Thousand-Army Defying

Li Hai began from the first martial art in his skill bar, the Five Animals Qigong, selecting them one by one like a commander picking his soldiers.

Beast Intent Demon Claw, Savage Bull Fist, Iron Fan Palm...

It was not until Li Hai selected the Warrior Elephant-Throwing Technique, a cultivation method specialized in physical conditioning and strength, that the system sent another notification:

The limit for technique fusion has been reached (twelve techniques).

Seeing this, Li Hai did not hesitate; he immediately ceased his selection and initiated the fusion process.

In an instant, the twelve techniques on his personal panel blurred, transforming into twelve clusters of light that merged into one another.

A mere moment later, the Five Animals Qigong, Beast Intent Demon Claw, Savage Bull Fist... and the Warrior Elephant-Throwing Technique—twelve techniques in total—vanished completely.

In their place was a brand-new technique named the Demon Ape Giant Elephant Technique.

"Demon Ape Giant Elephant..."

Li Hai's eyes shone with intensity. "Let me see what kind of mysteries you hold."

As he whispered, all the information regarding the Demon Ape Giant Elephant Technique surged into his mind.

BOOM!

A massive, complex stream of information flooded Li Hai's consciousness.

In an instant, he had fully learned and understood every aspect of this technique.

In summary, this nine-level martial path technique integrated the vast majority of the fundamental characteristics of the ten previous martial arts.

For instance, it enhanced overall physical strength, deepened the degree of hand mutation, increased the potency of hand-based toxins, improved bodily defense, and refined the precision of Wildness perception... among others.

Furthermore, on this foundation, the technique pushed all these attributes to a higher level.

Those who reach this level can maintain their peak physical state for as long as three hundred years, with their essence and spirit only beginning to decline and their consciousness collapsing at the very moment of death.

In the records of the Demon Ape Giant Elephant Technique, this level is known as the Demon Ape Body.

A "Body," literally speaking, is a formidable physique that evolves specifically to carry and unleash the full potential of a powerful technique.

The process is such: when a martial artist practices a technique to a profound depth, it triggers a series of minute transformations within the body that are perfectly attuned to the technique.

Once these transformations emerge, they expand from small to large, altering every layer of the physique until, eventually, quantitative changes lead to a qualitative shift, causing the martial artist's entire body—from head to toe, inside and out—to undergo a radical transformation.

Thus, one can reach a martial level beyond the Steel Sinew Iron Bone Realm: the Thousand-Army Defying Realm.

As the name implies, once a martial artist reaches this realm, they become a true "one-man army" on the battlefield.

They possess hundreds of thousands of pounds of raw strength, speed that transcends sound, and a terrifying defense to match.

Never mind sword slashes or concentrated gunfire; even military encirclements and heavy artillery bombardment would fail to inflict effective damage on a Thousand-Army level martial artist, who would instead slaughter them at will with no resistance.

"Good! Awesome! Powerful!"

Exhilarated, Li Hai immediately pushed the Demon Ape Giant Elephant Technique from level zero all the way to its peak at level nine.

BOOM!

Instantly, Li Hai's body swelled, making him, who was already extremely robust, look even more inhuman.

At the same time, countless black dots rapidly sprouted across his previously smooth scalp, immediately growing into thick, coarse hair that cascaded down to his waist before stopping.

Looking at Li Hai now, he seemed like a different person; the cold, sinister, bald-headed man with no eyebrows had been replaced by a wild figure with thick brows and a mane of unruly hair.

Beyond these changes, Li Hai's teeth and nails grew significantly, becoming sharp and pointed like the fangs and claws of a beast, which caused the aura of Wildness surrounding him to become even more potent and volatile.

Finally, Li Hai's skin, once white as jade frost, also underwent a change, turning a deep, bronze-black that shone with a metallic luster, its texture as tough and resilient as armored scales.

Beneath the surface of his skin, faint, blood-red patterns spread throughout.

In short, after mastering the Demon Ape Giant Elephant Technique, Li Hai no longer looked human at all.

Possessing this inhuman appearance, Li Hai adjusted the state of his internal organs, meridians, and skeleton before suddenly opening his eyes to scan his surroundings.

SWISH—

If anyone had been present, they would have felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck from the void above, illuminating the entire dilapidated training ground in a blinding white light, banishing the darkness.

This layer of white light lasted for half a breath before vanishing as Li Hai blinked.

This was Eyes Like Thunder-Light, one of the hallmarks of a Thousand-Army level martial artist.

It was not that light actually radiated from his pupils, but rather a mystical phenomenon generated by his overwhelming spiritual power.

Li Hai then bared his teeth and let out a puff of grayish-white air:

"Hoo~"

This breath, like a heavy arrow, shot out several yards the moment it appeared, snapping a half-foot-thick wooden post in two.

This was Breath-Arrow Exhalation, which, like Eyes Like Thunder-Light, was another hallmark of a Thousand-Army level martial artist.

It served as a display of the peerless strength of the martial artist's lungs and internal organs.

After exhaling this turbid air, Li Hai opened his personal interface, which had undergone numerous updates—

Master Name: Li Hai

Rank: Orthodox Martial Arts→Thousand-Army Defying, Bloodline Divine Ability→Mid-Grade, Ghost Path→Fierce Soul, Esoteric Arts→Focusing Spirit and Wandering

Skills: Demon Ape Giant Elephant TechniqueBlood Soaked Sinking HeartGhost Body Soul Remains<Evil Spirit Earth Yin Absorption Method (Fragmented)>Evil Sha Yin DescentResentful Sha Yang ExtinguishingMoon Marrow Refining TechniqueGhost and Monster SeekingYin-Yang EyesQi Observation TechniqueHigh-Grade Primordial Breath Yang Refining MethodLife-Cutting Essence-Trimming TechniqueHeavenly Scorching Yang-Drawing Technique<Supreme Origin Spirit-Suppressing Talisman (Fragmented)>Golden Ridge Yin Gathering<Southern Border Zou Clan Poison Manual (Fragmented)>Angry Flood Dragon WhipDelicate Ghostly FingersRed Dust Yin Gathering Method (Fragmented)

Trait Attributes: [Soul Strengthening Lv.3][Finger Claw Lv.3][Berserk Lv.2][Wildness Lv.3][Ghost Body Lv.2][Ghostly Image Lv.2][Twin Sha Lv.2][Iron Body Lv.3][Stone Heart Lv.3][Spiritual Inspiration Lv.2][Yang Absorption Lv.2][Focusing Spirit Lv.2][Dharma Power Lv.2][Yin Absorption Lv.1][Breath Concealment Lv.1][Toxicity Lv.3][Physical Strength Lv.3][Rage Lv.2][Technique Lv.1][Demon Finger Lv.2][Evil Intent Lv.2]

Stronger Fragment: None

Looking at the dense array of skills and attributes on the panel, Li Hai could not help but laugh out loud:

"Hahahaha, the current me... is fucking strong!"

After the long laugh, Li Hai raised his head to look at the dark tunnel above and whispered:

"This matter is settled; it is time to return to the surface."

With that, he circulated his thick and dense Demon Ape True Energy, channeling it into the pair of Bamboo-Joint Steel Whip gripped in his palms to activate one of their innate divine weapon abilities.