Chapter 42: Beast Body Refinement

When Qin Liang woke up, he was already inside the encampment of the Sulfur Flame Mercenary Corps.

Beside the campfire, he sat surrounded by Feng Yi and several other brothers. Ling Dehai was among them as well, talking eloquently in a rather harmonious atmosphere.

"I have never seen a five-times soul-refined cultivator as formidable as Brother Qin. Once again, I am fortunate to have been rescued by you. I, Ling Dehai, have no way to repay this kindness, but I do have a single daughter. If Brother Qin does not disdain her..."

After three rounds of drinks, Ling Dehai was about to bring up a certain matter.

Mucuan, sitting nearby, shifted his expression slightly and hastily intervened, "Big Brother, you're drunk. I told you not to drink this much just now; whenever you get drunk, you start talking nonsense."

"Feier, quickly help your Big Brother back to rest. He cannot drink anymore."

Mucuan snatched the wine pouch from Ling Dehai's hand and motioned for Ling Fei to come and take her father away.

"Brother Qin, please pay no mind to this. Big Brother has never been able to hold his liquor," Mucuan said, turning back to look at Qin Liang.

Qin Liang, Feng Yi, and the others looked at him with hopeful expressions and exchanged knowing smiles.

Qin Liang smiled and offered reassurance, "Rest assured, Brother Mu, I already have a fiancée and will not snatch her from you. I wish the two of you a joyous union soon and many plump little boys to join the mercenary corps."

His voice was not quiet, and Ling Fei heard it just as she emerged from the wooden cabin, a blush staining her cheeks.

Mucuan sighed, "There is no rush for such matters. Right now, that bastard Ji Gang has escaped, which will likely bring quite a bit of trouble. Furthermore, with the Black Tiger Gang gone, Lion-Tiger Town will probably not be spared from the harassment of savage beasts."

"Therefore, Big Brother and I both intend to relocate the mercenary corps into Lion-Tiger Town to shield the local residents from beast calamities, while simultaneously recruiting more members to expand the scale of the mercenary corps."

He explained that the Sulfur Flame Mercenary Corps knew no peace, and he had no mind for marriage at present.

Qin Liang asked with a frown, "Ji Gang is merely a six-times soul-refined cultivator. What is there to fear?"

Mucuan explained, "Brother Qin, you may not know this, but the reason the Black Tiger Gang dared to commit all sorts of atrocities is entirely because they are backed by the Dark Yin Hall. Ji Gang will surely go to seek refuge with them, and trouble will inevitably follow."

"Indeed."

Feng Yi nodded in agreement, "The Dark Yin Hall is a lower-tier sect near Sulfur City with a rather profound heritage. I fear they are no weaker than our Jiang family."

Hearing this, Qin Liang's expression grew somewhat solemn.

If the Dark Yin Hall were truly drawn here, the Sulfur Flame Mercenary Corps would likely be unable to withstand them. It seemed that growing their strength was an urgent priority.

"Rest assured, Lion-Tiger Town falls under the jurisdiction of Sulfur City. The Dark Yin Hall would not dare to launch large-scale actions within Lion-Tiger Town in the short term, unless they wish to offend the City Lord's Mansion." Mucuan's words allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.

Qin Liang swallowed a piece of roasted lion-tiger meat, turned to Feng Yi, and asked, "Brother Feng, where have you and Brother Yulong been all these years?"

"This is a long story..." Feng Yi began to recount.

As it turned out, many years ago, the Jiang family had begun executing a secret plan.

In a secluded valley within Rainbow Glow Mountain lay the Jiang family's prime iron ore mine. That location was known only to a fraction of the Jiang family; ordinary members like Qin Liang were not even qualified to know of it.

For a long time, young geniuses who were unconditionally loyal to the Jiang family had been secretly sent to that mine.

On the surface, they were guarding the mine, but in reality, they were secretly training in anticipation of the opportune moment.

A battle between the Jiang family and the other two major families was bound to happen sooner or later, and they could not afford to go unprepared.

"Now that you've come out as well, why don't you come with me to see Big Brother? He frequently brings you up in conversation!" Feng Yi invited.

"This... is that appropriate?"

Qin Liang hesitated. After all, that mine was a secret of the Jiang family, and it might not be entirely appropriate for him to visit at present.

"We are all members of the Jiang family, what's wrong with that? We'll set off tomorrow!"

Feng Yi was very straightforward and handed Qin Liang another piece of lion-tiger meat. "We sneaked out this time. If I bring you back and Big Brother is pleased, he will surely forget to scold us."

He was slightly tipsy, which led him to blurt out his true intentions, leaving Qin Liang utterly speechless.

They continued drinking merrily until late into the night before retiring to their respective wooden cabins to rest.

Qin Liang circulated his cultivation technique slightly, instantly dissipating the alcohol-induced haze.

He walked out of the river valley, seated himself cross-legged upon a massive boulder, and took out a small porcelain vial containing the vital essence blood of a lion-tiger beast. Feng Yi had remembered him muttering about it before he lost consciousness and had specifically set it aside for him.

According to the descriptions within the *Frenzied Battle Beast Physique*, Qin Liang dripped his own blood into the vial. Once their spiritual energies harmonized and a faint crimson glow emanated from the container, he smeared the vital essence across various parts of his body and circulated his secret technique to absorb it.

"Hiss—"

As a searing, burning pain spread across his skin, Qin Liang could not help but gasp sharply, then grit his teeth.

The vital essence seeped through his pores, bit by bit melting into his body, causing his entire frame to tremble.

Having already completed five soul-refinings, his tolerance had increased. Yet, cultivating the *Frenzied Battle Beast Physique* still caused him to bare his teeth and wince, which showed that the pain intensified with every use of vital essence for cultivation.

Time flew by. This time, Qin Liang took a full three hours to complete the absorption.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a blazing sun slowly rising, its golden rays casting brilliance over the earth, causing Rainbow Glow Mountain to swirl with misty vapors resembling fairy mists, lending the entire mountainous terrain a hazy and magnificent aesthetic.

"What a sight!" Qin Liang praised.

If one were to cultivate here year-round, inhaling the essence of the sun and moon while absorbing the spiritual Qi of the mountains, one's cultivation would undoubtedly advance by leaps and bounds.

No wonder it was always said that Rainbow Glow Mountain produced numerous heavenly treasures; this was inherently a blessed land.

"Little Liang, let's move out. Let's aim to arrive before dark," Feng Yi called out after packing his bags.

Everyone bade farewell to the Sulfur Flame Mercenary Corps.

This time, Feng Yi had mobilized over twenty men and wiped out the Black Tiger Gang, which could be considered a major achievement.

Although some of the brothers sustained minor injuries, overall, no one had died in battle.

The spoils of war looted from the Black Tiger Gang's treasury—including those found within the spatial pouches of Meng Xiangyu and his cohorts, which contained numerous spirit coins and medicinal herbs—were all handed over by Qin Liang to Feng Yi and the other brothers.

Everyone had contributed their effort, and Qin Liang felt it improper to monopolize the gains. Besides, harvesting so many corpses was already reward enough for him.

Crucially, ordinary tier-one medicinal herbs were no longer capable of aiding Qin Liang in his soul-refining.

The group traveled through the mountains at a rapid pace. From time to time, they encountered savage beasts along the way, hunted them down, and stored them in their spatial pouches—providing another feast upon their return. Such was life in the mountains.

This also made Qin Liang realize that these brothers, who spent year after year in Rainbow Glow Mountain eating the meat of soul-refined savage beasts, possessed physical constitutions that far surpassed ordinary people over time. No wonder their combat prowess was so formidable.

"If it weren't for the sake of the Mountain Lord, Big Brother probably would have hunted the beasts in these mountains to extinction long ago," Feng Yi boasted with a proud expression.

Qin Liang felt a secret shock and hurriedly asked, "What is Big Brother Yulong's cultivation level now?"

Feng Yi chuckled, "You'll find out when you see him. He certainly won't disappoint you."

Seeing that smile, an ominous premonition suddenly arose in Qin Liang's heart.

At dusk, the group arrived at a secluded valley entrance deep in the mountains, where lights were already glowing within.

This place was very close to the deepest recesses of Rainbow Glow Mountain, separated only by a towering, steep peak. However, traveling to the Mountain Lord's grotto-heaven required taking a long detour, and without a guide, it remained inaccessible.

"Little Yi, where have you gone to fool around this time? You didn't mine any ore today either."

A youth of about twenty-five years old, possessing a robust physique and standing as straight as a pine, looking full of vigorous strength, immediately put on the stern expression of a strict parent upon seeing Feng Yi and the others, picking up a wooden staff.

Feng Yi's expression changed abruptly, and he hurriedly said, "Big Brother, calm your anger. Look who I've brought you."

He pulled Qin Liang out from behind him as a human shield while he and the other brothers scurried off into the distance.

"You... Little Liang?"

Jiang Yulong was pleasantly surprised, but soon after, he said with a meaningful look, "So you're the brat who wants to take my little sister Xuehan as your bride?"