Chapter 12

Zheng Shiying continued along the mountain path. When he passed the Martial Arts Pavilion, he saw many new disciples being led by senior disciples into the pavilion.

"Remember, I heard from the elders in the family that every disciple who enters the Xuanming Sect has the opportunity to enter the Martial Arts Pavilion to view the secret manuals. Since I'm passing by, I might as well go in and take a look..." Zheng Shiying, supporting his chin, thought to himself. Zheng Song would definitely cause him trouble, so he couldn't waste time and needed to choose a manual first.

The guardian of the Martial Arts Pavilion was a lazy old man who leaned against the door frame, squinting his eyes.

He paid no attention to those entering the pavilion, but only slightly opened his eyes when someone who had taken a manual walked past him, glanced at the manual, and then closed his eyes again.

From the introductions given by senior disciples from other families, Zheng Shiying knew that new disciples only had the right to choose manuals on the first floor.

To enter the second and third floors, one would have to show good performance in the future.

Zheng Shiying picked up a manual, flipped through it, and then put it down.

There were many palm techniques, fist techniques, claw techniques, hand techniques, and leg techniques for Zheng Shiying to choose from.

Among them, "Vajra Palm," "Rock-Crushing Fist," "Purple Light Claw," "Mountain-Opening Hand," and "Iron Whip Leg" were all particularly powerful, but Zheng Shiying understood what he needed now.

Given Zheng Song's character, he wouldn't let him off easily.

To seek revenge, he had to first ensure his own survival! Therefore, he needed to practice a technique that could save his life.

As he wandered among the bookshelves, he kept looking for such techniques.

After turning one bookshelf after another, Zheng Shiying did not find any techniques that could save his life.

"Could it be that such techniques are only available on the second floor?"

Having almost searched through all the bookshelves, he couldn't help but look upstairs.

"Huh?" As he raised his head, he suddenly saw a manual covered in dust on the top of a bookshelf.

He walked to the bookshelf, reached out, and took the manual, brushing off the dust. The words "Eight Desolate Steps" appeared before his eyes.

"Eight Desolate Steps, one step covers eight desolates!"

Zheng Shiying was quickly attracted by the annotation on it.

"Eight Desolate Steps is a unique technique created by the sect's cultivation fanatic, Old Xue, combining the advantages of various techniques and the human body structure through meditation. When practiced to perfection, it can instantly kill any other technique. It is the best technique for survival and killing."

Seeing the last line of small print, Zheng Shiying's eyes lit up, "The best technique for survival and killing? Isn't this exactly what I need?"

He continued reading the conditions for practicing "Eight Desolate Steps."

It clearly stated that "Eight Desolate Steps" was not something everyone could practice. One needed an extremely strong body and a large amount of healing medicines to practice it; otherwise, it would be a waste of time.

Practicing "Eight Desolate Steps" was very likely to cause injuries! It was a force that exceeded the body's limits! Anyone who practiced it would definitely get injured! Without expensive healing medicines, one would need to rest for a month after each injury, making it almost impossible to complete the practice.

Even its creator, Old Xue, could not practice "Eight Desolate Steps" to a level commensurate with his cultivation realm.

As a result, in terms of techniques, he was clearly inferior to those of the same realm who practiced other techniques.

"Once practiced well, it's a good technique; if not, it's a useless technique. No wonder no one practices it."

Zheng Shiying understood. Ordinary people, after understanding this, would naturally choose to give up.

"Zheng Yang beat me to a pulp, and I could recover in the shortest time! My soul seed..." Zheng Shiying's heart suddenly raced, and his breathing became rapid. "Although I don't have a large amount of healing medicines, my newly born soul seed is even better than healing medicines!"

After putting it away, Zheng Shiying didn't look at any other manuals and walked towards the door with large strides.

As he passed the lazy old man, the old man habitually half-opened his eyes and glanced at the manual in Zheng Shiying's hand.

After a glance, he habitually closed his eyes and muttered, "New disciples can't pick out any good manuals. 'Eight Desolate Steps'...?"

"'Eight Desolate Steps?'" Repeating this, he suddenly opened his eyes and sized up Zheng Shiying.

Zheng Shiying smiled and nodded at him.

Seeing that Zheng Shiying wasn't arrogant like a spoiled rich kid, he warned, "You can't practice it. Choose another one."

Zheng Shiying bowed in gratitude and replied, "Thank you for your advice, Senior. Whether I can practice it or not, I want to try."

The old man pointed at the bookshelf behind Zheng Shiying and advised, "Since you're a new disciple and don't know the rules, I'll give you a chance. Once a manual from the Martial Arts Pavilion is borrowed, you can't come back to exchange it for another one within a month. Go and choose another one quickly."

"No." Zheng Shiying shook his head, thanked the old man, and stepped out of the Martial Arts Pavilion.

The old man shook his head and sighed, looking at Zheng Shiying's back as he left, muttering, "The manual is indeed powerful, but you have to be able to practice it. No one in the sect has ever truly practiced it. So many healing medicines could be better used to enhance cultivation."

After sighing, the old man squinted his eyes again.

After leaving the Martial Arts Pavilion, Zheng Shiying learned from a senior disciple that new disciples were free before the new disciple assessment.

As long as they didn't disrupt the order of the sect, the sect would not interfere with their lives.

The purpose of this was clear: to give new disciples more time to practice so they could pass the new disciple assessment.

Other new disciples, with the help of senior disciples, were taken to the senior disciples' residences to practice together.

Zheng Shiying found a place where no one would disturb him and began practicing "Eight Desolate Steps."

"Eight Desolate Steps, one step covers eight desolates!"

Once practiced to perfection, each use would only leave a trail of afterimages, or nothing at all.

Of course, using this technique would also greatly strain the body's organs! Or rather, it would cause damage!

Only those with an extremely strong body and a large amount of healing medicines could shorten the practice time. Otherwise, it would take at least a hundred days to take the first step.

In a sense, "Eight Desolate Steps" was a technique that required a large amount of healing medicines to practice! It was said that even the relatives of the sect leader couldn't provide so many resources!

Following the practice method, Zheng Shiying slightly spread his legs, sank his qi to the dantian, and as his center of gravity dropped, the spiritual energy in his body rushed to his legs like a boulder rolling down a mountain.

"Raise the leg, sprint!"

The legs, swollen with spiritual energy, seemed about to burst, uncontrollably drawing an arc in the air, causing a series of impacts.

Zheng Shiying felt a blackness before his eyes and appeared dozens of meters away. When he opened his eyes, he was already sitting on the ground.

His legs trembled continuously, his heart beat as if it would jump out, and his blood surged to his head, as if trying to burst it.

Headache, dizziness, weakness, palpitations, and body tremors!

His body felt as if it was being drained, his face becoming increasingly pale, and his legs were completely stained with blood!

The explosive power of "Eight Desolate Steps"... was too strong! Although Zheng Shiying was prepared, he was still shocked by his first practice. He spread his arms and lay on the ground.

"Thump, thump!"

His soul seed beat rhythmically. With each beat, the spiritual liquid in his organs turned into spiritual energy, entering his cells through the cell walls.

Nourished by the spiritual energy, the damaged organs gradually healed. In a short while, the open wounds began to close at a visible speed.

When they were completely healed, Zheng Shiying's body returned to the state before he took that step.

Standing up, recalling the heavy reactions when he fell, he couldn't help but smile, "Just as I thought, my body's recovery is enough to support me in practicing 'Eight Desolate Steps'!"

He practiced "Eight Desolate Steps" again in the same way.

Rushing out, his organs ruptured, he fell to the ground, his soul seed beat, his body was healed, and then he sprinted again, getting injured again...

This cycle repeated countless times.

On the fifth day, when Zheng Shiying rushed out again, he didn't collapse on the ground as before but stood steadily dozens of meters away.

His face was extremely pale, and his heart beat abnormally fast, but he no longer felt the previous exhaustion, pain, and weakness.

After a moment, his pale face turned rosy due to the beating of his soul seed, and his heartbeat returned to normal.

Feeling the changes in his body, he knew that he had successfully taken the first step of "Eight Desolate Steps"!

"Again!" Zheng Shiying, filled with joy, took another step.

"Whoosh!"

A series of afterimages flashed, and he appeared dozens of meters away without any signs of strain!

"In just