Chapter 006: Secluded Cultivation

Sensing that the black-clad man's life force had completely dissipated, Yang Tian collapsed to the ground, sitting on his buttocks, his whole body drenched in hot sweat, a stark contrast to his earlier fierce bull-like demeanor. The fist technique he had just executed had drained all the blood energy from his body.

"The fist technique I just used is called: Scorching Sun!"

After recovering a bit of strength, Yang Tian said slowly. The fist technique displayed by the giant was too magnificent; he could not fully comprehend it, only replicate his own version, and perhaps in the future he might have the chance to glimpse its大成.

Yang Tian stood up and searched the black-clad man's body for a while. When a "Void Ring" appeared in his palm, the corners of Yang Tian's mouth curled up in a joyful smile.

Void Rings can store items and are quite expensive. This black-clad man's Void Ring had a space of five square zhang, belonging to the lowest grade of Void Rings. For him to obtain a Void Ring at his cultivation level, he must have killed quite a few people.

Whoosh!

A large pile of items appeared on the ground. Yang Tian sorted them for a moment, and before him appeared five thumb-sized stones and a jade bottle.

Yang Tian picked up one of the stones. It was entirely blood-red, with abundant blood energy flowing inside, and the stone was covered with fine lines.

"It's actually blood stones. This kid's wealth is considerable." Sensing the abundant blood energy inside, Yang Tian rubbed the blood stone and silently praised. If the black-clad man knew what Yang Tian was thinking, he would probably be furious enough to spit blood. These five blood stones were the reward Fatty Chen paid him for capturing Yang Tian.

Blood stones are classified as low, medium, high, and top grade. The blood stones Yang Tian obtained were the lowest grade.

Yang Tian put three low-grade blood stones into the Void Ring, then picked up the jade bottle. He uncorked it, and a rich, fragrant blood energy immediately rose up.

Looking at the pill in his palm, the size of a longan, entirely blood-red, Yang Tian took a deep breath of its fragrance. The blood energy in his body that had been consumed actually recovered a bit. A hint of joy appeared on his face as he said with a faint smile, "It's actually a blood pill. This guy must have been preparing it to break through a realm. Unexpectedly, it benefits me."

Pills on this continent are classified from first to ninth grade. Pills are refined from various heavenly and earthly treasures and have the miraculous effect of breaking through realms. Even in Qingstone Town, they are not common. This blood pill is a first-grade intermediate pill.

After tallying his gains, Yang Tian stored the Void Ring into the Ancestral Dragon Ring, then sat cross-legged, sinking into thought.

"There must be something in Dragon Star Martial Arts Hall that attracts Fatty Chen. But he wouldn't dare to kill me outright; someone must be directing him. In all of Qingstone Town, there are probably only a few people who would dare to make a move against my adoptive father. Who could it be?"

Squinting his eyes, his thoughts racing, Lin Yuan had been kind to others over the years and had not made many enemies. After thinking for a long time without coming to any conclusion, Yang Tian had to give up.

As the sky grew darker, the ferocious beasts in the mountain forest also came out to hunt, their roars constantly echoing. Yang Tian was instantly startled awake. Looking at the sky, he turned and walked to a pile of rocks.

After a moment, he lifted a pitch-black iron cage, its body covered with fist-sized holes, the interior arranged like a maze. It was forged from refined iron.

Shaking the cage, Yang Tian grinned and carried it toward the pool.

"Plop." Throwing the iron cage into the pool, Yang Tian tied a silver thread to a large rock beside it. If fish entered the cage, they would become Yang Tian's prey.

Inside the cave.

Yang Tian sat cross-legged inside. The medicinal power of the blood pill was tempering his bones. His entire skeleton was warm and smooth like jade, radiating luster, even gradually penetrating into the marrow. His five organs were vibrating, and his heart was strong and vigorous, bursting with vitality.

After a moment, under the refinement of the vast heavenly and earthly essence, the medicinal power of the blood pill gradually diminished. The remaining medicinal power surged toward his muscles and bones. Yang Tian felt as if his blood was burning, his whole body like a furnace.

Heavenly and earthly essence poured into his body, washing through his flesh and blood again and again. With the cooperation of the medicinal power, his own strength was rapidly increasing.

In his Qi Sea area, the original dozen or so drops of crimson blood energy, after being tempered by the medicinal power, were now a third thicker than before, as crystal clear as jade, emitting a sparkling treasure light.

In the following days, Yang Tian devoted all his energy to cultivating the "War Heaven Art." Having suffered a great calamity in his youth, he understood better than anyone the importance of personal strength. On this continent where the strong are revered, only the strongest strength qualifies one to protect what one wants to protect.

Five days passed in a flash. With the time adjustment ratio of the Ancestral Dragon Ring, the blood energy in Yang Tian's body was now more than twice as strong as before. This was also due to the wonderful effects of the cold ice fish. He believed that if he now faced the black-clad man head-on, he could kill him on the spot.

Moreover, during these days of cultivation, Yang Tian discovered an extremely strange thing: the strength of his physical body was increasing at a terrifying rate. The rapid currents in the pool caused much less damage to his skin. While delighted, he was also quite troubled, as his cultivation speed had decreased significantly.

On a patch of rocky ground, a black shadow kept shifting its body, raising wisps of dust. As his arms swung, the air emitted a whirring sound, and small whirlwinds continuously swept outward, tearing apart the surrounding rocks.

Boom! Yang Tian punched out. As his arm bones turned, a series of muffled sounds erupted, the friction between bones like thunderclaps. At the same time, a dazzling light shot forward.

Bang! On the boulder, stone chips flew. At the center of the boulder, a hole as thick as an adult's arm was expanding, cracks spreading throughout the entire boulder.

Suddenly, Yang Tian threw another punch. As the sound rang out, the boulder exploded with a bang. A boulder weighing about a thousand jin was shattered by his two punches.

The dust cleared. Looking at the shattered boulder, Yang Tian nodded in satisfaction. After a moment of activity, he fell into thought. If he relied solely on absorbing essence to improve his cultivation, progress would be extremely slow. The War Heaven Art required too much blood energy; with his current foundation, he could not break through to the fourth level of Blood Refinement.

The total blood energy required for Blood Refinement alone was dozens of times that of the Glazed Glass Treasure Light Art. The second realm of martial arts is "Martial Artist." According to the War Heaven Art's introduction, entering the Martial Artist realm requires condensing the "War Heaven Bronze Body." This alone gave Yang Tian a headache.

The next day.

The blood stone in Yang Tian's hand turned to powder, its internal energy completely depleted. Yang Tian opened his eyes, stood up, and stretched. The sound of bones cracking suddenly rang out.

Patting his slightly stiff arm, Yang Tian murmured softly, "This strength should be enough to venture into the Ferocious Beast Mountain Range, right?"

The back mountain of Qingstone Town was only ten li away from the Ferocious Beast Mountain Range. The Ferocious Beast Mountain Range was fraught with danger and prone to beast tides. After multiple attacks on ordinary people, Wild Cloud City sent troops to suppress the entrance and built a small fortress, surrounded by walls ten zhang high.

Yang Tian walked over a hilltop, and what came into view was a ten-zhang-high wall. The outer layer was cast from black molten iron. The wall surface bore various claw marks and palm prints, clearly having experienced many battles, giving it an ancient, weathered feel.