Chapter 206: Joint Attack Technique (I)

Creak.

The wheels rolled over the muddy road, letting out creaking noises. After more than a month of travel, even the sturdiest carriage frame had loosened in places, producing strange rattles. As the convoy advanced, traces of large serpents began to appear along the way. In the mountain forests on both sides, giant pythons could often be seen coiled around branches, flicking their tongues and hissing.

"

Ah

, so many snakes!" Liang Yunhui exclaimed.

She curiously observed the pythons, showing no hint of fear on her face. With her current strength, facing so many giant pythons was still quite dangerous, but she was not alone, as her powerful mother sat beside her.

In Liang Yunhui's mind, her mother stood tall as the strongest person in the world. With her mother present, there was nothing to fear.

The Guangxuan Escort Agency, leading the convoy, noticed the snakes infesting the forest and took out medicinal powder from their supplies, scattering it on the Ox Horse and carriages. Afterward, they sprinkled some on themselves to ward off the pythons.

"Do you need snake-repelling powder?" Lin Zheyu asked Liang Yuhan.

Before setting out, he had prepared several powders for repelling feral beasts, snakes, insects, and rats, using formulas recorded in the Toxicology Codex. They finally proved useful.

"No need, we have our own," Liang Yunhui replied before Liang Yuhan could speak.

"Alright then."

Lin Zheyu nodded and returned to studying the Boiling Blood Secret Art.

Only Lin Zheyu could treat the Boiling Blood Secret Art, a technique that burned essence, qi, and spirit to ignite one's life potential, as a method to purify blood qi. Within his consciousness space, using this art consumed only mental energy without harming his physical foundation, allowing him to employ it freely.

Ordinary martial artists, however, dared not use it too often. After each use, full recovery was nearly impossible, and some hidden injury would remain. If performed too many times, even for under three minutes each, it would damage one’s foundation, leading to a sharp decline in strength and a shortened lifespan.

The Boiling Blood Secret Art purifies blood qi mainly through acupoints, involving the burning of essence, qi, and spirit to release a more concentrated energy. If I can uncover the relationships among them and the functions of each acupoint, perhaps I can create a blood qi purification secret art that doesn't harm the mind

.

It was only a concept, far from becoming reality. His understanding of acupoints was practically nonexistent. Although he had mastered the Boiling Blood Secret Art, the part involving acupoints remained a complete mystery to him. He knew how to use it, but not why it worked.

"It's a pity that using Origin Force to enhance the Boiling Blood Secret Art drains the mind too heavily. Otherwise, I could have already pushed my blood qi to the fifth transformation," Lin Zheyu murmured helplessly.

He estimated that it would take at least ten days of rest to fully restore his spirit to its peak. The Boiling Blood Secret Art was undeniably powerful, yet its mental drain was tremendous. In reality, a single use would deplete essence, qi, spirit, and latent potential. Beyond three minutes, it would begin overdrawing them; beyond six minutes, it would lead to complete collapse and death.

Only within the consciousness space was the spiritual consumption of using the Boiling Blood Secret Art minimized by the mysterious Origin Force. Yet after tens of thousands of cycles, the accumulated mental drain remained terrifying.

When we reach the Central Plains, if I can't find a suitable cultivation art, I'll use the Boiling Blood Secret Art again to refine my blood qi and bring about a qualitative change.

Outside the city, danger lurked everywhere. Using Origin Force to enhance cultivation would drain his spirit too severely, placing him in grave peril. Mental exhaustion was far more dangerous than pushing the body to its limits. If his body was tired, he could still rely on Origin Force together with medicinal decoctions and a basic cultivation method to quickly recover. But once his mind was overdrawn, only slow recuperation could restore it.

Lin Zheyu decided not to enhance the Boiling Blood Secret Art with Origin Force again during this journey. Instead, he began studying how to halt the art midway. The previous night, after performing it tens of thousands of times under Origin Force amplification, his mastery had reached consummate proficiency. He had gained a deeper understanding of its inner workings and realized that many of his earlier assumptions were wrong and that he had gone astray. Continuing down that mistaken path would never lead to success.

Hiss. My head hurts too much... I can't think anymore...

After pondering for a while, Lin Zheyu shook his head. The mental exhaustion gave him headaches, auditory hallucinations, and made focusing difficult. These were symptoms that made it impossible to concentrate on researching how to stop the Boiling Blood Secret Art.

Abandoning his research, Lin Zheyu sat cross-legged outside the carriage and began circulating a soul secret art together with the Tortoise Breath Grand Method to hasten his recovery. As he silently recited the Mind Purifying Chant, the hallucinations faded, scattered thoughts vanished, and his mind grew calm and clear.

It had to be said, the soul secret arts from the Seven Fiend Ghost Manual were truly remarkable. Even without a visualization diagram, just the Mind Purifying Chant alone produced excellent results. Unfortunately, the soul secret art could not manifest within the consciousness data; otherwise, Lin Zheyu would have liked to test what effect Origin Force enhancement might bring.

Lin Zheyu had his own theories about why it couldn't appear. Perhaps it was because the essential visualization diagram was missing, making it an incomplete technique, or perhaps it was because the soul secret art affected only the spirit and soul, having no impact on the physical body. After all, every technique that had manifested within the consciousness data so far pertained to physical cultivation. Of course, all of this was speculation; he would need more data in the future to uncover the true reason.

***

Time passed slowly as the convoy continued forward. More and more snakes appeared along the road. Suddenly, a melodious flute echoed through the forest, followed by a tremendous commotion.

Boom!

A thunderous crash erupted. A giant python nearly twenty meters long and as thick as a barrel shot out from the forest and slammed onto the road, shaking the ground. A dreadful aura radiated from its body. Its two lantern-sized eyes glared coldly at the crowd as an invisible wave of oppressive momentum spread outward, leaving the weaker ones gasping for breath.

Moo, moo.

The Ox Horse panicked as many of the travelers struggled to flee, while others collapsed to their knees in terror.

"A Marrow Refining Realm beast!" Lin Zheyu opened his eyes, his gaze sharpening as he stared at the creature in the distance.

The fact that the Giant Python Stronghold could command such a powerful serpent of the Marrow Refining Realm explained its notorious reputation. Lin Zheyu rose, gripping the hilt of his Golden Scale Saber. An invisible surge of momentum radiated from him, pressing down upon the Ox Horses ahead. Under the clash of two immense auras, the frightened Ox Horses dropped to the ground, lowering their heads as if wishing to burrow into the earth.

"Yunhui, Madam Liang, stay close to me," Lin Zheyu called out loudly.

The mother and daughter had helped him greatly along the journey, sparing him much trouble. Liang Yuhan's cultivation had reached the third transformation of blood qi, respectable for an ordinary martial artist, but against a Marrow Refining Realm beast, it meant little. One strike from the creature could gravely wound or kill her. Within his ability, Lin Zheyu did not mind lending a hand.

Liang Yuhan said nothing. She tightened her grip on her sword with one hand and held her daughter's with the other, leaping down from the carriage to stand beside Lin Zheyu. At that moment, Little Black, startled awake, gave a sharp squeak and darted behind him. The plump creature poked out its head, eyeing the massive python ahead without much fear. After countless battles alongside Lin Zheyu against formidable beasts, Little Black no longer felt awe toward creatures stronger than itself. Compared to the one in the forests near Bafang City, this serpent was hardly worth mentioning.

Hiss, hiss, hiss.

Little Black let out a fierce snarl, standing behind Lin Zheyu and swiping its claws toward the distant python.

"Little Black, protect Yunhui," Lin Zheyu said, patting the creature hiding behind him.

Ever since this little fellow had followed him, it had grown lazy and sly. Other than hunting for food, it preferred to hide behind him and watch the action unfold.

Chirp, chirp.

Little Black chirped twice, sounding uncertain.

Lin Zheyu gestured a few times before Little Black seemed to understand what he meant.

"Mother, will we be alright?" Liang Yunhui asked anxiously, clutching Liang Yuhan's hand.

The terrifying aura of the beast filled her with dread. Even from such a distance, the python's cold and savage momentum weighed heavily upon her chest, making it hard to breathe.

"We'll be fine," Liang Yuhan said, pulling Yunhui between herself and Lin Zheyu.

During more than a month of traveling together, though she still could not fully discern Lin Zheyu's true character, Liang Yuhan trusted her own judgment. He was certainly no evildoer. Otherwise, she would never have agreed to travel alongside him and offer mutual aid. Based on her observation, this mysterious man, who went by the name Zhao Hao, was likely stronger than she was, probably having reached the fourth transformation of the blood qi.

In Liang Yuhan's view, Lin Zheyu's journey to the Central Plains was meant to seek an opportunity to break through to the Marrow Refining Realm. In Bafang City, many martial artists who had reached the fourth transformation of blood qi but could not take the next step would often head to the Central Plains to find their breakthrough chance.

Her guess wasn't wrong; Lin Zheyu did indeed possess the strength of the fourth transformation of blood qi. But his goal was not merely to reach the Marrow Refining Realm. He sought the path to the ninth transformation, the Dragon Transformation. Despite only being at the fourth transformation, a single punch from him could obliterate a weaker Marrow Refining Realm martial artist.

"It's coming!"

"What a terrifying python!"

"They're going to fight!"

Lai Chang calmed the panicked Ox Horses, watching the distant python with a spectator's grin.

If a real battle broke out, the ensuing chaos would make it easier to take advantage of the situation. Since Zhao Hao seemed to have suffered backlash from his cultivation last night, this might be the perfect moment to test him. Meanwhile, Lei Chuangcheng, Liu Chengmian, and Yan Bo stood casually by the carriage, showing no sign of concern.

All four of them were at the fourth transformation of blood qi. Among the eight peripheral members of the convoy, they were of little importance. If fighting broke out, the elite forces of the Giant Python Stronghold would target the Guangxuan Escort Agency instead. Attacking anyone else wasn't worth the effort.