After learning about the benefits Elder Tianling had mentioned, Xiao Yan and Qing Tan finally found renewed motivation. They stood atop their respective stone pillars, one moment braving the relentless crashing of frigid waves, the next entangled in skirmishes with the Icebone Spirit Pythons. By the time they made it through the first full day, Qing Tan finally realized the true difficulty of this trial.
Unlike the first trial—which, no matter how tough, still allowed for periods of rest depending on one's personal pacing—the second trial left no room for even a moment's reprieve. Even after defeating an Icebone Spirit Python, just when one would try to sit down and catch a breath, the next wave would come crashing in without pause.
Xiao Yan could clearly tell that these unending waves, although vicious, actually served as a kind of body-tempering process. However, with the sheer resilience of his current physical body, the gains from such tempering were minimal. Still, it was better than nothing. Qing Tan, on the other hand, was benefiting immensely.
Having never cultivated her body specifically, she had initially been nearly crushed by the torment of the waves. But once she adapted, she found her physical strength noticeably improved. While she was nowhere near Xiao Yan's monstrous physique, she was now far superior to most ordinary Second Grade Sovereigns.
From Tianling's perspective, this meant that Xiao Yan was at a disadvantage in this second trial. The two benefits offered here—body tempering and absorbing energy from the slain pythons—were both significantly diminished for him. That was why she had promised him compensation at the end.
This was different from the first trial. While Qing Tan hadn't gained the benefit of being tempered by the Nine Nether Demon Lightning, she hadn't endured its pain either. But in this second trial, Xiao Yan was enduring the full brunt of the challenge yet receiving only half the benefit. It was, in her view, quite unfair.
What Tianling didn't know, however, was that although Xiao Yan's physical body hadn't improved much, he had reaped unexpected rewards in other ways.
On the tenth day, after defeating another group of Icebone Spirit Pythons and feeling a bit fatigued, Xiao Yan sat upright, refocusing himself for the next round of incoming waves. As he watched them surge forward again, a long-dormant idea suddenly resurfaced in his mind.
Back during his time on the Path of Reincarnation, he had once created a rudimentary ruler technique inspired by the image of trees swaying in the wind. However, that technique had never been polished and remained at best a prototype at the Profound Tier.
Later, he had obtained the Six Harmonies Flowing Ruler technique, which vastly surpassed his own, so he abandoned the original. But now, with the endless sea waves slamming toward him, Xiao Yan found the imagery of his old technique overlapping perfectly with the crashing tides before him.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly withdrew the heavy ruler strapped to his back and began executing the forgotten movements he once envisioned. The flow of that ruler technique bore some resemblance to the waves, though originally its power had been unimpressive—likely because its core inspiration came from gentle winds in the forest.
Now, however, infused with the sheer power of ocean waves, the technique's offensive potential skyrocketed.
Given how far his strength and comprehension had advanced since the days he first devised that ruler technique, Xiao Yan was now able to refine and evolve it further—blending in the essence of these massive waves. To his surprise, the once Profound Tier technique suddenly ascended into the ranks of Heaven Tier techniques!
Still, that wasn't enough.
Heaven Tier techniques might have been impressive on the Dou Qi Continent, but in the Great Thousand World, they were little more than basic tools. What Xiao Yan needed was something that could support him through future life-and-death battles—something truly powerful, not a barely usable skill.
The wave-inspired ruler technique had seemingly reached its peak. No matter how much he refined it further, it wouldn't improve. Frowning, Xiao Yan stared at the waves, thinking, "The force of water has its limits. Is there a way to push it even further?"
At that moment, a commotion drew his attention. Turning, he saw Qing Tan fiercely battling several Icebone Spirit Pythons. While the clash didn't concern him, the size of the waves around her did—they were clearly larger and more violent than the ones near him.
Then it clicked.
No wind, no waves. Even the fiercest waves were driven by wind. The larger and stronger the wind, the greater the sea's fury. Tidal waves, after all, often formed from tempests. And his wave-based ruler technique? It lacked wind.
Excitement surged through him. He once again unleashed the ruler technique, but this time, he integrated the flowing movements of the Six Harmonies Flowing Ruler technique—the very one that resembled the motion of wind and was compatible with his original ruler flow. It was perfect: the wind to drive the sea.
As he continued refining the flow, insights bloomed in his mind. The tide-based ruler technique began evolving. What was once a single flowing trajectory now forked and branched into countless variations. The sea, after all, was unpredictable, like illusion and reality intertwined.
That reminded him of another technique: the Illusory Wind Flame Slash. He blended some of its concepts in as well.
Xiao Yan's talent had never been lacking—after all, he was the one who created the Demon Wrath Nine Absolutes. He had simply never invested in creating his own ruler techniques again. But now, inspired by the sea and guided by layers of profound insight, the technique he was building was no longer just a Heaven Tier skill—it was stepping into the domain of divine arts.
And not a low-grade one either.
Yet, Xiao Yan still wasn't satisfied. The technique had defense and adaptability but lacked raw destructive force. And Xiao Yan had always been someone who preferred seizing the initiative rather than waiting to react.
A flood of thoughts surged through him. Then suddenly, a memory stirred—a battle skill he had long forgotten.
He opened his eyes, looking at the endless sea in front of him. The ruler technique transformed once more. All the ruler shadows overlapped and fused into one, and with a single downward swing of his heavy ruler, flames burst forth like a tidal inferno.
A fiery cleave tore open the sea, splitting the massive ocean with a gash that extended for hundreds of thousands of feet.
"Flame-Splitting Sea-Devouring Ruler!"
(End of Chapter)
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