Village Chief Hun Mie shouted: "Xiao Yan, bring some blood!"

Hun Xiaoyan killed a chicken in the backyard, collected a bowl of chicken blood, and handed it to Village Chief Hun Mie.

"The biggest difference between profound martial arts and low-grade martial arts lies in their inheritance methods. Profound martial arts pass down techniques through concept paintings, with each concept painting containing the creator's insights into the technique, depicting the mysteries of the martial art.

Concept is the key that opens the door. Once you comprehend the concept, when you look at concept paintings, you're not just seeing images—you're seeing the martial art itself, seeing the creator's understanding of this technique!

Gaining a trace of conceptual understanding means you've grasped a sliver of the creator's comprehension of martial arts. The power of your punches and kicks will greatly increase, intimidating your enemies' spirits!

The saying 'seeing the fist is like seeing the god' means your fist carries a wisp of conceptual intent. To your enemy, it's not you throwing the punch—it's the martial art creator throwing the punch!

You can imagine what it feels like when a powerhouse capable of splitting mountains and parting seas throws a punch at you. Your body instinctively fears it, and once fear appears, flaws emerge. With flaws present, defeat is not far away!"

Splash!

Village Chief Hun Mie splashed the bowl of chicken blood onto the Mysterious Water Black Snake Painting and the Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger Painting. The two paintings immediately changed, with the runes behind the black snake gradually forming strings of text—exactly the Mysterious Water Black Snake Art!

"Profound secret manuals cannot be altered. Once modified, the concept paintings will be damaged. You can practice with confidence, without worrying that I might modify the manual and cause your qi and blood to flow backward."

He seemed to think Li Xuan still didn't believe him, so he splashed the remaining chicken blood from the bowl onto the Soaring Dragon in the Heavens Painting. The secret manual appeared, and he used his finger to wipe away the text.

Crack~

Rip~

The Soaring Dragon in the Heavens Painting split apart, the conceptual intent within dissipating.

"Believe me now?"

"I believe," Li Xuan said.

Hun Xiaoyan glared at Village Chief Hun Mie, "This was a Fourth Grade martial art! You're too wasteful!"

Village Chief Hun Mie said indifferently, "We can't leave here, we can't sell it, keeping it at home is useless anyway."

Li Xuan looked at Village Chief Hun Mie a few more times, speculating in his heart about why the Village Chief was doing this.

The Ancestral Treasure Vault contains better martial arts techniques!

That's why Village Chief Hun Mie didn't care about a single Fourth Grade technique.

'First, practice.' Li Xuan thought to himself.

To seize benefits, the top priority was to become stronger. The Giant Beast form currently couldn't be improved, so he could only enhance his main body's combat power.

Li Xuan carefully studied the Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger Art, and the Pure Yang Martial Seed rooted in his Qi and Blood Dantian trembled.

The Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger Art belonged to the pure yang type of martial arts, so he could practice this technique with twice the result for half the effort.

Throughout the afternoon, Li Xuan memorized the Body Tempering Section through the Fourth Grade section of the Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger Art, leaving only the final Third Grade section unread. Village Chief Hun Mie's intention was to teach him the final section after they surrounded and killed the Mountain Deity.

Huo Lingling memorized the entire Mysterious Water Black Snake Art, leaving only the secret technique for impacting Third Grade unlearned.

"Village Chief, we'll take our leave now," Li Xuan said to Village Chief Hun Mie.

"My house has spare rooms," Village Chief Hun Mie said.

Li Dalong scratched his head. His proficiency in Xia Country language and writing wasn't sufficient, and even with Hun Xiaoyan patiently explaining beside him, he had only barely managed to learn the Body Tempering Section throughout the afternoon.

"Li Xuan, stay. Let's practice martial arts together tonight."

Li Xuan refused, "No, I prefer to stay outside."

After Li Xuan and Huo Lingling left, Village Chief Hun Mie knocked Li Dalong's head three times, "Stupid pig! Your talent isn't as good as others, and your learning speed isn't either."

Li Dalong chuckled, "I'll work hard."

At night, Li Dalong secretly crept to Village Chief Hun Mie's room, but the moment he opened the door, he was kicked flying.

"You little brat, showing your true colors now! I knew you were deceiving my daughter to steal my secret manuals!"

Li Dalong was bewildered, repeatedly waving his hands, "Father, didn't you tell me to come find you in the middle of the night?"

Village Chief Hun Mie said coldly, "When did I say that!"

"You hit my head three times this evening—wasn't that telling me to come find you at the third watch to learn martial arts?"

A vein bulged on Village Chief Hun Mie's forehead, "I hit you because I was annoyed with you!"

"Father, I'm sorry, I misunderstood," Li Dalong quickly said.

In the cave

Li Xuan was practicing the Body Tempering Section of the Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger Art. There were twelve movements in total, fewer than the Flowing Water Art's movements, but each one was more exquisite, able to better temper all parts of the body and stimulate potential.

Crack~

Sounds came from all over Li Xuan's body. His breathing alternated between rapid and calm as he was imitating the breathing of a giant snake and a fierce tiger.

The Pure Yang Martial Seed within his Qi and Blood Dantian trembled, and the energy from the Hell Savage Ox meat hidden in Li Xuan's flesh that hadn't been transformed yet dispersed, gradually merging into every inch of Li Xuan's flesh and blood, slowly enhancing his physique and increasing his strength.

The sun gradually rose. When the first ray of sunlight shone into the cave, Li Xuan suddenly opened his eyes and shouted lowly: "Blood!"

Huo Lingling raised her knife and brought it down, slaughtering a fierce tiger. She lifted the still-struggling tiger, aiming its wound at Li Xuan, letting the tiger blood pour over Li Xuan's body.

Li Xuan circulated the Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger Art, drawing on the beast's blood to stimulate his flesh and blood.

After the fierce tiger completely died, Huo Lingling threw the tiger aside, slaughtered the giant snake on the ground, took out a palm-sized snake gallbladder, and delivered it to Li Xuan's mouth.

"Swallow it in one gulp," Huo Lingling reminded.

Li Xuan forcefully worked his throat, forcibly swallowing the palm-sized snake gallbladder.

Fire!

As the snake gallbladder entered his stomach, Li Xuan felt as if he had been ignited. His entire body became incredibly hot, his temperature suddenly rising.

If someone measured his body temperature with a thermometer at this moment, the thermometer would explode within seconds.

Li Xuan resembled a red-hot iron block, with the movements of the Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger Art acting as the hammer, fiercely forging the iron block to transform it into a sharp sword!

Huo Lingling retreated to the edge of the cave, sitting on the ground eating compressed biscuits, "Are there still giant snakes in the mountain forest?"

"There should be. Even if there aren't, there definitely will be when we return to Blue Star. It won't delay your breakthrough," Yun Xiuzhi said.

Huo Lingling swallowed the compressed biscuit in her hand, "He's almost successful."

Roar! Roar!

The sounds of dragon roars and tiger growls emanated, echoing throughout the cave.

A strand of qi and blood was born within Li Xuan's body!

He officially became a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist!

Although due to the scarcity of qi and blood, he could only unleash it for an instant, he still counted as Ninth Grade.

He had a Qi and Blood Dantian, making qi and blood accumulation relatively much easier. By eating more meat, ensuring sufficient nutrition, and practicing martial arts more, he could quickly accumulate enough qi and blood.