A Single Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Techniques

"Long-Armed Apes live near water and in groups. A hundred-year Soul Beast on the forest's outskirts should be the leader of a small troop."

Tang Ling explained as she slowly headed toward their chosen destination.

Before they came, Little Heavenly Dao had already found where the Soul Beasts were. After drawing a map, it had curled up in Tang Ling's storage space with an "I'm so tired" expression and gone off to play.

Tang Ling took the map and, not bothering with its laziness, let it do as it pleased.

"Whoosh, whoosh~"

The sound of a waterfall drifted over from nearby. Tang Ling stopped, summoned her martial soul, and led the others toward a fruit tree to the side with her sword in hand.

Before they reached the thicket, a series of roars came from within. Three Long-Armed Apes poked their heads out, baring their fangs as they roared at them.

Unmoved, Tang Ling continued forward with her sword in hand. Just as Tang San and the others were about to follow, Tang Ersui stopped them where they stood.

"Wait here. I'll go test them out." Tang Ling did not look back. In the next instant, she leaped into the air and dodged a hurled stone.

"Whoosh!"

A chilling streak of sword energy shot toward the three Long-Armed Apes.

Sensing danger, the Long-Armed Apes pounded their chests with both hands, and golden light instantly covered their bodies.

But the incoming sword energy was incredibly sharp. Even with their soul skill strengthening their bodies, the sword energy still cut them.

"Roar!" An enraged howl rang out. Ignoring their wounds, the Long-Armed Apes pounced from three directions.

Sword in hand, Tang Ling swiftly evaded them. She stepped on their heads and stomped down hard, landing lightly in a tree while the apes crashed to the ground.

"Roar!" A tremendous roar echoed out. As the bushes shook, a Long-Armed Ape roughly two meters tall lunged furiously at Tang Ling.

Tang Ling kicked out. With a bang, the enraged Long-Armed Ape staggered back several steps. Tang Ling used the force to flip backward and landed in a tree some distance away.

"Roar!" The Long-Armed Ape beat its chest as golden light surfaced around it. Raising its fist, it charged at the little runt challenging its authority.

Tang Ling dodged the punch, retreating as she slashed at its arm.

With a clang, the sword energy swept across it, leaving only a faint mark. Tang Ling's interest was piqued. She sent a thread of spiritual energy into her sword and swung again.

Ice-wreathed sword energy flashed past at lightning speed. The seemingly indestructible body glowing with golden light was sliced open.

Before blood could even spurt out, the ice on the sword energy rapidly spread and sealed over the wound.

"This defensive effect is enough." Tang Ling looked at the deep blue wound on the Long-Armed Ape's arm and nodded in satisfaction.

Then, looking at the enraged Long-Armed Ape throwing back its head and pounding its chest, she casually swung her sword.

"Bang!"

The Long-Armed Ape instantly collapsed, with only a sliver of life remaining.

"Th-That simple?"

Xue Qingxi stared at Tang Ling as she knocked the other Long-Armed Apes unconscious with her sword, then glanced at the dying Soul Beast before him. In shock, he turned to Tang San.

"Yes, just that simple." Tang San nodded with a face full of admiration, then raised a hand to close Xue Qingxi's gaping mouth. "Hurry and absorb the Spirit Ring. Let Mr. Xue stand guard for you."

Xue Qingxi nodded slightly and looked toward the Soul Douluo guard his royal father had assigned him. "Mr. Xue, I'm starting!"

Xue Qi nodded, paced to his side, and stood quietly on guard.

Xue Qingxi killed the Long-Armed Ape with a single slash, sat down cross-legged, took a deep breath, and slowly closed his eyes to begin absorbing the Spirit Ring.

As the ape dissipated, a pale yellow Spirit Ring slowly emerged. After swaying twice, it obediently drifted into his body.

An hour later, Xue Qingxi slowly opened his eyes, excitedly feeling his body, which was somewhat sore but filled with strength.

"Go try it on a fifty-year Soul Beast." Seeing that he had awakened, Tang Ling pointed her sword at one of the Long-Armed Apes lying on the ground nearby.

Hearing this, Tang Ersui swiftly dragged out the Long-Armed Ape and looked at Xue Qingxi.

"Gyrfalcon!" Xue Qingxi rose and summoned his martial soul. It instantly possessed his body. Xue Qingxi slowly rose into the air and, not far above the ground, activated his soul skill.

"First Soul Skill, Golden Light Protection!"

With a pale yellow flash and a clang, the Spirit Ring descended from above his head to beneath his feet. Xue Qingxi's fair skin turned golden as well. Excitedly, he knocked on his arm, heard the ringing sound, and grinned.

"Here it comes!" Tang Ling signaled Tang Ersui to release the specially made rope restraining the ape. In the next moment, an enraged Long-Armed Ape pounced at Xue Qingxi.

Xue Qingxi swiftly waved his hand. A grayish light mixed with gold struck the Long-Armed Ape, leaving behind numerous tiny bloody marks.

"Trade a punch with it." Tang Ling nodded in satisfaction, then called out to Xue Qingxi.

Xue Qingxi immediately clenched his fist and charged to meet the Long-Armed Ape.

"Bang!"

The ape and the boy each staggered back several steps. The ape's golden light dimmed somewhat, while Xue Qingxi spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Not bad. Your soul skill not only protects your body, but it also has considerable offensive power. Take the medicine. We're leaving." Tang Ling nodded with a praising smile, took out a bottle of Gu Yuan Pills, and stuffed it into Xue Qingxi's hand.

Tasting the blood in his mouth, Xue Qingxi quickly poured out a pill and popped it into his mouth.

A rich vitality instantly flooded his body. Moments later, Xue Qingxi was lively and full of energy again.

"Thank you, Teacher!" Xue Qingxi solemnly placed the medicine bottle into his storage space, then eagerly sidled up to Tang San. "What's this pill called? It's incredible!"

"Gu Yuan Pill. A high-grade pill." Tang San answered briefly, never slowing as he followed Tang Ling toward the other side.

Once the group had gone far away, the ropes binding the Long-Armed Apes all fell away and were collected by a figure. Before the Long-Armed Apes could react, that figure flashed away.

Elsewhere.

Tang Ling led the group deeper in. Before long, an abrupt mountain peak appeared before them.

"Sky-Rebuking Eagles are solitary and live along cliff faces. We'll need to climb the mountain. The path is steep, so you two need to be careful." Tang Ling instructed them as she made her way upward.

Tang San and Xue Qingxi looked at the increasingly sheer mountain peak and hurriedly agreed.

The group then followed behind Tang Ling, climbing toward a cliff halfway up the mountain.

"We're here."

Amid the howling mountain winds, the group stopped on a fairly large platform. Not far from it hung a massive nest.

"Ersui, dig out a small cave. I'll be right back." Tang Ling pushed off the ground and headed toward the Sky-Rebuking Eagle's nest.

The moment she landed, a sharp eagle cry rang out. A pure black eagle with a wingspan of over three meters shot toward its nest.

"Clang!"

An icy blue sword flash swept past. The Sky-Rebuking Eagle instantly fell silent and slowly dropped.

Tang Ling kicked off forcefully and grabbed the Sky-Rebuking Eagle, then flipped back onto the platform.

"A-Xuan, sit down and absorb the Spirit Ring. Your senior sister will stand guard for you." Tang Ling threw the Soul Beast in her hand into the freshly dug cave and looked gently at Tang San.

The platform was only large enough for people to stand on. Adding an eagle would mean they needed to carve out a cave.

"Alright!" Tang San nodded solemnly, took out a dagger, and finished off the Sky-Rebuking Eagle. Looking at the pale yellow Spirit Ring, he slowly sat down cross-legged.

Though its age was greater, Tang San's Soul Power was stronger because of the Mysterious Heaven Skill. Thus, he finished absorbing it in less than an hour.

"Let's head down first. You can test it at the foot of the mountain." Tang Ling smiled at Tang San, who was eager to try it the moment he woke up.

Tang San immediately came to his senses and followed after her. The group headed down the mountain.

"Third Brother! Hurry and show us your soul skill!" The moment they reached the foot of the mountain, Xue Qingxi excitedly rushed in front of Tang San and looked at him expectantly.

"Alright." Tang San nodded, then raised his right hand and summoned his martial soul.

"Five Elements Faceless Disc!"

With his words, a pure black disc appeared in Tang San's hand. As a Spirit Ring descended, golden light shone from the disc.

"First Soul Skill, Eagle-Eye Tracking!"

Tang San raised his hand, and an invisible bow appeared in it. The disc transformed into a golden arrow, nocked in midair.

"Clang!" Tang San drew the bow, and the golden arrow shot out instantly, pinning a moth to a distant tree trunk.

"Long range, capable of targeting extremely small objects, and powerful too!" Xue Qingxi gazed at the gleaming golden arrow in the distance, his face full of praise.

"That proves my senior sister has a good eye." Tang San chuckled as he withdrew his martial soul and looked at Tang Ling beside him.

Tang Ling tapped him on the forehead from afar, then praised him. "Only a well-practiced archer can bring out its full power. This proves how hard you've worked."

Tang San's ears reddened from the praise. Then he looked at Tang Ling. "Then should we go find the Soul Beast that Senior Sister needs next?"

"Yes, we need to go farther ahead." Tang Ling nodded, then summoned her martial soul.

As she picked up her sword, she sensed her disciple's burning gaze and shot him a questioning look.

Seeing that he had been noticed, Xue Qingxi eagerly shuffled over to Tang Ling. "Teacher, can I learn swordsmanship too? The kind you used just now was seriously cool!"

"You are indeed suited to swordsmanship, but not that kind." After raising a brow and looking him over, Tang Ling gave her answer.

"Why not?" Xue Qingxi's eyes widened in delight, then he looked at her pitifully.

Seeing the question in his eyes, Tang Ling twirled her sword and smiled. "To enter the path of the sword, one must learn every kind of sword technique. But upon reaching the pinnacle of the sword, sword techniques are no longer needed.

Because the Grand Dao is simplicity itself. One sword can break ten thousand techniques."