Chapter Nineteen: Cultivating the Dragon Elephant Technique

After channeling his internal energy into the spatial ring and retrieving all the items within, Chen Yi began to sort through the treasures collected from Li Li and his companions' rings.

Among their possessions, Chen Yi discovered two hundred spirit stones, five bottles of medicinal pills, several demon cores, as well as their cultivation techniques and martial arts manuals.

Of the five bottles, two contained Essence Nourishing Pills used for cultivation, each bottle holding around a dozen pills. Together, they amounted to roughly thirty pills—more than enough for Chen Yi to use for a long time. The other bottles held an Antidote Pill, a Restoration Pill to replenish spiritual power, and a Rejuvenation Pill for healing injuries.

As for their techniques, apart from Li Li's Dragon Elephant Art, only Zhang Liang's Arrow Manual piqued Chen Yi's interest. He opened the manual and read its contents carefully.

Though Chen Yi had no skill with archery, broadening his knowledge and horizons was always worthwhile.

After reading through the Arrow Manual, its contents became etched in Chen Yi's mind. Ever since his memories from both lifetimes merged, his recall had vastly improved, almost reaching the level of photographic memory—an extraordinary ability.

Once he had memorized the Arrow Manual, Chen Yi turned his attention to the Dragon Elephant Art. This technique was created by ancient masters who studied the physical structure of Celestial Dragons and Earth Elephants. Coincidentally, Chen Yi possessed the bloodline of the Celestial Dragon, which greatly benefited his cultivation of this art.

Li Li's desire for the Celestial Dragon Fruit stemmed from its potent bloodline; after hitting a bottleneck with the Dragon Elephant Art, he remembered its origins.

However, Celestial Dragons and Earth Elephants were beings on par with immortals—far beyond the reach of a mere Qi Refining cultivator like himself. He dared not even approach them, for a single sneeze from such creatures could send him flying thousands of miles.

Though Li Li could not consider observing their physical forms, he recalled a record within the sect about the Celestial Dragon Fruit.

Li Li decided to try his luck in the Celestial Dragon Mountains. His friends Wu Tian and Zhang Liang were also heading there to hunt beasts and exchange them for resources, so he joined them.

Unexpectedly, while tracking a beast with Wu Tian and Zhang Liang, Li Li stumbled upon a newly born Golden Flood Serpent and the Celestial Dragon Fruit.

The three launched an attack on the weakened serpent to seize its egg and the fruit—never imagining that Chen Yi would ultimately benefit from their efforts.

After finishing his reading of the Dragon Elephant Art, Chen Yi closed his eyes, immersing his consciousness in its teachings.

The Dragon Elephant Art comprised nine levels, each corresponding to a stage of cultivation. Mastering all nine would grant the strength of a dragon and an elephant, rivaling immortals.

Chen Yi possessed only the first three levels, which permitted cultivation up to the Core Formation stage. However, he was still in the Qi Refining stage, far from Core Formation, so he had no worry of lacking techniques before then.

Opening his eyes, Chen Yi began training according to the first level of the Dragon Elephant Art.

With its circulation, the art began tempering his body. A crackling sound, like beans being fried, emanated from within him as the technique refined his bones.

The process was excruciatingly painful, but after the Celestial Dragon Fruit had previously transformed his physique, his willpower had increased significantly. He endured the agony and continued to practice.

Meanwhile, the Celestial Dragon bloodline within him cooperated with the art, accelerating the refinement of his bones and reducing the pain.

As the dragon blood sped up his transformation, Chen Yi felt his physical strength increase rapidly. In no time, the raw power of his body matched that of a first-layer Qi Refining cultivator, and it continued to grow.

After an hour, the Dragon Elephant Art and the dragon blood had tempered all two hundred and more bones in his body. Some of his once-white bones now gleamed faintly gold, signaling his transformation towards the physique of a dragon-elephant.

Once his bones were refined, the art and bloodline began tempering his muscles. His muscles were torn apart by the art, only to be reconstructed by the dragon blood—again and again. Amidst this cycle of tearing and rebuilding, the cells aligned themselves in a mysterious structure, rendering his body tougher and stronger.

Chen Yi’s face alternated between pale and flushed, sweat pouring down in streams. Refining his muscles was even more painful than his bones; the sensation of being repeatedly torn and rebuilt was worse than death. Any person with lesser resolve would have fainted from the pain.

Despite the torment, Chen Yi did not cease practicing, for he noticed his strength soaring yet again. After bone refinement, his physical power reached the fourth layer of Qi Refining; now, he was advancing toward the fifth.

He endured the agony of his flesh being torn, while simultaneously savoring the exhilarating surge of strength—caught between extremes of ice and fire.

A thunderous boom resounded.

With a mighty crash, a barrier within Chen Yi was shattered. Crackling sounds burst forth as his physical strength experienced a sudden leap.

Previously at the fifth layer of Qi Refining in terms of raw strength, Chen Yi now broke through to the sixth, matching his cultivation level. At this point, he could defeat even those at the ninth layer of Qi Refining.

His body, now refined to the sixth layer, could stand against cultivators of that rank—and he had only just achieved minor mastery of the first level of the Dragon Elephant Art. Chen Yi speculated that, if he could perfect the first level and advance his cultivation to the ninth layer, he might even contend with Foundation Establishment cultivators.

He laughed aloud, unable to contain his joy. With his newfound strength and cultivation, he could not claim dominion over the entire outer sect, but he was certainly among its elite. He no longer feared experts like Wang Long, who had reached the ninth layer.

“Still, this body-refining technique is truly cruel,” he murmured.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Chen Yi moved his arm slightly, and his whole limb crackled like beans dancing in a pan.

He stood up and realized his body had grown nearly half a foot taller. His once slender arms and legs had swelled as if inflated, and his muscles had become robust and powerful.

The twelve-year-old child had transformed into the figure of an eighteen-year-old youth, though his face retained a hint of boyishness. Yet, combined with his seasoned bearing and eyes full of worldly experience, no one would believe he was barely eleven or twelve.

Feeling the strength within him, equal to the sixth layer of Qi Refining, Chen Yi smiled. The Dragon Elephant Art was harsh, but those who endured its trials were rewarded beyond measure.