Battle Technique Attainment! If I Don't Know It, I'll Learn It!

Roar!

The moment Taishu Yun revealed his Battle Momentum, the Sky-Piercing Ape sitting beneath that peach tree opened its eyes. Gripping its enormous black staff, it rose to its feet and let out a wild roar at Taishu Yun ahead.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With every step Taishu Yun took, the ground trembled. An invisible, overwhelming force bore down upon the Sky-Piercing Ape, steadily growing stronger along with his footsteps.

Bang!

The Sky-Piercing Ape slammed its black staff heavily against the ground. An equally formidable Battle Momentum erupted from its body and collided with Taishu Yun's.

Screech!

Cracks began to spread across the ground from beneath Taishu Yun and the Sky-Piercing Ape's feet, winding toward one another like snakes. In the blink of an eye, they connected. Unable to withstand the force of their momentum, the cracks split further and spread outward in both directions.

Man and ape fixed each other with razor-sharp gazes. Their battle intent climbed to its peak, mixed with hostility and killing intent, turning the entire Peach Valley into a land of grim slaughter. All the apes fled in terror, watching from afar.

"Fight!"

Taishu Yun roared, stomping the ground hard enough to make it cave in. He charged at the Sky-Piercing Ape, executing the Divine Step and instantly crossing the distance between them. He appeared before the ape and drove his clenched fist straight at its face.

The Sky-Piercing Ape's pupils shrank to pinpoints. Though it moved later, it struck first, meeting Taishu Yun's fist with its own. Yet at the moment they touched, it was blasted away by an immense force. It crashed directly into the Spirit Peach Tree behind it, making the tree sway several times as countless jade-green leaves fluttered down.

Roar!

The Sky-Piercing Ape threw back its head and roared. It had not expected this tiny creature before it to send it flying in a single exchange. Its dignity as a Fifth-order Fierce Beast had been gravely challenged.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Grasping its enormous black staff, the Sky-Piercing Ape charged at Taishu Yun in boundless fury. It swung its staff down at him, its might vast and thunderous, carrying hundreds of thousands of Dao Law Runes.

What a shocking sight! Even a Fierce Beast could condense over a hundred thousand Dao Law Runes. This showed just how extraordinary this beast's bloodline talent was. In the future, it would certainly become an existence capable of reaching the seventh order or beyond.

Clang!

Without dodging or evading, Taishu Yun clenched his right hand into a fist. Brilliant light bloomed over his knuckles as countless runes flickered within, and he punched toward the descending black staff.

Clang!

A fierce metallic crash rang out. The Sky-Piercing Ape's metal staff was knocked upward by Taishu Yun's punch, forcing the ape back two steps. Golden Divine Blood seeped from Taishu Yun's fist, and golden radiance bloomed from it, making it appear sacred. His fingers had been broken.

My physique is evenly matched with its, but I still can't clash directly with its Spirit Weapon. It's already nearing the point of giving birth to a Weapon Soul.

Taishu Yun pondered as the injury on his hand rapidly healed, restoring itself completely. With a thought, the Star Cloud Bell appeared in his hand.

Most of the bell was purple, with purple arcs of lightning coiling around it. The other half resembled a nebula, where translucent starlight glittered with dazzling beauty. The image of a Sky Swallowing Howl was also engraved upon its surface.

"Again!"

Taishu Yun murmured. Holding the Star Cloud Bell in one hand, he charged at the Sky-Piercing Ape again. The ape refused to be outdone. Its enormous black staff swept through the air with a shriek of wind as it swung at the approaching Taishu Yun.

Clang!

Taishu Yun used the Star Cloud Bell to meet the black staff, producing a resounding clash of metal. A powerful shockwave immediately surged outward in all directions. Many of the thinner peach trees snapped with a crack and crashed to the ground.

"Ah, damaging public property isn't good."

Taishu Jing hopped out, plucking all the Spirit Peaches from the broken peach trees. He ate as he walked. Seeing those apes baring their teeth and about to rush forward, his gaze sharpened. A fierce Arrow Momentum swept out, frightening the monkeys into scattering in all directions as they fled toward the edge of the valley.

Once nearly all the monkeys had moved away, Taishu Jing climbed a peach tree and sat on one of its branches, watching the man and ape battle in the distance.

"This Sky-Piercing Ape is quite impressive. It has over a hundred thousand Dao Law Runes. If Little Aunt saw it, would she think she wasn't even as good as a monkey? Hahaha."

As he spoke, Taishu Jing took a bite of a Spirit Peach.

Clang!

The enormous black staff collided with the Star Cloud Bell again and again, their clash growing ever fiercer. The man and ape had both begun fighting in earnest, their violent spiritual power clashing like fire and water. Though Taishu Yun was only at the Spirit Vein Realm, neither his physique nor his comprehension of Dao laws was inferior to that of the Sky-Piercing Ape.

As one of the finest among Fifth-order Fierce Beasts, this Sky-Piercing Ape had also comprehended Battle Momentum at a glance, taking the Path of Battle as its own path. It loved most to nurture battle through battle, and its talent for combat was not the slightest bit inferior to Taishu Yun's. Several times, it suppressed Taishu Yun and injured him, showing just how formidable it was.

The more Taishu Yun fought the Sky-Piercing Ape, the more he understood his own shortcomings. His fighting style was crude, as though he were merely brawling—without structure or spirit. That was why, although the Sky-Piercing Ape's understanding of Dao laws was clearly inferior to his, it could unleash its combat strength more perfectly. In Taishu Yun's eyes, the ape's battle techniques flowed together as one, revealing a profound understanding of combat.

Then I'll learn from it!

Taishu Yun thought to himself. From the moment he and Taishu Jing had begun cultivating, no one had taught them. They had explored and investigated everything through their own efforts, boldly making guesses based on their limited understanding of cultivation realms, striving to push every realm to its utmost limit.

Their efforts had not been wasted. The fact that they could battle Fifth-order Fierce Beasts while in the Spirit Vein Realm was proof enough. Yet on the path of cultivation, there was still much they did not know.

Before meeting Murong Jingyu, they had not even known that the Cultivation Techniques and Killing Arts of this world had ranks. There were six ranks: Mystic, Spirit, King, Emperor, Saint, and Sovereign.

Naturally, the Divine Body came with its own inheritance. The scriptures within were surely among the finest Cultivation Techniques between heaven and earth, ranked at the Sovereign level. Even the Killing Arts within were of the same rank.

Yet before this, neither Taishu Yun nor Taishu Jing had known of such things. Their family possessed no detailed ancient records, and even its strongest members were only at the Spirit Vein Realm.

This gave Taishu Yun the urge to leave the Great Marsh of Cloud Dream. He needed to see a world broader than this one, expand his horizons, and open a more dazzling path of cultivation.

Yet even as he yearned for the outside world, he restrained himself. The time had not yet come. He and Taishu Jing could still become stronger here and make up for their shortcomings.

There were countless battle techniques in the world. They drew upon the Dao of heaven and earth, merged with a cultivator's spiritual will, and transformed into supreme arts of slaughter. Every movement, every gesture, carried a sense of flawless naturalness without displaying it outwardly.

Battle Technique Attainment!

The Sky-Piercing Ape's battle techniques had already reached Battle Technique Attainment. Every attack contained its own spiritual will to battle heaven and fight earth. Its movements turned as smoothly as a wheel, perfectly at will. Every strike was delivered with full force, without the slightest trace of stiffness, unleashing ten—perhaps even twelve—parts of Battle Momentum's power. It was unstoppable.

Clang!

"Cough, cough." Taishu Yun stepped back two paces, coughing blood from the corner of his mouth. This was not the first time he had been injured.

This Fifth-order Sky-Piercing Ape had reached Battle Technique Attainment. Ordinary moves became arts of attack and slaughter in its hands. Its essence, energy, and spirit were contained within them, commanding Dao laws and multiplying their power. Everything was perfectly integrated, without a single flaw.

Though he did his utmost to resist it with the Star Cloud Bell, as one force waned and the other waxed, the Sky-Piercing Ape caught every flaw in his defenses and struck back with doubled force.

Even with Taishu Yun's resilient physique, he could not endure such attacks and kept coughing blood.

Yet Taishu Yun was not discouraged. His eyes were exceptionally bright. Though he had not activated his Divine Eye, divine light still shone within them, profound beyond measure. It was as though he was not looking at the Sky-Piercing Ape at all, but at something he desired even more.

"Do not be constrained by moves. Let the mind sink into every part of the body. Let the body follow the heart, and let the mind and spirit become one."

Taishu Yun's eyes grew brighter and brighter. He seemed to understand a little. He had to leap beyond the confines of moves and let his mind command his body, controlling every part of it. He had to know when to exert force and when to withdraw it. The instant of attack was the point of eruption, linking his entire body and gathering every part of himself into one.

"Again!"

Taishu Yun had already gained a faint insight. Wiping the golden blood from the corner of his mouth, he once again charged at the Sky-Piercing Ape with the Star Cloud Bell in hand.

Unlike before, he was not quickly beaten into coughing blood this time. Instead, he gradually began to keep pace with the ape's rhythm. Within ten exchanges, Taishu Yun was finally able to counterattack once. His previously obvious disadvantage was slowly recovered by several degrees.

"So there are such profound mysteries in this world. Controlling the entire body, turning as freely as a wheel, even using one part of strength to strike with the power of ten—it does resemble the martial path."

Taishu Jing muttered. Divine light bloomed in his eyes as he watched Taishu Yun's battle with the Sky-Piercing Ape. Many realizations also flashed through his mind. Combat was not so simple after all. Battle techniques allowed one's combat strength to be unleashed more perfectly.