Two more days passed, and Ling Xiao’s “Meteor Strike Fist” had reached the Great Completion stage, a realm of perfect control and ease.
It matched the standard movements in the Mountain and River Martial Soul down to the smallest detail.
The “Red Sun Technique” had also progressed rapidly, finally reaching the ninth layer’s Great Completion, causing his true qi to surge once again.
At the same time, his cultivation smoothly hit the peak of Martial Vein Second Layer, with his two martial veins now forged to a remarkable solidity.
The thickness of his true qi, his physical strength, and the toughness of his body were now on par with a Martial Vein Third Layer martial artist.
In just about a week, he’d gone from being called trash and a failure to a peak Martial Vein Second Layer martial artist, his strength multiplying several times over.
The root of all this was, naturally, the awakening of his Mountain and River Martial Soul.
By now, his interest in this Mountain and River Martial Soul had grown even stronger, his curiosity intensifying.
However, breaking through to Martial Vein Third Layer had hit a snag, advancing to a new realm required certain external aids.
This not only made the breakthrough easier but also prevented qi deviation.
In plain terms, he needed pills!
Pills like Breakthrough Pills, Heart-Protecting Pills, or Vein-Protecting Pills.
He currently had only one Breakthrough Pill, which was far from enough, for a safe breakthrough, Heart-Protecting Pills and Vein-Protecting Pills were essential.
After all, he only had one life, and with no one to guard him during the process, he had to protect himself.
Returning home and eating dinner, Ling Xiao didn’t resume training but went to his room to plan his future.
In the past, the annual competition was something he wouldn’t even dare dream of.
But things were different now, he was confident that by the day of the annual competition, he could smoothly break through to Martial Vein Third Layer.
As long as he performed well in the competition, he’d become a key disciple nurtured by the Ling family.
From then on, many things wouldn’t require his personal effort, he’d gain more resources, even a monthly stipend—completely different from his current situation.
By then, forget Ling Feng or Ling Fei, even Ling Yixue or the genius disciples of Tianfeng City’s other families—he’d surpass them all.
“The effects of the Mountain and River Martial Soul don’t seem limited to just simulation and analysis, there are villages and land inside, maybe I could even grow herbs! Raise beasts!”
The materials for pills came from two main sources: plants and animals.
If he wanted pills, he’d need to gather enough materials first, and if he could cultivate plants and breed demonic beasts in the Mountain and River Diagram, that’d be fantastic.
Powerful analysis and simulation effects, combined with the ability to produce cultivation resources—it was practically perfect!
He had to give it a try!
Ling Xiao looked outside, towards the dense forest of the Ling family’s back mountain.
Tianfeng City was surrounded by mountains, collectively known as the “Fulong Mountain Range.”
The Fulong Mountain Range was thick with jungle, its terrain complex, the highest peak soaring over 8,000 metres, perpetually snow-capped and breathtakingly grand.
No one knew the full extent of the Fulong Mountain Range, for even standing atop the highest peak, you couldn’t see its entirety.
Legend had it a dragon coiled within the mountains, though no one had ever seen it, but there were plenty of demonic beasts, long feared yet coveted by martial artists.
Feared because demonic beasts were powerful and terrifying.
Coveted because their materials could be sold for money or used to refine medicines and pills.
Demonic beasts were artificially classified into ten levels.
This was data earned through the blood and experience of martial artists.
Generally, a beast’s level corresponded to a martial artist’s cultivation, for example, a Level 1 demonic beast was roughly equivalent to a Martial Vein First Layer martial artist.
But due to their natural advantages, a Level 1 demonic beast was stronger than most Martial Vein First Layer martial artists in combat.
The legendary Level 10 Beast King could easily wipe out a nation—no one wanted to cross paths with such a creature.
Ling Xiao wasn’t heading to the Fulong Mountain Range to make money or hunt beasts, he planned to find some special herbs and demonic beast cubs to test if he could cultivate and breed them in the Mountain and River Diagram.
If it worked, he could raise rare plants and animals himself in the future—a massive advantage.
Whoosh!
Vaulting over the Ling family’s courtyard wall, Ling Xiao struck a stance and used “Soaring Cloud Steps” to dash toward the Fulong Mountain Range.
Even without the “Qi Burst Technique,” “Soaring Cloud Steps” was faster than riding a horse, and with it, the speed was downright terrifying.
Though it consumed true qi, Ling Xiao had cultivated the “Qi Recovery Technique,” ensuring his true qi depletion stayed manageable.
Besides, using movement techniques was itself a form of training.
Before long, Ling Xiao reached the outskirts of the Fulong Mountain Range.
He didn’t dare venture too deep into the forest, if he encountered a ferocious demonic beast—or worse, a Beast King—ten lives wouldn’t be enough to survive.
For now, he had just two goals here: to test if the Mountain and River Diagram could support planting and breeding, and to gather materials for pill-refining.
The Ling family’s medicine hall had dedicated alchemists, as long as you provided materials and paid a crafting fee, they’d refine pills for you.
Of course, you had to be a Ling family disciple first.
The moment he stepped into the jungle, Ling Xiao suddenly smiled.
He’d discovered yet another perk of the Mountain and River Diagram.
On the diagram, a patch of clouds parted, revealing a jungle, and upon closer inspection, it was clearly the Fulong Mountain Range.
However, the map only showed a radius of about one kilometre centred on Ling Xiao.
If it were just a map, that wouldn’t be surprising, but what stood out were several options displayed on it:
“Herbs!”
“Wild Beasts!”
“Demonic Beasts!”
“Humans!”
These options could be selected, and upon choosing, they’d appear on the map.
Herbs showed as green dots, clicking one revealed the type and basic information.
Wild beasts appeared as yellow dots, demonic beasts as red dots with their levels shown upon clicking, and humans as white dots with simple data analysis—though not as detailed as for demonic beasts.
Seeing this, Ling Xiao nearly burst out laughing with excitement, he was increasingly amazed by the wonders of his Mountain and River Martial Soul.
This diagram seemed to encompass the entire world, just needing certain triggers to reveal more.
But excitement aside, he didn’t forget why he’d come today, with this display, things would be much easier.
Ling Xiao’s main targets were herbs and demonic beasts below Level 3.
“Let’s get started!”
He checked one of the green dots, leapt into the air, and sped toward its location.
The green dot marked a plant called “Heavenly Fragrance Grass.”
This herb was the key ingredient for refining “Vein-Protecting Pills.”
The trouble was, it typically grew on cliffs dozens or even hundreds of metres high.
In the past, Ling Xiao collecting it himself?
He wouldn’t have dared to dream of it.
But now it was no issue, with “Soaring Cloud Steps” engaged, he scaled the cliff effortlessly, a height of one or two hundred metres posing no challenge at all.
