The complete Evil King Combat Technique. When the young man heard these words from the man before him, an uncontrollable wave of joy surged in his heart. All the frustrations caused by the third task dissipated in an instant.
Noticing the young man's ecstatic expression, the man coughed lightly to draw his attention. "The Evil King Combat Technique was created by our ancestor in the Evil Family, who lived in this magical beast forest for decades. By constantly battling fierce beasts, he developed this technique. With it, he defeated the former king of this forest, the three-headed Evil-Eyed Lion, and established our Evil Family's domain."
The young man listened in astonishment. Over the past two years, while hunting in the forest and always returning with bountiful spoils, he'd observed that the forest was far from tranquil. Time and again, he had witnessed fierce beasts fighting for territory, and on several occasions, he even encountered high-level beasts of the sixth or seventh rank. A being hailed as the king of this forest, the three-headed Evil-Eyed Lion, must have wielded unimaginable power. That the Evil Family's ancestor could create such a combat technique through battling such creatures proved he was a genius of his time.
"Later, successive heads of the Evil Family refined and perfected this combat technique, giving rise to the present-day Evil King Combat Technique," the middle-aged man continued, recounting the history. "By my generation, I've simplified the technique into six fundamental movements: fist, hand, palm, foot, leg, and elbow. Each movement can evolve into countless variations. What forms these variations take will depend on your own comprehension. The 'Mountain-Piercing Fist' I taught you earlier is just one of the techniques I created based on the fist movement."
The man gestured for the young man to step forward.
"What is it, Beast King?" the young man asked as he approached.
The man smirked slyly. Then, in a sudden burst of energy, his body leaped from the wheelchair, hurling toward the young man. The boy had no time to react before the man's forehead smashed against his own.
The violent impact sent the young man reeling, his head spinning as he flew backward and collapsed unconscious.
The young man's Earth Dragon, alarmed to see its master struck, charged at the man with its jaws wide open. Yet before it could reach him, the man returned to his wheelchair, releasing an aura that immobilized the dragon. But to his surprise, the dragon resisted fiercely, its open maw appearing to devour the very aura he emitted.
"Calm down. I've merely passed on the essence of the six movements to him. He'll be fine," the man explained. At his words, the Earth Dragon finally relented, retreating to its master's side and watching over him protectively.
"This little Earth Dragon can actually absorb aura… Interesting. It seems even the Evil Dragon Forest produces its own prodigies," the man muttered to himself before shifting his gaze to the unconscious boy. "What kind of techniques you'll create is up to you now."
Demon Realm, Dragon Palace
In the dimly lit grand hall of the Dragon Palace, a man clad in a black robe sat alone upon the throne. The robe was embroidered with a dark red dragon coiling around his right sleeve, its head etched fiercely across his chest. Below the dais stood five figures—a mix of young men, women, and middle-aged men.
"Your Excellency," one of them, a middle-aged man in black armor, reported, "after years of campaigns, all rebellious factions have been eradicated. The Demon Realm is once again under the rule of the Sito Magic Dragon Clan."
The man on the throne nodded. "Uncle Hei, you've worked hard these past years. The Sito family owes much to your dedication."
"Your praise is too generous, my lord," the armored man responded humbly. "I've lived my life for the day the Sito Clan would reign supreme in the Demon Realm once more."
The man nodded again and turned his gaze to a woman in black. "Shadow Mei, I'm entrusting the eastern Shadow City to you. Will you accept this responsibility?"
The woman immediately rose and replied, "Yes, my lord."
"Ah Li," the man continued, addressing a burly warrior, "the southwestern Force City is yours, along with your Black Force Army."
The warrior stood, thumping his chest in a salute. "Understood!"
Finally, the man's attention settled on a young man in black. "Xie'er, as for Xie City—"
Before he could finish, the boy leapt to his feet. "Rest assured, my lord! The northwest Xie City will be secure under my command!"
The man on the throne chuckled softly. "I was going to say that your father will remain in charge of Xie City. You're to assist him."
A peal of laughter erupted from the woman, Shadow Mei. "With your inexperience, you think you can guard a fortress? Go home and train for a few more years."
"You…!" the boy fumed, glaring at her.
"All right, enough," the man on the throne interjected, quelling the tension. "Xie'er, I understand your strength surpasses your father's, but he has the experience needed to manage a defensive city. Your role is to support him."
"Yes, my lord," the boy replied, bowing stiffly. Yet his resentful gaze lingered on the laughing woman as he sat down.
With the three defensive cities assigned, the man addressed the rest. "Uncle Hei will continue guarding the Dragon Palace with the Magic Dragon Army. Blood Fiend, you'll assist me with administrative matters. Is that clear?"
"Yes, my lord!" replied a swordsman and the armored man in unison.
Beast King Cliff
At the bottom of a clear pool, the young man had been unconscious for a month. His Earth Dragon never left his side, vigilantly watching over him.
Seated in his wheelchair, Beast King Xie Lun gazed at the boy. When I first comprehended the six movements, it took me only ten days to create my Evil King Combat Technique. With Xiao An's talent, why is he still stuck after so long?
In the boy's chaotic dreamscape, he sat surrounded by six identical figures, each repeating the movements—punching, striking, shifting, kicking, sweeping, and elbowing. At first, the actions were simple, but over time, the figures refined their techniques. Yet, despite a month of effort, something still felt incomplete.
It seems I've reached my limit for now. Time to move on to the final task.
The boy's eyes snapped open. He leapt to his feet, startling his Earth Dragon, which immediately began licking his face in excitement.
"Okay, okay, I'm up," the boy reassured it, calming the creature.
"Hmm? What's that on its forehead?" he muttered, noticing a new, ancient-looking pattern on the dragon's head.
"That must've formed after it absorbed my aura," Xie Lun explained as he approached. "Your Earth Dragon is extraordinary, Xiao An."
"Is that so?" The boy lifted his dragon overhead, scrutinizing it. "I knew there was something special about you!"
"Enough of that," Xie Lun interrupted. "What progress have you made with the techniques?"
"Uh… I think I'm getting there," the boy said hesitantly.
"Let's see. Try using it to patch the second cave."
Nodding, the boy approached a massive boulder, gripping its base and effortlessly lifting it. With a swift spin, he delivered a flawless strike mid-turn. His palm landed on the boulder, releasing a shockwave that propelled it through the air and into the second cave's opening, sealing it perfectly.
Xie Lun's eyes widened in surprise. "Xiao An, did you just use aura?"
"No," the boy replied, confused. "The seal on my qi sea hasn't been lifted yet."
Xie Lun fell silent, deep in thought. That strike generated a force strong enough to pulverize the boulder, yet it remained intact. He achieved what should've been possible only with aura. If he combines this with qi, the power might surpass my Mountain-Piercing Fist.
"What's that technique called?" Xie Lun asked.
The boy scratched his head. "I haven't named it yet."
"How about 'Wave Palm'?" Xie Lun suggested.
"Wave Palm, huh? That works!" the boy said, grinning.