Not long after the first muffled sound, another, even deeper thud echoed violently from within the tree trunk.
"Crack…"
In an instant, terrifying force exploded from within. The massive tree trunk, ravaged by this hidden energy, immediately became unstable.
After a few breaths, the damaged tree finally crashed to the ground.
Only when the tree fell did Yao Lao come back to his senses.
"Two hidden forces, and he's also applied the Eight Extremes Collapse to the realm of both strength and softness. The punch seems weak and powerless when unleashed, but if anyone underestimates it…"
Yao Lao stared at the lone tree stump, silent.
After some praise, Yao Lao felt something was lacking. "The use of the hidden force is too clumsy, and the time it takes to erupt is too long. During this time, if the opponent is perceptive, they can neutralize this unreleased hidden force."
"Hehe, it's alright, this is just the first time. After a few more practices, these problems will be solved." Xiao Yan moved his slightly numb fist and smiled.
Nodding, Yao Lao hesitated for a moment before saying, "The Dou Qi currently stored in your Qi Whirlpool can only support you in using a few instances of the hidden force. Therefore, if you fight someone in the future, you must kill with one strike. The Eight Extremes Collapse is originally a killing Dou Technique that moves like thunder."
Xiao Yan nodded slightly and sat casually on the grass.
In fact, the hidden force effect of the Eight Extremes Collapse is somewhat similar to the Seven Injuries Fist's principles.
After the Seven Injuries Fist reaches mastery, a single punch contains seven different forces: either fierce, or gentle, or with gentleness within the strength, or with strength within the gentleness, or direct, or inward contraction, and so on.
If the enemy blocks the first force, they won't be able to block the second, and if they block the second, the third will be even more difficult to deal with.
However, the hidden force of the Eight Extremes Collapse emphasizes a mountain-toppling, sea-overturning output, not giving the enemy any time to react, and it lacks many changes in force.
Yao Lao narrowed his eyes, a hint of mischief in his old eyes: "The Eight Extremes Collapse has extremely high requirements for the body. The following hidden force training will require giving the body a buffer time, and the speed won't be too fast. Do you want to make this Dou Technique training faster?"
"How do I speed up my cultivation?" Xiao Yan asked, suddenly feeling a chill run down his spine as he looked at the smiling Yao Lao.
"Get beaten. The harder, the better," Yao Lao cackled, his voice sounding sinister.
"Get beaten?" Xiao Yan shook his head with a wry smile. "You, old man, treat Dan King Gu He like a nobody, and yet you can't concoct some magical pills? I've already cultivated to become a Dour, and I can take pills now."
"Er…" Yao Lao was taken aback. It was truly difficult to make Xiao Yan, who had grown up in a sheltered environment, understand the benefits of hard work.
However, this sharp-tongued boy had spoken.
If he didn't show off some skills, this old face wouldn't be able to stand it.
Yao Lao nodded. "It's not impossible for me to refine pills, but even the best cook can't make a meal without rice. No matter how skilled I am, I can't conjure pills out of thin air. You'll have to provide the materials."
"No money," Xiao Yan shrugged, revealing the innocent smile of an eleven-year-old boy.
"Hehe, no need for money." Yao Lao pointed towards the mountain range in the distance. "The Beast Mountain Range has plenty of materials. It won't cost you a single gold coin, it just depends on whether you have the strength to get them."
"Go to the Beast Mountain Range?" Xiao Yan got up, his eyes filled with barely suppressed excitement.
Xiao Yan seemed calm and composed on the surface, but he was filled with a spirit of adventure. He had long been looking forward to the Beast Mountain Range.
Yao Lao slowly said, "Battling with magical beasts will give you more practical experience. Furthermore, the thing I need to refine requires a large amount of magical beast blood, killing two birds with one stone."
The thing Yao Lao wanted to refine was called Burning Blood.
It only worked for those who cultivated fire-attribute Dou Qi, and for those who cultivated water-attribute Dou Qi, it was undoubtedly poison.
Applying it to the body could accelerate the consumption of Dou Qi within, while also accelerating its regeneration. In this constant cycle of consumption and regeneration, not only would Dou Qi strength gradually increase, but physical strength would also improve.
Hearing that a large amount of magical beast blood was needed, Xiao Yan was startled.
Damn, it's actually Burning Blood!
Using this, one would feel as if their body was placed on burning coals. The pain was far beyond what ordinary people could endure.
People from Yao Lao's era always believed that enduring hardship was the key to stronger cultivation.
But, times had changed.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan nodded. "It's just hunting some magical beasts. I can do it."
Yao Lao let out a chuckle. He could already envision Xiao Yan's screams after applying Burning Blood.
Without experiencing some painful training, how could one cultivate strength that far surpassed ordinary people?
Grabbing Xiao Yan's sleeve, Yao Lao flicked his sleeve, and the space they were in trembled. They immediately disappeared from the Xiao Clan's back mountain.
Having been nourished by an almost limitless amount of Dou Qi, Yao Lao's soul power had recovered to its peak. Although there was still a certain gap compared to when he had a physical body, he was still unmatched by ordinary strong individuals.
The Beast Mountain Range was a place teeming with magical beasts, full of both peril and opportunity.
Inside these magical beasts lay a Magical Core, a crystal containing incredibly potent, volatile energy. Even a Dou King wouldn't dare to directly absorb this energy, as it carried the risk of exploding their body.
However, while Magical Cores couldn't be directly absorbed, they were an indispensable ingredient for alchemists.
After an alchemist refined a Magical Core using secret methods, the core's volatile properties would be neutralized by certain magical herbs. It would then transform into various elixirs that could boost one's strength, coveted by countless people, and their value would skyrocket!
Furthermore, Magical Cores could be used to enhance weapons. Weapons imbued with a Magical Core would not only possess greater destructive power, but also have the alluring effect of amplifying Dou Qi, making them highly sought after by the Dou Qi Continent's Dour.
Because of this demand, Magical Cores were almost always in short supply across the continent.
The high price of Magical Cores naturally gave rise to a large number of mercenary groups who made their living by hunting magical beasts.
However, obtaining a Magical Core wasn't an easy task.
Beasts were not only powerful, but also exceptionally cunning, often more formidable than human powerhouses of the same level.
Furthermore, not all beasts possessed Magical Cores within them. This seemed to be a matter of random chance, with no discernible pattern.
Because of this, the value of Magical Cores on the Dou Qi Continent remained consistently high, making them highly sought after.
Looking at the forest, which was much more robust than the one behind the Xiao Clan's mountain, Xiao Yan felt as if he were in a dream.
He had somehow come from the Xiao Clan's back mountain to the Beast Mountain Range.
(End of Chapter)