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**
The fourth level of the Body Refining Pagoda.
When Mo Yu arrived, he was slightly taken aback as he examined his surroundings.
Before him lay a vast ancient plaza, spanning about a thousand feet. The ground, paved with ancient stone, bore the marks of time, its weathered surface exuding a desolate and boundless aura that permeated the entire space.
"We've finally reached the fourth level of the Body Refining Pagoda." A voice came from the side as Cai Lin and Mang Lie approached. Mang Lie, still feeling lingering fear, spoke with a sigh of relief.
In contrast, Cai Lin remained much calmer. The physical strength of the Nine-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python was clearly extraordinary.
"You broke through again?" Cai Lin's beautiful eyes swept over Mo Yu's arms. Earlier, she had sensed the oppressive power radiating from his violet-gold arms—even a Seventh-Grade Supreme would likely feel immense pressure facing him.
"Heh, you could say that." Mo Yu chuckled lightly.
His overall strength had not advanced, but his physical power had surged to a whole new level.
"What a monster..." Mang Lie shook his head in amazement before pointing toward the center of the ancient plaza. "Look over there."
Mo Yu and Cai Lin followed his gaze, and their eyes immediately focused as they noticed, for the first time, a black stone stele standing at the center of the plaza.
The stele was not particularly tall, only a few feet high, and its presence was easily overlooked in the vastness of the ancient plaza. Even Mo Yu had failed to notice it at first.
"That is the Strength Stele," Mang Lie explained.
"Strength Stele?" Mo Yu's brow arched slightly as if he had realized something.
"The rule for this fourth level is actually quite simple—you just need to strike the Strength Stele with a punch using only your physical strength," Mang Lie said casually before gesturing toward the stele. "Do you see those bronze lamps embedded in the front of the stele?"
Mo Yu nodded. There were nine bronze lamps affixed to the front of the stele, but they were all unlit, their interiors pitch-black.
"Those lamps are a measure of raw physical strength. The ultimate feat is to ignite all nine lamps, but that is virtually impossible—even a Ninth-Grade Supreme wouldn't be able to accomplish that."
"As per the rule, igniting at least six bronze lamps is enough to pass the fourth level."
"Ignite six lamps, huh?" Mo Yu clenched his fist slightly, his eyes flashing with eagerness. If this test was purely a contest of physical strength, then he was confident that he wouldn't lose to anyone here.
Moreover, he was quite curious to see just how powerful his Heaven-Shaking Divine Arm had become when unleashed with full force.
"What's the benefit of passing this level?" Cai Lin suddenly asked.
"The reward also comes from that stele," Mang Lie replied with a grin, his eyes burning with anticipation as he gazed at the black stone stele.
"Do you know what that stele is made from? It was forged from the blood and flesh of a Heaven Devouring Beast," Mang Lie revealed.
"Heaven Devouring Beast?" Mo Yu's brows lifted slightly.
It was said that the Heaven Devouring Beast was an ancient super divine beast, not born of any bloodline but rather formed directly from the essence of the heavens and earth. Its rarity far surpassed that of any other super divine beast, and records of its existence were only found in the most ancient of times—nowadays, it was virtually unheard of.
A Heaven Devouring Beast, when enraged, could devour the heavens. Even a Heavenly Supreme would have to tread cautiously before it.
"This Strength Stele, when struck with force, will release a wisp of the Heaven Devouring Beast's essence. The amount of essence that seeps out depends on the power of the strike…
In simple terms, the more lamps you ignite, the stronger the essence that seeps from the stele. And that is the reward for passing the fourth level," Mang Lie explained, his voice thick with excitement.
Upon hearing this, Mo Yu's lips curled into a slight smile as he nodded. The essence of a Heaven Devouring Beast… If absorbed, the benefits to one's body refinement would be unimaginable.
This was something even more potent than Thunder Marrow—no wonder Mang Lie was so tempted.
Every level of the Body Refining Pagoda was truly extravagant…
As Mo Yu, Cai Lin, and Mang Lie spoke, Han Yue, Ran Ben, Xu Lie, and the others also fixed their greedy yet solemn gazes upon the black stone stele. Then, they gradually began approaching it.
As they neared, Mo Yu noticed that the surface of the stele was covered with countless fist and palm imprints, some shallow, some deep. Clearly, these were marks left behind by those who had tested themselves here before.
The stele was incomparably sturdy, showing no signs of being made from flesh and blood. However, its dark color emanated a faint, unsettling pressure, making the blood within their bodies tremble slightly.
Mo Yu knew that this was the lingering aura of the Heaven Devouring Beast. Even though only traces remained, it was still enough to make their breathing difficult.
Moreover, the most shocking thing was that as they drew closer, they found their spiritual energy gradually stagnating, making it nearly impossible to circulate. It was as if an invisible force field was suppressing them, rendering them unable to mobilize their energy at all.
"Our spiritual energy is completely suppressed… So, we really can only rely on our physical strength here," Mo Yu muttered, clenching his fist. He could barely circulate his spiritual energy—it was nearly useless here.
Despite the stele being right before them, none of the ten people present acted recklessly. Instead, they all sat down cross-legged to regulate their states.
According to the rules, each person would only have one chance to strike. If they failed to meet the requirement, they would be immediately eliminated and teleported out of the Body Refining Pagoda.
Thus, this single punch had to be their absolute peak performance.
Before that, they needed to prepare and gather their strength—any unnecessary moves would be foolish.
And so, the ancient plaza fell into complete silence. Only the soft sound of ten people breathing echoed in the stillness…
…
Time passed unknowingly, and after an indeterminate period, the ten figures who had been sitting silently in the plaza all opened their eyes at the same time.
In that instant, their bodies emitted a faint crimson glow—not the radiance of spiritual energy, but a sign of their blood reaching its peak intensity.
Clearly, after a period of meditation, all ten had reached their optimal state.
The faint red glow lingered around them before Xu Lie of the Demonic Elephant Clan suddenly stood up. His burning gaze locked onto the black stone stele as he grinned.
"Since no one else is making a move, I'll go first and see what's so special about this so-called Strength Stele!"
Mo Yu and the others remained silent at the sight, tacitly approving of the arrangement. At this moment, the order of attempts hardly mattered—each person only had one chance.
Seeing no objections, Xu Lie stepped forward and halted before the black stone stele. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists tightly.
Boom!
A crimson glow erupted from his body as his muscles rapidly expanded, bulging like solid iron. Veins pulsed beneath his skin like coiling dragons.
Next, Xu Lie swiftly formed hand seals, and a blood-red radiance gradually condensed on his skin, transforming into intricate patterns. These blood patterns instantly made him appear far more ferocious.
"That's the Blood Mark of the Demonic Elephant Clan—activating the bloodline can temporarily enhance physical strength," Mang Lie explained in a low voice.
Mo Yu nodded. He could sense that Xu Lie's physical body had indeed strengthened, but the Blood Mark seemed inferior to his Heaven-Shaking Arm.
In Mo Yu's opinion, even among the Heaven-Shaking Force Ape Clan, only a select few geniuses could cultivate the Heaven-Shaking Arm.
As for the Heaven-Shaking Divine Arm, he was uncertain. After all, he had merely absorbed the essence blood of a Heaven-Shaking Force Ape and was not a true member of their clan. In fact, since entering this Divine Beast Origin, he had never encountered a single Heaven-Shaking Force Ape powerhouse.
However, Mo Yu speculated that those who could cultivate the Heaven-Shaking Divine Arm must be exceedingly rare. After all, he had endured great hardship to cultivate it himself, and without the Body Refining Pagoda's assistance, he would not have succeeded so quickly…
While Mo Yu was lost in thought, Xu Lie suddenly stomped down. The ancient plaza trembled slightly as his body shot forward with a force as terrifying as a Demonic Elephant trampling the heavens, intent on crushing all in its path.
Boom!
Xu Lie threw a punch, his fist wrapped in crimson qi and blood energy. The force of his punch distorted the air, producing a sharp sonic boom.
Behind him, a massive phantom of a Demonic Elephant materialized—fierce and menacing, exuding an oppressive aura.
Bang!
His full-force punch shattered the air and landed heavily on the black stone stele before Mo Yu and the others' watchful gazes.
At the moment of impact, a deep rumbling echoed. Waves of energy rippled across the stele's surface, yet the stele itself remained completely motionless.
Whoosh!
The ripples spread, and Mo Yu and the others saw a bronze lamp atop the black stele suddenly ignite with a puff of flame.
The fire burned red, radiating a vigorous blood essence fluctuation—it seemed to have formed entirely from the force of Xu Lie's punch.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Following the first lamp, the second, third, and fourth lamps were lit in succession.
When it came to the fifth lamp, however, the ignition process slowed. Crimson smoke drifted within the bronze lamp, tiny sparks flickering intermittently. After a brief moment of gathering energy, a burst of flame finally ignited with a puff.
The fifth bronze lamp was lit!
Mo Yu and the others remained expressionless but kept their eyes fixed on the sixth lamp. Xu Lie had been expected to light five lamps, but whether he could ignite the sixth was the true test.
Sizzle!
As the fifth lamp blazed, faint embers began to appear within the sixth bronze lamp. The flames struggled to coalesce, slowly flickering under Xu Lie's crimson-eyed gaze.
But just as the fire brightened, the embers wavered and swiftly extinguished, plunging the lamp back into darkness.
The sixth bronze lamp—failed!
Xu Lie's face instantly turned pale, disbelief filling his expression. Even with his full-strength punch, he had failed to ignite the sixth lamp?
Behind him, Mo Yu and the others grew solemn. Based on their estimations, Xu Lie had over a fifty percent chance of succeeding, yet he had ultimately fallen short.
Buzz!
As they processed the result, the black stone stele suddenly trembled, releasing a trace of hazy energy. The energy streamed toward Xu Lie and seeped into his body through his nostrils.
Xu Lie's body stiffened as the qi and blood within him surged violently. Crimson energy burst from his form, spreading outward.
Within mere seconds, the blood energy radiating from him had intensified significantly.
"Is that the essence of the Heaven Devouring Beast?"
Mo Yu's eyes flickered, a trace of desire flashing within them.
He could clearly perceive that in just a few breaths, Xu Lie's physical enhancement had surpassed what he had achieved through the Thunder Marrow Baptism.
The essence of the Heaven Devouring Beast was indeed a supreme nourishment for the physical body.
After absorbing the essence, Xu Lie's body glowed momentarily before he vanished—evidently eliminated from the Body Refining Pagoda for failing to ignite the sixth lamp.
A brief silence fell over the fourth level, but the atmosphere grew even more solemn.
After a moment, Ran Ben stepped forward and smiled. "I'll go second."
With that, he strode forward, standing before the black stone stele with a moment of focus. Suddenly, light erupted from his body, and in the next instant, his entire form transformed into a colossal red python, stretching thousands of feet across.
Ran Ben had directly assumed his true form!
The red python stood towering in the air, its massive triangular eyes glowing with a cold, authoritative red light.
Hiss!
A scorching, hoarse hiss resounded through the heavens. The next moment, the python's massive tail lashed out, slicing through the void like a divine weapon. That single strike carried the power to shatter mountains and split seas.
Boom!
The immense tail crashed heavily onto the black stone stele. Despite its small stature in comparison to the colossal python, the stele remained unmoved, standing firm in the plaza.
Yet, the sheer force of the impact surged into the stele.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Instantly, one bronze lamp after another ignited atop the black stone stele.
Within mere seconds, five bronze lamps burned brightly—far faster and fiercer than Xu Lie's attempt.
As the fifth lamp blazed, embers appeared within the sixth lamp. Under the watchful gazes of Mo Yu and the others, the fire gathered and finally ignited fully.
The sixth bronze lamp—successfully lit!
**
For exclusive access to 500+ advanced chapters and more, visit my Ko-fi page and support the journey:
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