But Chu Yang wanted more than that.
Ten Directions Invincible Technique originated from Wu Wudi's core martial art, Xuanwu True Skill. Chu Yang hoped to deduce the full essence of Xuanwu True Skill through this technique.
Xuanwu True Skill encompassed various martial disciplines, from blades, spears, swords, and staffs to fists, palms, legs, claws, and fingers—similar to the Nine Yin Manual in the martial arts world. It could comprehensively enhance a martial artist's mastery and was ideal for someone like Chu Yang, who cultivated multiple styles. It could integrate his other martial arts into a cohesive whole.
For now, it was one of the few top-tier martial arts Chu Yang could access. As for arts surpassing Xuanwu True Skill, they required significant effort and conditions Chu Yang currently lacked.
---
After Chu Yang departed, Nie Feng and Ming Yue also set off toward Tianxia Hall.
Compared to Ming Yue's anxious demeanor, Nie Feng appeared unusually relaxed—even overly so—giving Ming Yue a bad feeling.
She suddenly realized she had overlooked a critical issue.
Nie Feng was someone deeply attached to emotions. The years of care and mentorship Xiongba had provided couldn't be erased by Chu Yang's few words.
The worst-case scenario was that Nie Feng still harbored unrealistic fantasies in his heart.
Realizing this, Ming Yue tightly held the Yin Sword in her arms.
---
The Leshan Giant Buddha was a well-known landmark. Even in ancient times, finding directions to it was straightforward.
Without much effort, Chu Yang located Lingyun Cave.
Because of the Fire Qilin's legend, the area was desolate and quiet. However, Chu Yang heard some noises at the entrance.
Looking closer—
Ah! An acquaintance!
It was Duan Lang, the same Duan Lang who had been beaten up at the Ming family's ancestral tomb. For some reason, he was now at Lingyun Cave. Chu Yang figured he might be here seeking comfort.
Silently, Chu Yang followed Duan Lang into the cave.
The temperature inside was noticeably higher than outside. Not long after entering, Duan Lang was already sweating profusely.
Behind him, Chu Yang used his Observation Haki to pinpoint the Fire Qilin's location—it was very close!
Watching Duan Lang proceed cautiously ahead, Chu Yang smirked and suddenly appeared behind him, delivering a sharp kick to his rear.
"Ah!"
"Why are you here?!"
Duan Lang, who had fallen flat on his face, looked back and screamed in horror upon seeing Chu Yang.
Chu Yang sneered and withdrew quietly.
Not long after—
A blazing red glow illuminated the cave as waves of heat surged forth.
Duan Lang's face turned deathly pale.
"Fire Qilin…"
Realizing he was trapped, Duan Lang finally understood why Chu Yang had appeared. He had been used as bait to lure the Fire Qilin.
"This man is vicious!"
Duan Lang scrambled to flee while cursing Chu Yang under his breath, completely ignoring how he and Dugu Yifang had previously ambushed Nie Feng—a hundred times more ruthless than Chu Yang's tactics.
The Fire Qilin's roar grew closer, and the oppressive heat made Duan Lang feel as though he'd fallen into molten lava. Pain exploded in his shoulder, and he screamed in despair.
"No! Please, no!"
He stretched out his hand, as if trying to grasp the faint light outside the cave.
But with a fierce tug from the Fire Qilin, he was pulled back into the depths of Lingyun Cave.
The cave echoed with the Fire Qilin's roars and Duan Lang's agonized screams.
Chu Yang followed leisurely, ensuring Duan Lang would meet his end. He couldn't risk letting him escape, as it would bring trouble to Nie Feng and Ming Yue in the future.
Hearing Duan Lang's fading screams, Chu Yang approached the enraged Fire Qilin and struck it with Avada Kedavra, the death curse.
The foreign magic ravaged the mythical beast's life force, though it staggered and fought back valiantly.
Chu Yang launched another series of spells, finally bringing down the mighty Qilin.
Before it died, the Fire Qilin's eyes burned with hatred, vowing revenge if ever resurrected.
Chu Yang smirked. "Come for me if you wish, but not before I've drained your blood dry."
He didn't intend to kill the Fire Qilin so easily—at least not before taking advantage of its Qilin Blood for a while.
Once the Qilin Blood lost its effectiveness, he would then extract the true essence of the Fire Qilin to maximize his benefits.
The Fire Qilin's pupils dimmed as its life force was completely extinguished.
Duan Lang's corpse lay at its feet, already burned beyond recognition by the flames.
Chu Yang cast a fireball spell, incinerating Duan Lang's remains entirely, leaving no trace of his existence in the mortal world.
Carrying the Fire Qilin's body, Chu Yang headed deeper into Lingyun Cave, searching for scattered Blood Bodhi fruits along the way.
Eventually, he arrived at an area with a deep pool.
Chu Yang stopped in his tracks.
The temperature of Qilin Blood was extremely high, and Chu Yang worried it might ignite a fire outside, so he chose this location.
This was also the place where Nie Feng had once battled the Fire Qilin.
Chu Yang stripped off his clothes and took a bath. Then, using his magical power, he hoisted the Fire Qilin into the air and opened a wound on its neck.
Golden Qilin Blood dripped down, gathering into a stream that poured over Chu Yang's body. The intense heat of the blood instantly turned his skin red, even causing a slight burning sensation!
"With my physique, for Qilin Blood to actually burn my skin—it's remarkable," Chu Yang murmured.
A surge of overwhelming power enveloped his entire body like ocean waves, forcefully entering his system.
It was scorching and intense!
Chu Yang's physical body grew stronger at an astonishing rate!
"If Qilin Blood is this potent, then the blood of the other three sacred beasts shouldn't be far behind."
"Dragon Blood and Phoenix Blood are both tied to Di Shitian. That old freak's whereabouts are unknown, making him difficult to locate."
"As for the Dragon Tortoise, I'd have to find Xiao Sanxiao. That old fellow is even trickier than Di Shitian and harder to deal with."
"Xiao Sanxiao's martial arts skills are no less valuable than the Dragon Tortoise's spiritual blood…"
"The world of Fengyun is filled with monsters who've lived for thousands of years, roaming around aimlessly. Can't they just stay in one place so I can deal with them all at once?"
Chu Yang indulged in these random thoughts for a while before the Qilin Blood eventually dried up. Not a single drop was wasted; it was all absorbed into his body.
Now, his entire body radiated intense heat, and even the surrounding pool water began to boil.
Seizing the moment, Chu Yang stuffed a handful of Blood Bodhi fruits into his mouth.
With the combined power of the Blood Bodhi and the Qilin Blood, he began pushing all his martial arts techniques toward perfection.
The most crucial among them was the Dragon Elephant Prana Art.
"In the mountain, a single day; in the world, a thousand years."
Chu Yang's martial arts comprehension progressed at an extraordinary speed, so much so that he became deeply immersed in cultivation. Before he realized it, half a month had passed.
"If I keep this up, the grass on Mingyue's grave will grow tall! I'd better take a break!"
Reluctantly, Chu Yang stopped his cultivation.
At this point, most of his martial arts had reached perfection, while the Dragon Elephant Prana Art advanced by a major stage, reaching the unprecedented eleventh level.
It was still not quite perfect, but Chu Yang was very satisfied with the power demonstrated at the eleventh level.
For some reason, the actual strength gained from the eleventh level of the Dragon Elephant Prana Art was far greater than what the technique described.
It wasn't just the power of eleven dragons and eleven elephants—it had doubled!
Twenty dragons, twenty elephants of strength!
The final three levels of the Dragon Elephant Prana Art had always been shrouded in legend. Apart from King Jinlun, no one had reached the tenth level, let alone the stages beyond.
Chu Yang was the first.
Therefore, the nature of the final three levels remained uncertain—even the creator of this technique might not have known for sure.
All in all, it was an unexpected but pleasant surprise.
To ensure the Fire Qilin's corpse was safe, Chu Yang submerged it in the deep pool, leaving it to recover on its own.
As for whether it would drown, that wasn't Chu Yang's concern.
After finishing these tasks, Chu Yang continued exploring Lingyun Cave. Setting aside the Dragon Vein for now, he was determined to find the Qilin mural.
The earlier he obtained the Ten Directions Invincible Technique, the more time he would have to comprehend it.
Lingyun Cave was a maze of interwoven passages. To find anything here required considerable effort.
It took Chu Yang three full days to locate the Qilin mural that Nie Feng had once seen.
The mural depicted the conflict between the Qilin Demon and the Peerless Sword, subtly containing the martial essence of the Ten Directions Invincible Technique.
Chu Yang sat cross-legged, carefully studying the mural. After a long while, he began to discern its intricacies.
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