The ferocious roar of a giant wolf echoed from within the dense forest.
A gray-colored dire wolf had fallen into a trap and was suspended upside down.
Holding a dagger, Guo Chensha ruthlessly stabbed the dire wolf's throat. Fresh blood gushed out wildly, splattering onto the green ceremonial talisman below.
He then slashed his own fingertip, allowing his blood to drip onto the talisman.
A silhouette of a gray wolf emerged on the surface of the talisman, absorbed into its glowing green light.
From the depths of the talisman, a powerful force surged directly into his body.
The ritual demanded the blood of a living creature as well as his own. This was recorded in numerous ancient texts as the necessary means for the heavens to acknowledge the rightful owner of the sacrificial power.
Rip!
His clothes were instantly torn apart.
A deafening howl erupted—AWOOOOO!
Guo Chensha let out a cry akin to that of a dire wolf. His muscles, like awakened pythons, expanded and twisted, growing stronger and more powerful.
His entire body grew several sizes larger. What was once a slightly thin figure now became robust and domineering.
This newfound strength surpassed the force of a mighty ox.
An adult dire wolf was already a formidable opponent for even the strongest warriors, let alone ordinary men.
This was the Southern Mountain, a royal hunting ground.
The imperial family had designated an area spanning hundreds of miles as their hunting territory, populated by countless fierce beasts. Guo Chensha rarely ventured here, fearing that his death in these treacherous lands might go unnoticed and unavenged.
However, after acquiring the Celestial Sacrificial Talisman, he needed offerings to enhance his strength. Performing forbidden witchcraft in the palace was not an option.
In ancient times, when beasts ran rampant and devoured humans daily, the Celestial Emperor led his people to hunt these creatures, offering them in sacrifice to the heavens to seek blessings for mankind. Over time, humanity flourished.
Guo Chensha emulated this ancient practice, hunting fierce beasts to perform sacrifices, aligning his actions with righteousness.
Having studied many ancient texts, he understood that sacred artifacts and divine relics belonged only to the virtuous. Without sufficient virtue, such treasures would bring calamity instead. For instance, the throne of the empire depended on the emperor's virtues—if the emperor ruled justly, peace would reign; otherwise, chaos would engulf the land.
Although he did not fully understand how he had been fortunate enough to acquire the Celestial Sacrificial Talisman, he did not arrogantly assume himself worthy of mastering such a divine relic.
This talisman, imbued with the mandate of heaven, governed the four directions, guided celestial principles, and conferred divine blessings—it was no trivial matter.
Blackened, impure blood was forced out of his pores as if his body was being purified. His flesh, once soft, now felt like tempered steel. Residual toxins accumulated over time were expelled entirely.
After half an hour, he regained his strength. His body exuded a sharp, imposing aura. With a slight clench of his fist, his bones crackled audibly. Taking a step forward, the ground sank slightly beneath him.
With a swipe of his palm—
Crack!
A sapling as thick as a bowl snapped cleanly in two.
His martial arts had ascended to the second level of the Mortal Realm: "Stepping Into the Hall."
He could now rightfully call himself a warrior.
The title of warrior symbolized an elevated status, higher than that of common folk.
By becoming a warrior, according to imperial regulations, a prince could be granted the title of General Protector of the Realm.
This was a decree by the emperor: any prince achieving martial prowess could be ennobled. If a prince reached the fourth level of the Mortal Realm, "Peak Ascension," and rendered great service, they could even be titled as a Duke.
The first level of the Mortal Realm, "Peering Through the Veil," was commonplace and unimpressive, often referred to as mere brute force. The second level, "Stepping Into the Hall," qualified one as a warrior. The third level, "Transcending the Ordinary," elevated one to a master. The fourth level, "Peak Ascension," marked one as a grandmaster.
"It even has a cleansing effect," he marveled, examining his hands with excitement. "In the palace, they have rare Tixi Pills that refine the body, but how could I ever earn such a reward? Now it seems this sacrificial power is many times superior to those pills."
Tixi Pills caused severe abdominal pain, followed by three days of purging and extreme weakness. Recovery required consuming precious ginseng and other restorative medicines for three months before the body could grow strong. How could such a tedious process compare to this?
But then, he thought, this was the power of the heavens—it was only natural for it to surpass any mortal remedy.
Tixi Pills were rare treasures, but how could they compare to the might of heaven?
"Now that I've gained this strength, I can hunt bears. Bears are considered the finest offerings in ancient rituals. The legendary 'Youxiong' tribe, known for their bear sacrifices, reaped great rewards," he recalled from his studies of ancient histories. Resolute, he decided to hunt a bear.
In the past, his mediocre martial arts made hunting dangerous, as he risked being ambushed. But now, with his newfound strength, he felt emboldened.
The force of the dire wolf coursing through him was no trivial matter. His movements were agile and powerful, with even his once-clumsy techniques now flowing naturally.
ROAR!
After another half-hour of hunting, his stamina remained unexhausted—something unthinkable before, when he would already be gasping for breath.
Hearing a loud roar ahead, he quickly concealed himself in the underbrush.
In the clearing, two beasts were locked in battle—a bear and a tiger.
"Such luck!" he thought, his excitement barely contained. Recently, fortune seemed to favor him at every turn. With his enhanced strength, taking on a ferocious bear would still be risky. But if the bear and tiger injured each other, he could swoop in to claim the spoils.
Sure enough, the bear and tiger fought fiercely, leaving both covered in wounds and utterly spent. The tiger staggered away, barely able to stand, while the bear lay gasping, unable to move.
"A perfect opportunity!" Guo Chensha lunged forward, his dagger aimed directly at the bear's throat.
Boom!
The raging bear, seemingly out of nowhere, surged forward with immense strength. It stomped with its powerful paw, moving like a martial arts master, and struck Guo Chensha hard on the shoulder. The blow sent him sprawling onto the ground.
Guo Chensha's vision blurred with stars. He almost lost consciousness, but thanks to his recent bone-cleansing and body-strengthening training, his constitution had improved greatly. With a quick maneuver known as the "Carp Flip," he sprang back to his feet. His dagger flashed as he launched a precise strike, executing the move called "Hundred Steps Piercing the Yang."
The dagger flew like an arrow.
Thunk!
It pierced directly into the bear's eye.
The beast roared in agony and collapsed.
Without wasting a moment, Guo Chensha retrieved his "Sacrificial Heaven Talisman" and began the ritual to sacrifice the bear's soul.
Sacrificial offerings had to be performed immediately after the kill. The soul, through the talisman, would be offered to the heavens, and in return, he would receive divine blessings. If delayed too long, the soul would dissipate, rendering the sacrifice meaningless.
As the ritual commenced, an overwhelming force tore through Guo Chensha's body. His flesh and blood seemed to be ground in a brutal whirlwind. It felt as if he had been thrust into a giant meat grinder. He couldn't tell how long the ordeal lasted before he finally caught his breath.
When he came to, the sky was already dark. He quickly examined himself and found, to his surprise, that all his wounds had healed. His skin was now smooth and radiant, like polished porcelain.
It felt as if he had swallowed an entire cow in one gulp. The newfound energy coursing through his body was enough to sustain him for an entire winter without food.
Instinctively, he knew he couldn't perform another sacrifice just yet. Any more, and his body would explode from the excess power.
For now, the priority was to train relentlessly, channel the newfound strength, and advance his martial arts. Only then could he safely perform another sacrifice.
Sacrifices were essentially a way to forcefully imbue power into the body. Guo Chensha's current limits had already been reached. He could not handle more without risk.
"I now possess the strength of a rooster, a wolf, and a bear," he thought. "In terms of raw power, I've already surpassed many princes who've consumed years' worth of rare medicinal tonics. My muscles and bones are pure, with none of the lingering toxins that often come with such supplements. This clean strength is unmatched. Once I refine my martial arts, I'll break through to an even higher level."
With his newfound power, his martial arts progress would be as natural as a river flowing downhill.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Guo Chensha leapt forward, punching a nearby tree with rapid strikes. The trunk shattered, scattering splinters everywhere.
His movements were both as swift as a wolf's and as grounded as a bear's. His entire being radiated primal, untamed strength.
"The combined might of the bear and wolf is truly no joke!"
Looking at his hands, Guo Chensha marveled. In just one day, he had gained what would take others ten years of hard work to achieve.
Night had fallen, and the palace gates would already be closed. Returning home wasn't an option, but staying in the wilderness wasn't safe either. Besides the threat of beasts, venomous insects, snakes, and other pests would be unbearable.
Fortunately, princes on hunting expeditions were not expected to return every night. The emperor encouraged hunting and martial training, with yearly evaluations and rewards for outstanding achievements.
Guo Chensha decided to head down the mountain. He didn't return to the palace but instead stayed at an inn outside the city. After bathing and changing into fresh clothes, he looked into a bronze mirror and was startled by his reflection. His features had undergone a remarkable transformation—his eyes shone brightly, his forehead gleamed, and his demeanor exuded calm strength.
But this wasn't necessarily a good thing. The palace was full of keen observers, and such changes wouldn't go unnoticed.
Luckily, Guo Chensha had pretended to be dull and unremarkable for years. With some acting, he could still feign mediocrity and avoid suspicion.
Despite a long day, his body felt light and energized. Lying on the bed, his eyes still gleamed brightly, unable to settle.
"I've read about rituals in ancient texts," he thought. "In the past, the Heavenly Emperor himself performed sacrifices, not just to gain strength but also divine artifacts. One story speaks of an emperor battling demon gods. After sacrificing 9,000 great beasts, the heavens bestowed upon him a divine sword."
Guo Chensha pondered deeply. "It seems I'll need to study ancient texts for more advanced sacrificial techniques."
The power of the heavens, which created all things—sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers—was boundless and mysterious. If rituals could unlock a fraction of that, what else might be possible?
The story fast-forwards three months. Guo Chensha is now deep in the mountains, practicing martial arts.
"Black Tiger Digs the Heart!"
With a swift, powerful motion, his fist shot forward like a gust of wind. Though simple on the surface, this technique carried profound subtleties. Through repetitive practice, Guo Chensha was beginning to master its true essence.
The "digging" motion could take on many forms: "false digging," "true digging," "horizontal digging," "vertical digging," "upward digging," "downward digging," and even "yin digging" or "yang digging."
With mastery, the move became fluid and seamless, embodying both power and finesse. When perfected, it elevated the practitioner to the level of a true martial arts master.
Guo Chensha, who had previously only scratched the surface of martial arts, had now stepped firmly into the realm of mastery. With the combined strength of the wolf and bear, he had surpassed ordinary warriors and was knocking on the door of true greatness.
After three months of rigorous training, he had fully integrated the power he had gained from the sacrifices. His techniques became second nature, and his understanding deepened, bringing him closer to the realm of transcendent mastery.