Martial Peak

Hearing the voice’s words, Yang Kai darkened. Without any hesitation, Yang Kai raised his fist and accelerated it towards the skeleton and shrieked, “Wishful thinking!”

How many years have passed since this man had died? When the blow Yang Kai’s fist impacted the skeleton, it effortlessly passed through its bones and shattered them into dust. Yang Kai did not waver from the seeming simplicity of the fight. Instead, he turned to be more vigilant.

“Enough. You may have been right, but you chose the wrong skeleton to attack!” The voice complacently gibed as the bead suddenly dimmed and an illusionary face emerged from the bead, brimming with Black Qi. The face looked terrifying; as though it was an evil spirit with little to no concern for life, as though it killed anything it wanted without blinking an eye.

The Immortal Soul was not inside the skeleton. It was inside the bead that created light!

Yang Kai was about to strike the menacing bead, but the new face opened its mouth as a piercing howl deafened Yang Kai. It made his mind feel like it was pierced with a million needles!

Yang Kai knew then that the skeleton did not lie. The result of the attack by the skeleton is only one piece of evidence of possibly countless more that proves his ability to forcefully take his body from him.

While the Immortal Soul continued to seep into Yang Kai’s body, he heard a maniacal laughter from his own chest.

Yang Kai’s body grew stiff and trembled with the struggle as he speedily lost control over it.

“Ha! Ignorant young boy, it was delusional to think that you can resist me. Watch as I wipe away your consciousness and occupy your body!” Chortled the invasive voice that now came from Yang Kai’s guts.

Yang Kai was startled, but he had no intention of yielding.

“Yes… Your body is, unfortunately, quite weak. I will use it to seek a better and stronger body later. Do not worry, when I have taken it from you, any hatred you may feel towards others will be settled by me. Just be obedient and stop resisting. It will save you the pain and save me the time!”

“Dream on!” Yang Kai thought.

“Why do you still revolt? It is good fortune to be liked by this old man. Why are you not content?” The face heard Yang Kai’s voice from within his heart and smiled. “Since you are not willing to concede, this old man has no choice but to erase your consciousness. You will realise how painful it is to have your consciousness wiped away. No average man can handle such pain and remain normal.”

Yang Kai’s head suddenly felt like it was hit by a sledgehammer. The pain was a million times as before. It was excruciating, so much that Yang Kai let out a shrill and ear-splitting screech! His clothes quickly turned damp from his sweat and his body convulsed like a seizure.

“Since you were who chose to suffer, you have no right to complain,” The old man snorted.

Yang Kai could feel his consciousness fade away like a waterfall flowing. His vision would flicker as he endured the pain. His eyes turned bloodshot as the boy held on, unwilling to give up.

“What?” The old man sounded off in surprise. “You are still able to resist me. How strange…”

While the old man spoke, Yang Kai could feel his own bones transmitting a warm sensation as his own Immortal Soul slowly stabilised. The pain was also greatly reduced.

Suddenly, a huge suction occurred in his mind.

“What is this?” The old man was struck by panic and squealed with confusion. “What is this?! This is not what I wanted! Nooo!”

The old man’s pitiful yell slowly fades as Yang Kai regained the senses in his mind. He could feel that something was inbued into his golden bones.

When the pain vanished and Yang Kai could feel his body again, he took a deep, long breath.

The Immortal Soul attack lasted only for ten seconds, but to Yang Kai it felt like a century. Putting up such resistance against the Immortal Soul attack only emboldened Yang Kai’s willpower.

A sad and miserable voice could be heard, and like a mouse meeting a cat, the shivering and frightened voice profusely begged for mercy.

When Yang Kai noticed the golden bones within his body, he found a face now within them, filled with nothing but fear.

“Young hero. Great young hero, this old man made a mistake. Please forgive me and let me leave and I will never do this again.” The old man sounded desperate as he pleaded. The old man did not know what happened to him, but could feel eyes filled with evil staring at him, waiting to devour him; just like how a ravenous neanderthal would stare at a delicious meal.

Yang Kai’s looked strange.

The last time he was in the Nine Yin Mountain, the golden bones absorbed half of the Nine Yin Congealing Yuan Nectar and stored it within himself, waiting to be used for when Yang Kai breaks through the True Element Boundary.

Today, the golden bones managed to absorb the old man!

Although Yang Kai knew that the golden bones were capable of absorbing energies besides Yang Attribute, he had not imagined that it was even remotely capable of absorbing others’ Immortal Soul!

The Immortal Souls of cultivators is also considered to be energy. In fact, they made almost entirely of energy. With regards to the golden bones, it should come as no surprise that such energy could be easily absorbed.

While the voice continued to beg and wail, Yang Kai revolves True Yang Secret Arts slowly. During the process, the old man began to feel his whole Immortal Soul burn with scorching, pure energy.

The old man pitifully exclaimed, “What are you doing? Stop. Please!”

Hearing a slight response from his voice, the old man knew then that Yang Kai was experimenting.

“Young Hero, please don’t do this. You will only be extinguishing my Immortal Soul…”

Yang Kai was dauntless. He continued to revolve True Yang Secret Art. As time passed, the pleading voice dwindled and became softer and weaker. The old man implored Yang Kai for the entirety of the revolving. He dared not stop, in hopes that Yang Kai would change his mind.

As he estimated, Yang Kai soon stopped revolving and returned his focus to the golden body.

“Many thanks, gracious Young Hero, for showing mercy!” The old man waited for some time to restore his Yuan Qi and shuddered with fear while expressing his gratitude.

It seems that he had become the opposite of what he was; from a robust, strong-willed man to a delicate flower; weak and fragile.

“What benefits would sparing you reap for me?” Yang Kai sniggered.

Since Yang Kai almost crossed the doorway to death, it was only fair that this Old Man experienced a taste of his own medicine.

Yang Kai did not wish to keep this old man with him. In the short amount of time they have met, Yang Kai could tell that he was as evil as the foulest demon. Yang Kai was fortunate that the old man’s strength was low; otherwise, he would have likely been dead.

The thought of absorbing and essentially devouring such an abhorrent character disgusted Yang Kai to his very core.

“Benefits? There are of course benefits!” The old man rapidly replied, knowing that his explanation was crucial.

“Speak, then,” Yang Kai calmly queried.

“I do not know what benefit this Young Hero wishes for. What do you want?” The old man poked.

“Em?” Yang Kai responded, having expected a better reply.

“Young Hero, do not misunderstand! I have been dead for numerous years. Sealed in this place to only be awakened for a few days. With my extensive experience, I can certainly deliver benefits. Please, just give me a moment to recollect,” the old man corrected himself as he twitched with pangs of fear.

Yang Kai waited silently and patiently, knowing full that the old man spoke truthfully.

Moments after, the old man cried out in pleasant surprise. “Young Hero, I just remembered that at your present strength, you will need some high-level defensive Martial Skills. Please wait a moment and I’ll deliver one to you.”

“Oh?” Yang Kai straightened his body and enthusiastically promised, “I will circle your life if you bring me a satisfying Martial Skill.”

Hearing his words, the old man relaxes and quickly follows, “I will certainly make you satisfied. All the Martial Skills I know are at least of Mystery Rank.”

Yang Kai’s breathing spurred. Martial Skills were divided into ranks. From the lowest grade to the best grade: Earth Grade, Heaven Grade, Mystery Grade, Spirit Grade and finally Saint Grade. Naturally, as the grade scales so does the rarity of the Martial Skill. Even in the Great Han Dynasty, there were only a handful of Mystery Ranked Martial Skills!

A few days ago, Yang Kai had risked his life with Lan Chudie, taking much time and effort to obtain an Earth Grade Martial Skill. To think they were all satisfied with the grade of their hard work. But how could an Earth Grade compare to a Mystery Grade Martial Skill?

The Old Man could see the hope and delight plastering Yang Kai’s face, and slackened. He knew that in order to live, he had to please the boy. As a few minutes passed, the Old Man spoke slowly, “The Martial Skill is called Devouring Hearts.”

Yang Kai’s raised a brow in interest.

“It is simple to cultivate this Martial Skill. Every day for a hundred days, you must eat the hearts of three children and build up the blood. You will then achieve the Small Accomplishment Stage of Devouring Hearts, but this stage is more than enough to kill enemies by bursting their blood vessels!” The old man confidently promoted.

To the old man’s dismay, however, Yang Kai’s face turned black and sour. “This skill is unacceptable!” Yang Kai cut rudely into the Old Man’s explanation, disallowing him to continue.

“Okay, there’s another Martial Skill called Fallen Red.”

Yang Kai nodded. The name of this Martial Skill was nice and poetic. It must certainly be something graceful and majestic.

The Old Man smiled. “It’s even easier to cultivate this Martial Skill. All you need to do is to mate with a virgin maiden and collect her first drop of virgin blood. As long as you can collect female blood, you can cultivate this Martial Skill in almost any setting. Furthermore, the higher the maiden’s cultivation level, the faster your cultivation. If you just accumulate the virgin blood of a hundred females, you will undoubtedly achieve the Big Accomplishment Stage! Young Hero, you are both formidable and majestic. Spending a night with 10 virgin maidens a day should be a simple task for you. In just a mere 10 days, you can reach the Big Accomplishment Stage!”

Yang Kai looked uncertain and questioned, “Isn’t this just simply gathering Yin energy to supplement the growth of Yang Energy?”

“Yes! Young Hero is clever and knowledgeable! This is gathering Yin to supplement Yang.”

“Another one!”

The old man sank but continued at the thought of his life hanging in the balance. “The next Martial Skill is called Love Fist.”

“Another one!”

“No, another!!”

The Old Man’s was perplexed. If he had hands and skin, he would be nervously wiping sweat off his forehead right now. All these Martial Skills were, astonishingly, not to the tastes of Yang Kai.

To cultivate such evil was the same as waiting to be struck by lightning!