Breakthrough

A day later, Li Yi, who had been sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes. The scene before him caused him to slightly curl his lips. The blood-colored threads, once like spider silk, had completely disappeared. The floating wolf-tooth blade in mid-air had turned pitch black, devoid of any spiritual aura, evidently rendered useless. On the calm surface of the pond, thick blood mist was churning, occasionally forming faces and monster heads, all emitting an intense and chilling aura. To those of lesser cultivation, this sight would be terrifying enough to make them flee.

Confronting this bizarre scene, Li Yi shook his head slightly and asked, "Old Coot, is this the so-called Blood Demon Array?" "Exactly," the voice of the Serpent Venerable sounded faintly. "This Blood Demon Array, which condenses the blood evil energy, is just one of the shortcuts in the cultivation of the Demonic Nine Variations. If the weapon had been of a higher grade, the array would have been even more peculiar. But for now... Look closely, the blood evil energy from the wolf-tooth blade has permeated the heaven and earth Qi around us. Isn't it the perfect time for you to attempt a breakthrough?"

Li Yi looked up, squinting at the Blood Demon Array, then stepped forward. The blood evil energy within the array was almost tangible, forming a layer over the clear water surface like clotted blood, solid enough for Li Yi to walk on. Ignoring this change, he sat down in the center of the array, formed a strange hand seal, and the blood evil energy around him began to roll and surge. The floating wolf-tooth blade trembled slightly and turned into dust, dispersing into the air.

Time flowed like water, and before long, the hot days of summer vanished, replaced by the coolness of autumn covering the Martial Deity Continent. In the deep forest of the forbidden area behind the Li family estate, the pond, which was once full of blood, had returned to clarity. The sun shone through the trees, scattering light across the water's surface. Sitting on a stone platform in the middle of the pond, Li Yi's eyes were half-closed. With a long breath, the last trace of blood mist over the pond entered his body. As this blood mist entered, Li Yi's body emitted a faint blood-colored halo, and the heaven and earth Qi around the pool began to swirl, forming a storm of Yuanqi.

At the center of this Yuanqi storm was Li Yi, still cultivating with closed eyes. With a soft thud, a slight tremor echoed as if the whole world vibrated. Li Yi exhaled deeply, the blood Qi on his body frantically absorbed into him. The swirling heaven and earth Qi around him calmed down, and he slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the fullness of Yuanqi throughout his body, he stood up and murmured, "Forming a Martial Qi whirlpool to reach the Fighter level is indeed not easy."

The Serpent Venerable emerged from the Yunhuang Ring, looked at Li Yi, and said softly, "Youngster, don't belittle yourself. In two months, you've cultivated the Demonic Nine Variations to the seven-crystal Yuanqi realm. Even the so-called geniuses of the Martial Deity Continent would feel ashamed if they knew this." Li Yi frowned, "I'm not worried about that. Tomorrow is the so-called family clan meeting. Those old geezers in the family will surely give me trouble. If I don't reach the Fighter level, I might lose the position of family heir, and then I won't have such a peaceful place or opportunity to cultivate."

The Serpent Venerable knew a bit about the Li family's situation from the past two months. They had reached a consensus that no matter what, Li Yi must not lose his position as the family heir for his cultivation needs. Hearing Li Yi's words, the Serpent Venerable pondered for a moment before saying, "I don't know the specifics of your family's clan meeting, but one thing is certain – strength. Although you are only at the seven-crystal Yuanqi level, considering you've only cultivated for three months, even those old geezers can't say much. However, the younger generation in your family will probably be dissatisfied. So, as long as you can defeat everyone who challenges you, the problem will naturally be solved."

Li Yi nodded, "As long as it's not a Warrior level expert, I'm not afraid... But there's a big problem." The Serpent Venerable frowned, "What is it?" Li Yi hesitated before saying, "With my skills, I can handle the younger generation in the Li family without using any Yuanqi. But the problem is, I used the same combat skills when I seized the wolf-tooth blade and the Qingyun Hand. If someone with ulterior motives sees this and connects it to me, it might not end well, right?"

Li Yi now recognized his Phantom Kill as a type of combat skill, though imperfectly developed. The Serpent Venerable thought for a moment and nodded, "Indeed, your combat skills are too exaggerated, making you invincible under the Warrior level. If it falls into the eyes of the scheming, it's one thing to figure it out, but I'm afraid some might covet your combat skills, which would be a real trouble. So…"

Li Yi frowned. Indeed, his Phantom Kill could potentially kill a Fighter without using any Yuanqi, a combat skill powerful enough to attract attention. He realized he needed to be careful about using it in the future. Thinking this, he said solemnly, "That means I definitely can't use this skill at the clan meeting. Apart from it, I don't know any other combat skills. I wonder if it's too late to start learning the Qingyun Hand now..."

The Serpent Venerable rolled his eyes, floating in mid-air. He sighed and said softly, "Youngster, it's not that I don't want to help, but with your level of Yuanqi cultivation, it's practically impossible to learn advanced combat skills. I really don't have any lower-level skills for you to learn..." Li Yi scoffed, "Then get me a Qinglong level combat skill, I won't mind." "Qinglong level!?" The Serpent Venerable chuckled bitterly, then a playful glint appeared in his eyes. "I haven't had the chance to see such a level of combat skills. Could it be that your Phantom Kill is of the Qinglong level?" "That's a joke," Li Yi sighed, "Alright, Old Coot, let's not waste time... You know the situation better than I do. So, find me a combat skill that can be quickly mastered. I'm not fussy about the level now, even a low-level Xuanwu skill will do..."

"Xuanwu level combat skills, huh?" The Serpent Venerable pondered, clearly troubled by the idea of finding such a low-level skill. After a moment, he hesitantly said, "Speaking of low-level skills, I recall a long time ago I encountered a brash individual who challenged me with a somewhat peculiar skill. Although I wiped him out with a backhand, I did take note of his skill and kept it... This should be the lowest level skill I have, but whether you can cultivate it or not, I don't know."

"Found it." With a shout, a yellowed scroll flew out from the Yunhuang Ring and landed in Li Yi's hands. Li Yi quickly unrolled the scroll, and after a moment, a smile appeared on his face. "Backwind Palm, a low-level Zhuque combat skill, utilizes the opponent's momentum, turning their force against them. At its highest level, the counterattack is like a meteor, instantly annihilating the enemy." Seeing Li Yi's expression, the Serpent Venerable said faintly, "Although this counterattack skill is clever, it's not the proper path. For example, that brash individual only mastered about 30-40% of it and thought he was invincible. He did defeat many, but against me, he didn't even have a chance to counterattack... So, you can learn it, but don't invest too much effort in such unconventional methods..."