Dragon Crushing Hand

Liu Ding had also tried refining Soul Forging Pills, but they had not done much for him. Since childhood, he had soaked in medicinal baths in the Soul Forging Cauldron. His cultivation was terrifyingly stronger than the standard for his realm, which was why he could lift a cauldron with one arm. Compared to those of the same realm outside the clan, he could crush them instantly.

But the Liu Clan's unique Soul Forging Pills could greatly increase one's strength when refined on the spot. So, if Liu Ji broke into the Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons realm and also took a Soul Forging Pill, Liu Ding would at least need to reach the Six Soulforging Cauldrons realm to stand a chance.

This world had no sympathy for the weak. Only strength was the true path. That was why even a girl like Liu Tao had to train bitterly in the middle of the night. Her words made that clear as well. "Since Liu Ji has firmly secured his position as the sect lord's hegemon, why do Father and Mother still make me train at midnight?"

"Although this is the Sect Lord Contention, the clan's elite young members will all participate, so they naturally need to be ranked. You have now broken through to the Five Soulforging Cauldrons realm, and we hope you can make it into the top three." Liu Tao's parents were quite ambitious. Though they had only their daughter left, they were unwilling to fall behind. "That way, even if Liu Ji does not want you, you will still have status within the clan."

"I understand." Liu Tao gritted her pearly teeth. She secretly regretted falling out with Liu Ding. If she could cultivate together with him, perhaps her advancement would be even more effective. She was already sixteen. Maybe she could break into the Six Soulforging Cauldrons realm again before the Sect Lord Contention.

"Tao'er, do not overthink it. If you are worried that something might happen to Liu Ji and he fails to become the clan's sect lord, then do not let him take advantage of you. Just engage in a little harmless flirtation with him. Use the same approach with other talented clan disciples as well—keep them close, but never too close. Understand?"

Liu Tao's mother was quite the schemer, teaching Liu Tao how to play those coy, manipulative tricks. Liu Ding shook his head. Fortunately, his heart had always been with Zhi'er, and he had not been bewitched by Liu Tao. No wonder so many young men in the clan were so devoted to her.

"Do not worry. Hasn't Tao'er always handled things this way over the years?" Sure enough, Liu Tao's father smiled. "Now, I think it is more important to continue increasing your strength. While sorting through the clan's Library Pavilion, I found an unregistered martial skill that had been lost. It is called Dragon Crushing Hand, a peak martial skill for the Five Soulforging Cauldrons realm. Master it well, then unleash it suddenly during the Sect Lord Contention, and you will surely secure victory."

"Yes, Father." Liu Tao lowered her head and looked over the scroll laid out on the ground. After pondering it for a moment, she began to perform it. Her figure darted left and right, every movement imposing, every gesture carrying the force of snapping bones.

So the martial skill from the clan's Library Pavilion had been stolen like this. Liu Ding had never thought much of this money-worshipping family to begin with, and now he despised them even more. In the dream world, "he" had died a miserable death after a gold-digging woman changed her heart.

Sensing that Liu Tao's family could not see him, Liu Ding quietly stepped forward and examined the opened Dragon Crushing Hand scroll from the side. It depicted numerous human figures in different poses, along with various annotations. It truly was a fine martial skill.

Liu Ding was engrossed in studying it when a fierce gust of wind suddenly swept over him. Liu Tao had already charged forward and slashed through the air with her palm. The air tore apart, and a wave of scorching heat rushed at him. His whole body felt as though it had been thrown into a furnace, seared by unbearable heat.

"Not good! Dragon Crushing Hand is too domineering. In my state as a yin soul, I cannot withstand it." Liu Ding retreated again and again. Fortunately, Liu Tao had not discovered him. She turned and rushed in another direction, carrying away her ferocious momentum.

Liu Ding focused his mind. His soul had only just barely drifted away. If Liu Tao performed Dragon Crushing Hand a few more times, he feared he would be in grave danger.

After retreating, Liu Ding did not dare get too close. He watched from a corner by the wall, carefully observing Liu Tao's movements and gestures, memorizing them one by one.

Just as he was absorbed in watching, his Sea of Souls suddenly churned. A faint evening breeze swept over him, and his soul began to drift, as though it might be carried away by the wind.

"Not good!" Liu Ding was horrified. It was his first time wandering at night, and he had forgotten that the Lin incense would burn out. The time of one incense stick had probably long passed.

He hurried through the high wall and raced back. Yet his steps became lighter and lighter. With a single stride, his soul suddenly floated upward, hovering three feet above the ground, unable to land quickly.

"I cannot even move my legs anymore!"

Once his soul floated too high, Liu Ding felt as though he could not breathe. A chill once again swept through his entire body, as though the night wind could blow him away at any moment.

No matter how anxious he was or how much he wanted to move faster, he now seemed to be moving in slow motion. He looked leisurely, but felt utterly suffocated, and the strain grew heavier and heavier.

His strides grew larger and larger as he floated through the air, on the verge of having his soul scattered. If he could sweat, Liu Ding felt that he would be drenched in cold sweat by now. Am I really going to lose my soul during this night wandering?

Just as his feet left the ground and he floated helplessly in the void, a warm current suddenly flowed through his entire soul. His soul, which had been so ethereal it was about to disperse, solidified once more, and he slowly drifted back to the ground.

The solid feeling of landing finally calmed him. Could General Jiang have lit the Lin incense for me? Through the connection between his soul and fleshly body, he could sense the smoke of the Soul-Protecting Lin Incense spreading around him.

Without time to think further, Liu Ding rushed back. As he passed through the wall and returned to his little room, he saw Zhi'er lighting three sticks of Lin incense and inserting them into the incense burner.

His soul returned to his body, and Liu Ding let out a heavy breath. "Zhi'er, thank you so much. If not for you lighting incense by my side, my soul would have scattered."

"Did your soul really leave your body?" Zhi'er looked at Liu Ding with her bright, sparkling eyes. "You fell over while meditating just now, and no matter how I called you, I could not wake you."

Liu Ding did not hide it from Zhi'er. He told her about cultivating the Seven Souls Separation Method, only remembering General Jiang's warning and leaving out his guidance.

"That was far too reckless." Zhi'er was still somewhat frightened. If her sixth sense had not been sharp enough for her to light the incense in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. "Do not wander at night so recklessly in the future. Other than peeping, a soul wandering at night is not all that useful."

"Yes, I will be more careful from now on." Liu Ding nodded. "I was so engrossed in watching that I forgot the time."

"Watching what?" Zhi'er frowned. "Did you go peep on Liu Tao?"

Liu Ding broke out in a cold sweat. "It was not what you think."

"Hmph, I knew it." Zhi'er wrinkled her little nose. "You really have no self-control, sneaking off in the middle of the night to peek at a girl sleeping."

"It really was not what you think." Liu Ding was almost in tears and hurriedly told her what he had seen.

"Dragon Crushing Hand?" Zhi'er said. "No wonder I saw records of insights left by Liu Clan seniors on Dragon Crushing Hand in the Library Pavilion, but never found this book. So it was privately taken away."

"You said the Library Pavilion has records of insights on Dragon Crushing Hand?" Liu Ding was overjoyed. Combined with the illustrations in the scroll and Liu Tao's live demonstration, he had already sensed how extraordinary Dragon Crushing Hand was. He had also noticed that Liu Tao had not performed it properly. If there were better cultivation insights, that would be even better.

"Yes, they are on the third floor of the Library Pavilion. Now that you have reached the Five Soulforging Cauldrons realm, you can go up and borrow them." Zhi'er nodded. Seeing Liu Ding about to set off, she could not help laughing. "It is the middle of the night. Who is going to lend you books? Hurry up and go to sleep."

"Oh." Only then did Liu Ding remember that it was already deep into the night. He helplessly shrugged. "All right, Zhi'er. Let us wash up and sleep."

"You wash up and sleep. Why are you dragging me into it?" Zhi'er's pretty face flushed red. She pulled open the door and slammed it shut angrily.

Fine, he had spoken without thinking. Liu Ding was deeply embarrassed. Once he lay down in bed, his mind was filled with Dragon Crushing Hand. Even in his dreams, dragons surged and seas churned.