Chapter 11
Looking at the new manual in his hands, Wang Shitian couldn't help but smile. The technique, called Void Palm, possessed the unique ability to inflict damage on opponents from a distance. He realized that one of his shortcomings in facing other cultivators was the lack of long-range attacks. The range of this technique would increase as his cultivation improved. However, after three days of practice, he quickly discovered that mastering the technique was quite challenging.
In addition to the technique, Wang Shitian had also purchased Metal Essence, Water Essence, and Fire Essence. These were essential for tempering his body according to the Invincible Vajra Body cultivation method he practiced. The Fire Essence would refine his body to be as hard as steel, while the Water Essence would temper it to be more flexible. He understood the importance of flexibility, as a tree that doesn't bend will eventually be destroyed by the wind. Legend had it that after successfully refining with the essences, he would become invulnerable to fire and water, swords and blades.
The Metal Essence was meant to further strengthen his Golden Hands technique. Wang Shitian had noticed that the more he used the technique, the more it lost its golden luster and returned his hands to their normal state. Therefore, he had no choice but to strengthen it.
Time passed, and Wang Shitian had now reached the age of 24. With each passing day, he became more refined, yet the aura of killing intent surrounding him only grew stronger. The war had been ongoing, and much destruction had occurred. For Wang Shitian, it was like a utopia, as he had plenty of opportunities to refine his skills, even without actively seeking out opponents to kill. This constant refinement caused his strength to skyrocket. Just recently, he had completed the Tendon Polishing chapter, a significant milestone in his cultivation journey.
Deep within his body, he could sense a vibration and hear the melodious sound of a zither, as if heavenly music was playing. This was the sign of successful refinement. A few years ago, he had encountered and killed Yang Ling and Mao Song, who had ambushed him on the battlefield. The confirmation of his suspicions had solidified his resolve. Now, he was already an inner disciple and held great respect within the sect. What shocked people even more was the fact that he had achieved body tempering without possessing a spiritual root. Cultivating body tempering typically required a spiritual root to draw in Qi for body refinement, so how had he accomplished it? He was considered a once-in-a-generation body tempering genius.
The devil sects had already placed a bounty of 500 low-grade spirit stones on his head, a considerable sum for an inner disciple.
Leaving the cave where he had been practicing, Wang Shitian headed towards a nearby waterfall and sat beneath it, chanting the Bone Refinement chapter. The weight of the cascading water bore down on him, but he remained unmoving, continuously refining the essences.
After a week, he could feel the increase in his strength. Throughout the week, he couldn't stay under the waterfall continuously, so he would spend about an hour under the rushing water before taking a four-hour rest and then returning. The process proved fruitful.
Suddenly, Wang Shitian sensed a vibration from his storage bag. As he opened it, a token materialized in his hand, and a flood of information rushed into his mind. With a decisive action, he threw on a red robe and leaped off the cliff. Just as he was about to hit the ground with a heavy impact, his movement transformed into something mysterious and ethereal, allowing him to glide through the air before landing smoothly without causing any disturbance to the environment.
His hair had grown longer, and his eyes had sharpened. With a wave of his hand, a tree roughly 30 meters away exploded into pieces.
Smiling to himself, he vanished and sprinted toward the direction of the sect. Despite running on the ground and leaping through the trees, his speed was mind-boggling. After only fifteen minutes, he arrived at a hall where numerous elders were gathered for a meeting.
As he entered, his arrival didn't surprise those present. His eyes scanned the room until they landed on an old man. Great Elder Yu Zhen glanced at him but remained silent.
"Greetings, elders," Wang Shitian respectfully cupped his hands.
The elders nodded, a trace of a smile on their faces, but they couldn't conceal the worry in their eyes. Over the years of war, the sect had suffered heavy losses, including the deaths of two inner elders, which meant the loss of two early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Elder Xu Yan, who had some familiarity with Wang Shitian from their previous dealings, was the first to speak up. "Kiddo Wang, come and greet the great elders," he said, gesturing towards the grey-haired old man seated in the main seat, Yu Zhen.
Wang Shitian bowed respectfully and greeted, "Disciple Wang Shitian greets the great elders."
The great elder nodded and smiled before turning his gaze to the elder seated to his right, whom Wang Shitian recognized as Elder Chen Wei. Seated to the left of the great elder was Zhang Li, another elder who seemed to hold a high status.
Elder Chen Wei nodded and asked, "Do you know a cultivator called the Little Demon King?"
Wang Shitian quickly reviewed the information in his mind and nodded. "He is one of the exceptional disciples of the Blood Sect in the Darkmoon Domain."
The elders nodded, and Elder Zhang Li continued, "He is very talented and extremely powerful. Despite being only at the 7th level of the Qi Gathering Realm, he can fight cultivators at the 8th level. Since he appeared on the battlefield, he has caused us many losses. Last night, he even killed two inner sect disciples."
Hearing this, Wang Shitian frowned. He had hoped that the war would calm down after a while, but it seemed to be escalating. He knew that two cultivators at the Golden Core Realm were now holding the fort, but their origins were unknown to him. The waters of this war ran deep, but Wang Shitian didn't mind killing more devil cultivators. In his mind, there were no good devilish cultivators, and he sought vengeance for what happened to his village.
"We are giving you a mission to kill him. Take as long as you need, but make sure you remove him from the board," they said.
They asked, "Can you do it?"
Wang Shitian frowned, then nodded. "It's possible."
"Good. Depart at your convenience, and be careful not to get surrounded by those devil path cultivators," they warned.
"Right now, the core disciples and high-level Qi Gathering Realm disciples are engaged in a different battlefield, so this is entirely up to you," they added.
Wang Shitian nodded and then asked, "Where was he last seen?"
"He was last seen in the area surrounding Ox village," Xu Yan replied, his gaze filled with a strange expression. They were all aware of Wang Shitian's story.
As soon as he heard this, Wang Shitian lifted his head and looked at the elders. At that moment, his killing intent radiated intensely, and his mind became chaotic as memories flooded back.
The elders sensed his killing intent and were shocked but immediately became concerned when they felt his aura grow chaotic. However, soon his aura calmed down as chanting rang through his sea of consciousness.
"Wang Shitian, don't let hatred cloud your judgment in this mission. You must be level-headed in all the decisions you make..." the elder continued, "I know you came from Ox village, and I know what happened there. I also know your need for revenge, but don't rush. The truth about the perpetrators behind the actions in your village will one day be revealed. All you have to do is make sure you are strong enough so that when that day comes, you will not be sending yourself to your death."
The elder stared at Wang Shitian as he spoke. Wang Shitian nodded and said, "Thank you for the guidance, Grand Elder. I will heed your warning."
Realizing that Wang Shitian had calmed down, the elder said, "Good. Whenever you are ready, you may leave." He then threw two boxes over to Wang Shitian and continued, "These two boxes contain hundred-year essences of water and fire. I heard you buy them frequently for tempering. Consider them as your reward, but be careful when refining them. They are many times more potent than the ordinary ones you have used before."