Night.
Qiming Residential District.
Inside his home.
Li Hao opened *Nine Refinements Force*. Beside him, Black Panther sat on the sofa like a respectable human being, craning its canine head to peer at the book.
Li Hao didn't push it away. He simply refused to believe that on top of understanding human speech, a dog could actually read words.
If Black Panther could even read, Li Hao would gladly call it Master!
"When a martial master enters the Ten-Slayer realm, their inner force surges, and muscles and bones resonate together... Force is limited, dispersed throughout various parts of the human body, and among martial masters of the same realm, the difference in force is minuscule..."
This book had been written by Liu Long’s father, not the original edition.
From its contents, one could gather that Liu Long's father, Liu Hao, had once been an expert at the peak of the Hundred-Breaker realm—a formidable martial master. Yuan Shuo's claim that the man had acted like a submissive grandson in his presence was probably a bit of an exaggeration.
A martial master at the peak of the Hundred-Breaker realm was roughly comparable in strength to Yuan Shuo back in his day.
Moreover, Liu Hao had specialized in pure offense.
The spear was the king of weapons!
Martial masters who wielded spears almost entirely focused on attack rather than defense, striking with no thought of retreat.
Relying on the Nine Refinements Force, Liu Hao had unleashed ninefold stacked spear thrusts, forging a towering reputation across the martial circles of Silver Moon Province. Known as Silver Spear Liu Hao, he was hailed as one of the Three Spear Kings of Silver Moon Province.
Back then, there had been plenty of Hundred-Breaker martial masters. For Liu Hao to make such a name for himself, he was naturally no mediocre figure.
The primary reason was this very *Nine Refinements Force*.
With the same raw strength, Liu Hao could deliver a spear strike stacked nine times over. Though he was not particularly well-rounded in other aspects, his offensive lethality had ranked first among the Three Spear Kings!
However, while Liu Hao's strengths were exceptional, his weaknesses were equally glaring. His speed was lacking, and his physical constitution was insufficient... Stacking force nine times inflicted immense damage on the body. By the time Liu Hao reached middle age, both of his arms were practically ruined.
That was also one of the reasons Liu Hao had brought Liu Long to apprentice under Yuan Shuo when Liu Long was young.
The Liu family spear was famous, but Liu Hao knew that the Nine Refinements Force wreaked too much havoc on the body. An ordinary Hundred-Breaker martial master could still fight at seventy, but members of the Liu family suffered steep declines past forty, sometimes ending up entirely crippled.
If Liu Long hadn't absorbed mysterious energy to significantly bolster his physical constitution, given his age and endless combat, he probably would have been crippled long ago.
"Ninefold stacking!"
Li Hao marveled softly. While he didn't fully comprehend the rarity of this secret art, he knew just how terrifying it would be once force was stacked nine times over.
The power of the Nine Refinements Force didn't appear out of thin air.
It primarily lay in the application of power—gathering strength from other parts of the body into the arms, stacking layer upon layer. It not only tested one's mastery over their own strength, but also placed immense demands on the resilience and toughness of both arms.
"Is three stacks the limit in the Ten-Slayer realm?"
According to the book, stacking force three times was the limit in the Ten-Slayer realm. Exceeding that risked fracturing both arms and leaving permanent, irreparable injuries.
Even in the Hundred-Breaker realm, it was best not to exceed six stacks.
Back then, Liu Hao had encountered a formidable enemy and unleashed a ninefold stack. Although he killed his foe, he dealt catastrophic damage to his own foundation, almost completely ruining his arms. Soon afterward, he retired from the martial world. The Silver Spear among the Three Spears of Silver Moon was sealed away forever, and he passed away just a few years later.
"The advantages of *Nine Refinements Force* are obvious, but so are its drawbacks... Once force is stacked, you practically have to stand pinned in place. Move even slightly, and the force dissipates..."
That was the flaw!
It was also the greatest flaw of the *Nine Refinements Force*!
After siphoning power from the entire body, you could barely move. Otherwise, the force would scatter, with a high likelihood of backfiring on yourself.
Therefore, while the *Nine Refinements Force* was famous, veteran martial masters were well aware of how severe its issues were.
"Unless one has a mighty constitution and doesn't care about having all that strength drained..."
That was likely why Liu Long had passed it to Li Hao.
Li Hao's constitution seemed extraordinary. Even before entering the Ten-Slayer realm, he had displayed remarkable physical resilience.
After his recent blood transformation, his constitution had advanced another step.
Practicing the *Nine Refinements Force* with a body like Li Hao's might allow him to bypass the drawback of immobility. Even if he moved, he might still retain the stamina to sustain the stacked force.
Furthermore, the probability of injuring himself would be drastically reduced.
Li Hao read further. Beyond its explanations and methods of exertion, the crux of the *Nine Refinements Force* actually lay in a specialized breathing technique.
Indeed, almost every secret art was paired with a unique breathing method.
For different secret arts, the breathing technique was the core key.
This was because distinct arts employed different methods of channeling energy and applying force.
If Li Hao used the *Five Animals Breathing Art* to cultivate the *Nine Refinements Force*, he would very likely suffer a disruption of force and injure himself.
Thus, the secret art itself was secondary; the accompanying breathing method was always paramount.
This time, Liu Long had included the breathing technique as well.
It clearly existed as a separate page, tucked inside the yellowed booklet.
...
Li Hao spent more than an hour scrutinizing every single character of the three-thousand-word text before attempting to cultivate it.
First, he adjusted his breathing, applying the breathing method of the *Nine Refinements Force*.
The rhythm of his breath was completely different from before.
Beside him, Black Panther stared unblinkingly.
Li Hao glanced sideways at it and smiled.
This mongrel was stealing a lesson again!
"You can only pick up the breathing rhythm, not what happens in the internal organs... You can mimic the surface, but not the essence! Then again, you're just a dog... so it's good enough for you."
Black Panther didn't mind in the slightest, continuing to imitate Li Hao.
Gradually, a unique cadence emerged in Li Hao's breathing.
It wasn't chaotic; though the length of each inhalation and exhalation varied, it caused no discomfort, settling into a distinct, rhythmic flow.
Because Black Panther wanted to learn, Li Hao didn't deliberately suppress the sound.
Otherwise, if he muffled his breath, an outsider would hardly be able to perceive anything.
After adjusting his breathing, Li Hao could now clearly sense the force within him—the inner force.
It was different from mysterious energy!
Inner force was unique. The presence of mysterious energy felt foreign, bearing a sense of separation from the human body rather than something born from within.
Inner force, on the other hand, felt genuine—a power emerging from the inside out, generated by the body itself.
This force originated from blood, muscle, cells, and bone, as if the entire body was generating this subtle energy. Just like vitality itself, a healthier body provided more potent strength.
Though inner force was invisible, it could be tangibly felt.
A current of force circulated through his body.
Li Hao concentrated the force in his arm. The muscles along his arm rippled, and with a light flick of his wrist, crisp popping sounds echoed incessantly!
This was the resonance of muscles and bones!
Compared to when he had just stepped into the Ten-Slayer realm two days ago, Li Hao now possessed a far firmer grasp and deeper appreciation of force. With a tremor of his arm, he shoved outward, sending Black Panther sliding five or six meters away until it bumped into the wall.
Black Panther's eyes were filled with innocence!
Of course, it wasn't injured. Having absorbed a trace of the saber's energy, the dog's body was vastly tougher than an ordinary person's, no weaker than any Ten-Slayer martial master.
It was simply that despite its robust body, the dog didn't know how to wield its power properly.
Li Hao paid it no mind. After savoring the sensation of surging inner force, he struck downward toward the coffee table with an open palm.
The coffee table had a marble top, which his father had dragged out from the mountains years ago, though multiple cracks had already split across it over time.
Li Hao pressed his palm down gently, and the heavy table showed no reaction.
Yet just as that first surge struck, Li Hao didn't stop. His arm rippled once more as a second surge of force erupted. With his palm still resting lightly against the table, the marble suddenly shuddered!
*Clang, clang, clang!*
The table trembled violently, showing faint signs of splitting apart.
Meanwhile, Li Hao continually adjusted his breathing. A third wave of force channeled from elsewhere in his body, causing the muscles of his right arm to twitch and writhe again in an intimidating display.
However, this wave struggled to descend.
It lingered in his upper right arm, churning to the point where Li Hao's muscles began to ache.
Yet Li Hao persisted in forcing it downward!
This was stacking force!
Of course, his execution was far too slow right now. A true *Nine Refinements Force* could never be this sluggish. Striking with a palm, waiting half a beat for the second wave, and waiting another half a beat while the third wave remained jammed in the upper arm... If one dawdled like this against an enemy, they would be beaten to death before the three-stack force even emerged.
It was simply Li Hao's first attempt, and he lacked familiarity.
Under Li Hao's persistence, the third wave finally surged downward.
With a crisp *crack*, a tiny new fissure snapped open on the marble table.
A look of delight appeared on Li Hao's face.
Though the process had been arduous, it proved he could learn it. Of course, he was nowhere near achieving a true three-stack force right now; he hadn't even completed a single proper stack!
A true triple stack meant three forces striking one after another with practically zero interval between them—only then could it be called genuine stacked force.
"The book says starting out is the hardest part because it's too easy to harm yourself. Just now, the muscles in my upper right arm were slightly strained..."
*But... do I care?*
Li Hao suddenly smiled.
Starry Sky Sword energy!
That was the ultimate tonic for the body.
Even violent surges of mysterious energy could be neutralized by it, let alone inner force. The impact of inner force, particularly on his own body, was vastly milder than mysterious energy.
Therefore, starlight energy could easily repair minor strains like this.
When others practiced *Nine Refinements Force*, they might only manage one or two repetitions a day in the beginning. But Li Hao... he didn't care. Circulating the *Five Animals Breathing Art*, he absorbed a tiny sliver of starlight energy and guided it to his right arm. In the blink of an eye, the slightly pulled muscle was completely restored.
Not a hint of pain remained!
"What marvelous stuff!"
Li Hao felt the miraculous benefits of this energy once again. It was extraordinary.
With this, he didn't need any medicinal aids to practice *Nine Refinements Force*. The Liu family had required an additional medicinal formula specifically to nourish the body and prevent damage to their foundation during training.
Li Hao's starlight energy was countless times more effective than that formula.
"This is fun!"
Indeed, Li Hao found it entertaining.
Interest was the true root of cultivation. Without interest, practicing martial arts rarely produced good results.
Treating the *Nine Refinements Force* like a game sparked immense enthusiasm in him.
He threw a punch, stacking his force.
At first, the second wave took at least three seconds to manifest... In real combat, that would be far too late.
Yet gradually, as his arm adapted to the force, the second wave arrived faster and faster.
Two seconds, one second...
Once he reached one second, further improvement became difficult. A one-second gap was still long; for martial masters, a second was enough to exchange multiple moves. An opponent wouldn't stand there like a fool after taking a punch, waiting an entire second for a follow-up.
*Crack! Crack! Crack!*
Throughout the night, Li Hao ignored all other secret arts, dedicating himself entirely to the *Nine Refinements Force*.
This was currently his easiest and most straightforward path to improvement.
With starlight energy to back him up, he feared no injury.
He threw caution to the wind!
Striking again and again, stacking force repeatedly, his practice count in a single night probably exceeded what others did in a year—or even five.
If Liu Long saw him train like this, his eyes would pop out of his head!
An ordinary person's arm would have blown apart long ago.
Li Hao, on the other hand, was entirely unharmed. Under the nourishment of starlight energy, the muscles of his arms grew visibly sturdier, brimming with power at a glance.
...
Li Hao remained thoroughly absorbed.
Punching and striking over and over, he uncovered a secret... or rather, an open secret: the more he used the Nine Refinements Force, the stronger his arm strength became.
It wasn't truly a secret, but normal martial masters simply couldn't train like this. Anyone doing so for a single day would end up dead or crippled.
Li Hao had no desire to sleep that night.
By daybreak, Li Hao threw a punch... Two cracks sounded in immediate succession!
This time, there was practically no interval; the two cracks seemed to fuse into one.
Li Hao froze... *Did I succeed?*
He could hardly believe it. A moment later, he threw another punch toward the coffee table—which had already accumulated numerous pits over the night.
*Crack!*
This time, the coffee table split straight through, collapsing onto the floor with a loud crash.
Downstairs, an auntie who had just gotten up suddenly roared, "Li Hao! What are you doing up there again?"
First thing in the morning, what was he up to now?
Li Hao had actually been very careful!
He had even laid a blanket beneath the table, but that last punch had completely shattered it, rendering the blanket useless.
Li Hao felt helpless. His apartment was too small to practice martial arts, and the slightest noise prompted the auntie to unleash a Tiger's Roar in the Mountain Forest... Perhaps his own Tiger Art had improved by learning from her.
He had never seen a real wild tiger, but he had witnessed the downstairs auntie's Lion's Roar countless times. Her combat prowess in neighborhood squabbles was unmatched; none of the other women in the district could beat her in an argument.
Comforting himself, Li Hao quickly shouted back, "The refrigerator fell over!"
"Your refrigerator falls over every single day!" the auntie bellowed. It had fallen over so many times—was his fridge made of paper?
"I'm replacing it next month! I'll give you our fridge—you can sell it for scrap!"
At those words, the auntie fell silent.
Not bad!
A free refrigerator; she could make a few coins selling it for scrap.
Li Hao couldn't care less about the fridge right now. A radiant smile broke across his face.
He had done it!
A double-stacked force!
Though it was merely the beginning and far inferior to Liu Long's mastery, achieving a double stack in a single night was incredible... Li Hao fantasized that in a few days, he might even master the ninefold stack!
By then, even if he remained in the Ten-Slayer realm, a sudden burst of power might let him slay a Hundred-Breaker.
"Finally succeeded!" His first proper success meant the rest would come easier. Li Hao tried several more times, succeeding every time. However, the third stack reverted to its previous state—arduous, with a long delay.
"It's the seventeenth."
Li Hao pulled open the curtains and peered outside. Today, the weather was visibly changing.
Amidst the scorching summer, cool gusts of wind were beginning to blow.
In the sky, dark clouds were gathering.
"It'll probably rain tomorrow."
Only a few days had passed since he realized the Red Shadow killed people and that he was its next target, yet those days felt like a century.
He had entered the Ten-Slayer realm, joined the Demon Hunting Squad, discovered how to harness energy from the jade sword and the stone saber, and learned both the *Five Animals Breathing Art* and the *Nine Refinements Force*.
These were things an ordinary person might never experience in a lifetime.
"It's almost here!"
At this moment, Li Hao actually found himself anticipating the Red Shadow's arrival.
Though he knew he was weak, waiting passively for death over such an extended period was suffocating.
He lightly touched the jade sword against his chest.
Even now, Li Hao had no idea how to wield it. Besides, it was so small—did someone really expect him to kill with it?
How was that any different from stabbing someone with a toothpick?
"This sword does have some effect on the Red Shadow; it always reacts strangely... But... I can't just pinch the jade sword between two fingers to fight it, can I?"
That was what troubled Li Hao the most.
It felt so awkward!
Who went around stabbing people with a toothpick?
The Red Shadow posed the greatest threat to Li Hao because no one else could see it. With the slightest lapse, the Red Shadow would close in and ignite his soul before anyone could come to his rescue. Li Hao had to solve that problem himself...
So what should he do?
Li Hao removed the chain, picked up the cross-sized jade sword, pinched the hilt between two fingers, and thrust forward!
It felt ridiculously awkward!
"Forget it. Awkward or not, it might be of great use. Even if it's uncomfortable to handle, it's usable... As long as it works, that's enough."
Li Hao put the jade sword back on and practiced a quick-draw motion... which amounted to drawing nothing at all.
Yank the chain, pinch it with two fingers, thrust forward—done.
It just made stacking force tricky; Li Hao certainly hadn't learned how to channel stacked force through two fingertips yet.
"Against the Red Shadow, stacked force might not make a difference anyway."
Li Hao stopped dwelling on it. Let it be.
This was the absolute limit of what he could prepare. He had made every arrangement, requested all the aid he could, and used every method to help his teacher advance. Compared to fighting alone, he was a hundred times better off!
If he still couldn't survive this trial, then so be it.
Just as he was about to wash up, a commotion came from inside the room. Nearby, Black Panther suddenly slammed a paw down onto the shattered coffee table...
A moment later, a pitiful canine howl rang out.
"*Awoooo!*"
Black Panther stared at its swollen paw, looking at Li Hao in agony. What was going on?
Why couldn't this noble hound smash the table?
Li Hao was speechless!
Drawing a sliver of sword energy and channeling it through his arm, Li Hao let a trace emerge from his fingertip and tapped Black Panther, sending the energy into its body.
The swollen paw seemed to feel much better.
Black Panther still wore a gloomy expression, gazing at Li Hao as if pleading for guidance. It had absorbed plenty of stray sword energy from Li Hao overnight and had tried to mimic his Nine Refinements strikes.
Yet it had achieved nothing.
"Humans and dogs are different. I really don't know how to teach you. Channeling force into an arm... or in your case, a leg—how to gather it there is beyond me. I'm not a dog, so I can't explain it to you."
Li Hao said helplessly, "Figure it out yourself! Also... Black Panther, how about staying with me starting tomorrow? Dealing with that thing... can you handle it?"
Hearing this, Black Panther looked somewhat frightened.
Li Hao thought for a moment and said, "You don't need to stay with me; follow Liu Long. That big guy from before. When that thing shows up, I'm afraid he won't be able to see or sense it. You just need to bark in its direction a few times! Give him a warning, point the way, and let him know where it is... How does that sound?"
Black Panther pondered, still looking scared.
Li Hao added, "It's up to you. I won't force you. But after tomorrow, I might be dead, and you'll have to go back to being a stray!"
Hearing that, Black Panther grew frantic.
*He might die?*
*Then what about me?*
"*Woof, woof, woof!*"
"You agree?"
"*Woof!*"
Li Hao smiled!
That was more like it.
He wasn't forcing it; the dog had agreed voluntarily. He was a very democratic person—if it refused, even if it was just a dog, he wouldn't compel it.
"Alright, come with me to the Inspectorate today so I can introduce you to the captain... Act restrained. Don't be too smart—just behave like an ordinary dog. But you can see that thing, and when you do, you bark. That's just a black dog's natural knack. The captain doesn't know what black dogs can do anyway."
Black Panther's eyes carried a hint of disdain. Li Hao patted its head until the dog felt dizzy, finally subduing this overly intelligent creature.
...
Inspectorate.
Law Enforcement Team.
Basement.
When Liu Long saw Black Panther, he was thoroughly puzzled.
Only when Li Hao explained that Black Panther could see that entity did Liu Long stare at the dog in astonishment.
A dog could see it?
"Are you sure a dog can perceive a spiritual-level entity?"
The phrasing sounded slightly ambiguous.
It almost sounded like he was insulting himself!
After all, Li Hao could see it too.
Keeping his composure, Li Hao nodded. "Yes, it can. Several times when I sensed something wrong, Black Panther looked in a specific direction and whimpered softly."
He continued, "Black Panther understands human speech and is very smart. Boss, taking it with you might make things easier. It won't cause trouble; it'll only alert you when that thing appears. And that entity won't pay much attention to a dog."
Liu Long nodded. Though it sounded incredible, if Li Hao said so, perhaps the dog truly had something special about it.
"Alright, I'll take it with me later and get used to working with it. Make sure it doesn't bark recklessly and alert the enemy."
"It won't. Don't worry."
After exchanging a few more words, Liu Long asked, "Have you read the book? Once you've read and memorized it, burn it. Just remember it; I don't expect you to learn it right now."
He truly hadn't expected him to!
The *Nine Refinements Force* was difficult to learn, especially the initial entry, which required the most effort.
Back then, it had taken him three years just to achieve the entry level. Only after that did things improve, and reaching three or four stacks became relatively faster.
His father, Silver Spear Liu Hao, had possessed greater talent, becoming a peak Hundred-Breaker martial master before forty.
Even his father had spent an entire year reaching the entry level.
Thus, even if Li Hao had a better constitution and the guidance of a renowned master, Liu Long believed he wouldn't manage the entry level in under a year or six months.
Li Hao, harboring his own quiet cunning, said nothing about having already learned it. There was no need.
Keep good things hidden for now.
If even his captain underestimated him, enemies would look down on him even more. Keeping a low profile was the only way to reap great rewards and accomplish grand feats. How could anyone achieve anything by shouting from the rooftops?
Liu Long continued, "Don't go home tonight. Tomorrow morning, you and I will head to the outskirts together. We're in the open while they're in the dark; we have no choice but to lure the snake out of its hole!"
"Wang Ming invited me to hike Tianwang Mountain!"
"I know."
Liu Long nodded. "We won't go up Tianwang Mountain, but our chosen spot is right at the foot of it. Tianwang Mountain itself isn't suitable for us to engage. Of course, if you think the Night Watchers can handle it, you can follow him up."
He looked at Li Hao: did he trust the Night Watchers more, or the Demon Hunting Squad?
The Night Watchers might intervene.
Yet the Night Watchers might not be able to deal with it, and even if they were stronger, that might not be a good thing for Li Hao. Supernaturals fighting wouldn't care whether he lived or died.
Liu Long, at least, would look out for Li Hao and didn't want him dead.
Li Hao gave an honest smile. "The boss calls the shots. I just thought... wouldn't working together be better?"
Wouldn't combining forces be more appropriate?
Pieced-together, piecemeal reinforcements were the trademark of villains—one dying, then another coming, only to be slaughtered one by one... It was terrible luck!
Liu Long chuckled and shook his head. "You're mistaken about that. Joining forces doesn't necessarily make us stronger! Some supernaturals possess indiscriminate area-of-effect abilities. In fact, most do, especially offensive ones. When lightning strikes, everyone except the caster is an enemy! Moving together might hinder them, and they might hinder us. Fighting side by side isn't always superior."
"What about our enemies?"
If the other side had multiple supernaturals too, wouldn't they hinder each other?
"That's a possibility, so they're very likely to split their forces. Separated, the interference is minimal. Don't worry, if that happens tomorrow, I'll have Liu Yan protect you!"
She was the strongest in the squad aside from himself.
Li Hao considered it and nodded, accepting the arrangement.
No matter how confident he was, he didn't think he could take on the Red Shadow alone. In truth, he lacked that confidence entirely. Although he had killed a Ten-Slayer—an opponent comparable to a Starlight realm supernatural—just yesterday, Li Hao still regarded himself as a lightweight.
He had only fought once. Compared to his teacher, he was nothing.
His teacher was truly formidable, flying across the room and taking on two Lunar Nethers with a single move. What was Li Hao in comparison?
With Liu Yan present, if the situation permitted, he could simply deliver the finishing blow.
After discussing the details a while longer, Liu Long left with Black Panther. As he put it, he needed to bond with Black Panther first so the dog wouldn't refuse to cooperate when the time came.
...
Taking Black Panther away hadn't seemed like a big deal.
Yet...
Half a day later, Liu Long sought Li Hao out with a peculiar expression. Without saying a single word, he abruptly punched Li Hao, then inexplicably hurried off.
Li Hao stood there for a long time, utterly bewildered. What had just happened?
Why punch him for no reason?
...
Law Enforcement Team.
Captain's Office.
Liu Long's expression was exceedingly strange. He had been staring at Black Panther for a long while before finally sighing, "A man outmatched by a dog! Fuck! You mongrel actually know the breathing technique—and it's my Liu family's *Nine Refinements Force* breathing method! Aren't you a bit too fucking smart? It took me several days to learn it, yet at most you merely watched Li Hao practice last night, and you picked it up too?"
Indeed, he had noticed.
Black Panther had habitually employed the breathing method. Although its breathing was very faint and an ordinary person wouldn't detect it, this was the Liu family's technique.
Liu Long hadn't noticed at first, but after spending some time with Black Panther, he realized the dog's breathing rhythm matched his own... He had nearly lost his mind!
One man and one dog: Liu Long inhaled, Black Panther inhaled; Liu Long paused, Black Panther paused...
It nearly choked Liu Long with frustration.
This dog was downright bizarre. No wonder Li Hao claimed it could see spiritual-level entities.
"With supernatural power emerging, even dogs are turning into spirits!"
Liu Long shook his head, though he wasn't entirely shocked. He sighed softly. "Mythology is reviving, and supernatural phenomena are surfacing. In White Moon City, animals are rumored to have gained sentience! Word even came from the central region that an enlightened beast swallowed a top-tier expert beyond the Solar Radiance realm! Who would have thought that in a tiny place like Silver City, you, a dog, would become a spirit as well."
At that thought, he laughed self-deprecatingly. "Even a dog can achieve sentience, yet I can't become a supernatural. How ironic! Whatever, whatever... Since you learned my family's breathing method and I've got nothing better to do, I might as well try teaching you the Nine Refinements Force. If you really turn into a spirit in the future, hit those bastards with a ninefold stacked paw! Crush those sons of bitches!"
As he spoke, he laughed at himself.
Could a dog actually learn it?
Who cared; he would give it a shot.
He was far more accomplished than Li Hao, having studied the Nine Refinements Force for decades—something Li Hao couldn't compare to. After studying Black Panther for a while, under the dog's excited gaze, he began teaching it the ninefold stacked paw!
And Black Panther's learning ability... nearly made Liu Long's jaw drop.
Damn it all, it learned faster than he ever had.
In reality, this was because Black Panther had practiced all night and absorbed a massive amount of starlight energy. Finding a proper instructor naturally made learning effortless.
The dog's paw moved so fast it practically blurred into an afterimage!
A double-stacked paw strike!
When Black Panther executed a double-stacked paw, Liu Long almost wanted to say, *Why don't you just become my student? My final disciple! You're far better than any human.*
Yuan Shuo had taken Li Hao as a disciple, praising his talent.
Looking at it now, that was pure nonsense. How could Li Hao compare to Black Panther's brilliance?
It took just a short while to master a double-stacked paw!
On this day, with a major crisis looming, Liu Long neglected his proper duties and spent the entire day in his office training a dog. If word got out, the members of the Demon Hunting Squad would probably lose their minds.
They had assumed Liu Long was locked in his office racking his brains, devising strategies to confront the enemy and counter tomorrow's potential disaster.
Yet no one could have imagined that throughout the day, he had been teaching a dog martial arts.
By the end, Black Panther could even barely unleash a triple-stacked paw strike.
If Li Hao knew, his jaw would have dropped to the floor!
Time slipped by as Black Panther trained, and July 17 gradually drew to a close.
Night fell, heavy with dark clouds.
Over Silver City, a chilly wind swept through.
In the darkness, blood shadows emerged one after another, waiting for the harvest that was about to unfold.
The gathering of eight lineages was near!
Chapter 35