Chapter 110 - 109: Cultivating a Secret Technique

Sunrise Peak.

"Challenging a Golden Area Lord?"

The students near the Martial Arts Arena were all speechless with shock, utterly horrified.

The battle just now had already been a huge psychological shock.

A newcomer who had just entered the Golden Area had actually crushed a veteran Golden Student with ease.

The strength he displayed surpassed even the eighty-ninth rank on the Human List!

What was even more shocking was that Luo Tian had brought his domineering style to the Golden Area.

Not only had he crippled one of Yuan Song’s arms, but he had also challenged the Golden Lord backing him.

"You little brat! You’re courting death..."

After his initial stupor, a trace of cruel delight flashed in Yuan Song’s eyes.

This way, his boss, Zhou Chen, would avenge him without him even needing to beg.

The crowd dispersed.

"Brother Luo."

Xie Lin walked over, letting out a long sigh. His brows were slightly furrowed, and he clearly didn’t think much of Luo Tian’s chances.

"Brother Xie, is there something you want to say? Is this Zhou Chen very strong?"

Luo Tian asked.

"Zhou Chen’s strength is on par with mine, enough to contend with a Half-step Spirit Sea expert."

Xie Lin paused.

Luo Tian’s eyes glinted.

He had witnessed Xie Lin’s strength before. The man had exuded an aura comparable to the Half-step Spirit Sea Realm, and Yang Xi, at the Ninth Layer of Meridian Opening, had been utterly powerless against him.

"Besides being strong, Zhou Chen is also very close to the Seventh Prince, Li Yao, who is a Sunshine Student!"

Xie Lin revealed a trace of apprehension.

The Seventh Prince, Li Yao!

Luo Tian’s heart skipped a beat, and the Creation Technique inexplicably began to circulate.

He suddenly had a premonition, a feeling that this Seventh Prince was likely a great enemy of his.

This kind of great enemy was one determined by Destiny.

It wasn’t something he could have avoided just by not crippling Yuan Chen or provoking Zhou Chen.

’No wonder...’

A sharp glint flashed in Luo Tian’s eyes. He recalled the intense malice he had felt from Yuan Song during their fight.

"Brother Luo, if you’re willing to endure this and bow your head, I can help mediate. If we offer some compensation, we might be able to resolve this matter."

Xie Lin said in a low voice.

’Endure this and bow my head?’

Luo Tian couldn’t help but smile. He didn’t have the slightest regret.

Against a fated enemy like this, it was better to take the initiative than to wait passively to be plotted against.

Seeing this, Xie Lin stopped trying to persuade him and sighed inwardly. ’What a pity for such a stunning genius. He’s not smooth enough in his dealings. I’m afraid he’s about to take a huge fall.’

That very day, the news that Luo Tian had challenged a Golden Area Lord spread like wildfire, shaking all of Sunrise Peak.

A storm of shock swept through the Bronze, Silver, and Gold circles.

Even some of the middle and upper echelons of the Holy Mansion were startled by the news.

Everyone who heard the news was pessimistic about Luo Tian’s chances.

A newcomer who just entered the Golden Area was challenging the Lord of a circle?

This time, Luo Tian had been far too arrogant.

By evening, the Golden Area Lord, Zhou Chen, had received the news.

"Yuan Song was crushed? And had an arm crippled?"

Upon hearing the first piece of news, Zhou Chen was enraged.

Yuan Song was his subordinate, after all. This was a slap in his face.

"That brat challenged me? Good! Good!"

A grim coldness appeared on Zhou Chen’s fair face, and instead of showing anger, he began to laugh.

Zhou Chen didn’t actually know Luo Tian; he had only heard of him.

However, a few days ago, the Seventh Prince, Li Yao, had told him to keep an eye on this Luo Tian, and his words had not been friendly.

Zhou Chen had agreed. It just so happened that his subordinate, Yuan Song, had been knocked off the Human List and was disgruntled with Luo Tian.

So, he instructed Yuan Song to challenge Luo Tian and probe his abilities first. If the boy’s strength was average, they could cripple him without the Seventh Prince needing to lift a finger.

...

The next morning, Luo Tian went to the Hidden Martial Pavilion early.

After becoming a Golden Student, he had the authority to exchange for Secret Techniques.

Coincidentally, Luo Tian still had some Contribution Points left to spend.

"You want to exchange for a Secret Technique?"

A Mentor guarding the Hidden Martial Pavilion led Luo Tian to a quaint room on the Third-Layer of the pavilion.

On this floor, Luo Tian’s Spiritual Sense also detected a Holy Mansion Elder sitting cross-legged in cultivation, surrounded by an Array.

"You have half an incense stick’s worth of time," the Mentor said.

Inside the small room, there were only twenty to thirty thin booklets on the shelves.

These were all Secret Techniques treasured by the Holy Mansion.

In the outside Martial City, Secret Techniques were extremely difficult to buy. They were often hoarded by Martial Arts Families or other major powers and never shared with outsiders.

"Breath-Holding Technique": Allows a Martial Artist to go without breathing for a long time, suitable for underwater, poisonous fog, and other environments.

"Blood Shadow Technique": Consumes a vast amount of Essence Blood to drastically increase a Martial Artist’s speed, used for escaping or life-and-death battles. The user will be left in a weakened state afterward.

"Mind Confusion Technique": A Spiritual Secret Technique. When cast at close range, it can confuse the target’s mind, useful for interrogation.

"Violent Flame Technique": Suitable for those with a Flame Attribute Technique. Instantly erupts with powerful combat strength, allowing one to fight above their level. The user is left weakened afterward, and may even suffer a great loss of Vitality.

...

The dazzling array of various Secret Techniques made Luo Tian’s heart race.

Secret Techniques were precious because they either granted special abilities or allowed for a brief burst of power that surpassed one’s own limits.

Among them, the "Blast Flame Technique" that Yue Jing had used cost three to four thousand Contribution Points and had particularly powerful explosive force.

The cheapest was the "Breath-Holding Technique", and even that cost over a thousand Contribution Points.

After searching for a long time, Luo Tian chose a Secret Technique called "Blood Burning Technique".

"Blood Burning Technique": Burns qi and blood to enhance overall strength. The longer it is sustained, the greater the deficit of qi and blood. Overuse is life-threatening.

This Secret Technique required two thousand Contribution Points, which Luo Tian barely had enough for.

’Among the Secret Techniques that boost combat power, the "Blood Burning Technique" is average in terms of might, but the cost is flexible, making it quite practical,’ Luo Tian thought to himself.

In terms of explosive power, the "Blood Burning Technique" was certainly inferior to the "Blast Flame Technique" Yue Jing had used that day.

But this technique was flexible in its use. Unlike some Secret Techniques, once activated, it couldn’t be reversed and had enormous side effects.

Returning to the Golden Area, Luo Tian immediately had the Celestial Book perform an inference and perfect the "Blood Burning Technique".

A Secret Technique like this, with its obvious flaws and side effects, should have some room for improvement.

BUZZ!

This time, the Celestial Book only consumed a few pages to complete the inference and perfection, far fewer than Luo Tian had imagined.

After all, a Secret Technique is a single magic technique, not a vast system like a Cultivation Technique.

A line of text appeared on the Celestial Book: "Optimized "Blood Burning Technique": Power increased by thirty percent, side effects reduced by thirty percent, duration increased."

"Not bad!"

Luo Tian’s face lit up with joy.

The combat power boost from the "Blood Burning Technique" was already decent.

To have its power increased by thirty percent while its side effects were reduced by thirty percent was a qualitative leap!

Its value probably surpassed even Yue Jing’s "Blast Flame Technique". Although the latter had strong explosive power, it was only suitable for Flame Attribute Techniques and had greater side effects.

Cultivating the "Blood Burning Technique" was unexpectedly simple.

Luo Tian mastered it in just half a day.

On one hand, it was a Secret Technique, which is a single magic technique.

On the other hand, Luo Tian’s Spiritual Power was formidable, and his Comprehension and innate talent were both excellent.

Another genius would have needed at least ten days to master it.

After practicing the Blood Burning Technique for half a day, Luo Tian’s qi and blood were slightly depleted.

Afterward, he went directly to the Spirit Pool to cultivate.

Golden Students received three days of free access to the Spirit Pool each month. It would be a waste not to use it.

GURGLE! WHOOSH!

Luo Tian soaked in the cool, milky-white Spirit Pool as a surging, pure stream of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was drawn into his body by his Divine Vein.

A few days prior, when Luo Tian had first started practicing the "Guiyuan True Skill", his cultivation had also improved. His seventh Qi Vein, which had been just over halfway open, was now sixty to seventy percent complete.

Now, cultivating with an Earth Level Middle Level Technique in the Spirit Pool, his cultivation progress became even smoother.

Two days passed.

Luo Tian’s seventh Qi Vein was eighty to ninety percent open before his progress began to slow.

His cultivation was also approaching the Peak of the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening.

Luo Tian had a feeling that the moment he broke through to the Eighth Layer of Meridian Opening would also be when his "Guiyuan True Skill" broke through to the Third-Layer.

At that time, his overall strength would take a terrifying leap forward.

SPLASH!

Luo Tian stepped out of the Spirit Pool, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit full and vibrant. He felt incredibly refreshed.

...

On the way back to Sunrise Peak, students were rushing toward the summit one after another, full of excitement and anticipation.

Today was the day of Luo Tian’s arranged battle with the Golden Lord.

WHOOSH!

Luo Tian executed the "Cloud Traveling Step". His body suddenly felt lighter, and like a wisp of smoke, he leaped over ten meters in a single bound.

At the same time, while still in mid-air, Luo Tian abruptly pushed off nothing and shot forward another seven or eight meters.

This was the Great Success stage of the "Cloud Traveling Step"!

As fast as a fleeting shadow, it granted a powerful leaping ability and allowed one to take a step by pushing off the void itself.

This level of a Body Technique was nearly impossible to achieve without reaching the Spirit Sea Realm.

But Luo Tian cultivated an Earth Tier Technique, and the profound Cultivation Foundation provided by his powerful Heart Method had greatly reduced the difficulty.

’Excellent! My "Cloud Traveling Step" has naturally broken through to the Great Success stage.’

Luo Tian was thrilled and delighted, his confidence soaring.

His speed, which could already look down on the Ninth Layer of Meridian Opening, had now increased by at least sixty percent, and he could even push off the void.

"Luo Tian is here!"

By the time he reached Sunrise Peak, a large number of students from every circle had gathered near the Martial Arts Arena.

This battle had garnered immense attention.

As a newcomer to the Golden Area who had also made a name for himself on the "Human List", he was a figure of great interest.

In the crowd, Luo Tian saw many familiar faces, including Xie Lin, Li Yunxiu, Nangong Yu, Chen Haofei, and Mu Yuyan.

"Brother Luo! Be careful."

Chen Haofei, Li Yunxiu, and the others looked worried and concerned.

No one believed that Luo Tian could win this battle.

As long as his defeat wasn’t too miserable and he could hold his ground against the Golden Lord for a short while, Luo Tian’s prestige would soar.

"Zhou Chen is here."

A cry of alarm went through the crowd.

A man with a fair complexion arrived at the peak.

Zhou Chen’s features were rather delicate, his eyes were deep, and his expression was tranquil. He didn’t emit any Qi Vein fluctuations, yet he possessed an inexplicable aura of power.

"Hmph! Luo Tian! This challenge is a result of your own overconfidence. You’ve brought this upon yourself."

The beautiful figure of Liu Ziyan, her long hair flowing, followed closely behind Zhou Chen to the summit. Her eyes were filled with mockery and amusement.

Just a moment ago, she had spoken with Zhou Chen. During the fight, he was going to "accidentally" injure Luo Tian, cripple him, or destroy his foundation, turning him into another Lin Dongfeng.

At the same moment, Yue Jing arrived from another direction, not walking with Liu Ziyan.

At this moment, all four Lords of the Golden Area were present!

As many as one to two hundred students had gathered, their hearts pounding with anticipation.

"Let’s begin. I don’t want to waste any time."

Zhou Chen said with a blank expression, giving Luo Tian a cursory glance before stepping into the Martial Arts Arena.

Zhou Chen found this battle completely uninteresting.

A newcomer to the Golden Area, even one with the strength of the eighty-ninth on the Human List, was separated from him by a massive gulf.

If Luo Tian hadn’t crippled his subordinate, Zhou Chen would have disdained to even acknowledge such a challenge.