Yan Qingshan slowly unfolded the scroll on the table, revealing two chillingly black eagle wings, vividly depicted on the scroll.
These wings were a pitch-black hue, faintly tinged with purple cloud patterns. Like fine black iron, they possessed a unique metallic quality, seemingly alive. A gentle breeze caressed the scroll, and the feathers moved like real wings.
"The Black Flame Purple Cloud Eagle, a fifth-tier flying magical beast, is said to possess the rare bloodline of an ancient phoenix. Its flight speed is among the highest of all flying magical beasts. Its cunning and ferocious nature makes it extremely difficult to capture, and it lives only in the Cloud Mist region of the southern continent."
Small inscriptions on the scroll detailed the origins of the magical beasts used in the Eagle Wings fighting technique. A fifth-tier magical beast was equivalent to a Dou Wang, and this one was the pinnacle of fifth-tier flying magical beasts, proving as challenging as a Dou Huang, a testament to the prowess of its creator.
"The Eagle King's soul..."
Yan Qingshan stroked the scroll of the Eagle's Wings. His powerful perception allowed him to sense the tyrannical spirit hidden within it. This was the beast soul of the Black Flame Purple Cloud Eagle, a being akin to an artifact spirit, and the key to this flying fighting technique.
Yan Qingshan adjusted his mind and activated the technique described in the Lion Heart King's Secret to forge an unyielding Lion Heart. The cave master's legacy was a unique one, naturally taking into account the limitations of his successor's cultivation.
The owner of this stone chamber was of great antiquity, and the techniques he passed down bore traces of ancient secrets, such as the Lion Heart Forging technique, which seemed to involve spiritual cultivation.
The Wild Lion's Roar was a rare fighting technique that combined Dou Qi with sonic attacks. Furthermore, the method used to create this flying fighting technique was extremely rare on the continent today.
Yan Qingshan adjusted his mind and placed his palms on the scroll. Shortly after his palms made contact, a sharp cry pierced the soul.
His body shuddered involuntarily, his entire body numb and tingling. A sharp whistling sound, like a jackhammer, hammered at his brain.
Yan Qingshan hushed himself, guarding his mind. "Let him be strong, even if the breeze blows across the hills, I remain unshaken." He used this soul-screaming cry to cultivate the Lion Heart Technique, silently enduring each blow. Even as his face paled and his hair broke into a cold sweat, he showed no sign of giving up, instead sinking into a deep state of cultivation.
This spiritual battle ultimately ended in the Purple Cloud Eagle's defeat. After all, only the beast's instincts remained. When all other measures proved futile, the sourceless water finally retreated.
The violent whistling sound receded like a tide, but Yan Qingshan remained cross-legged, eyes closed, lost in deep contemplation.
The eagle wings on the black scroll suddenly glowed brightly, a purple and black hue that grew increasingly intense, eventually transforming into two tiny streaks of purple-black light that shot into Yan Qingshan's body like lightning. The two tiny streaks of purple-black light traveled all the way up his spine, tearing open two extremely thin veins along his back.
The pain of forcibly opening his meridians caused Yan Qingshan's expression to fluctuate, but he didn't struggle to vent his feelings. Instead, he sat cross-legged and practiced Unyielding Lion Heart, using the pain as nourishment for his strength.
An hour later, Yan Qingshan, feeling as if he had been soaked in water, opened his eyes. He nearly collapsed as he stood up, holding onto the bluestone table. His mouth widened in excitement, his face brimming with excitement. "Two-star Douzhe! This is truly a high-level Xuan-level technique."
During the Dou Qi cultivation stage before Douzhe, due to the warrior's weak constitution, few methods of improvement are available. Most practitioners considered themselves geniuses if they could improve one Dou Qi level per year.
After achieving Dou Zhe status, due to factors like cultivation techniques, resources, and environment, a Dou Zhe's cultivation speed is much faster than at the Dou Qi stage. For a Dou Zhe with the best conditions, reaching multiple stars within a year is no problem.
Yan Qingshan doesn't have the guidance of a teacher or the aid of elixirs like the original protagonist, but the cultivation technique he's currently practicing is a high-level Xuan-level technique, five levels higher than the initially low-level Huang-level Burning Technique.
Even if it's not perfectly compatible with his constitution and thus can't reach maximum efficiency, the unlimited attributes of the Lion Heart King Technique shouldn't be too incompatible.
The high-level Xuan-level technique should be enough to offset factors like elixirs and resources. Taken together, Yan Qingshan's early cultivation speed should be even faster than Xiao Yan's, at least faster than before his first cultivation technique evolution.
Yan Qingshan stood up with excitement, took a deep breath to calm his mind, and after gathering his thoughts, he walked over to the seated skeleton and bowed again, then carefully removed the fragmented Demon Fire Diagram from the skeleton's arm bone.
"Ding... Unrecorded knowledge discovered, recording and analysis initiated... Creating folder... Resolution 0.0001%..."
As his palm touched the Demon Fire fragment, he was stunned to see his Dawn Database suddenly activate.
This Demon Fire fragment was also a database of recorded knowledge, but unlike the deliberately passed down, easily understood martial arts, fighting techniques, and poison scriptures, the relevant data contained within this fragment required analysis.
"Could it be... that this fragment contains the legacy of the Pure Lotus Demon Sage?"
This thought occurred to Yan Qingshan. He understood the nature of this fragment better than most. It was a backup plan left by the Pure Lotus Demon Sage after being attacked by the Pure Lotus Demon Fire. It contained the Pure Lotus Demon Sage's residual soul, capable of erasing the Pure Lotus Demon Fire's current consciousness.
Since this Demon Fire fragment contained the Pure Lotus Demon Sage's residual soul, it naturally also contained some of the Demon Sage's memories, meaning unknown knowledge discovered by the secondary brain. However, this knowledge resided within the dormant soul and would not be revealed to the user.
This is also because the other person's residual soul has fallen into a deep sleep. Otherwise, for Yan Qingshan to spy on other people's memories like this would definitely be courting death. However, the sleeping residual soul of the Demon Saint also gave Yan Qingshan an opportunity.
Dawn indicated it could be analyzed, indicating a potential for him to gain the knowledge within. This was definitely good news for him. After all, this was the remnant soul of a Semi-Emperor. Even a tiny leak would be a golden opportunity for a mere fighter like him.
...
On the outskirts of the Demonic Beast Mountain Range, a figure, tied to a rope, staggered through the air above the cliffs. Its purple-black wings were eerie, and its movements were cautious and awkward, like a novice.
This continued for quite some time, until the sun was high overhead, at the height of midday. Finally, the figure untied the rope and took off with considerable agility, soaring freely across the vast sky.
"This flight is quite exhausting. Even with my current three-star fighter cultivation, I can only maintain top speed for about ten minutes. Long-term travel is impossible without the cultivation of a Fighting Master."
Yan Qingshan landed carefully, slowly exhaled, and recovered some of his Dou Qi. The speed of recovery for a high-level Xuan-level technique was truly astonishing.
Just like now, Yan Qingshan, a three-star fighter, had consumed most of his Dou Qi by using the Purple Cloud Wings. Just by walking and breathing, he had restored most of it. Compared to the ordinary mercenaries he remembered, who needed a lot of time to recharge after each battle,
he was far superior. No wonder everyone pursued higher-level cultivation techniques.
"Dawn, data analysis!"
Host: Yan Qingshan.
Cultivation: Three-star Fighter.
Cultivation: Xuan-level Advanced Lionheart King Technique
. Fighting Skills: Xuan-level Advanced Wild Lion Chant (Beginner), Xuan-level Low-level Phoenix Soaring Step (Beginner).
Strength: 2.9.
Status: Health.
Agility: 2.7.
Spiritual Power: 17.
(Data collection target: One-star fighter average, where the median for all categories is 1.0.)
The Lionheart King Technique is indeed a high-level Xuan-level technique. Although only a three-star fighter, his stats are comparable to those of a high-level fighter, and his explosive power is even approaching that of a nine-star fighter. Even a nine-star fighter's overall stats are around 3.0, and he's now approaching that level.
"It's been almost a month since I entered the mountains. If I don't return, the Little Medical Immortal will probably be worried. Besides, I can barely protect myself now. It's time to go back."
Yan Qingshan turned his head and looked in the direction of Qingshan Town. He was a man of strong execution, and once he made his plan, he immediately took action. He went to the cliffside and packed up the things he had left behind from camp. He was still dressed the same way he came, but his bag was much bulging.
He had no intention of putting the things into his storage ring, as he had to dress in a way that suited his current status. He had never worn a storage ring before, always keeping it close to his body, and even using some trickery to decorate it so that it was not visible from the outside.
The return journey wasn't too difficult. Yan Qingshan, well prepared, walked quickly. Perhaps because of his considerable gains, he felt like a completely transformed person after the trip, becoming more confident and his steps much lighter.
The cliff where the treasure was hidden was actually the outskirts of the Monster Mountain Range, not too far from Qingshan Town. With brisk steps, Yan Qingshan soon reached the outer edge of the Monster Mountain Range. He was about to leave this dangerous territory, and his mood seemed good, even humming a tune.
"Hmm..."
Yan Qingshan's brows furrowed as he walked, and he turned to look diagonally behind him. The sound of hurried footsteps approached, mixed with calls. In the moment he turned, the movement became more pronounced, and he could even vaguely hear people fleeing from the woods in that direction.
"These are... the herbalists who came into the mountains during the snowy season... No... These people are doing this on purpose, bastards, they've definitely attracted some tough guys..."
Yan Qingshan squinted his eyes, observing the figures running towards him, calling for help. He could faintly hear the roars of beasts behind them. They seemed to have noticed Yan Qingshan as well, and they ran towards him with frantic cries.
Yan Qingshan turned and ran without a second thought. He had no connection to these people, so there was no need to stay. Especially since they had deliberately shouted and rushed towards him upon seeing him, clearly trying to drag him down with them. He had no intention of staying to help.
Yan Qingshan was no saint. He would never get involved in something that was clearly causing trouble for him. Forget about standing by and watching someone die. He was a mere fighter, not a formidable figure in the Dou Qi Continent, and he had no right to stand up for justice.
Moreover, he knew the nature of these herbalists better than anyone else. When trying to survive in the Monster Mountain Range, you had better be cautious, or you'd die without knowing how. This was the experience of the elders who had sacrificed their lives.
Just like these people, who cried for help upon seeing Yan Qingshan and rushed towards him, they weren't hoping for help, but rather trying to drag others down with them.
Those who truly sought help wouldn't lead others into danger; instead, they would deliberately divert their route and create opportunities for them to help