Chapter 27: Lingtai Skill

Hu——

In the forest bordering the Disabled Elderly Village, Qin Mu struck out with a palm. Vital energy surged from his arm, coiling like a fiery dragon. The air before him instantly grew parched and searing hot, as if ignited!

He moved his steps, palms striking continuously. The air became increasingly dry and hot, reminiscent of a vast, yellow sand desert under the glare of ten suns, scorching beyond compare!

He was executing the fist technique passed down by Old Ma – the Thunderclap Eight Styles, specifically the fourth form, "Kuafu Chasing the Sun, Wind and Thunder Urgent."

Suddenly, Qin Mu's footwork shifted, and his movements transformed accordingly. Each strike and stance flowed like a river merging into the sea. His vital energy, which had been fire-attributed, seamlessly changed to water-attributed. A water dragon, formed of vapor, coiled around his arm, and between his movements, the sound of surging waves echoed, as if mighty waters surrounded him.

His stances changed again, both hands seeming to grasp. Water vapor transformed into spears, into long dragons, overturning rivers and stirring seas.

In these past few days, he had been honing his ability to control the sword with vital energy within the village, focusing intently on refining his vital energy. However, he still needed to first "observe fire" to imbue his vital energy with the fire attribute before he could effectively control the sword.

With each repeated practice, the time needed to "observe fire" grew shorter. Now, he no longer needed to look at the furnace; as long as he thought of the furnace's flames, his vital energy would automatically become scorching hot.

However, the Butcher's Pig Slaughtering Blade Technique belonged to the combat school. Qin Mu's attempts to hone his vital energy sword control using this technique had always yielded limited results.

In contrast, his cultivation of Old Ma's Thunderclap Eight Styles and the Blind Man's spear technique had brought significant gains, with his progress being remarkably swift.

Now, executing the Thunderclap Eight Styles' fourth form, "Kuafu Chasing the Sun, Wind and Thunder Urgent," he moved like a giant sprinting. A shock from his palm's center caused the air to explode and burst open – such was the power of vital energy!

Of course, his fire-attributed Vermilion Bird vital energy could not perfectly unleash the power of Old Ma's Thunderclap Eight Styles. The most suitable vital energy for this technique was Azure Dragon vital energy.

Conversely, the water-attributed Black Tortoise vital energy was best suited for maximizing the power of the Blind Man's spear technique.

After a long time, Qin Mu halted, consuming two Solidifying Essence Pills to replenish his rapidly depleted vital energy. He carefully contemplated the shortcomings in his vital energy usage.

Originally, he could only consume one Solidifying Essence Pill before feeling uncomfortably full. However, ever since his Spirit Embryo had fallen dormant and then awakened, taking two Solidifying Essence Pills was no major issue, though he still felt a sense of fullness.

"Can the Ape Demon eat this Solidifying Essence Pill? Probably not. Old Man Apothecary said Solidifying Essence Pills contain four attributes, and for those who aren't Overlord Body, it's poison. Perhaps another day, I'll refine a batch of Solidifying Essence Pills specifically for the Ape Demon."

Thinking of the massive creature that accompanied him in his fights, Qin Mu's heart stirred slightly. He hadn't sought out the Ape Demon in several days and wondered how this strange beast had been practicing the 'Overlord Body Three Pills Technique.'

He leaped up, his steps like flying, and headed towards the Ape Demon's territory. He was still just a youth, and in the village, everyone was elderly with no peers. He and the Ape Demon had formed a bond through their sparring, and not seeing him for several days left him with a sense of missing him.

Before long, Qin Mu arrived outside the mountain valley where the Ape Demon resided. Suddenly, within the mountain forest, a figure resembling a small mountain slowly rose – it was precisely the Ape Demon.

Having not seen each other for several days, the Ape Demon appeared even more robust. Seeing Qin Mu, it was immensely joyful, beating its chest and indicating for Qin Mu to jump onto its shoulder.

Qin Mu leaped onto its shoulder, and the Ape Demon bounded like lightning, carrying him into the mountain valley and running towards the interior.

This was Qin Mu's first time entering the Ape Demon's lair. He saw wild deer, wild horses, and even some roe deer, including some remarkably foolish ones, scattered throughout the mountain valley. In the depths lay an ancient ruin, with crumbling walls and dilapidated structures beyond repair.

The place where the Ape Demon lived was a palace that had already half-collapsed. In front of the palace stood a damaged stone statue, half-beast, half-human. Qin Mu opened his Divine Firmament Heavenly Eye, and his heart stirred with a slight shock.

This stone statue was identical to the one in the Disabled Elderly Village. Within the Divine Firmament Heavenly Eye, the statue's divine presence was like a beast god standing between heaven and earth, fierce and malevolent, radiating an overwhelming aura!

He thought that the Ape Demon likely relied on this stone statue each night to resist the invasion of darkness and preserve its life.

"This kind of extraordinary divine presence, could it also be a statue carved by a god?"

Qin Mu jumped down from the Ape Demon's shoulder. A foolish roe deer approached, sniffed the corner of his clothes, and treated it as food, chewing a couple of times.

The Ape Demon gently picked up the roe deer and placed it to one side, then waved its hand, indicating for Qin Mu to follow.

It was the ruler of this mountain valley and its protector, safeguarding these animals, though it was very fierce towards intruders.

Qin Mu followed it into the dilapidated palace, immediately frowning. The scent of wild beasts permeated the air; the animals in the mountain valley likely entered the palace every night to avoid the darkness.

"Little one, look!" the Ape Demon grunted, pointing to a wall.

Qin Mu looked up. On the palace wall were some damaged murals. The murals were mottled, with some areas having peeled off and others having lost their color, leaving only a few relatively complete sections.

These murals depicted figures in cultivation postures, with arrows inside their bodies representing the flow paths of vital energy.

Qin Mu glanced at them a few times, and his heart suddenly leaped. He saw the vital energy guidance path of the 'Overlord Body Three Pills Technique'!

The Ape Demon must have cultivated the 'Overlord Body Three Pills Technique' and found it somewhat similar to the patterns on the murals, thus leading him here!

However, Qin Mu quickly discovered something amiss. The first picture on the mural was indeed the guidance diagram of the Overlord Body Three Pills Technique, but the second picture was different. While still following the path of the Overlord Body Three Pills Technique, it was far more complex.

The vital energy guidance path in the second picture entered the Spirit Embryo divine treasury located between the eyebrows!

After vital energy entered the Spirit Embryo divine treasury, it led to the third picture. This third picture depicted the vital energy guidance path within the Spirit Embryo divine treasury. Vital energy was not directly inhaled and exhaled by the Spirit Embryo but formed intricate vital energy array patterns beneath the Spirit Embryo's feet.

This array pattern was extremely complex, surpassing the Divine Firmament Heavenly Gang array patterns taught by the Blind Man. Qin Mu carefully examined it, memorized it intently, and simultaneously used his own vital energy to simulate it, forming the array patterns with vital energy beneath his Spirit Embryo's feet.

Once he formed the Spirit Embryo array pattern, his body involuntarily trembled slightly. He immediately felt a mysterious connection linking him to his Spirit Embryo!

He breathed, and the Spirit Embryo also breathed in response. He made movements, and the Spirit Embryo made the same movements. He urged the Overlord Body Three Pills Technique, and the Spirit Embryo also urged the Overlord Body Three Pills Technique!

Qin Mu was stunned for a moment, then greatly rejoiced: "In this way, isn't it equivalent to two of me cultivating simultaneously?"

However, he quickly discovered that the Spirit Embryo urging the Overlord Body Three Pills Technique didn't increase his vital energy cultivation but rather refined his vital energy.

His vital energy circulated within the array patterns beneath the Spirit Embryo's feet, absorbed the golden light in the golden sea, then entered the Spirit Embryo's body, and was exhaled by the Spirit Embryo. The vital energy, after fusing with the golden light, became even tougher and purer.

In the past, his Spirit Embryo had also vaguely absorbed the golden light, but not as quickly as described in the third picture.

"Could this be the cultivation method for the Spirit Embryo realm of the Overlord Body Three Pills Technique?"

Qin Mu's heart pounded wildly. The Village Chief had said that he didn't know the subsequent cultivation of the Overlord Body. He hadn't expected to obtain the Overlord Body cultivation method for the Spirit Embryo realm here!

He looked towards the fourth picture, slightly frowning. The fourth picture had already fallen off, only half remaining. What was recorded should be the cultivation method for the Five Elements realm.

On this picture were some animal claw marks, likely destroyed by the animals living here.

The fifth picture was also severely damaged, the sixth picture had simply fallen off by half, and the subsequent pictures were even more broken and tattered, making them difficult to decipher.

"This palace has already become so dilapidated. I wonder how long the murals on it can be preserved."

Qin Mu sighed. It was already extremely difficult for several pictures of the murals to have survived to this day. He completely memorized the second and third pictures and silently recalled them several times before finally feeling at ease.

Even if the murals in the palace were completely destroyed, they would be passed down through him, taught to the next 'Overlord Body'!

On the palace wall, not many murals were complete. Besides the 'Overlord Body Three Pills Technique,' there was one other relatively complete mural.

That was a map. Qin Mu examined it carefully and found the location of the Surging River, and his heart involuntarily stirred: "Could this be a map of the Great Ruins?"

He followed the Surging River little by little, searching from the river's flow and the path of its bends, finally finding the position of the Disabled Elderly Village.

"Eh? Why is there a dragon drawn here?"

Qin Mu's gaze fell upon the map about a hundred li upstream from the Disabled Elderly Village. On the map of the Surging River, a dragon's shape was unexpectedly drawn, which puzzled him.

"Surging River Dragon King!"

Qin Mu's heart trembled slightly. Beside this dragon were written the four characters "Surging River Dragon King." He didn't know what this meant.

This map was not the only strange thing. Other places were also very peculiar. Thirty li east of the Disabled Elderly Village, a well was drawn, and beside the well were also written the four characters: "Heavenly Well Dragon King."

There was also another place with a well, written with the four characters "Sea Eye Dragon King."

He also saw on the Great Ruins map, in even more distant places, a ship with a sun drawn on it, and beside it were written the three characters "Sun Ship." Just a short distance from the Sun Ship, there was also a place called "Sun Well," and in a place very far from the Sun Ship, there was a "Moon Ship," with a moon drawn beside it. Beside the Moon Ship, there was also a strange place called "Moon Well."

Qin Mu's gaze searched, but he didn't find the ancient temple suppressing the Witch Woman in the river heart on the map, nor did he find the Dragon Inlaid City a thousand li downstream on the map.

"Could this map be a map of the Great Ruins before the disaster?"

Qin Mu searched for a moment, and his heart leaped. He found the canyon ruin he had discovered while avoiding the darkness, but on the map, it wasn't marked as a ruin but was called "Goddess Pass"!

"Indeed, it is a map of the Great Ruins before the disaster!"