From absorbing the essence of the sun and moon to achieving divine mastery in martial arts

Meanwhile, in the rest room of the Dark Force Group below.

Thirty geniuses from major bases across the country gathered together, and the air was thick with the competitive spirit of the contest.

Cang Lian sat quietly in a corner, silently observing everyone.

Just then, a cold gaze locked onto him.

He was a sharp-looking young man with venomous eyes: "You're Cang Lian? My third uncle, Hong Lie, had his arm crippled by that woman, Chu Zhaoxue! Since you're one of her people, then we'll start by collecting interest on this debt from you!"

Before he could finish speaking, the young man suddenly launched an attack without warning!

boom!

He exerted force with his feet, and his whole body rushed towards Cang Lian like an arrow released from a bow. He struck out with a palm, the palm wind was sinister, and he was going straight for Cang Lian's throat.

Cang Lian was also surprised that someone would suddenly attack him. His gaze turned cold instantly, and instead of retreating, he advanced.

A sudden, muffled, thunderous roar erupted from his chest and abdomen, his spine twisted like a dragon turning over, and his bones cracked and popped.

boom!

It was as if a muffled thunderclap had exploded in the air.

Cang Lian's seemingly simple punch was actually accompanied by tremors in his muscles and a clanging of his bones.

A deep and terrifying roar erupted from the depths of his body; it was the "thunderous sound" produced by the resonance of his muscles, bones, skin, and internal organs.

This hidden force, though delayed, struck first and was incredibly powerful, directly clashing with Hong Pan's palm.

boom!

The energy surged forth, causing the ground to tremble.

The two were evenly matched, and under the enormous recoil, they both staggered back three steps.

At this moment, the once noisy lounge fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone's gaze instantly turned fiery and greedy, fixed intently on Cang Lian.

What shocked them was not Cang Lian's achievement of fighting against a master of Dark Force with only mid-stage Dark Force, but the thunderous sound that had just come from within his body.

"That was... Vice Hall Master Chu's 'Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound' technique?!"

"That's a long-lost national martial art, a top-tier secret technique capable of tempering bone marrow and cleansing internal organs!"

"I never expected that Vice Hall Master Chu would pass on this entire cultivation technique to him!"

In the center of the crowd, the young man in white, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them.

He is the favorite to win the championship this time, Shang Jue.

Shang Jue's narrow eyes were fixed on Cang Lian, and a barely perceptible glint of greed and ambition flashed deep within them.

He was born into nobility, had countless resources, and possessed martial arts that protected the nation. But the Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound was different; it could fundamentally temper the internal organs and transform a person completely.

This technique held immense appeal for him.

"Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound..."

Hong Pan's expression changed.

He thought that with his perfected internal strength cultivation, he could cripple this arrogant brat with a single palm strike. However, the moment they made contact, the shockwave emanating from the opponent's fist made half of his body go numb and his blood surge.

Keep in mind, the opponent is only at the mid-stage of Dark Force!

If it were a battle between people of the same cultivation level, that punch would probably have broken Hong Pan's arm!

This is the overwhelming advantage that top-tier cultivation techniques bring!

"Good, good, good!" Hong Pan's eyes flashed with ferocity as he prepared to pounce again.

"Outrageous! Private fights are strictly prohibited in the lounge!"

Just then, a majestic shout rang out like a thunderclap.

A middle-aged man dressed in black appeared at the doorway at some unknown time. His aura was as deep and boundless as the ocean, clearly indicating that he was a Grandmaster of Internal Energy.

Upon seeing the Grandmaster appear, Cang Lian frowned slightly, the surging thunder within his body gradually subsided, and the power around him dissipated.

Hong Pan's eyes flashed sinisterly for a few moments, but in the end he didn't dare to act recklessly in front of a grandmaster, and stopped his actions with a gloomy face.

"You are all top geniuses selected from various states. The reason I've gathered you here today is not for you to fight, but to exchange cultivation experiences, verify your martial arts, and improve together." The Grandmaster of Internal Energy coldly surveyed the entire audience. "If you want to fight, let's see who's the best on the arena tomorrow!"

Under the Grandmaster's oppressive aura, everyone fell silent, daring not to act rashly again.

……

As evening fell, the group concluded their so-called "exchange" and, guided by staff, returned to their individual rest rooms.

As night deepened, Cang Lian had just sat down cross-legged to meditate when there was a knock on the door.

"Thump, thump, thump."

Cang Lian's heart skipped a beat, and she opened the door. To her surprise, the person who entered was none other than Hong Pan, with whom she had clashed during the day.

He immediately frowned, about to ask a question, but saw that Hong Pan had lost his arrogance from the daytime and was now all smiles and very humble.

"Brother Cang, I was offended today. I feel very bad about it, so I came here to apologize."

As Hong Pan spoke, he squeezed into the room as if they were old friends, carrying an exquisite wooden box in his hands, and placed it on the table with a big smile on his face.

Cang Lian's gaze fell on the wooden box. She didn't speak, but just watched him quietly.

"Brother Cang, look! Here are some rare treasures: a hundred-year-old blood ginseng, Lesser Rejuvenation Pills, Qi and Blood Pills, Body Tempering Pills, and deep-sea sunken silver... These are all incredibly valuable items." Hong Pan turned his head and smiled slightly. "I'm a martial arts fanatic. I witnessed your techniques during the day, and I'm itching to learn them. I'd like to exchange these treasures for your cultivation techniques. What do you say?"

Cang Lian's brows furrowed even deeper.

The "Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound" was passed down by Chu Zhaoxue, who treasured it as a national treasure. Naturally, he would never offer it for trade.

More importantly, he glanced at the so-called "treasures" on the table. Although they were nice, to him, who possessed the Heaven and Earth Pearl, these things seemed flashy, but in reality, none of them had any real value.

"Take your things and leave." Cang Lian's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable chill. "The cultivation technique I practice was passed down by General Chu; you are not qualified to trade with it!"

Seeing Cang Lian's decisive refusal, Hong Pan's smile froze instantly, then slowly twisted and became ferocious.

"If you won't listen to reason, you'll have to suffer the consequences! Since you refuse to give it to me..."

"Then let me collect it myself!"

Hong Pan's eyes flashed with a fierce light. He took a step forward and his eyes suddenly emitted a strange gray-white light that pierced Cang Lian's eyes.

A chilling and malevolent mental shock, like a venomous snake, burrowed into Cang Lian's mind—the Soul Searching Technique!

"Soul-searching technique?!"

Cang Lian's expression changed. He was no longer a novice in cultivation. This kind of extremely terrifying technique forcibly invaded the sea of ​​consciousness of others and plundered their memories. Those who were searched by the soul searcher would at best become idiots, and at worst suffer brain death on the spot.

Hong Pan, what a cruel heart you have!

However, Hong Pan never expected that Cang Lian not only had amazing martial arts talent, but also mental strength far surpassed that of ordinary people.

The moment that chilling spiritual energy struck, a vortex seemed to swirl in Cang Lian's eyes.

"You think you can search my soul? You're not worthy!"

With a low shout, Cang Lian not only instantly erected a mental barrier to block the Soul Searching Technique, but also launched a hypnotic counterattack immediately.

His immense mental power transformed into a vast mental net, fiercely enveloping Hong Pan's consciousness.

Hong Pan felt a "buzz" in his mind, and his will instantly fell into a terrible blank. He stood there like a puppet with its strings cut.

Take advantage of his illness and kill him!

The next second, Cang Lian moved.

The Eight Formations of Military Formation: The Starting Move is Charging into the Enemy's Formation!

A powerful and unparalleled whip kick slammed into Hong Pan's waist.

"Snap!"

The sound of bones cracking was clearly audible.

"Bang!"

Hong Pan was sent flying like a broken sack, crashing heavily against the wall before bouncing to the ground.

A mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of broken internal organs gushed out, and he instantly became weak, his body curling up into a ball. The excruciating pain jolted him awake from his daze.

But at this moment, his meridians were damaged, and he was so badly injured that he had completely lost the ability to resist.

Cang Lian slowly walked forward, looking down at him with a cold, icy gaze.

Hong Pan dared to make a move in the lounge today, which shows that he has a volatile and impulsive personality and is definitely not the kind of person with deep scheming.

Now that he's actually offering treasures to trade for cultivation techniques, Cang Lian simply doesn't believe that this was all Hong Pan's own idea.

He crouched down, pressed his fingers against Hong Pan's broken ribs, and applied slight pressure.

"Ah—!" Hong Pan let out a bloodcurdling scream like a pig being slaughtered.

"Speak, who sent you?" Cang Lian's voice was soft, yet it carried a chilling intent to kill.

Looking at Cang Lian's unwavering gaze, Hong Pan's eyes were filled with fear, as if he could see Chu Zhaoxue killing his third uncle. He never expected that Cang Lian would be so powerful in terms of mental strength in addition to martial arts skills, not only breaking his soul-searching technique but also launching a terrifying counterattack.

At this moment, he was really scared.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'll talk! I'll talk!"

He said, trembling, "It's...it's someone who gave me a benefit. He promised me that if I obtained the cultivation technique you use, he would give me three opportunities to go to the 'Western Laboratory' for in-depth brain development!"

"Western-style laboratory? Brain development?"

"Who is it?" Cang Lian's gaze was like lightning as he pressed further.

Hong Pan swallowed a mouthful of bloody saliva, and stammered out a name: "It's...it's Shang Jue! He said that if things go well, he would not only let me develop my brain, but also give me a...Soul Nourishing Pill!"

(Double monthly votes, please vote, thank you!)