Chapter 184: Yellow Ox and White Sheep

In the stone chamber, Yu Liancheng used his finger as a brush, writing on the wall with strokes like dragons and snakes.

His internal energy was now more than a notch higher than it had been back at the Shaolin Temple.

Furthermore, he had found several finger techniques among Geshu Tian's collection, which elevated his control over force and True Qi to a higher level, allowing him to carve characters into the solid wall.

Murong Jiu stared blankly at Yu Liancheng carving into the stone wall, feeling as incredulous as the Shaolin monks of old. Perhaps she would only have the confidence to do this once she had practiced the Fossil Divine Art to the ninth level.

Yet, the ninth level of the Fossil Art was already near invincible in the world; could this man's martial arts have reached such a terrifying realm? And yet he was still so young, looking not much older than herself.

"No, he is not using his finger as a brush."

Murong Jiu came from a martial arts family and had a discerning eye; she had already discovered that Yu Liancheng was not "using his finger as a brush," but "using his finger as a sword."

His finger was like a long sword, the sword momentum like lightning splitting the sky, like floating clouds, like dangerous mountain peaks—ever-changing and unfathomable, every stroke seemingly containing unimaginable essence of the Sword Dao. It was a pity she was not proficient in the Sword Dao, otherwise, she would have gained much just by watching Yu Liancheng carve.

The moment his fingertip touched the solid wall, a "rustling" sound emerged, and layers of powder and sand fell from the wall as characters like Iron hooks and Silver strokes appeared.

Murong Jiu focused her gaze; the text on the wall was largely the same as the Fossil Divine Art, and at first glance, she thought Yu Liancheng had merely transcribed the "Fossil Divine Art."

But looking closely, Yu Liancheng had made changes to certain inconspicuous characters in the Fossil Divine Art. It seemed little different from the original version, but upon deeper thought, one felt the changes were a bit more profound and ingenious.

More importantly, this revised Fossil Divine Art seemed to possess a bit more "God," an indescribable spirituality.

After about a quarter of an hour, Yu Liancheng lowered his arm and let out a long breath.

For him, carving on the solid wall was no longer difficult. But writing such a long passage required constant consumption of True Qi and physical strength. Having to simultaneously calculate and operate this new version of the Fossil Divine Art was also a great burden on his spirit.

But once he finished writing this new version of the Fossil Divine Art, he felt his martial arts had undergone a tremendous sublimation.

Sometimes changing a martial art is harder than creating one, especially a supreme skill like the Fossil Divine Art; adding or deleting even a single character would result in a huge difference.

"Miss Jiu, the Fossil Divine Art is truly exquisite. My version cannot be called perfect, it is just a bit stronger than your original. You are currently only at the third level of the Fossil Art; you can practice the fourth level I have written directly."

Yu Liancheng flicked his sleeve and turned to leave the stone chamber, leaving behind a dazed Murong Jiu.

The next day.

Yu Liancheng and Zhang Jing left Jiuxiu Villa and, as indicated by the Treasure Map, headed toward Emei Mountain in Sichuan.

Along the way, Zhang Jing wanted to speak but hesitated; Yu Liancheng had already seen through her thoughts, but he acted as if he hadn't noticed.

Finally, Zhang Jing couldn't help but say, "Is Ninth Sister's Fossil Divine Art really that powerful? Did you really fill in all the flaws in the Fossil Divine Art?"

Yu Liancheng did not answer; he didn't know when a wine gourd had appeared in his palm, and he tilted his head to take a sip.

This was the "Hundred Herb Brew" that the girl Murong Jiu had brewed using hundreds of herbs; it was not only mellow in taste but also highly nourishing.

Zhang Jing bit her lip, a look of pleading appearing on her face, and her voice lowered a few notches: "Tell me, okay? I beg you."

Regardless, the training along the way had made this woman quite adept at begging Yu Liancheng, although when she lost her temper, she was still as stubborn as a donkey.

"The Fossil Divine Art is indeed not ordinary. If Miss Jiu reaches the ninth level of the Fossil Art, even I would be helpless against her. After all, she would be a complete stone person, a stone person without any emotions. I did indeed fill in the flaws, but it's a pity..."

Yu Liancheng shook his head and sighed softly, "If I had a year or two, I might be able to fill in all the flaws. As for now, I could only add a touch of spirituality to the stone. If practiced accordingly, it is indeed better than the original version, but I cannot guarantee what it will eventually become."

Adding spirituality to the stone. The spirit within the stone?

Does breaking through stubborn emptiness require realizing emptiness?

Yu Liancheng hurriedly shook his head, casting this strange thought away.

"Hmph, even so, I don't believe she can beat me." Zhang Jing snorted, as proud as ever.

"Actually, you don't need to worry." Yu Liancheng smiled, "It will take Miss Jiu at least forty or fifty years to master the Fossil Divine Art. You only need to flatter me from time to time to make me happy, and perhaps I might find you one or two martial arts that are not inferior to the Fossil Divine Art."

"In your dreams, I would never..."

Before Zhang Jing finished speaking, Yu Liancheng suddenly raised a finger, making a gesture for silence. Then, he reached out an arm, wrapped it around her slender waist, and with a flash of their figures, they vanished.

Not long after, two figures emerged from the woods.

"Where are those two? How did they disappear? Could it be they discovered us and ran off?"

"And that stinking snake, he told us to come to Murong Villa, but now we can't even see a shadow of him."

The one in front was tall and burly, with a face full of flesh and a thick beard, looking heroic and high-spirited, just like an ox.

The one behind was dressed in white, hunched over, with a face like an inverted gourd, plus a goatee, two thin eyebrows, and two small eyes; even if you put him in a goat pen, no one would realize he was a human.

Just by their peculiar appearances, anyone with a little knowledge would recognize them as the "Yellow Ox" and "White Sheep" of the "Twelve Zodiacs." It had to be said that the appearances of the Twelve Zodiacs were truly too unique; it would be hard for anyone else to impersonate them.

It turned out that Bishe Shenjun had previously learned of the Murong family's territory, and for the sake of caution, had summoned the nearby Yellow Ox and White Sheep.

The Yellow Ox and White Sheep had arrived, but they did not expect that Bishe Shenjun had already turned into a dead snake.

They arrived and did not see Bishe Shenjun, so they dared not act rashly for a moment.

Today, they discovered Yu Liancheng and the Xiaoxiannv Zhang Jing leaving Jiuxiu Villa and immediately followed them, but they did not expect the other party to disappear in a flash.

"Are the two of you looking for us?"

Just as the two were in surprise, a voice suddenly came from behind them.

The Yellow Ox and White Sheep hurriedly turned their heads, only to see the two they had been following already standing behind them, looking at them with smiles.

"Oh my, do you two not make any sound when you walk? You gave old Ox a fright." The Yellow Ox acted as if he had truly been frightened, patting his chest with his hand.

The White Sheep narrowed his eyes, a smile on his face: "You two have such profound light-body techniques, old Sheep truly admires you."

"You two must be the 'Yellow Ox' and 'White Sheep' of the Twelve Zodiacs. To tell you the truth, that stinking snake is already dead, killed by this lady's hand."