The mad elder slept in a disheveled manner, curled up under the bamboo tree. His dirty body was covered in fallen leaves.
Hearing Shu Han's shout, Wei Haolong curiously peeked over. However, upon seeing the mad elder, he was taken aback and immediately hid behind the wall.
"Don't go near him! Be careful or he'll give you a good beating!"
Shu Han paid him no mind and approached the mad elder.
Suddenly sensing someone's presence, the mad elder, resembling a startled dragon, sprang up, launching a fist towards Shu Han's face.
Seeing this, Wei Haolong sighed inwardly, thinking he'd have to carry Shu Han back to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
However, Shu Han was prepared. He met the mad elder's punch with his palm. As expected, he was thrown back, landing atop the bamboo. The sturdy bamboo bent under his weight, but he remained unharmed.
Standing on top of the bamboo, Shu Han saw the fighting spirit blazing in the old man's eyes. Excitement welled up in him; he realized the mad elder had come to teach him the secret of the black tattoos through combat!
Assuming a stance on the swaying bamboo, the mad elder leapt and landed atop another bamboo stalk.
Both of them stood on their respective bamboos. Shu Han initiated the attack. The black tattoos on his wrists surfaced as he unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, all in rhythm with the sway of the bamboo, aiming at the mad elder.
The old man, moving in harmony with the bamboo's rhythm, gracefully dodged Shu Han's onslaught and countered. They danced around in the bamboo grove, exchanging blows, like a fierce dance.
From below, Wei Haolong watched, amazed. The two looked like dragons, utilizing the sway of the bamboo for their strikes. Their movements were so fluid and elegant; it hardly seemed like a battle.
He couldn't help but exclaim, "I underestimated this kid! He's actually holding his ground against that madman!"
In the midst of their intense exchanges, Shu Han's inner Black Abyssal Fire was unleashed, casting a black flame around him.
Having studied the "Heavenly Fire Manipulation Art," his perception of the Heavenly Fire had significantly improved. He clearly recognized the old man's strategy: guiding him to integrate the Black Abyssal Fire into his body.
With each rapid exchange, the source of the Black Abyssal Fire within Shu Han began to diminish. However, the black tattoos on his wrist spread. His physical strength and control rapidly increased.
Both of them pushed their speeds to the limit atop the bamboo, creating over a dozen afterimages in their intense clash.
"The Heavenly Fire Manipulation Art" treats the body as a cauldron, encompassing the heavenly fire.
In contrast, the mad elder's body forging technique treats the body as a treasure, refined by the heavenly fire.
Both methods come from the same origin, but their effects are vastly different.
Ultimately, Shu Han couldn't keep up with the accelerating rhythm of the mad elder and was punched out of the bamboo grove.
At this moment, the bit of heavenly fire source that Shu Han had painstakingly cultivated in his body withered again, and he couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.
It seems that practicing the mad elder's secret method drains the heavenly fire source substantially!
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However, looking at his right hand, the black tattoo had covered his entire index finger.
The immense power he felt from his index finger took Shu Han's breath away.
The mad elder descended from the bamboo grove and stood before Shu Han, extending his dirty hand in a familiar gesture, requesting wine.
Shu Han hurriedly took out stored wine from his storage bag, but remembering the old man's disordered elemental constitution and inverted yin-yang state, he couldn't help but worry.
The old man, a stranger, taught him precious arts for seemingly no reason, and all Shu Han had ever given in return was wine. Was this really ethical?
With a thought, he infused Heavenly Creation Fluid into two gourds of wine.
Heavenly Creation Fluid, condensed from Chaotic Immortal Stone, possesses the purest elemental power. It can even heal a damaged Golden Core. Shu Han hoped it would alleviate the old man's deteriorated condition.
The old man gulped down the wine from the gourds. Midway, sensing something unusual, his sparkling eyes looked at the gourds in surprise. Sipping it bit by bit, he eventually wandered off.
Only when the mad elder left did Wei Haolong dare to emerge from the courtyard, exclaiming in admiration, "Impressive! You managed to trade blows with that madman!"
Grasping his right fist, Shu Han had a sudden thought and said, "Senior Brother Wei, hit me with your Earth Dragon Fire."
Wei Haolong looked surprised, "Have you lost your mind? You've already used up most of your spiritual power during our duel. How will you withstand the Earth Dragon Fire?"
"Quit your nagging! Just do it!"
Wei Haolong leapt back, angrily retorting, "Fine! If you end up severely injured, don't blame me!"
With that, Wei Haolong launched a palm strike, and the fire dragon, a manifestation of Earth Dragon Fire, roared toward Shu Han. However, seeing Shu Han not making a move, Wei exclaimed, "Have you gone mad? Use your golden light sword to block it!"
Suddenly, Shu Han's eyes lit up. His index finger's black tattoo spread out, and with a single point, he confronted the incoming Earth Dragon Fire. Astonishingly, he instantly shattered the fire dragon into a rain of embers that scattered in front of his finger, leaving his index finger completely unscathed.
"This..."
Wei Haolong stared, dumbstruck. The heavenly fire could melt everything, and the Earth Dragon Fire was unmatched. How could it be dispelled with a mere finger?
Shu Han joyfully examined his right hand. The Black Abyssal Fire's body-forging technique was so formidable, with the body infused with the heavenly fire source being seemingly invincible.
Wei Haolong leaned in to inspect the black patterns on Shu Han's hand, exclaiming, "My goodness, Brother Yu, your right hand seems even stronger than a magic treasure! Ordinary magic treasures wouldn't dare to resist the heavenly fire directly. Can... can you teach me?"
"I think it's beyond your capabilities."
Wei Haolong's eyes lit up defiantly, "If you don't want to share, just say so. Why suggest I can't learn it? Although I've struggled to break through the Core Formation stage, I'm considered a rare talent within the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. Is there any secret technique I can't master?"
Shu Han replied, "I suspect the senior wanted to pass it on to you; otherwise, he wouldn't have beaten you upon meeting. Unfortunately, you couldn't withstand his attacks, making it impossible for you to learn this technique."
A realization hit Wei Haolong, "Are you suggesting the mad elder attacked people not out of whim but was selecting a disciple for his legacy?"
"That's the gist of it. To learn this technique, one must be able to spar with the senior, like I did."
Having said that, Shu Han proudly flexed his muscular arm, the result of years of martial training.
Wei Haolong looked Shu Han up and down, sighed, and remarked, "I don't want to be all muscles like you; it's unsightly. If I ended up like that, how could I ever cross-dress?"
Shu Han: ...
Bidding farewell to Wei Haolong, Shu Han headed alone toward the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
En route, he continually assessed his right hand. If just his index finger covered in the black tattoo was this powerful, imagine how formidable he would be if every inch of his body were infused with the Black Abyssal Fire!
If his physical strength rivaled that of a magic treasure, he felt his long-neglected martial skills would be useful once again. He might eventually be like the mad elder, able to send Core Formation cultivators flying with a single punch!
The mere thought thrilled Shu Han. However, now the Black Abyssal Fire had withered to its original state, and he'd need to invest a lot of time in nurturing it.
As he flew, he used spiritual stones to restore his spiritual power. Yet, since exiting the Fiery Cloud Soup Spring, he noticed a hiccup in the flow and restoration of his spiritual power, which was rather annoying.
What could be the problem?
Probing his body with his divine consciousness, Shu Han didn't detect any issues with his dantian or meridians.
Upon returning to his cave dwelling, he found Bai Xingyan waiting for him.
Bai Xingyan greeted him respectfully. Shu Han waved him off, "I've told you before, there's no need for formalities."
Bai Xingyan spoke, "Master, you have a visitor. They've been waiting for you in the cave for a while."
A visitor? Could it be that fellow, Song Changyi?