Fenggu, Wang Zhong once again set foot here. Unlike last time, this time he was alone.
Qian Renxue had already bid him farewell yesterday after eating grilled fish.
According to her, she had been out for too long and needed to return to report her safety to her grandfather.
Wang Zhong understood and, after seeing Qian Renxue off, returned to Fenggu.
The ever-present gale roared in Fenggu, and the same powerful wind assaulted him head-on. However, this time, Wang Zhong's demeanor was vastly different from before.
This time, he was no longer as disheveled as before, unable to advance even with all his might. Now, he stood in the gale, walking slowly as if strolling in a leisurely garden.
The strong wind that had previously posed such a great obstacle to Wang Zhong was now inconsequential.
Following the narrow valley, the sheer cliffs on either side began to converge inwards at a visible angle.
The cliffs, which had been hundreds of meters wide, were now only tens of meters apart after Wang Zhong had advanced nearly a thousand meters.
The narrowing of the valley also caused the dispersed wind to condense, making the gale even more terrifying, and the resistance Wang Zhong faced grew exponentially.
Upon reaching this point, Wang Zhong's previous casual, leisurely demeanor completely vanished. He was now covered in sweat, panting heavily, each step consuming an immense amount of mental and soul power.
Mental power was used to sense the force and direction of each gust of wind, which was expected to be a significant drain. What truly surprised him was the enormous consumption of soul power.
He had initially thought that he could redirect the wind with minimal soul power, using a "two ounces to deflect a thousand pounds" approach. Instead, it had become like an unmanageable boulder.
Unlike when he first entered the valley, Wang Zhong now felt that the number of winds had decreased. The wind forces coming from all directions had naturally reduced. However, this reduction in quantity led to a tenfold increase in wind strength, necessitating a tenfold increase in the soul power he used to push it aside.
Although Wang Zhong's soul power had increased by one level to seventeen in the past month, he was still merely a fledgling soul master with limited soul power. He had reached his current position almost at his limit.
However, Wang Zhong possessed a stubborn streak, and the constant, pressure-cooker training from the system, which never stopped until he was pushed to his absolute limit, made his stubbornness even more formidable.
As long as he could still stand, it meant he hadn't reached his limit yet; he could still take two more steps forward.
With such tenacity, Wang Zhong gritted his teeth and took another step forward, but this single step caused him to bleed in Fenggu.
After just one step, a terrifying wind blade swept horizontally towards him. Wang Zhong, already at his physical limit, was utterly incapable of resisting this sudden attack.
The wind blade cut through his clothes, broke his skin and muscle, leaving a gaping wound across his chest that nearly encompassed his entire upper body. Struck by this blow, Wang Zhong's body could no longer withstand the gale.
He was instantly blown away, carried all the way back to the entrance of Fenggu before falling from the sky.
With a dull thud, Wang Zhong landed heavily.
Picking himself up from the ground in a disheveled state, Wang Zhong immediately tore open his clothes and saw a bloody gash across his upper body.
However, upon seeing this wound, Wang Zhong suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, hahaha!"
"Indeed, indeed, my Eight Extremes Heaven has begun to take hold! This powerful physical defense is the best proof. In the past, facing such a sharp and terrifying wind blade head-on would have meant certain death!"
"But now, it's merely a flesh wound. Eight Extremes Heaven is truly formidable."
At this moment, Wang Zhong finally gained a deeper understanding of the might of Eight Extremes Heaven.
"A weapon forged from the body, truly this powerful."
"I wonder what state my body will reach after I traverse all the dangerous zones in this simulated training environment! Lu Xiaoshuang, I am somewhat looking forward to our battle now."
Wang Zhong grinned, used his soul power to stop the bleeding, and wiped away the blood with his clothes. He then sat down cross-legged to recover his soul power.
An hour later, Wang Zhong's soul power was fully restored. With a leap, he plunged into the depths of Fenggu. The gale here no longer had any effect on him.
He returned to his previous position and took a deep breath. Although he was slightly winded this time, his condition was entirely different from before.
His soul power and mental power were considerably depleted, but a significant amount remained.
He took another step forward and this time, Wang Zhong clearly felt the presence of a formation. It was this formation that blocked the terrifying wind blades, which, despite being only a step away, possessed a heaven-and-earth difference in power.
Wind blades danced wildly, striking the surrounding cliffs with the sound of metal clashing, indicating just how fearsome they were.
Another wind blade attacked. Wang Zhong, now prepared, dodged to the side, and the wind blade dissipated upon striking the formation.
However, for some reason, Wang Zhong's dodge seemed to trigger a chain reaction. The countless wind blades swirling in the air seemed to find their target and surged towards Wang Zhong, one after another.
In response, Wang Zhong quickly retreated outside the formation. As soon as he stepped back, the wind blades vanished.
Wang Zhong continued to resist the gale, but his brow furrowed deeply. With such a quantity of wind blades, even with Eight Extremes Heaven, he was likely to be torn to shreds.
"Wind blades are also a solidified form of power condensed from the wind's force. Although their lethality and destructive power are astonishing, they are ultimately still wind."
"If Sister Xue's theory is correct, and my speculation is also correct, then wind blades can also be deflected by grasping their veins."
"I cannot turn the wind's power into my own, but I can make its lethality disappear on me."
With a spark of brilliance in his eyes, Wang Zhong stepped back into the formation. As expected, a wind blade slashed towards him.
His eyes narrowed, and Wang Zhong slowly extended his palm, making contact with the wind blade with as much gentleness as possible. As they met, a piercing scraping sound was heard, and a bloodstain immediately appeared on his hand.
He abruptly retracted his hand and retreated. Tearing off a piece of his clothes, he used his soul power to stop the bleeding and wiped himself down. The bloodstains disappeared, leaving only a shallow cut on his hand.
"No, it's still not soft enough. Is it because my body is too tough from cultivating Eight Extremes Heaven?"
Looking at the wound on his hand, Wang Zhong speculated silently but quickly dismissed the idea.
"Although my body's hardness is exaggerated, it is ultimately flesh and blood, not truly transformed into steel."
"It's not a matter of the body, so the problem must lie with the power, or the way it's used."
"My power is still not soft enough."
With a heavy sigh, Wang Zhong stepped into the formation once more. As the wind blade attacked, he extended his palm as before. However, this time, the moment his palm contacted the wind blade, it began to slowly move backward.
At this point, the sound of their contact was significantly quieter than before.
"Force redirection."
Murmuring the words, Wang Zhong gently guided his palm, deflecting the wind blade to the side. Although another bloodstain appeared on his palm, Wang Zhong wore a smile of realization.