Beginning with the Five Animals Fist to Become a Saint

Yanghu Cave Heaven.

Jiang Ning stepped out of the stone cave, his figure nimbly passing through the gaps in the vines, and stood once again on the island.

Sunlight streamed through the island, bathing it in a golden glow.

The air is filled with scorching and pure yang energy, which intertwines with the faint yin and cold aura emanating from the seabed, creating a unique rhythm of the cave.

As Jiang Ning's gaze swept across the island, with a slight thought, every spiritual herb containing the essence of the great sun and every piece of ore imbued with pure yang energy became as clear as the lines on his palm.

His figure flickered, like a gentle breeze sweeping across the mountains and fields, sometimes pausing midway.

During each pause, he would collect spiritual plants or minerals containing the essence of the great sun.

He couldn't name most of them or recognize their medicinal properties.

But he didn't care.

Because of his ability to devour and smelt, he can easily refine any spiritual plant or ore into pure energy for his absorption and use.

With his senses, he could clearly perceive the amount of energy contained within each spiritual plant and mineral.

In just half an hour, he had plundered nearly a third of the island.

But in less than half an hour, he felt he had made a great harvest, with the spiritual plants and ores he had collected piling up like mountains.

While most of them were quite ordinary, some contained rare treasures that amazed him with their power.

"If I can refine them all, the accumulation of inner alchemy cultivation techniques will be greatly shortened, and I might even break through the limit again." Jiang Ning picked another small flame grass growing by a lava river and estimated in his mind.

He then continued moving toward his next target without stopping.

One hour later.

He stood on the edge of the cliff by the sea, looking out at the vast, boundless ocean.

He had thoroughly looted the island behind him, leaving almost nothing behind.

"Time to move on to the next island!" he thought to himself.

Then, a thought crossed his mind, but he did not rush to leave.

Their gaze drifted to the other islands scattered across the distant sea.

Under the sunlight, the islands looked like ink dots sprinkled on azure silk; they appeared small, yet each contained a vibrant life force.

“The will of the cave allows me to do as I please. These islands are all unclaimed. If I can explore them one by one, the harvest will surely be astonishing. However…” Jiang Ning looked up at the invisible yet vast fluctuations of will above the dome: “I must be careful not to exhaust the resources.”

He had a vague feeling that although the will of the cave heaven provided him with convenience because of his status as a true disciple of the upper sect, if he acted too greedily and triggered the origin of the cave heaven, something unexpected might happen.

Previously, the collection of Yin and Yang energies, the hunting of silver tuna, and even the plundering of this island were all within certain tacitly permitted boundaries.

Along the way, he could vaguely sense invisible eyes watching him.

He knew in his heart that the gaze he sensed was probably the will of the cave that had just descended.

After a moment's thought, he rushed towards the sea again.

The wind howled in my ears, and a straight, line-like surge appeared on the sea surface.

He didn't bother to think much about the attitude of the Cave Heaven's Will.

Given his status as a true disciple of the Shangyang Immortal Sect, even if he went too far, the will of the cave heaven would at most issue a warning, at which point he could stop.

He had already figured it out in his heart.

After crossing the vast ocean, he landed on an island once again.

The island he was now descending upon was significantly different from the previous one.

The previous island was covered with high mountains and dense forests, and lava flowed from the crater of a volcano into the sea.

The island beneath our feet is entirely plains, vast and boundless plains.

There were no high mountains, no trees, only tall grass and reeds.

However, this island is much smaller than the previous one.

It is only half the size of the previous island.

With a thought, the entire island appeared in his mind in perfect detail.

Every blade of grass and every stone is crystal clear.

"It's time to make a move." The thought flashed through his mind, and he instantly sped away like the wind.

As he swept through the tall grass, he plucked up some magical herbs by the roots with a wave of his hand.

On this island, after his divine sense scan, almost 90% of the rare and precious materials were spiritual plants, including grass and flowers.

Compared to the previous island, the spiritual plants on this island are mostly of lower grade and have less accumulated energy, but they are abundant in number.

Rooted in this plain exposed to the direct sunlight of the sun, its stems and leaves accumulate abundant essence of the sun, making it an excellent resource for Jiangning to temper his internal organs.

He moved with incredible speed, almost without needing to discern anything, deciding what to keep or discard based solely on the intensity of the energy he sensed.

In no time, all the spiritual plants on the plain were taken away by Jiang Ning, leaving only ordinary weeds behind.

Besides the spiritual herbs, he also discovered several pieces of Blazing Sun Stones buried deep beneath the soil and rocks at several locations where the earth's veins converged.

This ore is entirely crimson red, scalding hot to the touch, and seems to contain a wisp of true solar fire within. It is an excellent material for refining fire-attribute magical artifacts or assisting in the cultivation of pure yang techniques.

For him, this was also a valuable resource that could be transformed into pure energy to boost his cultivation.

His stomach is now so strong that he can easily digest even minerals.

In less than half an hour, he had looted the entire plain island.

Jiang Ning stood in the center of the island, scanned it with his divine sense to make sure nothing was missed, and then slowly exhaled a scorching breath.

He glanced again at the space inside his mustard leaf.

He piled up all the rare and precious materials he had plundered from the two islands, creating a small hill.

He felt a sense of satisfaction.

The resources plundered from these two islands would have cost an unimaginable amount of wealth to buy if they were available elsewhere.

Some of these rare and precious natural treasures are so valuable that they cannot be bought with wealth.

For martial arts masters who have reached a certain level, gold and silver are just numbers and do not contribute to their personal strength.

Therefore, for such martial arts masters, gold and silver are not much different from ordinary stones.

The only useful thing he could do was help his descendants or family.

However, some martial arts masters do not value this point.

"This trip was really worth it!!" He turned his gaze away from the inner space of the mustard leaf and sighed inwardly.

He originally came to this grotto-heaven just to give it a try.

Unexpectedly, thanks to his current mastery and understanding of space due to the perfection of the Taixu Yin Yang Sword, he was able to actively enter the unopened cave world.

Moreover, the grotto-heaven above Yang Lake, which belonged to the Shangyang Immortal Sect, contained, just as he had expected, the pure Yin and Yang energies that would help him achieve the Yin-Yang Dao Embryo.

This allowed him to successfully complete the Nine Mysteries of the Yin-Yang Dao Embryo, achieving complete success.

And yet he reaped such a rich reward, truly achieving multiple benefits in one fell swoop.

He then took to the air and reached the edge of the island in just a moment, plunging straight into the vast sea.

He charged toward another island that his gaze had locked onto. That island was larger than the one he had just plundered, and even larger than the first one.

The island was bathed in rosy light and dazzling colors, clearly indicating the presence of treasure.

The moment he stepped off the island and plunged into the sea.

Ripples suddenly appeared in the space above the sea, and a gentle yet vast and powerful will swept across his mind like a breeze.

"The true teachings of the Supreme Sect state that the Yin and Yang in this grotto-heaven have their own balance, and all things live and breathe in accordance with its laws. Now that you have obtained what you need, you should return and not disturb the nature of this place too much."

The voice was indifferent and calm, yet it resonated in Jiang Ning's mind like a divine decree, carrying the majesty and vastness naturally revealed by the will of the grotto-heaven.

Jiang Ning paused, hovering between the sea and sky, his brows slightly furrowed.

He looked up at the dome, and although he could not see its form, he could clearly sense the gaze of that vast will.

It did not show anger, but rather served as a reminder, or rather, a rule-based admonition.

"This junior understands," Jiang Ning said loudly, his voice echoing across the sea, his attitude respectful.

He had no intention of offending the will of this world. He had anticipated this beforehand, and his actions were a test of the boundaries of what was tacitly permitted.

Now that we have received a clear indication, we should stop here.

That will said no more, and slowly receded like the tide, the sky returned to its clear state, with only the ten great suns still hanging high in the sky.

Jiang Ning looked at the islands in the distance that he had not yet had time to explore, a trace of regret flashing in his eyes, but he quickly let it go.

The trip has yielded results far exceeding expectations.

Not only did he successfully condense the Yin-Yang Dao Embryo, but he also took the most crucial step in achieving the Primordial Spirit.

They also used this blessed land to plunder a large number of natural treasures containing the essence of the sun.

These resources are enough to allow him to make a significant leap forward in his internal alchemy cultivation practice, and even provide ample source points for breakthroughs in other cultivation methods.

"Now that the will of the cave has made its stance clear, the most important thing right now is to return to the capital and wait for the Dao embryo to mature so that the primordial spirit can break free of its shell." He made up his mind.

Then, he turned around and transformed into a swift streak of light, flying towards the spatial node he had sensed when he arrived.

That is the crack connecting the grotto to the outside world's Yanghu Lake.

A moment later, he had reached a certain point high in the sky.

The scene before him seemed no different from anywhere else, but in his heightened perception due to the initial formation of his Dao Embryo, a tiny golden spatial rift rippled through the void like water, faintly revealing the moisture and sunlight of Yang Lake outside.

"open!"

He pointed his fingers like a sword and made a vague, sweeping motion.

His understanding of the Dao of Space had become ingrained in his very being since he perfected the Yin-Yang Sword of the Void, and now, due to the sublimation of his divine soul, he was able to control it with exquisite precision.

The golden crack expanded instantly, transforming into a portal large enough for a person to pass through, revealing a clear view of the outside world.

It was the vast expanse of Yanghu Lake, with its shimmering blue waters, and the distant silhouettes of rolling mountains.

He took a step forward, his figure disappearing into the crevice.

The next moment, light and shadow shifted, and space transformed.

A familiar, cool lake breeze caressed my face, and the lake water rippled beneath my feet.

Jiang Ning was already standing on Yanghu Lake. Looking back, the crack closed in an instant and finally disappeared into the void without a trace.

It was afternoon outside, the sun was setting in the west, and the lake surface shimmered with golden light.

In stark contrast to the fiery spectacle of ten suns soaring into the sky within the cave, this place appeared instead tranquil and peaceful.

Jiang Ning took a deep breath, sensing the spiritual energy in the world that had thinned out considerably.

The Yin-Yang Dao Embryo within the Lingtai slowly rotates, the Yin-Yang Mystic Light intertwines, and at the same time autonomously absorbs and releases the energy flowing between heaven and earth, continuously nourishing itself.

"It's time to go back," he thought to himself, as he determined his direction.

The capital city is not close, but at his current speed, he can arrive within an hour if he travels at full speed.

next moment.

He didn't linger; with a flicker, he vanished instantly over Yanghu Lake.

With no shadows outside, he traversed the high mountains and forests like a straight line, heading directly towards Shangjing County, where the capital was located.

During his journey, nothing in his path could hinder him in the slightest or have any effect on him.

The journey proceeded without causing any disturbance.

As he traveled, his thoughts were churning.

The trip to Yanghu Cave was far more rewarding than I had anticipated.

The Yin-Yang Dao embryo has been formed; it only awaits the breaking of the primordial spirit to truly establish itself in the realm of the primordial spirit immortal.

The rare and precious materials they plundered were enough to support further advancement in their internal alchemy cultivation, and they had also accumulated a considerable amount of source points.

At the same time, the final reminder from the will of the cave heaven made me even more convinced that although the Yanghu Cave Heaven recognized my identity as a true disciple of the upper sect, it also had its own insurmountable bottom line of rules.

If I enter other blessed lands in the future, I must be even more cautious.

"However, the most crucial thing is the situation in the capital." His gaze narrowed slightly, and his speed increased by a third. A thought struck him: "The old man in gray died at my hands, and Ji Xuan must already know. With his second-best temperament and cunning, he will never let this go. The reason he didn't make a move at the court assembly was probably because he was confident in his status, was plotting something bigger, or was wary of the Grand Preceptor and the Martial Saint. But now that I've killed his man, I've completely broken off all pretense. If he takes action personally..."

Thinking of this, Jiang Ning felt a chill run down his spine.

Ji Xuan's strength is unfathomable. More than a hundred years ago, he was already known as the second strongest in the world. Now, after a long period of accumulation, he will only become more terrifying.

Even if he had condensed the Yin-Yang Dao Embryo and sublimated his soul, the outcome of a battle against a powerhouse of this level would still be unpredictable.

"We must return as soon as possible to discuss countermeasures with Su Qingying. At the same time, we should also use this time to refine everything we have gained from the cave, and every bit of improvement in strength will be beneficial."

He walked briskly while simultaneously focusing his inner vision on his spiritual platform.

The Yin-Yang Dao Embryo, the size of a pigeon egg, floated quietly, its outer Yin-Yang Mystic Light slowly flowing. With each rotation, it absorbed the spiritual power within the spiritual platform and fed back a trace of purer divine soul essence.

The Dao embryo is brimming with vitality, as if something is being conceived and waiting for the right time to break out.

“According to the tradition, the process of nurturing the Dao Embryo takes anywhere from a few days to over a month. My soul is already strong and resilient, and I have been tempered by the Heavenly Ladder, so perhaps this time can be shortened.” Jiang Ning secretly estimated, “If I can achieve the Primordial Spirit before Ji Xuan makes his move, my chances will be much greater.”

As he pondered, he had already crossed many high mountains, and ahead of him appeared undulating mountains, a long official road, and wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys of distant towns.

A moment later.

He then entered the territory of Shangjing County.

A few more moments passed.

In the distance, the undulating walls of the capital city, resembling a black python, came into his view.

"It's back again!"

"I wonder what has happened in the capital these past few days, with the King in charge of the court!"

He thought to himself.

They then passed through the great formation that enveloped the capital in an instant, without causing any disturbance.

With his current abilities, the grand formation that shrouds the capital day and night is completely unable to detect him.

He could easily do what many powerful individuals couldn't: freely enter and leave the capital without being detected. (End of Chapter)