The gains from this period of seclusion go far beyond this.
His use of shadow power was no longer as clumsy as it had been at the beginning. With a thought, the surrounding shadows moved as if they were extensions of his body.
If he wished, he could seemingly disappear into it at any moment, leaving no trace.
The "A Step to the Ends of the Earth" footwork, through new insights into the techniques, has also reached a new level.
The once blurry nodes in space are now as clear as the lines on a palm.
His attention was more focused on the next three moves of the "Annihilation Divine Fist".
Split Star.
Return to the Ruins.
Obliteration.
These three techniques are increasingly profound and ruthless, each more powerful than the last, no longer merely a simple outpouring of power, but an ultimate interpretation of the word "Annihilation."
The resolute cleavage of the Split Stars, the all- Return to the Ruins, and the Obliteration that brings an end to everything.
Xiao Han joined his fingers together, mimicking the sword cultivator's manner, and infused the essence of the Return to the Ruins into them.
A barely perceptible yet extremely concentrated aura of Annihilation gathered at his fingertips, seemingly swallowing up the surrounding light and taking away all life.
"This kind of infiltration and disintegration..." He stroked his chin, and a thought popped into his head.
The Chaos Green Lotus Martial Soul governs life and purification; its Azure Green Lotus Sword Qi is invincible and possesses the power of purification. The Eternal Night King Martial Soul, on the other hand, wields shadow and void, unpredictable and ever-changing.
If we use the purifying power of the Azure Lotus to guide and unravel the disintegration within the Annihilation Fist Intent, and then use the Shadow Void power of the Eternal Night Monarch for cover and unleash its power...
Once the thought popped into my head, it grew uncontrollably.
He carefully mobilized the pure life force of the Chaos Green Lotus, attempting to initially merge it with the domineering Destruction Intent of the "Annihilation Divine Fist." One is extremely yang and pure, the other is extremely yin and domineering; they are inherently incompatible.
"Bang!"
Another soft thud sounded, and unstable energy exploded at his fingertips, slightly louder than the previous one.
Xiao Han's brows twitched slightly. He could sense that in that brief moment just now, the two completely different forces, though clashing violently, had also briefly achieved a delicate balance.
At that point of equilibrium, a terrifying power far exceeding any of his current single martial arts techniques was quietly brewing.
"This has potential," he muttered to himself. This failure, however, confirmed his direction. Although he was still far from true success, it was undoubtedly a completely new path.
In the days that followed, Xiao Han became completely immersed in the fervor of cultivation.
The cave dwelling contained mountains of top-tier cultivation resources prepared for the Core Sequence disciples.
The calming and Soul-Calming Incense, its fragrance almost tangible, was used to concentrate the mind; the Origin-Gathering Liquid, which accelerated the recovery of spiritual power, was drunk like water; and the Hundred-Forging Stone Milk, which could temper the body, was applied generously all over his body.
With the accumulation of massive resources, the spiritual power within his body became increasingly refined, and his control over the Fifth Level of the Martial Master Realm became more and more proficient.
During breaks in his cultivation, the figures of those who had ambushed him in the secret realm would inexplicably surface in his mind.
Their teamwork, their martial arts techniques, and their ruthless determination to kill him at all costs remained vivid in his memory.
"The lowest Fifth Level of the Martial Master Realm, and the leader is at the Martial Master Realm Eighth Level Peak, and he's even recklessly burning his life force to cast some kind of Soul-Devouring Blood Curse..."
"This kind of extravagance isn't something just any nobodies or small families could pull off."
He carefully recalled the opponent's fighting style, trying to find some clues. Those people were ruthless, and their moves carried a sense of killing intent and chilling menace, clearly indicating that they were highly trained assassins.
"The Su Family? The Wang Family? Or the others I outshone in the Academy Grand Competition?" He pondered silently, then quickly dismissed the idea. These families might have motives, but their methods didn't seem to match those of the assassins.
"It seems that those who are eyeing me are far more than those who are openly aware of it." A sense of heaviness settled in his heart. His mentor Lin Qingxia's warning was particularly clear at this moment; the waters of the Imperial Capital even more murky than he had anticipated.
"Although I deliberately suppressed my cultivation level in this secret realm, only revealing myself Martial Master Realm Fourth Level Peak, I'm afraid it still couldn't fool some people with ulterior motives."
"Next time, if we run into similar trouble again, perhaps... it's time to let them see what a real surprise is like."
While hiding your weaknesses may reduce trouble, sometimes it's necessary to show your teeth to keep those lurking Rats in the gutter quiet. Otherwise, you'll just be seen as easy to bully, and the trouble will never end.
"The academy's mission is quite a training ground." He was somewhat looking forward to testing the results of his hard work during this period, as well as the nascent power of fusion.
Inside the cave, the spiritual energy was so dense it was almost dripping with water. On the spirit-gathering futon, Xiao Han's body trembled slightly. An aura far more powerful and vast than before, like a sleeping ancient beast awakening, slowly circulated within his body before quietly receding without revealing itself.
Fifth Level of the Martial Master Realm, completely stabilized!
He opened his eyes and felt the almost liquid ocean of spiritual energy within his dantian. Its power was far greater than when he was at the peak of the fourth level.
With a slight thought, he effortlessly grasped the profound mysteries of the Shadow Void Scripture. There was no longer any barrier between him and the Eternal Night King Martial Soul; devouring and refining energy was accomplished almost instantly.
He even had the illusion that, if he wanted, his body could completely blend into the smallest shadows around him, becoming almost one with the space.
"Shadow Binding."
Xiao Han spoke softly, his right hand making a loose clenching motion.
The shadows in the corner of the cave suddenly came to life, and several jet-black chains, gleaming with an eerie light, shot out and precisely wrapped around a boulder several feet away that served as a target.
Shadow power flowed along the chains, emanating strong resilience and a hint of corrosiveness. The surface of the boulder even emitted a soft "sizzling" sound and puffs of black smoke.
"Not bad. Restraining an ordinary Martial Master Realm at the seventh or eighth level should buy us a breath or two of space."
He was quite satisfied with this newly mastered minor control technique. It often proved surprisingly effective in the ever-changing battlefield.
He turned his gaze to the other side, where some discarded beast skeletons brought back from the secret realm were displayed.
He took a deep breath, slowly clenched his right fist, and the intent of the "Annihilation Divine Fist" surged within his heart.
Without any earth-shattering noise, Xiao Han gently placed his fist on a hard beast bone.
The instant the fist made contact with the beast bone, an invisible yet extremely destructive force seeped in.
The beast bone, which was strong enough to withstand several attacks from an ordinary Martial Master Realm, turned gray and fragile at a visible speed, as if all the life force and energy structure within it were being disintegrated and devoured in an instant.
"Snap!"
With a soft sound, the animal bone turned into a handful of dust, which fell down in a flurry.