Several months had gone by since his first hardening and enhancing training. During these months, Pei Xuanjing worked tirelessly and thanks to his good fortune that there were constant thunderstorms, he finally completed the first phase of forging. He fully tempered his entire left palm.
Of course, during this time, after consecutive attempts, Pei Xuanjing managed to derive a feasible method for strengthening his physique.
Spiritualization!
This was the name Pei Xuanjing gave to the experiment he was currently undertaking.
Based on the information and resources he had obtained, they were currently practicing in a realm known as the Mortal Realm, and above the First-grade realm is known as the Spirit Realm.
Pei Xuanjing's continuous hardening of his flesh, causing earth-shattering changes in his constitution, was referred to by him as Spiritualization.
The so-called Spiritualization is about tempering and strengthening one's flesh to a realm, breaking the original limit of the flesh and physique.
If explained using his past knowledge, the martial arts physique practice simply strengthens the basic muscles and bones to change and enhance the constitution.
Meanwhile, Spiritualization is not only about cellular change but also about ripening and strengthening the original cells and genes of the martial artist. This leads to an evolution and hence progress in the flesh.
After many attempts, Pei Xuanjing had initially adapted to the habit of tempering his body with these thunder and lightning.
Sitting cross-legged on the ground, bolts of lightning attracted to him came occasionally, intensifying the forging process on his left palm, then nourishing and healing it with True Qi.
At this moment, Pei Xuanjing could clearly feel the dramatic transformation of his left hand. It was beyond measure compared to its original state.
Just considering strength and hardness, his left hand could effortlessly break gold and jade. It doesn't need to rely on the enhancement of True Qi, it can sever an Indomitable Weapon, and above a Thousand-Refined Divine Weapon leave traces.
"Perhaps one day, with the power of my flesh alone, I can match the hardness of a Thousand
Refinement or even Ten Thousand-Forged Divine Weapon." Pei Xuanjing muttered to himself.
Although he had just Spiritualized his left hand, it undoubtedly confirmed the accuracy of his current path.
In his view, cultivation is the continuous evolution of life. Although due to lack of data, it is unclear how the original cultivators did it.
But there is one thing Pei Xuanjing could affirm, his current attempts were correct and definitely on the right path.
There are drastically different distinctions between the hand that underwent Spiritualization and the one that didn't. They serve as a reference group for comparison.
Upon comparison, the Spiritualized left hand was significantly superior in original strength, toughness, and recovery speed after injury than before.
In terms of power, Pei Xuanjing's left hand was unimaginably strong. The force exerted by a fist or palm stroke was almost equivalent to a swing of a Thousand-Refinement Divine Weapon.
Pei Xuanjing even thought that if he could Spiritualize his entire body, he might be able to cultivate the legendary undying body with flesh that would never perish.
If the flesh could reach that realm of undying, it wouldn't be much different from the rumored longevity.
As time flowed like water, Pei Xuanjing was engrossed in closed-door hard cultivation on Shenxiao Mountain, and the elusive Bai Xiaosheng suddenly came to Shenxiao Mountain to find Pei Xuanjing.
"Brother Pei, long time no see."
"You're too kind, Brother Bai."
After exchanging courtesies, Bai Xiaosheng explained the purpose of his visit.
Bai Xiaosheng's sudden appearance on Shenxiao Mountain to find Pei Xuanjing was related to the Maitreya Sect Leader Zhao Baiyang's recent visit.
Zhao Baiyang came to Shenxiao Mountain hoping to invite Pei Xuanjing to participate in his dragon-slaughtering plan. Despite Pei Xuanjing's refusal, Zhao, with his resolute determination, was unlikely to give up easily.
Even if Pei Xuanjing chose not to participate, Zhao still decided to follow through with his plan. He discreetly began building alliances with those strongmen who were dissatisfied with the Great Ming imperial court.
As a character like Bai Xiaosheng, he was extremely observant about every move of the strongmen in the Jianghu world. Although Zhao was very secretive and careful in his actions, he couldn't escape Bai Xiaosheng's attention, who noticed Zhao and the Maitreya Sect's recent unusual activity.
However, regarding this monumental plan, Zhao did a commendable job at keeping it a secret, so much so that even many people in the Maitreya Sect didn't know his true intentions.
Therefore, even after learning of Zhao's abnormal behavior, Bai Xiaosheng still couldn't discern his ultimate goal.
In order to truly ascertain Zhao's intentions, Bai Xiaosheng chose to come to Shenxiao Mountain hoping to learn if Pei Xuanjing had any useful information.
In response to Bai Xiaosheng's query, Pei Xuanjing naturally had no intention to conceal anything. He honestly spoke about Zhao Baiyang's visit, his intentions, and plans.
"The Maitreya Sect Leader Zhao Baiyang is indeed a great schemer. His actions and bold plans are breathtaking," Bai Xiaosheng couldn't help expressing his admiration after hearing Pei Xuanjing's account.
Even with his extensive knowledge and experience, Bai Xiaosheng was moved when he heard Zhao Baiyang's true intentions. He admired Zhao for being a true strategist.
Infiltrating Tiandu to slay the dragon!
This was a plan that others wouldn't even dare think about.
Given the treacherous depths of Tiandu, how many forces of the royal family were lurking in the shadows. Even Bai Xiaosheng with his vast intelligence network couldn't be certain.
It'S astonishing that Zhao Baiyang could make such a daring decision.
Calmly settling his excitement, Bai Xiaosheng cast his gaze towards Pei Xuanjing, looking intently at him, he asked, "Given that Zhao Baiyang is determined to proceed this way, what does Brother Pei intend to do?"
What does Brother Pei intend to do?
Obviously, given Bai Xiaosheng's understanding of Pei Xuanjing, he did not believe that Pei Xuanjing would remain an observer upon learning about this matter.
In Bai Xiaosheng's opinion, this was a good opportunity for all, including themselves.
Listening to Bai Xiaosheng's words, Pei Xuanjing's face revealed a faint smile. He slowly said, "As to what needs to be done, it is not for me alone to decide. It also depends on the decisions of Brother Bai and Taoist Qingxu.."
Pei Xuanjing stared at Bai Xiaosheng with a smile, already having some inkling of his visitor's intentions.
For that reason, he did not voice his own ideas first, but instead proffered a suggestive statement and awaited Bai Xiaosheng's response.
He had never truly fathomed the ultimate aim of his collaborator.
Take the formation method obtained from the Shenxiao Sect, for example. As one of the recipients, Pei Xuanjing, who had a simulator in his possession, didn't feel as desperate as the others for it.
The Taoist from the Qingxu faction very candidly demonstrated their intense interest in the formation. Bai Xiaosheng, however, appeared to place a lot of importance on the formation on the surface, but in reality, he still had his own hidden agenda.
"Brother Pei, what do you mean by that?" Bai Xiaosheng asked with a jovial smile.
Pei Xuanjing looked back at him and countered, "Isn't the purpose of Brother Bai's visit today just to discuss this matter? Considering Brother Bai's wisdom and decisiveness, it would be astonishing if he had not already formulated a decision concerning this."
Bai Xiaosheng stirred up the martial world by putting up three lists, especially the Supreme List, which exposed many powerful forces to all in the martial world.
Indeed, those declared supremes of the martial world were all genuinely deserving of their titles.
However, in Pei Xuanjing's eyes, there was one supreme missing from the list that Bai Xiaosheng had compiled.
It was none other than Bai Xiaosheng himself—the orchestrator of the Supreme List.
Being able to grasp the state of various powers in the martial world and to establish the three ranking lists without much disputation from others demonstrated unthinkable power and posed a truly horrifying prospect upon deeper reflection.
And who else but a mortal could have managed an endeavor like that? So, Pei Xuanjing concluded that Bai Xiaosheng must have had a response plan in mind after receiving Zhao Baiyang's scheme.
Bai Xiaosheng's visit to Shenxiao Mountain that day was most likely to disclose his own plan and to invite Pei Xuanjing to join.
As expected, upon hearing Pei Xuanjing's words, Bai Xiaosheng's smile faltered. He closed his fan and gently prodded the air towards Pei Xuanjing, "Brother Pei, you really have a sharp eye that lets nothing slip past!"
Fitting Pei Xuanjing's assertion, knowing Zhao Baiyang's plan instinctively prompted Bai Xiaosheng to start contemplating whether he should intervene and how he could leverage the plan for his own benefits.
Very quickly, he came up with a plan and organized his thoughts. He wanted to discuss its feasibility with Pei Xuanjing.
Pei Xuanjing merely smiled without responding, awaiting Bai Xiaosheng to continue narrating his plan.
"If Zhao Baiyang enters Tiandu this time, there could be two outcomes. If he fails, all discussion ceases. But if he succeeds, the Great Ming imperial court will plummet into chaos. We can exploit the situation to seize some opportunities." Bai Xiaosheng declared excitedly.
He had access to up-to-date information regarding the True Martial Sect's research progress on the formation. He knew they had made some major strides but were stuck at a difficult point. Even though the current formation was considerably smaller than before, it still required a large space— approximately the area of an entire state to be set up.
If they hadn't received Zhao Baiyang's plan, they might have had to consider the deterrence of the Great Ming imperial court and patiently wait for the True Martial Sect's ongoing research.
But now, he saw an opportunity a chance to save a lot of trouble and immediately implement the plan.
If Zhao Baiyang's plot to assassinate the Emperor in Tiandu succeeds this time, it would likely trigger an internal turmoil within the Great Ming imperial court in an instant.
The current Emperor has no heir, meaning that after his death, it would be difficult to quickly decide a successor.
According to the old customs of the Great Ming empire, to establish a successor, all factions would probably end up fighting like dogs over it.
This would be an excellent opportunity for them. With the power Bai Xiaosheng had, coupled with the True Martial Sect's long-term operation in Taihe Mountain, and if Pei Xuanjing could be persuaded to join with his own influence.
If those three powers united, it would not be too difficult to have control over the entire state where Taihe Mountain was situated.
At that point, they could seize the chance to deploy the formation and accomplish their plan without having to worry about further difficulties in their formation research.
"Brother Pei, how does this plan sound?"
"…Brother Bai, you're a genius!" After listening to Bai Xiaosheng's plan, Pei Xuanjing had to admit that it sounded very promising. From an operational perspective, it was plausible and had great potential for execution.
According to Pei Xuanjing's prior simulations, even if the Emperor designated a successor before his death, the successor would still encounter countless assassination attempts on the way indicating dissatisfaction with the arrangement within the Great Ming imperial court.
Even conceding ten thousand steps, if the people inside the Great Ming imperial court compromised, Bai Xiaosheng could still stir up waves from behind to delay the ascension of the new Emperor. In doing so, they would definitely be able to seize control of a state during that time..