Martial Ascent to Divinity-Chapter 516 - 499: Shattered Steel

In order to enter the first muscle transformation more quickly, Zhou Leng stopped thinking about the Divine Power Land trial and calmed his mind to cultivate.

The dragon skull behind him was getting smaller and smaller.

By the sixth day, it had shrunk to over a foot high, flat like a large fish fin, no longer affecting his movements.

At first glance, he looked like a humanoid Godzilla, easily mistaken for a special Fish-man.

From morning till evening, he was continuously training.

During these days, he not only devoured all kinds of Innate meat but also consumed over half of the Dragon and Tiger Pills and other pills and Medicinal Fruits from the Fierce Beast World he had accumulated before.

The power surrounding him rapidly increased, and the changes in his muscles were exceptionally clear in his Martial Arts perception.

After cultivating with the Undying Star Body, Zhou Leng walked out of the tent and sat on a camping chair.

He casually picked up some steel balls and, without using True Qi, kneaded them into a lump of steel with his bare hands.

Looking into the distance, contemplating matters, he repeatedly kneaded with his right hand.

The silvery-white 304 stainless steel, like playdough, continuously deformed in his hand.

"Something’s strange."

"Over these days, I’ve consumed a tremendous amount of dragon meat and pills. On the most excessive day, I ate a whole five tons of the ten-horned Demon Dragon’s meat. Generally, a Martial Artist only consumes that much throughout the entire Muscle Stage."

"There hasn’t been the slightest muscle transformation, and it feels like an illusion; the more I cultivate, the further away the muscle transformation seems."

"I found many Divine Text records of Demon Spirit Masters in the Tower Book regarding Muscle Stage cultivation; they all say the same: eat meat, eat quality meat."

"Moreover, a piece of damaged Divine Text wood records that those particularly powerful geniuses, during the Muscle Stage, don’t just eat ordinary Innate or Grandmaster meat, but must eat Starry Sky Bloodline beast meat. Whether it’s Star Dragon, Void Ancient Beast, or whatever, one must consume their meat."

"From the undertone of those Divine Texts, if you don’t eat Starry Sky Bloodline meat at this stage, the Innate body will form defects."

"It’s not that they can’t be remedied, but it would take thousands or ten thousands times the effort to compensate."

"Where can I find Starry Sky Bloodline beast meat?"

Zhou Leng pondered back and forth, suddenly looking down at his right hand.

The previously smooth and flat stainless steel was now cracked with fragments falling off.

Zhou Leng thought for a while and realized that while proper forging can enhance steel properties, excessive forging alters its microstructure.

He had, unwittingly, ruined the 304 stainless steel.

Zhou Leng casually placed the ruined stainless steel on the camping table and stood up, vaguely understanding.

His path of cultivation, starting with the high-level Tree-man trial and later entering the different dimension to accept the illumination of the Destructive Star Power, had already shifted far from the Blue Star’s path.

Such physical strength had already surpassed the so-called muscle transformation.

"Hopefully, I can find Starry Sky Bloodline beast meat; if not..."

Zhou Leng solemnly took out Grandmaster Fierce Beast meat.

Theoretically, among the Ten Realms creatures, the ones closest to the Starry Sky Bloodline are Fierce Beasts.

The power of Fierce Beasts is truly unmatched in the Ten Realms.

The Demon Lords create chaos in the Ten Realms, the Celestial Calamity Envoys run rampant across kingdoms, yet they have no interest in the Fierce Beasts.

Zhou Leng took out a large piece of Grandmaster Fierce Beast meat, the size of a football, and weighed it with his right hand.

Such a size of iron would weigh about 200 kilograms, but this size of Fierce Beast meat was a full 700 kilograms.

He drew out the Legendary Longsword, sliced the Fierce Beast meat, cooked it, and started eating it for dinner in big mouthfuls.

The first bite into his stomach burst with an intensity dozens of times stronger than the magmatic roast of the ten-horned Demon Dragon.

Fortunately, with continuous cultivation these days, even the weakest internal organ’s strength far exceeded specialized steel material.

The Bone Chopper striking a blood vessel would dull the blade.

The tumultuous fiery power seared through his body.

Zhou Leng felt nothing, devouring the meat voraciously.

His teeth chewed the Fierce Beast meat like biting through steel, crunching loudly, even Huang would raise its dog paw to praise such strong teeth.

Devouring the entire piece of Grandmaster Fierce Beast meat in a gust-like wind, Zhou Leng stood up, feeling dizzy.

Meat-drunk, intoxicated.

He quickly went into the tent to start channeling his internal energy.

He activated the Star Gazing Technique, but it didn’t work.

He activated the Star Phoenix Rejuvenation Technique, but it didn’t work.

He activated the Undying Star Body, feeling it was good, but slightly lacking.

He activated the Taiqing Sea Robe, the Body-Protecting Divine Skill.

Boom!

Zhou Leng felt something explode within his body.

The violent power within surged along the Taiqing Sea Robe’s path.

Under the activation of this Body-Protecting Divine Techniques, his body frantically absorbed the strength of the Grandmaster Fierce Beast meat. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

All this power was used to enhance the body, allowing the body to better combine with True Qi, thereby enhancing the effect of the Taiqing Sea Robe.

Soon, the cultivation was interrupted.

The power of the Fierce Beast meat was insufficient.

Zhou Leng looked at it and realized he had just been passing the time; he took out six full pieces of Grandmaster Fierce Beast meat, cooking and eating them regardless of their doneness, simply eating.

After eating, with a bulging belly, face flushed and feeling dizzy, Zhou Leng walked into the tent to cultivate once more.

The power contained in a piece of Grandmaster Fierce Beast meat is enough for an ordinary Muscle Martial Artist to complete a muscle transformation.

Now, all of it entered Zhou Leng’s body.

Slowly, the muscles continued to change.

Unlike that piece of 304 stainless steel that decays, it grows stronger.

The Taiqing Sea Robe is a cultivation technique of the Starfield Sect; seven pieces of Grandmaster Fierce Beast meat are still not enough.

Zhou Leng decided to take out twenty pieces of Grandmaster Fierce Beast meat at once, finishing them all, and then ate voraciously—ten pieces, storing ten more away.

Continuing the cultivation of the Taiqing Sea Robe, absorbing the strength, then consuming the other ten pieces, and cultivating again.

Zhou Leng sat cross-legged inside the tent, eyes tightly shut.

The beast’s strength within and the star power without continuously entered the body, transforming the flesh.

After an indefinite time, Zhou Leng’s whole body suddenly cracked open.

As if white porcelain had fallen and shattered on the ground, then pieced back together, full of porcelain cracks.

True Qi shuddered, and large patches of dead skin scattered.

A layer of water-blue True Qi robe, semi-transparent, like a glass garment, attached to Zhou Leng’s body.

This True Qi robe was only a thin layer, but a blue whirlpool appeared at the center of the chest, slowly rotating.

Taiqing Sea Robe, successfully cultivated.

Next, it needs to transform from illusion to reality, like the Blood of Tyranny, until transparency becomes opacity, signifying the Great Success of the Taiqing Sea Robe.

After a short while, the Taiqing Sea Robe gradually retracted, finally concealing under the skin.

Zhou Leng keenly sensed that this time, the Taiqing Sea Robe did not dissipate as before upon completion of the skill.

Instead, it transformed into a unique True Qi state, combining with True Qi Perpetual Motion, attaching under the epidermal layer and merging with the dermis layer.

From now on, the dermis layer was completely altered, becoming a form of powerful Divine Techniques.

In the state of True Qi Perpetual Motion, True Qi circulates endlessly in the route of the Star Gazing Technique at low consumption.

And the Taiqing Sea Robe, relying on True Qi Perpetual Motion, persists throughout the body.

The key is, the Taiqing Sea Robe can stabilize True Qi Perpetual Motion.

Zhou Leng consistently experiences fast growth in power and numerous changes, unable to control True Qi Perpetual Motion, needing lengthy adaptation with each advancement.

But from now on, adaptation is no longer needed, since it will consistently operate through the Taiqing Sea Robe.

Still, there is no muscle upheaval, but the perception of Martial Arts distinctly senses that the current muscle strength far exceeds the normal power by threefold.

"Find a secluded spot to test the strength."

Zhou Leng checked the time; it was early morning on Blue Star when many people were resting.

Thus, Zhou Leng found Wang Yunbo, who was on night duty.

The two exchanged glances, both surprised.

Zhou Leng was surprised why Wang Yunbo, usually an open-hearted person, now looked worried.

Wang Yunbo was surprised because although he saw Zhou Leng yesterday, he seemed a different person now, particularly his skin, which had a noticeable jade glow even without exerting any power.

"Brother Wang, I feel I’ve made a breakthrough and want to find a quiet place to practice some boxing," Zhou Leng said.

Wang Yunbo replied, "Let’s go, I’ll accompany you; it’s not safe to go alone. By the way... you probably haven’t seen the group messages, right?"

"Not yet, I switch to flight mode during cultivation," Zhou Leng said.

Wang Yunbo sighed, "Actually, something happened yesterday, but we kept it from spreading."

"Yesterday, a Giant Dragon died in the Divine Power Trial. Today, people from all races have died."

"Two human Martial Artists died, one of them being Hain who came with us, remember? He also died in there."

Zhou Leng recalled the short old man from the Nanyang nations and asked with a frown, "How exactly did he die?"

"Probably overestimated himself, ventured too deep, faced overwhelming Divine Power, couldn’t withstand it, and died. Initially, Xu Ming didn’t let you enter the Divine Power Trial; I thought he was overly protective of you, but now it seems he was right."

"We’ve now figured out some things."

"In the Divine Power Trial, as one goes deeper, the power gradually increases. For roughly every one thousand steps forward, the Divine Power doubles, which we call a stage."

"You didn’t mishear; it doubles, not just increases by another fold."

"Hain could originally withstand three thousand steps, meaning the 4-times Divine Power of the third stage. Then today, he attempted the 8-times Divine Power of the fourth stage and ended up dead."

Zhou Leng took out the Demonized Watch, quickly scribbled some numbers, and said, "If there indeed are ten stages, that’s 512 times the Divine Power?"

Wang Yunbo helplessly said, "We’ve calculated; it’s impossible. It maxes out between the sixth and the seventh stage. The strongest ones, Xu Ming and Wang Xiong, can now only reach the fifth stage, enduring 16 times Divine Power. They might push to reach the sixth or seventh. But the eighth stage is 128 times Divine Power; without reaching Grandmaster level, they can’t even enter."

Zhou Leng said, "That is a bit troublesome."

"The Beastmen suffered the most casualties, with nine in total, five of them dead. The remaining four reportedly nearly went mad, swearing furiously."

"What’s going on?"

Wang Yunbo said, "Beastmen inherently have the lowest intelligence in the Ten Realms. Demon Spirit Masters explain it as them retaining their nomadic and Barbarian Race traits without completing the evolution towards collective intelligence, leading to significant evolutionary gaps. We suspect they have some mental will deficiency, which makes encountering powerful Divine Power perilous."

Zhou Leng pondered and said, "It’s possible. After all, it’s a divine selection for warriors. Being too smart might not be useful, but being too foolish is certainly detrimental. I’ve seen theories before. The green-skinned ones seem fierce and claim to have built a brilliant Beastman Empire, but they’ve never truly shaken off the primitive tribal state. This low-organization collective state precisely proves their brains have defects, preventing the establishment of a complete national organization."

Wang Yunbo checked the time, "Let’s go, we’ll talk as we walk. Initially, I didn’t believe the mental stuff, but after seeing the studies of Demon Spirit Masters, I realized that not only do different races have different brain structures, even within the same race, the internal brain structures are completely different. They are merely similar in broad outline, with huge differences in details..."

The two chatted idly while walking out.

Just as they stepped out of the camp, a buzzing sound came from Wang Yunbo’s pocket.