Chapter 280: Chapter 280: Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Skill
Xu Yunfan asked with hopeful eyes, "Master, I’m not sure which direction I should cultivate in first, or what I should start with. The Golden Locking Jade Twelve Formulas?"
Bi Yuan said slowly, "That’s not what you should cultivate first. I have a technique here called the Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Skill. It can conceal your aura, hide the fluctuations of your Blood Qi, obscure your Martial Dao characteristics, and what’s more, it can invigorate your vitality and grant you a long life. Cultivate this first. Use it to hide your presence and contain your qi, shrouding all of your cultivation."
Xu Yunfan was overjoyed to hear this. ’The Taoist Sect really is a great place,’ he thought. He had been looking for a Cultivation Technique to conceal his aura, worrying about how he would hide his glaringly obvious martial characteristics after leaving the Secret Realm.
Watching Xu Yunfan carefully leaf through the cultivation technique he had handed over, Bi Yuan rubbed his temples and waved a sleeve.
"Go on. Come find me again after you’ve mastered this skill... And don’t neglect your Yijing Marrow Cleansing Skill. That technique truly is number one in the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm."
Xu Yunfan agreed at once.
After returning to the courtyard prepared for him on the mountainside, Xu Yunfan was in no mood to explore the large estate. He simply calmed his mind and began to carefully study the Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Skill.
Xu Yunfan sat cross-legged on the courtyard’s bluestone platform, his fingertips tracing the raised patterns of ink on the ancient text.
"Lin."
With a soft cry, Xu Yunfan swiftly entered the Linn Character State. The swirling thoughts in his mind were instantly calmed. His Self God emerged from a dense mist, taking its seat in his Sea of Consciousness to sweep away all distracting notions and sharpen his mind to an unprecedented degree.
The Linn Character Technique was best for guarding one’s heart, steadying one’s intent, and achieving a clear, lucid mind.
It was perfectly suited for the Cultivation of Martial Arts and the comprehension of cultivation techniques.
Strictly speaking, this was the Linn Character Technique’s greatest use, not combat.
As his Heart and Spirit delved deeper into his studies, a message suddenly popped into his vision.
’You are continuously studying the Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Skill and seem to have gained some insight.’
’...’
As time passed and night deepened, the final comprehension message popped up. The words "Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Skill (Uninitiated)" now appeared on his Attribute Panel’s Skill Bar.
Feeling the memories of the cultivation technique flowing spontaneously into his mind, a flash of understanding crossed Xu Yunfan’s eyes. He then quickly exited the Linn Character State.
The Cyan Dragon for concealment, the White Tiger for aggression—this was the True Intent of the Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Skill.
The pores all over his body suddenly sealed shut. His Blood Qi, which had been steaming like boiling mercury and radiating immense Vitality, immediately slowed its flow. It was as if it had formed a viscous Jade Liquid, moving sluggishly through his blood vessels and flesh.
The chiming of gold and jade between his vertebrae was replaced by a kind of ancient rhythm, as if the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger were echoing deep within his bone marrow.
The Dragon Scale Armor he wore sensed its master’s changes. Its individual scales automatically contracted until it fit him like a second skin.
"So that’s how it is!"
A look of delight appeared in Xu Yunfan’s eyes.
This cultivation technique actually used the imagery of a clashing dragon and tiger to forcibly compress a Martial Artist’s blood and qi into ’Dragon Pearl and Tiger Essence’.
He tried circulating the technique’s essentials. The aura of his Perfection Realm Thousand-Pound Mountain-Shaking Hammer Technique was instantly broken down into 360 streams of Qi Force, each as fine as a floating thread, which rushed along established channels into the "Dragon Sting Abyss" deep within his flesh.
According to the Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Skill, this location was the gathering point for a person’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit. When restrained, it could conceal dragons and hide tigers.
Suddenly, a stabbing pain lanced through his chest.
The Sword Qi from his Triple Jiao Sword Nurturing Technique was clashing with the Zhe Xi Skill, forming a vortex at his Danzhong.
Far from being alarmed, Xu Yunfan was delighted. He forcefully circulated the Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Skill. The agitated Sword Force was actually forged into countless transparent Sword Scales that layered themselves over his Triple Jiao Meridians, waiting to be instantly unleashed in an astonishing burst of power upon activation.
"Hm?"
In the main hall at the peak of Qingwei Mountain, Bi Yuan, who had been sitting cross-legged in cultivation, suddenly opened his eyes. Ripples spread across the surface of the tea in the cup on the table before him.
He could no longer sense even a trace of Xu Yunfan’s aura.
Meanwhile, Xu Yunfan was carefully sensing the changes in his Blood Qi Strength. His blood was the dragon, his strength the tiger. The two contended with each other, yet they were also a crouching tiger and hidden dragon; they could even coexist in harmony. It was utterly profound.
A sudden inspiration struck Xu Yunfan. As he circulated the "Mercury Blood and Marrow Exchange" method from the Yijing Marrow Cleansing Skill, he simultaneously activated the Zhe Xi Skill. Instantly, his entire skeleton rumbled with the sound of muffled thunder.
This time, even the characteristic sound of gold and jade from the Yijing Marrow Cleansing Skill’s "Jade Bone Chime" was perfectly concealed, leaving only the steady breathing of a mortal.
’Your Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Skill has reached the initiate level.’
By the time the first rays of dawn pierced the sea of clouds, Xu Yunfan could already complete the "Dragon Concealed and Tiger Lurking" transformation within ten breaths, completely concealing his presence without revealing the slightest hint of power.
He tried practicing the Thousand-Pound Mountain-Shaking Hammer Technique. The moves were still powerful enough to shatter mountains and crack stone, but there was no longer any visible sign of the Flood Dragon Blood Qi. Instead, he looked like an ordinary blacksmith forging iron.
Even the highly perceptive Lin Qingxuan, who happened to pass by the courtyard, failed to detect the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm Grandmaster hidden within.
"Interesting..."
Xu Yunfan glanced down at his own knotted muscles. He had a feeling that if this Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Skill advanced further, to the true state of a crouching tiger and hidden dragon, even his bulging muscles would flatten and recede, making him look completely ordinary.
This martial art for concealing one’s presence and containing one’s qi was in no way inferior to the Golden Lock and Jade Seal Twelve Techniques!
A dragon and tiger hidden within the body; an earth-shattering force when unleashed.
After his usual routine of absorbing a mouthful of the Ginseng Child’s Qi and cultivating the Pure Yang Qi Skill, Xu Yunfan was preparing to head to the main hall on Qingwei Mountain’s peak to find Bi Yuan and then visit Zhan Yan. But before he could take a step, there was a knock at the courtyard gate.
The young Daoist Child, Cyan Pine, was already calling from outside the gate, "Senior Brother Xu, today’s allotment of medicine has arrived."
Xu Yunfan opened the gate to see the young Daoist Child, Cyan Pine, holding a Zitan medicine box with both hands. The surface was carved with a Yin-Yang fish pattern and even had a qi-concealing effect.
Behind him stood two Warriors carrying a Cyan Jade medicine barrel that was half as tall as a man. The medicinal liquid inside was steaming, giving off a strong, pungent herbal aroma.
Xu Yunfan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
"Senior Brother Xu, the Sect Leader specifically ordered this to be sent. It will be like this every day from now on."
Cyan Pine respectfully presented the medicine box. "The twelve items in the box are today’s allotment..."
He tapped the lid lightly with his fingertip, and a fragrant medicinal aroma immediately wafted out, causing the Blood Qi in Xu Yunfan’s body to quicken and his Red Flood Dragon Force to throb.
Cyan Pine began to explain, "Inside, there is Nine-Turn Jade Liquid Soup for bathing, made from Kunlun Snow Lotus Core and Earth Vein Spirit Milk, which has only been available since the resurgence of the Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit. There is also the Red Essence Blood Activating Pill for strengthening one’s blood and qi, refined from the bone powder of an Exotic Beast tiger and hundred-year-old blood ginseng. And this bottle of Golden Marrow Channel-Clearing Powder is the best for improving the efficiency of Marrow Washing; it’s infused with the essence of refined gold qi, which has been tempered with Outer Heaven Meteorite Iron..."
Cyan Pine pointed out each item as if listing his family’s treasures. With every item he named, Xu Yunfan’s eyes grew wider, until they were as big and round as two lanterns.
Xu Yunfan noticed three longan-sized, cyan-gold pills resting in a brocade box at the very bottom. Their surfaces were covered in fine thunder patterns.
"These are..."
Just as he was about to ask, Cyan Pine lowered his voice.
"Thunder Tribulation Bone Forging Pills. They were refined by Martial Uncle Yun Zhongzi from Pill Peak, using the lingering echoes of Tribulation Qi collected from the bottom of the Sword Burial Abyss.
"Last month, a single one was auctioned off in Dao City and fetched an astronomical price."
