CHAPTER 470: CHAPTER 453 ELDER WANG_2

Upon hearing the name of the Sacred Heart Technique, even Shi Tao’s heart skipped a beat.

The powerful warriors of Elder Wang’s era have fallen one by one over the centuries, despite some being stronger than Elder Wang; none could withstand the ravages of time.

But Elder Wang has managed to survive until now, thanks to this Sacred Heart Technique.

"What a pity."

Elder Wang saw through Shi Tao’s mind and sighed softly: "To cultivate the Sacred Heart Technique, one must consume Phoenix Blood. Otherwise, not only will you fail to reach the highest realm, but you’ll also suffer periodic True Essence backlash. Wait until you acquire Phoenix Blood, then I’ll teach you the technique."

"Yes."

Shi Tao bowed deeply.

Elder Wang and he were not father and son but shared a bond surpassing that of kinship.

This also made him develop similar feelings towards Ling Yu.

"Hmm."

Elder Wang smiled and continued: "Besides the Sacred Heart Technique, which of the remaining four Supreme Martial Arts would you like to learn first? Except for the Black Tortoise True Skill which is missing parts, I have the complete versions of the first three techniques."

Shi Tao furrowed his brows in deep thought.

He was familiar with these martial arts.

The first one, the Flying Star Nine Revolutions Technique, is an explosive method that can multiply one’s strength several times in a short period. It’s ideal for both combat and escape.

The second one, Carefree Wander, is not only a body technique martial art but also cultivates the mind.

The third one, Three-Part Returning Essence Qi, is a fist and kick martial art as well as a defensive technique, making it most suitable for him at the moment.

The fourth one, Black Tortoise True Skill.

He had long yearned for it.

This martial art is considered the highest potential among the Supreme Martial Arts, capable of merging various moves into ultimate techniques with power comparable to Divine Demon Martial Arts.

But its difficulty is also the greatest.

Moreover, Elder Wang had stated that he did not possess the complete version of the Black Tortoise True Skill.

This increased the difficulty of cultivation severalfold.

But backing down from challenges wasn’t his nature.

The path of martial arts is like rowing upstream; you must advance or retreat.

"Elder Wang, I wish to first cultivate the Black Tortoise True Skill."

Shi Tao’s eyes burned with determination.

"Good."

Elder Wang seemed unsurprised.

Or rather, if Shi Tao hadn’t chosen this, he wouldn’t be Shi Tao.

The next moment, a stack of books appeared in Elder Wang’s hand.

"These are parts I have collected of the Black Tortoise True Skill, including lightweight footwork. There are a total of twelve sections, and I’ve only collected seven. The rest will require you to find them yourself."

Shi Tao knelt again before rising, bending down to receive the books from Elder Wang.

Each of these seven secret manuals was a complete version of Supreme Martial Arts, something even the Awakened Association couldn’t provide.

Yet Elder Wang handed them over without reservation, the weight of this gesture heavier than Mount Tai.

"Take them home and study well. If you encounter anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me, though I might not be able to teach you much."

Elder Wang showed a bitter smile.

Even the top experts of his era wouldn’t dare claim they had fully grasped this martial art, let alone him.

Shi Tao solemnly nodded and stored the manuals in his spatial ring.

"Take this one along as well, and cultivate it together."

After some thought, Elder Wang handed over another manual.

"Carefree Wander?"

Shi Tao expressed surprise.

"Yes."

Elder Wang nodded, "Pursuing greater power is naturally admirable, but one must not forget self-cultivation. Otherwise, losing oneself on the martial path is undesirable."

With that, he sighed.

Over the centuries, many disciples he had taken in ended with such a fate.

"Yes."

Shi Tao respectfully accepted the manual with both hands.

"Alright, don’t look so serious."

Elder Wang smiled, "You’ve waiting for today’s breakthrough for so long. Now that you’ve succeeded, you should be happy."

Shi Tao shook his head with a smile.

Breaking through to the Celestial Human Realm is certainly worthy of celebration.

But when it comes to facing fierce beasts, this strength still seems insufficient.

He had a bad premonition that something undesirable might be on its way.

"Don’t overthink it."

Elder Wang’s eyes gleamed, "When the cart reaches the mountain, there is always a way. When the boat reaches the bridge, it smoothly passes. The human race has endured hardships for tens of thousands of years and still thrives."

"Elder Wang is right."

Shi Tao took a deep breath.

According to Elder Wang, each of the past Heaven and Earth Tribulations was more perilous than the last.

For instance, during ancient times, a great flood descended from the heavens, and the human race suffered heavy casualties, with one in ten surviving. Ultimately, a great one used stone to repair the heavens, allowing the human race to flourish.

Later, the Hundred Nations Chaos ensued, where humans slaughtered each other, blood flowed like rivers, and corpses were scattered across the land. The chaos lasted a thousand years, with one in ten surviving.

Then, demons and monsters arose, pushing the human race to the brink, with only a few remaining cities surviving, the wilderness overrun by demons. Finally, a few strong warriors led the charge to eradicate the Demon Race, rescuing humanity from peril.

These historical events closely resemble the current situation of Yan Country.

Each era had its powerful heroes who led the human race to survival.

So in this era...

Shi Tao’s heart filled with determination.

Why can’t there be heroes leading the human race to survive once again?

And why can’t these heroes be himself?

Elder Wang saw this and nodded approvingly.

This is precisely what he admired most about Shi Tao.

"I apologize, Elder Wang. I was momentarily distracted."

Shi Tao snapped out of his thoughts and apologized.

"It’s fine."

Elder Wang waved his hand, "By the way, I heard that you broke through this time thanks to a young fellow, right?"

"Indeed."

Shi Tao thought of Chen Fan and said honestly, "His name is Chen Fan. He provided the improved True Qi Pill formula, significantly increasing the production of top-grade True Qi Pills, allowing the association to pool resources for my quick breakthrough."

"So, he’s an alchemy genius?"

Elder Wang’s eyes brightened.

In his era, many alchemy geniuses existed.

There were even sects famous for alchemy.

Sometimes, refining a single treasure elixir could stir up turmoil, and Elder Wang himself marveled at it.

"Not exactly."

Shi Tao hesitated.

"Oh?"

Elder Wang grew more curious, "Does he have other remarkable qualities?"

"Yes, Chen Fan is not only an alchemy genius but also a martial arts prodigy."

Shi Tao bitterly smiled, "He is only seventeen or eighteen but already a True Essence Realm martial artist. Someone witnessed him alone, using a bow and arrow to slay several commander-level fierce beasts with one fatal shot each."

"Such a person exists? He’s more formidable than your direct disciple?"

Even Elder Wang was genuinely surprised.

"Indeed, he is more formidable than Xiaoyu."

Shi Tao sighed, his brows heavy with worry.

"Is there any hidden truth?" Elder Wang noticed immediately.

"It’s not a significant matter. Elder Wang needn’t worry." Shi Tao shook his head.

To protect Ling Yu, it’s best not to mention too much, especially in front of Elder Wang, for fear of affecting Ling Yu’s image in his eyes.

He changed the topic, "Elder Wang, to be honest, even I can’t fully understand Chen Fan."

Last time, he visited the Anshan City Martial Arts Association and met Chen Fan, who appeared very composed.

Upon returning, Shi Tao couldn’t help but doubt his own strength.

Though this doubt quickly vanished.

After all, Chen Fan had just entered the True Essence Realm, while he had mastered the third realm of True Essence, the gap was significant.

"Your words make me even more curious about him."

Elder Wang didn’t linger on the previous topic, "I wonder when he’ll visit headquarters so I can meet him?"

"That day will come."

Shi Tao laughed helplessly.

In some aspects, he hoped that day would be as late as possible, ideally never happening.

However, that’s unrealistic.

Now that he’s a Celestial Human Realm martial artist, using True Essence as a medium to harness the power of heaven and earth, the strength of each move vastly exceeds his previous capability.

Naturally, he’s less worried about a future battle with Chen Fan.

"Good, I’ll wait."

Elder Wang nodded with a smile.