In the only quadrangle courtyard in Soul King Village.

The hunters brought in the villagers who lived near Shui Lanlan's home.

Learning that among the outsiders was someone who could fight evenly with Shui Lanlan's father, many people's expressions turned serious.

Village Chief Hun Mie tapped his pipe and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, be extremely cautious of the outsiders. Don't look down on them just because they don't know martial arts."

All the hunters of Soul King Village were Eighth-Grade Martial Artists who had already encountered the outsiders. After some probing, they believed the outsiders posed no threat—just a bunch of ordinary people. However, the recent appearance of the Giant Beast had terrified them, making them secretly relieved they hadn't attacked the outsiders yet.

"Not all outsiders can transform into giant beasts like that person," one hunter remarked.

"But what if they can? I'm not willing to gamble my family's lives on the chance that outsiders are weak."

Village Chief Hun Mie nodded. "I suggest we observe the outsiders first and figure out their true capabilities."

A red-haired hunter at the front spoke up, "There are two outsiders staying at my house. Both have transformation abilities, though not as powerful as the Giant Beast. Additionally, I noticed they really want to stay, even willing to serve me together, like refugees. But it's hard to explain where their transformation abilities come from."

"I learned from one outsider that they came to Tianniu Island riding something called a train, possibly having crossed worlds. Their original world is apparently dying."

"Crossing worlds? You believe such an unbelievable story?"

"Legends say the Great Qian Martial God has the power to shatter the void and ascend to higher realms. Are they all Martial Gods? Or is this thing called a train comparable to a Martial God?"

After the discussion, all the hunters returned home. None went to pursue the Giant Beast.

The Giant Beast could easily crush Ninth-Grade Martial Artists. Eighth-Grade Martial Artists might not be its match either. If they really encountered it, the outcome would be uncertain. They didn't want to risk their lives to avenge Shui Lanlan's family.

It was worth noting that Shui Lanlan's family had a poor reputation in Soul King Village, mainly due to her father's behavior. Shui Lanlan herself was quite pretty and kind as a child, but she was corrupted by her father as she grew up. None of the village's young men were willing to marry her.

Village Chief Hun Mie didn't force the hunters to pursue the Giant Beast either. He returned to the main hall and pondered silently.

A beautiful woman entered the main hall and sat beside Village Chief Hun Mie.

"Husband, I need to tell you something."

Village Chief Hun Mie glanced at the woman. "You're definitely up to no good."

The woman playfully hit Hun Mie. "Our daughter has taken a liking to one of the outsiders. I've seen him—he's quite handsome, much better than the rough guys in the village. His skin is really fair."

Village Chief Hun Mie coughed twice. "An outsider? Where? Don't you know one of them just killed someone from our village!"

"He's in the backyard."

"When did he get in?"

"Your daughter secretly brought him in. How would I know the details?"

Village Chief Hun Mie stood up and hurried to the backyard, where he saw a fair-skinned man being intimate with his daughter.

"I'll kill you!"

Li Dalong quickly raised his hands. "Father! Please don't! Xiao Yan and I have mutual feelings! Please bless our relationship!"

"Mutual feelings after just meeting? Do you think I'm stupid!" Village Chief Hun Mie made a move to strike.

Li Dalong trembled as he raised his hands. He had inquired already—the Village Chief was the strongest person in Soul King Village. He had reached the Seventh Grade ten years ago, killed the previous village chief to take the position, and was the only genius on the island with hope of breaking through to the Sixth Grade Martial Artist.

The Village Chief had no sons, only one daughter. If he became the Village Chief's son-in-law, he would definitely receive the Village Chief's true teachings and become a powerful martial artist.

He had already made his decision—he wasn't going back!

He wanted to practice martial arts! Fulfill his childhood dream!

Seeing that Li Dalong showed no intention to resist, Village Chief Hun Mie held back his slap at the last moment.

In a certain cave.

Li Xuan and the others were barbecuing. The meat came from the cave's original owner—a two-meter-tall black bear.

Huo Lingling took a bite of the roasted bear meat and chewed vigorously. "Not tasty. The meat's too tough."

Li Xuan leaned against the cave wall, holding a yellowed secret manual, studying it.

He had swallowed the Pure Yang Martial Seed, greatly enhancing his martial arts aptitude. He was now a martial arts prodigy, finding it easier to learn martial skills.

Most of the martial arts information provided by Shui Lanlan matched the manual's contents, mixed with a small amount of false information.

For example, Shui Lanlan said the first step in martial arts was tempering the body, extracting a strand of qi and blood from flesh and blood to achieve minor success and barely step into martial arts.

The steps were correct, but the method was wrong. To generate qi and blood, one needed to first temper the skin, flesh, tendons, bones, and blood, then bathe in beast blood, consume beast meat essence, using the beast's violent qi and blood to impact one's own organs, squeezing out potential in life-and-death situations to finally generate a strand of qi and blood!

The steps were correct, but the method was wrong. To generate qi and blood, one needed to first temper the skin, flesh, tendons, bones, and blood, then bathe in beast blood, consume beast meat essence, using the beast's fierce qi and blood to impact one's own organs, squeezing out potential in life-and-death situations to finally generate a strand of qi and blood!

Simply constructing the Qi and Blood Dantian without building qi and blood meridians meant one couldn't mobilize qi and blood power to circulate through the body, and thus wasn't a true Ninth-Grade Martial Artist.

Li Xuan closed his eyes and saw the Qi and Blood Dantian inside his body.

Internal vision!

A strange effect brought by the Pure Yang Martial Seed.

"The Pure Yang Martial Seed has already constructed the Qi and Blood Dantian for me. Next, I just need to generate qi and blood, accumulate enough of it, and I'll be a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist," Li Xuan murmured.

Shui Lanlan had also lied about her own martial arts progress. She wasn't just starting with the Flowing Water Art, but had already mastered the seventy-two movements that temper the skin, fur, muscles, and bones.

The Flowing Water Art recorded a secret method to generate qi and blood without bathing in beast blood or consuming beast meat essence.

One needed to comprehend the rhythm of flowing water in a great river, grasp that mysterious and elusive opportunity, actively plunge oneself into the water, and stimulate the birth of qi and blood in a life-and-death crisis.

Shui Lanlan's true martial arts progress was that she had already generated a strand of qi and blood.

If Li Xuan and the others hadn't appeared, Shui Lanlan would have been halfway to success—having generated qi and blood but lacking the strength to climb back ashore.

The manual contained sections on body tempering and the Ninth Grade, but no subsequent parts.

Li Xuan memorized the seventy-two movements of the Flowing Water Art's body tempering section but didn't immediately practice them. Since Shui Lanlan was full of lies, the manual might also have problems.

Yun Xiuzhi said somewhat apologetically, "This time it was my mistake."

Li Xuan put down the manual. "You weren't wrong. This kind of thing is unavoidable. Our goal is to better access martial arts and blend into Soul King Village. Your plan was good, we just encountered the wrong person."

Huo Lingling nodded while chewing meat. "Yes, yes, Sister Yun, don't blame yourself. It's all Shui Lanlan's fault. We saved her, and she repaid kindness with enmity."

Yun Xiuzhi looked at Li Xuan. "It will be very difficult for us to enter Soul King Village again. What should we do next?"

Li Xuan pointed at Huo Lingling. "Have Lingling change her appearance and infiltrate Soul King Village to learn martial arts."

"Can she do it?" Yun Xiuzhi sounded somewhat uncertain.

"Shui Lanlan said Lingling is a genius and was very jealous of her talent. Perhaps someone in Soul King Village will recognize Lingling's talent and take her as a disciple," Li Xuan said.