Beginning with the Five Animals Fist to Become a Saint

Before the capital.

The city walls are towering, stretching out like a dragon.

Jiang Ning glanced at the city wall ahead, then turned and left.

Just before the Martial Saint left, he asked him to go there, and he hadn't forgotten.

next moment.

Like a fleeting shadow, he crossed mountains and rivers, arriving in an instant at the summit of the mountain peak that stood like a divine sword.

Looking up at the sky above him, he could sense the entrance to the grotto-heaven hanging high above him.

The entrance was clearly visible to him.

He was confident that he could enter this blessed land without anyone's permission, if he so desired.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he instantly thought of the Martial Saint.

If he can do this with his current abilities, then there is no doubt that the Martial Saint can do it even better.

As for the Martial Saint's strength, he was too weak to have any concept of it before.

Furthermore, the Martial Saint has few combat records, so there is no specific understanding of him.

But this time is different.

It was merely a spiritual body that killed a dragon with nearly five thousand years of cultivation, almost transformed into a dragon, in a single move.

Facing the ruler of the demon kingdom, who was known as the Demon Emperor, he defeated him with just three punches.

From these two decisive battles, he could imagine the strength of the Martial Saint, a power that no martial artist in the world could comprehend.

Even so, despite his immense strength, the Martial Saint was unable to conquer those so-called blessed lands.

As various thoughts flashed through his mind, Jiang Ning's heart sank.

The more he learned, the more he felt the power of the ancient remnants of the blessed land.

Just then.

A voice rang in his ears.

"Since you're here, please come in!"

As the sound rang out, the void trembled, and the world was instantly turned upside down, with time and space shifting.

next moment.

He found himself in the cave where the Martial Saint was, with a familiar thatched hut in front of him.

Pushing open the half-closed wooden gate, one is greeted by an elderly man sitting at a stone table with his eyes slightly closed.

"You've come!" The old man's calm voice rang in Jiang Ning's ears.

"Greetings, Senior!" Jiang Ning bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your kindness, Senior."

"There is a cause and effect between us!" The old man slowly opened his eyes, which were cloudy and expressionless. He was full of age and seemed to have little time left.

"Senior, what's wrong?" Jiang Ning looked at the old man who had opened his eyes and was stunned.

"Are you trying to say why I'm in such a bad state?" The old man got up and stood up from the stone bench.

Jiang Ning nodded.

"In my current state, how could I defeat the Demon Emperor with those three punches without paying a price!" The old man chuckled self-deprecatingly.

With a wave of his hand, some firewood appeared out of thin air in front of him, and then the old man began to pile the firewood together and arrange it neatly.

With a light touch of his fingertips, a flame rose, instantly igniting the firewood placed before him, and the fire began to blaze.

"That battle seemed easy, but it actually depleted my accumulated essence. The Demon Emperor is, after all, the Demon Emperor; he's not so easy to deal with. I was mostly bluffing."

Hearing these words, Jiang Ning was deeply moved.

"Is your health really that bad, senior?"

The old man nodded, a faint, almost imperceptible mockery tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"If it were before, if he dared to scheme like this, I would have already completely destroyed his Demon Emperor body. How could I allow him to provoke me like this!"

As he spoke, a bloody piece of flesh appeared in the old man's hand without him noticing.

Sensing the aroma emanating from the meat, Jiang Ning immediately understood that it was the meat of a dragon that had just been chopped.

"Sit down! Come and try this delicacy with me. As the saying goes, donkey meat on the ground and dragon head in the sky. This dragon meat is a real treat! Not only does it taste amazing, but it's also good for your health."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning stepped forward and, like the old man, sat down directly on the ground.

Then he took a piece of dragon meat that the old man had already forked and put it on the fire to roast as well.

"Senior, what level of strength does that Demon Emperor possess?" Jiang Ning asked.

The old man glanced at him, then shook his head.

"It's pointless for you to know this now. Your divine power hasn't spread throughout your body yet, and the gap between you and such an existence cannot be measured by reason. Knowing it will only add to your troubles. Such a person wouldn't even consider you a threat now."

Hearing this, Jiang Ning felt helpless.

He knew that the old man in front of him was a Martial Saint, and could see through his martial arts realm, knowing that he had not yet achieved the Great Perfection of Unity.

He didn't say much about the old man's judgment.

You can't just say that your strength is far more than what it appears to be, and that you can't be regarded as an ordinary martial artist!
You can't just reveal all your cards, can you?
He's not that stupid.

“You’re right, senior!” Jiang Ning said, as he began to turn the dragon meat in his hand.

He discovered that the flames in front of him, though seemingly ordinary, were actually extraordinary. In just a moment, they had roasted the dragon meat until it turned golden brown and began to sizzle with oil.

A faint aroma of meat filled the air along the road.

He looked at the leaping flames ahead and spoke again, "Is there anything I can do for you in your current state, senior?"

"You?" The old man glanced at Jiang Ning, then shook his head. "You are kind, but you can't help me now! There is only one thing you need to do, and that is to improve your strength as soon as possible and keep up with my pace."

Then, he looked up into the distance, his pupils reflecting the landscape.

"I wonder if there's any hope left for this world!"

Jiang Ning said, "Senior, do you care about the world?"

"In the end, I built this world, so how could I not have feelings for it!" the old man said.

"If you have feelings, why did you allow the world to gradually descend into chaos?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Are you referring to the Yellow Heaven Sect, or those hidden paradises behind it all?" the old man asked, turning over the sizzling, oily dragon meat in his hand.

“Yes, we have them all!” Jiang Ning said.

"Then you underestimate that Huangtian Daoist and the immortal grotto-heaven," the old man said calmly.

"Please enlighten me, senior!" Jiang Ning said respectfully.

"Let me tell you about Huang Tian Dao Ren first!" the old man said calmly, continuing to turn the fragrant dragon meat in his hands, drops of golden oil falling onto the firewood, causing the flames to leap up occasionally.

Jiang Ning was also turning the dragon meat in his hand.

The old man's voice was calm: "Huang Tian Dao Ren, when he asked me for martial arts advice back then, I knew that his talent was extremely high, and no one in the world could compare with him."

At this point, he glanced at Jiang Ning again.

"Of course, that was before you."

Then he added, "After giving me his guidance, that Huang Tian Daoist was, in my opinion, already the second strongest in the world, probably above those few. Later, this person further refined his immortality, reaching the realm of immortals, cultivating both immortality and martial arts, reaching an even higher level. Now, his strength might not be inferior to that Demon Emperor!"

"In my current state, I could kill him! But if I kill him, I'll die there too!"

At this point, the old man placed the nearly roasted dragon meat in front of him and took a big bite.

After tearing apart the golden-yellow outer layer, you can see that the dragon meat still has some blood in the middle.

"Tell me, is it worth it to trade my life for his?" he asked Jiang Ning again. "No!" Jiang Ning shook his head.

"That's it!" The old man narrowed his eyes, swallowed the piece of dragon he had just torn off, and went into his stomach.

The old man shook his head in amazement after a full breath.

"Dragon meat, it's really delicious! Cooked to medium-rare, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, just right!"

Jiang Ning glanced at the torn dragon meat in the old man's hand, and continued to silently roast the dragon meat he was holding.

"What, you don't like it?" The old man glanced at Jiang Ning.

“I still prefer it medium-well!” Jiang Ning said earnestly.

"Then you really don't understand the deliciousness of dragon meat!" The old man shook his head, seemingly feeling sorry for Jiang Ning.

At this moment, Jiang Ning looked at the old man, and his gaze involuntarily sharpened slightly.

He sensed that as the piece of dragon meat entered the old man's stomach, the old man seemed to slightly improve his condition.

"Is this the effect of dragon meat and blood essence?" He looked at the sizzling, oily dragon meat in his hand and muttered to himself.

"Let me tell you about the immortal grotto-heavens again!" the old man said calmly.

"Please enlighten me, senior!" Jiang Ning said.

"Even at my peak, I couldn't conquer the Immortal Grotto-Heavens, let alone now. There's nothing more to say. The accumulation of immortal cultivation is too profound and too heaven-defying. Even a mere remnant is enough to make me feel powerless." The old man shook his head and sighed.

Then he continued, "Even if I fight desperately now, relying on the advantages of the cave's heaven and earth, it will only be a pointless death. Only when those immortals come out can I easily kill them."

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man took another big bite of the dragon meat and chewed it in his mouth.

Upon hearing the old man's words, Jiang Ning fell silent.

Although he is not yet on the opposite side of those immortal grotto-heavens, he can sense that sooner or later he may reach that point.

And as he grows stronger, this matter draws ever closer.

The more he learned, the more he understood that no one in the world wanted to see a second Martial Saint exist.

Although, according to the Martial Saint, he doesn't seem to be that powerful at this moment.

But Jiang Ning understood that the Martial Saint's strength was what had kept the world silent for over eight hundred years.

Even the most powerful immortal grottoes, with immortals and even beings above immortals, can only remain secluded and dare not directly confront the Martial Saint.

Even though the Martial Saint has reached this point, truly in his twilight years, with declining vitality and function, and his strength far below his peak, no one in the world dares to take the initiative to step forward; they are merely testing the waters.

The immortal grotto-heaven has been testing us, and so has the demon kingdom in the south.

The fact that he only dared to probe but not to confront directly was enough to demonstrate the power of the Martial Saint.

"Senior, are you aware that the Ten Realms are interconnected?" Jiang Ning suddenly asked again.

"The ten realms have merged?" The old man's mouth, which was chewing on the dragon meat, suddenly paused. He then looked at Jiang Ning with surprise in his eyes. "Could it be that you have communicated with the Heavenly Dao of this world?"

"Can Heaven still communicate?" Jiang Ning was equally taken aback.

“Of course!” The old man nodded and continued, “The Heavenly Dao of this world already has consciousness; you can sense its meaning.”

“No, that’s not it!” Jiang Ning shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then recounted the story of the Shangyang Immortal Sect.

"So that's how it is! I didn't know you had such good fortune!" The old man looked at Jiang Ning with some amazement in his eyes.

Then he nodded: "What that True Man Haoyang said is true. These Ten Realms do indeed have the potential to merge! In fact, the merging has already begun, and it is precisely because of this that the environment of heaven and earth is recovering, and those departed gods are also constantly awakening."

The old man put down the dragon meat in his hand, his expression full of regret.

"But unfortunately, I won't live to see that day!" The old man chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Even if I did live to see that day, it would be useless, since I have no immortal roots. Without immortal roots, it's impossible to walk the path of immortality."

Upon hearing these words, Jiang Ning fell silent.

He also knew this: without the root of immortality, one cannot embark on the path to immortality; this is an ironclad rule.

"Senior is already very impressive! He has pushed the path of martial arts to an unprecedented height."

"That's natural!" The old man grinned, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes, which then turned into a faint melancholy. "But it's still a pity in the end. This path hasn't reached its end yet, but I'm already too old to continue. I can't embark on the path of immortality, and the environment of heaven and earth doesn't allow it. My lifespan is ultimately too short!"

He picked up the charred dragon meat again and took a big bite, as if he wanted to swallow all the abundant life essence into his stomach and slow down the irreversible decay of his body.

Jiang Ning silently turned the piece of meat in his hand, watching the oil drip and the flames rise.

He could sense the emotions in the heart of this martial saint.

As he fell silent, the only sounds in the thatched hut were the crackling of firewood and the old man chewing.

“You are different.” The old man suddenly spoke, his gaze falling on Jiang Ning, a glimmer of light seemingly flashing in his cloudy eyes. “You are still young, and you have a long way to go.”

"Judging from your aura, although you have not yet achieved the Great Perfection of the Unity Realm, your foundation is solid and your blood and qi are pure. You have a great chance of reaching the same level as me."

"Furthermore, you possess exceptional talent in the path of immortality, and with the merging of the ten domains and the restoration of the natural environment, lifespan will no longer be a problem for you. You can reach my level, or even surpass me!!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning felt a slight ripple in his heart.

Compared to the high hopes the old man had for him, he had even more confidence.

"Thank you for your high expectations, senior. I will do my best," Jiang Ning said.

"Not bad!" The old man looked at Jiang Ning and nodded: "That's how it should be, without being coy."

Then, he glanced at the sizzling, oily dragon meat that Jiang Ning was roasting in his hand.

"You should eat this dragon meat now. If you keep roasting it, it will turn into charcoal."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning quickly removed the golden-brown roasted dragon meat from the flames and placed it in front of him.

He took a slight sniff, and the aroma of roasted meat filled his nostrils, whetting his appetite.

He immediately took a big bite.

The outside was crispy, but when he tore it open, the rich meat juices burst in his mouth, instantly awakening his taste buds.

His eyes suddenly lit up, and his gaze became exceptionally bright.

"How is it?" the old man asked.

"An unparalleled delicacy!" Jiang Ning exclaimed.

The old man smiled and nodded, then said, "This is just the meat of a dragon. If it were the meat of that demon emperor, it would be even more delicious. That demon emperor is a black dragon!"

As he spoke, a flash of memory crossed his eyes.

"During the last great battle, I took some pieces of meat with me. The taste was more than ten times better than this dragon meat!"

"Really?" Jiang Ning's eyes lit up, and he asked.

"Of course!" the old man nodded.

Jiang Ning immediately made a mental note of this matter.

Then, he looked at the dragon meat in his hand and took a big bite.

I wonder what it would be like to make braised dragon meat and serve it with noodles.

Thinking of this, he had a sudden thought and kept it in mind.

For him, there wasn't much he could truly enjoy.

And delicious food is undoubtedly a form of enjoyment.

Eating good food always makes him feel very happy.

The thought flashed through his mind, and he had already bitten off most of the roasted dragon meat in his hand.

He didn't have time to savor each bite; he swallowed them in just a few bites.

At this moment, it felt as if flames were rising in my abdomen.

The dragon's flesh, once inside its belly, was broken down by the flames within, transforming into a torrent of vital energy that flowed into its limbs and bones. (End of Chapter)