Qin Feng then opened the Body Refining Technique, a very dangerous cultivation method. He intended to further upgrade these 5,000 Red Alert soldiers, each with 300 combat power, to the next realm of the Body Refining Technique, equivalent to the Golden Core stage of cultivators.
The current super Red Alert soldiers were merely at the Foundation Establishment stage. Although the Body Refining Technique did not specify the names of each realm, Qin Feng had already planned them. The reason the Body Refining Technique did not specify the names of each realm was that each advancement only increased physical strength, unlike cultivators who experienced significant sensory changes and obvious celestial phenomena with each realm advancement. The Body Refining Technique offered nothing of the sort, only silently enhancing one's physical prowess.
Qin Feng understood that the next realm would bring changes equivalent to the Golden Core stage of cultivation. According to the book, reaching the next realm would increase physical strength fivefold. This meant the super Red Alert soldiers would see their 300 combat power directly increase to 1500.
However, Qin Feng knew it wasn't a simple case of 1+1=2. A fivefold increase in physical strength did not translate to a mere fivefold increase in combat power; it would be much more. This was because combat power was a reflection of overall comprehensive strength, not just raw power. With a fivefold increase in physical strength, speed, power, and defense would all increase significantly, leading to a substantial rise in combat power.
Qin Feng didn't know the exact combat power, but he was certain it would be formidable.
Yet, to possess such formidable super Red Alert soldiers came at a steep price. The danger index of the Body Refining Technique doubled with each realm advancement. These super Red Alert soldiers were forged through Body Refining Pills, but even with their aid, casualties were heavy. It took the death of ten ordinary Red Alert soldiers to produce one super Red Alert soldier. The next advancement might require a hundred soldiers for just one, which would significantly decrease his overall strength.
At the same time, however, it would refine a powerful team. Qin Feng found it troublesome to move with 5,000 ordinary super Red Alert soldiers, and their speed was far too slow compared to his own. Therefore, he had to further refine these super Red Alert soldiers.
With this thought, Qin Feng no longer hesitated.
He commanded the 5,000 Red Alert soldiers to continue cultivating the next realm of the Body Refining Technique. Qin Feng purchased a large quantity of weapons from the shop, including very sturdy iron rods. They paired up, two by two, and began to temper each other's bodies.
This method of tempering was terrifying. The super Red Alert soldiers wielding weapons attacked each other's vital points with every strike. Even though these Red Alert soldiers already possessed formidable defense, they were still quite fragile when facing equally physically strong super Red Alert soldiers, especially when their vital points were targeted.
Before long, 100 soldiers had died. Qin Feng felt immense pain. Normally, forging 100 super Red Alert soldiers would have taken him a great deal of time and effort. He never expected to lose 100 of them in such a short period. Moreover, not a single Red Alert soldier showed any signs of advancement. If this continued, what would he do if all 5,000 super Red Alert soldiers perished?
If none of them advanced, this venture would be a colossal loss.
However, with the situation as it was, he could only press on.
Otherwise, carrying these 5,000 super Red Alert soldiers would limit his mobility and prevent him from executing large-scale maneuvers. He knew he would eventually have to temper these super Red Alert soldiers to advance them. Since the deed was done, there was no turning back. Qin Feng could only grit his teeth and continue.
Thus, after an unknown period, a total of 1,000 super Red Alert soldiers had died, yet none had successfully advanced. Qin Feng began to waver.
This was akin to throwing gold into a river; it was a pure loss with no gain.
But just as Qin Feng was about to give up, he suddenly sensed a significant surge in the strength of one super Red Alert soldier. This feeling was in sync with his own mind, and he knew this soldier was about to advance. Qin Feng gritted his teeth and continued, controlling the remaining 4,000 super Red Alert soldiers to cultivate the next stage of the Body Refining Technique.
Not long after, one super Red Alert soldier finally completed the advancement. A powerful aura surged from within, their physique resembling that of forged adamantine, their entire bodies radiating a dark luster, akin to black iron. Qin Feng was overjoyed; his efforts had finally paid off.
However, he now had only 3,500 super Red Alert soldiers left, with another 500 having died. Simultaneously, he sensed that dozens of others were showing potential for advancement, their strength rapidly increasing.
A flash of inspiration struck Qin Feng!
His sacrifices were worth it. Although 1,500 super Red Alert soldiers had died, the remaining 3,500 had undergone repeated tempering. It wouldn't be long before all of them had the potential to advance. He hadn't paid the price of 1,500 soldiers to train just one advanced super Red Alert soldier; if that were the case, he would have suffered a massive loss.
Qin Feng's mood improved, as he knew his super Red Alert soldiers would soon advance. However, he was unsure how many would ultimately survive.
Therefore, Qin Feng continued to direct his super Red Alert soldiers in cultivating the Body Refining Technique.
As one Red Alert soldier after another successfully advanced, Qin Feng's heart finally settled. When everything was finally concluded, Qin Feng counted his 5,000 soldiers and found only 300 remaining. However, these 300 were all advanced super Red Alert soldiers, each possessing immense combat power.
Qin Feng could feel the extraordinary physical strength of each of these super Red Alert soldiers. Even the fiercest beasts might not match the physical prowess of his Red Alert soldiers. Each Red Alert soldier's combat power was equivalent to the early Golden Core stage. While it was still slightly inferior to his current realm and not as powerful as his own, a hundred of them combined were truly formidable.
Their combined overall combat power could withstand a Grand Ascension stage expert. This meant that the overall strength of these 5,000 super Red Alert soldiers had not decreased significantly; it had merely been refined from 5,000 individuals to the current number.
Qin Feng was extremely pleased because, after refinement, the speed, strength, and defense of these advanced super Red Alert soldiers had greatly increased. Although they could not yet fly, they could keep pace with his aerial flight speed solely through their physical strength when running at full speed!