'The boxes are nearly open!'
Lin Han's eyes sparkled when he realized that he could really use his spiritual power to form invisible "hands" that could touch the stone boxes.
"Crack!"
This first stone box was opened.
He noticed a small jade bottle within.
"Right, now for the second one."
Instead of checking it right away, he proceeded to open the second box.
"Boom"
The instant Lin Han opened the second stone box, a deafening explosion filled the air.
What he saw next shocked him greatly..
A crater appeared where the box was, sending gravel showering on him.
If he had stood beside it, he would have been caught in the explosion before he could perform any martial art.
Even if he did not die from it, he would have been crippled!
Lin Han was glad that he decided to be more careful earlier.
As expected, it was always wise to think twice before acting.
Later, he slowly approached the first stone box.
A small jade bottle was laid inside.
Nonetheless, what sparked Lin Han's interest was the ancient book underneath the bottle.
"Azure Dragon Probing Claw Hand? A half top-grade martial art?"
The elated Lin Han quickly opened it.
He found a mysterious technique inside, and it was at that moment he felt rewarded.
'A half top-grade martial art?
'This is huge!'
Lin Han held back his excitement, then stored the book in his spirit ring.
Afterward, he looked at the small jade bottle.
Pop!
When he opened the bottle stopper, he found a drop of blood
While he was still befuddled, the Art of the Ancient Dragon Emperor in his body reacted as if it desired the blood.
Lin Han thought to himself. 'It's the same as when I encountered the dragon-tiger beast that day.'
"Is this a drop of dragon blood?" He presumed quickly.
He came to a sudden realization when he associated it with the 'Azure Dragon Probing Claw Hand'.
It seemed like the martial art passed on by the skeleton required dragon blood to be cultivated.
Nevertheless, it was a simple requirement for Lin Han.
This was because he cultivated the Art of the Ancient Dragon Emperor, hence his Dragon Power True Element was enough to support any dragon-race-related martial art.
As such, he had other plans for the dragon blood.
He would use it to temper his body and strengthen his Dragon Emperor Combat Body.
Without much hesitation, Lin Han swallowed the dragon blood in the jade bottle, then used the Art of the Ancient Dragon Emperor to begin the tempering process.
Half an hour later.
"Boom"
A powerful force of dragon might spread out from his body as if an Azure Dragon was roaring inside.
Lin Han instantly stood up and a flash of golden light could be seen in his black eyes.
"My combat power and devouring speed increased by three times!"
He was very delighted.
"Dragon Emperor Combat Body!"
He activated his Dragon Emperor Combat Body right away.
"Boom"
A threatening aura was released from him.
In addition, his skin was thinly plated with gold, which made him look extremely dignified.
"Now that my combat power increased three-fold, I can take out a master who just entered sixth tier martial art with my Dragon Emperor Combat Body!"
Lin Han's eyes glowed.
However, he could feel that his True Elements were being consumed very quickly, such that even the Art of the Ancient Dragon Emperor that was devouring the world's spiritual energy three times faster could not replenish the lost True Element in time.
"Looks like it's impossible to rely on the devouring speed to replenish Dragon Emperor Combat Body's consumption. I can't use the combat body as I wish even with its increased power, or I'll be worn out too quickly."
Lin Han went into deep thought.
He always liked to make sure of everything he had, including the cards in his hands, his tricks, and his weaknesses.
For all that, Lin Han was still happy with what he gained.
After all, the constant transformation of his Dragon Emperor Combat Body meant that his defensive ability had improved.
"Sure enough, training outside the sect is the best way. Even though I'm more likely to be put in a life or death situation, good fortune follows upon disaster, or I wouldn't have gained this great treasure!"
Lin Han knew that his cultivation base would only improve by a little if he chose to remain in his clan, and he would not have come across any opportunity.
Opportunities would not fall from the sky, thus one needed to work hard to encounter one.
Subsequently, he cupped his hands at the sitting skeleton.
"Regardless, you're the one who left this opportunity here for me. It's only right that I bury you for you to rest in peace."
With that, Lin Han formed a big hole on the ground with his palm, then buried the skeleton.
"Eh?"
When he was about to leave, he glanced at where the skeleton sat and realized that something was off.
The spot was clearly different from the area around it, the soil was loose as though something was hidden inside.
Without great perception, Lin Han could not have noticed it.
He quickly walked over to dig the spot, then found an old sword case buried within.
Since a long time had passed, the case had been completely eroded, but a longsword was hidden within.
Ching!
Lin Han pulled the sword out.
While the sword was still in one piece, rust stains covered the blade. It seemed like the sword was going to shatter into pieces with the slightest pressure.
Lin Han held the rusty sword tightly, then swung it at a bluestone that weighed a thousand pounds.
"Crack"
The rusty longsword crushed the stone like it was a knife through butter.
Intrigued, Lin Han wanted to incorporate his True Element within the sword.
After all, the higher the grade of a weapon, the stronger it would be if it was used with True Element.
Despite that, nothing changed no matter how much True Element Lin Han incorporated into it. It was just like a clay ox entering the sea.
Upon seeing this, Lin Han fell silent.
The sword was definitely not just rusty junk.
Following that, Lin Han carried the sword on his back and walked toward the cave exit.
"Roar!"
Roars could still be heard outside.
Lin Han looked outside the cave.
The ferocious ancient crocodile was lying down at the center of the canyon as if it was waiting for Lin Han.
Lin Han wanted to curse at it.
"The Martial Arts Tea Party is in a few days anyway, so I might as well cultivate in this cave until then to stabilize my cultivation base and comprehend the Azure Dragon Probing Claw Hand, the half top-grade martial art."
Determined, he entered the cave again and began cultivating in a stone room.
An hour… Two hours… Three hours…
Half a day… A day… Two days…
Lin Han was fully focused on his cultivation.
His cultivation base and martial arts were improving by leaps and bounds.