Chapter 21: Three-One Return to Origin, Mysterious Gate Escape Technique

Seeing Li Muxuan’s appearance, Li Ang immediately became alert.

Just as the atmosphere began to turn strange, Lu Jin suddenly said: "Junior Brother Li, you’ve only been in the Three-One Sect for a few days, how come you seem more familiar with the Master than I am?"

His joking words immediately dispelled the tense atmosphere, and Li Ang also smiled and replied as if he knew nothing: "Maybe it’s because I’m a genius, just like the Master."

"?"

Lu Jin rolled his eyes and stopped paying attention to Li Ang.

Wu Gensheng and Li Muxuan watched this scene silently from the side, not knowing what they were thinking.

Soon, the four baskets were filled with herbs.

On the way back to the mountain gate, Wu Gensheng deliberately pulled Li Muxuan to fall behind the other two.

He looked at the restless Li Muxuan beside him and made a sound as faint as a mosquito: "Brother, if you continue like this, we can just leave today."

Li Muxuan’s performance since entering the Three-One Sect made Wu Gensheng feel there was no need to hide anymore.

After all, with Zuo Ruotong’s keen eyes, he would surely be able to see that something was wrong.

And...

Wu Gensheng looked at Li Ang’s back in front, his eyes flickering, and he laughed silently in his heart.

He always felt that this kid seemed to know his and Li Muxuan’s identities. In his view, Li Ang’s acting was really lacking; he wasn't as free and easy as he was.

'Interesting...'

If it were normal times, Wu Gensheng would definitely test Li Ang, but because the purpose this time was to vent Li Muxuan’s anger, he held back and didn't plan to do anything extra.

Hearing his Sect Leader’s words, Li Muxuan pursed his lips, his heart incredibly complex: "...Yeah."

The group soon returned to the mountain gate.

After handing the gathered herbs to the Senior Brother in charge of refining medicine, Li Ang walked alone toward the back mountain.

After successfully learning the 【Mysterious Gate Escape Technique】, he hadn't tried it out yet.

Mainly because if he tried it within the sect, it would be troublesome if he accidentally damaged the buildings.

Arriving at the open space in the back mountain, Li Ang didn't test the 【Mysterious Gate Escape Technique】 first, but instead started running the Three-One Return to Origin.

As his whole body turned white, he felt the power within his body surge.

"The so-called Dragon-Tiger Power..."

Clenching his palms, Li Ang muttered to himself.

He could now roughly infer that the Novice and Proficient stages should be within the scope of the first stage of the Return to Origin, while Mastery and Expert were the second stage.

As for Grandmaster...

"The third stage, huh."

Thinking of this, Li Ang exhaled a breath of turbid air, and the airflow he exhaled immediately stirred up the dust around him.

【Running Three-One Return to Origin, skill experience +1】

【Running Three-One Return to Origin, skill experience +1】...

Li Ang quickly ended the Return to Origin state; he still needed to save some energy to test the 【Mysterious Gate Escape Technique】.

Calming his mood slightly, he set a tree stump not far away as his target.

Unlike the Wind-Rear Mysterious Gate that could set oneself as the Central Palace, ordinary Mysterious Gate Escape Technique could only release arts through this clumsy method.

Moving his feet slightly, Li Ang stood in the Li position.

Then he waved his hand sharply, and a flame struck toward the tree stump.

"Li Character · Fire Rope!"

The name was made up by Li Ang on the spot. Because it was his first time trying the Mysterious Gate Escape Technique, he naturally wasn't as proficient as Zhuge Qing and Wang Ye in the original work. Moreover, those two had learned the Martial Marquis Mysterious Gate and the Wind-Rear Mysterious Gate respectively, which were different from his common goods.

Sss—!

A few seconds later, a charred smell drifted in the air.

Li Ang frowned and walked to the tree stump, reaching out to touch the charred marks that were still somewhat hot: "Tsk..."

"This power isn't even as good as me punching it myself."

Recalling the flame that wasn't fast or slow just now, he couldn't help but be speechless for a moment.

It was fine for starting a fire, but it was a bit of a stretch to use it as a means to fight an enemy.

Of course, Li Ang didn't feel discouraged; after all, he could increase his 【Mysterious Gate Escape Technique】 experience by grinding.

"But the focus should still be on the Three-One Return to Origin."

Looking at his white-turned palm, Li Ang struck out, and the tree stump immediately shattered under the immense force.

For the next period of time, he continued to try arts from other positions.

After testing, Li Ang found that not all arts were as pathetic as the fire art in the Li position.

For example, the earth arts in the Kun and Gen positions, and the wind art in the Xun position, were within the range of being barely usable.

"So it also has something to do with the environment..."

Li Ang stood in the messy open space, having gained some insight.

Of course, what surprised him the most was the metal art in the Dui position.

Although he couldn't cosplay Magneto, Li Ang could use it to strengthen his body, somewhat similar to the Armament Haki in One Piece.

Combined with the power increase from the Return to Origin state, his current close-combat fighting ability could be said to have been greatly improved.

Moreover, Li Ang discovered that skill proficiency wasn't static. Even if the level on the panel didn't change, his control over the Three-One Return to Origin and the Mysterious Gate Escape Technique had improved significantly compared to the beginning.

"But shouldn't a Qi Refiner be that kind of ethereal, immortal-like job?"

Li Ang scratched his cheek, feeling that his art style was a bit too wrong.

But thinking that his Master, known as the Great Ease Immortal, also fought hand-to-hand when fighting Wu Gensheng, he felt relieved. Maybe the Three-One Sect’s art style was just like this.

Looking at the Three-One Return to Origin and Mysterious Gate Escape Technique that had gained a lot of experience after an afternoon of training, Li Ang exhaled: "Before going back there, it's best to train both these skills to the Proficient level."

But saying that, what currently restricted his leveling speed was actually the energy recovery speed.

However, the fact that he could persist for an afternoon was already due to the special bonus of increased energy recovery speed brought by 【Qi Refiner (Three-One)】.

Dusting off the dust on his body, Li Ang turned and left the open space.

Not long after he left, two youths appeared at the edge of the open space.

It was Wu Gensheng and Li Muxuan, who were playing Yunze and Yunsheng.

Wu Gensheng looked at the ground that looked like it had been chewed by a dog and marveled: "Did this kid really just step onto the path of cultivation a few days ago?"

"Could it be that some fool had Master Liu disguise him to come and steal the techniques?"

However, his words didn't get a response.

Wu Gensheng looked back and saw Li Muxuan looking at the open space, not knowing what he was thinking.

This All-Nature Sect Leader sighed, then leaned over to Li Muxuan and looked into his eyes, saying word by word: "You don't really think of yourself as a Three-One disciple, do you?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Muxuan instantly came back to his senses.

Wu Gensheng was indeed right; he was not a disciple of the Three-One Sect. He wasn't before, he wasn't now, and he wouldn't be in the future.

If Li Ang hadn't appeared, Li Muxuan might have been awakened.

But the problem was...

There just happened to be an extra Li Ang.

In Li Muxuan’s view, this new Three-One disciple’s talent was undoubtedly stronger than his own.

More importantly, the other party had entered the Three-One Sect without much trial.

This was undoubtedly something he couldn't accept.

After all, if this was the case...

How could he prove that the Great Ease Immortal’s choice back then was wrong!? ===== CHAPTER 23 =====