Iron Wall Metallic Body, Tiger Soul Fist, War Dragon Leg, and Great Desolate Palm.

The Iron Wall Metallic Body was a defensive-type body refinement art. After successful cultivation, the physical defenses would be tougher, the physical strength would be stronger, every single body movement would have more prowess.

The Tiger Soul Fist, War Dragon Leg, and the Great Desolate Palm were attack-type body refinement arts that had great destructive power.

When the Tiger Soul Fist was cultivated to the higher ranks, the practitioner could activate the fierce tiger spirit.

When the War Dragon Leg was cultivated to the higher ranks, the war dragon spirit could also be activated.

Li Fuchen

12

Li Fuchen

Main Protagonist

already possessed the giant elephant spirit. If it was combined with the fierce tiger spirit or the war dragon spirit, it would make the overall spirit even stronger.

As for the Great Desolate Palm, it was a little special. Demonic beast's blood was needed to cultivate this body refinement art and the practitioner would have to soak their palms in the demonic beast blood daily in order to imbue the palms with demonic beast's qi presence. The higher the class of the demonic beast's blood, the better the effect of the cultivation.

When the Great Desolate Palm was cultivated to the higher ranks, the palms would be like well-tempered steel. It would be indestructible as though it was reformed and was extremely tyrannic.

But Li Fuchen didn't fancy the Great Desolate Palm. It was a body refinement art that reformed the palms and at the higher ranks, there were plenty of malpractice. There wasn't a need to make such sacrifices for a little gain in strength.

Li Fuchen didn't wish to cultivate the Iron Wall Metallic Body either. It wasn't because he didn't fancy it, he just felt that the Iron Wall Metallic Body emphasized too much on defenses and didn't have sufficient destructive power.

A tougher defense was a good thing, but it wasn't necessary to forsake power.

After all, when martial artists crossed moves, it would mainly be dependable on destructive power. Using defenses to withstand wasn't Li Fuchen's style.

Of course, if Li Fuchen had to choose between the Great Desolate Palm and the Iron Wall Metallic Body, he wouldn't mind cultivating the Iron Wall Metallic Body.

In the end, Li Fuchen was only left with the Tiger Soul Fist and the War Dragon Leg to choose from.

Either one was possible but Li Fuchen picked the Tiger Soul Fist.

After picking the body refinement art, Li Fuchen returned to the first floor of the secret manual tower.

"You chose the Tiger Soul Fist uh? Not bad." The dean nodded.

Back then, he had also picked the Tiger Soul Fist. Afterwards, he had also cultivated the Iron Wall Metallic Body and the War Dragon Leg too.

When walking out of the secret manual tower, the dean spoke to Li Fuchen, "You might be my in-room cadet, but in the inner institute, the strong rules supreme. If you get bullied, I will not stand out for you."

"Fuchen understands." Li Fuchen acknowledged.

Be it the South Forest Martial Institution or the other martial institutions, the inner institute had their ways of doing things. As long as it wasn't too excessive, the upper echelons of the martial institutions wouldn't interfere.

When Di Jun just entered the inner institute, it was said that he had been taught a lesson.

"This is the key to your courtyard. Also, you have been sorted to Class 9. Remember to report there." After tossing the key to Li Fuchen, the dean's figure flashed and left the inner institute.

The inner institute was extremely massive. A single glance wasn't enough to see the borders.

In the center of the inner institute, there was a majestic and grand complex. The sky above the complex was filled with colorful clouds.

Those clouds were obviously formed artificially as it was the phenomenon of the class 6 qi gathering array.

Cultivating in this place had a much better effect than cultivating on the outside. The closer to the center of the complex, the better the effects.

After entering the complex, Li Fuchen found his courtyard.

This courtyard was at the outer region of the complex, but it was fortunate that it wasn't at the border region.

As the dean's in-room cadet, he was receiving rather preferential treatment. Most of the newly promoted inner institute cadets were all residing in the border region where the cultivation effects were the worst.

If an inner cadet wanted to stay closer to the center, they would have to rely on their strength.

If other inner cadets fancied your courtyard, they would come and snatch it. Of course, if you constantly hide in the courtyard, they wouldn't be able to barge in.

After all, every courtyard was enveloped with a defense array and could only be opened with the key.

"This is the inner institute indeed."

After entering the courtyard, Li Fuchen took a deep breath. He could feel the tumbling heaven and earth qi entering his body, making his body feel comfortable.

"Eh? Someone is residing in this courtyard?"

At the nearby courtyards, someone lifted his head and saw Li Fuchen's courtyard glowing.

If a courtyard was glowing, it meant that someone was residing inside.

Previously, this courtyard had remained empty, but without the key, no one was able to enter.

"This cadet is residing in such a good courtyard after entering the inner institute. It looks like this cadet must be at least an inner institute elder's in-room cadet."

"Hmph. So what if this person is an in-room cadet of the inner institute elder? The inner institute is reliant on strength, not background. This courtyard is mine." Some of the inner institute cadets who didn't have such good courtyards as Li Fuchen had eyes that flashed with cold intent.

In the border region of the complex, Di Jun lifted his head and looked at Li Fuchen's courtyard.

"That fellow is in for some bad luck?" Di Jun frowned and his face looked as though he was taking joy in other's misfortune.

He didn't know the owner of this courtyard, but if this cadet resided in such a good courtyard immediately after entering the inner institute, that person would naturally become an eyesore.

Back when he was sorted to a courtyard that was slightly nearer to the center, he was immediately taught a lesson and had his courtyard's key snatched. This courtyard that was sorted to Li Fuchen was much better than the courtyard Di Jun received previously.

Li Fuchen didn't know that he had become an eyesore. Of course, even if he knew, he wouldn't bother.

The inner institute had hidden talents that were definitely stronger than him. But in the outer region, he didn't think that he had anyone to be fearful of.

"Let me cultivate the Tiger Soul First first."

Li Fuchen opened up the Tiger Soul Fist's branded manual and started to study it seriously.

The Tiger Soul Fist was truly an earth class low-tier body refinement art as it was several times brilliant than the Metal Bone Fist.

"So the qi power can actually be used like this?" Li Fuchen studied eagerly.

Time elapsed slowly and in the blink of the eye, Li Fuchen had stayed inside the courtyard for a week.

He was patient, but the inner institute cadets that coveted his courtyard were getting impatient.

There were plenty of inner institute cadets that had similar strength. If someone had snatched Li Fuchen's courtyard first, it would be at least ten times harder to snatch that courtyard again. After all, the inner institute only allowed solo fights and didn't allow cadets to gang up with multiple people. That would only invite shame and one wouldn't be able to lift their heads high in the inner institute again.

"Tiger Soul Fist!"

In the center of the courtyard, Li Fuchen put down the Tiger Soul Fist's manual and punched into the air.

Visible to the naked eye, a bundle of black mist was emitted and the air had a trace of ripples.

This mist might look very gentle, but Li Fuchen knew clearly that this mist was condensed due to massive qi power. Once it was condensed to the limit, it would form the fierce tiger spirit and it would be extremely powerful.

"Again."

This time, Li Fuchen executed the Tiger Soul Fist with the dragon elephant power.

Boom!

An even stronger bundle of black mist extended out. When it was spreading, there were subtle growls of the tiger.

"My body refinement strength is now at the regular 6th level Reincarnation Realm."

Previously, Li Fuchen's body refinement was only at the 4th level of Reincarnation Realm. With the complements of the trance stage Metal Bone Fist, he was already able to match up against regular 5th level Reincarnation Realm martial artists.

Right now, as the Tiger Soul Fist was approaching completion stage, Li Fuchen's body refinement strength was rising rapidly and had reached the 6th level of Reincarnation Realm.

Li Fuchen reckoned that if the Tiger Soul Fist reached the trance stage, his body refinement strength would be able to reach the 9th level of Reincarnation Realm.

An earth class low-tier body refinement art was able to increase his strength by five levels and it sounds very exaggerated.

But Li Fuchen knew that this wasn't considered exaggerated. After all, extraordinary qi power had a much superior quality than qi.