Chapter Nineteen: The Blazing Sun Pill

Lin Yanghao stood before the gate of a courtyard in Little River Village and knocked. When there was no response, he knocked again, but still no one answered for a long while. With no other choice, he could only wait outside. With his current strength, he could have entered easily, but he would never do such a thing. Old Lin was, after all, the one who had guided him on his martial path.

He waited almost half a day, but Old Lin still hadn’t returned, and Yanghao grew anxious. He didn’t have so much time to waste.

“Yanghao, why aren’t you practicing your martial arts properly? What are you doing at my doorstep?”

Just as he was waiting in frustration, a voice like the music of heaven reached his ears. Turning around, Yanghao saw Old Lin, kindly and amiable, standing behind him with a warm smile.

“Old Lin, where did you go just now? I’ve been waiting here for ages,” Yanghao complained.

Old Lin led him inside before answering slowly, “I went to town on some errands. I happened to witness you destroy the Tian family. So, you’ve learned martial arts at White Tiger Sect and came back for revenge already, is that it?”

Yanghao just grinned sheepishly, not replying.

“In just a few months, you’ve cultivated to this realm. I’m truly surprised. You must have reached the fourth level of the Martial Artist realm, haven’t you? Since when did White Tiger Sect have such capabilities?” Old Lin continued.

“Grandpa Lin, let me explain…” Yanghao then told him everything: entering the Chaoyang Mountains, being hunted by the Tian family, falling off a cliff into the Land of Death, being rescued and taught martial arts by Feng Batian—all his experiences without hiding a thing.

“Sigh… I never imagined you’d go through so much in such a short time. Well, it’s all the same whether you study at White Tiger Sect or not. As long as you’re being taught by a Martial Emperor himself, you’re in good hands. I saw your techniques during your fight—they are indeed top-tier. That puts my mind at ease,” Old Lin said with a sigh.

“Old Lin, I want to find a place to temper my martial skills next. Do you know of any good spots nearby for training?” Yanghao asked.

“If you want to hone your martial skills, you need battle. No need to go far. The Chaoyang Mountains are full of all kinds of demon beasts and wild animals—just go there to train,” Old Lin advised him.

“Oh, by the way, I heard that a martial artist’s cultivation requires many resources. So how did you, Old Lin, train to your current level?” Yanghao asked. He’d heard from Feng Batian that cultivation required many resources, and he’d always wondered how Old Lin, an ordinary commoner, had managed to reach his current realm.

“Well, I was lucky. When I found that martial arts manual, there was a box next to it. Inside, I found two pills and a note: ‘Congratulations, fated one. These are Flaming Sun Pills, which aid in martial cultivation. One pill can help a martial artist progress from the first to the ninth level; the second may only be taken at the ninth level and will assist in breaking through to the Martial Emperor realm.’ Alas, at my age, these pills are of little use to me. I’ll give them to you. I hope you can one day heal my dantian,” Old Lin explained as he reached behind him and handed Yanghao a small box.

Yanghao took the box, opened it, and found a yellow pill inside. Elation filled his heart—his path to the ninth level would be smooth now.

“All right, go and train. Cultivation is what matters,” Old Lin said, waving him off.

Chaoyang Mountains

Yanghao roamed the mountains, seeking demon beasts and wild animals to temper his skills. He didn’t dare face beasts above the third rank, so he chose those of the third rank or below. Over the past few days, he’d slain countless demon beasts.

He came to the territory of an adult Yellow-Scaled Lion—a third-rank demon beast. It resembled a lion but was covered in scales, hence the name.

Yanghao felt a surge of nervousness. This was his first time challenging a third-rank demon beast. Previously, he’d only faced second-rank demons and lesser wild animals. Through these battles, his martial skills had reached an intermediate level. Once he mastered his technique, he could return to the Land of Death.

As soon as he appeared, the Yellow-Scaled Lion, who had been watching him for some time, attacked, its massive claws lashing out at Yanghao.

Yanghao reacted quickly, launching his own attack.

“Fierce Tiger Claw!”

The lion’s scales made it tough, so Yanghao’s attacks did little harm, while its blows could seriously injure him.

Seeing how ferocious the lion was, Yanghao was shocked. He hadn’t expected that, despite being at the fourth level of the Martial Artist realm, he still couldn’t defeat a third-rank demon beast. If this kept up, he’d be in real danger. He needed a plan.

After racking his brains to no avail, Yanghao prepared to flee. But just as he was about to run, he noticed that the lion’s neck was unprotected by scales. Overjoyed, he abandoned his escape and launched a fierce assault on the lion’s neck. Sensing the danger, the lion tried to dodge his attacks.

After a series of relentless strikes, the Yellow-Scaled Lion eventually succumbed, slain by Yanghao. He was, after all, one level above the lion, so his well-placed attack was fatal.

In the following ten days or so, Yanghao honed his “Fierce Tiger Claw” through countless battles with demon and wild beasts, gradually approaching mastery.

“I’m so full!” he exclaimed.

That day, Yanghao was in high spirits. After his meal, he happily continued deeper into the Chaoyang Mountains. He felt that his “Fierce Tiger Claw” was on the verge of mastery, and fights with second- and third-rank beasts no longer helped him improve. He needed to challenge a fourth-rank demon beast. Moreover, he sensed he had reached the peak of the fourth level of the Martial Artist realm and was about to break through to the fifth level. Thus, he resolved to seek out a fourth-rank demon beast for his next battle.