Chapter 60: Armor-Wearing Technique
The Horned Cultivator’s Magic Technique allowed him to sheathe himself in Bone Armor, and he clearly hadn’t displayed this ability outside the Forbidden Soldier Hall.
That meant he could retract it at will.
Ren Qing’s interest was piqued.
While it seemed to hinder his flexibility, making it unsuitable for direct combat, it could still be quite useful in certain situations.
It was always good to have another ace up his sleeve.
Besides, the Magic Technique had several possible paths of Mutation, and one might just be perfect for him.
The Horned Cultivator’s muscles tensed, his expression turning wary. "I am Sun Yishan. If you want to eat flesh to replenish your strength, you can go find that person in the Rope Knot Cave."
As he spoke, he swallowed the last piece of a human hand.
Sun Yishan’s tone was almost euphoric. "Actually, Cultivators are the most delicious. This Mutated hand, in particular, has all the tenderness of snake flesh."
Ren Qing’s expression grew complex. "You mean Lin Cheng?"
Sun Yishan could sense his ill intent and immediately snapped back to reality. "I don’t know any Lin Cheng."
Ren Qing said coldly, "Among all the Cultivators who came to the Forbidden Soldier Hall, Lin Cheng is the only one who has mastered the Snake Shedding Technique."
Sun Yishan quickly explained, "I didn’t take his life! You can go check in the Rope Knot Cave. He should still be alive."
"Lin Cheng is my dearest friend, a brother to me..."
Ren Qing advanced, his Great Miao Blade slowly leaving its sheath and emitting a heart-stopping chill.
Seeing no path of retreat, the meek expression on Sun Yishan’s face twisted into a ferocious snarl, his eyes turning red as he glared at Ren Qing.
"I know you’ve got a Forbidden Guard backing you, so no one dares to make a move on you."
His body immediately swelled to three meters tall. A layer of Cowhide grew over his Bone Armor, making it look exceptionally thick.
"But during the reserve selection period, no Forbidden Guards will come in here. Besides, so what if I did kill Lin Cheng?"
Sun Yishan let out a shrill laugh as he closed in on Ren Qing, his fists swinging like pendulums.
But to his great apprehension, Ren Qing didn’t retreat. Instead, his expression became even more inscrutable.
"You’re right, you didn’t kill Lin Cheng. You were afraid a Forbidden Guard had left some kind of contingency on him, so you just left him to die on his own."
Sun Yishan’s laughter died in his throat.
"But thanks for the reminder."
Silvery-white wolf fur sprouted all over Ren Qing’s body. He grew to over two meters tall, his musculature becoming sleek and streamlined.
Sun Yishan’s expression changed drastically. Without even pausing to wonder why Ren Qing had mastered the Divine Sutra, he brought both fists crashing down.
BAM!!!
Flesh and blood flew, but it was only fragments of the Forbidden Soldier Hall’s floor.
Ren Qing’s figure vanished.
He leaped nimbly into the air, his body shifting into its full werewolf form. His powerful right arm was just able to wield the Great Miao Blade single-handedly.
Sun Yishan already sensed something was wrong.
Just then, Ren Qing’s voice came from above. "Beef neck is a finer cut, characterized by a mix of fat and lean meat. The texture is firm and dry."
A heavy foot stomped on Sun Yishan’s shoulder. A blade flashed, and a sharp pain shot through his neck.
Astonished, he subconsciously touched the spot; his palm came away covered in blood. The blade had cut deep into his flesh.
Moreover, the blade had sliced through a gap in his Bone Armor. He couldn’t tell if it was a coincidence.
Sun Yishan spun around in a panic, trying to locate Ren Qing, but his opponent had already exploited his blind spot perfectly.
He knew that a single clean hit would be enough to heavily wound Ren Qing, but the two Magic Techniques made him far too clumsy.
"The tenderloin has less fat and is prized for its exquisite flavor."
’Tenderloin...’
Sun Yishan’s face flushed with frustration. He had to rely on Ren Qing announcing the cut of beef just to know where the next attack would come from.
He gritted his teeth and swung a powerful fist behind him.
The punch whistled through the air.
A wolf’s head appeared, hanging upside down. The Great Miao Blade blocked Sun Yishan’s fist, and the Hook Claw on Ren Qing’s index finger slashed downward in the same motion.
A searing pain shot through Sun Yishan’s back, and he roared in agony.
"Ren Qing!!!"
"Your dear friend is still in the Rope Knot Cave! Aren’t you afraid he’ll be corroded to death by the acidic water?"
"Now that you mention it, I really should end this quickly."
Ren Qing’s eyes narrowed. His main concern was that if this wasn’t resolved quickly, other Cultivators might wander into the Forbidden Soldier Hall.
After two exchanges, he had already somewhat adapted to the Werewolf Transformation. While he still lacked fine control, it was more than enough to deal with Sun Yishan.
Relying on his animal instincts, Sun Yishan sensed Ren Qing’s killing intent spike. His gaze involuntarily shot toward the pitch-black Rope Knot Cave.
In a desperate panic, he charged toward the cave entrance, intending to use Lin Cheng’s life as a bargaining chip.
But suddenly, it went utterly silent behind him.
He glanced back instinctively and saw that Ren Qing had sheathed his Great Miao Blade and was crouching, gathering power.
Sun Yishan hesitated. ’Was he just putting on a show before?’
The wind from the blade whispered past. The instant Ren Qing drew his sword, the several meters between them seemed to vanish.
Sun Yishan couldn’t help but feel a flicker of relief.
’With the toughness of the Armor-Wearing Technique, there’s no way he can break through so easily...’
A tearing pain erupted in his neck. A piece of Bone Armor clattered to the ground, revealing muscle tissue oozing blood.
Ren Qing said, a hint of regret in his voice, "This Magic Technique of yours that covers you in Bone Armor... it’s a bit of a letdown."
"What?"
Sun Yishan was stunned for a moment. Ren Qing swung his blade again, peeling the Bone Armor off completely. It was then immediately absorbed by Abi Hell.
"Why did you have to kill me..."
As Ren Qing sheathed his blade, Sun Yishan’s massive head shot into the air.
The corpse then transformed into two Mysterious Objects.
The Wild Ox Strength Magic Technique must have been acquired by consuming a Mysterious Object; otherwise, it would not have affected his body so drastically. The Bone Armor, however, was something Sun Yishan had cultivated on his own.
[Wild Ox Strength]
[Created by an Ox Demon. To cultivate this technique, an infant less than a month old must be placed in a cow’s womb to be fostered for three years. The mother cow must be fed potent medicinal herbs. Upon completion, the cultivator’s body becomes half-human, half-ox.]
[Armor-Wearing Technique]
[Inscribed upon the skeleton of The Nameless. During cultivation, all the bones in the body will gradually shatter. It can only be mastered after one’s bones have been shattered six times.]
The conditions for the Armor-Wearing Technique seemed simple, but having all one’s bones shattered would leave them completely defenseless, vulnerable to death by the slightest accident.
Ren Qing learned from the Information Flow that Sun Yishan had cultivated the Bone Armor User path of the Armor-Wearing Technique. He wondered what the other paths of Mutation were like.
He hesitated for a few moments as he watched the Mysterious Object about to be swallowed by the giant mouth.
Gritting his teeth, Ren Qing spent one year of his Lifespan. This Magic Technique might not be particularly useful, but at least it wouldn’t have any negative side effects.
Mastering a Magic Technique through a Mysterious Object was just a bit of a waste of Lifespan. Normally, it would only cost thirty days, but a Mysterious Object from the Half-Corpse Realm actually cost a full year.
The sound of bones shifting together rang out.
Ren Qing felt his spine shift, as if being rearranged, and his body suddenly grew slightly taller.
The pain was fleeting, perhaps because he already possessed four Magic Techniques, which had made him far more adaptable.
Ren Qing didn’t immediately check the information on the Armor-Wearing Technique. Instead, he reverted from his Werewolf Transformation and headed into the Rope Knot Cave.
He noticed a mangled figure inside stubbornly trying to crawl out.
’I killed him too quickly. I forgot to confirm the details about leaving the Forbidden Soldier Hall with him.’