Chapter 19: 19 Swallow Cry Force, Celestial Master Seal

Chapter 19: 19. Swallow's Cry Force, Celestial Master's Seal

The young Taoist's blue robes fluttered with wide sleeves, and the crossover collar lent him an air of casual ease. However, he wore a ferocious bronze ghost mask and gripped a beast-slaying saber nearly ten feet long.

The long hilt of the blade rested upon his shoulder, giving his gait a sense of laziness and relaxation.

This was the Taoist boy, Ning Xuan.

Having taken up his weapon, he was currently walking through the old mountains outside of Xinghe County with the Celestial Master, Chou Nu.

Suddenly, Chou Nu stopped in his tracks and glanced at a spot not far away.

There was a mountain, and behind it, there should have been a canyon.

But what lay within the canyon remained unknown to anyone unless they climbed the adjacent mountains or entered the canyon itself.

Yet, as if he could see directly through the mountain to the scenery on the other side, Chou Nu spoke plainly: "There is a wolf pack and a python nest in this canyon. The wolves are in the east, currently crouching by the water to rest; the pythons are in the west, devouring a few unlucky prey. These two... have caused much harm to passing commoners over the years and are truly detestable. Qingfeng... go and eliminate these two evils."

Knowing his elder brother still didn't quite trust him and insisted he try, Ning Xuan replied, "Yes, Celestial Master."

He did not take a detour, but stepped directly onto the mountain. As his arms extended, he moved like a spiritual ape in the deep mountains, leaping over ten feet in a few bounds. Within a few more strides, he had reached the summit and scanned the situation in the canyon below.

The canyon was filled with lush, verdant forests that blocked much of the sunlight, making the area below appear somewhat dark and oppressive. The faint sound of trickling water could be heard in the distance.

He observed carefully.

Finally, he had to admit that he could see nothing at all.

When Ning Xuan turned back, he saw golden light surging from the cliffside beside him. Chou Nu had suddenly appeared at his side.

Ning Xuan grew increasingly curious.

He could feel that Chou Nu's blood and qi were extremely thin. To put it simply, if it were purely a contest of physical strength, even a common house servant could beat Chou Nu soundly without needing to call upon a strong guard.

In other words, whether it was Chou Nu's extraordinary perception or his ability to travel, neither had anything to do with his own physical strength.

Sensing Ning Xuan's curious gaze, Chou Nu said, "Do not be distracted."

Ning Xuan gave an affirmative grunt and charged directly into the forest below.

He already understood these beasts quite well.

If he summoned the *Heavenly Demon Record*, he would carry the aura of a demon, and these beasts would sense his intrusion through a collective pack instinct and flee like they would from a demon.

But if he did not summon the *Heavenly Demon Record*, no matter how strong he was, these beasts would not react in advance. Instead, they would be drawn to the scent of a human, gathering together to prepare to eat him.

After a swift and decisive slaughter, the wolf pack was broken. The alpha was slain, and the pack scattered, only to be hunted down and killed by Ning Xuan during their flight.

Sensing the scent of blood, pythons arrived from afar. To Ning Xuan, these were merely his usual "training ropes," and he easily cut them in half at the waist.

For someone who had already wiped out a whole nest of mountain-crashing bear demons, this was child's play.

However, there was still a harvest.

During his usual solo training, Ning Xuan did not deliberately engage in large-scale slaughter, but after acting today, he discovered there was indeed a benefit.

He realized that although beasts were merely beasts, every strike, retreat, and dodge they made contained a primitive, efficient, and direct method of killing.

When facing these moves, if he deliberately suppressed his own strength and focused purely on countering the techniques themselves, the gains were quite significant.

For example, just now, during his initial charge, he had spent the first portion of the incense stick's burn with a "task-completion" mindset, seeking a quick resolution. But after discovering this, he changed his approach.

He wanted to cherish these beasts that were using their lives to teach him.

The battle lasted for a full hour and a half.

By the time he returned to the cliff, Ning Xuan felt a sense of "blurred boundaries" within his "Four Swallow Returns" technique.

Looking up at Chou Nu, Ning Xuan cupped his hands and said, "Celestial Master, sorry to have kept you waiting."

Chou Nu looked at him with a strange expression and said, "Rumor has it that the world's strongest killing technique is a casual strike delivered by a general after a hundred battles. I used to doubt it, but today I have seen it.

Qingfeng, since you have had an insight, you might as well sit down and contemplate it slowly.

Do not rush to travel.

Moving forward is merely the instinct of a mindless body; only by sitting down can one seek the Way.

Once the Way is found, only then have you truly set out on a journey."

With that, he smoothed his purple robe, sat cross-legged at the edge of the cliff, and pointed into the distance, saying, "Sit."

Ning Xuan found it quite amusing, thinking to himself: *As expected of my big brother, he really acts the part of a Celestial Master. He talks like a real expert. He looks like the kind of serious person who wouldn't even know how to gamble or carouse. He's lived such a long life and probably doesn't even have a sister-in-law. Living like this... it's truly tragic.*

However, his brother was right about one thing.

He truly had gained many insights.

Last time, when he killed the bear, he had used "Flying Swallow Collapsing Mountains" in almost every move. Today, however, he had acted on instinct. The former was tense, while the latter was relaxed. Combined with responding to different styles of movement, it gave him the feeling that something was "gestating" within him.

He was not one for pretension.

Since his brother told him to sit, he sat down directly and entered a state of contemplation.

In his mind, the three forms of the *Swallow Chasing the Wind Saber*, combined with the *Swallow Return Step* and the fourth form he had derived himself—the "Flying Swallow Collapsing Mountains" which could be integrated into any other form—began to merge.

He discovered that techniques served two purposes.

First, to gain the initiative and strike an enemy unprepared. For instance, "Flying Swallow Chasing the Wind" sought speed; "Swallow Piercing the Raging Waves" transitioned from speed to ferocity to catch an enemy off guard; "Clever Swallow Circling Back" followed the same logic.

Second, to exert a certain type of force. For example, during his battle with the bear demon, he had to maintain high physical consumption to stay in a state of high-speed explosive movement in order to execute "Flying Swallow Collapsing Mountains."

If he could enhance his reaction speed and ensure that a casual strike contained all his hidden reserves, then even if he acted second, he would hold the initiative.

If he could explode with maximum speed over the shortest distance, he could avoid large, sweeping movements, thereby reaching a higher level.

Ning Xuan recalled the postures of the wolves and the pythons.

His flesh and blood began to writhe.

All this writhing was for the purpose of erupting with that sliver of profound, mysterious force he had perceived from the demon arts within "Flying Swallow Collapsing Mountains."

A long time passed.

And then, much longer.

Suddenly, a light hum emitted from Ning Xuan's arm. The sound was fleeting, but the air around his arm seemed to receive a violent impact, suddenly expanding outward.

*Boom!*

An explosive sound rang out.

Chou Nu opened his eyes and looked at him.

Ning Xuan said, "Swallow's Cry Force."

He had given a name to the secret technique he had derived.

Chou Nu asked curiously, "Swallow's Cry Force?"

Ning Xuan walked to a massive boulder, lifted it with both hands, threw it upward, and then stood directly beneath it.

Just as the boulder was falling, he lunged forward with a sudden step. His flesh and blood began to writhe, and this writhing, accompanied by the step, instantly transferred a torrent of high-speed power to his left shoulder, allowing his left shoulder to execute a short-range "Flying Swallow Collapsing Mountains."

The boulder fell, and the moment it touched his left shoulder, it was suddenly torn apart by an inconceivable force.

*Bang!*

The boulder shattered into dust, sending clouds of debris rolling.

From the need to run during "Bear Collapsing Mountains," to the short-distance acceleration of the "Swallow Return Step," and now to this "Swallow's Cry Force" that could be used through sheer physical power even without summoning the *Heavenly Demon Record*.

Ning Xuan felt a great sense of achievement.

Chou Nu watched him for a long time before commenting, "I do not know what realm you are in... because you do not seem to be within the system of realms that I know."

Ning Xuan asked, "May I ask the Celestial Master, what are the realms you know of?"

He had been curious about this for a long time.

Chou Nu said, "The Alchemist Realm, where one can crudely utilize Dragon Qi; they are usually mockingly called 'True Persons' by outsiders. After that comes the Celestial Master Realm.

The Celestial Master Realm is mainly divided into three minor stages.

First, the Mountain-Moving Realm. This is not a literal mountain, but a Soul-Suppressing Mountain that can make a person's body and soul feel as though they are pinned down by a mountain, unable to move.

Second, the Earth-遁 (Earthen Escape) Realm. One merges with the Dragon Qi of mountains and rivers, shrinking distances so that a single step covers a mile, and a hundred steps cover a hundred miles, while also gaining the ability to foresee distant events on the earth.

Third, the Celestial Master's Seal. Every person's seal is different, and in truth, only once one possesses their own seal can they be considered a true Celestial Master.

I... have barely mastered my own Celestial Master's Seal."

Ning Xuan asked curiously, "Then, Celestial Master, how do you judge my constitution? Can I also cultivate this?"

Chou Nu shook his head and said, "You cannot. Your blood qi is too abundant and your physique is too strong; you cannot touch the Dragon Qi."

Ning Xuan asked again, "Then where does the Dragon Qi come from, and where is it located?"

Chou Nu said, "Once the mission is complete, Mr. Taiyi will tell you himself. Let's go..."