Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 262 Innate Secret Technique
Gula retreated three steps like a ghost, his black robe leaving three afterimages in the air. The ground where he had been standing suddenly exploded, cracking into a spiderweb of charred black fissures, sparks flying everywhere.

He twitched his nostrils slightly, catching the pungent smell of sulfur in the air. "It really does smell familiar."

A smile appeared on Gula's lips. His soul power suddenly erupted from his feet, and he transformed into seven afterimages that were difficult to distinguish from reality. Each one carried a sharp claw wind, surrounding Chen Yu completely.

Chen Yu stood with his hammer sheathed, veins bulging on the blacksmith's thick arms. He warily turned his body, the crimson-gold hammer drawing a defensive arc in front of him.

"Second Soul Skill: Shock Protection!"

As the purple soul ring shone brightly, an invisible shockwave spread out from him. Chen Yu closed his eyes, his keen senses reaching their peak at this moment—the crisp, metallic sound outlined the precise location of Gula's true form in his mind.

"when!"

The moment the crimson hammer clashed with the dark gold claws, dazzling sparks erupted. A turbulent current of soul power swept through the entire forging room like a hurricane, scattering all the forging tools around it, and the refined iron ingots slammed against the walls with dull thuds.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Chen Yu spun around, and his third spirit ring shone with a dazzling light.

"A meteor chasing the moon!"

The heavy, crimson hammer transformed into a streak of crimson light, hurtling straight toward Gula's face with a whooshing sound.

A hint of admiration flashed in Gula's eyes, but it quickly turned into indifference.

"We've given you enough face, it's time to end this."

He muttered to himself, and the moment his right foot touched the ground, dozens of sharp rock spikes suddenly materialized from the ceiling, blocking all of Chen Yu's escape routes at tricky angles.

"what?!"

Chen Yu hastily changed his move, but being a blacksmith by training, he lacked combat experience. Three rock spikes accurately struck his shoulders and limbs, and the crimson-gold hammer clattered to the ground, dissipating into soul power.

"I... lost."

Chen Yu knelt on one knee, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He had thought he could at least last a hundred moves, but his opponent had remained completely unfazed. The contrast between being evenly matched and instantly defeated shattered his pride.

Gula watched the young blacksmith stagger away silently, offering no words of comfort. If it weren't for Zhenhua's guidance, the battle would have ended the moment it began.

Some lessons can only be truly learned through personal experience.

I hope he can grow and improve.

Meanwhile, in the wilderness outside the city.

Muye's red mecha streaked across the night sky like a meteor, creating a deep crater in the wasteland. The hatch slammed open, and the sect leader of the Body Sect eagerly leaped out of the cockpit, carrying Mu Yi.

"Quick! Let your master take a good look at your martial spirit!"

Mu Ye's rough hands trembled slightly with excitement. He had lived for nearly a hundred years and this was the first time he had ever seen such a perfect embryonic spirit.

"Good teacher."

Mu Yi nodded obediently, a flash of green light passing through his eyes. He was the most normal of the five incarnations, without any obvious flaws or personality defects, and was even somewhat upright.

As his martial soul was activated, Mu Yi's exposed skin gradually shone with an emerald-like luster, as if emerald green blood was flowing beneath his skin. The surrounding plants swayed without wind, exuding a vibrant vitality.

"Just as I expected!" Mu Ye clapped his hands sharply, sending dust flying. He circled his disciple three times, his delight growing with each look: "Ultimate wood attribute! And the purest form of martial soul! Heaven has been kind to me!"

As the current sect leader of the Body Sect, Mu Ye knew all too well what this meant.

Cultivating one's own martial spirit requires acquiring a natural attribute, such as enhancing offensive power and poison or lightning attributes, or enhancing defense with earth or metal attributes.

Otherwise, simply strengthening one's Qi and blood is too difficult and insufficient in terms of destructive power. One must make the body stronger through the tempering of elements in order to have more powerful Qi and blood and a stronger physique.

Mu Yi was born with extreme attributes, making him a perfect successor of the Body Sect.

With Mu Ye's insight, after confirming that Mu Yi's martial soul was the entire body, he immediately formulated a cultivation plan according to the Body Sect's procedures.

"Teacher?" Mu Yi's voice pulled Mu Ye back from his euphoria. The boy pointed to his glowing skin, somewhat confused: "Is something wrong?"

"Normal? Absolutely normal!"

Makino laughed and ruffled his apprentice's hair, "This is a talent that only comes along once in a century!"

He suddenly became serious and said, "From today onwards, I will teach you the secret technique of the Body Sect—the Innate Secret Method. This technique..."

Halfway through his sentence, Mu Ye suddenly paused, frowning as he looked at Mu Yi: "Wait, how old are you really? This technique is best practiced from a young age."

"I'm less than a year old," Mu Yi answered honestly. "Although I look like I'm fourteen, my physical condition is closer to that of a six-year-old child."

Makino's eyes widened, then he burst into a deafening laugh: "It's fate! It really is fate!"

He rubbed his hands excitedly, “Six years old is the best age to cultivate the Innate Body Tempering Technique, and with your talent... my good disciple, given time, you will surely be able to master the ultimate Innate Secret Technique, the Arhat Golden Body!”

On the desolate plain, Mu Ye's laughter startled a flock of birds. The shadows of the master and his apprentice stretched long, very long in the rising sun.

After laughing, Mu Ye became serious and instructed Mu Yi on how to cultivate the secret technique.

"Sit cross-legged with your palms facing upwards!"

Mu Ye's voice echoed across the wasteland. Mu Yi immediately did as he was told, sitting cross-legged on a flat rock, placing his palms up on his knees, and slightly lifting the Baihui acupoint on the top of his head.

Mu Ye took out an ancient-looking jade bottle from his pocket and poured out a pill that glowed with a blue light. "This is a 'Qi and Blood Pill,' made by condensing the essence of sea spirit beasts and rare spiritual herbs. The conditions here are a bit poor, so use this pill to get started first. Once you learn the secret technique, I will take you to capture fresh ingredients. After you take this, circulate the Qi and Blood pathway I taught you."

The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, a fishy smell rushed into the nasal cavity, followed by a cool sensation that flowed from the throat down to the dantian.

"Feel it carefully!"

Mu Ye slapped Mu Yi on the back. Mu Yi shuddered, feeling as if thousands of fine needles were coursing through his meridians. "This is your master using soul power to guide the medicinal effects. Remember this route!"

Mu Yi closed his eyes and looked inward, discovering that the cool energy was circulating within his body along a specific route:
The blood is absorbed from the stomach and small intestine, gathers at the dantian, rises to the danzhong point, splits into two paths along the inner side of the arm to the palm; the other path descends from the dantian, passes the perineum, and runs along the inner side of both legs to the sole of the foot, repeating this cycle continuously.

"The key to the Innate Body Forging Technique lies in the 'internal and external harmony'. It draws on external elements to temper the blood and qi, achieving the goal of 'internal training' of blood and qi. This technique has been improved by my Body Sect over the past 20,000 years."

Mu Ye's voice became solemn, "According to your attributes, use your martial soul as a medium to draw in the wood element of heaven and earth into your body and temper every inch of your flesh and blood."

(End of this chapter)