From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

Li Han struggled to get up from the ground, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. His face was pale and his breath was weak.

He gazed at Zhou Tianshen, who stood before him like a war god, his blood and qi flowing like dragons, his aura already reaching the tenth level of the Qi Opening Realm.

A look of horror and resentment flashed in his eyes, but were gradually replaced by a complex emotion.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his surging blood and qi, and solemnly clasped his hands and bowed to Zhou Tiancan:

"Senior Brother Zhou!" His tone was tinged with bitterness, but there was no insincerity in it.

"In this battle, I, Li Han, have lost. I sincerely apologize to you for stealing your prey!"

"You broke through during the battle, opening your hidden meridians and reaching the tenth level of the Meridian Opening Realm... Li Han is extremely impressed!"

"In this battle, Li Han lost fair and square! In the future, if Senior Brother Zhou needs Li Han's help, Li Han will do his best."

These words were unexpected by Zhou Tiancan.

He was a straightforward person by nature, and he was pleased to see that Li Han's attitude in admitting his mistake was sincere.

He even openly expressed his admiration for his own breakthrough, and his anger subsided considerably, his flushed face softening.

He scratched his head, unsure how to respond, and simply mumbled an "uh-huh" in acceptance of the apology.

Yao Mengkang, who was standing nearby, also sensed the fluctuations at that moment.

[Target Individual: Li Han: Shame (strong), Admiration (strong), Envy (strong), Desire (strong)]

Upon sensing this result, a hint of surprise flashed in Yao Mengkang's eyes.

After this defeat, Li Han seems to have changed his mindset.

His heart was filled only with admiration, envy, and longing?

Yao Mengkang hesitated for a moment, then stepped between the two, calmly looking at Li Han:

"Junior Brother Li, we accept your apology. As for what you're thinking..."

Li Han's heart skipped a beat, fearing that Yao Mengkang would misunderstand, so he stopped hiding his intentions and said directly:

"Senior Brother Yao is wise. Having witnessed your strength and... demeanor, Li Han wishes to travel with you both."

"The depths of the secret realm are bound to be even more dangerous, so having one more person means having one more person to protect us."

"Although I, Li Han, am not good at direct attacks, I am confident that I am still useful in terms of concealment, reconnaissance, and harassment."

Yao Mengkang looked at Zhou Tiancan, asking for his opinion with his eyes.

Zhou Tiancan still harbored resentment towards Li Han's previous actions.

However, he also understood that Li Han's strength should not be underestimated, especially his stealth and reconnaissance techniques, which were indeed very useful in the secret realm.

He thought for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "If Senior Brother Yao decides, then I will listen to Senior Brother Yao."

Yao Mengkang nodded and said to Li Han in a serious tone:

"Traveling together is perfectly fine. But we need to agree on three rules."

"First, be honest with each other and do not scheme behind each other's backs or steal opportunities from your companions."

"Second, when encountering the enemy, we must work together and not desert or shirk our duties."

"Third, spoils and opportunities should be distributed fairly according to the amount of effort and the need for them."

"If you can do it, then go together. If you can't, then go your separate ways now."

Upon hearing this, Li Han's expression turned serious, and he responded without hesitation.

"That's only right! Li Han hereby swears that if I break this oath, may my cultivation be completely destroyed and may I die a horrible death!"

Seeing that he had made a solemn vow, Yao Mengkang's expression softened slightly, and Zhou Tiancan also nodded slightly.

At this point, the three-person team was officially formed.

After a short rest and treating their injuries, the three set off again, continuing their journey towards the center of the secret realm.

With Li Han's addition, the team's structure is now more complete.

Li Han took the initiative to scout ahead, his figure as elusive as a cheetah in the shadows.

They were always able to spot potential dangers in advance, such as hidden star beasts or strange spatial folds, which helped the team avoid a lot of trouble.

Several days later, the surrounding stellar energy became increasingly dense and viscous, and the free-floating stellar primordial energy in the air almost condensed into pale silver specks visible to the naked eye.

The terrain also began to become more complex, with the emergence of more enormous, seemingly heaven-reaching crystal mountains, as well as bottomless abysses that emanated spatial fluctuations.

In an area filled with sharp clusters of crystals, resembling the skeleton of some giant beast.

Li Han's figure drifted back silently like a wisp of smoke, his expression grave.

"Three miles ahead, there's a Star Beast with a very strong aura... it's probably close to the mid-stage of the Spirit Sea Realm!"

Yao Mengkang and Zhou Tiancan exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.

Mid-stage Spirit Sea Realm – this is the highest-level Star Bone Beast they've encountered since entering the secret realm!

The three approached quietly and peered out from behind a huge crystal.

It was a star-shaped beast resembling a giant ape, over three zhang tall.

Its entire body is composed of dark gold crystals, and its muscle lines are full of explosive power.

It was lying in a sunken crystal pit, seemingly absorbing an exceptionally dense cluster of starlight from the bottom of the pit.

The energy fluctuations emanating from its body were like tangible tides, causing the surrounding air to distort slightly, far exceeding any other one encountered before!

"The third level of the Spirit Sea Realm, close to the middle stage... indeed powerful!" Zhou Tiancan gripped the copper hammer tightly, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit, but more so with caution.

He had just broken through to the tenth level of the Meridian Opening Realm and was confident that his strength had greatly increased, but he still felt tremendous pressure in the face of such an existence.

Li Han's face also turned pale. Star Beasts of this level were no longer something he could easily harass, and to confront them head-on would be suicidal.

Yao Mengkang stared intently at the giant ape-like star beast, feeling its immense pressure.

Instead of feeling fear, a strong desire to challenge them arose.

He felt the Yuan energy within his body stirring restlessly, and the Cloud-Splitting Blade on his back was also trembling slightly, as if it longed to clash with a powerful enemy.

"You two, cover my retreat."

Yao Mengkang said in a deep voice, his tone carrying an unquestionable determination.

"I will face this battle alone, as my cultivation has reached a bottleneck! A pressured opponent might be able to lend me a hand."

"Senior Brother Yao!" Zhou Tiancan exclaimed in surprise, trying to dissuade him.

Yao Mengkang waved his hand, his eyes resolute:

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. If we're outmatched, I'll call for help immediately. Keep an eye on our surroundings and be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances."

Seeing that Yao Mengkang was determined, Zhou Tiancan and Li Han had no choice but to nod, each taking up a favorable position and becoming alert.

Yao Mengkang took a deep breath of air containing the immense power of the stars, took a step forward, and his figure moved like lightning, directly rushing towards the giant ape star skeleton beast!

"roar!"

The giant ape star beast was immediately startled and raised its head from the starlight.

Two swirling dark golden nebulae in his eye sockets locked onto Yao Mengkang, and he let out a deafening roar!

The sound waves were so tangible that they caused the surrounding crystal clusters to rattle and vibrate!

It suddenly stood upright, its huge dark gold palm carrying the power to tear everything apart, and slammed down towards Yao Mengkang's head!

Even before the palm strike arrived, the terrifying pressure was already suffocating!

Yao Mengkang's eyes were sharp as knives, and he instantly activated the Five Animal Frolics Deer Form to its fullest extent.

His figure moved several feet to the side like a ghost, narrowly avoiding this thunderous palm strike!

"First move, Layered Waves, rise!"

The Cloud-Splitting Blade was drawn, its light like a tidal wave, accompanied by a deep roar, as it slashed towards the giant ape's wrist joint!

"clang!!"

Sparks flew! The blade collided with the dark gold crystal, producing a deafening roar!

Yao Mengkang felt an overwhelming force coming from him, his tiger's mouth went numb, and his body was involuntarily shaken back several steps, his blood and qi surging within his body!

"So tough! Such immense strength!" Yao Mengkang thought with a chill. This giant ape's defense and power far exceeded his expectations!

He dared not fight head-on, so he immediately changed his strategy, combining the Five Animal Techniques with the Primordial Qi Technique.

Its body sometimes soars like a crane, sometimes moves as nimbly as a monkey, and sometimes moves as steadily as a bear, constantly circling around the giant ape.

The Cloud-Splitting Blade strikes like a swift storm, targeting vulnerable points such as the eyes, throat, and joints.

The Primordial Chaos Technique was operating wildly, absorbing the rich stellar energy around it to replenish its rapidly depleting energy.

Under such intense pressure, his control over Yuan energy and his understanding of the power exertion techniques of the "Thousand Waves Overlapping Peaks Technique" were tested.

And his grasp of the timing for switching between various forms in the Five Animal Frolics is improving at an astonishing rate!

However, the Giant Ape Star Beast was simply too powerful, with heavy attacks, near-invincible defense, and great agility.

Yao Mengkang's blade was unlikely to cause any real damage to him; on the contrary, he himself was in grave danger several times, being grazed by the palm strikes and suffering internal injuries.

In the midst of this fierce battle, Yao Mengkang was highly focused, completely absorbed in the moment.

Suddenly, he sensed that deep within his chest, in the Tanzhong acupoint, that seemingly ancient and unknowable place, it seemed to... tremble slightly!

He knew that it was the place he had been trying to sense and touch all along, the location of his Chaos Chakra!

This slight disturbance was so faint that he would not have been able to detect it at all if his mind and spirit had not been in perfect harmony with the world and himself!

Upon noticing this slight change, he had a sudden inspiration and subconsciously combined the meaning of the Five Animal Techniques with the operation of the Primordial Chaos Technique.

Try to gently guide it towards the chaotic area of ​​Tanzhong Cave.

In that instant, he seemed to see five extremely blurry phantoms, exuding an ancient and primordial aura, flash by in the chaos!

The bear's weight, the tiger's ferocity, the deer's agility, the ape's cunning, and the crane's light flight.

The five true meanings seemed to have some strange convergence and sublimation in that chaos!

In the distance, one could vaguely see the stone bead floating quietly between the five illusory figures.

He had already cultivated the Five Animal Frolics to a very high level.

At this moment, it seems to have been infused with a new soul, becoming more harmonious and natural.

The switching between the five forms is now seamless, and can even be done in a single move.

It contains the rudiments of two or even three true meanings! His movements are more elusive and unpredictable, and his power flows more efficiently and powerfully!

"So... the potential of the Five Animal Frolics is far more than this! It seems to have some connection with my Chaos Chakra! Moreover, the stone bead is actually within my Chaos Chakra!"

Yao Mengkang understood immediately, and his fighting spirit intensified! He let out a long roar, and the Cloud-Splitting Blade shone brightly!

"A thousand waves! Triple waves!"

This time, the appearance of the Chaos Chakra seems to have brought about a qualitative change.

The stacking of elemental energy is smoother, and the burst of power is more concentrated!

On the blade, the water-like aura almost solidified, faintly carrying an ancient charm of the beginning of chaos and the division of yin and yang!

"cut!"

The Cloud-Splitting Blade transformed into a streak of light that tore through the dark golden shadows, striking the giant ape star beast's raised arm joint with several times the speed and power it had used before!

"Snap!"

A clear, teeth-grinding cracking sound rang out!

The giant ape starbeast's indestructible dark gold crystal arm was actually cleaved open by this one strike, creating a huge gash! Countless starlight burst forth from the crack!

The giant ape let out a roar of pain and rage, and its attack was instantly thrown into chaos!

Yao Mengkang pressed his advantage relentlessly, his sword strikes flowing like the Yangtze River, relentlessly suppressing the giant ape star beast!

Finally, with a decisive strike that combined the power of a bear, the ferocity of a tiger, and the speed of a crane, the Cloud-Splitting Blade pierced through the nebula core of the giant ape's head!

The massive dark gold body collapsed with a roar, disintegrating into countless purer, almost liquid starlight rivers that surged into Yao Mengkang's body!

Yao Mengkang stood holding the knife, slightly panting.

Feeling the surging power within my body and the deep, quiet Tanzhong acupoint, which seemed different from before.

A pleased smile curved his lips.

This battle yielded results far exceeding expectations!