Transformation Diagram: Starting as a Skinny Dog

Within the Destruction Hall, Murong Cheng's words caused all the students to look at the refined black-clothed youth contemplating the iron tree, as if gazing at a monster.

Chen Ku's cultivation realm, since joining the Divine Martial Mountain, has soared swiftly like bamboo shoots bursting forth in spring, all under the witness of these fellow students.

Before attending the Divine Martial Mountain examination, he was just a Seventh Realm cultivator, who once fiercely battled the Jiang Family's Little Barbarian God, Jiang Hengchu, outside the mountain gate, garnering much attention.

Yet, ever since he participated in the academy selection and was successfully admitted, his cultivation advanced a level every day.

It seemed as though he was constantly breaking through at any given moment.

Within half a year.

He astonishingly achieved progress from the Seventh to Ninth Realm, crossing entirely over the vast realm of the Eighth Realm, undergoing marrow cleansing five times.

"What kind of cultivation prodigy is this, a major realm in half a year, truly born for cultivation."

"If fast cultivation at early stages is excusable, but he has reached the levels of Eighth and Ninth Realm, already capable of being an army of one, a figure that can conquer ten thousand, yet still finds it as simple as eating and drinking."

"Does he have no bottleneck in cultivation?"

These students present, each one was an elite in their local hometown, not unfamiliar with the differences between their cultivation and others'.

In their hometown, martial skills which might take years for others to master are instantly grasped by them, some elders wasted a century still stuck in the Fourth or Fifth Realm, while they are only in their twenties or thirties, yet achieved Seventh and Eighth Realm levels.

This undeniably demonstrates their talent for cultivation.

Yet now, Chen Ku is showing them what true talent means.

These students, in the same half-year period, almost all experienced breakthroughs, especially receiving a significant amount of Dragon Transformation Energy on the Dragon Ascending Ladder, later each comprehending numerous martial arts in the Martial Arts Stele Forest, also having renowned teachers instructing them day and night in various halls...

Most have broken through one or two smaller realms in these few months.

Some attain greater breakthroughs, like Xue Bailiu, who completely crossed from the peak of Tenth Realm to the Eleventh Realm 'True Body', becoming a great cultivator of the Eleventh Realm.

But even warriors like Xue Bailiu, a top-ranking figure in a province, haven't seen any growth in cultivation after that breakthrough.

...

Under the gazes akin to looking at a monster.

Chen Ku remained oblivious, his mind and consciousness entirely drawn to the 'prohibition' within the iron tree.

Through the Taiyin Technique, he observed layer upon layer of 'forbidden patterns' upon this prohibition.

He saw the truth of this prohibition.

It seemed to prohibit the iron tree from showing vitality.

"No..."

In a flash of inspiration, Chen Ku murmured to himself:

"It feels like this tree was originally ordinary, yet through the prohibition by the Destruction Tower Master, transformed into an iron tree, extracting all its vitality, altering its form."

This discovery astonished Chen Ku.

For he immediately thought of the method that could achieve this within the Destruction Tower.

Clearly, it was the 'Life Destruction', equally listed as one of the Four Forbidden Inheritances along with the 'Forbidden Technique' he pursued.

And through observing the iron tree, the more Chen Ku comprehended, the more he believed it to be the 'Life Destruction' among the Destruction Tower's four great inheritances.

Life Destruction.

To completely obliterate the vitality within an originally living tree, transforming it into a cold iron tree, this isn't simply extracting vitality, but fundamentally reversing the five elements and Yin Yang state of a tree.

Turning wood to metal, life to death.

Changing essentially the existence of an object in nature and form.

In a certain sense, it can even be termed as a "creator"-like method, far surpassing the so-called 'Stone to Gold' transformation.

"Destruction Tower displays such audacity, directly embedding one of the Four Forbidden Inheritances as a test, hidden within this iron tree."

Chen Ku was exerting all his effort to memorize the 'prohibition' within the iron tree, apparently, this prohibition displays the entirety of the 'Life Destruction' Forbidden Technique.

And,

He experimentally used the pure yin energy within his body to outline this prohibition, attempting to unleash the 'Life Destruction Forbidden Technique'.

Quickly, Chen Ku outlined a black prohibition within himself.

Then, he opened his eyes.

Upon opening eyes, intending to demonstrate the power of this prohibition, he saw Murong Cheng and other students, all staring intently at him.

Especially Murong Cheng, who looked incredulously at the slight power floating between Chen Ku's fingers and exclaimed:

"Did you discover the secret left by the Sect Master in this iron tree?"

Other students were dazed and confused.

Soon afterward, as if struck by lightning, they all looked towards Chen Ku, immensely shocked.

"What? Does the Hall Master mean, Senior Brother Chen completed the test and entered Dao?"

"Entered Dao this quickly?"

"Is he going to become a True Disciple of the Destruction Tower?"

Even Xue Bailiu intently watched the slight power Chen Ku concentrated in his hands feeling a sense of threat, not from Chen Ku but from that power.

Facing Murong Cheng's inquiry, Chen Ku gazed at the prohibition drawn by pure yin energy between his fingers and softly said: "Disciple is unsure, hence wish to attempt it."

Murong Cheng nodded, immediately looking skyward, noticing a sparrow flying outside the great hall.

Reaching out with his hand to capture.

The large hand wraps around the Innate True Essence, instantly grabbing the sparrow from beyond the sky, making it stand in the palm, unable to fly away no matter how it flaps its wings.

Raise the sparrow.

Gesturing to Chen Ku, he said:

"Let's use this sparrow to give it a try."

Chen Ku nodded without much hesitation, immediately extending his fingers from the sleeve, the pure black Prohibition energy flowing from his fingertips and landing on...

The sparrow.

Only to see a faint wisp of smoke rising from Chen Ku's index finger, enveloping the sparrow completely.

"Hiss!"

In the next instant, all students were astonished, witnessing the sparrow covered in smoke turning into a sparrow statue in a moment, becoming a stone sparrow.

"Petrified!"

"Refined! Did Senior Brother Chen comprehend it?!"

Yet, Chen Ku and Murong Cheng still stared at the palm.

Accompanied by one breath, two breaths, three breaths...

Whoosh~

The stone gloss on the sparrow dissipated, returning to life.

"What is this?" Xue Bailiu directly asked: "Is this the Tao Rhythm left by the Tower Master predecessor from the Iron Tree?"

Chen Ku shook his head and said: "No, Senior Brother Xue misunderstood, I merely mimicked one percent of the essence within that prohibition from the Iron Tree, it can at most only petrify the sparrow for three breaths, doesn't count as obtaining the full inheritance."

Everyone was astonished.

Petrifying for three breaths is already heaven-defying, it was clear to all just now that the sparrow had lost flesh and blood, entirely turning into a stone body.

If such a method was used during combat, one breath would be enough to make the enemy fatal.

"Junior Brother Chen, can you try this move on me?" Xue Bailiu said to Chen Ku: "I want to see if I can withstand it?"

Chen Ku slightly frowned, looked at Murong Cheng.

Murong Cheng nodded and said: "It's okay to try, your Senior Brother Xue has already achieved the Martial Path True Body, your entry-level Divine Skills won't hurt him, and it will naturally解除 after three breaths."

"Since that's the case, then I shall offend as a junior brother."

Upon Murong Cheng speaking, Chen Ku did not hesitate, he also wanted to see how much effect this small prohibition could have on someone like Xue Bailiu of Martial Path Eleventh Realm, quickly sketching out a prohibition within himself, pointing towards Xue Bailiu.

Whoosh~~

The fingertip exhaled a vortex of smoke, swiftly enveloping Xue Bailiu.

Everyone visibly saw Xue Bailiu's body beginning to petrify from the feet, but soon, it could not continue extending upwards after reaching the lower leg position.

"Senior Brother Xue, you may try to see if you can break free?" Chen Ku was also testing.

Xue Bailiu did not speak, feeling his own feet, seemed to have lost the legs, no sensation in the lower half, but he had already formed the Martial Path True Body, all powers within him were True Power, immediately manipulating all True Power within, surging towards the petrified position of the legs.

Crack~~

Everyone clearly heard the sound of something shattering.

Soon, the already petrified legs of Xue Bailiu began returning to normal.

Xue Bailiu thoughtfully looked at the legs, said to Chen Ku: "It can be broken, but not easily, even in my full effort state requires one breath to break from this prohibition."

"One breath?" Chen Ku murmured.

Xue Bailiu solemnly said: "Very terrifying, it can influence even the Martial Path True Body of Eleventh Realm for a breath, is this the Tao Rhythm inheritance from the Iron Tree?"

Chen Ku looked at Murong Cheng, seeking permission to speak about the inheritance within the Iron Tree.

Murong Cheng folded his hands, since Chen Ku had already comprehended some content, he did not hide, said all:

"Indeed, what's contained within this Iron Tree is none other than one of the Four Forbidden Skills of our Destruction Tower, 'Life Destruction', once cast, can obliterate any vitality, transforming living beings into dead objects, truly reversing the Five Elements, inverting Yin and Yang Martial Arts Divine Ability."

"Martial Arts Divine Ability?" Chen Ku immediately said: "Is it like the Martial Arts Divine Ability where disciple blows fur to soldiers?"

"Yes."

Murong Cheng said:

"The so-called Divine Skills are beyond common sense, incredible power, besides innate Divine Skills, the only pathway for cultivation is through grasping the essence of Yin Yang Five Elements, for instance, this 'Life Destruction', its essence is to reverse the Five Elements, invert Yin and Yang, and Chen Ku, the reason why you can only maintain this Divine Skill's prohibition for three breaths is because within your Divine Skills, there is only Yin Pole Power but lacks Yang Pole Power, hence can only simulate its form yet not its essence."

Speaking while pointing to this Iron Tree:

"As for our Sect Master's Divine Skill Prohibition, it can forever transform beings to iron stone dead objects because its Yin Yang essence has been completely altered."

"So, to successfully grasp this 'Life Destruction', must we also reach the realm of 'Yin to Yang'?" Chen Ku thought aloud.

"You said rightly, I've already told you about the sequence for comprehending this Iron Tree, perceiving Yin Yang, moving Yin Yang, Yin to Yang, now you've only reached the realm of moving Yin Yang within Yin Qi, you must also be capable of moving Yang Qi, to thoroughly achieve the threshold for cultivating this Divine Skill, namely... One Yin One Yang constitutes the Dao, 'Entering Dao'."

Murong Cheng slowly said.

Looked at Chen Ku with eyes full of admiration:

"And you've managed to reach the second step in half a year, it really takes me by surprise, and your cultivation in such short time has reached the Ninth Realm, truly astonishing."

"Actually, the disciple recently encountered some creation."

Chen Ku also wanted to use this opportunity to talk about some matters within the Five Elements Land, then said:

"Regarding some things within the Five Elements Land, I wish to meet the Mountain Master, report to the school, also ask Hall Master to inform."