Shen Wang nodded in agreement, but as for the situation here, it needed to be assessed further.
"I’m going to rest; don’t bother me if there’s nothing important."
Shen Wang didn’t linger outside for long.
Earlier, he had conducted a brief exploration and discovered that this place was just a regular household courtyard, without any cultivators. Chen Xian and others were disguised as ordinary martial artists.
Back in his room, he wasted no time, took out a Spirit Stone, and began cultivating directly.
Without going out for a meal, Chen Xian and the others didn’t disturb him either; he cultivated nonstop until the next day when the sun was high in the sky.
Barely having stabilized the sixth-layer Qi Cultivation, he found that normal cultivation seemed slow compared to system-assisted enhancement.
In fact, the effect of his half-day’s training was essentially offset by the expansion of his Dantian by one percent.
This time, without a system reward, Shen Wang felt somewhat unadjusted.
He shook his head, took out some dry food to eat, then took out the Vine Magical Artifact to nurture for a bit, and placed it along with some talismans into his sleeve, before stepping out of the room.
Chen Xian and the others seemed in no hurry; a few martial artists were still practicing in the courtyard. Li Yuanning was reading an ancient book, while Chen Xian sat cross-legged on the ground, with black energy swirling all over him.
Shen Wang’s gaze landed on Chen Xian. Although his name was gentle, his stature was rough and robust, and the cultivation technique he practiced was quite domineering.
At this moment, two streams of air resembling black snakes entered through his nose and slithered over his body, causing his muscles to pulse rhythmically, exuding a vibe of solid strength and containing an unusual explosive force.
"Is this the Dragon-Suppressing Force?"
Shen Wang thought of a Buddhist sect cultivation technique.
Most Buddhist sect techniques are quite dangerous; it is rumored that only those proficient in Buddhist techniques can practice them.
In other words, it means that those without enough willpower cannot train in them casually, as it is easy to get hurt.
In essence, the Buddhist path is much like the Demonic path, except Buddhists can control themselves, while the Demonic path is generally unrestrained.
However, the Dragon-Suppressing Force is different, as it doesn’t have strict requirements. With patience and endurance, one can achieve certain accomplishments.
Chen Xian likely trained in common techniques, and based on the phenomena observed, it seemed very much like the widespread Buddhist martial art, Dragon-Suppressing Force.
"Shen, you are indeed knowledgeable."
Li Yuanning closed the ancient book and smiled, "My older brother practices Dragon-Suppressing Force, a martial art mainly focusing on external skills. Upon cultivation, it renders the body impervious to blades and spears, while his strength becomes domineering. The black dragon currently coursing through his body is controlled and suppressed."
"A very good body refining technique."
Shen Wang nodded; he was currently in need of a similar technique, and this Dragon-Suppressing Force might be worth considering.
After all, this Dragon-Suppressing Force isn’t a unique cultivation technique of Lin Yuan Temple but is a widely circulated Buddhist martial art, so it was taught to named disciples by Lin Yuan Temple. If he wanted it, obtaining it shouldn’t be hard.
"Shen, your physical body is also quite powerful. My brother says your body strength is not inferior to his Black Dragon Treasure Body."
Li Yuanning implied with meaning; Shen Wang, during that day of running, didn’t just rely on a Light Body Talisman and body technique.
Shen Wang merely smiled; his Treasure Body was not something he could easily explain.
He couldn’t possibly tell others he achieved his Treasure Body by dual cultivating with a mysterious woman for one night, as that would sound too dramatic.
At this moment, Chen Xian finished suppressing the dragon and opened his eyes, a purple glint flashing across them.
Li Yuanning chuckled and said, "My brother’s Black Dragon is about to transform into a Purple Dragon. He’s indeed the most outstanding among the lay disciples of Lin Yuan Temple in the last century in cultivating the Dragon-Suppressing Force."
"Thirty years of hard training are about to transform into a Purple Dragon, but this step is too difficult and will require more time to settle."
Chen Xian shook his head without any arrogance, looked at Shen Wang, and said, "Younger Brother Shen, are you ready?"
Shen Wang felt slightly startled; it is rumored that practicing the Dragon-Suppressing Force is extremely difficult and painful. Without great perseverance, one cannot succeed.
This technique reportedly contains nine levels, corresponding to states of Black Dragon, Purple Dragon, Red Dragon, White Dragon, Yellow Dragon, Golden Dragon, Dragon Transformation, Divine Dragon, and Dragon Suppressing, a widely available Buddhist body refining technique. Cultivation to the Dragon Suppressing Realm is said to rival Immortal Gods.
Of course, the technique is exceedingly difficult, and outside the legendary Dragon-Suppressing Arhat who created it, no one has succeeded yet.
Being hopeful to cultivate to the Purple Dragon Realm is quite impressive for Chen Xian. If successful, he would surely gain recognition from Lin Yuan Temple, and his strength would be substantial, directly starting from the level of a Grandmaster.
"Then let’s proceed quickly."
Chen Xian grinned, his dark skin making his teeth appear exceptionally white.
Shen Wang also understood that his complexion wasn’t naturally dark but was caused by practicing the Dragon-Suppressing Force, absorbing Gold Attribute Spiritual Power, and even gathering Metal Essence.
"Perhaps I should learn this technique, relying on system rewards to enhance. Should I give it a try?"
Upon witnessing the effects of the Dragon-Suppressing Force, Shen Wang developed some interest in this technique.
However, it is rumored that this technique causes the practitioner’s body size to expand, altering their appearance for the worse. Chen Xian likely wasn’t originally this hefty or dark.
Never mind, Shen Wang decided to wait and see if there was a better alternative before committing to such a martial art.
What if he turned pitch black and scared his daughter?
As Shen Wang pondered, the group quickly entered the Kunyu Mountain.
The front peak reached a hundred zhang in height but then stretched endlessly into the depths of the range, with the rear peaks climbing significantly higher, sequentially stacking upward, with the highest point estimated to exceed a thousand zhang.
The mountains were mostly overgrown with weeds, browned and withered due to winter, and along the path, there were numerous pits, with many caved-in areas, hinting at their former status as mines.
After traveling over ten miles, the road familiar to villagers started to disappear. On a slope, a temple dedicated to the Mountain God stood, with incense sticks and offerings, showing that villagers from the foot of the mountain often came to pay homage.
Shen Wang sensed surrounding Spiritual Qi was sparse, with vitality being waned—a place unsuitable for both cultivators and ordinary people to reside.
The group accelerated their climbing; everyone was at least Mid-stage Qi Cultivation or an Innate Grandmaster, easily crossing the front peak, then surmounting a series of taller peaks, the altitude continuously increasing.
It was the depth of winter, the mountains were snow-covered, and the temperature dropped consistently. The group took an hour to traverse hundreds of miles to reach the highest point.
Here the wind was piercing, easily blowing people away. It was a place difficult for non-cultivators to reach.
Of course, while for mortals this thousand-zhang high mountain is daunting, for cultivators, it’s not as the world is full of ten-thousand-zhang peaks; these aren’t particularly extreme in comparison.
Counting the peaks crossed, Shen Wang realized they had traversed a total of eight, and ahead was simply a cliff on the other side of the mountain range.
"On the other side, a thousand miles away, should be the direction of Yun Province. Where is the cave mansion?"
"You’ll see it soon."
Chen Xian explained, a warm aura emanating from his entire body, forming a halo of heat.
Others were generally sweating on their foreheads, and among the Qi Cultivation cultivators like Ning Xia, they were drenched in sweat, panting heavily from the thousand-zhang climb and the hundred-mile trek, which was indeed quite exerting.
"I didn’t believe before when my brother said your physical body was strong, but now I do."
Lao Liu Hou Shangcai gave Shen Wang a thumbs up with added admiration. He was the one sweating profusely, while Shen Wang’s breath remained stable.
Shen Wang merely smiled, observing the surroundings.
This was the highest peak, with a sheer cliff ahead, as if something was missing.
The others watched him with meaningful gazes, not hurrying to disclose information Shen Wang was unaware of.
Noting they wanted to test him, Shen Wang carefully examined the surrounding mountain formations. Sensing something, he raised a hand and released a strand of Spiritual Power, causing the distant air to stir subtly.
As he was taken by surprise, the sun reached directly overhead, and the next moment, the mist before him shifted, revealing the outline of a mountain.