The Iron Body Academy sprawled across a mountain plateau, its training grounds designed to accommodate body refinement techniques that would shatter normal architecture. Wei Liang observed students practicing methods that enhanced their physical capabilities to supernatural levels—lifting boulders the size of buildings, moving at speeds that created sonic booms, and demonstrating defensive techniques that turned their skin harder than spiritual metals.
Impressive baseline capabilities, Wei Liang assessed as Lin Xuefei guided them through the academy grounds. Each student represents years of accumulated body refinement knowledge. Consuming them systematically should provide comprehensive foundation for physical enhancement integration.
"The Iron Body Academy specializes in defensive techniques," Lin Xuefei explained proudly. "Our students can withstand attacks that would destroy mountains, while our advanced practitioners achieve true invulnerability against conventional cultivation methods."
Zhang Wuji examined the training demonstrations with scholarly fascination. "These techniques appear to alter fundamental physical constants rather than just enhancing existing properties. How is such transformation possible?"
"Ancient body refinement works through constitutional rebuilding," Lin Xuefei replied. "Rather than cultivating qi through meridians, we reconstruct our physical forms using principles that predate current spiritual cultivation. The process requires absolute dedication and willingness to endure transformation that lesser cultivators consider impossible."
Constitutional rebuilding, Wei Liang noted with interest. Exactly the methodology required for demonic body advancement, but focused on physical enhancement rather than comprehensive power integration. Combining their techniques with my blood-avatar abilities should produce exponential advancement.
Their tour was interrupted when a commotion erupted at the academy's central training ground. A young man in expensive robes was challenging students to combat duels, his arrogant demeanor suggesting another entitled young master seeking to demonstrate superiority over the academy's practitioners.
"I am Zhao Tianba, heir to the Golden Mountain Sect!" the challenger announced loudly. "My Mountain Crushing Fist technique can shatter any defense! Which of you iron-body pretenders dares test their techniques against true cultivation power?"
Another opportunity, Wei Liang realized, observing Zhao Tianba's cultivation base. The young master possessed genuine Soul Transformation strength enhanced by earth-based techniques that suggested considerable resource investment in his development.
Several Iron Body Academy students accepted the challenge, their confidence based on years of defensive technique training. The first challenger was a senior student whose skin gleamed with metallic luster, his Iron Skin technique having achieved near-perfect invulnerability against physical attacks.
Golden Mountain Crushing Fist! Zhao Tianba's attack created seismic tremors that cracked the reinforced training ground, his technique carrying enough force to pulverize ordinary mountains. The earth-based spiritual energy was genuinely impressive, demonstrating why the Golden Mountain Sect commanded regional respect.
The attack struck the Iron Body student directly, creating an explosive impact that generated shockwaves visible to spectators across the academy. When the dust settled, the defender remained standing, his metallic skin unmarked by the devastating assault.
"Impossible!" Zhao Tianba exclaimed. "My Golden Mountain Crushing Fist carries the weight of entire mountain ranges! How did a mere body refinement practitioner resist divine cultivation techniques?"
Because his understanding of power hierarchies is fundamentally flawed, Wei Liang observed with predatory amusement. He assumes spiritual cultivation naturally supersedes physical enhancement, but body refinement at this level operates through different principles entirely.
The Iron Body student counterattacked with a simple punch that carried no visible qi enhancement. However, his constitutional rebuilding had transformed his physical capabilities to levels that exceeded normal spiritual techniques. The punch created a shockwave that sent Zhao Tianba flying across the training ground.
Fascinating, Wei Liang thought as he studied the exchange. *Body refinement that achieves power through physical transformation rather than spiritual enhancement. The methodology would integrate