"Finally, something new!â Ying Huo jumped onto Li Tianmingâs head and peeked.
âWhereâs Meow Meow?â
âIt discovered a new method of sleeping underwater. Itâs in the pond now.â
âLan Huang?â
âNext door waiting for its friend to come out. By the way, it seems that Lin girl is preparing to break through to the empyrean saint stage.â
âAlright, then just the two of us will train first!â
Meow Meow and Lan Huang both had claws, so both could train in this technique too. However, one was lazy and the other playful, so they couldnât be counted on. Ying Huo and Tianming began tackling the Ninenether Fiendgod Claw together.
âIt says here this is a death phase samsara battle art. What does that mean?â Ying Huo asked curiously.
âThere are two types of samsara battle arts. One is for the life phase, the life phase samsara battle art. The other is for the death phase, the death phase samsara battle art. Life phase samsara battle arts exhibit the vigor and liveliness of the life phase. Theyâre usually a consecutive series of attacks. Death phase samsara battle arts exhibit the deathly and extermination aspects of the death phase, and are usually single killing strikes.â
Tianming continued, âWeâre just sky saints now. Even if we grasp this technique, without samsara power, we wonât be able to bring out its full potential. Still, itâll be stronger than empyrean battle arts.â
âAre death phase samsara battle arts stronger than life phase samsara battle arts?â Ying Huo asked.
âNot necessarily. Theyâre just two categories. In terms of killing power, death phase samsara battle arts do have an edge. This is the only death phase samsara battle art here. The rest are all for the life phase,â Tianming said.
âI donât have a jade license like you do, so can I still use it?â
âBeastmasters and their beasts are counted as one, so itâs fine. Besides, most battle arts at this level are too complex for beasts, other than you.â
Ying Huo puffed its chest out.
âThe Ninenether Fiendgod Claw only has one move to practice. This is the best battle art we can get here. Iâll look for a sword art in the future and see if we can push the Invincible Sword Body even further.â
âCan it still be trained even past the ten thousand mark?â
âYes.â
âItâs not an empyrean battle art, is it?â
âProbably not. Iâll ask some seniors.â
âBy the way, why do you think so highly of this Ninenether Fiendgod Claw?â
âThatâs because it suits me. Itâs a claw art with a lot of versatility, and it also has a lot of power, as itâs a death phase samsara battle art. Most importantly, itâs complicated, fierce, and carries the effect of confusing the soul. The soul servant is in my left arm now. It can rush into my enemiesâ weapons and carry out a soul attack. Itâll be a great combination to use with saint ki and Invincible Sword Ki when attacking. So, this is perfect for me.â
âThis is like having Little Feng by your side?â Ying Huo asked.
âYes. When Iâve stabilized my place here, Iâll bring him over.â
âI just knew you couldnât forget your Little Feng.â Ying Huo sniggered.
âSilence! Take this claw of mine!â
âYes, master it and use it on that Lin girl!â
Tianming snapped, âDonât say anything weird when you see Lingâer.â
Tianming had a bad feeling.
âSeems I have to treat Lin Xiaoxiao worse. Iâll beat her up for no reason now and then, so this chicken doesnât have something to hold over me.â
Next door, Lin Xiaoxiao shivered.
......
In the end, it wasnât easy to master the claw art. Tianming would take some time every day to cultivate in the Deepstar Path, then immediately return to training the claw.
âThe core of death phase samsara battle arts is the will to transcend the life and death tribulations. That can only be grasped at the edge of life and death.â Generally, the comfortable saint stage wasnât somewhere that could be picked up.
But coincidentally, Tianmingâs Aeonic Grandbane aged him at ten times speed! He already felt like he had been experiencing the tribulation for years. Hence, he had a lot of experience that helped in mastering the battle art.
âTranscend life and death to become a god. You need the courage to face death for a death phase battle art. Only those who are unafraid of death can become undying.â Tianming was already feeling that eventual path, even as a seventh level sky saint.
Now, there were only the basic mysteries of the claw art to grasp. âIt seems all of the geniuses of the Archaion Sect canât match up to my Aeonic Grandbane even with all their advantages. People like me and Little Feng are the real geniuses. So... how did Lin Xiaoxiao rise from insignificance like me?â
......
âWahhh, Second Brother, your baby sisterâs been beaten up by someone!â Xuanyuan Xixi crawled into a house on Oldwind Street. Her face was swollen like a pig, and all her teeth had fallen out.
She didnât even reach the house before the door opened. A young man in yellow robes hugged her, but that didnât hide his long and narrow eyes filled with coldness.He was obviously a ruthless character.
âAll my teeth are gone!â Xuanyuan Xixi was crying, her voice so loud that half the street could likely hear.
âI know, I met Fu Yonghuan just now.â
âWhat did he say? He was pathetic today! He ran away even though his son was killed.â
âXixi, youâre already twenty-one. Please think. If Fu Yonghuan wasnât willing to avenge his son, thereâs obviously a backing he doesnât dare offend.â
âHe doesnât dare? Is that what he said?â
âHe told me not to find trouble with Lin Feng, and especially not to drag him in. He refused to explain further.â The young man frowned.
âWhy is he acting mysterious? What identity canât be said? What, heâs the sect masterâs illegitimate son?â
âHow could that be possible? However, the faction battles are about to start. So, letâs not cause problems now. Weâll look at it again after the battles.â
âSo what, I got beat up in public for nothing? How will I go out after this?â Xuanyuan Xixi was stunned.
âCanât you endure for a while?â
âSecond Brother, weâre from the Xuanyuan Clan! This is our sect! The faction lord is even our younger cousin. Why is it so hard for you to get some disciple dead?â
âQuiet. Use your head a little. I still have a dozen factions to deal with, so donât add more things to my plate.â
âBut!â Xuanyuan Xixi was furious. âIf you donât help me, Iâll talk about how you violated your own cousin! I know where her corpse is. If it gets out, see if uncle and grandpa donât kill you!â
âXixi!â The young manâs expression suddenly turned fierce.
The girl froze, but she said hurriedly, âDonât be angry. Iâm just too miserable. How will I be with my friends in the future?â
âFine fine. Iâll think of something,â the young man said helplessly.
âDonât mention this again.â
âYes.â
......
The next day, Tianming was cultivating when he heard a disturbance. He looked next door and saw a large amount of energy gathering. Lin Xiaoxiaoâs area was like a giant mouth with an insatiable appetite that gobbled it all up.
âSheâs become an empyrean saint?â