A Dragon Lurks in the Deep

Inside the city. Clad in his Inspectorate uniform, Li Hao walked along the main avenues and narrow alleys. Passing by the dilapidated Cathedral, he took a careful look. Inside, he spotted a Red Shadow floating alone and utterly still, as though it were dead. No one else could see them. And there was more than one! Three supernaturals had died here at the Cathedral, but Li Hao only saw two Red Shadows. He didn't know whether the third had never possessed one, or if it had already been eliminated. *Can anyone kill a Red Shadow besides me?* Li Hao didn't know. But he knew that even after their hosts perished, the Red Shadows lingered on. That was enough. *The Red Moon organization… bloodlines… Red Shadows…* He engraved the name of this organization deep in his mind. A nest of scoundrels! Villains deserved to be slain, their sects wiped out, their bones ground to dust… He would remember every single debt. Having confirmed the existence of the Red Shadows, he was in no hurry to touch them. Acting as if he saw nothing, Li Hao discreetly passed by and headed straight for the cemetery. Zhang Yuan's grave wasn't outside the city, but within its limits. It was situated in a somewhat remote spot—a public cemetery near a cluster of factories. …… After walking for more than half an hour, Li Hao finally reached his destination. The public cemetery occupied a modest hill. This was where Zhang Yuan was buried. By the time he died, he had been burned so thoroughly that cremation wasn't even necessary. Halfway up the mountainside, a fresh grave stood quietly. Li Hao hadn't visited in several months; his last trip had been during the New Year. As he walked up to the grave, his gaze flickered slightly. Before the tombstone lay an offering of fresh flowers. They weren't from today—they had already begun to wilt, and the recent rain had scattered them about. Even so, Li Hao was certain they hadn't been there very long. Yet Xiao Yuan's family had passed away long ago. When he died, Li Hao had paid out of his own pocket to buy this very plot. Xiao Yuan had no relatives left, and no formal funeral had been held. Who would come to visit his grave? Li Hao scanned his surroundings. Seeing no glowing orbs of light and confirming there were no supernaturals nearby, he stepped forward. He stared silently at the flowers before the tombstone, lost in thought. On the tombstone, Zhang Yuan's photograph looked youthful, as though smiling at whoever looked back. Li Hao gazed at it in silence. After a long pause, he murmured softly, "Xiao Yuan, you told me to run back then, but I didn't. Looks like I won… My teacher killed a formidable figure from that organization, and he slaughtered a lot of other supernaturals too! "I don't know if they'll come back next time, and I don't know if the thing that killed you died in the battle… Originally, I wanted to bring their heads to offer at your grave, but… it seems someone carried them off." Li Hao sat down in front of the tombstone. After reflecting for a moment, a faint smile returned to his face. "Still, I've started stepping into this domain myself. I'm working hard toward the supernatural realm. Once I become a supernatural, maybe… I'll truly be able to avenge you all! I know the leader of that organization is named Ying Hongyue. I don't know who delivered the blow or who killed you, but I know that if I wipe out the Red Moon organization… your death will be avenged!" Having said his piece, Li Hao fell silent. Sitting beside the headstone, he gazed down the mountain, his mind wandering slightly. He paid no more attention to the flowers by the tombstone. It made no difference who had left them. Whether an enemy, a distant relative, or the very killer of Zhang Yuan struck by a pang of guilt… none of it mattered. Li Hao had no desire to look into it. After sitting there a while longer, he continued up the mountain. This was Zhang Yuan's resting place, but his parents' graves were here as well, situated further up the slope. His parents had died in a car accident… Whether it was truly an accident was no longer important. Accident or not, Li Hao placed the blame squarely on Red Moon. If it was an accident, Red Moon still deserved to die. If it wasn't, they deserved to die all the same. A person living in this world needed goals and motivation. His parents were dead, his best friend was dead, and though his teacher treated him well, a teacher… was not a parent. At times, Li Hao felt lost, stripped of any sense of direction. Drifting aimlessly through life! If not for spotting the Red Shadow, if not for its lingering threat, life would have held little meaning or anticipation for him after Zhang Yuan died. Now, Red Moon had given him a reason to live! Sometimes Li Hao even felt that the stronger Red Moon was, the better. If they were too weak and easily wiped out by his teacher… wouldn't that rob him of his fighting spirit? Without Red Moon, Li Hao might not have even cared to touch supernatural power. The hilltop was covered in neat rows of tombstones. Li Hao walked over to one of them. On the stone was a photograph of a man and a woman, smiling warmly and radiantly. His parents had loved this picture; it was a family portrait taken on Li Hao's tenth birthday. However, Li Hao had cut himself out of it. Were his parents still alive, they probably wouldn't have wanted that picture used as a memorial portrait. Li Hao watched it for a long while without sitting down. He simply stood there, silent. His gaze shifted restlessly. One moment it burned with fury, the next with madness, only to settle back into chilling calm. Such a turbulent gaze shouldn't have belonged to someone his age. Yet in that moment, he seemed on the brink of mania. Still, Li Hao remained standing motionless. Down below, he had chatted with Zhang Yuan. Up here… he uttered not a word. He merely stared at the photograph. After a long while, he suddenly stepped forward and struck the portrait with a light palm, instantly shattering the image on the stone! Anyone watching would have found it baffling! Yet Li Hao smiled—a strange, unsettling smile. He gave the headstone a deep, lingering look, cast a glance at the surrounding area, and turned to walk back down. As he walked, Li Hao clenched his fists tight! In the past, he hadn't noticed. Today… he was different. He knew more, understood more. In that instant, Li Hao's eyes overflowed with murderous intent! Yes—even when confronting the supernatural he had ambushed and killed, he hadn't radiated such sheer malice. But right now, his killing intent surged uncontrollably! The grave… was empty! He hadn't dug it up, but he felt it, spotting subtle anomalies. Someone had disturbed his parents' resting place. Beneath the mound, he sensed nothing at all. Projecting his inner force slightly outward was well within his current ability. Yet when he extended his inner force underground, he failed to detect anything. It was completely hollow. *Red Moon!* The two words flashed across his mind. He understood. Someone had robbed his parents' grave. After the crash, the burial might have been left alone initially to avoid suspicion, but on the very day of the funeral, someone had likely tampered with it. Back then, he hadn't paid attention, nor had he possessed the strength to investigate. Only today did he realize that soon after their deaths, their grave had been plundered. Where were the bodies? Did he even need to ask? When Xiao Yuan died, he had been reduced to ashes. Since his father was a descendant of the Li family, was his bloodline also unique? Had Red Moon gathered his father's bloodline… and only sought to kill Li Hao now because the little sword was in his hands, requiring his death to unseal it? *The threads of the eight trigrams are connected to me now! In the past, were they connected to my father?* Question after question flared in his mind, only to quickly burn out. He didn't need to know all the answers! What was the point? The only thing that mattered was… slaughtering every last one of them! Killing someone was one thing, but to rob their grave and steal their corpse afterward… such monsters deserved a thousand deaths! Not just his parents—Li Hao suspected the graves of all Eight Great Families had likely been looted. The remains of everyone who had died had probably been stolen away. Perhaps it wasn't just this generation; their ancestral tombs might have been dug up as well! *Since they know the secrets of the Eight Great Families, know they need our bloodlines, and know about our ancestral weapons… desecrating our ancestral graves would be an obvious move!* Li Hao's eyes grew colder and colder. He didn't even need to investigate. Since his parents' grave was empty, the others were likely no different. Those beasts! Making his way down the mountain, Li Hao took a detour to the cemetery's administrative office. Only an elderly caretaker was inside, dozing off. "Elder!" Li Hao spoke, rousing the old man. The caretaker blinked groggily, startled by Li Hao's presence, before regaining his composure. "Broad daylight, young man, don't go scaring people!" Li Hao put on a pleasant smile. "My apologies… It's like this, Elder. I'm a descendant of Plot 118 up the hill. I just went up to visit my parents and noticed their memorial photograph was somehow damaged…" "Is that so?" the caretaker asked, surprised. "Hardly anyone goes up there… Could it have been ruined by the rain?" "I couldn't say," Li Hao replied, shaking his head. "Elder, I'm not here to lay blame. It just pained me as their son to see their portrait ruined… I've been quite busy lately and won't have time to come fix it myself. Would you mind doing me a favor and hiring someone to restore it? I'll have someone deliver a new photograph to you later…" With that, Li Hao drew several star coin banknotes from his coat. Handing them to the old man, Li Hao smiled. "This should cover the costs. If it's not enough, just send someone to the Inspectorate to find me. I'm Li Hao of the Inspectorate!" The caretaker noticed his uniform and nodded repeatedly. "Plenty, plenty! It's our duty anyway. Once the photo arrives, I'll find someone to repair it right away." "Thank you!" Li Hao expressed his gratitude, then added, "Also, halfway up the hill, Plot 1125 belongs to a friend of mine who has no living relatives. I saw fresh flowers before his stone. Did someone come to visit his grave?" "That I wouldn't know," the caretaker replied sheepishly. "You see, we only handle general upkeep. As for who visits which grave… a cemetery isn't like an apartment complex; we can't go prying into people's business. There are plenty of people coming and going, so it's really hard to say who visited whom." Li Hao nodded gently and smiled. "No worries. I was just curious, wondering if a relative of his had returned… If you don't know, don't worry about it." With another word of thanks, Li Hao turned and walked away. Earlier, in a flash of fury, he had destroyed the photograph. To any observer, he was just an ordinary person who hadn't dug up the grave; why would he damage the tombstone for no reason? Li Hao suppressed the anger and murderous intent churning inside him. Powerless rage accomplished nothing; it only gave the enemy a clearer read on your hand. He hoped they wouldn't dwell on it too much. *Sooner or later, I'll kill every last one of you! Not a soul will be spared!* Li Hao cursed them ten thousand times in his heart. *Just you wait.* …… Walking back toward the Inspectorate, Li Hao continuously adjusted his mindset, determined not to let this affect his composure. He kept telling himself to stay calm, and his expression gradually settled into steady indifference, yet the fire raging in his chest burned hot enough to consume the world. His parents' bodies were likely gone. What had happened to them was obvious. They had undoubtedly been incinerated. That much he could accept—treat it as a cremation… But had it been a normal cremation? They had definitely extracted his father's bloodline! The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and the fiercer the fire burned! It flared so violently that Li Hao felt as though his supernatural lock was about to manifest, forcing him to rein in his temper until not a trace of it showed on the surface. …… Returning to the Inspectorate, Li Hao saw an acquaintance. The man seemed to be waiting specifically for him. Wang Ming! Li Hao put on a disingenuous smile and quickened his pace while still a few steps away. "Officer Wang!" "Don't!" Wang Ming felt awkward; hearing that title sounded profoundly unnatural. Looking at Li Hao, he said, "Just call me by name!" "How could I do that?" Li Hao smiled. "You're a brilliant young talent of the Night Watchers. My teacher told me you possess formidable strength, no weaker than our captain. In every respect, it wouldn't be proper for me to call you by name!" Wang Ming looked increasingly embarrassed and probed, "Um… did Old… Old Yuan say anything to you?" For example, that he had taken on a few nominal disciples? Li Hao looked blank. "Oh, yes, yes, yes! My teacher said Officer Wang is a genius who will surpass him sooner or later…" Wang Ming didn't know whether to laugh or cry! Well, it seemed Yuan Shuo hadn't mentioned it. That was a relief; otherwise, it would have been excruciatingly awkward. Was he supposed to call Li Hao 'Senior Brother'? True, he had addressed him as 'Brother Hao' before, but back then he was deep undercover on a mission, so it hadn't bothered him. Now… it would feel truly uncomfortable. There was no way he wanted to call this guy Senior Brother. Dropping the subject, Wang Ming quickly said, "I'm leaving!" Li Hao nodded. "That makes sense. Silver City is just a small place; someone like you shouldn't linger here for long!" Wang Ming hesitated, debating with himself before speaking: "You know about the Night Watchers now, and about supernatural power. Professor Yuan acquired a great deal of mysterious energy this time. Since you're his student, I think you should do your utmost to secure some and step into the supernatural realm as soon as possible!" His tone grew much more solemn. "The matter of Silver City's Eight Great Families isn't over! Red Moon paid such a heavy price and plotted for so many years, yet they fell short at the final hurdle. You remain their prime target for elimination! As the sole surviving heir of the Eight Great Families, they won't let this go! "Silver City isn't a place to stay long. It's far too remote. Even Professor Yuan can't remain here forever. It was fine before, but now that he's stepped into the Thousand-Battler realm, staying here might not be wise." Li Hao nodded and sighed. "I know, but…" "Go seek development in White Moon City," Wang Ming suggested. "Given your teacher's strength, securing a spot for you among the Night Watchers should be well within his power. The Night Watchers aren't all supernaturals; we have logistical departments handling intelligence, supplies, and support. There are plenty of roles suited for you. "Besides, you have a clean and honorable background, coming straight from the Inspectorate. I heard higher-ups are promoting you, possibly to Inspecting Commissioner… Even if you get downgraded when transferring to the Night Watchers, you'd still be a First-Class Inspector… You'd easily land a solid post." Offering genuine advice now, Wang Ming added, "When you reach White Moon City, you might feel unfamiliar and out of place at first… but a man strives upward. You're young; you'll adapt in time! Once you're there, considering we've been colleagues and fought side by side, feel free to look me up if you run into trouble… Of course, I'm just a minor figure in the Night Watchers, so I can't help with too much." He made sure to cover himself: small favors were fine, but don't bring major crises to his door. He added, "There's also Li Meng and Hu Hao. You can look them up too if you need help. They're good people, and I doubt they'd turn you away." Li Hao was somewhat puzzled and surprised. *Why is he being so accommodating?* *Is there something I don't know?* He instinctively assumed it had to do with his teacher; otherwise, a Night Watcher like Wang Ming had no reason to waste his breath on an ordinary person. Keeping his thoughts to himself, Li Hao quickly offered his thanks. "Thank you, Officer Wang!" "Don't call me that… Ah, whatever, suit yourself!" Wang Ming hadn't waited around just to say this. He soon added, "If you can become a supernatural while still in Silver City, that's ideal! But if you can't… I might be able to help you secure a spot for an energy infusion!" Li Hao looked skeptical. "An energy infusion? Our Demon Hunting Squad can do that too…" "Bullshit!" Wang Ming scoffed bluntly. "What you guys are doing is child's play! Liu Long and the others have already undergone energy infusion before, so doing it again isn't an issue for them. You're different. You've never formally had energy infused. What the Night Watchers provide is completely different from what you do here. It's not just absorbing mysterious energy; there are specific procedures involved that make breaking through far easier. "Otherwise, why would wealthy merchants fight tooth and nail for a Night Watcher quota when they could easily afford to buy mysterious energy on the market?" On second thought, Li Hao realized that made sense. As for the precise difference, he didn't press, only smiling. "Then thank you, Officer. But just hearing about it, I can tell such a quota must be incredibly precious… Never mind, I shouldn't waste it. I'll give it a try on my own! If it doesn't work, I'll follow my teacher's path and remain a martial master. I feel like I'm not far from the Ten-Slayer realm anyway." Wang Ming sighed. "You still don't understand; your vision is too narrow! Martial masters are strong—at Professor Yuan's level, absurdly so… But you can't confine your gaze to that. You must understand that supernatural power has only been developing for twenty years, yet beings beyond the Three Sols already exist, and the field is expanding rapidly. Nobody knows where its limits lie! But martial masters… have a ceiling!" Li Hao nodded. He knew all of this; his teacher had told him before. Still, he didn't dwell on it. His teacher had instructed him not to attempt a breakthrough just yet and to focus on martial arts first, so he would listen to his teacher. At the very least, Li Hao knew his teacher wouldn't say such things without good reason. Of course, he wouldn't voice any of this to Wang Ming. The fact that Wang Ming had shared so much was already more than generous, not to mention offering to secure him a quota. Li Hao expressed his gratitude once more: "Thank you, Officer Wang! I'll keep that in mind. If things really don't work out, I'll swallow my pride and come pay you a visit!" "Suit yourself!" Seeing that Li Hao seemed reluctant to leave Silver City, Wang Ming gave up trying to convince him and waved a hand. "I'm departing today! One final word: Silver City is truly too small, with only a million people… White Moon City alone has a population of thirty million! A Hundred-Breaker like Captain Liu is prominent here, but in White Moon City, they're commonplace! Opportunities, treasures, secret manuals, and secret arts—everything there vastly outstrips this place!" "Understood! Thank you!" Li Hao waved back, watching Wang Ming walk away. This Night Watcher had completed his mission in Silver City, and by the looks of it, had reaped considerable rewards. Now that he was leaving, Hao Lianchuan and the others were likely departing soon as well. Or perhaps they had already left! With that realization, Li Hao decided not to head inside. Instead, he turned and walked toward the Ancient Academy to fetch his teacher, planning to collect the Red Shadows first. As for why he needed his teacher… when Li Hao pierced a Red Shadow with the sword, it revealed its true form. If his teacher wasn't around and the shadow attacked him, what would he do? Besides, what if someone caught him in the act? With his teacher present, they could examine it on the spot and figure out its composition. In any case, Li Hao had no intention of hiding it from him; his teacher had long deduced that Li Hao could see the Red Shadows and simply hadn't bothered to point it out. …… Night fell. The Cathedral. The cordon had been lifted. The mysterious energy had been extracted, the corpses cleared, and the perimeter opened up. Even Hao Lianchuan and his group had departed; no one paid much attention to this place anymore. Liu Long knew of the monster's existence, but they all assumed the creature was merely a supernatural ability that vanished once its user died. Inside the Cathedral. Yuan Shuo quietly sensed the surroundings for a good while before pointing in a direction, asking in a low voice, "Here?" Li Hao's eyes flickered, and he nodded. Yuan Shuo took a deep breath. "How thoroughly concealed! If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have bothered to sense so carefully, and without focusing, I would never have discovered it! No wonder this thing is so elusive. When it appeared at the Ancient Academy and killed Zhang Yuan, I didn't sense a thing! I hadn't reached the Thousand-Battler realm back then; even if it had hovered near me, I wouldn't have noticed so long as it didn't draw too close." Without a word, Li Hao produced the little sword, holding it between two fingers. Yuan Shuo rolled his eyes. "Doesn't that feel awkward? Using that all the time, aren't you afraid someone will notice? Fine, I'll figure out a way to hide it inside a weapon later. You've reached the Hundred-Breaker realm now… and I don't have anything good to give you. Tell me, what kind of weapon do you want? I'll forge one for you and hollow out a slot for this thing so it's easier to use." Li Hao pondered for a moment before speaking: "I need to keep this on me at all times since I use it frequently. If it's hidden inside a weapon, am I supposed to sleep clutching a blade? That would only arouse suspicion." At that thought, Li Hao smiled. "Teacher, keeping it like this is fine for now! But could you forge a weapon with a small clasp at the tip specifically designed to hold it? In critical moments, I could snap it into place, leaving just the tiny tip exposed." Hearing this, Yuan Shuo agreed it was a sensible approach. The item did indeed need to be kept on one's person. Nodding, Yuan Shuo added, "Also, lend me that saber of yours for now. You can't use it yet anyway; its energy impact is too violent. For you, its effect is roughly the same as mysterious energy, only marginally better. I'll give you more mysterious energy later, but let me borrow this for the time being!" The saber was of immense use to him; whether he could contend against a Three Sols expert heavily depended on that stone saber. "Sure!" Li Hao nodded without hesitation. Pinching the little sword, he thrust it forward. *Pfft!* The strike felt as if it had punctured a thin membrane. The next instant, the Red Shadow materialized. It didn't struggle, merely floating motionlessly in midair. Now seeing the Red Shadow's true form with complete clarity, Yuan Shuo's eyes shifted. It could indeed be forced to reveal its true form! He stepped forward to inspect it, examining it thoroughly before channeling a trace of inner force inside. After a moment, he marveled, "Incredible! It's an energy construct! Not a physical object, but pure condensed energy… Normally, constructs of energy can be seen and sensed, yet the reason I failed to detect this thing lies in the peculiar mental energy within it!" "Mental energy?" "What I call 'force' and spirit intent!" Yuan Shuo examined it closely, turning the thought over before continuing: "Whoever created this is no ordinary figure! Far from it… In fact, it bears a striking resemblance to something recorded in an ancient text I once read." "What is it?" "A blood shadow puppet!" Yuan Shuo's eyes flickered. "Nasty business. If it truly is what was recorded in that ancient book, it's exceedingly troublesome. It requires a living host to nourish it, and in the end, it devours its caretaker, completely absorbing and digesting them… Heh, if Ying Hongyue made this, things just got interesting. Could that fellow be trying to merge ten thousand puppets into one?" "Teacher, you mean…" "I mean these blood shadows devour those supernaturals. Each shadow grows stronger, brimming with that special energy—the very kind we absorb. The one who created them probably knew this all along, treating those supernaturals as mere fertilizer!" Li Hao understood, his expression changing slightly. Ying Hongyue? So this person knew the Red Shadow's energy was beneficial to the physical body… But… Li Hao quickly asked, "Teacher, are you saying Ying Hongyue cultivates martial arts?" "He did in the past, but he's a supernatural now… Still, even as a supernatural, he's a veteran martial master. He might not have abandoned martial arts entirely. He could easily harbor other ambitions." The Red Shadows offered the greatest benefit to martial masters, something both Li Hao and Yuan Shuo had experienced firsthand. After inspecting it a bit more, Yuan Shuo chuckled. "Never mind him. This thing is top-grade stuff. While it's not as potent as the previous one, it's more than enough for you. You've just stepped into the Hundred-Breaker realm; absorbing more of this will strengthen your inner force, rivaling the effects of mysterious energy on supernaturals! I'd really love to cross paths with Ying Hongyue again and ask him how he made these. I'd love to churn out a batch myself to eat like fruit." With that, he reached out and grabbed it. Now that the Red Shadow was revealed, it was entirely at Yuan Shuo's mercy. Crushing the Red Shadow with a single grip, the red energy surged and began reassembling, but Yuan Shuo kneaded and compressed it between his hands until it formed a tight, round pellet. Stuffing the red pellet into a small flask, Yuan Shuo smiled. "Absorb it as soon as you can, preferably before I leave. Otherwise, whoever created it might track it down! How many are left?" "There's one more here, and I spotted two others elsewhere. Plus, three at the spots where you killed those supernaturals earlier…" Seven in total! Li Hao had already dispatched one small Red Shadow before, making eight. In other words, the ten supernaturals this time had brought eight Red Shadows. Another had accompanied Divine Master Duantian, while the slain Solar Radiance expert had lacked one—perhaps because being Ying Hongyue's son, he hadn't been saddled with a puppet. "Good, let's collect them all… You take seven, and leave one for me to study!" The smaller Red Shadows possessed limited power and offered little benefit to Yuan Shuo, so he had no intention of absorbing it. He was genuinely interested in analyzing its structure. If he could learn to create them himself, would martial masters ever need to worry about shortcuts to advancement? This stuff was far more useful than mysterious energy. …… The master and disciple spent the night scurrying across the city. By late night, all seven Red Shadows were secured. Yuan Shuo kept one for research, while Li Hao took the remaining seven. Tonight, Li Hao once again had no time for lectures. Yuan Shuo had no time to teach either; he ducked into his study with the Red Shadow and threw himself into research. Li Hao was in no rush to absorb the Red Shadows' power tonight. He still had one cube of lightning energy and one cube of wind energy remaining, and he wanted to test what benefits these elemental energies could offer him. A single cube of mysterious energy was minuscule, but testing the waters wouldn't hurt. The five elements corresponded to the five viscera, so what did lightning and wind correspond to? Li Hao began by absorbing the lightning energy. As the single cube entered his body, Li Hao didn't immediately neutralize it with jade sword energy. Instead, he let the electrical currents surge within him. True to its reputation as the most aggressive elemental force, the lightning hit with tremendous violence! Among all the energies Li Hao had encountered, only the saber's energy surpassed it in raw impact; everything else fell short. Yet despite its ferocious bite, Li Hao sensed that its conditioning effect on the body wasn't noticeably different from other forms of mysterious energy. It stimulated his inner force, then began to dissipate without drawing forth any supernatural lock. Evidently, Li Hao wasn't particularly attuned to lightning energy. It failed to trigger his awakening as a supernatural. Li Hao didn't mind; awakening from a single cube would have been absurdly easy anyway. He drew out a sliver of jade sword energy, which rapidly neutralized the lightning energy. Moments later, a strand of elemental energy laced with thunderous power coursed through his body before quietly fusing into his bones. Li Hao blinked in surprise… *Bones?* The next instant, a wave of numbness washed over him, like a mild electric shock, sending tingling shivers rippling through his entire body. "Ah!" Li Hao let out a soft groan. Instantly, the training room door swung open. Yuan Shuo glanced at Li Hao, seeing his utterly blissful expression and hearing that lingering moan. Frowning slightly, he cast a look at him and said in a low, stern voice, "Young man, I understand your feelings! But when training at your teacher's house, don't let your mind wander into the gutter in the middle of the training room! Dead of night, instead of sleeping properly or training hard, your head is full of filthy nonsense… If you're really that thirsty… go take care of it yourself!" "No, Teacher, I—" "Save it, don't explain!" Yuan Shuo waved a hand dismissively. "I've been there, I understand! Martial artists have vigorous vitality; their desires in that department are naturally stronger. What I truly admire is how you managed to achieve ecstasy out of thin air without any reading material… You're a prodigy!" Shaking his head in half-admiring disbelief, he quickly added, "Forget it. Your teacher has accumulated a decent stash over the years… Tomorrow, go to the study and grab what you want. The entire third shelf holds those books; it's far better than relying on pure imagination. You little rascal, you truly are something!" "No, Teacher, I was practicing!" "Understood!" Yuan Shuo nodded knowingly. "I said the exact same thing back in the day. My own teacher caught me red-handed, and I claimed I was practicing too. The routine is identical!" With that, he turned and walked out. *An old trick!* *When I was young, I lied to my master the exact same way. A boy caught in the act, facing absolute social ruin—it's only natural to deny it to the death.* Li Hao stared in dumbfounded disbelief. Soon, he shook his head in sheer exasperation. His teacher was truly… beyond words. It really was cultivation! What on earth was he thinking? *Lightning energy tempers the bones?* Li Hao couldn't be bothered to clear up the misunderstanding right now; his teacher would realize the truth eventually. At the moment, excitement coursed through him. What about wind energy? Time to keep experimenting! He quickly absorbed the wind energy. Its impact was far gentler than lightning, but once inside, it gave Li Hao the sensation that he was about to float away. A feeling of buoyancy! He neutralized it with the jade sword energy once more. This time, the refined wind energy circulated through his body. Li Hao observed and sensed it carefully for a while… yet felt no obvious change. However, he faintly detected a subtle difference. Standing up to test his movements, Li Hao's eyes lit up. "Wind energy… seems to make my body lighter!" Indeed. Where exactly it had integrated, Li Hao couldn't pinpoint. From his direct physical sensation, it had likely fused straight into his flesh—not by altering its structure, but by lightening his perceived weight. *In that case, my speed will be even faster!* Martial masters relied fundamentally on speed, power, and physical constitution. Those were the core pillars! The wind energy had almost certainly integrated directly into his physical form, making him light as a swallow. He immediately engaged his breathing technique and began executing the Bird Art! The Bird Art was the Five Animals Art's true technique of lightness. Li Hao moved his arms like a bird spreading its wings. In the past, his execution had resembled an old hen flapping about frantically. But this time, Li Hao felt a distinct difference… his body was lighter, and with a single glide, he propelled himself a noticeable distance forward. Li Hao's eyes gleamed with delight! Wind energy was magnificent! If he absorbed enough to thoroughly refine his physique, he might truly be able to take flight. If that happened, he would be able to contend with airborne supernaturals on equal footing. *Lightning tempers the bones, wind lightens the frame, and the five elements strengthen the internal organs…* Li Hao had a hunch that when his martial path reached great heights, it would prove far more well-rounded than that of supernaturals, with far fewer weaknesses and shortcomings. At the very least, unlike fire supernaturals whose power plummeted in the rain, he wouldn't be hobbled by the weather! That night, excitement kept Li Hao drilling the Bird Art over and over, bumping into the training room walls until his head was covered in bruises. In the next room, Yuan Shuo couldn't stop shaking his head. *That foolish boy. The Bird Art isn't something you can just casually use.* Under normal circumstances, one could barely perform the Bird Art upon reaching the peak of the Hundred-Breaker realm, pairing it with spirit intent to glide through the air. Even then, it wasn't as effective as supernatural flight; one could flutter a few hundred meters at most before being forced back to the ground. Still, since Li Hao wanted to learn, Yuan Shuo didn't bother discouraging him. Li Hao had no desire to sleep that night, and Yuan Shuo rarely slept much either. The old master spent half the night staring at the third shelf of his bookcase. The thought that Li Hao might haul them all away tomorrow made him feel genuinely reluctant. After a long internal struggle, he pulled a yellowed, dog-eared volume from the third shelf and tucked it away in another hiding spot, letting out a sigh of relief. The rest could go to his disciple! As for this single volume, he had read it constantly since his youth; he truly couldn't bear to part with it.