C16 One Blade One Flower One Blooming!

Chapter Sixteen: One Saber, One Flower, One Bloom

In the deepest part of the Lucky Mug's kitchen, there was a doorway leading to an expansive courtyard piled with the carcasses of demon beasts. Lin Xi was currently making his way through the yard, occasionally hoisting up a beast's corpse and tossing it aside as if it were no more than a lifeless dog.

Reed and the other burly workers at the water station watched in a mix of astonishment and fear. The demon beasts varied in size; the smaller ones weighed around a hundred pounds, manageable for any of the workers to handle. But some beasts were massive, tipping the scales at seven or eight hundred pounds, with a few even exceeding a thousand.

Such hefty demon beasts, often level two, typically required the collective effort of the water station crew to heave them into the enormous cauldrons for scalding. Otherwise, their thick fur proved nearly impossible to remove with standard knives.

Yet now, Lin Xi, who just yesterday struggled to lift a beast weighing over two hundred pounds, was effortlessly flinging level two beasts aside, right next to the boiling pots. The sight was truly terrifying.

Lin Tie Zhu, the strongest man at the water station, could barely embrace and lift a level two beast weighing around seven or eight hundred pounds. But there was Lin Xi, nonchalantly swinging a beast by one leg as if it were nothing. Could this newfound strength really be the result of this morning's meal?

Finally, Lin Xi stood next to a colossal ape that resembled a small mountain. This behemoth, known as the Fallen Flower Green Ape, was covered in dense, needle-like green fur, its muscles bulging like boulders. A level three demon beast, it was a species unique to the Weeping Mountains, capable of growing up to sixteen feet tall and weighing over ten thousand pounds, with the strength to battle giant pythons and fierce tigers.

Rumors spoke of a level seven Green Ape Demon Emperor residing deep within the Weeping Mountains, but who would dare to seek out such a formidable creature?

The most esteemed elder of the Lin family in Rosehaven, a second-tier Martial Master within the Realm of Essence, was considered the pinnacle of strength in the area.

If he were to face a Shape-shifting Demon Emperor, he'd likely be reduced to fragments by a mere puff of demonic breath.

The Blue Ape in question was obviously still a juvenile, standing merely four feet tall, yet it tipped the scales at well over a ton.

Only Martial Masters from the Realm of Essence, with both the wealth to afford and the capacity to digest it, would dare consume Level Three Demonic Beast meat.

While ordinary Warriors from the Realm of Might salivated at the thought of such a feast, a single bite could unleash such potent energy that it would rupture their innards.

Lin Xi, however, was on the hunt for precisely this kind of Level Three Demonic Beast.

To hasten the awakening of his sixth python's power, he found that Level Two Demonic Beast meat and precious medicinal herbs were no longer effective.

Having just finished breakfast, Lin Xi was already contemplating a lunch of stir-fried Level Three Blue Ape meat.

He was convinced that once the meat hit his stomach, it would catapult him to the pinnacle of the mid-stage Warrior level.

The power of six pythons!

With that, Lin Xi stooped to lift the Blue Ape effortlessly, carried it to a massive cauldron, and unceremoniously tossed it in.

Lin Tiuzhu and the other laborers watched in awe, clicking their tongues and baring their teeth, too terrified to come any closer.

They had often tormented Lin Xi, and now, with his formidable strength, they were just grateful he wasn't seeking retribution. Who would dare provoke him now?

Reed scampered excitedly behind Lin Xi, his heart pounding with anticipation.

The water platform was manned by over a dozen workers, the least of whom wielded the strength of a second-level Warrior. Most were third-level Warriors, possessing the power of three pythons.

But as they witnessed, Xi's strength was truly formidable!

Could any of them lift the Blue Ape single-handedly?

Xi's power was clearly beyond that of three pythons!

From now on, anyone who dares to bully or beat Reed had better watch out for Xi and his cauldron!

Reed was overjoyed, feeling that his days of happiness had finally dawned.

Half an hour later, Lin Xi grabbed a large pole with an enormous hook and fished the Blue Ape out of the cauldron, flinging it onto the colossal slab at the center of the water platform.

Lin Xi pulled a massive leather wallet from beneath his own large case.

Crafted from a single piece of mountain tiger hide, the wallet contained 23 knives, each varying in length, size, weight, and design.

The shortest knife measured a mere seven inches, while the longest spanned an impressive five feet and weighed 500 pounds.

This grand collection of cutlery was not provided by the Lucky Mug but was the personal set of Chef Lin.

As Lin Xi unfurled the leather wallet, a sharp pang of pain and sorrow gripped his heart, and a wave of nostalgia washed over him.

Since childhood, he had watched Chef Lin use these knives to skillfully chop meat and bones, creating delicious stir-fries for him and his sister Ke'er.

Yet, he had never seen Chef Lin use these knives to cut anything within the restaurant.

With Chef Lin's disappearance, the custody of the leather wallet naturally fell to Lin Xi.

Now, as he opened the wallet for the first time, his emotions were a tangled web, difficult to articulate.

Regaining his composure, he drew the longest knife, its five-foot blade reflecting his face.

"Dad, I'm about to use your prized possession..."

Lin Xi hoisted the long knife, preparing to sever the limbs of the Azure Ape.

Without cutting the enormous creature into sections, skinning it would prove challenging.

With a swift motion, the knife sliced through, cleanly severing an arm of the Azure Ape.

A tremor ran through Lin Xi's body, his consciousness wavering as he saw the eave to his right illuminate with an intense purple glow.

Within that glow, the elusive stick man, unsummonable by any chant or thought of the "Fallen Leaves Flying Flower Steps," appeared as a phantom, only to vanish in the blink of an eye.

As the purple light faded, the eave returned to its dim, tranquil state.

Lin Xi was stunned to see that the fleeting shadow of the stick man wielded a long knife identical to his own.

"Is this... the activation of the Fallen Flower Blade Technique?"

Earlier that morning, on his way to the Lucky Mug, he had unlocked the first level of the "Fallen Leaves Flying Flower Steps" after glimpsing the technique's formula.

Yet now, without any knowledge of the "Fallen Flower Saber Technique," he had somehow managed to trigger the appearance of the stick man.

Puzzled by this mystery, Lin Xi chose not to dwell on it. He knew that with more experiences, the secrets would eventually reveal themselves.

Feeling a sudden pang of hunger, Lin Xi reluctantly set down his long saber and opened his storage bag. Without even bothering to pull out the books inside, his eyes caught sight of one titled "Fallen Flower Saber Technique" in the dim light of the bag.

He eagerly turned to the first page.

"Flowers scatter in the wind, leaving no trace, thus one enters the gate of the Great Dao.

A flash of saber light heralds the death god, each saber strike blooms like a flower."

(This is the first level of the Saber Technique)

Boom!

Lin Xi's hand jerked out of the storage bag, his heart pounding, unable to find peace.

In that moment, he was desperate to see the stick man appear and demonstrate the first level of the Fallen Flower Saber Technique.

His eyes gleamed with a hungry, wolfish green as he gazed at the severed arm of the green ape, saliva nearly escaping his mouth.

It wasn't even lunchtime yet. Surely, he couldn't justify having another meal so soon after breakfast, could he? Otherwise, his entire day would revolve around eating and nothing else.

But impatience overruled such concerns. The meat of the level three demonic beast, the Green Ape, was not only tough, requiring extensive stewing, but also needed to be made into a soup with various precious herbs and spiritual medicines to dispel the fishy stench.

Otherwise, the overwhelming fishiness would be enough to make one vomit their guts out.

But Lin Xi couldn't be bothered with such details. He hastily skinned the ape's arm, cleaned it, and sliced a ring of flesh and bone from the cut end, then started gnawing on it as if it were a large pancake.

Reed was dumbfounded, his stomach roiling with nausea at the sight.

He couldn't help but wonder if the meat's toughness would shatter his teeth if he tried to eat it raw.

"Xi, Xi, you can't eat that directly! The demonic energy is too intense. You could choke to death, not to mention the demonic energy could contaminate your blood. Eating the raw flesh of demonic beasts over time could lead to demonic transformation..."

Lin Tiuzhu, Lin Huaihou, and the other workers from the Lin family were nearly paralyzed with disbelief as they watched Lin Xi shove the steaming, demonic energy-infused ape arm into his mouth.

This... Level three demonic beast meat wasn't steamed. Without the proper ingredients to remove the demonic stench, how could one possibly eat it?

Nevertheless, Lin Xi's consciousness was fully absorbed in his mind, gnawing on the meat until his teeth ached, until he had swallowed every last piece, bone and all.

Boom!

A burst of purple light illuminated the right side of his mental landscape.

The light swirled and coalesced into a stick man.

Lin Xi quickly recited the Falling Flower Blade Chop incantation.

The stick man lifted the long blade with both hands, his entire figure stretching and leaning back as the blade shimmered with a dazzling blue light before crashing down with force.

The blade's light cleaved through the air, blossoming into a radiant flower.

Nine petals of light, indistinguishable between illusion and reality, bloomed and wilted in the blink of an eye.

The nine petals converged into a single line, striking the eaves in an instant.

The purple light erupted, engulfing the stick man.

As the light subsided, the stick man appeared somewhat ethereal, standing motionless.

The slash executed by the stick man left Lin Xi in awe, utterly captivated.

Who could discern the true from the false among those nine interwoven petals of light?

Such a slash, if it were to land, would cleave not just a Warrior of equal standing, but even those in the late stages of the Realm of Might in twain!

With his heart aflame, Lin Xi realized that the stick man would only continue its demonstration if he himself performed the initial movements, allowing the energy to flow unceasingly.

In the midst of Reed and the other water workers' astonished stares, Lin Xi, who had been consuming raw meat, seemed to lose himself in fervor.

He hoisted his long blade aloft, mimicking the starting stance of the Falling Flower Blade technique, yet it bore a resemblance to a chef's posture when cleaving through large bones.

With the blade held high, Lin Xi froze, as though petrified.

Meanwhile, above on the eaves, the stick man resumed its practice, meticulously repeating the first layer of the blade technique that unfurled into nine petals.

Attuned to Lin Xi's will, the stick man now practiced in slow motion, allowing every nuance to be keenly observed and internalized by Lin Xi.

After completing the sequence, the stick man's form faded further into translucence.

After rehearsing for the sixth time, the stick man ran out of energy halfway through the seventh attempt and completely disintegrated.

"I am Wu Yan..."

Lin Xi was at a loss for words, silently berating himself. I already know your name is Wu Yan; I have an excellent memory, thank you very much.

Lin Xi set down his long saber and surveyed the area around the water platform, noticing that the water workers were staring at him as if he were some kind of freak.

"Xi, are you... alright? You don't feel sick, do you?"

Reed asked, cocking his head to the side with concern as he scrutinized Lin Xi's mouth.

"What could possibly be wrong with me? I..."

Just then, a surge of demonic Qi rose from his stomach, bringing with it an overwhelming wave of nausea.

Lin Xi couldn't make it to the backyard in time and doubled over, violently throwing up.

"Blargh!"