"You should explain some things to me now, otherwise, I will make your life worse than death," Zhou Yan said in a cold tone.
"You... you can't kill me. I am Xu Wenshan, an inner disciple of Xuanyou Valley. If you kill me, Xuanyou Valley will not let you go," the black-robed man said in panic, quickly revealing his identity.
"You are from Xuanyou Valley?" Hearing the black-robed man's words, Zhou Yan's eyes lit up with a hint of joy.
Xuanyou Valley, one of the five great sects of the Southern Ridge, was a first-class sect, much more powerful than Xuanming Mansion, Xuanhuo Hall, and others. It was rumored that Xuanyou Valley had experts at the Xiantian realm, and even legends of martial arts Xiantian masters existed, making it an ancient lineage in the Southern Ridge.
"What, scared now? If you're smart, kneel down and beg for mercy, swear allegiance to me, and become my slave. Maybe I'll spare your dog's life," the black-robed man, Xu Wenshan, said with an arrogant expression.
"Heh heh, a mere Xuanyou Valley, I don't even care. Tell me, why were you chasing me?" Zhou Yan grabbed Xu Wenshan's neck and said indifferently.
"You... aren't you afraid of my master?" Xu Wenshan's face turned red, and he looked at Zhou Yan with resentment. He was furious that he, a dignified disciple of Xuanyou Valley, had been captured. It was a complete disgrace.
"What is Xuanyou Valley? What is it?" Zhou Yan's eyes narrowed, and he said with a mocking expression.
"Pfft... You're seeking death." Xu Wenshan spat out a mouthful of reversed blood and looked at Zhou Yan with a ferocious expression.
"Hmph!" Zhou Yan snorted coldly, tightened his arm slightly, and with a crack, snapped Xu Wenshan's neck, then tossed him aside.
"The inner disciples of Xuanyou Valley are indeed weak. How dare you oppose me with just your strength?" Zhou Yan looked into the distance, muttering to himself, then his body turned into an illusion and he rushed into the depths of the dense forest.
Although the black-clothed man Xu Wenshan was at the third level of the Xiantian realm, his actual combat strength was only at the early stage of the second level. In Zhou Yan's eyes, he wasn't even an ant; a casual slap could kill him. Therefore, Zhou Yan didn't need to exert much effort.
Of course, Zhou Yan wouldn't have killed the black-robed man so easily. After all, from their conversation, Zhou Yan had learned some secrets about Xuanyou Valley. Xuanyou Valley possessed a very magical treasure called the Xuanyou Pagoda, which was said to be the founder's sword.
The Xuanyou Pagoda contained vast and profound Xiantian true essence, which could help cultivators improve their cultivation. Furthermore, after absorbing a large amount of Xiantian true essence, it could improve a martial artist's physique, thus possessing more powerful combat strength.
This was also why Zhou Yan felt a strengthening of the true essence within him after defeating Xu Wenshan earlier.
Shortly after Zhou Yan left, several figures sped from afar and landed beside Xu Wenshan's corpse.
"Senior Brother Xu?"
"Senior Brother Xu, you died unjustly!"
...
A group of youths crowded around, crying and deeply saddened.
"Zhou Yan, you must die." A youth wearing a purple crown looked up at the dense forest, gritting his teeth.
"Who killed Junior Brother Xu?" Another youth in a yellow shirt, with a saber at his waist, stepped forward. Seeing Xu Wenshan's corpse, he roared in anger and rushed into the depths of the dense forest with murderous intent.
"Junior Brother Zhao... Senior Brother Zhao is also dead." Another youth in a blue shirt cried out sadly and also rushed into the depths of the dense forest.
"Let's go too." The youth in the yellow shirt said after a moment of silence, then quickly ran into the depths of the dense forest with the remaining four youths.
...
"Hmm? This guy actually has a storage ring. It seems he's quite well-off," Zhou Yan picked up Xu Wenshan's storage ring and examined it, unable to help but smile.
Inside Xu Wenshan's storage ring, besides some pills and gold coins, there were hundreds of spirit stones and thousands of low-grade crystal stones. It was quite a lucrative haul.
"Eh, what is this..." When Zhou Yan reached the items on the last shelf of the storage ring, he was stunned.
It was a tattered piece of parchment, covered with dense small characters, exuding a sense of ancientness. Zhou Yan read it carefully, and his brow furrowed deeper with each word.
A moment later, Zhou Yan finished reading the information recorded on the parchment, his eyes flashing with brilliance, and he muttered, "I never imagined such a cultivation technique could exist in this world. It's truly incredible."
Zhou Yan closed the parchment, his heart filled with excitement. This parchment recorded the "Yin Yang Twin Dragon Art."
This tattered piece of parchment was excavated from an ancient tomb by Xu Wenshan's master, an elder of Xuanyou Valley. The content recorded was precisely the Yin Yang Twin Dragon Art.
According to the parchment, the Yin Yang Twin Dragon Art was a very domineering and fierce cultivation technique, capable of integrating Yin and Yang energy into attacks, greatly increasing their power.
"Yin Yang Twin Dragon Art..." Zhou Yan murmured the name, a smile appearing on his face. He was determined to obtain this cultivation technique.
Zhou Yan continued to flip through the parchment and soon found the cultivation method for this technique. He couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "No wonder it's called a forbidden technique by Xuanyou Valley."
The Yin Yang Twin Dragon Art was divided into nine layers, each of which was extremely difficult. Upon reaching the ninth layer, one could condense Yin and Yang energy, leading to a surge in strength. The tenth layer was even more astonishing, capable of merging Yin and Yang energy into one, unleashing power comparable to the peak of the Xiantian realm, shaking the world.
However, reaching the ninth layer was simply wishful thinking.
Zhou Yan put away the parchment, then sat down cross-legged again and began to cultivate the Yin Yang Twin Dragon Art with a calm mind. He had to admit that the Yin Yang Twin Dragon Art was indeed extraordinary. It was extremely difficult to cultivate, but it brought him immense benefits.
"This guy is actually cultivating a martial skill. What amazing talent! He's about the same age as me now." Zhou Yan had only just closed his eyes when he suddenly sensed a few faint killing intents. He immediately opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his pupils, and a cruel arc curving at the corner of his lips.
Zhou Yan stood up and walked slowly towards the source of the killing intent. After a while, Zhou Yan saw seven or eight young men and women approaching him.
"Zhou Yan, pay with your life!" a furious roar echoed, and an arrow tore through space, shooting towards Zhou Yan with lightning speed, arriving in an instant.
Zhou Yan's lips curved into an evil smile. He extended his right index finger and tapped the arrow. Instantly, the arrow was flicked away.
Swish!
Zhou Yan's toes lightly touched the ground, and his body, like a ghost, flickered and appeared in front of a blue-clothed youth. He swung his left fist and struck directly at the blue-clothed youth's chest.