The surging force struck his chest, Xu Long immediately used the momentum to plummet towards the cliff.
After waiting for so long, it's time to reap the rewards.
The Fireworker Monk had been eating rats and bats for months, and the toxins had long since penetrated his lungs and internal organs.
Using Xu Long's genes as a starting point, the rats and bats contain a trace of Power of Extreme Yang, Absolute Yin. This might be fine for Golden Core Stage experts of other attributes, but the Fireworker Monk who cultivates the Nine Yang Divine Skill is absolutely unable to get rid of it.
Both being yang-attribute energies, this trace of Power of Extreme Yang, Absolute Yin has already merged into his True Qi. The only way to expel it is to cripple his own martial arts.
But is that even possible?
The Fireworker Monk has been able to hold on until now thanks to his profound inner True Qi.
If he were crippled, he would die a horrible death on the spot.
Therefore, when he ate the first bat and mouse, he was destined to be controlled by Xu Long.
Rumble!
A deafening roar erupted from below the cliff.
The Fireworker Monk controlled the three-meter-high boulder to roll over, and when he saw Xu Long and the Rice Bucket falling from the sky, he grinned, revealing his rotten teeth.
Haha! Fresh food has arrived again!
The Fireworker Monk was very happy. Although the rats and bats had been delicious for the past few months, he had been eating them for decades and wanted to try something different.
Fresh food? You'll run out of food soon.
Xu Long snorted coldly, landed steadily on the ground, caught the Rice Bucket, and put it aside.
The Fireworker Monk was indeed at the Golden Core Stage stage, but he was much weaker than Xu Long had imagined.
His limbs were broken, and a strange energy blocked his recovery.
These energies are highly reactive, almost as if they were truly alive.
It not only blocked the Fireworker Monk's True Qi, but also absorbed his power to strengthen itself.
It was precisely because of this peculiar energy that the Fireworker Monk was unable to recover, and his injuries continued to worsen over time.
Without a doubt, this must be the work of Zhang Sanfeng.
Xu Long had previously speculated that after knocking the Fireworker Monk off the cliff, Zhang Sanfeng might have been too lazy to chase after him, or he might have deliberately spared his life.
Upon seeing the Fireworker Monk, Xu Long immediately realized that Zhang Sanfeng had deliberately kept the Fireworker Monk alive.
As for the purpose, that's hard to say.
Xu Long speculated that it might be related to Taiji Sword Technique, or it might be related to the Pure Yang Limitless Skill.
When Master Jueyuan was managing the Sutra Repository, he accidentally found the Nine Yang Divine Skill hidden in the cracks of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. He secretly practiced it without telling anyone.
Later, He Zudao of the Three Saints of Kunlun, challenged the Shaolin Temple and won every battle.
In a moment of crisis, Zhang Sanfeng defeated He Zudao, but in doing so, he revealed that he had secretly learned martial arts.
The elder of the Arhat Hall of Shaolin Temple wanted to cripple Zhang Sanfeng, Master Jueyuan, who loved his disciple, fled with Zhang Sanfeng and Guo Xiang.
In the end Master Jueyuan died from exhaustion, and on his deathbed, he silently recited the incantation of the Nine Yang Divine Skill.
Guo Xiang heard part of it and created the " Emei Nine Yang Divine Skill ".
Zhang Sanfeng heard part of it and created the " Wudang Nine Yang Divine Skill ".
Master Wuse came to catch up, heard part of it and created the Shaolin Nine Yang Divine Skill.
Later, the Fireworker Monk also found and practiced the authentic " Nine Yang Divine Skill," and was immediately detected when he fought against Zhang Sanfeng.
The reason for sparing the life of the Fireworker Monk is most likely for the sake of the " Pure Yang Limitless Skill " and the " Taiji Sword Technique ".
The Pure Yang Limitless Skill extremely powerful and domineering, and many aspects of it are derived from the Nine Yang Divine Skill.
Taiji Sword Technique combines softness and strength, offense and defense, and also bears some resemblance to the Nine Yang Divine Skill.
Taiji Sword Technique is just one example; there are other forms such as Tai Chi Chuan and Taiji Staff.
To truly perfect Tai Chi, one must possess another powerful martial art comparable to the " Nine Yang Divine Skill ".
Of course, with Zhang Sanfeng's abilities and experience over the years, he also had the opportunity to perfect it.
It's important to understand that even Zhou Zhiruo, who had mastered the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, was no match for Zhang Sanfeng. He was definitely the strongest in the world.
"Nothing to eat? What do you mean?"
Hearing Xu Long's words, the Fireworker Monk was very puzzled.
There have been an abundance of rats and bats in recent months, and they are fresh, juicy, large, and plump.
Given this situation, even if we ate for half a year, the amount wouldn't decrease, so why would there be no food left?
The Fireworker Monk's confusion didn't last long. When he sensed that all the rats and bats had turned into a pool of blood and evaporated, he was dumbfounded.
"How could this happen? What happened?"
The Fireworker Monk couldn't understand it at all, but he knew it must be related to Xu Long.
If we capture Xu Long, we'll definitely get the information we want.
"Kid, you..."
The Fireworker Monk snorted coldly, and two vines shot out, attempting to bind Xu Long.
However, in the next instant, the man and the dog vanished into thin air, without even a trace of their presence.
"Ahhh! Where are you? Where are you?"
The Fireworker Monk was on the verge of madness, but he didn't know where Xu Long and the Rice Bucket had gone, so he could only frantically whip the air.
"Heh, you'll be begging me in three days at most."
Xu Long sneered and continued to huddle in a mountain crevice, closing his eyes to rest.
He stored the Rice Bucket in his storage space, and then used Instant Transmission to leave the Fireworker Monk's perception range.
Three days later, when the Fireworker Monk was hungry and couldn't find any food, he could talk about anything.
Time flew by, and Xu Long opened his eyes, feeling it was time.
Inside the canyon, the Fireworker Monk controlled the giant rocks, causing them to roll endlessly, his expression one of madness.
"Aaaaah! Give me food! Give me a mouse! Give me a bat! Give me...!"
He searched everywhere for the past few days, even digging down more than ten meters into the ground, but he didn't find a single thing to eat.
There were no plants, no insects, nothing at all.
He was very hungry and felt very uncomfortable.
It felt like countless ants were crawling all over his body, inside and out, making him feel like he was dying and in unbearable pain.
Whoosh!
Something suddenly fell from the sky, and the Fireworker Monk looked up and was overjoyed.
It was a rat, a fat rat, the fat rat he had always dreamed of.
The vine pierced through the mouse's body and eagerly stuffed it into its mouth.
Chew it thoroughly, then swallow it.
The Fireworker Monk felt much better; he was less itchy and less hungry.
"Hand over the Nine Yang Divine Skill, and I'll cure you of the poison."
Xu Long said calmly.
"Hehe, I don't need to hand over the Nine Yang Divine Skill to cure the poison in my body."
Upon hearing Xu Long's words, the Fireworker Monk grinned maliciously, and more than a dozen vines shot out at once.
The Fireworker Monk wasn't stupid; he already knew that Xu Long was behind everything.
However, he did not intend to obediently comply; instead, he planned to arrest Xu Long.
No matter how down on his luck he is, or how much his strength has declined, he is still a Golden Core Stage expert.
Xu Long, Late Innate Realm cultivator, dared to threaten him; he was utterly courting death.