1040 Mystic Technique

"After I passed the first stage, the Questioning Heart Path, I received three rewards—the Chaotic Cloak Saber Technique, the Black Profound Saber, and the Earth Escape Magic Talisman!

"Perhaps from the perspective of the spirit of this cave abode, if I can cultivate the Chaotic Cloak Saber Technique to large success, coupled with the Black Profound Saber, I might be able to pass this stage. If I really can't pass it, I can at least use the Earth Escape Magic Talisman to save my life? Does this mean that the second stage passageway won't exceed five kilometers?

"Of course, this is just my guess. Moreover, it's not certain I'll be able to use the talisman in the passage. Otherwise, I could easily pass the second stage. Nothing comes cheap. That's probably the power of the magic talisman, only allowing me to retreat but not advance?"

After pondering for a bit, Fang Yuan was mostly clear about the second stage.

"But… I am no longer the same as I was before!"

He chuckled and stepped into the second passage.

This passage became broader as he continued, and there were emerald rocks on both sides. When he reached the end, it was several meters wide, extremely spacious and empty.

Bang Bang!

Heavy footsteps came. Three green terracotta warriors suddenly appeared.

"Combat puppets?"

Fang Yuan swung his saber.

Poof!

External Saber Qi mixed with Saber Intent sliced through the air and instantly broke the heads of these three combat puppets.

"Awesome!" He gripped the handle of the saber. "On the outside, I have to worry about exposing my strength and keeping a trump card or two. But here, the better I perform, the more likely it is I obtain favor! Moreover, there's no possibility of leaking anything!

"These three puppets only have strength at the late Predatory realm. Their bodies are just a little more sturdy. They actually want to stop me with this?"

Fang Yuan turned a corner and was instantly surrounded by five puppets that were all giving off fluctuations at the Materialization realm. Two of them were even archers.

"The difficulty has increased!" He grinned, even more certain of his deduction now. "Too bad… they're still trash. Be gone!"

Swoosh!

Saber light flashed, sweeping across. The five puppets immediately lost their heads.

Fast! Fast! Fast!

Everything was unexpectedly so fast!

Fang Yuan's Saber Qi divided the puppets into pieces before they could even do anything!

"It'd be a hassle if they arranged a formation. Nine out of ten ordinary Materialization realm barbarians would likely fail. A little interesting."

Fang Yuan walked past the puppets and arrived at a plaza.

"You're really good to be able to break into here. Unfortunately, I am the one guarding this place!"

A mist spread, and seven green puppets appeared along with dozens of beast-shaped puppets.

In front of this army was a puppet in golden armor with red light emitting from its eyes.

"It even has a soul?"

Fang Yuan held the saber with his head held high, slightly raising his spirits.

"Arrange the formation!" the golden-armored general shouted. Many wolf beasts immediately surrounded it, and the seven puppets bent their bows and readied their arrows.

It drew a saber, and a threatening cold air escaped. It was a magic artifact!

"Cut off the head of the snake. Kill!"

Fang Yuan's figure flickered as he sprinted to the front with his Saber Qi lashing out.

"Hidden Saber Form!"

The golden-armored general swung its saber and unleashed its Saber Qi. It was motionless as he offset all attacks.

Swoosh!

Two cold arrows broke through the air from the surroundings.

"If the likes of Dongmu Cai were to come, they would all perish under this difficulty!"

Fang Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Wind!"

His body seemed to merge into the wind, and his speed increased sharply as he appeared within the beast group. "External Saber Qi, die!"

Pupu!

Seven saber lights flashed, and these puppets immediately tore apart.

"You even comprehended the power of another set of nomological laws?" the golden-armored puppet said in astonishment. "I hope you can pass. Kill! Killing Form!"

It raised its saber with both hands, rushed forward, and chopped ferociously.

Many of the wolf beasts were desperately trying to restrain Fang Yuan and forced him into a corner.

"Not bad… You're qualified to see my move… Wound of Wind!"

With the Black Profound Saber in hand, Fang Yuan suddenly made a subtle arc in the air.

Poof!

External Saber Qi collided with the fierce Killing Form's Saber Qi, cutting through it and landing on the golden-armored puppet.

"This is… the fusion of nomological laws?" The upper half of the golden-armored puppet fell to the floor with light still flashing in its eyes. "Demon…"

"Did I pass the second stage? The difficulty increased so much that even someone at the Primordial Core realm might not get through!"

Fang Yuan put away the Black Profound Saber and walked past the golden-armored puppet.

"You… passed. I hope you can pass the third stage…" Its voice was breaking apart before it finally disappeared.

Fang Yuan walked through the plaza and came to a stone platform.

"The third stage?"

There was a stone monument before the passageway.

"There were 108 stone talismans scattered, and only 3, including you, managed to get to the third stage!"

This stone monument seemed to be alive, and more text appeared. "One of them died in the third stage, and one of them is still trying to pass the third stage. Between you and him, only one can become the disciple!"

…

"It's the spirit of the cave abode! Did it assess my strength and deliberately increase the level of difficulty for the second stage?"

Fang Yuan nodded with a solemn expression. "And…. as I expected, there's more than one stone talisman. There should only be one land of inheritance, but there are many entrances."

The other places were probably like the cave, where there were hidden arrays.

Once a stone talisman met the necessary conditions, it would activate teleportation to this place.

However, Fang Yuan had not seen the trace of a second person along the way.

Therefore, even though there is only one core land of inheritance, there should be entrances from many other places.

And there was now another candidate undergoing the third stage trial.

"Is there someone even more talented than me within this Hundred Thousand Mountains?"

Fang Yuan concentrated on the rewards.

"The Water Moon Secret Manual, a cultivation technique of both water element and illusions, and it can be cultivated all the way to the Apotheosis realm. Great, just what I needed!

"Rhino Inner Armor, top-quality magic artifact, amazing defense!"

There were only two rewards, but they were undoubtedly much better than the first stage's rewards and well worth the difficulty.

At the same time, it proved that the rewards from this land of inheritance were completely tailored to the inheritor.

"I won't happen to run into the Abominable Lord in the third stage, right? Even if I were to, we could have a proper ending. We started at the same starting line… Could he actually surpass me?"

This world was vast, and the Hundred Thousand Mountains was merely a drop in the ocean.

The probability of running into him was negligible.

Therefore, he boldly used Fang Yuan as his name.

In the future, when he left the Hundred Thousand Mountains and became famous in the outside world, Fang Yuan would use a cover.

Otherwise, if his fame were too great, he would lose the initiative if word of him passed to the ears of the Abominable Lord.

"There's a ninety percent chance that the one here isn't him!"

Fang Yuan entered the third stage.

A bloody warning came. "You will not be able to retreat once the third stage starts. You either pass it or die in it!"

"Cultivation is a struggle against heaven for life anyway. Why would I be afraid of this?"

Fang Yuan's heart remained unmoved. He stepped right into it.

Buzz!

The world around him spun, and he was teleported to a maze.

A loud voice directly rang in Fang Yuan's mind. "This is the greatest mystic technique I possess, the Nine Star Pearl! In this maze, there are water resources and mutated beasts everywhere that you can use for cultivation. At the core of the maze, there is a final puppet waiting there for you. It will adjust its strength according to the challenger. The one who can break through the puppet using the Nine Star Pearl technique will attain all of my inheritance!"

Following that was a mystic technique manual.

This mystic technique was like a pitch-black human nebula. The first star lit up, then the second, and the third…

"No wonder death or passing are the only options at the third stage. This is where people touch the contents of the inheritance…"

Fang Yuan frowned. "This Nine Star Pearl, there are only three stars here. It looks like I have to pass the third stage and become the true disciple before I can obtain them."

Beasts roared faintly in the maze.

He did not head out immediately. Instead, he sat cross-legged and began to fully comprehend this mystic technique.

"Amazing…" His heart shook immediately. "An Immortal can create a technique of this level?"

A mystic technique was different from fundamental cultivation techniques and magical powers. They were techniques of all types, and this Nine Star Pearl Mystic Technique increased the power of Blood Qi!

Besides comprehending nomological laws, this was the most important aspect in cultivation for barbarians.

"The power of Blood Qi, simply put, is physical strength, depth of cultivation power, and so on. It is the most important part of a cultivator's 'body' while comprehending nomological laws enhances it. Combining both is the ultimate combat power of a cultivator!"

Of course, it was better to have both as high as possible.

"The Nine Star Pearl Mystic Technique is a peerless technique that stimulates the potential of the human body. Activating the first star increases the power of Blood Qi by twofold. The second star, fourfold! The third star, eightfold!"

Fang Yuan mumbled, "This means the creatures born in this world have innately strong bodies? In the previous worlds, after reaching the first star, an ordinary cultivator's blood vessels would explode, and they would die!

"My body can barely cultivate the first three stars. But for the fourth star and above, I must use various body refining techniques to improve the strength of my body…"

"Good technique. I'll immediately start comprehending it! The first star regards the human body as a nebula and searches for the hidden stars, which are acupoints, to supplement them with patterns and stimulate the power of Blood Qi."

"These patterns are somewhat similar to magical powers. However, magical powers are inscribed on a materialization, while these patterns are inscribed on the cultivator's body itself…"

Once one technique was successful, all techniques were successful.

With Fang Yuan's knowledge and the mystic technique's guidance, he managed to understand everything in no time. "Let's start!"

He sat cross-legged and circulated the power of Blood Qi in his body. Under his skin, a trace of golden veins formed.

The golden veins condensed. It did not take long for them to form a huge network that covered his entire body.

"Spread a net and search for the hidden!"

He found faint starlight hidden in his body with this net.

"Sensing the first star, successful!"