Chapter 21

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Turtle and Snake Collide with the Mountain!

This is the third move of the Seven Styles of Turtle and Snake Fist, and it is also the most powerful and straightforward of the seven styles, with no frills, only the force accumulated over time.

A turtle over a hundred years old does more than just hibernate; it consumes vast amounts of blood and qi, and this deep sleep can last for several years. When it awakens, its shell and bones grow, and its strength increases significantly, making it unrecognizable from its former self.

Huff!

At the same time, Su Qinnian's blood boiled, and the air behind him distorted as a fiery red horse tore through layers of space and descended.

Thud!

The fist and the bear's paw collided, producing a sound like a war drum. A fierce wind centered on the two of them swept in all directions.

Crack!

In that instant, every bone in Su Qinnian's body vibrated. The strength of a large bear that had hibernated for years was indeed terrifying, surpassing that of a fiery horse. However, since the bear was hibernating, its blood and qi had diminished. Otherwise, Su Qinnian might not have been so relaxed. Now, although his bones were under immense pressure, he was not injured.

In a split second, he did not retract his fist but transformed it into a palm, circling along the joints of the bear's paw. His arms moved, and his legs slightly bent, making him appear several inches shorter.

Sudden Traction!

The half-ten-foot-tall blind bear was caught off guard, leaning forward, staggering, and drooling.

Wind Circulation and Water Seating!

The fourth move of the Turtle and Snake Fist is profound. If the first three moves emphasize the accumulation of blood and qi and the power of the fist, then from the fourth move onward, it gradually incorporates the principles of Wudang Tai Chi, balancing yin and yang, using four ounces to move a thousand pounds, and transforming the hardest into the softest.

As the bear staggered, just before it could strike, the traction in Su Qinnian's hands formed a large circle, returning to his fists. Even the bear's strength was partially transferred, converging into a powerful force.

Sigh!

The fiery red horse neighed, its mane growing red as fire, and its hooves solidifying, large as bowls. The entire horse body suddenly swelled, becoming as red as fresh blood.

Sweat-Blooded Treasure Horse!

This transfer and borrowing of strength, leveraging the situation, caused the strength in Su Qinnian's arms to surge. The fiery horse behind him evolved into a true sweat-blooded treasure horse.

The strength of a sweat-blooded treasure horse is formidable, capable of carrying a thousand pounds, far surpassing even lions, tigers, and bears. It is a true treasure horse.

With the strength of the sweat-blooded treasure horse, Su Qinnian's eyes shone brightly, and his bones vibrated. Suddenly, he felt enlightened, closed his eyes, and his mental energy spread, making the bear's movements appear incredibly slow. The various changes from transforming his fist into a palm and leveraging the situation were vividly replayed in his mind.

As the changes in the move were about to end, Su Qinnian's fist changed, and the fifth move of the Turtle and Snake Fist flowed naturally.

Undercurrent Surge!

This punch was silent, but the air around it distorted.

Puff!

A light sound, no grand momentum, but the blind bear's fierce gaze suddenly froze, and its massive body came to a halt.

Standing with his fist retracted, Su Qinnian stared at the bear's chest, where a clear fist mark was visible. Although it looked normal, Su Qinnian knew that the internal organs beneath the skin had been displaced and even shattered by the hidden force of the punch.

Sure enough, after a few breaths, the bear's gaze gradually dimmed, and its life force dissipated. Ten breaths later, it fell to the ground, ceasing to breathe.

Taking a deep breath, Su Qinnian's body was enveloped in a mist, as a large amount of sweat evaporated. Although the battle lasted only about twenty breaths, the danger was far greater than any previous encounter. Su Qinnian had placed himself in a life-or-death situation, confronting the bear head-on. Even a slight miscalculation at the beginning would have resulted in injury, leaving no chance for a comeback.

"Without effort, there is no gain. By risking my life, I gained insight and finally broke through the barrier, achieving perfection in the fifth level of the Turtle and Snake Technique."

Su Qinnian's eyes were intense. The fifth move of the Turtle and Snake Fist, named Undercurrent Surge, indeed had a soft and hidden force. Using it for the first time, he killed a large bear. Su Qinnian believed that if he used other moves, even with the bear's thick skin and tough flesh, it would take dozens of punches to kill it.

"Still a bit lacking!"

Immediately, Su Qinnian stepped forward, his palm like a knife, and cut into the bear's chest, retrieving a fist-sized bear gallbladder.

The bear gallbladder was steaming hot, and Su Qinnian frowned slightly but then relaxed. In the deep mountains, there were no such luxuries; the most important thing was to strengthen himself.

He swallowed the bear gallbladder, which contained the purest blood and qi of the bear, and a powerful surge of blood and qi erupted in his body, seeping into his skin and muscles, and finally enveloping his 206 bones, slowly permeating.

Another series of crackling sounds, but different from earlier, these sounds were continuous, clear, and loud.

Bone Strengthening like Firecrackers, Continuous as a Line in the Sky!

With the surge of blood and qi, the fifth level of the Turtle and Snake Technique, which focused on bone strengthening, finally reached perfection and began to advance to the sixth level.

However, at this point, further improvement was not so easy. Currently, Su Qinnian only had a basic understanding of the sixth level of the Turtle and Snake Technique, and many aspects were unverified. He could not easily practice it, as it might damage his bones and tendons, resulting in more harm than good.

Finally, he glanced at the bear's corpse. Although it was a pity that there was still a lot of hot blood, Su Qinnian understood that he could not be too greedy. Compared to true demonic beasts, drinking a large amount of bear blood had already burdened his internal organs. Further consumption would affect his actions. Moreover, with the fifth level of the Turtle and Snake Technique now perfected, it would be difficult to advance to the sixth level in the short term. Even if he absorbed more blood and qi, without the necessary level of cultivation, it would be difficult to integrate it into his body.

Huff!

His movements became faster, his mental energy grasping the surroundings. Even in the ancient forest with twisted trees and overgrown branches, he moved as if on flat ground.

Half an hour later.

Su Qinnian stopped, his heart stirred as he looked into the distance, and a figure flashed by.

In the past half hour, he had already discovered at least five figures, none of whom were from his own逍遥谷 (Xiaoyao Valley). They all wore gray Taoist robes, seemingly disciples of the outer court.

However, the most important thing was that the five figures Su Qinnian had observed in the past half hour were all heading in the same direction, and they were all extremely cautious. If not for Su Qinnian's improved mental energy and enhanced vision, he might not have noticed them.

...

Half an incense stick later.

This was a secluded and quiet valley, about thirty yards in diameter, not very large. Unlike the outside, which was covered in snow, this place was filled with green light. There was an ancient osmanthus tree, which could be embraced by four or five people, seemingly having lived for a long time, with twisted roots forming a small grove.

In addition to the ancient osmanthus tree, there was a spring pond about six yards wide. The water at the edge of the pond gushed out, steaming hot, clearly a hot spring from underground.

Huff!

At this moment, two figures appeared, entering the valley. They were two young Taoist priests, both around eighteen or nineteen years old.

The two were very cautious, looking around after entering the valley, and only relaxed after a short while.

Approaching the ancient osmanthus tree, they lifted a thin layer of fallen leaves and saw a thin red rope, one end tied to the tree, the other to a root with six green palm-shaped leaves.

Wild Ginseng! Six-leaf!

The two looked at each other, both showing unmistakable excitement.

"It's our luck to find a wild ginseng that hasn't been collected and nurtured, and it's a six-leaf ginseng, which has grown for at least six years. Looking at the scales on the root, there are twenty-four ginseng scales, clearly indicating it has grown for thirty years."

A young Taoist priest with an ordinary appearance, small eyes, and a slightly plump build couldn't help but raise his fist in excitement. "We rarely get to handle such a thirty-year-old ginseng. Even the ginseng pills distributed monthly are mostly ten-year-old, just beginning to develop medicinal properties. In terms of essence and qi, they are far less than two-tenths of this old ginseng." (Please vote for me every day to boost my ranking, and please add me to your favorites. I apologize for the slow progress in researching ginseng, but I appreciate your support.)