C25 Cultivate in the Valley
The ferocious tiger's hind legs lashed out at Chu Yangxiang with incredible speed.
Despite Chu Yangxiang's swift evasion, his green robe was still struck.
The razor-sharp Tiger Claw sliced through Chu Yangxiang's long robe like a dagger.
The tiger's tail, akin to a steel whip, lashed out at Chu Yangxiang, leaving a whistling afterimage in the air.
Chu Yangxiang had to retreat seven or eight steps before he could dodge the tiger's tail attack.
The tiger's assault left Chu Yangxiang drenched in a cold sweat. The beast let out a sky-piercing roar before lunging forward, its movements surpassing even those of Luo Yufei.
Facing a ferocious tiger for the first time, Chu Yangxiang naturally felt fear deep within. Without the secret aid of the Heaven-martial Godly Tortoise, he might have sustained injuries.
The tiger turned to face him, its low, thunderous growls resonating with Chu Yangxiang's soul.
Observing everything from within Chu Yangxiang's mind, the Heaven-martial Godly Tortoise spoke lazily, "The strong must confront all manner of dangers."
Chu Yangxiang was cornered, his spirit intensely stirred.
A determination to conquer his foe began to swell within him.
South Bear Fist!
It was a test of his very limits.
His voice echoed through the mountains.
Without a second thought, Chu Yangxiang charged at the ferocious tiger.
The tiger pounced like it was descending a mountain, and the eagle struck like it was catching a rabbit.
A fierce battle to the death ensued between Chu Yangxiang and the tiger.
Chu Yangxiang's fist connected with the tiger's abdomen, sending the beast flying eight feet before it crashed to the ground.
Without pausing, Chu Yangxiang relentlessly targeted the tiger's chest and abdomen.
After delivering several punches to the tiger's head and hearing its pitiful cries, he ceased his attack.
The tiger lay dead by his hand.
Chu Yangxiang was fearless.
Every wild beast he encountered was dispatched without mercy.
In a single night, he traversed 150 miles across Hyphosis Mountain.
Bloodstains marred Chu Yangxiang's body.
He applied the Heaven-martial Godly Tortoise's medicine to his body, and his wounds healed rapidly.
Ahead lay a valley.
Guided by the Heaven-martial Godly Tortoise, Chu Yangxiang entered a cave and took a much-needed four-hour rest. His fatigue was not physical but mental.
The Martial God Heavenly Technique had been incredibly beneficial to him. The Demonic Beasts' attacks, rather than harming him, were converted into energy that furthered his cultivation.
After half a day of relentless combat, his Spiritual Power was severely depleted.
Chu Yangxiang fell into a deep sleep while the Heaven-martial Godly Tortoise and the Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron materialized at the cave's entrance, which then vanished into the mountainside.
The Godly Tortoise collected the blood of the wild beasts, a substance more valuable than that of the Barbarian Ox, for it contained the vital essence of true Ferocious Beasts.
He sliced some tiger meat and slowly roasted it inside the Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron.
Luo Yufei traced Chu Yangxiang's path, uncovering at least twenty sites of fierce battles with wild or Demonic Beasts. He couldn't help but admire Chu Yangxiang's formidable prowess. In the dead of night, he too could have fallen to the stealthy assassins.
Unbeknownst to him, Chu Yangxiang had the foresight of the Heaven-martial Godly Tortoise and the illumination of its Spiritual Power.
Left to his own devices, Chu Yangxiang would have surely perished.
Both Luo Yufei and the Fifth Elder of the Chu Family were in search of Chu Yangxiang, venturing fifty kilometers into the mountains.
Over two hundred members of the Black Panther Profound Warrior Group also made their way into the vast Hyphosis Mountain.
Upon receiving news, the Profound Warriors from Xuanwu County and the Chu Family Courtyard began their strategic preparations, awaiting the arrival of the Third Commander of the Black Panther Profound Warrior Group to ambush him.
Others patrolled the vicinity of the Pill Cauldron Divine Sect's Pill Hall, vigilant for any suspicious individuals coming or going.
Chu Yangxiang slowly opened his eyes after sleeping for an hour and a half.
Upon awakening, he was greeted by the tantalizing aroma of roasted meat, which stirred a pang of hunger in his belly.
He cast a grateful glance at the Heaven-martial Godly Tortoise, aware that without its aid, he would have met his end in the belly of a wild beast the previous night.
Having consumed several pounds of tiger meat, Chu Yangxiang felt his energy return.
He remained silent, choosing instead to sit cross-legged and meditate, reviewing the previous night's combat in his mind.
Afterward, he rose to his feet and commenced practicing the South Bear Fist.
Chu Yangxiang's presence grew more formidable and untamed as he stood there. With each movement of the South Bear Fist—Old Xiong uprooting a tree, a fierce tiger descending the mountain, an eagle striking a rabbit, a bear confronting a tiger—his shouts accompanied each punch, echoing like the roar of a wild beast, resonating powerfully.
His eyes shone with clarity and brightness, a testament to the improvement in his Fist Skill.
Chu Yangxiang's gaze turned toward Zhenhai City. The previous afternoon, Luo Yufei of the Black Panther Profound Warrior Group had attempted to ambush him at the mountain's base. It seemed the Black Panther Profound Warrior Group was acting on someone's orders or pursuing a secretive agenda, intent on silently eradicating him in Hyphosis Mountain.
Anger surged within Chu Yangxiang. He had once been bullied for lack of strength; now, despite his growth, he faced the same treatment. He was determined to change this pattern.
His principle was clear: if no one offended him, he would not offend them. But if someone did, he would not hesitate to retaliate.
Should anything happen to him, his parents would be plunged back into a life of despair, even more desolate than before, having lost their sole beacon of hope.
The Black Panther Profound Warrior Group had crossed a line.
They had provoked Chu Yangxiang.
"Tianwu, you mentioned you could help me increase my speed. Shall we begin now?" Chu Yangxiang inquired.
A shadowy little tortoise materialized atop the Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron, smiling as it spoke, "Alright, carve me a piece of wood that's three feet long and as thick as an arm."
Chu Yangxiang finished whittling the wood. Before him, the dark little tortoise, no larger than a fist, astonishingly grew to the size of a person. He extended his hand to seize the branch, grinning as he explained, "This training is quite straightforward. I will attack you 1,200 times at a constant speed. If you manage to dodge every attack, you'll have passed the first level. Then, my speed will increase. Once you can evade 1,200 consecutive attacks, you'll have cleared another level."
Chu Yangxiang nodded in agreement. "Alright, let's start."
The tortoise swiftly struck Chu Yangxiang's shoulder with his staff.
The sounds of the staff's impacts echoed throughout the cave.
"Hey, that's a sneak attack; it doesn't count," Chu Yangxiang protested, dodging furiously.
The Heaven-Martial Godly Tortoise was relentless, his wooden staff raining down on Chu Yangxiang from every direction.
"You're spouting nonsense. Do you think an opponent will wait until you're ready to engage in combat? A moment's inattention could be fatal."
Chu Yangxiang collapsed to the ground, having been hit by all 1,200 strikes.
His entire body was swollen from the barrage, each of the 1,200 hits excruciating, yet none damaging his bones.
The Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron descended. The Heaven-Martial Godly Tortoise pointed at Chu Yangxiang, instructing, "Enter the Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron for cultivation."
Inside the cauldron, Chu Yangxiang sat amidst the blood of the Demonic Beast, channeling the Heaven Martial Divine Cultivation Skill. He was about to practice the South Bear Skill when the Heaven-Martial Godly Tortoise interjected, "Focus solely on cultivating your body for now. Do not harness the Profound Power yet. Once you've discovered the Heavenly And Earthly Treasures and awakened the Profound Snake, you'll be ready to practice the Heavenly Profound Divine Cultivation Skill, a Heaven Rank Cultivation Method."
"I asked you to cultivate the South Bear Skill to the Third Rank because it's necessary for unlocking the Heaven Martial Divine Cultivation Skill in the future. Do you understand?"
Chu Yangxiang was overjoyed.
If word of this got out, the Three-sages Palace and the six major sects might very well go to war. The value of a Heaven Rank Cultivation Method was beyond compare.
The cultivation methods a person practices determine their future as a Martial Cultivator.
Those who practice Yellow Rank Cultivation Skills can punch ten times and advance to Profound Master. Those who practice Profound Rank Cultivation Skills can punch thirty times and become a Profound General. Those who practice Earth Rank Cultivation Skills can punch sixty times and rise to the level of Profound Sect. And those who practice Heaven Rank Cultivation Skills can punch a hundred times, reaching the status of Profound Ancestor.
If someone starts with a high-ranked cultivation method from the beginning, they would reap benefits beyond imagination.
Hence, disciples from sects are often much more formidable than those from families.
This is due to the lower level of their cultivation methods and martial skills.
Chu Yangxiang fully engaged the Martial God Heavenly Technique. His body radiated a golden glow as Tortoise Shell Patterns emerged distinctly on his smooth skin.
Streams of energy flowed gently along the patterns on Chu Yangxiang's body.
The essence of his blood was gradually absorbed into his system.
While cultivating, Chu Yangxiang reflected on the movements of the Heaven-martial Godly Tortoise, contemplating ways to dodge its attacks.
After an hour, Chu Yangxiang noticed his skin's color slowly shifting towards green. His eyes widened in realization: "Today's hour of cultivation is as effective as an entire day's worth of training."
