Chapter 124: Kui Niu Thunder Roar Mastered, Breakthrough to Eighth Rank, Bridging Heaven and Earth Spirit

What surprised Zhuang Ziqing was not the power of Zhao Xing's sonic secret technique.

It was that he had barely heard any loud sound at all just now!

As the saying goes, laymen watch the spectacle, experts watch the craft.

At a glance, Zhuang Ziqing saw that Zhao Xing's 【Refracted Sound, Curved Form · Sound Blade】 had reached at least the Seventh Revolution, already at the level of mastery!

Everyone received the mandatory training notice, and their reactions were about the same.

Zhao Xing had only practiced for a few days—how could his progress be so fast?

Could he have cultivated sonic techniques before?

Han Bing was equally astonished, but he had a deadpan face, so he appeared very calm.

"Zhuang Ziqing, Han Bing, you two analyze Zhao Xing's sonic technique." Tian Shan seized the chance to use Zhao Xing as a teaching example, smoothly launching into this session's instruction. "Han Bing, you go first."

"Yes." Han Bing spoke first: "Zhao Xing's sonic technique fully contains the power of the sound waves."

"Only upon impact does the power erupt and the sound grow loud. When facing an enemy, this sonic technique has great concealability, because sound is formless and very hard to observe."

"Then did you see its external form?"

"Reporting to Tian Hou, I did not see it." Han Bing shook his head.

Tian Hou turned to look at Zhuang Ziqing: "You speak."

"Yes." Zhuang Ziqing said, "I saw that Zhao Xing's sonic attack is shaped like a blade. The cut surface of the stone lion is smooth, proving that the sound wave only dispersed after slicing off a corner of the stone lion."

"Not, as Han Bing said, dispersing upon impact."

"Furthermore, I believe Zhao Xing's sonic technique does not have absolutely no sound leakage."

"It's just that the sound emitted has already exceeded the range that a Ninth-Rank human can receive."

"Zhao Xing's cultivation of this sonic technique has already reached mastery—truly rare."

Tian Shan nodded: "Not bad, your analysis is very correct."

In truth, he was very satisfied with Zhao Xing inside. Though this 【Refracted Sound, Curved Form · Sound Blade】 was easy to pick up, reaching the Seventh Revolution level in just a few days was still quite difficult.

It required hard practice plus talent.

But as Zhao Xing's teacher, he could not praise him publicly, lest Zhao Xing grow arrogant. So he borrowed the mouths of Zhuang Ziqing and Han Bing to say it.

Yet on the surface, he showed none of it.

"Zhao Xing, although your Refracted Sound, Curved Form · Sound Blade is already practiced quite well, there are still many shortcomings."

"Origin Dantian, lungs, throat, and mouth are the four key points where a sonic technique takes shape."

"I just used Five Elements Observation to examine your casting process and found that the rise at your Origin Dantian was slightly too forceful, the lungs slightly too weak, and at the throat and mouth slightly too slow. This caused the formed sonic technique to have flaws."

"Although these differences in degree are all small, it is precisely these tiny shortcomings that caused the finally formed sonic technique to have no small flaw, which is why Zhuang Ziqing and Han Bing heard the sound."

"If it were truly perfect, the ears of a Ninth-Rank human should not be able to hear it."

Zhao Xing heard this and said: "Teacher, how should I adjust?"

"Your throat's force exertion and mouth's shape condensation are already very standard. What needs correcting is the rise at the Origin Dantian and the gathering of force in the lungs."

Tian Shan said: "There is no quick method to make you achieve perfection immediately. These are adjustments of hair's-breadth differences—you must find the balance among these four yourself."

Zhao Xing fell into thought. He clearly felt he had done exactly as the spell manual instructed, and felt he had met the standard.

But in actual combat, there was still a difference from what he had imagined.

He did not know where the problem lay, yet Tian Shan saw it at a glance.

Zhao Xing then carefully comprehended on the side, and in a short time once again raised the progress of 【Refracted Sound, Curved Form · Sound Blade】 by another 200 points.

This was the benefit of having a teacher to instruct you, and also the point that others envied most about top-grade talents.

"Hah!"

Zhuang Ziqing also demonstrated what he had learned before Tian Shan.

Zhao Xing took the chance to observe this talent's actions.

His 【Five Elements Observation】 could not see through Zhuang Ziqing's internal organs, because Zhuang Ziqing cultivated the "Yin-Yang Self-Origin Scripture," and his progress was not low. His internal five elements circulated as one, locking away all manifestations of origin qi.

Neither Zhao Xing nor Han Bing could see how he operated his arts, nor did they know what rank Zhuang Ziqing was.

But after the opponent cast a sonic Wu Ji, the external manifestation of the Wu Ji could still be observed.

Zhao Xing faintly observed that after Zhuang Ziqing opened his mouth, he expelled two spherical bodies.

The first was expelled first, flew halfway, and was caught up by the second sonic sphere.

The third was even faster, and when the second sphere met the first, all three spheres happened to be in the same position.

In the end only one sonic sphere remained, which struck the stone lion.

"Boom!"

The stone lion was blasted away entirely, shattering into several dozen pieces.

"Tian Hou." After finishing his demonstration, Zhuang Ziqing looked at Tian Shan.

"Han Bing, Zhao Xing, you two analyze first." Tian Shan still had the students analyze each other first. "Han Bing, you go first."

"I detected the existence of two sonic spheres, and the second caught up with the first and fused rapidly." Han Bing said, "When it struck the stone lion, it exploded and blasted it to pieces."

Tian Shan neither agreed nor disagreed, and looked at Zhao Xing.

"Teacher, I saw three sonic spheres. The third caught up with the first two."

Zhao Xing carefully recalled: "What Zhuang Ziqing cultivated should be the secret technique 【Yin Xun Nine Explosions】, reaching the level of a Third Revolution Wu Ji."

"From what I observed, the stone lion was first partially shattered, and at this point the sonic sphere still had not erupted. It was only after entering the interior that it fully erupted, blasting the stone lion apart."

Zhuang Ziqing glanced at Zhao Xing, because he felt Zhao Xing's words were not wrong at all—he had completely seen through this move of his.

"Then do you know why his Yin Xun Nine Explosions has such great power?" Tian Shan asked.

"It may be the difference in secret techniques." Zhao Xing answered.

Yin Xun Nine Explosions was priced at 8000 contribution points, considered to be on the same level as Kui Niu Thunder Roar.

You get what you pay for; even at three revolutions, its power is comparable to the five-revolution level of *Folded Sound Curved Form*.

"Part of it is the difference in secret methods, and part of it is that he has already reached Eighth Rank." Tian Shan said.

Zhuang Ziqing has already reached Eighth Rank?

Zhao Xing and Han Bing exchanged a glance; this wasn't really a surprise.

Because before the branch academy assignment, Zhuang Ziqing had already been at the Ninth Rank Perfection (upper official Ninth Rank) level.

After the branch academy ended and he received some resources, breaking through was naturally easy.

"Zhuang Ziqing, if you want to push the level of Yin Xun Nine Explosions higher, you can start from…"

Tian Shan began giving Zhuang Ziqing more pointers on his cultivation.

Three hours later, the three of them left Fuchun Garden.

"Truly a bountiful harvest." Zhuang Ziqing sighed. "Tian Hou truly lives up to being Fifth Rank. Zhao Xing, your luck is really good."

"What, you envy me? You think your own teacher isn't good?"

"Hahaha, my teacher is naturally excellent too." Zhuang Ziqing laughed. "Han Bing, Zhao Xing, I'll be off first. See you in seventeen days. We've got to work hard, or we'll get beaten into pig heads by the others."

"Farewell."

"Farewell."

Returning to the Eighteen Locust and Willow Courtyard, Zhao Xing rested briefly, then began practicing Kui Ox Thunder Roar.

"Through cultivating Folded Sound Curved Form, I've also built some foundation in sonic Wu Ji."

"Now I can attempt to cultivate Kui Ox Thunder Roar."

Zhao Xing opened the chest.

Since he already had Earth Fiend Lung-Forging Pills and Hundred Beasts Throat Pills, the auxiliary cultivation materials in this chest now consisted only of Eighth Rank Brute Ox Vocal Cord Meat and Lung Metal Spirit Liquid.

"Eighth Rank Brute Ox Vocal Cord Meat."

Zhao Xing looked at a box of jars; it was called meat.

In reality, it was a thick, dense paste.

It wasn't as if eating a piece of actual meat could nourish the corresponding organ by shape.

It still required a Pharmacist to decoct it according to a secret formula.

Only then would a finished product with good auxiliary cultivation effects appear.

It wasn't meant to be eaten either, but rather applied as a salve.

"Lung Metal Spirit Liquid."

The Lung Metal Spirit Liquid, on the other hand, was meant to be drunk — a pale-golden liquid, housed in a transparent crystal bottle.

The bottle was quite large; the bottle alone was half a meter tall.

"First, let me look at the Wu Ji secret manual."

Taking the leather-bound tome out of the chest, the moment Zhao Xing touched it, he felt as if a faint rumble of thunder seemed to emerge by his ear.

The leather cover bore the imprint of a strange beast with blue-grey fur, shaped like an ox, hornless and with a single hoof.

When Zhao Xing looked at it, his vision blurred, and he seemed to see a strange beast on a mountain peak, roaring toward the heavens.

The moment the roar rang out, the ten-thousand-li white clouds swirling around the mountain peak were all blasted apart, and heaven and earth instantly darkened.

Zhao Xing felt as if a thunderclap had exploded by his ear, and involuntarily let go.

"What tremendous power. Just depicting a trace of the Kui Ox's spirit and essence, imprinted on this cover, already makes one feel so extraordinary."

"If a person were to produce such a sound, how immensely powerful must they be?"

"No wonder it requires so many auxiliary cultivation materials."

Zhao Xing turned a page, and the cultivation method for Kui Ox Thunder Roar immediately appeared in his mind.

After carefully comprehending it, Zhao Xing closed the leather cover.

He still couldn't begin cultivating immediately.

Because he first needed to build a solid physical foundation.

Otherwise, he would easily hurt himself instead.

"First, take the Earth Fiend Lung-Forging Pill to further strengthen the lungs and completely digest that trace of Earth Fiend Qi, then I can proceed to the next step and take the Hundred Beasts Throat Pill."

"While taking the Hundred Beasts Throat Pill, apply the medicinal paste made from the Eighth Rank Brute Ox Vocal Cord Meat to the throat area. Depending on the absorption rate, apply it 4-7 times daily."

"Only after all three are fully absorbed can I begin attempting to cultivate Kui Ox Thunder Roar."

"Kui Ox Thunder Roar places tremendous pressure on the lungs. At the start, when one performs it, one cannot meet the entry standard. After each attempt, the lungs must be nurtured with Lung Metal Spirit Liquid to relieve the pressure."

? ￠O

"Only this way can one practice repeatedly in a short period."

The process was very troublesome, but for a powerful secret method, if you want to learn it quickly, how could it not be troublesome?

Strictly speaking, this secret method in ancient times wasn't meant to be practiced by those at the Ninth Rank Qi Gathering Realm; the cultivation threshold was the Eighth Rank Spirit Bridge Realm.

However, as the eras progressed, through many people's research and with the assistance of Pharmacists, this cultivation threshold was lowered.

A method was found that allowed even those at the Ninth Rank Qi Gathering Realm to cultivate it.

On the seventeenth day before the mandatory training, Zhao Xing took the Earth Fiend Lung-Forging Pill.

The Seventh Rank Earth Fiend Realm refers to the fact that one only absorbs Earth Fiend at Seventh Rank to strengthen oneself.

Even though the pill contained only a trace of Earth Fiend, Zhao Xing still took three full days to finish absorbing it.

After absorption, Zhao Xing performed internal observation of his lungs.

He found that the strengthening of his lungs wasn't as perfect as he'd imagined, so he took a second pill.

The second pill was absorbed slightly faster — a day and a half to fully digest.

Thus he began the next step: absorbing the Hundred Beasts Throat Pill.

【Hundred Beasts Throat Pill】, a single one is as big as a football.

Zhao Xing ate for seven days before completely digesting three 【Hundred Beasts Throat Pills】.

At the same time, he applied the medicinal paste of 【Eighth-Grade Wild Bull Vocal Cord Flesh】 every day, and by now had reached an astonishing fourteen times.

Seven days later, the medicinal paste and Hundred Beasts Throat Pills were all fully absorbed.

At this point, only seven days remained before the mandatory training began.

"There are some external changes — the Adam's apple is thicker, and my build, especially the upper body, has become more burly." Zhao Xing looked at himself in the water mirror.

Originally his physique had been fairly even, even somewhat on the thin side, but now his weight had increased too, his body lines were pronounced, and he could be called robust.

"Not bad, at least I didn't turn into some weird-looking thing."

Actually Zhao Xing's worry was unnecessary — secret arts meant for the human race all take maintaining a human physique as the first priority, otherwise they would be banned from spreading by the Great Zhou.

Only the Fangwaizong Sect and the barbarian races, in pursuit of greater strength, hold nothing taboo.

"Seven days — I wonder how many rotations I can reach."

Zhao Xing dressed properly, walked outside, and began his first cultivation session.

"Burp!"

Zhao Xing let out a loud burp,

The first cultivation session ended in failure.

"Gurgle~"

Uncorking the bottle of Lung Metal Spiritual Liquid, Zhao Xing took a sip to protect his lungs.

"Burp burp burp~"

Zhao Xing let out a string of burps before fully expelling the side effects of the failed cultivation.

"Damn~ burp~ I've even learned to crow like a rooster."

Zhao Xing was amused by himself.

He clearly felt he had done it right, but the final effect produced was a complete failure.

Where was the problem?

Zhao Xing did not rush to cultivate, but stood in place to reflect.

One hour later.

The second cultivation session began.

"Roar!"

A violent roar burst from Zhao Xing's mouth, spreading outward in rings.

The little grass on the ground instantly tilted outward, cut clean at the waist, and the remaining grass stems were pulled taut and straight.

Rustle~

The locust tree kept shedding leaves, broken branches fluttering through the air.

"Gurgle~"

Zhao Xing took a sip of Lung Metal Spiritual Liquid and checked the panel.

【You have successfully performed 'Kui Ox Thunder Roar', grasped the surface, progress +50.】

"It really is a bit off — I've only grasped the surface."

Zhao Xing looked at the scattered leaves and grass around him.

If it were the correct effect, it should have been shattering, not cutting.

"Again!"

【You have successfully performed 'Kui Ox Thunder Roar' for the tenth time, grasped the surface, progress 100.】

【You have successfully performed 'Kui Ox Thunder Roar' for the one hundredth time, Qi takes its form, progress +1000.】

【You have successfully performed 'Kui Ox Thunder Roar' for the one thousandth time, Qi transforms its form, progress +1000.】

【You have performed 'Kui Ox Thunder Roar' for the five thousandth time, its sound like thunder, progress +1000.】

【Your 'Kui Ox Thunder Roar' has reached the Fifth Rotation.】

【Kui Ox Thunder Roar: Mid-grade Wu Ji】

【Category: Sound-wave type secret art】

【Progress: Fifth Rotation (5241/9999)】

"Fifth Rotation."

"Practiced non-stop for seven days, prepared for so long, trained five thousand times, and finally reached Fifth Rotation." A trace of excitement shone in Zhao Xing's eyes.

Although it is only at the Fifth Rotation level, the Fifth Rotation level already surpasses the power of 【Folded Sound Curved Form】 at the Eighth Rotation.

"Folded Sound Curved Form — although I haven't really practiced it, once my preparatory work was done and my organs grew stronger, sending and receiving at will, it naturally broke through to the Eighth Rotation."

The training of Kui Ox Thunder Roar drove breakthroughs in the other two sound-wave Wu Ji; now both Sound Blade and Sound Thorn have reached the Eighth Rotation level.

"Tomorrow the mandatory training begins, the training is bound to be brutal, and if my Qi-gathering speed is slightly weak, I might not be able to keep up with the high-intensity training."

"It's time I broke through to Eighth Grade too."

Zhao Xing returned to his room and began taking the remaining Earth Yuan Vermilion Fruit.

"Eat!"

Biting into the Earth Yuan Vermilion Fruit, Zhao Xing digested it within a quarter of an hour.

He had previously taken the Fourth-Grade mid-quality Giant Whale Pill rewarded by the Great Dream Academy, which had strengthened his organs.

Now, cultivating sound-wave secret arts had further strengthened his lungs and Origin Dantian.

Absorbing its efficacy naturally became easy.

The Earth Yuan Vermilion Fruit was very easily absorbed by Zhao Xing.

An hour later, the eighteenth step.

Two hours later, the nineteenth step.

Zhao Xing estimated his own capacity to bear it, and swallowed the remaining three Earth Origin Vermilion Fruits in one breath, all at once.

"Boom~"

A vast current of origin Qi roamed within his body.

Zhao Xing looked inward at himself; the Yin-Yang Origin Scripture, working in concert with the Origin Gathering Art, gathered and restrained this enormous flood of origin Qi.

"Very easy."

"Not the slightest sense of blockage or shackles."

Zhao Xing revealed a smile.

"I have cultivated many spells; my comprehension of the Dao has long been comparable to many Xu Lao Ba, and the five elements within my flesh have long secretly conformed to the supreme principles of Heaven and Earth."

"Having received the nourishment of vast origin Qi, my flesh naturally and spontaneously strengthens in accordance with the supreme principles of Heaven and Earth."

Very quickly, the breakthrough was already complete.

Zhao Xing felt his hearing keen and his sight clear; his five senses had risen by a notch.

The cloud Qi within his Origin Dantian spun faster, and the quality of his origin Qi was somewhat higher than before.

"In the ancient method of cultivation, the Eighth Rank is called the Spirit Bridge Realm."

"To erect a bridge between the inner five elements and Heaven and Earth — this is called the Spirit Bridge."

Zhao Xing sat cross-legged and circulated his art; his speed of gathering origin Qi immediately surged explosively.

Above his head appeared a phantom image of a Spirit Bridge, which plunged in through the Heavenly Gate at the crown of his skull and descended straight to his Origin Dantian.

"Indeed, it is different now."

"The increase in gathering origin Qi has raised the might of my spells somewhat; this is because the quality of origin Qi at the Eighth Rank has grown stronger than at the Ninth Rank."

"My Life Soul has been passively raised from Ninth Rank, middle period to Ninth Rank, late period."

"This is because the Seven Piths are nourishing the Three Hun."

"The great Dao of longevity has taken another small step forward."

Seeing the breakthrough complete, Zhao Xing thought no more about it and dropped his head to sleep.

He had already gone seven days and seven nights without sleep; now that he had broken through to the Eighth Rank, and tomorrow was again a mandatory training day, he immediately seized the time to rest and gather his strength.

The seventh of May, also one month after the分院.

Before the hour of Mao had arrived, Zhao Xing was startled awake by the sound of a drum.

"Dong!"

It was as if someone were beating a drum right beside him.

Zhao Xing rolled over and rose, listening carefully.

"All reserve司農 of the Ninth Army, proceed to the Southwest Drill Ground of Yangcheng to assemble."

"When the three rolls of the drum have fallen, any who have not arrived — regardless of their status — shall be cast out of the reserves and sent back to their place of origin!"

Thereafter came a burst of urgent drumbeats falling upon his ears.

"The first roll of the drum has begun."

Zhao Xing dared not be negligent.

He immediately rolled out of bed, dressed, and rushed toward the Southwest Drill Ground of Yangcheng.

Outside, there were also figures hurrying along.

Because what was being beaten was a war drum — an assembly order.

Failing to arrive within three rolls of the drum and being sent back to one's place of origin would be considered light; in true wartime, it would mean losing one's head!

This was only training now, but if one truly arrived late, no matter whether you were from the Four Great Academies or any other分院, no one's plea for mercy would be of any use.

Leaping onto the main avenue of Yangcheng, the crowds grew ever thicker.

"The second roll of the drum — run, quickly!" someone shouted.

There's still a third watch to come; expected past 12 o'clock.