Chapter 6: Training the Foolish Third Generation

 At night, Xu Ying and the snake demon Yuan Qi hid in an abandoned temple on a rocky hill. Xu Ying started a campfire, while Yuan Qi huddled close to the flames to warm himself.

Snake demons disliked the cold; if they got too chilly, their blood and energy circulation would stagnate, leading them to stiffen and hibernate. Thus, Yuan Qi liked to stay near the fire at night.

Xu Ying offered him half a duck he’d brought, while he made do with some dry rations.

Wu Wang Mountain’s Qin Yan Cave wasn’t far; at their pace, they could reach it within a day. But along the way, they had encountered all sorts of demons and gods, as well as Nuo exorcists in pursuit, which had delayed their journey.

As twilight fell, Xu Ying wandered around the ruins. The temple was small, with a main hall up front. He couldn’t tell which deity was once worshipped here; there were no statues, not even an altar.

In the backyard was a pavilion with a tall, rusted bronze bell, over a man’s height, hanging inside.

Under the bronze bell was a hexagonal well. Looking down into its pitch-black depths, Xu Ying couldn’t see the bottom. Thick black iron chains hung along the well walls, each as wide as a person’s calf, with the other end descending into the well.

Xu Ying tugged at one of the chains, feeling its immense weight. The sound echoed from deep within the well.

“It seems the deity worshipped here has long since fled,” Xu Ying thought to himself.

Returning to the fire, he calmly regulated his breathing, channelling his blood and energy. “Yuan Qi,” he said, “I’ll teach you the nuances of the Elephant Strength Ox Demon Fist. Watch closely and compare it with the scripture.”

Yuan Qi eagerly lifted his head, observing Xu Ying as he demonstrated the Elephant Strength Ox Demon Fist, while simultaneously consulting the scripture by the firelight.

Wherever Xu Ying channelled his blood and energy, a glow would follow, as though a miniature sun illuminated his internal organs and every inch of his body. It looked as if light was flowing beneath his skin!

Yuan Qi frowned. “That’s not right. Did you mess up?”

The way Xu Ying channelled his blood and energy, transforming it into a miniature sun, was not recorded in the scriptures!

The old Niu family had practiced the Great Sun Guidance Art and the Elephant Strength Ox Demon Fist across three generations of snake demons. However, the version of the Elephant Strength Ox Demon Fist Xu Ying practiced was clearly something different!

As Xu Ying practiced the Elephant Strength Ox Demon Fist, the miniature sun within him grew brighter, causing a mist to rise from his head.

A faint metallic scent permeated the mist, which came from impurities being purged as the sun-forged his body.

The Taiyi Guidance Art’s Thunder Body Purification had already expelled most impurities from Xu Ying’s body, yet the sun-forging process reached depths the thunder couldn’t, showing that the Great Sun Guidance Art had its own distinct advantages!

However, Yuan Qi flipped through the scripture in frustration, finding no mention of this sun-forging method.

“Stop looking. The sun-forging method was something I comprehended during my battle with Ding Quan,” Xu Ying explained. “This body-refining method is likely a missing component in the Great Sun Guidance Art and the Elephant Strength Ox Demon Fist. It wasn’t difficult to grasp.”

Yuan Qi looked displeased. “You figured out a missing technique during a fight? Are you trying to fool me? Why didn’t my family manage to figure it out after three generations? Are you saying my family is just plain foolish?”

Xu Ying stayed silent.

He was a kind-hearted young man.

He continued channelling his blood and energy, reaching his peak, until it felt as if his skin might split apart, as his martial arts level had surpassed the limits of his physical body.

In martial arts, the body’s capacity to withstand the power of the martial skill is crucial. Forcing oneself beyond this limit causes intense strain, and instead of building strength, it can lead to severe internal injuries and lasting harm.

Xu Ying was about to stop when his five organs unexpectedly began to emit five-colored light under the sun-forging process!

Without realizing it, his organs had become significantly stronger, and his energy surged even more powerfully.

His pores seemed to open like countless vents, allowing blood and energy to flow out with a sizzling sound.

At the same time, his heartbeat pounded like a drum, vibrating in his chest. It continuously generated fresh energy, keeping him in a state of peak vitality!

Xu Ying put away the scripture copied by Ding Quan, thinking, “But now that my Elephant Strength Ox Demon Fist has broken through to the sixth level, I no longer fear Ding Quan. Even without Yuan Qi’s help, I’m confident I could defeat him in a rematch!”

He was certain of it!

With the demon clan’s techniques combined with martial skills, he was sure he was no less powerful than a Nuo master’s Nuo arts!

Suddenly, the sound of waves crashing grew louder and louder. Xu Ying quickly turned to look and saw Yuan Qi, the snake demon, reaching a critical stage in his training. His entire body began to glow intensely!

"Roar—"

Yuan Qi opened his mouth, but instead of a hiss, a powerful, resonant elephant’s call echoed out, deafeningly loud!

This was a sign that his energy and blood had permeated his whole body, achieving the fourth level of Elephant Spirit Power!

Not only that, but his blood energy was now overflowing from every part of his body, gradually forming an apparition of an elephant-headed deity with a human body behind him!

"I... I’ve reached the fifth level of the Elephant Strength Ox Demon Fist! I’ve attained the Elephant Spirit Power and the Elephant God Vision!" Yuan Qi was both surprised and overjoyed. He slithered outside the ruined temple, wrapped his tail around a massive boulder weighing two to three thousand jin, and with a flick of his tail, hurled it skyward!

Yuan Qi burst out laughing, his long, flexible tongue rippling in waves.

As he laughed, tears began to roll down his face.

For three generations and over two hundred years, no snake in his family had managed to reach the fourth level of the Elephant Strength Ox Demon Fist. But now, under Xu Ying’s guidance, he had reached the fifth level in just a short time!

He had never imagined that cultivation could be so easy, so simple!

“At this rate, it won’t be long before I reach the sixth level and even transform into a human! Once I do, wouldn’t my martial training progress at lightning speed?” he thought, thrilled beyond measure.

Of course, his swift progress was due to his 120 years of diligent cultivation, building up his blood energy, and now having the right technique to make rapid advances in the Elephant Strength Ox Demon Fist.

Suddenly, Xu Ying raised his hand and extinguished the campfire, whispering, “You just had a breakthrough, and the flow of energy within you created an elephant’s call. It’s bound to attract nearby deities or the officials hunting us. We must leave quickly!”

Yuan Qi’s heart tightened as he hurried to follow Xu Ying. In a low voice, he warned, “Traveling at night is dangerous. The nights in Lingling are far from safe!”

Xu Ying was also reluctant to travel at night. Under the moonlight, the dense forest made it difficult to navigate, increasing the risk of getting lost, falling into a ravine, or encountering wild beasts.

However, they had no choice. If they were caught in the ruined temple by pursuers, there would be no escape!

Under cover of darkness, the two carefully descended the mountain. Suddenly, the crashing sound of waves grew louder, swelling to a thunderous roar that sounded as if the world were collapsing.

The ground beneath Xu Ying’s feet shook violently. He quickly leapt to the side, landing on a towering tree.

With a few nimble jumps, he reached the treetop and, following the sound, was stunned by what he saw.

In the moonlight, a bright white line rose between the distant mountains, growing higher and higher. It was a massive river, wider and fiercer than the Xiao or Xiang Rivers, appearing out of nowhere. The surging water swept over everything in its path!

“This can’t be! There’s no river like that around Lingling!” Xu Ying stared in shock.

Yuan Qi climbed up to the branches, took a distant glance, and suddenly remembered a story he’d read in an ancient book. In a sharp voice that hurt the ears, he cried, “It’s the Nai River!”

His voice grew piercing. “It’s the Nai River from the underworld, changing its course! We must get to higher ground—quickly, to the mountain top!”

He swiftly climbed down the tree, with Xu Ying following suit. Together, they raced toward the ruined temple at the mountain’s summit.

The Nai River from the underworld surged between the mountains, and wherever it passed, flowers withered, trees died, and all animals lost their vitality!

Strangely, though the river’s water rose over a hundred zhang above the ground, it seemed bound by invisible banks, keeping it from flooding outward as it roared down its course.

But unfortunately, the rocky mountain they were on lay directly in the center of this ghostly river’s path!

Check out some web novel audio books

Gods Falls Ch02 part 02