Sinew Snake
In the Mysterious Peak Sect, sect missions are generally divided into four categories: sect duties, sect service, dharma duties, and master's orders. The latter two can only be issued by senior members of the sect, and must be performed by True Person on Duty in the Three Mountains. This is to prevent senior members from abusing their power and asking their disciples to run errands for no reason.
The tasks of gatekeepers and clan servants were only available to the vast majority of outer disciples. Gatekeepers were more like bricklayers, while clan servants were more like security guards. The former were responsible for doing the work, while the latter were responsible for patrolling and security.
Some high-ranking sect servants and clan service members must be led by inner disciples. This is to prevent outer sect disciples from being reckless and taking on sect missions beyond their cultivation level for higher rewards.
Ancient cave sealed with miasma (advanced gatekeeper)
Mission: In the Fallen Miasma Ancient Cavern the southwestern mountains, the ancient ley line sealing off the poisonous miasma has collapsed, releasing billowing five-colored miasma. To prevent the miasma from spreading and polluting the mountains and rivers, ten disciples from both the inner and outer sects are being dispatched to suppress it.
In charge of the True Person: the True Person on duty in Sanshan
Basic Rewards: 1200 Mountain Merit Points, 75 Five-Colored Spirit Stone, 1 Bottle of Gu-Dispelling Miasma-Warding Pill, 1 Miasma-Burning Fire Token
Excellent Reward: Three Mountains True Person will guide you in Fire Element Technique Method; you can also receive a rare poison-resistant spiritual material.
Many outer disciples who returned to receive their missions were somewhat surprised to see this scene.
"Has this task been accepted by someone? And there are only three people?"
"Gu worms are such troublesome that even divine light magical Law Artifact can devour them. Is there a senior inner disciple who wants to refine some kind of treasure?"
"There aren't many senior brothers in the Mysterious Peak Sect who are skilled in acupuncture, are there?"
"Senior Brother Hu from Spring Thunder Ridge, how come I've never heard of him?"
Regardless of the outsiders' discussions, the three streaks of light quickly traversed the Mysterious Peak Sect Mountain Range and arrived in the nearby southwestern mountains.
Strictly speaking, the Mysterious Peak Sect Mountain Range also belong to the southwestern mountains. However, the area around the Mysterious Peak Sect's mountain gate has long been cleared away by generations of the Mysterious Peak Sect members, and Demon Beast and insects have been wiped out.
Upon arriving in these southwestern mountains, the Hu Mang had a vision of the Nanyang rainforest, only this "rainforest" was much larger and more dangerous.
The mountains resembled countless lurking giant beasts, piled up layer upon layer, exuding a savage and primal sense of oppression. A thick fog permeated the mountains, not ordinary water vapor, but carrying an indescribable sweet and pungent odor, like rotten honey mixed with the smell of rust and beast blood.
Vaguely visible through the mist were enormous tree canopies, like countless giant umbrellas spreading out, shrouding the entire mountain range in shadow; the canopies were entwined with dense vines, like countless writhing giant pythons, slowly crawling, coiling, and strangling among the branches and leaves.
The Wu Hun had been here a few times, but only as an ordinary gatekeeper on the outermost perimeter, responsible for things like preventing Demon Beast from invading the herb garden.
He explained to the other two that the most dangerous creatures in these southwestern mountains were not old demons or giant monsters, but rather various mountain spirits and tree demons.
These tree spirits have been rooted in these mountains for thousands of years. Their roots have grown and intertwined, becoming one with the mountain's terrain. In other words, they can achieve "Unity of Heaven and Man and man" at any time. Even if they cannot match the amplification of dozens or hundreds of times that of a master of the Primordial Spirit, they can still achieve a ten-fold increase in Law Power.
Furthermore, since tree spirits are known for their Law Power, they are extremely dangerous.
Once inside the mountains, the sense of danger brought by both the Hu Mang and the Wu Hun, as well as the martial arts intuition, was almost constant.
A flash of sword intent appeared in Jiang Mingshan's eyes. With a flick of his fingers, a venomous snake, its veins identical to those on a withered leaf, was cleaved in two, revealing its ghastly green blood.
"This thing shouldn't be able to be refined, right?" Hu Mang asked.
"Anything poisonous cannot be refined," Wu Hun said earnestly.
That's such a pity.
This thing has a high concentration of Spiritual Qi; if placed in the Heavenly Gate, it would at least be considered a spirit beast.
"Hey, you two senior brothers, don't forget, we're here to seal the Gu worms," Jiang Mingshan reminded them.
Previously, the deal between Hu Mang and Wu Hun was that Hu Mang would give up his spot as inner disciple, and Wu Hun would be able to take on high-level sect duties. In return, Wu Hun would teach Hu Mang his ability to devour the flesh and blood of Demon Beast and strengthen his physical body.
However, these kinds of missions led by inner disciple usually involve at least ten people, so two people were really too few. After thinking about it, the two called on their old acquaintance Jiang Mingshan. As soon as Jiang Mingshan heard that there was an opportunity to operate an excavator, he immediately came over eagerly.
Wu Hun didn't hold back either, constantly guiding Hu Mang's Qi Ingestion Technique. In the local value system, this was considered a very generous act.
The so-called devouring of Demon Beast flesh and blood is not just about consuming its Essence Blood, but more importantly, absorbing its Yao Qi. Within this Yao Qi lies the experience of these Demon Beasts from years of fighting, which is quite useful for evolving martial arts.
Wu Hun didn't just talk the talk; his figure quickly disappeared into the forest, reappearing moments later. In one hand, he held a python as thick as an arm, and in the other, a long-horned spirit deer. These two Demon Beast appeared unharmed, but their heads were already a complete mess inside.
Using Law Power True Qi here will stimulate the mountain spirits, but using Qi and Blood will not have much of an effect.
After explaining, Wu Hun found an open space and started to set up a stove. According to the exploration of the Liang Kingdom martial artists over the years, the best way to refine the Qi and Blood of this kind of Demon Beast is to eat raw meat and drink blood. However, because the Qi and Blood of demon beasts are too explosive, they gradually developed a Qi and Blood demon soup that is more suitable for use through pharmacological combinations.
In Hu Mang's view, this method was somewhat similar to alchemy, except that it did not require real fire or Pill Furnace.
As the fire raged, the Wu Hun continued to throw medicinal herbs into the pot, and the originally extremely difficult-to-cook Demon Beast meat quickly melted, turning into a pot of light red, viscous soup.
"It's most effective when drunk while it's hot."
The Wu Hun reminded Hu Mang.
Without hesitation, Hu Mang tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
The moment the soup entered my throat, it felt like a torrent of molten lava rushing down my esophagus, carrying a burning sting and a fierce vitality.
The medicinal properties exploded within his body like ignited gunpowder, transforming into a surging torrent of Qi and Blood and qi that rushed towards his limbs and bones.
"The key is not only to refine Yao Qi energy and blood, but also to comprehend the transformations of Demon Beast during this process."
Soon, the Hu Mang sensed the snake's coldness and cunning, and the deer's agility and lightness, as if two invisible consciousnesses were slowly merging and colliding in his Qi and Blood.
The Qi Ingestion Method is not a rigid, lifeless practice that requires the body to sit still; soon the Hu Mang began to stretch its muscles and bones.
His spine writhed like a snake's bones, causing his entire body to twist, meander, and coil as if boneless, as if trying to strangle the surrounding air; his posture carried an indescribable danger and elegance, like a giant python hunting, quietly waiting for its prey to enter its territory.
Soon, he leaped across the ground, as light as a deer, with an indescribable agility and speed; his limbs were as nimble as deer hooves, and as he moved through the forest, he nimbly avoided every tree and every rock, with an indescribable fluidity and naturalness, and even the faint presence of Spiritual Qi moving beneath his feet.
Soon, the Hu Mang exhaled a long breath, its Qi and Blood and qi shooting out at least three zhang (approximately 10 meters).
The results were good.
Seeing Wu Hun nodded silently and soon disappeared into the forest again. After a while, he returned carrying two pythons.
The two pythons were thicker and stronger than the previous one, their bodies gleaming with a dark golden luster, their scales as hard as iron armor, clearly indicating that they had become powerful snake spirits.
Martial artists have a strong digestive capacity, especially those who are close to Shattering the Void.
Therefore, even the Wu Hun finds it hard to understand why the opponent, whose martial arts realm Higher Vehicle a superior level, shows no signs of devouring Demon Beast.
Isn't he worried that practicing martial arts will ruin his physical body?
In these southwestern mountains and forests, there are many other things, but the number of snake monsters that have become spirits is extraordinary.
Therefore, the prey captured by the Wu Hun are mainly snake spirits.
As the demonic snake devoured more and more, the Hu Mang felt a subtle change taking place in its body. The snake's flesh and blood, like countless tiny rivers, slowly seeped into its muscles and fascia, as if injecting a new vitality into its body.
He felt his meridians slowly transforming, as if being rewoven, possessing an indescribable suppleness and elasticity.
The tendons and veins wriggled segment by segment like snake bones, with an indescribable flexibility and agility, as if each tendon and vein possessed its own life.
Three days later, Hu Mang mounted his horse and thrust his spear forward. With each buzzing sound, it seemed as if a large python was coiling around the spear, and these were different types of snake spirits.
With each change in the spear's stance, the python coiled around the shaft changed its form. Sometimes it was a thick python, heavy as a giant log, each swing carrying a brute force capable of crushing everything; sometimes it was a slender snake shadow, agile as a whip, each thrust as swift as a venomous snake's tongue; sometimes it was a coiled snake shadow, spinning like a vortex, each churning seemingly intent on annihilating everything around it.
Wu Hun stood aside, his gaze fixed on the spear's momentum. He saw that Hu Mang had completely integrated the essence of the snake spirit's Qi and Blood and qi into the spear's momentum, which was like a living python, carrying an indescribable spirituality and murderous intent.
His own method of Qi Ingestion is called the Four Great Refinement Methods: the Four Refinements of Tendons, Bones, Skin, and Flesh. The most interesting thing about this martial arts refinement is that after completing each refinement, a "monster" can be refined from one's own body.
For example, through "tendon training," the Hu Mang cultivated a "snake spirit."
The snake spirit was an invisible giant python, lurking deep within the veins of the Hu Mang. Whenever the Hu Mang unleashed its spear techniques, the giant python would slowly awaken and coil around the spear shaft. The snake spirit was like an extension of the Hu Mang's martial will, possessing an indescribable spirituality, as if it had its own life and will.
Wu Hun wasn't particularly surprised that Hu Mang had reached the "Sinew Snake" perfection in just three days.
After all, the martial arts realm of the person opposite him was already close to perfection, so it was only natural that he broke through so quickly.