From that day on, besides meditating every day, Lin Xun practiced the Nine Heavenshaking Destruction Art.
However, the courtyard that Lin Xun resided in was too small and fragile for practicing martial arts. It couldn’t withstand the damage from aeth dipper power.
Therefore, Lin Xun had to restrain his aeth dipper power. He could only practice the series of moves of the Nine Heavenshaking Destruction Art and try to comprehend its essence. He didn’t dare to display its power.
Even so, Xue Jin’s pupils rapidly shrank and his heart pounded when he saw the cultivation art for the first time.
Naturally, he could tell that Lin Xun was practicing an extremely unique cultivation art. Every stroke and move of the cultivation art seemed peculiar. It was an integration of movement and stillness, gentleness and firmness, yin and yang, and was filled with indescribable grandeur!
This was just the series of moves that made up the cultivation art!
It was hard to imagine what kind of astonishing destructive power it would have when Lin Xun fully displayed the cultivation art in his unique way.
One day, Xue Jin couldn’t suppress his curiosity anymore and asked, “What kind of cultivation art is that? Even the phenomenon produced from the moves is already top-class. It is superior to many ancient secret arts passed down in the aristocratic clans. Kid, where did you obtain such a remarkable cultivation art?”
Lin Xun only reported its name—The Nine Heavenshaking Destruction Art and made no mention of where he obtained it. He wanted to see if Xue Jin had heard of the art.
Xue Jin was taken aback at first. He knitted his brows in deep thought and shook his head. “I have some knowledge in many of the top-secret arts in the world. For example Xie Yutang’s Ruling Sword Art, the Immeasurable Wisdom Art passed down in the imperial family, and the Whirlwind Daoist Scripture of the Qingluo Academy. But I have never heard of an art called the Nine Heavenshaking Destruction Art among the top ancient inheritance arts or first-class martial arts.”Xue Jin fixed Lin Xun with a piercing stare. “Could it be that you are practicing a unique art unknown to the world?”
A unique art unknown to the world meant that it hadn’t appeared in the world in a long, long time. It might have been passed down in ancient times, but it had been lost with time and no one had ever learned it since.
Xue Jin had heard of a similar case. The Thunderbolt of Eight Wasteland that Iron Blood King Ning Bugui practiced was also rumored to be a mysterious cultivation art that he obtained from an ancient secret realm.
Dozens of ancient secret arts comparable to the Thunderbolt of Eight Wasteland were stored in the imperial family’s treasury.
“I’m not too sure.”
Lin Xun shook his head. He indeed didn’t know. He only knew that the Nine Heavenshaking Destruction Art was inscribed on the Heavenshaking Ancient Stamp and nothing else.
“Oh,” Xue Jin said ruminatively.
……
Time flew by. Lin Xun had grasped the series of moves of all nine forms of the Nine Heaveshaking Destruction Art. But they were only just the moves. The mysteries they contained were too complicated and tremendous to comprehend in a short time.
That day, after Lin Xun had breakfast, he pushed open the door and walked out of the courtyard.
He had been cultivating at home the past few days and hadn’t left the house. He couldn’t help but fall into a trance as he wandered the vibrant streets of Haze City again.
Immediately, Lin Xun shook his head and quickened his pace. He didn’t leave the house to stroll the streets.
Azure Sea Training Hall.
It was a place for cultivators to hone their skills and techniques and was extremely popular with cultivators.
As the provincial exams neared, Haze City grew more and more busy and lively. Many cultivators qualified to participate in the provincial exams were arriving in the southwest province from different cities.
Many cultivators were making use of their time to raise their strength and hone their martial skills in preparation for the exam.
As a result, the business of Azure Sea Training Hall grew tremendously and an endless stream of cultivators came every day.
When Lin Xun arrived at Azure Sea Training Hall, it was already packed with people. The majority of them were youngsters in their teens and there were women and men.
“The provincial exam starts in half a month. Over five thousand people are rumored to have signed up for the exam!”
“Only one hundred people can pass the provincial exam. Based on that, it means only one in fifty people can pass. The elimination rate is too high!”
“The competition this year is indeed fiercer compared to previous years. I heard that the strongest cultivators of the younger generation in our southwest province are taking the exam. Let alone ordinary cultivators, even top cultivators have a possibility of being eliminated.”
“Why are you moaning and sighing? The provincial exam was originally set up to select outstanding and top talents for the empire. Only such people are qualified to represent our southwest province in the empire’s national exam!”
“Make the best use of your time to practice. Even if the competition for the provincial exam is fierce, who would want to give up?”
“Yes, it is an exam that can change the fate of descendants of the rich and powerful clans and those from a poor background. Anyone who passes will leap to the dragon’s gate and rise to the top!”
There was a clamor of discussions. All the topics centered around the upcoming provincial examination. Only then did it dawn on Lin Xun that the provincial exam would commence in half a month.
It seems like I have to gather some information about the provincial exam and see how many powerful characters will participate in it. Lin Xun contemplated.
Xue Jin had already reminded him that he mustn’t underestimate the provincial exam candidates.
Many of the youngsters, who had been selected through the district and prefectural exams, were no doubt unparalleled geniuses. Lin Xun could likely fail the exam if he was careless.
It made sense. The southwest province was huge and over five thousand people were taking the provincial examination! How would there not be fierce and powerful characters among the five thousand specially selected elite and outstanding youngsters?
Lin Xun didn’t waste any time. He found an attendant and paid ten gold coins for a secret chamber to train in. It was a room specially arranged for Human Dipper cultivators.
The attendant quickly left. Only Lin Xun and ten copper-skin puppets were left in the secret chamber.
Every one of the copper-skin puppets possessed Human Dipper Stage strength and as well as terrifying defense power. Cultivators could train against the different copper-skin puppets.
Lin Xun thought for a moment and decided to activate all ten copper-skin puppets at once. Given his present cultivation level, he wouldn’t take ordinary human dipper cultivators seriously, let alone copper-skin puppets.
Moreover, he came to practice the Nine Heavenshaking Destruction Art, so he didn’t need opponents that matched his strength.
Rumble—
The eyes of the ten copper-skinned puppets suddenly lit up. It was as though they had woken up from the dead. Then, they all charged toward Lin Xun from different directions.
Most astonishingly, the puppets launched extremely powerful attacks and were able to perform various martial arts and combat skills. Besides their lack of intellect, they were no different from true cultivators.
Lin Xun nodded in satisfaction. He felt that the expensive price of ten gold coins wasn’t wasted.
Boom!
Suddenly, a copper-skinned puppet erupted in a shaft of rune light and launched an attack right at Lin Xun’s throat.
Lin Xun drew a deep breath and mobilized the Aeth Dipper power in his body in a unique way.
He swiftly thrust his palms forward, his fingers glowing a sky blue hue. Immediately, he balled his hands into fists and released the power he had accumulated in the most unbelievable way!
Mountain Smashing!
Boom!
Instantly, the copper-skinned puppet charging toward him exploded to pieces and scattered in the air like dust.
The most astonishing thing was that Lin Xun’s power didn’t fade and continued to spread across the secret chamber, causing a blast of air to form!
Three copper-skin puppets couldn’t evade in time. The large blast of air created from his fists struck them head-on and crushed them with three deafening booms!
They were instantly pulverized!
The terrifying destructive power shook the walls, causing violent vibrations and rumbles.
This was just the power from Mountain Smashing!
Lin Xun stared, dumbstruck at the damage. He was surprised to see that the power of the Nine Heavenshaking Destruction Art was so terrifying since it was his first time practicing it.
Lin Xun realized that even Huang Jianchen wouldn’t be able to withstand that blow!
Most importantly, Lin Xun’s comprehension of the Nine Heavenshaking Destruction Art was at most in the Inkling Realm. He only had some superficial knowledge of the art yet he was already able to display such destructive power. Lin Xun couldn’t imagine what sort of terrifying power he could unleash when he fully controlled and comprehended the essence and mystery of the art.
Rumble—
At that moment, the remaining six copper-skinned puppets were charging over. But before Lin Xun could act, the door of the secret chamber slammed open with a bang.
The six copper-skinned puppets immediately froze, standing stiff and motionless. This was because the opening of the door to the secret chamber triggered the mechanism on their bodies. This was a safety mechanism installed to avoid accidents and wounding innocent people.
An attendant rushed in anxiously. “What happened? What happened just now? Young Master, are you injured? Heavens! How…How come there are only six copper-skin puppets left?”
The attendant’s eyes went wide. He rushed into the room after being alarmed by the movements and noise but he never expected to see four copper skin puppets destroyed!
“Sorry, I haven’t grasped my strength and accidentally destroyed them,” Lin Xun apologized in embarrassment.
“De…destroyed? But why does it look like they have vanished?” The attendant looked bewildered. “If they were destroyed, there would be remains but there is no such thing in sight.”
“Oh, they’re there.”
Lin Xun pointed to the powder residues left on the ground.
The attendant followed Lin Xun’s finger and, as though lightning had struck him, he inhaled sharply. They exploded into pieces?!