Seeing the white deer dragged over to his side by Junior Leopard, Xue Wuya's eyes showed a look of pleasant surprise for the first time before he drained the deer's blood as usual.
Junior Leopard stayed by the side and did not dare to disturb him. Xue Wuya began to regulate his breathing and activate his Qi after draining the deer. After a little while, he was shrouded in a lurid mist, going up and down and giving off a smell of blood. Junior Leopard could hear the blood rolling like a flowing river inside Xue Wuya's body. Before long, the lurid mist fluttering around Xue Wuya transformed into two bloody stripes that was inhaled by him, before his complexion changed from pallid to flush. The dying look from before had gone.
"You've done a good job this time!" Xue Wuya opened his eyes showing a satisfaction on his face while looking at Junior Leopard who was well-behaved.
"Just doing my job!" Junior Leopard seemed a little cautious.
"Do not be afraid, this time I was seriously injured by that man, Lu Shaoyou, when he broke up my Bloodfire Power. What I need are a great amount of living animals to enhance my blood level so that I can recover. So you must bring me fresh living animals during my convalescence... as many as possible!"
"Understood!"
Junior Leopard replied affirmatively, and did not dare to say more. He had figured out that the reason Xue Wuya kidnapped him was because he was badly needed someone to search for living animals. Making him an apprentice was just a way of setting his mind at ease.
"Perhaps he will teach me some martial arts and give me something of benefit during his convalescence. But once he recovers, that would be my time to die!"
A man of the Dark Sect was not as righteous as those in the novels. Xue Wuya, because of some trivial thing, exterminated an entire family, including old women and infants — how could he be a good person?
A disciple of a martial arts master was always handpicked, but not Junior Leopard. He was grabbed to be a coolie during the escape. To make Junior Leopard less vigilant towards, and more dedicated to Xue Wuya, he had given Junior Leopard some benefits to grease his palm. If Junior Leopard were really a ten-year-old child he would not think about it, but deep in his heart he was an adult, tactful and crafty. Xue Wuya's tricks could not fool him.
"If things go on like this, I will have no chance at all, especially once Xue Wuya has rejuvenated himself."
Junior Leopard thought to himself, as Xue Wuya said, he had been badly injured by Lu Shaoyou. His Bloodfire Power, which had taken a decade of hard training to master, was lost at the same time. There was no possibility that such a heavy injury would heal in a day or two by just drinking the blood of deer. Color had indeed returned to his face, but his faltering footsteps and faint cough from time to time had given away that he was just trying to suppress his injury.
Just then, his body moved away from the earth to the air, which was different from the grabbing of the collar by Xue Wuya. This time Xue Wuya had done nothing to him. Junior Leopard also figured out what had raised him up. It was a sanguine stripe. When making a closer look, he found that the stripe was condensed by a thick layer of blood, sinking of a bloody Evil Qi.
"This is my Bloodfire Power, the best way to condensing Evil to Gang!"
At this point, Junior Leopard was drawn into the Bloodfire Power. Of course, there was no hiding his look of surprise. But Xue Wuya was unwilling to say any more words.
After flying with Junior Leopard for a little while, Xue Wuya seemed to find something and then after making a surprised sound, descended.
From the sky, Junior Leopard could see a small valley looming. Before getting a clear look at it, he was thrown down by Xue Wuya.
A gentle power bounced beneath his body and propped him up before he hit the earth.
When getting to his feet, Junior Leopard took a second glance, but only to find a dead valley.
The dead valley was like a bottleneck with cliffs on all sides, shading the valley from sunshine all year round. This soil here was softened by moisture. Upon it was wild smashed peaches and apricots that had fallen into the valley. All of these had made the valley absolutely reek, enough to make people feel like vomiting. Close to the demon hole, there was a cave of about ten feet, leaning against the cliff and rising abruptly out of the ground for ten thousand feet. The cave was bottomless, emitting a black flow. Just then, Junior Leopard saw a wisp of five-colored smoke and heard a sound of snoring. He was dizzy and almost fell on the ground when he took a breath due to the stench that felt as though something was drilling into his forehead.
"There should be such an insidious place with blood evil that is proper for my rehabilitation! But for you, it is highly toxic... I am thoughtless!"
Xue Wuya's words struck Junior Leopard's ears. Again, he felt his body rising off the ground and rolling out of the valley, moved by the Bloodfire Power.
"This is... !" Junior Leopard looked at the scenery and was in a daze for a moment. The surrounding was all high mountains and lofty hills. The flying waterfall fell and merged into a limpid stream. Adjacent to the cliff was a large Nan tree, dozens of feet high and a dozen feet wide, with the lower branches covering about three or four mu of land in shade. The cliff was crawling with tendrils and overgrown with unknown exotic flowers and herbs. There appeared to be a small cave hidden behind the moss, about thirty feet above the earth.
"This is a good place!" Looking around, Xue Wuya was fascinated by the scenery. Junior Leopard looked back and was astonished: Xue Wuya's complexion should be so pale again in such a short time!
"But he seemed to feel better than before." Junior Leopard thought.
"You have practiced the Wu's Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Technique, which was derived from Tian Long Taoism and is one of its high-ranking martial arts skills. But you just have a smattering of knowledge about it. That is really a pity!"
"Being an ordinary blacksmith, I am lucky enough to have an opportunity to practice the Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Technique!" Junior Leopard said, his mind was perturbed.
"What does he mean? Could it be possible that he wants to pass on martial arts to me?" He thought.
As expected, Xue Wuya continued. "But you have laid a solid foundation and practiced martial arts in fire property. Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Technique, the progenitor of Wu Family, when practiced to an extreme extent can be combined with earth fire, thus condensing nine heavenly dragons, namely the Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Gang. Now, it's here, and I can give it to you!"
While talking, he took out a book, throwing it to Junior Leopard.
"Thank you so much, teacher!" Hearing this, though he was terrified of Xue Wuya, Junior Leopard was wild with joy. That was Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Technique! When combined with earth-fire, it could practice Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Gang. Even the lowest level of disciple had heard many times from Qin Xuanlong that Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Technique was the 'Family Treasure' of Wu Family, mysterious and unconquerable. Even the inner core disciples had no access to the complete technique, except the direct descendant, who was the only one to get the opportunity and be the Family Head of Wu Family. He had never thought he could get the whole set of the Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Technique, but now he had got it from Xue Wuya.
Yes, he had passed the entirety of this technique to Junior Leopard, including the method of condensing Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Gang. Because people like him could not lie to a child, whether it was true or not was immaterial to Junior Leopard. Besides, Junior Leopard was fully aware of the origin of Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Gang, so were the people in Jianghu.
13 years ago, when Xue Wuya's cultivation had reached only Level Seven, he ran afoul of Tian Long Taoism. The Elder of Tian Long Taoism, who had a high proficiency of Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Gang had reached Level Eight for many years and came into a firm state. Normally, the outcome would be obvious. However, unexpectedly, Xue Wuya had killed the Elder of Tian Long Taoism!
The news spread across Jianghu. Xue Wuya also won a name in Jianghu and soon became the seventh Dark Lord of the Dark Sect. Rumors about Xue Wuya were buzzing around Jianghu, saying that Xue Wuya must have mastered a formidable secret skill or Special Technique, otherwise, it was impossible for him to beat such a master in Level Eight.
After that, Tian Long Taoism and Blood River Sect had a good fight. Finally, Blood River Sect returned the three scriptures to Tian Long Taoism but only after they made copies. And the one in Xue Wuya's hand was the original copy.
Though they had suffered a loss, Tian Long Taoism couldn't speak out about their grievances, and as a result, their good name was tarnished. But a few years later, a talented younger in Tian Long Taoism popped up, wiping the whole Blood River Sect in Jin out with only another two people. They even challenged the progenitor of the Blood River Sect.
After that, Blood River Sect continued to exist. The three young men emerged unscathed from the fight. Nobody knew who the winner was and who the loser was. Soon the shocking news spread that the copies of the Nine Dragons Heavenly Fire Technique in Blood River Sect had been destroyed. Besides, Blood River Sect had promised not to leak out this technique and never again would anyone in Blood River Sect practice it.
Since then, people in the Jianghu all remembered these three names, Lei Xu, Wang She, and Nian Wushuang.
Suddenly, Junior Leopard seemed to realize something. His body came to a halt.
"Blood River Sect had promised never to pass the technique on to anyone. But Xue Wuya passed it to me without hesitation. He must be ill-disposed." thought Junior Leopard.
"Do not be afraid, the old fellow did promise not to pass it to others. Anyway, it was none of my business. He had declared that he would destroy all the copies, but there was one left!" Xue Wuya shot a glance at Junior Leopard as if he could read his mind and said, "You are so young! Don't make things so complicated!"
"It's better if only I had thought too much!" Junior Leopard whispered. But he pretended to be obsequious and dared not reveal his doubts.
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