Chapter Forty: Choosing Combat Techniques

Walking at a steady pace along the stone path, a sudden, piercing wolf howl rang out. A look of delight flashed across Yun Yufeng's face, and he immediately quickened his steps, racing toward the small courtyard.

Upon reaching the gate, Yun Yufeng was both amused and exasperated. Little Cuinong was gripping a broom tightly, locked in a standoff with the Little Greedy Wolf. Fortunately, the wolf was not attacking, merely baring its teeth and confronting Cuinong.

Yun Yufeng opened the gate. Hearing the familiar sound, the Little Greedy Wolf turned its head, saw him, and instantly transformed into a streak of silvery light, darting into Yun Yufeng's arms.

"Master, you're finally back! This wolf is so fierce. If you hadn't returned, I wouldn't know what to do. Cuide, that wretched girl, hid inside and wouldn't dare come out, leaving me all alone out here. How unfair," Cuinong grumbled.

Yun Yufeng patted her head. "There, it's fine now. The Little Greedy Wolf won't bite you."

"You say that, master, but you don't know how fierce it just was. Luckily it's small, or it would have scared me to death."

"Small, you say?" Yun Yufeng was startled. He grabbed the Little Greedy Wolf by the scruff and pulled it out from his embrace. The wolf hung limp, its big innocent eyes staring at him.

Yun Yufeng felt a headache coming on. The Little Greedy Wolf had now entered its third sleep, and each time it awakened, it seemed to evolve a stage. Judging by the energy fluctuations, this awakening had brought it into the ranks of fourth-tier magical beasts. But the Moon Howling Heavenly Wolf was known for its size—why, after three evolutions, did the Little Greedy Wolf remain as petite and delicate as when he first met it? Was it malnourished from birth due to its mother's early death? He shook his head. With magical beast cores as its food, malnutrition seemed unlikely. Even if it was born weak, its form should still change somewhat.

He examined the wolf for a long while, but found nothing unusual. Those innocent eyes unnerved him, so he casually tucked it back into his arms.

He turned to the frightened girl. "Its name is Little Greedy Wolf. It's my companion, very easy to get along with."

Cuinong stared warily at the wolf in Yun Yufeng's arms. That piercing howl earlier had truly frightened her. How could such a small creature produce such a mighty sound? She was puzzled; otherwise, this little wolf was rather cute.

The Little Greedy Wolf wriggled about in his embrace. Yun Yufeng smiled helplessly and pulled out a magic core, tossing it into the wolf's mouth.

Cuinong was stunned—a wolf eating magic cores? Judging by the color, it was a third-tier core. Good heavens, was the master raising a pet or simply squandering his fortune? Watching the wolf's satisfied expression, she felt unsettled. No, it must learn to eat meat.

The Little Greedy Wolf shivered, shifted for comfort, and tried to sleep.

The next morning, after breakfast, Yun Yufeng headed toward the scripture tower. Thanks to the Ten Directions Spatial Pouch, he could choose any two battle skills from the tower. While he waited for supplies to arrive, he decided to use the idle time to inspect the tower, hoping to enrich his rather meager repertoire of battle skills—perhaps he might even stumble upon a surprise.

"You're here. Did you bring any wine this time? Last time, Feiyun drank it all by himself—truly infuriating," the old man grumbled as soon as Yun Yufeng entered.

"Of course, I brought some wine for you, grandfather. But this is the last bottle, so you'll have to wait for the next batch," Yun Yufeng replied, shaking the wine gourd.

"Good, good. Once this bottle is gone, perhaps the family will start brewing its own. I can't stand certain people who seem like they've never had a drop in their lives—gulping everything down without savoring it," the old man complained about the old clan leader.

Yun Yufeng smiled and poured the old man a cup himself. "Grandfather, I'm here to select two battle skills today. Do you have any advice?"

"That's up to you. I can guide you through difficulties in cultivation, but I can't prescribe your path. The road must be walked by yourself. Choosing a battle skill is choosing a path. No matter which path you follow, you won't regret it," the old man said slowly.

"Three thousand roads, all leading to the same end. No matter what path I choose, it is ultimately a path of strength. The path I pick, whether right or wrong, is one I won't regret. Is that so?" Yun Yufeng looked at the old man.

The old man stroked his beard, nodding with satisfaction. "Cultivation is, in essence, defying the heavens—struggling against fate, seizing life from the sky, a pursuit without end, even achieving longevity equal to the heavens, immortality in the world. Therefore, a warrior must possess a heart of strength and never know regret."

"So, only the path we choose ourselves is free from regret," Yun Yufeng nodded.

"Only without regret can one forge a heart of strength."

"Once chosen, there must be no remorse; once the path is set, regret cannot exist," Yun Yufeng mused.

The old man nodded approvingly, pleased by Yun Yufeng's insight. What more could he ask for with such a descendant? What was the use of being the first among the young generation of the Yunshang Empire, or even an emperor? They would all be surpassed by Yun Yufeng. Unless something unforeseen occurred, breaking through the Saint tier was inevitable. Ever since Yun Yufeng had obliterated his spiritual force that day, the old man had been convinced of this.

"Grandfather, are there any life attribute battle skills in the scripture tower?"

"You wish to cultivate both talents at once?" The old man frowned.

"I feel it would be a waste not to explore my life attribute talent. Besides, developing it will be beneficial for future challenges," Yun Yufeng replied.

Since cultivating the Birth Outline, the life energy had progressed in tandem with his fire attribute energy. Whenever he activated the Purple Emperor Heart Technique, the Birth Outline would circulate as well. The life energy seemed like a form of battle energy, but it could also be manipulated by spiritual force, which puzzled him deeply.

As his fire energy grew stronger day by day, the life energy kept pace. Not developing it felt like possessing a treasure mountain but unable to enter. Thus, despite having abundant life energy, Yun Yufeng could only rely on the Birth Outline to express its essential qualities, unable to further exploit the formidable power of the life attribute. It was like having powerful fire energy and the mighty Purple Emperor Heart Technique, but without suitable battle skills, only relying on the basic abilities mastered by that infamous wastrel.

"The Purple Emperor Heart Technique can actually draw life energy from the world, but without developing the talent, the absorbed energy will slowly dissipate, with only a small portion being absorbed to strengthen your own life attribute. There's nothing wrong with choosing a life battle skill, but you must manage the balance yourself," the old man explained.

"I have my own considerations," Yun Yufeng replied.

"I trust you, but you're still young. I can't help but nag," the old man sighed.

Yun Yufeng rubbed his nose and said, "Then I'll go down and choose two battle skills to familiarize myself with. I'll be busy in a few days." With that, he headed toward the lower levels of the scripture tower.

The old man shook his head, muttering, "That rascal is always in such a hurry. He never stops to talk. So many years, so few visitors. Of all those who come, only this brat matches my taste."

Yun Yufeng entered the lower level of the scripture tower. He saw several antique wooden shelves, neatly lined with scrolls and handwritten notes. He glanced around; this floor contained only yellow and human-grade battle skills.

He shook his head. This layer was clearly meant for ordinary clan members. Though he hadn't studied many battle skills, he still found these beneath his notice.

The best must be at the lowest level. He went straight to the bottom floor to see if there was anything suitable. Each entrance had a peculiar sensation—almost like a scan—testing the compatibility of one's bloodline. If one wasn't of the Yun bloodline, they would be instantly transported elsewhere.

Yun Yufeng arrived at the lowest floor. The space was small; on the table lay three scrolls—two jade slips and one beast skin scroll—arranged in perfect order, untouched by dust, with no defenses, simple yet harmonious.

He approached the stone platform, infused spiritual force into the two jade slips, and was a little disappointed. Both were mid-tier profound grade battle skills, but neither was fire attribute. He sighed, picked up the beast skin scroll, and found it was a life attribute battle skill: mid-tier yellow grade, Cold Dew of Hanlin.

He frowned. Was life attribute battle skill so rare that a mid-tier yellow grade skill held the same status as a mid-tier profound grade ordinary skill?

Yun Yufeng took a jade slip from his spatial pouch and imprinted all the information from the beast skin scroll onto it. Jade slips were specially refined to record spiritual waves and consciousness information, often used to store cultivation methods.

Though Cold Dew of Hanlin was only mid-tier yellow grade, Yun Yufeng desperately needed a life battle skill. He accepted it reluctantly. Not finding the fire attribute skill he wanted, he randomly selected a mid-tier yellow grade fire skill: Spreading Flames, whose full power could only be unleashed at tier five, extending the weapon with a blade of fire.

"Made your selection?"

"Yes, I have," Yun Yufeng nodded.

"Now practice them well. Greed is useless. Mastery makes it yours. Only after fully grasping it should you pursue other battle skills. Battle skills are sufficient; refined cultivation is the foundation. Engage in real combat. Discover the ways of manipulating battle energy yourself. They say someone once comprehended a profound mystery before reaching the Saint tier. When his internal energy was enough, he broke through to Saint tier at once, finally transcending the void."

"Grandfather, is the rumor true?"

"I can't say for sure, but who can claim the rules will never be broken? Throughout history, there has never been a shortage of legends among great talents—creating a few prodigies is hardly difficult."

Yun Yufeng nodded in agreement. He himself was the best example.

"Soon I'll go to the Weishan Mountains to train and find some food for the Little Greedy Wolf. That fellow is getting greedier by the day."

"It's a good place for you to hone your skills. Real combat is the best way to grow stronger, and the Weishan Mountains are just right for your training. Youth is wonderful—so much vigor," the old man sighed.

"Grandfather, don't say that. With your cultivation, you're still young and full of life!"

"Full of life? What does that mean? I suffered a serious injury once; my lifespan is only half that of normal folk. Unless I receive a blessing from heaven and earth, I have just two hundred years left."

"But you said yourself—the rules can be broken, so why not old wounds?"

"True enough. I still have half a lifetime ahead. I was too attached," the old man’s gaze softened, his melancholy fading.

"Seizing life from heaven—then, grandfather, you should claim it back. I hope you'll always be my guide."

"You sly rascal. Youth really is more energetic."

"Hehe. Grandfather, I'll head back now and visit you next time."

The old man nodded and waved Yun Yufeng out of the scripture tower.