Practicing [Savage Force]

"Sneaking around and eavesdropping on others' secrets is not the act of a gentleman," the cousin thought, his killing intent surging, but his face remained calm as he slowly moved towards Li Jiusheng.

"Taking without asking is theft. Against a thief, there's naturally no need for gentlemanly conduct," Li Jiusheng replied calmly.

"Heh, in the Old Land, the strong rule. Tonight, I've taken without asking. What can you do about it, old man?" The cousin carefully probed Li Jiusheng's background and found he was only at the Grandmaster realm. Reassured, he stopped concealing his intentions and asked with a cold sneer.

Having cultivated the Savage Force, the cousin was confident he was invincible among Grandmasters and didn't want to waste words with this old man.

"Are you sure you've got me cornered?" Li Jiusheng sneered inwardly, but asked with feigned confusion.

"I'm in my prime, full of vigor and boundless energy, and I cultivate a technique where sheer force overcomes all. You're over a hundred years old, your Blood Essence is weak, and though you're a Grandmaster, you lack explosive power. Your sudden appearance was unwise, forcing me to kill you to silence you. What a sin," the cousin sighed with feigned compassion, his eyes reddening as if he were about to weep.

Li Jiusheng chuckled, "Seeing your burly physique, I thought you were all brawn and no brains, only knowing how to fight. I didn't expect you to be so eloquent. In just a few words, you've shifted the blame onto me. This is quite an eye-opener; it seems your mouth is quite useful."

"When people get old, they should learn to be hard of hearing and blind. There are things one shouldn't listen to or see. Keep a balanced perspective. If you can't learn it in this life, you can try in the next," the cousin sighed softly. The young man, barely twenty, was lecturing Li Jiusheng, his words carrying the tone of an elder admonishing a junior. While seemingly concerned, he suddenly leaped like a tiger pouncing on its prey, instantly appearing before Li Jiusheng and striking towards his temples with both hands.

The attack was both fierce and swift. If successful, it would instantly incapacitate Li Jiusheng, his head exploding like a watermelon.

The Wang family scion lunged like a ferocious tiger, his eyes bloodshot, the veins appearing like a terrifying, bloody net, poised to ensnare Li Jiusheng's life.

"A ferocious tiger that devours humans, indeed. Unfortunately, you've met an old hunter!" Li Jiusheng remained unfazed. The moment the tiger lunged, he pointed his fingers together like a sword and struck the tiger's forehead swiftly and accurately.

BOOM!!!

Instantly, over a hundred streams of sword energy raged, like tangible swords of various colors, piercing the Wang family scion's brow and directly severing his consciousness.

Thump!

The Wang family scion's massive body crashed heavily to the ground, twitching. The bloodshot veins in his eyes rapidly receded, leaving only disbelief and deep regret.

He had never imagined that a centenarian would possess such terrifying strength.

He intended to kill with one blow, but instead, he was killed with one blow.

Li Jiusheng picked up the Wang family scion's storage bag, circulated his True Qi to erase the markings, and retrieved the complete Savage Force manual.

"Thank you for returning the secret manual to Shangqing Palace!" Li Jiusheng thanked him politely, deciding to give them a proper burial.

Carrying the Wang family scion's corpse, Li Jiusheng snapped his fingers. Three streams of sword energy flowed out, leaping from the fourth floor and weaving through the Scripture Repository Pavilion, a cascade of light carrying away the other three Wang family disciples.

He descended floor by floor, picking up a corpse on each level. "Since you were brothers, with deep affection, you shall be buried together. I am a most benevolent old man. Remember not to be thieves in your next life."

Outside the Scripture Repository Pavilion, in the wilderness, Li Jiusheng chose a location with good feng shui, dug a pit, and buried the four Wang family scions together. He even planted flowers and grass on their graves.

Afterward, he returned to the tea room, burned incense, and enjoyed his tea while perusing the complete Savage Force.

Years ago, the Wang family ancestor had betrayed Shangqing Palace and taken some secret manuals, including the first part of Savage Force, preventing Shangqing Palace disciples from cultivating the latter half. Only now had it returned to its rightful owner.

Li Jiusheng flipped through the complete Savage Force, reading it carefully. As he read, he became increasingly engrossed, and many insights filled his mind. These insights, like threads, wove together, forming the Savage Force.

"The Savage Force originates from the Outer Domain. It is a body-refining technique of the barbarian tribes, excavating the body's internal energy to form immense power. This cultivation method is very selective; a strong physique and immense strength are merely the entry requirements. One needs extraordinary talent to go far in the path of strength. Cultivating this method yields twice the result with half the effort."

"This is perfect for me!"

"My body can regenerate continuously, excavating strength. I now possess over a hundred Dragon Elephant Powers, making me invincible among Grandmasters. Even a Great Grandmaster would struggle to match me in terms of pure strength alone. If I cultivate Savage Force and merge this power, unleashing a single punch would be like unleashing a barbarian world. How terrifying would that be?"

Li Jiusheng's imagination ran wild. He envisioned himself in future battles, his swordsmanship divine, his fist techniques invincible, his body immaculate, his Golden Body perfected, his Primordial Spirit orderly—flawless in every aspect.

How powerful would he be then?

With this thought, Li Jiusheng's comprehension activated, penetrating the core of Savage Force, understanding it bit by bit.

Li Jiusheng also sat cross-legged and began circulating Savage Force, merging his brute strength into the technique.

That night, Li Jiusheng did not sleep. He spent the entire night cultivating this technique. The deeper he delved, the more he was awestruck. Savage Force was no simple matter; it was far from a mere combination of techniques or simple fist arts. It required continuous enlightenment to develop to its fullest potential.

"In the Outer Domain, this technique has produced many Grandmasters. It must have its merits. I should cultivate it further," Li Jiusheng opened his eyes at dawn, rising and stretching. He felt his entire body flow freely, his bones resonating, his strength constantly growing. In just one night, he had mastered Savage Force, merging his over a hundred Dragon Elephant Powers, which had actually elevated his realm to the late Grandmaster stage.

This surge of power was a result of his breakthrough, directly pushing Li Jiusheng's strength to two hundred Dragon Elephant Powers.

"Now, I should be able to kill a Great Grandmaster with a single punch, right?" Li Jiusheng wondered. He hadn't encountered a Great Grandmaster and didn't know how strong they were, but according to the books, they seemed inferior to his current self.

"However, Great Grandmasters aren't that formidable. It takes a Venerable. I should continue to lie low. I wonder how that distant secret realm is doing now?" Li Jiusheng gazed into the distance, towards the horizon where the sky met the earth, which still appeared calm.

Just then, the Little Fox arrived, squeaking and writing on the ground with her paw: "Time to practice punches."

Li Jiusheng smiled gently. "Alright, let's go practice."

Before the cliff, by the waterfall, the old man and the fox practiced their punches together, facing the rising sun.

Wind and clouds surged, and Spiritual Energy boiled, drenching them both. As they practiced, the Little Fox suddenly said, "I want to eat Pills..."