Chapter 18: The Art of Attack

After several hours, Xu Daoyan finished his cultivation and felt an unprecedented emptiness in his stomach, an extreme hunger he had never experienced before.

"My stomach is so empty, what's going on?" This was a hunger that made his eyes blur and his legs feel weak.

"Ha ha, you cultivated your heart, which nourished your small intestine. The small intestine digests the food in your body, transforming it into strength that flows into your bloodstream, nourishing your entire body. Now that you're hungry, it means your body needs nutrients. Of course, you need to eat. If you don't replenish your nutrients in time and continue to cultivate, you'll soon become a dried-up husk!" The old beggar tossed a few roasted sweet potatoes to Xu Daoyan.

He devoured them in a few bites, but it wasn't enough to satisfy his hunger. The old beggar, prepared for this, gave Xu Daoyan several roasted mountain chickens and wild rabbits. Xu Daoyan chewed and swallowed even the bones. If it were anyone else, they would have had digestion problems, but with his small intestine nourished by his heart, Xu Daoyan's digestive ability was extremely strong, so he had no such worries.

After eating, his mouth was greasy, but he still felt ravenous. The old beggar shrugged and said, "No more food left. Didn't you bring a lot of horses? Hehe..."

Xu Daoyan had no choice but to kill a large horse, drag it into the forest, and roast it. He ate the entire horse, bones and all, before the hunger finally subsided. After eating, he stood up and ran into the forest.

"Hey, hey, you're just going to run off after eating, huh? You should continue cultivating!" The old beggar watched Xu Daoyan with a grin.

"I need to relieve myself!" Xu Daoyan ran into the bushes and, after a moment, returned with his pants pulled up, looking very relieved.

"Ha ha, how do you feel?" The old beggar had anticipated this and smiled brightly.

"I feel very comfortable, very refreshed, and my whole body is full of energy!" Xu Daoyan patted his stomach, satisfied with his physical condition.

"Cultivating your heart also nourishes your small intestine, which can better digest the food in your body and expel impurities. With your appetite, you'll need to relieve yourself at least twice a day," the old beggar said, smiling.

Xu Daoyan's mouth twitched, but he continued to cultivate. Indeed, by evening, after eating another horse, he had to relieve himself again. If Wu Shi saw his appetite, she would be shocked.

Every evening, Xu Daoyan would release Zhang Chao, Qin Han, and Wang Shi from the Ghost-Binding Bag to cultivate, and put them back during the day.

After seven days of cultivation, he finally reached the peak of the Sixth Rank Lower Grade, at 410 years old, making rapid progress.

Sixth Rank Lower Grade: 210 to 410 years old.

Sixth Rank Middle Grade: 410 to 610 years old.

Sixth Rank Upper Grade: 610 to 810 years old.

At this point, Xu Daoyan's appetite increased, and he needed to eat three horses a day to satisfy his hunger, relieving himself three times a day.

Without a doubt, his strength had increased, and his physical body was stronger than ever before.

Every day, the old beggar would explain to Xu Daoyan what fire was.

Fire is the origin of civilization. It is said that long ago, humans ate raw meat and drank blood. Their lifespans were shorter because the raw food contained many impurities that damaged their internal organs and disrupted their balance. Fire could burn away these impurities and harmful substances, and also release nutrients, allowing humans to eat cooked food and live longer.

But how did fire come about? It was through the method of drilling wood to produce fire, which originated from wood. Therefore, the old beggar emphasized the importance of cultivating the liver.

With the appearance of fire, humans could melt minerals, extract metals, and create tools and weapons. With these tools, humans could resist natural disasters and attacks from other tribes and fierce beasts, gradually developing and advancing to the present day.

Each explanation gave Xu Daoyan a deeper understanding. He never imagined that fire could have so many implications.

On the tenth day, the old beggar began to teach Xu Daoyan a technique, a technique of the heart.

"Ha ha, what kind of technique are you going to teach me this time?" Xu Daoyan was very excited, filled with anticipation and eagerness. He couldn't always rely on the Spring Rain Technique for close combat.

"I'll teach you how to form seals." The old beggar sat cross-legged, his expression serious.

Xu Daoyan sat opposite the old beggar, showing great respect and focusing intently.

The old beggar gathered his spirit, and his hands moved gracefully, each movement creating a dreamlike trajectory. Xu Daoyan felt as if a blazing sun was in front of him, radiating intense heat.

"This is the Flame Sun Seal. If you encounter evil spirits, form this seal, and ordinary ghosts will not dare to invade. The defensive seal can protect your body, and the offensive seal can defeat your enemies. Try it."

Xu Daoyan took a deep breath, mimicking the old beggar's movements, gathering his spirit, and focusing his mind. In a moment, he formed the Flame Sun Seal, drawing on the abundant growth energy in his heart. If not for the old beggar's guidance, the energy would have been quickly depleted.

"Hmm, not bad, you learned it quickly, not too stupid!" The old beggar's words were ambiguous, neither clearly praising nor criticizing Xu Daoyan.

"The defensive seal focuses on internal energy, while the offensive seal focuses on external energy. Remember to concentrate your energy at a single point and release it. Its power is immense, but remember, the Flame Sun Seal is most effective against ghosts and spirits, not humans." The old beggar formed the Flame Sun Seal, his aura powerful and overwhelming, heat waves sweeping through the forest, causing the trees to sway violently. With a fierce cry, he struck upward.

A beam of golden light shot into the sky, tearing through the clouds.

Xu Daoyan watched and immediately formed the offensive Flame Sun Seal. The growth energy swirled around him, creating heat waves, but his power was much weaker compared to the old beggar's. Focusing his mind, he gathered the growth energy and, with a fierce cry, struck out, leaving an imprint on the ground.

"I'm getting the hang of it!" Xu Daoyan was delighted. Although this technique was primarily for attacking spirits, it was better than nothing, and he had gained a deeper understanding of both the defensive and offensive seals.

"Ha ha, practice on your own. When you reach a certain level, I'll teach you more advanced techniques!" The old beggar disappeared after saying this.

Over the next three days, Xu Daoyan continued to absorb summer energy, channeling it into his heart to transform it into growth energy, nourishing his heart.

At the same time, he practiced the Flame Sun Seal, gaining a deeper understanding.

During this period, he felt his heart's strength growing, and his overall strength increasing without him even realizing it.

His current strength was incomparable to what it was before.

Seeing that Xu Daoyan had mastered the Flame Sun Seal and could control the growth energy perfectly, the old beggar taught him another technique.

"This technique is called the Heart Lamp Technique. It involves lighting a lamp in your heart, which can prevent you from being confused. If an enemy tries to use illusions on you, you can use the Heart Lamp Technique to maintain your clarity of mind and remain conscious. Most illusions will not be able to deceive you." The old beggar imparted the cultivation method, which entered Xu Daoyan's mind.

Xu Daoyan felt a jolt, and the method for forming the Heart Lamp Technique flowed into his consciousness. He closed his eyes slowly.

From his heart, the growth energy, under his mental control, transformed into a flame, burning brightly within him.

The moment it ignited, Xu Daoyan felt an unprecedented clarity of mind, as if all the muddiness had been dispelled, and he became wiser. He could now see through the hidden plots in the events he had experienced.

The Heart Lamp Technique enhanced his mental, spiritual, and willpower, breaking through illusions.

Cultivating the Heart Lamp Technique, Xu Daoyan deeply felt the old beggar's strength. This technique would surely be very useful in the future.

Another ten days passed, and the old beggar, seeing that Xu Daoyan had mastered the Heart Lamp Technique, said, "Alright, next, I'll teach you a technique for combat."

Xu Daoyan's eyes lit up. The Flame Sun Seal was for attacking spirits, which he rarely needed, and the Heart Lamp Technique was for resisting illusions, keeping him clear-minded. But the next technique the old beggar would teach him was for actual combat, enhancing his fighting power. How could Xu Daoyan not be excited?

"Great, teach me quickly!"

Xu Daoyan had been looking forward to this for a long time. Mastering a combat technique would greatly enhance his fighting ability.

"Previously, you cultivated your liver, and now you are cultivating your heart. The growth energy is much more explosive than the summer energy, making it suitable for this fist technique." The old beggar pointed at Xu Daoyan's forehead, and the combat technique appeared in his mind.

Xu Daoyan closed his eyes, and a stream of light flowed through his mind. He practiced the technique in his mind for two hours until he felt proficient, then began to perform it.

From his heart, the dense growth energy condensed, forming a hot current that enveloped his fists.

With each punch, Xu Daoyan unleashed a wave of heat, the wind roaring.

"Hmm, not bad. This combat technique is called the Heart Fire Fist."

The heart is fire, burning fiercely. Drawing on the fire in your heart to attack your enemies, the ultimate goal is to have no fire in your heart but fire in your hands.

"Master, can you demonstrate it for me?" Xu Daoyan looked at the old beggar with eager eyes.

"You little rascal! Fine, I'll show you a punch." The old beggar saw through Xu Daoyan's intentions, knowing he wanted to learn from the demonstration.

As he demonstrated, he explained, "In combat, you must not be hasty, but you must be quick and precise. Once anger consumes your heart, you lose your rationality, and your strength diminishes. Fighting relies on the heart. Fire is a fierce element; if you have fire in your heart, it will harm you. If you have fire in your hands, you can use it to harm your enemies..."

As the old beggar finished speaking, he struck a punch. A hundred paces away, a rock several meters high was engulfed in flames and melted into lava.

Seeing this, Xu Daoyan couldn't help but gasp. The Heart Fire Fist was truly terrifying.

"Alright, you figure it out on your own!" The old beggar smiled and disappeared.

"Having no fire in the heart but fire in the hands..." Xu Daoyan pondered these words. The Heart Fire Fist would be his main combat technique in the days to come.