Longevity: My Talents Are a Bit Abundant

Right now, the main thing he’s cultivating is the True Sun Flame, whose potential is endless. With the True Fire Gourd and the Five Flames and Seven Beasts Fan at his side, he’s not lacking any powerful Fire Techniques.

But this Three-Eyed Thunder Roc Essence Blood gave him an unexpected pleasant surprise.

Wind, lightning, body refining—so many different types.

His gaze rapidly swept across the list.

Body Refining Talents like Split-Sky Golden Claws, Heaven-Piercing Sharp Beak, Great Roc Dharma Aspect were the first to be ruled out.

He already bore the Profound Ice Divine Dragon and Violet-Eyed Chi Dragon, two great Dharma Aspects. The strength of his Flesh Body was sufficient for now; if he was too greedy, he wouldn’t be able to digest it.

Thunder Technique Talents like Eye of Thunder Punishment and Nine Heavens Thunderstorm were extremely tempting.

But he carried multiple Thunder Technique Inheritances, and moreover had the orthodox Five Thunders True Method from an ancient Daoist Sect as his foundation. Demon Race Thunder Techniques might be powerful, but they wouldn’t necessarily fit his Dao Foundation, and would instead be mixed and impure.

In the end, his gaze landed on the wind-type Talents.

Wind Escape Technique, Nine Heavens Gang Wind, Wind and Thunder Domain.

Nine Heavens Gang Wind was an ultimate wind-type killing technique. If combined with his Fire Techniques, wind would feed the flames, and the might would surely soar.

Wind and Thunder Domain was an all-around Divine Power of offense and defense. Once unleashed, he would practically stand invincible among those of the same tier.

However, Shen Xuan’s gaze lingered the longest on Wind Escape Technique.

On the path of Cultivation, the long road to longevity, offensive techniques are important.

But only by staying alive can there be infinite possibilities.

Attacks might determine the outcome of a single battle, but Escape Techniques often decide life and death.

"Forget it."

Shen Xuan gently let out a breath.

"Human desire is endless like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. To be able to obtain another life-preserving Escape Technique is already fortune granted by the heavens."

In the end, he chose Wind Escape Technique.

The characters on the Jade Talisman shifted in response:

Talent: Wind Escape Technique (2/100)

Dao Rhyme: 3487488

His Dao Rhyme had increased by eight hundred points.

Not much, but not little either.

"Looks like this Wind Escape Technique isn’t an especially profound Divine Power in itself."

Shen Xuan secretly pondered.

"Each time it can only raise Skill Level by two points. But with a complete set of Essence Blood and Inner Core in hand, cultivating it to Entry Level won’t be difficult."

He compared Wind Escape Technique and Thunder Escape Technique.

The latter had stronger burst and faster speed, but the consumption was enormous and hard to sustain.

Moreover, the momentum of thunder was far too conspicuous.

The former leaned more toward Spiritual, concealment, with lower consumption and much stronger endurance.

"If I can use the two together..."

A thought surfaced in his mind.

Thunder Escape for explosive advance, Wind Escape to follow up for sustained movement, switching at will.

Not only would his speed climb to a higher level, his endurance would far surpass a single Escape Technique.

Advancing, he could pursue enemies across ten thousand miles; retreating, he could vanish in an instant—this would be the true foundation of staying alive.

Shen Xuan’s lips lifted slightly, revealing a hint of satisfaction.

...

Three years flashed by in an instant.

At the peak of Tiger Roar Peak, a sea of clouds surged.

Shen Xuan, clad in a green robe, stood alone atop jagged cliff rocks, his sleeves fluttering wildly in the mountain wind.

He closed his eyes and gathered his mind, his entire aura quietly merging with the flowing winds between heaven and earth.

Suddenly, he formed a simple and ancient spell with both hands.

No lightning, no loud thunder, not even the slightest fluctuation of Spiritual Qi.

In the next instant, his figure faded away without any warning, turning into a wisp of Qing Feng, blending into the drifting mists covering the mountain.

Thirty zhang away, beneath the shadow of an ancient pine, the air rippled slightly like water.

Shen Xuan’s figure grew from faint to distinct, quietly condensing once more, as if he had been standing there all along.

"Good!"

A hint of satisfaction flashed through Shen Xuan’s eyes, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

This Wind Escape Technique was indeed utterly different from the fierce and violent Thunder Escape.

A year and a half ago, he had completely refined that portion of Three-Eyed Thunder Roc Essence Blood and successfully brought Wind Escape Technique to Entry Level.

After that, he made a vigorous push and also refined and absorbed the Tier Three Thunder Roc Inner Core.

Adding in the contemplation and practice he carried out during the gaps in his daily cultivation.

Now, this Escape Technique had finally stepped into the realm of Small Achievement.

At this moment, when he cast it, compared to Thunder Escape Technique, it lacked that earth-shattering momentum and terrifying Spiritual Power consumption, yet possessed a few more traces of silent, effortless composure.

The hand seals were simpler, the expenditure of Spiritual Power greatly reduced.

Though each individual escape distance couldn’t match Thunder Escape Technique, its concealment and persistence were far stronger than Thunder Escape Technique.

"Using only wind escape, or relying solely on thunder escape, both have their limits..."

Shen Xuan’s gaze slightly tightened, and an even bolder thought arose in his heart.

"What if the two were combined?"

He took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly becoming razor-sharp.

In the next moment, his figure sank slightly, and both hands simultaneously formed seals.

Left hand formed the wind seal, light and ethereal; right hand formed the thunder seal, fierce and violent!

Inside his Dantian, the two Golden Cores of ice and fire trembled at the same time, surging Spiritual Power splitting into two streams.

Ice Cold Spiritual Power poured into the thunder seal, turning into fine arcs of lightning running through his meridians.

Scorching fire Spiritual Power flooded into the wind seal, silently stirring the air currents around his body.

The two forces of entirely different natures ran in parallel within his body; in an instant his meridians transmitted a faint tearing sensation, as though they were about to be ripped apart by two mutually opposing streams of Spiritual Power.

Shen Xuan’s brows creased slightly, yet he didn’t pause at all.

"Swift!"

He gave a low shout, and his figure first dissolved into Qing Feng.

Thirty zhang away, the breeze gathered, and his figure had just appeared.

Almost at the very same instant he reappeared, before the lingering breeze around him could settle, it was abruptly replaced by blinding lightning!

With crackling explosions, his figure blurred once more, turning into a crooked streak of lightning that flashed a hundred zhang away in a breath!

Before the lightning had fully died out, the breeze rose again...

And so it cycled over and over.

On the summit of Tiger Roar Peak, for a time one could only see Qing Feng and lightning alternately flickering, his figure appearing and disappearing within several hundred zhang, his course unpredictable, so fast it made the eyes spin.

The link between the two Escape Techniques grew ever faster, nearing a seamless transition.

After a while, both lightning and Qing Feng withdrew at the same time.