Storm

The boundless Taihang Mountains brimmed with a primordial aura, filled with towering trees, strange peaks, and steep ridges.

Tigers roared, apes cried, and fierce birds and savage beasts emerged without end.

Yet within these perilous mountains and forests, a seemingly frail figure often appeared, hunting and killing many wild beasts.

"Damn it, what rotten luck!" The figure thrust his sword through a Two-Horned Wild Boar, then landed steadily on the ground. "A perfectly good Snake-Shaped Fruit was actually eaten halfway by this beast!"

The figure was Lin Xuan. Furiously, he cut off the pair of white horns and put them into his backpack.

He had spent the past few days in the mountains searching for Snake-Shaped Fruits and Chinese Violets. After several days of effort, he had already found three Snake-Shaped Fruits and four Chinese Violets. As long as he gathered five of each, Wine Lord could brew wine capable of raising his cultivation.

Just moments ago, he had finally found a Snake-Shaped Fruit, only for a Two-Horned Wild Boar to get there first and take half a bite. In his fury, Lin Xuan had no choice but to deal with the boar.

Two Snake-Shaped Fruits and one Chinese Violet left. I need to hurry! Lin Xuan's figure flickered as he set off again. Only two months remained until the inner sect examination, yet he was still at Meridian Condensation Stage Three.

Like a great bird, Lin Xuan tapped off the ground with the tips of his feet and glided through the air. When he descended, he borrowed strength from the tree branches, keeping his whole body suspended in midair.

Snake-Shaped Fruits favored dark, damp places, while Chinese Violets loved sunlight, so Lin Xuan could only run all over the mountains.

Whoosh!

He landed nimbly on the trunk of a great tree, his gaze sweeping the surroundings like lightning. Sure enough, he spotted a Snake-Shaped Fruit in a dark corner.

It had to be said that Lin Xuan's luck was fairly good. Though Snake-Shaped Fruits were not exceptionally precious, they were still uncommon. Moreover, the elders of the Profound Heaven Sect used them in large quantities, so the nearby Snake-Shaped Fruits had almost all been picked clean.

Lin Xuan stomped off the branch and flew toward the Snake-Shaped Fruit. Before he even landed, a sudden change arose in the grass.

A Two-Tailed Green Snake shot up like a sharp sword. Its jaws flared open like a fan as it lunged straight for Lin Xuan's head.

"Courting death!" Lin Xuan roared. His black iron sword stabbed out at an angle, swift as lightning, striking precisely at the snake's vital point. With a twist of his wrist, spiritual energy flooded the blade, instantly tearing open the wound as though an explosion had gone off.

With one sword strike, Lin Xuan dealt with the Two-Tailed Green Snake and quickly reached for the Snake-Shaped Fruit. The moment it touched his hand, he felt a sense of danger surge toward him.

He frantically circulated the Eternal Life Art. His entire palm glowed with azure light, like a bright moon.

Hiss! Hiss!

Two piercing sounds rang out. Beneath the leaves of the Snake-Shaped Fruit hid two tiny snakes, each no longer than a finger. The instant Lin Xuan's hand descended, they bit down.

Fortunately, Lin Xuan had reacted quickly, or he would certainly have been bitten. Though these snakes were small, their venom was extremely potent. Anyone below the Sixth Level of Meridian Condensation who suffered even one bite would be crippled half to death, if not killed outright.

Lin Xuan exerted force directly and shook the two venomous little snakes to death. He then picked the Snake-Shaped Fruit and removed the gallbladder of the Two-Tailed Green Snake as well, placing them all into his backpack.

"These materials should sell for some Spirit Stones, but my backpack is nearly full. There's no room left!" Lin Xuan looked at the remaining materials, his eyes filled with reluctance. Those were all Spirit Stones!

"You bumpkin, and you can't even bear to part with this little stuff?" Wine Lord's mocking voice sounded.

"Drunkard uncle, didn't we agree that you'd greet me before speaking?" Lin Xuan was nearly losing his mind. He had actually been looked down on by a drunkard.

"Mm, I still haven't figured out how to greet you. It's not like I can knock on a door." Wine Lord rolled his eyes. "You're still too young. Unlike you, I've completely adapted to living inside your body."

"Damn it!" Lin Xuan dearly wished he could dive in and beat him up, but for the spirit wine and Thunder Movement Swordsmanship, he endured.

"Say, Little Xuan, you need to find the Millennial Spirit Fruit quickly. Otherwise, I, Wine Lord, will fall into permanent slumber."

"What?" Lin Xuan jumped in shock. This guy had swindled so many things out of him and had not delivered on any of them yet.

"Uncle, at least teach me Thunder Movement Swordsmanship before you go to sleep!" Lin Xuan cried.

"You little brat, if I could get out, I would've properly disciplined you long ago!" Wine Lord shouted in rage.

Lin Xuan bickered with Wine Lord while searching for the remaining materials. Under Wine Lord's guidance, Lin Xuan quickly gathered five Snake-Shaped Fruits and five Chinese Violets.

"Uncle, you aren't some demon beast in disguise, are you? Your nose is that sharp?" Lin Xuan said joyfully.

Wine Lord: ...

"Uncle, how about gathering some more?" Lin Xuan continued. "How much can five fruits brew? Will that be enough?"

"If you say another word, I won't brew it!" Wine Lord threatened.

Wine Lord took in the five Snake-Shaped Fruits and five Chinese Violets, leaving Lin Xuan with nothing to do but wait patiently. According to Wine Lord, Lin Xuan needed to reach the Fourth Level of Meridian Condensation before he could begin cultivating Thunder Movement Swordsmanship. Otherwise, his body simply could not control that force.

Whoosh!

A shadow suddenly fell from the sky, as though the heavens had been covered.

Lin Xuan raised his head and found the sky above completely black. Violent air currents burst forth overhead and swept wildly in every direction. Rows of trees were sucked into the sky, while huge boulders the size of tables were hurled everywhere.

Lin Xuan was engulfed by the inexplicable gale. It was already too late to flee, so he could only circulate his spiritual energy frantically and rely on his own strength to resist the storm.

The wind was like steel blades, slicing across his body as if cutting him apart. Lin Xuan planted both feet deep into the earth, crossed his arms before his chest, and resisted with all his might.

Fortunately, the gale had come quickly and departed just as quickly. Soon, the shadow in the sky and the violent wind moved onward. Lin Xuan finally escaped danger.

He looked up in horror and discovered that the dark shadow was an enormous bird vast enough to blot out the sky. With a spread of its wings, two hurricanes formed beneath them, wantonly destroying the forest below.

"Damn it, what level of demon beast is that? It's so huge!" Lin Xuan said, still shaken.

"When will I be able to cover the sky with one hand and move mountains and fill seas?" Lin Xuan yearned deeply for such powerful experts. As a martial artist, who did not want to stand at the peak of the martial path? Lin Xuan desired strength even more, because he wanted to control his own fate!

After desperately circulating his cultivation art just now, the fourth spiritual meridian within his body had already loosened. Within a few days, he would surely open his fourth spiritual meridian and become a Fourth-Stage Spirit Warrior.

Just then, Wine Lord's voice rang out again. "All right, Little Xuan. With this lord's spirit wine, I guarantee you'll break through quickly!"

"But remember to find me spirit fruit. I only woke up not long ago, and I don't want to fall asleep again." Wine Lord's voice gradually faded. "Don't drink too much. Only one sip each time..."

"Looks like this guy really is in bad shape. Fine, after I break through, I'll find him spirit fruit." Lin Xuan made up his mind. Without further hesitation, he found a nearby cave and slipped inside.

Lin Xuan held a small purple gourd in his hand. Inside was the spirit wine Wine Lord had brewed. He opened the stopper and raised his head for a sip.

The spirit wine was sweet and smooth as it entered his mouth, flowing straight down his throat into his stomach. The next moment, a stream of heat rose from within Lin Xuan's body.

New book—please recommend it and add it to your collection!~~~~~~~