Chapter 770: Thunder Marrow Baptism, Heaven-Shaking Divine Arms
Behind the thunder platform, space churned as countless streaks of light howled past like meteors, dazzling beyond measure.
Within each streak of light, drops of Thunder Marrow condensed—the very source of the greed burning in Mo Yu and the others' eyes.
In ancient times, it was said that many divine beasts would temper their bodies with Thunder Marrow, forging flesh as hard as diamond, indestructible to any force.
But Thunder Marrow was extremely rare. In today's Great Thousand World, it could sometimes be found in the largest auction houses, but its price was astronomical, and the moment it appeared, it would be bought out instantly. Ordinary people had no hope of obtaining it.
Now, however, what lay before them was a sky full of Thunder Marrow.
How could their hearts not race?
"So this is the reward for seizing the final ten spots…" Mo Yu murmured.
The Refining Tower truly offered rare opportunities for body cultivation at every step.
From the outside, only half a day seemed to have passed since Mo Yu entered the tower, yet his physical strength had advanced by leaps and bounds.
With such heaven-defying conditions, it was no wonder that, in ancient times, the Divine Beast Origin once gathered a full third of the continent's supreme experts.
Buzz.
As Mo Yu marveled, the ten lightning cushions beneath their feet began to hum.
They lifted slowly into the air, carrying the ten of them forward into the region filled with streaking light.
Whoosh!
The ten cushions glided into the shining tide. Streams of light streaked past from all directions, each one bearing drops of Thunder Marrow.
Han Yue moved first. Fingers curling into a claw, he snatched at the sky. A powerful suction force erupted, grabbing hold of a passing stream and dragging it forcibly toward him.
The streak of light changed direction and shot toward his chest like a falling star.
Han Yue grinned broadly. He spread his arms wide, not using any protective spiritual power.
Thunder Marrow, after all, could not be touched by spirit energy. Only one vessel in heaven and earth could truly accept it: living flesh and blood.
If you wanted to absorb Thunder Marrow, you had to take it with your body.
Bang!
The stream of light slammed into his chest. A dull boom echoed across the platform as several bloody holes appeared in his torso.
Lightning flickered within those holes; silvery Thunder Marrow seeped rapidly into his torn flesh.
Han Yue's face twisted in agony as the marrow spread.
The Thunder Marrow dissolved into his blood and muscles inch by inch, refining every strand of tissue.
The distortion on his face lasted a long while before gradually easing. When he finally steadied his breathing, his body was soaked in sweat. The hunger in his eyes had dimmed, replaced by a measure of dread.
Clearly, the suffering that came with Thunder Marrow tempering was beyond what normal cultivators could handle.
As a top prodigy, Han Yue possessed remarkable willpower—yet even he needed some time before daring to absorb a second dose.
Mo Yu, Cai Lin, and the others soon tested the Thunder Marrow for themselves.
Their experiences mirrored Han Yue's: every strike of light left their bodies trembling violently in indescribable pain.
When the agony finally passed, they all wore shaken expressions.
Only Mo Yu, upon opening his eyes, revealed a flash of strange brilliance in his dark pupils.
He lowered his head and looked at his chest. The savage, bloody holes there were rapidly knitting together. The skin around them carried a faint silver sheen—evidence of blood and Thunder Marrow fusing.
Mo Yu could clearly feel it.
The flesh that had absorbed Thunder Marrow was tougher and stronger than any other part of his body.
"A true treasure for body refinement…" he breathed.
He could faintly sense it—if he used this Thunder Marrow well, he might truly push his Divine Beast Body to great completion.
At that realization, he hesitated no longer. His gaze hardened.
Spiritual power surged, forming a vast suction force that locked onto the streams of light around him.
Whoosh, whoosh!
In seconds, nearly ten streaks of light converged upon him, each bearing glimmering Thunder Marrow, a roar of distant thunder whispering from within.
Mang Lie, Han Yue, and the others gaped.
They knew the cost of Thunder Marrow refinement all too well.
The slightest carelessness could destroy their flesh from the inside out.
They had fully expected everyone to proceed slowly and carefully.
Yet Mo Yu, in defiance of common sense, was devouring Thunder Marrow like a starving beast.
The flares of light slammed into his body like artillery shells.
His flesh erupted in fresh blood—more holes tearing open until his entire torso was nearly flayed apart.
Rivers of silver Thunder Marrow poured into his wounds, seeping into his flesh, and the pain that followed was indescribable.
Mo Yu could hear it.
Hear his own flesh hissing as the Marrow dissolved within it, as if his very muscles were melting.
The agony surged to the edge of madness.
Without an iron will, unconsciousness would have claimed him instantly.
Roar!
The Heaven-Shaking Force Ape phantom within his Supreme Sea bellowed. Its roar sent waves of power through his veins, and the inner torment rapidly dulled.
His arms once again transformed into Heaven-Shaking Arms, and the Thunder Marrow coursing through his body swiftly converged there, silver threads of lightning-seared essence weaving directly into his ape-forged limbs.
Mo Yu opened his eyes. Silver light flashed within them.
The bloody mess of his body quickly began to recover, flesh and skin regenerating under the infusion of Thunder Marrow. Faint sparks of lightning darted across his skin as it hardened and grew stronger.
"He survived that?"
Ran Ben, Han Yue, and the others couldn't hide their shock.
The amount of Thunder Marrow Mo Yu had just taken in would have ripped any of them apart.
"How is his body tougher than ours?" Xu Lie muttered.
They were divine-beast-born prodigies with naturally powerful bodies—yet here was a human whose flesh now outmatched theirs.
Mo Yu ignored their amazement. He focused on his arms.
His Heaven-Shaking Arms had changed—strength writhed beneath their skin, now radiating a heavy, oppressive might.
They were on the verge of fully evolving into Heaven-Shocking Divine Arms.
His heart surged with excitement.
His gaze rose to the sky of light once more.
Far ahead, he could glimpse the outline of a great glowing ring—that would be the gateway to the fourth floor.
The lightning cushions carried them steadily closer, but there was no way to slow or stop that drift.
If they intended to claim as much Thunder Marrow as possible, they would have to do it before crossing that final threshold.
Everyone understood.
Watching Thunder Marrow streams fall one after another into Mo Yu's body stirred red-hot envy in the others' hearts.
They were starved beasts before a laden banquet, forced to nibble cautiously at each dish.
Mo Yu, on the other hand, was swallowing entire platters whole.
Driven by equal parts envy and desperation, they finally gritted their teeth and increased their own rate of absorption.
Their reward came quickly:
A chorus of strained cries and muffled howls echoed across the sky.
The pain from accelerated Thunder Marrow refinement was unbearable—even for them.
Cai Lin alone remained calm. Her Nine-Colored Swallowing Python body ranked among the top physiques in the entire spirit beast world; even Mo Yu's reinforced body might not yet match it.
Seeing her intact, Mo Yu relaxed slightly.
He shut his eyes once more and spread his arms wide.
Spiritual power exploded outward, forming a vortex that pulled nearly every passing streak of light into his body.
One after another, Thunder Marrow-infused streams pierced his flesh and vanished within.
Blood drenched him completely.
His form was reduced to something unrecognizable, like a muddled mass of meat and blood huddling upon the lightning cushion.
And within that crimson mass, his arms shone.
The blackness that once coated them shifted into a purple-gold radiance.
Purple-gold light rippled along their surface, carrying with it a frightening aura that felt sharper and heavier than before.
The purple-gold glow seemed to hum with excitement, greedily devouring every thread of Thunder Marrow pouring into Mo Yu's body and muting the agonizing backlash.
Even so, he drifted on the edge of consciousness, his mind barely anchored by instinct and will alone.
He continued absorbing—faster and faster—until nearly every stream of Thunder Marrow light that passed his vicinity was pulled into his body.
The others, even Han Yue and Ran Ben, could not bear to watch. Their scalps tingled, and some looked away, unnerved.
The human had become more beastly than any of them.
"Cheap bastard," Ran Ben muttered, his voice tight with anger and unwilling admiration.
He had never imagined that since entering the Refining Tower, Mo Yu would surpass him at every stage, forcing him to choke on dust again and again.
"When we reach the fourth floor, I'll find a way to kill him," he vowed silently.
The ten lightning cushions sped onward.
Gradually, the others slowed their rate of absorption, unwilling or unable to risk further agony.
Mo Yu alone continued his frenzied intake, like a bottomless black hole devouring every thunder-lit stream.
At last, the flow of light began to thin.
The gateway to the fourth floor loomed clearly ahead.
The others glanced back at the retreating streams, regretting those last untaken drops—but they quickly shifted their focus inward, checking their own bodies.
Smiles appeared on their faces as they discovered the results.
Thunder Marrow had baptized their flesh, fortifying blood and bone alike. Their bodies were far stronger than before.
For them, this trip was already well worth the pain.
Up ahead, Mo Yu slowly opened his eyes.
Purple-gold radiance burst from his skin.
All the bloody wounds across his body vanished in the blink of an eye. His renewed flesh bore faint purple-gold markings like ape-shaped sigils etched beneath his skin.
He looked down at his arms.
The obsidian black of the Heaven-Shaking Arms was gone, replaced by an unfathomable purple-gold sheen.
Purple-gold light coiled around them like mist, and a fierce, world-shaking sharpness rolled from their surface.
Joy flooded his heart.
He slowly clenched his fists—and as his fingers curled, it felt as though he could crush a mountain in his grasp.
He threw a casual punch.
Nothing grand, no spiritual power, no technique—just raw flesh and force.
Space twisted faintly at the path of his fist.
A plain, unadorned blow, yet enough to obliterate any ordinary Sixth-Grade Sovereign.
His Divine Beast Body had reached great completion.
Heaven-Shocking Divine Arms.
(END CHAPTER)
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