Lu Qingshan had already activated Tiger Stalks Prey, blending in with the other two Bone Tempering experts. He wore a mask of fear, quivering, eyes wandering to and fro.

  Two Marrow Tempering experts were still within his expectations. He waited until they drew close enough for him to see the smiles on their faces before he let slip one of his own as well.

  Instead of engaging in dialogue, Lu Qingshan roared into motion, his Inner Force surging like a river. Red light danced on his fingertips as he clawed at the Jade Skies Sect’s expert.

  The air howled. His first blow smashed the man backwards, two steps into his own men. Then Lu Qingshan shot into the rest of them.

  He slaughtered three men before Hu Qing was able to react. Lu Qingshan easily sidestepped the old man's throwing knife and parried a saber blow from the other injured expert.

  He matched the man blow for blow, letting his Inner Force erupt in waves. Now that the other expert had reacquired his footing, he was able to put up a fight against him. But the battle was still tilting towards Lu Qingshan.

  He did not have the luxury to slowly win, though. In the corner of his eye, he spotted Yan Xi taking a hit from Hu Qing, while an enemy sect disciple crept up behind them. Lu Qingshan feinted a fist strike at his opponent’s guard and backed off instead.

  But the man stuck to him like glue, refusing to let him go. Lu Qingshan stayed steady. There was an opportunity here, he could feel it….

  His leg lashed out with great speed. A rock hit the man's foot — causing them to misstep ever so slightly — and he struck with all his might. Layered Rain Inner Force and River Surge Inner Force combined to pour an immense amount of blood energy into his blow. Crimson Claw Technique harnessed the attack to its fullest potential, shattering their guard entirely.

  The Marrow Tempering expert bit back a scream as their arm was torn open, their leg shoved into the ground, and their saber nearly broken from Lu Qingshan’s iron fist. He was no longer able to hold anyone back.

  The other disciples tried their best to protect their elder. Yet they were no match for Lu Qingshan going all out. Limbs flew, and heads were straight up smashed in with some of his attacks.

  He closed in on the heavily injured Jade Skies Sect elder and tore apart his other limbs. A Crimson Claw penetrated straight through the man's throat — they had tried to bite him in one last attempt at victory.

  After confirming the man's death, Lu Qingshan immediately ran to help Yan Xi and Dong Qianyu, who'd taken heavy damage. A few Seven Mysteries Gate members were also bleeding out on the floor, their bodies having blocked some of Hu Qing's throwing knives. The man himself was readying another barrage of attacks — but there was clear worry on his aged face.

  Lu Qingshan's blood sung with his breath, his steps rapidly bridging the distance between his fist and Hu Qing's face. The burst of speed was so fast the man barely had time to put up the saber at his waist before Lu Qingshan crashed into him. They reeled backwards a few paces and slammed into a tree.

  Lu Qingshan grabbed the weapon and threw it away. He smashed his head into Hu Qing's and brought down his knee repeatedly onto their back. A sickening crack rang out.

  With both their experts disabled, the Jade Skies Sect disciples started to flee. Lu Qingshan ignored his wounds and brought them down one after another. His decree to leave them alive was still feasible.

  After the battle had ended, he performed a final sweep around the area while the Seven Mysteries Gate remnants licked their wounds. Seeing that Yan Xi and Dong Qianyu were still breathing heavily, he decided to give them a break. The long marches and harsh battles had exhausted the Seven Mysteries Gate disciples. They wouldn't be able to drag everyone back.

  "Take your time," he said. Lu Qingshan identified the most powerful Jade Skies Sect members and executed the rest. "Just make sure these prisoners remain alive."

  He wasn't sure if the two Marrow Tempering experts could survive their injuries. But it was rumored that the tempered marrow in one's body granted a martial artist a much better recovery period. It wasn't too exaggerated, but there were many cases of Marrow Tempering martial artists coming back again and again after a defeat.

  Lu Qingshan entered the cabin and saw there was nothing to loot. It looked like this was just a meeting place, with just enough food to last the night for a group of five. He sat down in a lotus position and went over his gains on the stone slab.

  Lu Qingshan (21 years old)

  Lifespan Remaining: 45 years

  Cultivation: Mortal Shedding - Bone Tempering

  Techniques: Tiger Fist (Limit), Red Falcon Breathing Method (Level 3, 227/10000), Deer Steps (Level 3, 5232/10000), Layered Rain Inner Force (Level 3, 2301/10000), Stoneskin Technique (Level 3, 508/10000), River Surge Inner Force (Level 3, 307/10000), Crimson Claw Technique (Level 3, 126/10000), Basic Hand-to-hand (Limit)

  Mystic Jade Essence - Dao Fruit of Sublime Miracles - Condensing... 97%

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Each of his techniques had received large amounts of proficiency in that last battle. Even though he knew he could achieve a much faster rate of growth through constant life and death battles, that was a quick way to court death. Simple and honest grinding was still his best bet at survival, he reassured himself. The fire in his blood simmered down.

  Lu Qingshan prepared to start another round of martial arts practice. With the Red Falcon Breathing Method passively running, he chose Deer Steps as its complement. This martial technique did not demand heavy requirements from his body. It was the best choice for him to train while keeping his secrets and not worsening his injuries.

  He began stepping lightly around the room. Sometimes, he pranced, and at other times, he charged. Each movement was flexible and had many variations. A set of such variations gave him an inkling of experience pouring into his mind.

  Repetition brought results. Lu Qingshan practiced this way for hours while the rest of Seven Mysteries Gate recuperated. He ended his session with a long, deep breath, checking his stone slab again.

  Deer Steps (Level 3, 5285/10000)

  Though earning less than his life and death battle, the meat on a mosquito was still meat. Lu Qingshan was happy. The growth rate was faster than the last time he underwent a practice session like this. Each battle brought new insights that further amplified his progress afterwards, so he decided to not shy away from such dangers as much in the future. True combat was definitely a good way to cement his comprehension.

  He exited the cabin and saw that the Hu Qing and the Jade Skies expert were still alive, albeit furiously glaring at him. Some of the Flesh Tempering martial artists unfortunately failed to survive their wounds, including six from the Seven Mysteries Gate. The others had already dug graves for them. It brought the sect's numbers down to twenty-four.

  A single Bone Tempering expert had died on the Jade Skies Sect's side. Yan Xi and Dong Qianyu walked with a limp, but they were still vigorous enough to carry the Marrow Tempering experts back. To minimize risk, Lu Qingshan had them both carry Hu Qing while he handled the Jade Skies Sect expert himself.

  Arriving back at the Scripture Pavilion took a while, as they were still exhausted. But their forced march brought results. By chance, they came across another group of seven fleeing disciples and their leading Elder, a woman named Miao Mei.

  She quickly recognized the three of them. After bringing her disciples over, she told them about her pursuers: another group of Jade Skies Sect disciples who had found her hiding place in the morning. Peak Bone Tempering was their highest level of combat power.

  Lu Qingshan waited until they were close enough to strike. In a single move, he took down their expert almost instantly and scattered away the rest. Miao Mei’s group then blocked their retreat, adding a few more prisoners to the Seven Mysteries Gate’s stockpile.

  They were able to bring all their prisoners to the Scripture Pavilion with more to spare. Lu Qingshan began throwing some of the weaker ones in. After closely sensing the Blood Melting phenomenon, he confirmed it.

  Each living sacrifice gave the next one more time to survive. Though only a fraction of a heartbeat, it was enough for Lu Qingshan.

  The Jade Skies Sect Marrow Tempering expert struggled with all his might to end his own life. He failed. Instead, his fall into the pavilion drew a gasp of pain as he tried to resist the phenomenon with all his might. Behind them, Hu Qing thrashed, begging to break free.

  Lu Qingshan threw some pieces of fallen rubble at the man. He then took over suppressing Hu Qing, dragging the traitor towards the pavilion door as well. Seeing the Jade Skies Sect elder still alive, he decided to chuck all their prisoners in at the same time.

  The phenomenon seemed to roar in anger. Visible spots of blood appeared on the Marrow Tempering experts’ skin while the weaker prisoners collapsed. Yet none of them immediately melted like the others.

  Some tried to crawl out, but Lu Qingshan blocked the way. He watched coldly as the Jade Skies Sect disciples faded away one by one. Weakened by the phenomenon, even the Marrow Tempering experts could do no more but flip-flop their bodies around.

  The sound of clinking glass suddenly rang out. On the floor, with their lower torso half-melted, was the Jade Skies Sect elite. Meanwhile, Hu Qing stayed alive and seemingly intact. His eyes were wandering around furiously before they snapped shut.

  Lu Qingshan watched them for a while longer before he confirmed the phenomenon had stopped. His eyes narrowed. Would that gliding man return now that his methods had been broken?

  He couldn’t say for sure.

  "I won't lie," he said. "I saw someone emerge from the pavilion safely. They weren't walking, but gliding. I think they might come back, so we should be quick."

  After hearing this, almost all of them agreed. They rushed inside.

  Most of the bottom floor had already been ransacked. Only a few loose martial arts manuals remained. Lu Qingshan headed straight for the Elder-level techniques upstairs. But he was destined to be disappointed.

  He assumed the Jade Skies Sect had taken all the manuals they could fit. Without any good gains, he sighed and turned back around. At least there were a few scraps he could pick up. It also basically confirmed the Jade Skies Sect was working with that dangerous man in some capacity. They wouldn't have had the chance to secure those techniques otherwise.

  The Seven Mysteries Gate disciples had organized the remaining manuals into four separate piles. Lu Qingshan gave them a good look. Crane Wings Technique, Iron Bear Technique, Viper Strike Technique, Tiger Roar Technique - all very low-level auxiliary techniques. Still, Lu Qingshan was happy with anything.

  He was flipping through the manuals when Yan Xi glanced his way, turning to walk upstairs again. Lu Qingshan decided to follow.

  They stopped on the top floor. In the middle was a long decorated table. He had initially thought it a good location for someone to sit and study, reminiscent of his college campus. But as Yan Xi walked around the corner and stooped low, he realized there was more to it.

  A small slot was embedded underneath the table. Yan Xi took the jade they had picked up from the earth near the Sect Master’s peak and inserted it into the slot. Then something seemed to groan — a bookcase.

  Back downstairs, a secret entrance had appeared between the shifted bookcases, guarded by Miao Mei and Dong Qianyu who had noticed the commotion. It was a small room fit for someone to crawl into. Yan Xi led the way, beckoning him in as well.

  Within that room was a chest, and the chest contained another slot that snugly fit the jade. After opening it, Yan Xi lifted up the contents and presented it to Lu Qingshan.

  He read its title: Great Ape Breathing Method.

  “The core technique of our sect,” Yan Xi muttered. “With everyone else gone, it’s yours to do with as you see fit.”