Chapter 176: Departure

Chapter 176: Departure

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Ning Xiaochuan dashed out of the valley and into the dense forest, charging recklessly through the trees, smashing them apart and slaying mystic beasts in his path. Wherever he passed, devastation followed.

He threw punches relentlessly at a cliff face, each strike carving out massive craters and shattering boulders. After half a day, he had forcibly carved out a tunnel through the mountain, bursting out from the other side. His energy was overflowing, seemingly inexhaustible.

Had there been a group of beautiful women around, he would have had the vigor to take on ten in a single night.

For three days straight, the forest remained in turmoil. Countless mystic beasts were slaughtered, filling the air with the stench of blood. The creatures of the jungle cowered in fear, as if a new king of mystic beasts had arrived.

"Plunge!"

Ning Xiaochuan stood beneath a waterfall, letting the icy water crash over his head as he gradually calmed down.

Seated cross-legged under the falls, he cultivated, circulating the Heaven and Earth Profound Qi to pacify the surging Blood Qi within him. He soothed his inflated essence, energy, and spirit, bringing them into perfect harmony with his body.

"Swish!"

The mysterious woman appeared like an elegant, fleeting shadow, emerging from the woods and hovering above the waterfall. Her slender figure stood straight, her feet resting on a Profound Qi Cloud, resembling a celestial maiden treading the waves.

Sensing her arrival, Ning Xiaochuan abruptly opened his eyes, a faint purple glint flashing in his pupils as he rose to his feet.

From the Heaven and Earth Bag, he retrieved a white scholar's robe and draped it over himself, fastening it with a belt.

With a pair of radiant wings unfurling behind him, he soared to the top of the waterfall, landing opposite the mysterious woman. An imposing aura radiated from him, as if he were a Martial Venerable standing in the void.

The mysterious woman spoke, "Not bad. In just half a year, you’ve undergone a transformation. Next, you can begin refining your Divine Abilities."

"Refining my Divine Abilities? The seven Divine Abilities born within me have already reached Great Perfection. It’s difficult to refine them further," Ning Xiaochuan replied with a slight frown.

The mysterious woman shook her head. "Cultivating 'Martial Arts Divine Abilities' is the most crucial hallmark of a Divine Body Realm martial artist, as well as their greatest treasure. Can you tell me where your seven Divine Abilities reside?"

"Divine Abilities naturally exist within the body—invisible, intangible. Only when truly unleashed do they manifest their astonishing power," Ning Xiaochuan answered.

The mysterious woman said, "Then I want you to refine them one by one, until you can see them at will."

"This..."

The mysterious woman continued, "You think it’s impossible, don’t you? But you must understand that the origin of Divine Abilities lies in the 'Divine Source.' If a martial artist can perceive the 'Divine Source,' why not their own 'Divine Abilities'? Demonstrate one of your Martial Arts Divine Abilities for me."

Ning Xiaochuan extended a palm, from which streaks of purple lightning surged forth, coalescing into a massive purple beast of electricity that charged into the forest.

"Rumble!"

The purple lightning beast trampled trees in its wake, bolts of electricity dancing across leaves, rocks, and grass.

In an instant, the leaves, rocks, and grass were reduced to dust.

The purple Lightning Divine Beast angrily ran in a circle before flying back into Ning Xiaochuan's palm, transforming into strands of lightning that merged into his body.

"Do you think this Divine Ability has reached its limit?" the mysterious woman said.

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "At least with my current cultivation realm, this is the strongest power I can unleash from it."

"But in my eyes, you can still double its power at your current level."

With lightning-fast speed, the mysterious woman seized Ning Xiaochuan's right arm. White Profound Light surged from her fingers, directly piercing into his body. The pain was so intense that Ning Xiaochuan felt as though his arm was about to tear off from his shoulder.

"Activate Heaven and Earth Profound Qi!"

Gritting his teeth, Ning Xiaochuan slowly circulated his Profound Qi. The lightning within his body converged toward his right arm, drilling straight into his bones.

Crackle— His right arm bones became completely enveloped in lightning. The force of the lightning forcibly fused into his marrow, the agony so unbearable it felt like his scalp might split open.

After half an hour, the mysterious woman gradually released his arm.

Drenched in sweat, Ning Xiaochuan felt as though his right arm weighed 5,000 kilograms, utterly immobile and entirely encased in lightning.

"I have integrated your first Divine Ability, Lightning Divine Beast, into the bones of your right arm. I hope you can fully merge with it within a month. After that, I will help you refine your second Divine Ability."

With those words, the mysterious woman departed.

Clenching his jaw, Ning Xiaochuan landed on the ground and sat cross-legged by the waterfall, circulating Heaven and Earth Profound Qi to fuse all the lightning into the bones of his right arm.

It took him a full month before the lightning was completely integrated into his arm bones.

If one were to cut open the flesh of Ning Xiaochuan's right hand, they would see his bones covered in beast-like patterns, faint streaks of lightning coursing through them.

The Lightning Thunder Beast had become one with his body.

When Ning Xiaochuan threw a punch, the phantom of a divine beast's claw naturally appeared on his fist, leaving a two-meter-deep crater in the cliff.

"So Divine Abilities can be refined like this. The power has indeed doubled compared to before." Ning Xiaochuan couldn't help but admire the mysterious woman. Her understanding of martial arts far surpassed his own—even exceeding that of the exalted Martial Venerables.

Ning Xiaochuan returned to the valley to seek out the mysterious woman once more.

"Martial Arts Divine Abilities are not rigid. As your cultivation grows stronger, you can comprehend even more variations from a single Divine Ability. One ability can become two; two can become three; three can transform into hundreds or thousands."

These were the words the mysterious woman solemnly imparted to Ning Xiaochuan.

This time, she helped him refine his second Divine Ability—Heavenly Thunder Bell.

Ning Xiaochuan spent another month integrating the Heavenly Thunder Bell into his Adam's apple, making it a part of his throat. Not only did this make his throat more resilient and divine, but when he activated the ability, he could unleash a thunderous roar from his mouth.

Now, even if someone tried to slash his throat with a blade, they might not succeed—instead, they risked being injured by the counterforce of the Heavenly Thunder Bell.

The mysterious woman integrated the third Divine Ability, "Ten Thousand Swords Transforming into Rain," into Ning Xiaochuan's rib bones, causing sword patterns to appear on the surface of each rib.

She then integrated the fourth Divine Ability, "Wings of Rage," into his spine.

The fifth Divine Ability, "Blazing Sun Scorching the Heavens," was fused into the center of his brow, transforming into a tiny point of light.

The sixth Divine Ability, "Rainbow Teleportation," was integrated into his legs, turning his bones into a spectrum of seven colors.

Over these six months, more than seventy percent of Ning Xiaochuan's bones had merged with Divine Abilities. Not only had his physique become far stronger than before, but the power of his Divine Abilities had also grown significantly.

Though he endured immense suffering during this process, Ning Xiaochuan found joy in it, clearly sensing his potential expanding with each passing day.

After fully refining the sixth Divine Ability, his body transformed into a seven-colored rainbow light, landing beside the Mystic Spring. Gazing at the golden silk nest floating above the water, he said, "Senior, please help me condense the seventh Divine Ability."

The mysterious woman did not reappear, but her voice drifted from the golden silk nest, causing ripples to spread across the water's surface. "I have already helped you integrate six Divine Abilities. The seventh one is for you to refine on your own. Moreover, the year has come to an end—my debt to you is repaid. I will teach you no more. You may leave now."

Ning Xiaochuan remained calm, clasping his fists and bowing respectfully toward the golden silk nest. "Thank you for your guidance over this past year, Senior. Ning Xiaochuan will never forget it."

The mysterious woman had indeed taught him many things, earning his genuine reverence.

From within the golden silk nest, her voice spoke once more. "The path of martial arts is long, with no true end. Your current combat prowess is the pinnacle of the Seventh Level of the Divine Body Realm. Even divine beings in their youth, at the same realm, would likely be no stronger than you. Of course, your martial journey has only just begun. Should you grow complacent, others may surpass you. To struggle against men is endlessly fascinating; to struggle against gods is endlessly fascinating; to struggle against heaven is endlessly fascinating."

Ning Xiaochuan left the valley with Little Red by his side.

Though he remained at the Peak of the Seventh Level of the Divine Body Realm, he was incomparable to the person he had been a year ago.

At his current level, he could break through to the Eighth Level of the Divine Body Realm at any time—or even reach the Ninth Level.

Yet he was in no hurry to advance. He intended to fully refine the seventh Divine Ability, honing it to perfection. Every step he took would be built upon a solid foundation, ensuring he achieved the best possible outcome.

The small black tiger escorted Ning Xiaochuan and Little Red out of the Ghost Dream Wilderness.

This was no ordinary tiger—it was the mystic beast king of the Ghost Dream Wilderness, the "Roaring Sky Tiger." With its personal escort, other mystic beasts could only retreat in deference.

As they exited the Ghost Dream Wilderness, the small black tiger waved its tiny paw at Little Red, bidding them a reluctant farewell.

Ning Xiaochuan's return to the Three Masters Martial Academy caused a massive stir. Countless students rushed to catch a glimpse of him, including many from the second and third-year classes.

The events that had transpired in the Heavenly Emperor's Tomb Forest a year ago had long since spread throughout the Emperor's Martial Palace.

Ning Xiaochuan, Ji Hanxing, Yu Qianqian, and Yue Mingsong became heroes of the Emperor's Martial Palace, not only saving the lives of hundreds of students but also thwarting the Natives' conspiracy and preventing a catastrophe.

Among them, Ning Xiaochuan was credited with the greatest contributions. Some claimed he single-handedly fought a Martial Venerable from the Natives, while others said he was possessed by the Heavenly Emperor's spirit, displaying extraordinary prowess.

In any case, various rumors about Ning Xiaochuan spread throughout the Emperor's Martial Palace, growing increasingly exaggerated—some even suggested he was the Heavenly Emperor's reincarnation.

A year ago, Ji Hanxing, Yu Qianqian, and Yue Mingsong received generous rewards from the Emperor's Martial Palace, while Ning Xiaochuan missed out due to being taken away by a mysterious expert.

Otherwise, his rewards would undoubtedly have been far more substantial than the other three. Many wondered what Ning Xiaochuan had been up to during that year.