Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Great Increase in Physical Strength, Breaking Through Limits
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Three figures carrying an aura of terror landed outside the poison fog; they were the three high-ranking masters of the Iron Bone Sect guarding the entrance.
"Young Master Yi, did you get a good look at the intruder?" asked a man with protruding cheekbones who stood in the middle.
"I did not. This person’s skill surpasses mine; he left from the east side."
Standing in front of the pale blue poison fog, a flash of light sparked in Yi Nanxiong’s eyes. Like considering for the sake of the Iron Bone Sect, he continued: "I suggest that the three Elders immediately arrange for someone to search the forbidden area. Also, more guards should be stationed near the major water outlets nearby to prevent this person from making a surprise attack and escaping through the waterways."
The man with protruding cheekbones nodded: "That sounds reasonable."
Judging from Yi Nanxiong’s expression, while the intruder was highly skilled in martial arts, he hadn’t reached an inscrutable level, thus it seemed feasible to continue searching for him.
As for the intruder escaping through the waterways, the chances were actually quite slim.
The nearest active water outlet to this location was several miles away, for it would be impossible even for a high-ranking master of the Xuanqi Realm to swim underwater for so long. Of course, it can’t be ruled out that some people have mastered the rare art of breath-holding.
So after considering it, the three Elders immediately decided to intensify the search in the forbidden area while notifying the Sect Master to make a judgement for the subsequent actions.
The news that a significant number of herbs, including the Elephant Strength Fruit, had been stolen from the forbidden area, quickly reached the headquarters of the Iron Bone Sect.
Bang!
A towering man with broken brows flew into a rage upon hearing this, shattering a yellow pearwood table into splinters: "Whoever you may be, if you dare to violate the taboos of my Iron Bone Sect, you will die!"
At the same time, the other high-ranking members of the Iron Bone Sect also roared in anger, vowing to shred the little thief into pieces.
That night, the elite of the Iron Bone Sect were dispatched and divided into three groups to carry out their missions.
The group with the strongest skill entered the forbidden area, the second group guarded the major water outlets, while the third group carried out large-scale blockade operations in a fifty-mile radius, searching back and forth.
Whenever anyone discovered anything, they were to immediately release a smoke signal.
"Elder Ma, there are plenty of high-ranking masters within the forbidden area, and it’s not our turn. You can take me to several major water outlets outside the forbidden area. Maybe I can help a bit," said Yi Nanxiong to Elder Ma amidst the chaos.
His sense of smell was impeccable due to his practice of the Vast Thirteen Copper Transformation Skill. Although, after being picked, the scent of the Elephant Strength Fruit would gradually fade, but as long as the distance wasn’t too far, he could still smell it.
"Thank you for your willingness to help, Young Master Yi."
Elder Ma was somewhat puzzled, but he wisely kept it to himself.
It was undeniable that the Iron Bone Sect acted quickly.
However, Shi Xiaole had already rushed out and left swiftly before they could seal the water outlets.
On the other hand, he quickly realised that the nearby area had been blocked by the Iron Bone Sect where groups of disciples led by an Elder were seen rushing back and forth every now and then.
After observing for a while, Shi Xiaole decided that unless he was certain he could silently take down several groups of people, rashly rushing out would likely complicate matters.
Moreover, the team leaders of each group were basically trained masters in the Qi Absorption Realm, who were even stronger than masters in the peak stage of the sixth layer of the Qi Realm, and were not to be underestimated.
In such a case, it might be better to first enhance his own abilities.
Looking at the Elephant Strength Fruit in his hand, Shi Xiaole, without a second thought, found a temporarily secluded place and swallowed a piece of the fruit.
The Elephant Strength Fruit, containing a foreign Qi, is hard for ordinary people to digest and can only be slowly absorbed in an absolutely safe place.
However, this did not apply to Shi Xiaole.
This was because one of the major characteristics of the Purple Light Divine Skill was the ability to digest foreign Qi.
In another martial world, Yue Buqun would have been able to help Linghu Chong remove the scattered true energy in his body, but he did not do so due to a deteriorating teacher-student relationship.
As the Purple Light Divine Skill operated, the chaotic Qi emitted by the Elephant Strength Fruit was slowly eliminated bit by bit. The remaining essence was then fully integrated into Shi Xiaole’s body at full speed.
There was no pain, no torment, the process of absorbing the Elephant Strength Fruit went surprisingly smoothly. The most surprising part was that the effect of a piece of the Elephant Strength Fruit far exceeded that of six stalks of Dragon Tendon Grass.
Realising someone was approaching, Shi Xiaole moved to another spot. Just like that, he moved to nine different locations, swallowing nine more pieces of the Elephant Strength Fruit, and his physique became stronger as he wished.
At this moment, he felt his heartbeat was incredibly strong, and his blood flowed more smoothly than before. A feeling of indescribable toughness filled his entire body’s muscles and bones.
"The Elephant Strength Fruit has significantly improved my physical strength. Based on the current situation, even if I breakthrough to the Xuanqi Realm in a few years, there wouldn’t be a problem!"
Transitioning from the Qi Absorption Realm to the Xuanqi Realm required a steady process of coordinating one’s body and internal power. Otherwise, the terrifying internal power of the Xuanqi Realm would burst the veins and bones.
Even the top young talents in the Floating River Area had to rack their brains for this step, consuming countless rare exotic fruits and resources during the process.
But for ordinary martial artists without abundant resources, this process might continue for many years, which explained why there were so few high-ranking masters in the Xuanqi Realm in the martial world.
Originally after consuming six stalks of Dragon Tendon Grass, Shi Xiaole’s physical strength limit would only reach the high ranks of the Qi Absorption Realm, and he would have to control his breakthrough speed.
But now, all these shackles were gone.
To put it bluntly, Shi Xiaole’s current physique was no less formidable than a master at the ninth peak layer of the Qi Absorption Realm who had adjusted for many years. As long as he had enough Mystic Crystal Stones, he could proceed directly to the Xuanqi Realm.
"The effectiveness of the Elephant Strength Fruits is decreasing with more consumption. The remaining three pieces won’t be of much help to me, so I might as well save them for now."
With a gentle smile, Shi Xiaole stood up.
Besides improving his physique, the Elephant Strength Fruit was also effective in boosting his internal power.
Now, his cultivation had progressed directly from the early stage of the second layer of the Qi Absorption Realm, bypassing the intermediate, advanced stages, and reached the peak realm, being only one step away from the third Qi Absorption stage.
The silent assassination that was previously unsure could now certainly be put to the test.
With the image of the compassionate Elder Wu in his mind, Shi Xiaole’s figure flashed, disappearing into the dense forest.
...
"That kid, he wouldn’t have really run away, would he?"
After shaking off Elder Ma, Yi Nanxiong had searched the surroundings for a while, his heart gradually sinking.
He even felt some regret. Knowing the outcome, he would have rather honestly told the Iron Bone Sect the truth. Perhaps he could have scored a piece of the Elephant Strength Fruit, which would be far better than having nothing.
"Wait."
Suddenly, a leap in Yi Nanxiong’s heart brought a look of ecstasy to his face.
At that moment, he clearly caught a faint scent of the Elephant Strength Fruit. Luckily, he had just completed the fifth change of the Copper Transformation Skill; otherwise, he wouldn’t have noticed.
Following the scent, Yi Nanxiong carefully pursued it.
As long as he quietly kills that youth in the green robe, the entire Elephant Strength Fruit would be his, and his strength will surely advance greatly again, even surpassing those of the top young talents of his generation.
Yi Nanxiong was patient, consistently maintaining a distance of about a hundred meters from Shi Xiaole, watching him turn aimlessly, dodging whenever he saw a person, his smile growing on his face.
Even though the kid had stolen the Elephant Strength Fruit, he unknowingly facilitated his success. It would be justified to grant him a swift death.
About half an hour later, Shi Xiaole saw another group of people in front of him. When his eyes fell on the old man leading the group, he did not evade.
"Everyone, keep your eyes peeled for me. If something is wrong, immediately shout out with your internal power."
At the front of the team, Elder Wu, who was responsible for trading the Dragon Tendon Grass, operated his inner power while reminding the others, continually looking around.
The greater the desire to enjoy life, the greater the fear of death.
Elder Wu was such a person.
Although the ambush failed this year, thanks to past accumulations, his wealth is incomparable to that of the elders of ordinary sects, enough to enjoy a comfortable second half of his life.
So, there was no need for any dangerous action, and he didn’t want to participate.
Unfortunately, this operation was initiated by the whole sect. The Suzerain issued an order of absolute obedience, and refusing was not an option.
His foot stepped on a piece of dead branch, making a crisp sound.
Just as Elder Wu was about to say something, suddenly, all his hair stood on end, and for some reason, a chill rushed from his tailbone to his crown.
Then, he saw a dark green sword.
The youth wielding the sword, wasn’t he the target of this year’s ambush?
The syllables in his throat have not come out yet, when a wave of pain surged like a tide. The next moment, Elder Wu felt himself soaring through the air. He saw his own body and the horrified eyes of his disciples.
No, I am a seasoned Qi Absorption realm expert. How can I be killed by a mere Qi Absorption Second Layer youth?!
With an unwilling cry in his heart, Elder Wu plunged into eternal darkness.
Concurrently with his killing of Elder Wu, Shi Xiaole casually drew his sword with his left hand, charged with the Tianluo Footwork into the Iron Bone Sect disciples, and drew a straight arc in mid-air with his blade.
The glimmer of the arc had not yet disappeared.
Plop...plop...plop...
The motions of more than a dozen disciples froze, and they fell all at once to the ground. Another disciple who had taken out a flare also no longer had the chance to let it off.
Finding nothing of value on these disciples, Shi Xiaole took a glance behind him, and again sprinted forward. After that, he successfully ambushed two more groups, finally breaking through the Iron Bone Sect’s blockade.
A few miles outside the blockade, Shi Xiaole, stopping and turning, said, "Come out now."
Clap clap.
Yi Nanxiong lightly clapped his hands as he emerged from the darkness, smiling: "Your strength’s quite good. However, without my misguiding the Iron Bone Sect, you wouldn’t have gotten this far. Hand over the Elephant Strength Fruit, I’ll make your death easier."
"It seems like you’re pretty certain of yourself?"
Shi Xiaole spoke slowly.
From their brief encounter in the forbidden area, the other party is indeed very strong, at least outlandishly strong for their age. If he hadn’t absorbed the Elephant Strength Fruit, he might not be able to defeat him.
Yi Nanxiong revealed a sneer and said, "You probably don’t yet know who I am. I am Yi Nanxiong, haughty as the sky and as solid as copper!"
Upon hearing this, Shi Xiaole understood.
No wonder. With his strength, he could indeed only be one of the top talents.
What infuriated Yi Nanxiong was that hearing his identity, the youth in the green robe on the other side did not appear fearful. Instead, he showed a faint sense of excitement.
Pulling out the three remaining pieces of the Elephant Strength Fruit, Shi Xiaole said, "If you want it, come and get it yourself."
"Have you used up the other pieces of the Elephant Strength Fruit?!"
If before he was angry, now Yi Nanxiong was filled with the intent to kill.
He hadn’t overlooked the change in Shi Xiaole’s aura. But he hadn’t expected that he would act so quickly in using the majority of the Elephant Strength Fruit.
Boom!
In the midst of his boiling killing intent, Yi Nanxiong’s face turned cold. He threw a punch that bristled with terrifying aura, directed straight at Shi Xiaole’s face.
