Chapter 8: Breaking Through to the Eighth Layer of the Body Refinement Realm, Then Struck Off the Sect's Rolls

Feros Tower! In a guest room in the west courtyard, Benson Santee had long since sunk into cultivation, so deep he'd forgotten the passage of time. Two days… For two full days, Benson never took a single step outside the room. More than that, he never even climbed out of the bathtub. An ordinary person would have soaked themselves swollen, but with the toughness of Benson's body, it did nothing to him. The Marrow Cleansing Elixir had been absorbed completely. The clear water in the tub had turned noticeably murky. As the elixir strengthened his physique and sped up his cultivation, it also scoured impurities from within. Benson felt every major meridian in his body open and smooth, his hearing sharpened, his vision crisp, his mind clear. All ten Spirit Pills were gone. In the tub, Benson's dark eyes flickered with a steady, unyielding light. "The eighth layer of the Body Refinement Realm…" Ten Spirit Pills, plus a full bottle of Marrow Cleansing Elixir. In just two days, he leapt two levels, crossing from the sixth layer straight into the eighth. "I reached the eighth, but the cost was ridiculous…" Benson shook his head in quiet frustration. Under normal circumstances, the Marrow Cleansing Elixir and ten Spirit Pills would have been enough to push him toward the ninth layer. But cultivating the Apex Technique demanded immense spiritual energy to temper the body. Every single step required more resources than it should have. For Benson, realm was one thing. Strength was another. The sheer sturdiness of his flesh already surpassed what most ninth-layer Body Refinement cultivators could boast. Even a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator would have to think twice before trading blows with him head-on. Benson clenched his fist. His knuckles cracked, sharp and clear. "Only strength you forge yourself counts as real strength." With that, he climbed out of the tub. He still looked lean, but the vitality in him was nothing like it had been a few days ago. "I've used up all the Spirit Pills. I still have two Foundation Establishment Pills left, but I need more resources…" One Foundation Establishment Pill had come from the Santee family. The other had come from trading the Swiftshadow Technique manual. For Benson, it was still too early to take one. A Foundation Establishment Pill was the pinnacle among low-grade pills. As the name implied, it was meant for breaking into the Foundation Establishment Realm. The best time to use it was at the peak of the ninth layer of the Body Refinement Realm. Then Benson's thoughts shifted. A black demonic saber flashed into his hand. "I'm already at the eighth layer, but the chill from Star Soul still cuts to the bone… Looks like fully controlling its power is still a long way off…" He lightly tilted the black saber in his palm. Star Soul had been forged from a dragon scale shed by the Night Queen, yet its shape resembled a dragon fang more than a scale. The crease near the tip made it look viciously sharp, and strangely beautiful. "Roar!" A low, furious dragon bellow rumbled from within the blade. The sound drilled into Benson's ears. His head swayed, his heart jolted, and for an instant he almost lost his footing. "What's going on?" He caught the edge of the table, staring at the saber with a frown. Faint, illusory streams of light rippled across the blade. The vicious, baleful aura felt clearer than ever. "Master, don't panic." The Tower Spirit of the Apex Tower spoke, its voice sounding directly in Benson's mind. "This demonic saber was formed from the scales of the Six-Winged Demonic Dragon, so it naturally carries a portion of the Night Queen's spiritual power. That dragon bellow just now was the saber's innate force. It has a measure of mental attack." Benson's eyes brightened slightly. "Mental attack?" "Correct. It mainly comes from the Night Queen's overwhelming demonic might. It can induce dizziness and fear. When your cultivation rises, you'll be able to draw out more of the saber's power." "So that's it." Benson nodded. "This is just a weapon, and it already holds this much might. I can't even imagine how terrifying the Night Queen was." Then he added, "If the saber grows stronger as my cultivation rises, then the Spirit Pearl works the same way, doesn't it?" "Yes." The Tower Spirit confirmed. "Before, when you used the Spirit Pearl, you could burst out triple your combat power. Now that you've reached the eighth layer of the Body Refinement Realm, you can force out five times your combat power for a limited period." "Five times?" A sharp glint flashed at the corner of Benson's eyes. "However, I advise you to use the Spirit Pearl as little as possible." "Why?" "The Spirit Pearl was condensed from the blood aura of Empress Slayer. She was violent by nature, quick to anger, and addicted to slaughter. Use it too often and you'll suffer backlash, becoming irritable and enraged. Only when you've fully mastered the Apex Technique can you cast off the influence of external forces." Benson nodded. "Alright. I understand. Unless it's an emergency, I'll avoid using the Spirit Pearl." After that, he changed into fresh clothes and left the room. Not long after, he arrived at the main hall of Feros Tower. "Young master, did you rest well?" The same maid who had received him two days earlier hurried over. She looked him up and down, clearly surprised. He hadn't stepped outside for two days, yet he looked even more energized. Benson nodded. "I'm leaving. How much do I owe for the room?" "Avery Yeates already gave instructions. You don't need to pay anything else. You can leave whenever you like." "Then please thank Avery Yeates for me." "I will." After a few simple exchanges, Benson left Feros Tower. Night had fallen. Moon City glittered beneath the dark sky, streets wide and bright, prosperity on full display. Benson returned alone to where he stayed. His place was tucked away in a quieter area. Before long, the noise of the city faded behind him. Under the night curtain, his small house stood isolated. He paused at the door, his gaze deepening, then pushed it open and stepped inside. He lit the candle on the table. The growing flame drove back the cold darkness. Benson sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. It had already gone cold. Candlelight traced the sharp lines of his profile, hard-edged and unyielding. Just as he lifted the cup toward his lips- "Clang!" A flash of steel lit the room. In the next heartbeat, a vicious blade dropped from the rafters, aimed straight for the crown of his head. Benson remained calm. He didn't flinch at the sudden strike. At the instant the tip was about to bite into him, he twisted aside. "Clang…" The long blade cut past him with inches to spare. A black-clad man with a cruel, wolfish stare came into view. "You were on guard?" The assassin sounded genuinely startled by Benson's composure. Benson gave a cold laugh. "The Santee family's tricks just keep getting more disgusting." He snapped his wrist and hurled the teacup. "Pow!" It smashed square into the man's face. Porcelain exploded, water spraying. The assassin staggered back at once. Before he could steady himself, Benson surged forward and clamped a hand down on the man's sword arm. "You-" The assassin's eyes widened. Benson was too fast, and the strength in that grip was brutally overbearing. He didn't get time to be shocked. Benson's fingers tightened abruptly, forcing the man's arm to swing across his own throat. "Shhk!" The assassin didn't even have time to react. The blade in his hand sliced clean through his own neck. Blood sprayed in a horrific arc. As the body fell, the door and windows shattered in rapid succession. A swarm of killers poured in. "Benson Santee, die!" "Even the heavens won't save your worthless life today!" "Kill him!" Their eyes gleamed like starving beasts as they rushed him together. Benson's expression didn't change. He caught the wrist of the first attacker who swung from the side, then squeezed. "Crack!" Bone snapped under his fingers. "Aaah!" The man screamed, his weapon slipping from his grip. Benson snatched it out of the air and slashed backhanded in one clean motion. A bright arc of steel carved across the killer's neck. "Shhk!" Blood splattered the rafters. A head flew free. Another life ended in the blink of an eye. … Outside the house, two figures watched the slaughter within. One was Rosalyn Santee. The other was Luca Santee. Luca's right shoulder was wrapped in thick bandages. With only one arm left, his hatred for Benson burned like poison. "I want him to die screaming. I want his arms and legs cut off. Sis, you have to avenge me. I want to chop off his hands and feet myself!" His words dripped venom, his eyes bloodshot. Rosalyn stood beside him, cold as frost. "Don't worry. He won't escape tonight. When I return to the Tenji Sword Sect, I'll ask the young sect master for a method to reconnect severed limbs. We'll see if it can help you regain what you lost." Luca clenched his fist so hard his teeth ground audibly. "I'll kill him. I'll make him end up worse than a stray dog." "Bang!" Before his words even finished, a frigid slash of blade-light sent a killer flying out through the doorway. The broken door crashed down with him. A deep wound split his chest, the cut sinking into his organs. He twitched on the ground a few times, then went still. Rosalyn stepped forward, shock flashing across her face. "How is that possible?" The people she'd brought were all at the sixth or seventh layer of the Body Refinement Realm. Several were even at the eighth. Killing a mere sixth-layer Benson should have been effortless. Then every assassin inside was forced back out, one after another. Benson followed, walking out slowly, his body spattered with blood. "If you can't do it openly, you resort to the shadows?" Benson's voice was low, his gaze glacial. "Looks like the Santee family isn't as loyal to the Tenji Sword Sect as everyone pretends…" A pressure surged outward, invisible yet heavy. Feeling the aura rolling off him, Rosalyn's expression tightened. In only two days, his strength had risen again. Rosalyn let out a chilly laugh. She raised her hand, snatched out a document, and tossed it to the ground at Benson's feet. "This is the notice the Tenji Sword Sect sent yesterday. Benson Santee, you've been struck off the sect's rolls. In other words… you're no longer a disciple of the sect."