The Wind Spirit Body

Night fell, enveloping the entire Zhenyu Mountain Range like a giant black cloth. In the valleys and mountains, the brightly lit camps of various factions formed a long line. 

Inside a crystal coffin, Mo Qingkuang awoke from the numbing pain, feeling a tingling sensation throughout his body. The effects of the spirit fruit had been fully absorbed, and his Wind Spirit Body had been successfully formed. His body felt as if it had been shattered and reforged, with new flesh growing back. 

As his flesh grew, external wind energy naturally surged into Mo Qingkuang's body, transforming into pure true qi that continuously elevated his cultivation level. 

*** 

In a secluded forest within the Zhenyu Mountain Range, Chu Yanran watched in terror as the young man before her meditated. 

After Lin Yang brought her out of the Fallen Leaf King's Tomb, he hadn't said a word, only spitting out a mouthful of blood and swallowing a large number of pills before entering a meditative state, which he maintained until now. 

Chu Yanran was extremely shocked by the terrifying power Lin Yang had suddenly unleashed. That level of strength was not something someone their age should possess! 

To clash head-on with the Fallen Leaf King—what kind of existence was that? If not a Martial King, then at least close to it. 

She found it increasingly difficult to understand Lin Yang, who she initially pulled over to use as a shield, but who had suddenly risen in power and eventually captured her heart. 

Clearly, Lin Yang was seriously injured, as even after meditating for so long, he hadn't recovered. 

She didn't dare leave, partly out of concern for Lin Yang's safety alone in the forest, and partly because she didn't know where they were and whether she could handle any dangers on her own. 

So, she stayed by Lin Yang's side. 

Another hour passed, and Lin Yang suddenly opened his eyes, with a spark of fire flickering in his pupils. He exhaled a breath of turbid air, which unexpectedly ignited the bushes not far in front of him. 

Lin Yang stood up, wiped his hand over the small flames that had just ignited the bushes, and reabsorbed them into his body. His gaze turned towards the direction of the Fallen Leaf King's Tomb, his expression shifting unpredictably. 

After a long time, he sighed deeply, "I lost again!" 

"Lin Yang," Chu Yanran's face was pale, finding Lin Yang's current appearance somewhat unfamiliar. 

Lin Yang turned around, forcing a smile, "Yanran, I'm fine. It's just that he got the upper hand again this time." 

Seeing Lin Yang's forced smile and low spirits, Chu Yanran gently comforted him, "It's alright, Lin Yang. He was able to get the upper hand because he obtained the Flower Plucking Manual in the Nianhua King's Tomb. If you had gotten the Flower Plucking Manual, the advantage would have been yours." 

Lin Yang's face was filled with despair. 

'One wrong step leads to another. Mo Qingkuang, do you really have such destiny?' 

"Lin Yang, I believe in you! You will definitely surpass him and everyone else, standing at the pinnacle of the continent!" Chu Yanran continued to comfort him. 

"Yanran, please don't mention the sudden increase in my strength to anyone," Lin Yang suddenly looked deeply into Chu Yanran's eyes. 

The Saint Alchemist was his greatest trump card, one that couldn't be easily revealed unless absolutely necessary. 

By rights, he should eliminate anyone who witnessed it, but he couldn't bring himself to do so with Chu Yanran. 

"Lin Yang, don't worry! I will keep today's events to myself. When we return to the sect, I'll say that the Fallen Leaf King threw us out," Chu Yanran didn't know why Lin Yang had such great strength and didn't want to reveal it. But since Lin Yang didn't say, she didn't ask, only nodding obediently. 

*** 

As the morning sunlight spilled over, the lid of the crystal coffin automatically opened. 

Mo Qingkuang finally regained control of his body. With a twist of his waist, his entire body floated lightly like a leaf, then slowly landed on the ground. 

The Wind Spirit Body had been successfully formed, and Mo Qingkuang finally understood what Chen Kong felt. The wind elements in the air naturally flowed into his body, continuously enhancing his strength even when he wasn't cultivating. 

Spirit bodies are the darlings of nature, and their cultivation speed is astonishingly fast. 

Of course, the wonders of the Wind Spirit Body didn't end there. Mo Qingkuang could also sense the minute changes in air flow, easily finding the most unobstructed paths to move through. It was as if he had wings, and his speed was now three times faster than before. 

At his current maximum speed, even a high-level grandmaster would find it difficult to take his life! With his understanding of wind elements, Mo Qingkuang could even use air currents to briefly float in mid-air. 

Although it had no significant practical use, flying through the air was an ability typically reserved for those at high cultivation realms, and it would be impressive to show off in the future. 

His cultivation level had leaped three ranks, reaching the level of a seventh-rank martial master. This was noteworthy because Chen Kong had only advanced from a ninth-rank martial master to first rank grandmaster after obtaining the Spirit Fruit. 

However, this was understandable. The energy required to advance from a fourth-rank martial master to a seventh-rank martial master was vastly different from that needed to advance from a ninth-rank martial master to a first-rank grandmaster. 

Additionally, Mo Qingkuang's divine-grade cultivation technique required purer and more massive amounts of energy, so this level of advancement was about right. 

"Ancestor, I did it!" Mo Qingkuang leapt three meters high, then slowly descended from the air, excitedly adapting to his new abilities. 

Mo Fan responded calmly, "There's nothing to be excited about; everything is under control." 

Mo Fan could understand Mo Qingkuang's excitement but couldn't help but dampen it a bit. 

If he still had a body, would this good fortune have fallen to Mo Qingkuang? 

In his prime, Mo Fan was known as the War Emperor, invincible among his peers, yet he only had heavenly-grade roots and not a spirit body. 

It was a bitter thought, but he kept it to himself. 

Hearing this, Mo Qingkuang felt a bit speechless. Although it was true that he owed his success to his ancestor's meticulous planning, he couldn't help but be thrilled! The Wind Spirit Body was the strongest talent the Mo family had ever seen in generations! 

"Ancestor, what about the Fallen Leaf King?" Mo Qingkuang asked. He knew that he owed his fortune not only to his ancestor's careful planning but also to the Fallen Leaf King's willingness to help. 

"Dust to dust, earth to earth. He burned his body, refined the Spirit Fruit for you, and then his soul dissipated," Mo Fan replied. 

The Fallen Leaf King's fate didn't surprise Mo Fan. After refining the Spirit Fruit for Mo Qingkuang, the Fallen Leaf King no longer had any attachment to the mortal world. Filled with remorse for his master and junior brothers, and enlightened a thousand years after his death, the Fallen Leaf King ultimately chose to let his soul scatter as the harshest punishment for his past mistakes. 

He had also abandoned the Withering and Flourishing Sutra, which had the potential to bring him back to life, opting instead for the most brutal method to atone for his sins. 

Mo Qingkuang gazed at the crystal coffin, sighed, and carefully replaced the lid. He pried a stone from the wall, used his true qi to carve it into a stone tablet, and placed it in front of the crystal coffin. 

Then, wrapping his finger in true qi, he inscribed a line of large characters on the stone tablet: 

"Tomb of the Fallen Leaf King."