Zhaang Ye was silently cultivating when he suddenly felt a warmth spread through him. Another wisp of Innate True Qi had entered his body. This wisp was exceptionally cautious; the moment it entered, it subtly seized control of his vital aura. Now, even if he wanted to, Zhaang Ye couldn’t wake up.

’Looks like another old geezer has come to comprehend my Ancient Elephant Power! These old guys... always so sneaky. Aren’t they afraid of scaring someone to death?’ Zhaang Ye’s Heart Spirit was slightly startled, but he quickly understood.

Zhaang Ye certainly wasn’t going to pass up this gift-wrapped Innate True Qi. Without showing any outward sign, the Elephant Power within his body surged, coiling around the wisp.

"Huh?"

Sensing his Innate True Qi was being besieged, a flicker of surprise crossed the Second Hall Master’s eyes. But just like the Third Hall Master, he assumed it was the Ancient Elephant Power actively retaliating. After his brief surprise, he immediately calmed down and focused wholeheartedly on comprehending the mysteries of the Ancient Elephant Power.

The Innate True Qi in his body was as vast as an ocean, not a bit inferior to the Third Hall Master’s. He didn’t care how much the Ancient Elephant Power devoured. Besides, the Ancient Elephant Power within Zhaang Ye was incredibly weak; he refused to believe that such a minuscule amount could devour any significant portion of his Innate True Qi.

And so, Zhaang Ye and the Second Hall Master—one fully dedicated to devouring Innate True Qi, the other to comprehending the Ancient Elephant Power—went about their respective tasks in perfect, albeit unknowing, harmony.

The Third Hall Master’s Innate True Qi possessed an ethereal Realm, like a crisp wind high in the heavens. The Second Hall Master’s Innate True Qi, however, was fiery with an undercurrent of Gold Essence, like a sword tempered a hundred times in the forge—sharp and brimming with Attack Power.

This aggressive type of Innate True Qi was actually easier to devour. Since Zhaang Ye had taken the initiative from the very start this time, the process was exceptionally fast. In just two hours, he had devoured ten percent of the Second Hall Master’s wisp of Innate True Qi.

Time slowly passed.

Six hours later, a trace of excitement appeared on the Second Hall Master’s face. Both his True Qi and the Ancient Elephant Power were aggressive forces, so his comprehension of it was somewhat faster than the Third Hall Master’s. In just these few hours, he had already grasped some of its mysteries. He was so overjoyed he could barely keep himself from laughing out loud.

The cultivation path of a Martial Arts Expert is fraught with hardship. Without immense perseverance and great fortune, even the most talented individual could not reach the end or enter the True Dao.

But if the Martial Dao was arduous, the True Dao was boundless and ethereal. To find one’s way forward on this nebulous path required a deeper understanding of power and the world itself. It demanded greater insight and more sources of inspiration.

The Ancient Elephant Power Zhaang Ye possessed was the same power the Ancient Elephant Clan had used to dominate the Wilderness in Ancient Times, holding all sorts of incredible Divine Powers and wondrous uses. Although the Ancient Elephant Power in Zhaang Ye’s body was minuscule and faint, it was authentic. It contained a hint of the mysteries of the Ancient Elephant Power, which were immensely beneficial even for a True Dao Expert like the Second Hall Master.

’This is enough for today! I must get back to seclusion to meditate on and verify what I’ve learned!’ The Second Hall Master’s eyes gleamed. He withdrew his Innate True Qi and vanished without a trace.

The Second Hall Master left in a state of excitement, while Zhaang Ye began to excitedly refine the Innate True Qi in his body.

This time, Zhaang Ye had devoured a full thirty percent of the Second Hall Master’s wisp of Innate True Qi. Even with his abnormally powerful Ancient Elephant Power, absorbing so much at once was a strain. Zhaang Ye kept his eyes squeezed shut, focusing his entire Heart Spirit on circulating the Dragon Elephant Skill. Only after a full eighteen Circulations did he manage to completely refine and integrate the wisp of Innate True Qi.

The Second Hall Master’s Innate True Qi was somewhat similar to Zhaang Ye’s Dragon Elephant Power; both were brimming with power and aggression. Because of this, it was of even greater help to Zhaang Ye.

After integrating the Second Hall Master’s wisp of Innate True Qi, the Dragon Elephant Power in Zhaang Ye’s body grew stronger. Not only that, but its purity also increased. When the Dragon Elephant Power circulated, it now faintly carried the sound of wind and thunder. Zhaang Ye knew that if he could cultivate to the point where this wind and thunder truly erupted, he could temper his bones once more and step into the Late Stage of the 5th Layer.

Having refined and integrated the Second Hall Master’s Innate True Qi, Zhaang Ye could finally take the time to perceive the Martial Dao insights it contained.

The Second Hall Master’s Innate True Qi also contained his Spiritual Qi. Although this trace of Spiritual Qi was faint, by focusing all his senses, Zhaang Ye could still extract some Martial Dao insights from it. These insights broadened his horizons once more and deepened his understanding of the Martial Dao considerably.

’The Third Hall Master’s Innate True Qi is like the wind and clouds, and its insights are mainly focused on Body Techniques. The Second Hall Master’s, on the other hand, contains insights primarily about power. If I can assimilate the Martial Dao insights from both of them, my Body Technique and Dragon Elephant Power will improve significantly!’ Comparing the two types of Innate True Qi, Zhaang Ye felt a secret thrill of delight.

To a Martial Artist, a True Dao Expert was like a lofty Divine Being. To be able to refine the Innate True Qi of such experts and assimilate their Martial Dao insights was an incredibly rare opportunity. Even more remarkably, Zhaang Ye had even glimpsed a hint of the True Dao’s mysteries from the Innate True Qi of these two Hall Masters. This would be immensely beneficial for his future cultivation.

Just as Zhaang Ye re-entered a state of cultivation, another figure appeared outside the small wooden cabin.

It was none other than the Great Hall Master.

The Great Hall Master’s power surpassed that of the Second and Third Hall Masters, and his greatest expertise was the Array Dao. The arrays the Fourth Hall Master had deployed outside couldn’t hinder him for even a moment. Without a second glance, he strolled leisurely into the wooden cabin, and the hundred-odd arrays outside gave no reaction whatsoever.

The Great Hall Master had clearly come to sneak a peek as well. Yet, there was nothing sordid about his movements. On the contrary, he appeared elegant and composed, like a great scholar standing on a mountain peak, calmly gazing down at the magnificent scenery below.

However, the Great Hall Master’s composure vanished the instant he saw Zhaang Ye. His eyes flashed with excitement as he murmured, "This is it, this is the power! It’s a bit thin, but it’s the genuine power of the Ancient Elephant Clan! If I can fully comprehend this power, I am confident I can break through to the True Dao Fourth Layer!"

As he spoke, an incomparably pure wisp of Innate True Qi silently emanated from his body. Like a gentle breeze, it slipped inside Zhaang Ye.

At that moment, Zhaang Ye was circulating the Dragon Elephant Skill, silently tempering his Dragon Elephant Power.

The moment the Great Hall Master’s Innate True Qi entered his body, Zhaang Ye sensed it and couldn’t help but curse inwardly: ’These old geezers... they’re treating me like a whore, taking turns one by one...’

After the silent curse, however, a secret delight bloomed in his heart. ’Even a john has to pay a whore. Since this old geezer is here, I won’t stand on ceremony. I’m going to devour his Innate True Qi for all I’m worth, and that’ll be his fee!’

The Elephant Power within Zhaang Ye moved of its own accord, beginning to devour the Great Hall Master’s Innate True Qi.

"Hm? What a marvelous Ancient Elephant Power! Such a faint power, yet it can actually devour Innate True Qi!" The Great Hall Master sensed his Innate True Qi being consumed, and a look of both shock and delight appeared on his face. He murmured, "But I have painstakingly tempered my Innate True Qi for over two hundred years. It has reached a state of perfect, seamless unity. No matter how formidable your Ancient Elephant Power is, you won’t be able to devour much!"

With that, the Great Hall Master cast aside his extraneous thoughts and focused completely on comprehending the mysteries of the Elephant Power.

Soon after Zhaang Ye began the process, he discovered that his opponent’s Innate True Qi was exceptionally pure, dense, and cohesive. Faced with such Innate True Qi, even when he secretly circulated his Elephant Power to consume it, he could barely devour any. The situation was like an old man with bad teeth; a magnificent feast lay before him, but he couldn’t manage to bite off and swallow a single piece.

Being unable to taste a delicacy placed right in front of him was an incredibly frustrating feeling. Zhaang Ye pondered for a moment. ’My usual method can’t devour much of this at all. It looks like my only option is to make the Elephant Power rotate and generate a devouring effect similar to a Space Storm. Only then can I consume his Innate True Qi!’

With that thought, the Power of the Elephant within Zhaang Ye’s body slowly began to spin.

This technique of rotating the Elephant Power was something Zhaang Ye had long wanted to master. However, because it involved various profound control skills, he hadn’t dared to attempt it without a full understanding. But now, after gaining the Martial Dao insights from the Second and Third Hall Masters, his understanding of power control had deepened, giving him the confidence to try.

As Zhaang Ye’s Elephant Power began to spin, the Devouring Power it generated instantly surged by several times. Before this ceaselessly rotating Elephant Power, the wisp of Innate True Qi the Great Hall Master had sent inside him began to vanish as quickly as snow in the sun.

"Eh?"

The Great Hall Master was stunned. He could never have imagined that his own Innate True Qi—painstakingly cultivated for over two hundred years to a state of extreme resilience and cohesion—could be so rapidly devoured by the Elephant Power. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)