Apotheosis

Zen poured a vat of cold water over himself and watched the milky impurities flow along the water as it hit the ground.

Since he had reached the bone refining level, his flesh had no impurities left to remove. The milky white pollutants that were being washed out were being expelled from his bones.

Zen closed his eyes and relished how refreshed his body felt after washing away all the impurities.

Ever since he beat Darren, the steward had not come to Zen's cell. This lack of supervision meant that Zen had more freedom.

Every evening, Zen leaned his iron bed against the cellar wall and then used layers of batt to wrap the bed frame to make a simple practice stake.

Since he placed the bed frame close to the cellar's stone wall, most of the power from his fists were absorbed by the thick wall. Zen had taken the precaution of wrapping the bed frame in cotton so that the sound of his fist hitting the iron frame was reduced to a minimum. Since he was in a cellar far from the main buildings, no one could hear that he was secretly practicing.

He began his practice by using the 'Purple Light Fist', which had been inherited by the Luo Clan hundreds of years ago. Today, it was a lost knowledge, and only a handful of people knew its secrets. Even the collateral relatives of the Luo Clan did not get the opportunity to learn the secrets of the Purple Light Fist.

A smirk played on Zen's lips. Since reaching the bone refining level, the complicated techniques of the Purple Light Fist were not as challenging as before. As he had been unable to practice for these past two years, he knew he would still find it demanding. However, with his new-found powers, he could now play and deconstruct at will.

"Purple Fist Strength!"

"Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang!"

Seven muffled sounds echoed through Zen's otherwise quiet cell.

Purple Fist Strength was the most profound part of Purple Light Fist. Each punch was capable of causing multiple injuries to people. The number of injuries showed the level of use of 'Purple Fist Strength'.

Seven muffled sounds indicated that this punch had caused seven injuries. Zen was not satisfied with this result.

Zen's father had told him that he was able to cause eight massive injuries when he used Purple Light Strength at the bone refining level. However, Zen could only cause seven serious injuries even though he was at the same level as his father. His understanding of the Purple Fist Strength was not impressive enough. Obviously, he needed to make a better effort.

Since each punch hit the top of the batt, only muffled sounds could be heard.

Zen's power and strength had grown immensely since he reached the bone refining level.

Perrin had already stepped into the peak of the bone refining level. Thus, the strength of each of Perrin's punches had an impact equivalent to almost one thousand pounds.

But Zen had just reached the bone refining level. He estimated that his boxing strength was about 700 to 800 pounds.

This was insufficient to fight against Perrin.

Zen desperately wanted to enter Cloud Sect.

His heart felt as heavy as stone when he thought about his sister who had been banished to Hell mountain.

Yan had always been obedient and

well-behaved. It was impossible for her to be a troublemaker. She must have been set up to earn such a terrible punishment. Zen needed to enter Cloud Sect as soon as possible. This was the only way to protect Yan!

"Bang bang bang!" The strength with which Zen lashed out increased little by little.

Cloud Sect was the largest martial arts school in the Imperial Capital. They recruited many students on a wide scale every year.

Young people throughout the Imperial Capital also desired being selected by Cloud Sect. Not only did it have the best resources, but the Sect also had the most experienced and professional coaches who could teach them a lot.

However, the prerequisites for being admitted into Cloud Sect were extremely strict.

Each student there needed to be very talented, like Yan, who had been easily admitted.

Needless to say, most students at Cloud Sect were very strong. They were better than other children in every way possible. Zen's feat of reaching the bone refining level was just not enough.

'I am now being refined. My body level is changing day-by-day. But if I want to upgrade rapidly, I need to practice harder!'

At this thought, Zen gritted his teeth and threw a hard punch at the bed frame.

Ever since he was a young boy, Zen had desired perfecting the ultimate martial arts. His pursuit of this form had molded him into a conscientious and meticulous teenager. He had improved step-by-step. When alive, Zen's father had praised him for his perseverance.

But ever since the death of his father and his banishment from the Luo Clan, Zen as a slave, had stalled in his growth. Not only did he have few chances to practice, but his mood had also been greatly affected.

But now, Zen had regained his confidence. He also had new goals. Now was the right time for him to catch up.

He didn't sleep the whole night.

Zen lost count of how many punches he had thrown at the bed frame. But he could see that the impact of his boxing had been such that the batt was now attached to the wall. He had to pry the cotton away and pull it apart gently.

During the daytime, he became more active in his pursuit of continuous refining.

In order to practice as much as possible, Zen walked to the Martial Arts Hall every day, even though the guards no longer came to fetch him.

He volunteered for the Luo children to beat him. This was undoubtedly a risky step as people might learn the truth.

After all, he was now being beaten more often and more severely than the other slaves. However, he lacked the tell-tale injuries on his body. This would definitely attract questions to which Zen had no answers.

Regardless, Zen continued. He had decided not to care too much about possible outcomes. He knew he needed to be beaten extensively in order to refine his body as soon as possible. Otherwise, he would not be able to enhance his strength within a short time.

Some Luo children did find Zen's behavior to be strange. They also frowned when they saw how badly he was being beaten. Despite the situation, Zen's demeanor seemed cheerful, which was contrary to how slaves usually behaved. Instead, he seemed as confident as any of the Luo children, almost as if he were beating other people!