Chapter 54

Xu Yan disappeared, and so did Lu Peng and the rest.

From then on, there was a madman in the Spiritual Herbal Garden. He killed people and beasts on sight. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was half human and half beast.

For a moment, the disciples of the three sects in the Spiritual Herbal Garden were in a state of panic.

Zi Chen was unaware of all this.

At this moment, he was looking at a red wolf. A Level 3 beast, Bloodthirsty Red Wolf.

It was different from the other wolves. It was not a pack beast, but a beast of pure strength. It was at the peak of Level 3 and was guarding a Red Caltrop Flower for seven hundred years.

"Roar!"

The red wolf lowered its head and looked ahead cautiously. It let out a hoarse roar as if it was warning.

"Hehe, this little thing is very smart. It didn't attack at first." Miao Kong looked at the red wolf and smiled disdainfully.

"A Level 3 beast has high intelligence. Of course, it is not stupid." Zi Chen smiled, but he did not intend to attack.

The red wolf was still growling.

Zhang Haotian still did not say a word.

"After searching for so long, we finally found a decent spiritual herb. Why are you still acting cool? Why are you not attacking?" Zi Chen said to Zhang Haotian.

After going through life and death together, Zi Chen could casually make fun of this cold guy.

"You want me to attack?"

"Of course it's you. I'm not the one who wants to break through." Zi Chen rolled his eyes.

"Alright then."

Zhang Haotian nodded. After he finished speaking, the aura around him became cold and sharp. Then, a surge of aura began to surge.

"Sky Tyrant Fist."

The strongest battle technique of the Martial Ancestor appeared.

"Roar!"

The warning roar turned into an attack. The red wolf knew that the human in front of it was powerful, and it wanted to fight. Its four limbs exerted force, and its body leaned forward. Its sharp claws emitted a cold light. It opened its mouth to reveal cold teeth and bit at Zhang Haotian's fist.

"Peng!"

The Sky Tyrant Fist finally landed, but it was not bitten by the red wolf. Instead, it hit its head. The sound of bones breaking was heard. The red wolf's head, which was the strongest part of its body, was shattered by Zhang Haotian's punch. Its body flew back a few meters and died.

"Collect the spirit herbs, we should be leaving.

Speaking of which, it has been a long time since I last saw a cultivator. I don't even have any spiritual herbs. "Seeing that Red Wolf was dead, Zi Chen turned around and left.

During this period of time, almost all of the spiritual herbs that they had snatched had entered Zi Chen's stomach. Then, under the Heavenly Thunder Reshaping Art, his body absorbed them.

Zi Chen's true energy was in the eighth level, and he had the body of a ninth-level vicious beast. Because of that, his progress was much slower than before. Even though he had consumed a lot of spiritual medicines, his progress was still slow.

This was not a problem of talent, nor was there a bottleneck. It was just that Zi Chen needed to consume too much energy in this realm.

If a normal cultivator at the peak of the eighth level needed a five-hundred-year-old spirit herb to break through the bottleneck, then Zi Chen's breakthrough to the ninth level would require several times the amount of time needed by others, perhaps even dozens of times more.

Not only had he made a breakthrough in his true energy, but he had also made a breakthrough in his constitution.

The three of them left and found a place. Zhang Haotian began to consume spirit herbs to begin his breakthrough. Miao Kong stood guard while Zi Chen searched for some spirit herbs.

The spirit herb garden only opened once every few decades, and the strength was limited to the true energy realm. In other words, Zi Chen only had one chance. Therefore, he did not care about the sect's rules. As long as it was a spirit herb, he would not let it go. Fifty years old spirit herbs were also collected. Moreover, it was like eating a meal, directly swallowing them without the slightest fear that he would not be able to refine them.

During this time, Zhang Haotian and Miao Kong looked at Zi Chen as if they were looking at a monster. However, they did not ask Zi Chen even once about how he had refined so many spirit herbs.

This was similar to how Zi Chen had never asked Miao Kong why he had such exquisite footwork, or why he did not want to use those contribution points.

Everyone had their own secrets.

Zi Chen had his, Zhang Haotian had his, and Miao Kong also had his.

At night, Zi Chen returned.

Zhang Haotian was still cultivating. This time, if he wanted to break through to the ninth level of true energy, he would need a lot of time. Miao Kong stood guard while Zi Chen sat cross-legged.

After calming down and concentrating, Zi Chen's consciousness once again entered the lightning space.

Lightning surged and the lightning youth appeared, giving people a kind of illusory feeling. With a tap of his foot, his figure had already disappeared into the distance without a trace.

This was the true essence of the Misty Steps.

Zi Chen had already completely comprehended this first-rate footwork. Now, he only lacked the true essence. Today, he would try to comprehend it.

The lightning youth's feet flickered, and the footwork appeared again and again. In the midst of the illusory mist, there was a mysterious feeling that pointed directly to the original intent.

Zi Chen was exploring, following the lightning youth's footwork. While observing, he was also experimenting.

That night, Miao Kong was keeping watch. After he saw Zi Chen's body emitting a faint silver light, he said again, "He entered that mysterious realm again. Is he a monster?"

The silver light on Zi Chen's body completely appeared subconsciously. It was an energy defense that appeared automatically when a cultivator was in a deep state of comprehension.

If an ordinary person wanted to enter once, in addition to talent, it was more of a coincidence and also good luck. Entering this deep state of comprehension, one's realm would generally rise very quickly. It could be said to be a true opportunity.

But Zi Chen, from the time Miao Kong saw him cultivating at night until now, would enter a deep state of comprehension almost every night.

If Zi Chen did not enter one day, Miao Kong would feel strange.

It could be said that every night was an opportunity. It would be strange if Zi Chen's strength did not rise quickly.

"One is mysterious, the other is cold. These two are not ordinary." Miao Kong looked at Zhang Haotian who was cultivating on the other side and sighed.

Time passed, and the night quietly retreated. Light appeared on the horizon, and a ray of sunlight shone on the earth.

After a night of cultivation, Zi Chen finally touched the essence of the Ethereal Steps when the sky was bright. When Zi Chen opened his eyes, there was a hint of joy in his eyes.

"What? You broke through?" Miao Kong asked.

"Yes." Zi Chen nodded. "I finally broke through."

After that, Zi Chen stood up and began to use the Ethereal Steps in front of Miao Kong.

Under the bright sky, his entire person seemed to have turned into a black shadow, illusory and ethereal. It was impossible to grasp his true movements. Every step he took seemed to be unexpected and unfathomable.

"This is the essence of the Ethereal Steps?"

Miao Kong's eyes suddenly lit up with disbelief. "How long has it been? You actually comprehended the essence of the Ethereal Steps. This is unbelievable."

"Is this fast? It's been several months." Stopping, Zi Chen looked at the excited Miao Kong and spread his hands.

"Is it not fast? You should know that for a first-rate combat skill, it would take several years for others to comprehend the full set of the True Meaning. As for the essence of the True Meaning, it is almost impossible to comprehend. You comprehended it in a few months." Miao Kong stared.

To Miao Kong, Zi Chen's speed was naturally fast. However, only Zi Chen knew that his speed was not fast. If he could cultivate the Ethereal Steps in peace, he would be able to comprehend the essence of the True Meaning in two months. After all, he had the lightning youth to practice it for free.

He could imitate it.

After comprehending the essence of the Ethereal Steps, the next step was the Flowing Light Sword. This was an extremely powerful first-rate combat skill. When combined with a first-rate weapon, its power would be even stronger.

As for the Thunderbolt Finger that Zi Chen first cultivated, he had reached a bottleneck. No matter how Zi Chen cultivated, he could not comprehend the Thunderbolt Finger's True Meaning. Zi Chen guessed that there seemed to be something missing. However, as for what it was exactly, Zi Chen could not grasp it.

Zhang Haotian was still cultivating. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth around him was getting denser and denser. It seemed that he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Zi Chen left early and returned late, occasionally bringing back some food or wild fruits.

During the day, he would look for spiritual herbs. During the night, he would cultivate the Flowing Light Sword in the lightning space.

Seven days later, a whirlpool formed around Zhang Haotian. An extremely dense spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered from all directions with him as the center. Finally, it was absorbed and refined by Zhang Haotian.

He was on the verge of a breakthrough. As he absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth from all directions, Zhang Haotian was about to break through.

After another half a day, a powerful aura suddenly emerged from Zhang Haotian's body.

True Energy Stage Nine, he had finally broken through. His eyes opened, shining brightly.

"Haha, True Energy Stage Nine, what a powerful feeling." The cold youth laughed heartily. He was obviously very happy.

True Energy Stage Nine, in the sect, was definitely a strong person.

"How strong?" Zi Chen looked at Zhang Haotian and asked with a smile.

"Very, very strong. If I meet trash like the inner sect's tenth disciple again, I can kill him with one punch." Zhang Haotian said confidently.

"Oh, then what about Xu Yan?" Zi Chen's eyes lit up.

"It's a tie. Maybe I'm stronger." Zhang Haotian said.

"Recently, my Flowing Light Sword is about to break through. Why don't you spar with me and help me break through the bottleneck?" Zi Chen's eyes lit up as he suggested.

"You?"

Zhang Haotian's mouth twitched. "Didn't you comprehend the Flowing Light Strike for your Flowing Light Sword? How can you still break through?"

"I only comprehended the True Meaning, but not the essence of it. But soon, why don't you give it a try?" Zi Chen's eyes lit up.

"This!"

Zhang Haotian hesitated. "You also know that I just broke through. Once I fight, I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

"Haha!"

Just as Zhang Haotian's voice fell, there was a loud laughter. It was Miao Kong who was laughing so hard. He pointed at Zhang Haotian and said, "Zhang Haotian, I always thought you were very cold and had a lot of character. I didn't expect you to be able to tell jokes, and very funny too. Haha."

Zhang Haotian's face instantly fell and became extremely embarrassed.

Before, he had sparred with Zi Chen, but every time it ended in failure. Moreover, he was badly beaten, so there was a shadow in his heart. Even after breaking through, he didn't want to fight with Zi Chen.

"Hmph, what I said is true. But Zi Chen, if you don't care, I don't mind teaching you a lesson." Zhang Haotian said.

"I don't care!" Zi Chen spread out his hands.

"Well, then don't blame me for being impolite.

Sky Tyrant Fist! "

The moment he said he would fight, he didn't hesitate at all. Moreover, he used his full strength.

Boom!

Zi Chen raised his fist in response, creating a loud bang. The two of them took several steps back.

"Haha, as expected, I can deal with you now that I've broken through. Again."

Zhang Haotian began to laugh heartily as he didn't fly backwards. He seemed very satisfied. One had to know that he had been sent flying many times when he had clashed head-on with Zi Chen.

Zi Chen grinned and swung his fists again. His fists glowed with silver light, bringing with them gusts of wind.

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