In the room, starlight energy flickered, yet none leaked out.
Outside, even if someone were present—even a supernatural—they wouldn't be able to see or sense it.
The mysterious energy radiating from the Starry Sky Sword had a small radius of effect; beyond a certain distance, it quickly dissipated and vanished into thin air.
Moreover, Black Panther was right there.
The escaping mysterious energy was entirely absorbed by the dog, leaving none to seep outside.
Li Hao had overdone it a bit!
At this moment, he felt bursting with power, restless and agitated. He continuously practiced the Ape Art—three minutes per cycle—and had no idea how many cycles he had gone through this time.
He felt that if he didn't vent it all out, he would explode.
He had absorbed a bit too much!
Even so, Li Hao did not stop the Five Animals Breathing Art. Of course, it was not the complete version; he merely maintained the breathing technique itself.
The Five Animals Breathing Art could actually be divided into two components.
One was the complete version, which combined posture with breathing. The other was the breathing technique alone without postures, which could still absorb some mysterious energy, though not as effectively as when paired with the postures.
"Hah!"
A low, muffled shout escaped his lips.
Li Hao, who had been leaping nonstop, suddenly halted his jumps. With hands curved like ape hooves, he clawed through the air toward the wall.
The Ape Art was not merely a technique for lightness and agility.
It was just that in the past, Li Hao rarely used its lethal techniques, having no need for them.
Now, overflowing with energy he could barely contain and facing an impending crisis, he cast aside all reservations. Curving his hands, he slashed out like an ape swinging its claws.
*Bang!*
"Hiss!"
Li Hao drew a sharp breath. It hurt!
His hands were made of mortal flesh and blood after all. Though that claw gouged several small holes into the wall, his fingertips throbbed fiercely, and his nails were partially torn back.
Yet Li Hao had no time to nurse the pain!
He immediately looked at the wall, his eyes flickering.
Gouging small holes into a smooth wall with bare hands was something he could never have accomplished before.
Fingertips had too little contact area, meaning the force he could exert was limited.
Furthermore, the surface was smooth, offering little grip.
This wasn't an earthen wall, but a painted cement wall.
"Liu Long punched right through the kitchen wall before, but a fist carries far more force, and the Zhang family's kitchen was only red brick... Of course, he's still incredibly strong, but right now, I seem much stronger than before as well!"
Li Hao was secretly astonished. After just one session practicing the Five Animals Breathing Art today, he felt noticeably more powerful.
Of course, this was partly because he had been so weak to begin with.
The weaker one was, the more obvious the improvement.
Once someone reached the level of Liu Long and the others, this amount of mysterious energy might be significant, but to them, it would be a drop in the ocean, unable to cause any drastic change.
"Teacher's technique really is incredible!"
Li Hao examined his fingers. A moment ago they had been flushed red with dark purplish bruising under the nails.
Now, as the mysterious energy continued to flow through him, those minor injuries swiftly faded away.
Li Hao could also feel his muscles compacting.
His blood seemed to circulate faster!
His bones were slowly changing too.
Strictly speaking, the sensation was... compression!
Yes, the mysterious energy seemed to have compressed Li Hao slightly.
Originally, Li Hao had been around 178 centimeters tall—not towering, but not short either.
Now, although he hadn't measured himself, he felt as if he had become slightly shorter. Perhaps by only a centimeter or even less, but he distinctly felt it.
He had been compressed!
His muscles were denser, and the gaps in his bones had tightened.
"If this goes on... won't I end up a lot shorter?"
Li Hao felt a bit strange about it. Liu Long was quite tall.
He had never heard of anyone practicing martial arts only to shrink.
Of course, others trained from childhood, unlike Li Hao, who had only started three years ago at the Ancient Academy and hadn't practiced very diligently during those first two years.
With these thoughts in mind, Li Hao didn't dawdle.
The next moment, an idea struck him. He spread his right hand wide—no longer keeping his five fingers tightly together like an ape's hoof—and thrust his claws forward at the wall!
*Thud!*
A crisp impact sounded, accompanied by the grating screech of nails against surface. His five fingers dug straight into the wall. The indentations weren't deep, leaving only a palm print on the plaster without reaching the concrete structure within.
Yet this time, the entire wall seemed to tremble slightly—or perhaps it was just Li Hao's imagination.
Even so, Li Hao felt its destructive power was far greater than before.
"Tiger Claws!"
This was an offensive move from the Tiger Combat Art in the *New Book of Five Animals*.
Li Hao wasn't very proficient with the other four animal arts, but that didn't mean he didn't know them. Yuan Shuo had taught them all, though Li Hao focused mainly on the Ape Art.
He felt the Tiger Combat Art was better suited for attacking.
Sure enough, executing the Tiger Claws involved a different method of channeling force—not merely a change in posture, but an adjustment in breathing. The different exertion immediately made Li Hao realize that strikes delivered via Tiger Claws packed far more power!
The Ape Art's "Ape Hoof Explores the Path" was light and swift, but the striking force lagged far behind the Tiger Claws.
"The Tiger Combat Art truly is the best suited for offense among the Five Animals Arts!"
Sensing the subtle changes in his body, Li Hao was genuinely stirred.
He had more strength!
His muscle reaction was faster, and his whole body felt lighter.
It was as if he had been running with heavy weights before, and now a substantial portion of that burden had been lifted. Was this the effect of mysterious energy?
It was astounding!
No wonder Black Panther's coat had grown glossy after drinking the water on the first day. Back then, Li Hao thought it was because Black Panther was a dog and reacted differently.
Reflecting on it now, however... Li Hao cursed under his breath!
The first bowl of water Black Panther drank must have contained far more mysterious energy!
He had drunk the second bowl that day, after Black Panther had already taken the lion's share. It turned out he had only drunk the leftover dregs!
Thinking of Black Panther, something suddenly occurred to him.
The dog hadn't made a sound today!
Glancing over, Li Hao froze.
Over by Black Panther, the fellow was lying belly-up, mimicking Li Hao's earlier pose. Even the breathing rhythm coming from the dog's snout closely mirrored his own.
This guy... was cultivating!
"What the hell?"
Li Hao stared blankly. He could accept Black Panther understanding human speech.
But... how could this mutt learn so fast?
It was actually copying him, practicing the Five Animals Breathing Art!
As Li Hao stopped cultivating and mysterious energy ceased flowing from the jade sword, the energy in the room gradually dispersed. Moments later, while Li Hao was still watching, Black Panther could no longer draw in any energy either.
Its canine eyes snapped open. Seeing Li Hao staring at it, Black Panther leaped up and pounced straight at him!
Li Hao stepped aside slightly, dodging the pounce.
Black Panther didn't mind. Landing on the floor, it stuck out its tongue and licked Li Hao's foot.
"Get off!"
Li Hao nudged it away with his foot, bent down to rub its head, and frowned slightly. "Are you turning into a spirit?"
He wondered whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
Black Panther really felt like it was turning into a spirit!
As an ordinary person and an Inspectorate member, Li Hao's instinctive thought was whether this would lead to undesirable consequences.
Yet a moment later, when he thought of those supernaturals and the Red Shadow invisible to ordinary people... all those concerns vanished.
In this day and age, who cared if a dog became an enlightened spirit!
What was the Red Shadow?
Clearly not human!
At least Black Panther was familiar with him, practically half-raised by him. If it became a spirit, so be it.
"Teacher said that the Five Animals Breathing Art must never be passed to outsiders!"
Li Hao looked at Black Panther, nursing a slight headache. "Fortunately, it's just imitation. You picked up the essence of the breathing technique, but it looks like you didn't grasp the core of the Five Animals Sitting Stance..."
The breathing technique relied on rhythm and coordinating inhalation and exhalation with the pores. This dog had somehow imitated it to eighty percent accuracy.
The Five Animals Sitting Stance—the five-centers-facing-the-heavens posture from earlier—was not as simple as it appeared on the surface, requiring specialized methods that Black Panther hadn't mastered.
Besides, humans and dogs had different anatomies; even if it learned the posture, the dog might not be able to apply it.
"Letting the breathing technique slip was my own carelessness!"
Under normal circumstances, even when practicing the breathing technique, he wouldn't become so entranced, let alone display the full method before others; one slight misstep could ruin the entire breathing pattern.
Yet facing only a dog, Li Hao hadn't paid it any mind. His heavy breathing had allowed Black Panther to observe everything.
At his feet, Black Panther seemed to understand. Looking up at Li Hao, its eyes held a fawning expression.
Li Hao furrowed his brows and said in a low voice, "I know you can understand me. Don't you dare use this unless I'm right beside you! Also... when I have free time, I'll pay Teacher a visit... to see if he's willing to take on a canine disciple..."
As he spoke, Li Hao suddenly chuckled.
It felt like he was insulting himself!
"Forget it, pretend I didn't say that."
He had originally wanted to poke gentle fun at his teacher, but on second thought, better not. Yuan Shuo didn't conform to conventional norms. If he actually declared the dog his disciple, he might go around introducing them: "This is my student Li Hao, and this is my student Big Black Dog..."
If that happened, Li Hao would want to crawl into a hole and die!
Black Panther didn't quite understand, only watching Li Hao. Seeing him smile, the dog grew cheerful as well, wagging its tail.
Possessing near-human wit, it could read Li Hao's moods and had actually felt a little scared.
Li Hao's smile meant everything was fine.
Li Hao dwelt on it no further. He could just report it to his teacher when he had time. Given Yuan Shuo's character, he would likely be mostly curious and wouldn't mind a dog learning his breathing technique.
Leaving Black Panther be, Li Hao pulled the jade sword out from beneath his clothes. He examined it, his eyes brightening.
"Mysterious energy!"
There seemed to be quite a bit of mysterious energy inside the jade sword.
Of course, to others, the mysterious energy might not be the point; they cared more about the jade sword itself.
According to Teacher, the mysterious energy in supernatural items was limited. Some had dwindled to mere traces, and using them once or twice more would exhaust it completely.
Liu Long hadn't paid much attention to the sword, perhaps because he already knew this.
He likely thought the mysterious energy in such items was too meager to be of much use, and since he might not even be able to activate an inherited supernatural item, he didn't care.
Perhaps Li Hao had worried excessively. He had previously wondered if Liu Long was harboring hidden schemes, but now that seemed unlikely.
"They don't care, but I do!"
Li Hao murmured to himself. Teacher thought it was too meager to be of use to him.
Liu Long was a Hundred-Breaker expert and also found it negligible.
Yet Li Hao was a weakling who hadn't even reached Ten-Slayer. Even a tiny sliver of mysterious energy was enough to boost him significantly.
"My speed, strength, and physical constitution have all improved by a notch!"
"If I were tested now, what would my strength be?"
He most likely hadn't reached Ten-Slayer.
It wouldn't happen that fast!
Besides, comparing himself to Chen Jian from their earlier spar, Li Hao felt he might be able to dodge that palm strike now, but going toe-to-toe with Chen Jian was practically out of the question.
And Chen Jian was at the Ten-Slayer level.
As for whether Chen Jian could slay ten or slay ninety, that was hard to tell.
From what Li Hao understood, the gap between Ten-Slayer and Hundred-Breaker was actually quite vast.
In the entire Demon Hunting Squad, apart from Liu Long, the other four appeared to be in the Ten-Slayer stage. Yet even among them, there were distinctions in strength. On the surface, Liu Yan was the strongest, yet Liu Yan had warned that Doctor Yun Yao was not to be provoked.
"I'm probably not at Ten-Slayer yet. I need to work harder. At the very least... to save my own life!"
To survive the crisis ahead.
The Red Shadow was not something to be trifled with.
"Keep training!"
This time, Li Hao didn't employ the breathing art. There was still residual mysterious energy in his body, and his vigorous stamina was more than enough to continue practicing the Five Animals Art.
Seize every second!
Since he could grow stronger, there was no reason to slack off.
……
At the same time.
Building 5, 6th Floor, Qiming Residential District.
With his arms crossed, Liu Long stood by the balcony edge, looking across at Building 6 opposite him. In one of the third-floor apartments, the windows were tightly shut and the curtains drawn.
Vaguely, a silhouette could be seen bounding about inside.
That was Li Hao's apartment.
Beside Liu Long, tall and gaunt Wu Chao was also watching. After a moment, he shook his head gently. "That kid drew the curtains before dark. He does have his guard up. He probably suspected long ago that Zhang Yuan's case was murder."
Turning to Liu Long, he asked, "Boss, are we just going to keep staking it out like this? Will anyone come?"
"I don't know," Liu Long said calmly. "Keep watch and see."
Wu Chao dropped the subject and scanned the surroundings, keeping his voice down. "Boss, our vantage point here is the best! But I did a quick scout earlier, and no strangers have entered Building 5."
He added, "Could it be that no one is tailing him, or are they watching Li Hao using some supernatural means?"
Trailing someone didn't necessarily require someone to be there in person.
For instance, certain supernatural means could track someone without a sound, though it was rare for a supernatural to personally stake out an ordinary person under normal circumstances.
Liu Long didn't dismiss the possibility, but he didn't believe a supernatural was actively tracking Li Hao right now either.
More likely, the culprit was merely watching from the shadows, waiting for the right moment—perhaps, as Li Hao had said, waiting for a rainy night.
Li Hao was right here and wouldn't run.
If he were going to run, he would have done so already.
As such, whether he was being tailed or not didn't really matter.
After a moment of thought, Liu Long moved away from the topic and asked in a low voice, "How much mysterious energy do we have left in the squad?"
Wu Chao thought for a moment and replied, "Twelve units—ten elemental, two non-elemental."
Liu Long seemed lost in contemplation. After a while, he said, "When Li Hao comes to the Inspectorate tomorrow, tell him to see me! Extract the two units of non-elemental mysterious energy and let him try absorbing them."
Wu Chao wasn't overly surprised, but he couldn't help feeling envious. "Boss, we don't have much left! And non-elemental energy is much rarer... Why not let him try the elemental ones instead?"
Elemental mysterious energy was laced with specific forces like fire or lightning, which might not match a person's constitution.
Of course, if a person matched the element or specialized in that attribute, elemental energy was even better.
It varied from person to person!
Yet for martial masters like Wu Chao who hadn't advanced to supernatural status, non-elemental energy was far more precious because it enhanced the body without risk of rejection, carrying very low danger.
Within the squad, everyone valued non-elemental mysterious energy more.
"He's too weak!" Liu Long replied calmly. "We aren't the Night Watchers. We don't have experts on hand to extract elemental mysterious energy at a moment's notice. If his body rejects it upon absorption, we won't be able to suppress it, and he'll explode. If you kill him, will you volunteer to be the bait?"
All right, Wu Chao went silent.
Li Hao was indeed too weak. Having just joined the squad, receiving some benefits to improve himself was only fair.
Still, Wu Chao had another question. He asked softly, "Boss, did you recruit him just as a one-time thing... or do you really plan to keep grooming him long-term?"
This was what had been puzzling him.
Liu Long glanced at him and smiled. "If he survives, he'll always be a teammate! As long as he's breathing, he's a comrade-in-arms. What belongs to him will be his, and we'll protect and guide him as we should... But if he dies... what point is there in saying anything more?"
Wu Chao understood.
He had walked the same path.
Survival of the fittest!
Only those who survived in the Demon Hunting Squad were true teammates. For those who died, nothing could be done. From their very first day on the squad, everyone knew how dangerous hunting supernaturals was.
Without a backstory or a driving ambition, hardly anyone would have joined in the first place.
"It really pays to be a newcomer!"
Wu Chao sighed ruefully. A newcomer didn't have to do anything yet received benefits right upon joining—it was enviable.
Of course, that was the rule.
If newcomers were too weak and given zero protection, the squad would gradually run out of fresh blood, grow weaker and weaker, and eventually be wiped out.
It was just that when they joined back then, they had only received one unit of mysterious energy.
In fact, those who joined at the very beginning hadn't received a single unit because there were no reserves. The meager amount they currently had had been scraped together through sheer frugality.
Wu Chao pondered for a moment, then said with a touch of anticipation, "I wonder if we can take down the target this time, how much mysterious energy they'll provide, and whether it'll be non-elemental or elemental. Boss, if you absorb a bit more, will you be able to advance?"
Liu Long shook his head without answering.
Advance?
It was difficult!
Failing to smoothly channel energy into the body to advance to Starlight Master on the first attempt only strengthened one's martial arts cultivation, physical constitution, and overall power. Consequently, advancing later became even more troublesome.
As a Hundred-Breaker martial master, advancing would likely take several more attempts, preferably with mysterious energy matching his own nature.
Although non-elemental mysterious energy was useful, it primarily enhanced one's physical constitution. Absorbing too much wasn't necessarily a good thing; it would only make advancing even harder.
With a faint sigh in his heart, Liu Long looked at the opposite window once more and instructed, "Keep watch here. Notify me immediately if anything happens!"
"Understood!"
Saying nothing more, Liu Long turned and departed.
Li Hao probably wouldn't run into trouble over the next few days. But once the rainy season arrived in a few days, that would be another story—danger could strike at any moment.
……
Not long after Liu Long left, twilight deepened, and soon night fell completely.
In the room, Li Hao continued practicing the Ape Art.
Each session lasted longer than the last.
His sweat had already made the floor slick.
Just as Li Hao was about to continue, Black Panther, who had been lying on the floor, suddenly let out low barks: "Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Li Hao's heart gave a slight jolt.
Someone was here?
In the next instant, his heart sank, and his breath hitched. Quickly composing himself, he resumed practicing the Ape Art, though his movements were much weaker than before.
At that moment, Li Hao's heart churned with immense shock.
And fear!
Because in the corner of his eye, a red shadow had appeared on his window—a bloody red silhouette, clinging right to the glass.
The Red Shadow had come!
This was the first time Li Hao had seen the Red Shadow inside his own home!
Was Liu Long nearby?
Did he see it?
*Could* he see it?
Damn it!
Li Hao felt a surge of anxious dread. Was the Red Shadow monitoring him?
He could only force himself to stay calm and pretend he saw nothing.
He went through one routine of the Ape Art, appearing utterly exhausted, before stopping.
On the window, the Red Shadow still hovered.
It wasn't blocked by the curtains; it seemed to pass straight through them and cling to the glass pane.
Li Hao wondered if this meant the supernatural controlling the Red Shadow was also nearby.
Would they strike at him right now?
What brazen audacity!
The demolition of the Zhang house had only happened yesterday, yet the perpetrator dared to show up tonight. They truly didn't take Liu Long and the others seriously at all!
*What should I do?*
The Red Shadow showed no signs of leaving, and Li Hao's anxiety grew. To cover his unease, he had no choice but to head into the bathroom and take a shower.
Yet the moment he stepped under the water, the hairs on his body stood on end. Suppressing his panic once again, Li Hao forced himself to remain calm, not daring to look or overthink, terrified the Red Shadow might realize he could see it!
Right now, the Red Shadow was right beside him! Damn it!
In the cramped bathroom, Li Hao and the Red Shadow were practically pressed against each other.
"Stay calm! It's only here to watch me. Since it didn't attack right away, it definitely isn't trying to kill me now. According to Teacher's deduction, the time isn't right yet... Relax, I can't see it! Practicing martial arts feels great. Liu Yan really has a huge chest—won't that get in the way during a fight?"
He diverted his gaze and thoughts, letting his mind wander wildly.
He feared that if he kept focusing on it, he would terrify himself.
The jade sword against his chest remained as inert as any ordinary jade pendant. Li Hao didn't know whether the Red Shadow would think anything of it upon seeing it, but at this point, he couldn't care less.
As for being scrutinized at point-blank range and seen completely naked, Li Hao cared even less.
Who would worry about that at a time like this?
*My situation is growing more dangerous by the second!*
As Li Hao's thoughts ran rampant, time ticked by. It wasn't until he finished showering that the Red Shadow finally vanished without a sound.
In the living room, Black Panther had remained crouched on the floor, deathly quiet.
Only when the Red Shadow disappeared did the dog finally let out a breath from its snout.
At the same time, Li Hao exhaled softly. Man and dog exchanged glances in absolute silence.
In Black Panther's canine eyes, there was even a trace of bewilderment.
*You can see it too?*
*I thought you were blind!*
*Impressive—you saw it and acted like you didn't see a thing. You're more of a dog than this dog!*
Chapter 17