Chapter 67: One Yang Finger

## Chapter 67: One Yang Finger

Night descended, and within his humble chamber, Ye Chen sat cross-legged, alone.

The secret arts of the Desolate Barbaric Body Refinement circulated. From his back, wisps of green smoke curled upwards.

This refinement method aimed to hone bone, elevate marrow, forge tendon, and construct meridian. It sought to burn the heart and quench the blood, to grind skin and file flesh. In this rigorous process of body refinement, the necrotic flesh upon his back was purged, while new growth surged forth, vital and strong.

Truly, this was a peerless method for healing. Ye Chen's comprehension of the Desolate Barbaric Body Refinement deepened with each passing moment.

...

Midnight offered no tranquility.

The ever-discordant peak masters, Qing Yang Daoist of the Yang Peak and Ge Hong of the Earth Yang Peak, met upon a spiritual mountain.

"How now? Surely you don't contemplate assassinating Ye Chen?" Ge Hong observed Qing Yang Daoist with amusement. *Let's see,* he thought, *even you have days like this. You scoffed at my misfortunes then, but now your disgrace is far greater.* A wave of schadenfreude surged within him.

"Matters concerning the disciples shall naturally be resolved by the disciples themselves," Qing Yang Daoist stated coldly.

"Your meaning is...?"

"Let us two peaks unite! Our secluded disciples shall emerge from their retreat. Even if Ye Chen possesses unparalleled strength, he cannot withstand the relentless challenges from the disciples of both our peaks."

...

Ye Chen remained in his meditative state for three days.

During this time, Bear Two visited several times. Seeing Ye Chen still engrossed in healing, he refrained from disturbing him. He merely sent forth spiritual medicines for Zhang Fengnian and the others to recuperate and utilized secret methods to mend Tiger Cub's fractured meridians.

On the night of the fourth day, Ye Chen exhaled a long breath of turbid qi and slowly opened his eyes.

At this moment, the injuries upon his back, under the formidable restorative power of the Desolate Barbaric Body Refinement, had completely healed. The newly grown tendons, skin, and bone surpassed their predecessors in resilience and flexibility.

"The Desolate Barbaric Body Refinement is indeed formidable." Twisting his slightly stiffened body, he pushed open the door and stepped out of the chamber.

*Buzz!*

*Buzz!*

In the courtyard, Tiger Cub still swung the Black Iron Staff with sweat-drenched intensity, showing not the slightest hint of fatigue.

*Eh?*

Seeing Ye Chen emerge, Tiger Cub hastily withdrew his staff. "Elder Brother, why are you up? Your injuries...?"

"They are all healed," Ye Chen smiled faintly. Then, he produced the ancient scroll of the Heavenly Gang Staff Array from his robes and handed it to Tiger Cub.

Receiving the scroll, Tiger Cub's eyes widened instantly. "Profound Staff Techniques!"

"Profound staff techniques are difficult to cultivate, and finding them is even harder. Use this for now, and I will find more for you later." Observing the joyous Tiger Cub, Ye Chen couldn't help but gently stroke his head. "Remember my words: diligence makes up for clumsiness."

"Mm, mm!"

Tiger Cub nodded vigorously. "I remember every word Elder Brother says. I will work hard! I won't bring shame to Elder Brother!"

"Go and rest now. You can practice again tomorrow."

"Alright, alright! Heh heh heh!" Tiger Cub, ever honest and simple, clutched the ancient scroll and the Black Iron Staff and dashed back into his room. He would likely be too overjoyed to sleep that night.

After Tiger Cub departed, Ye Chen took out Lü Zhi's storage pouch. He had been back for some time, yet he hadn't meticulously examined its contents.

Inverting the storage pouch, its contents spilled out onto the ground with a *shua la* sound.

"Remarkably wealthy indeed!" Even with Ye Chen's strong resolve, he couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Within Lü Zhi's storage pouch, spiritual stones, spiritual liquid, and spiritual tools were abundant. The quantity of spiritual stones alone neared two hundred thousand, and the value of the miscellaneous items added up to well over three hundred thousand spiritual stones.

However, to his disappointment, he found no mystic arts or cultivation methods. And upon taking out the Purple Gold Gourd, it had not captured any extraordinary treasures.

"I should know when to be content," Ye Chen sighed inwardly. With a wave of his hand, he collected the spiritual stones, spiritual liquid, and miscellaneous items, leaving only the spiritual tools.

*Zheng!*

Drawing out the Crimson Heaven Sword, Ye Chen placed it alongside the other spiritual tools. He then enveloped them in his true fire, intending to refine the essence of those spiritual tools into the Crimson Heaven Sword.

Three hours later, he finally withdrew his true fire.

With more essence refined into it, the Crimson Heaven Sword became even sharper. Held in his hand, one could still hear a series of resonant *zheng ming* sounds.

"A fine sword." Unable to suppress a laugh, Ye Chen took a step forward, the Crimson Heaven Sword held in his hand, and began to practice.

In his mind's eye, the methods of the Heavenly Gang Staff Array floated into existence. He utilized the comprehension of the staff array to understand sword arrays.

The night passed in silence, and in the blink of an eye, dawn arrived.

After nearly nine hours of comprehension, his understanding of both the staff array and the sword array deepened. Although the sword array was only in its nascent stages, he had indeed taken the first step. Much more refinement was needed.

As the sky began to brighten, a familiar young man strolled into the small spiritual garden.

"By the heavens." Upon entering, Bear Two immediately spotted a lively and energetic Ye Chen.

Just four days prior, this fellow had been half-dead from the Heavenly Thunder Curse. Now, not only were his injuries healed, but he was also as energetic as ever. Bear Two felt a strong urge: to carve a piece of flesh from Ye Chen's body for research.

"You truly are a beast!" Bear Two's expression, as he scrutinized Ye Chen from head to toe, was a sight to behold.

"Don't say such things, I'll get arrogant," Ye Chen chuckled, then produced a storage pouch from his robes and handed it to Bear Two. "Here, the spiritual stones I borrowed. Returning them to you. Don't come looking for me for more."

"How is it only three hundred thousand? What about the interest?"

"Was there such a thing?"

"Damn it."

Bear Two hadn't come solely for idle chatter. He mysteriously glanced at an ancient scroll held within his robes.

"One Yang Finger?" Though he only caught a glimpse, Ye Chen instantly recognized the three large characters on the ancient scroll. Could it be the mystic art, the One Yang Finger, that the Bear Family had bid on in the Netherworld Black Market a few days ago?

Suddenly, Ye Chen rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Want to learn?" Bear Two's expression was decidedly smug.

"Nonsense."

"Then the marrow cleansing substance for my wife..."

"Consider it done!" Ye Chen declared, his hand already extended into Bear Two's robes. With practiced ease, he extracted the One Yang Finger ancient scroll, then swiftly retreated into his room.

Back in his chamber, Ye Chen eagerly flipped open the One Yang Finger ancient scroll.

"Refine to yang true qi, gather in a single finger, thus is called One Yang."

Upon opening the scroll, he was met with this line of prominent characters.

The ensuing period was dedicated to comprehension. The methods of the One Yang Finger were not overly complex. The general outline was clear: to refine the true qi to its utmost yang essence and then concentrate it upon a single finger. Cultivated to great mastery, this technique could possess the power to destroy decay and pierce through all.

Once he fell into a state of enlightenment, Ye Chen lost track of time.

This absorption lasted until nightfall.

Under the swaying candlelight, Ye Chen slowly put away the ancient scroll.

"Finger techniques emphasize instantaneous condensation and explosion, an extreme compression of power. Once it explodes, the power is unmatched."

Muttering to himself, he couldn't help but recall many past battles. Whenever someone had employed a finger technique, they had easily punctured a bloody hole in his body. This had always piqued his curiosity about the profound principles of finger arts.

Now, reviewing the methods of the One Yang Finger, he had indeed benefited immensely.

With a focused mind, he calmed his spirit and condensed his qi, controlling the true qi in his Dantian Sea. He allowed his true fire to refine it into to yang true qi, then, following the methods of the One Yang Finger, he rapidly gathered the to yang true qi upon his finger.

Looking at his finger again, due to the concentrated to yang true qi, it glowed brightly. Spiritual light flowed, and faint wisps of flame wound around it.

"Not bad." Observing his own finger, a smile played on the corner of Ye Chen's lips. With a single strike, poking a bloody hole in someone's body would not be a difficult task.

His heart stirred, and he withdrew the to yang true qi, then flipped his body and leaped out of the chamber.

*Buzz!*

*Buzz!*

The Sky-Piercing Sword was in his hand, swung with extreme force, its massive blade producing a dull roar as it cut through the air.

*Kang Dang!*

Inserting the Sky-Piercing Sword into the ground, he mobilized his entire body's true qi, gathering it upon his palm. A thunderous sound rang out within.

Crashing Thunder!

The palm strike was overwhelmingly powerful, blasting the air with a roar. Twisting his body, he unleashed the Mountain-Shaking Fist, stretching his limbs effectively. Following that was the Purple Cloud Sword Qi, capable of piercing walls.

"One Yang Finger!" Finally, his heart stirred. He rapidly refined the to yang true qi, gathered it upon his finger, and pointed it towards a hard stone not far away.

*Keng Qiang!*

The stone, majestic and unyielding, was pierced through as easily as tofu, leaving a finger-thick hole.

"Let the winds howl and waves roar, I shall break heaven and earth with a single Yang."