A Peculiar Inner Cultivation Technique

A few days later, Chen Xiaofan stood in a forest.

Before him, the ground was smoking, thick clouds of smoke billowing upward.

It had been three days since he had parted with Ning Xuerou. Along the way, he had fused the Emei Heaven-Shaking Divine Sword with Sword Sweeps Heavenly Mountain, successfully creating a technique called the "Lightning Shadowless Sword."

With one sword strike, sparks and lightning burst forth. He could unleash thirty strikes in a single second, its speed incomparably swift—almost beyond the reach of the naked eye.

Just now, he had struck an ancient tree. In an instant, the tree began to smoke wildly, sparks scattering in all directions. By the time the sword light passed, not even the tree's shadow remained. It was as though it had never existed, and the ground had become a patch of scorched white.

In other words, the Lightning Shadowless Sword's power had erased it directly from the world, leaving not even a lingering trace.

If it struck a person, wouldn't that person be driven straight to the brink of ecstasy and agony?

After resting for a while, Chen Xiaofan continued on his journey.

A few days later, he entered a new region.

Looking down from high in the sky, he saw yellow sand everywhere, dotted with many lakes. Quite a few camel caravans were making their way across the desert, and the area was densely populated.

Since Chen Xiaofan was far away, no one among those camel caravans noticed him.

After flying for some time, he reached a fortress. Chen Xiaofan suddenly heard people shouting below. His brows furrowed as he looked down.

He saw a mass of figures below. Many people stood before the fortress, surrounding it so tightly that not even a mosquito could fly out.

Looking more closely, he saw that they wore the robes of different sects: Qianyuan Sect, Huangfeng Sect, Zhenhuo Sect... A total of four sects had surrounded the fortress, as though something major was about to happen.

"Are they going to fight?" Chen Xiaofan made a tentative guess.

With so many people gathered here, a fight was surely about to break out.

When he looked again, it was indeed so. They all held sabers, spears, swords, and halberds, looking eager to kill.

Then he looked at the fortress. Above its gate hung a plaque bearing the words "Canghai Sect." It appeared to be no weak sect.

After pondering for a moment, Chen Xiaofan descended and hid in an unoccupied spot not far away to watch.

Fortunately, there was an enormous cactus here. Hidden behind it, he was well concealed.

"Damn it, those thieves from Canghai Sect have shut their gates tight and refuse to come out even if beaten to death. What are we supposed to do?" A tall man from Huangfeng Sect roared angrily.

An elderly woman who appeared to be the Sect Leader of Zhenhuo Sect said coldly, "Hmph, it makes no difference whether they come out or not. We have surrounded this place for three days and three nights. I dare guarantee that if we keep surrounding them, within a year they will run out of provisions and starve to death!"

The tall man sighed. "That is not the right way to put it! I don't want to linger in this godforsaken place for a year. Is there no other, faster method?"

Hearing this, the elderly woman looked at the Sect Leader of Qianyuan Sect and said, "If you want speed, then we can only rely on Qianyuan Sect. Their sect is made up entirely of seven- and eight-year-old children. From a young age, they cultivate an inner cultivation method called Qianyuan Gong, incomparably powerful. This inner cultivation must be practiced from childhood—the younger one starts, the better the effect. Do not be fooled by the fact that they are only seven or eight years old. Their combat strength is no weaker than ours adults. If they all join forces, they can smash this gate to pieces!"

Chen Xiaofan looked up and saw that the fortress gate was enormous, like a gigantic ancient stele. It was carved entirely from thick, heavy stone and stood over twenty meters tall. People appeared incomparably tiny before it, not even one-tenth its height.

The tall man stood a head above everyone else, yet before this gate, he looked like a little dwarf. The difference in proportion was simply too great.

"Qianyuan Gong... wouldn't that be perfect for me?" Chen Xiaofan murmured.

"It must be cultivated from childhood. The younger the age, the better the effect..." The words from earlier rose and fell in his mind.

Suddenly, Chen Xiaofan remembered. In this body's memories, there had long been rumors throughout the martial world that Qianyuan Sect's exclusive cultivation method, Qianyuan Gong, was incomparably powerful. Many people wanted to learn it, but they were either turned away because they were too old, or decisively rejected for lacking talent.

But he... possessed both qualifications. Wasn't that just perfect?

Chen Xiaofan's face immediately lit up with delight. This was practically a cultivation method tailor-made for him. He had not expected such a gain today.

But just then, Chen Xiaofan was delighted once more!

"If they really start fighting later, there are so many people here. My gains will only be greater!"

One sect meant one martial arts technique. Four sects meant four techniques. This time, he could go on another fusion spree!

No, he had forgotten one. Once the gate opened, there would also be Canghai Sect!

Canghai Sect actually required the combined assault of four sects. It seemed their martial arts techniques were quite powerful!

"Hey, old man from Qianyuan Sect, don't just stand there without saying anything! Let your disciples make a move!" the tall man shouted from afar. "You don't want to stay in this rotten place for a year either, do you? Hurry up! I'm in a rush to wipe them out and go back for a drink!"

The Sect Leader of Qianyuan Sect was a white-haired old man. Hearing this, he seemed unwilling to keep dragging things out. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Children, go! Smash this stone gate to pieces!"

The reason he had not acted earlier was that he wanted the others to take the lead, so as not to expend his own side's fighting strength.

But there was nothing more to say now. It had already been three days and three nights; dragging it out any longer was no solution.

"Yes, Master!" A group of seven- and eight-year-old children behind him immediately stepped forward. There were both boys and girls, each with tiny fists clenched, poised and ready.

Though these children looked short and unremarkable, the instant they appeared, the air around them turned cold and solemn. No one dared underestimate them.

Chen Xiaofan took a deep breath and watched them with rapt attention.

The moment they made a move, Qianyuan Gong would be his!

"Hah!" There were a full thirty children. After shouting in unison, their hands began moving according to some mysterious pattern, and the inner cultivation method within their bodies slowly began to circulate.