Returning to his small wooden cabin, Zhaang Ye took out the *Dragon Elephant Skill* and began to study it. What he read made him suck in a sharp breath.

There, on the fourth page of the *Dragon Elephant Skill*, was a long, clearly written list of elixirs. These included: Body Tempering Pills, Body Refining Pills, Calm Spirit Pills, Qi Blood Pills, Strong Tendon Pills, Iron Bone Pills...

Beneath the list of elixirs, a line of small text read: "The Dragon Elephant Skill is divided into seven layers. For the first four layers, consuming low-level elixirs is sufficient. For the last three layers, one must consume Mid-Level Elixirs. Specific requirements for consumption..."

’Good heavens, cultivating this Dragon Elephant Skill requires so many elixirs! And to reach the 5th Layer, I’ll need to consume a massive amount of Mid-Level Elixirs!’ Zhaang Ye’s scalp went numb at the thought of their price.

On the Desolate Continent, elixirs were divided into several grades: Low-level, Middle-level, High-level, and Top-grade. The Qi Gathering Pills Zhaang Ye had purchased were low-level. This grade of elixir was only effective for Martial Artists at the Martial Arts Third Layer and Martial Arts Fourth Layer. A Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Fifth and Sixth Layers would need to consume a Mid-Level Qi Gathering Pill to see any effect. As for Martial Artists with even higher cultivation, only Advanced Qi Gathering Pills or even top-grade Qi Gathering Pills would be useful.

With each increase in grade, the price of an elixir multiplied by five. A low-level Qi Gathering Pill or Body Refining Pill cost three hundred gold each, but a middle-level version of those same pills would cost one thousand five hundred gold!

’I’ve really been ripped off,’ Zhaang Ye thought, a wave of depression washing over him as he stared at the *Dragon Elephant Skill*. ’No wonder that guy who sold me the manual was so eager to close the deal. This Dragon Elephant Skill is nothing but a bankrupting cultivation technique! Damn him. According to this manual, cultivating the Dragon Elephant Skill to the 7th Layer would cost at least three million gold!’

’Three million gold!’ Even with his calm disposition, Zhaang Ye was startled by the colossal figure. The Zhaang Family of Three Rivers Town had an annual income of only one to two million gold. Three million was equivalent to a small family’s entire income for two years!

The Zhaang Family owned several mines and operated various shops, and even then, their annual income was only one to two million. Zhaang Ye, on the other hand, was all alone and had no assets to his name. To get his hands on three million gold, he’d practically have to rob someone!

’Forget it! I’ve already bought the manual. Not cultivating it would be an even bigger loss! I’ll focus on mastering the first four layers for now and worry about the last three when the time comes!’ After his initial shock, Zhaang Ye quickly composed himself. He took out a Body Refining Pill, swallowed it, and began to cultivate the Dragon Elephant Skill according to the method in the secret manual.

Every day at sunrise, he would go to the Agarwood Tree to listen to the lectures. Upon returning, he would first consume a Body Refining Pill and spend half the day on his Dragon Elephant Skill cultivation. Then he would consume a Qi Gathering Pill and spend the other half of the day cultivating his True Qi.

Zhaang Ye’s days fell into this routine, and more than ten days passed in a flash.

One day, after Zhaang Ye had finished refining a Qi Gathering Pill, he suddenly felt a tremor run through his meridians. His True Qi began to circulate on its own, cycling through his body according to his cultivation technique.

Instead of being alarmed, Zhaang Ye was delighted. He knew he was finally about to break through to the Martial Arts Third Layer Middle Stage. He had experienced this phenomenon of True Qi circulating on its own before, so he paid it no mind, simply steadying his spirit and allowing the True Qi to wash through his meridians and body repeatedly.

With each cycle, his True Qi grew a little purer, a little more substantial. After the eighteenth cycle, Zhaang Ye suddenly heard a faint *CRACK* from within his body, as if some barrier had been broken.

Following the faint sound, the True Qi in his body seemed to flood into every muscle. Zhaang Ye’s entire being surged with power, and an indescribable feeling of comfort washed over him.

’Success! I’ve finally broken through to the Martial Arts Third Layer Middle Stage!’ The thought flashed through Zhaang Ye’s mind. He remained calm and composed as he continued to operate his cultivation technique, slowly guiding the True Qi back into his Dantian.

Once he finished circulating his energy, Zhaang Ye’s thoughts turned to the Dragon Elephant Skill. An idea struck him. ’I’ve been taking Body Refining Pills for some time now, so my body is much tougher than the average person’s. Now that my cultivation has reached the Martial Arts Third Layer Middle Stage, I wonder if I can seize this opportunity and master the first layer of the Dragon Elephant Skill in one go?’

Deciding to act on his thought, Zhaang Ye immediately consumed another Body Refining Pill and began cultivating according to the Dragon Elephant Skill technique.

CRACK— As the technique circulated, Zhaang Ye’s bones began to emit a series of crisp popping sounds, like popcorn in a hot pan. He ignored the noise and focused on pushing the technique’s circulation.

About a quarter of an hour later, Zhaang Ye felt as if all two hundred-odd bones in his body had been thoroughly tempered by the medicinal power of the Body Refining Pill. His muscles took on a faint golden hue, and qi and blood surged through him. He felt so full of power it seemed a single punch could shatter a large tree.

Seeing the color of his skin, a hint of a smile touched Zhaang Ye’s face. He knew he had successfully cultivated the first layer of the Dragon Elephant Skill. He stepped out of his cabin, casually picked up a small rock, and squeezed it with pure physical strength. With a *CRUNCH*, the small rock was crushed to dust in his hand.

Cultivating the Dragon Elephant Skill had indeed increased his strength significantly.

After crushing a few more small rocks, Zhaang Ye drew his Thick-Backed Saber. True Qi surged from his body into the blade like a tide. As the True Qi poured in, a streak of Sword Qi over six inches long materialized at the blade tip.

’Excellent! Now that I’ve reached the Martial Arts Third Layer Middle Stage and mastered the first layer of the Dragon Elephant Skill, I can be considered one of the top Outer Disciples. With my current cultivation, even if I were to face an expert at the Peak of Martial Arts Third Layer, I wouldn’t suffer a miserable defeat.’ A delighted expression spread across Zhaang Ye’s face as he felt his newfound power.

Zhaang Que and Zhaang Qing had both broken through to the Martial Arts Third Layer Middle Stage seven days prior. Just as Zhaang Ye was considering seeking them out for a friendly spar, he heard the sound of disorderly footsteps approaching. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Lifting his head, he saw four or five people swaggering toward him. The person in the lead was none other than Wu Guanghai.

The moment Zhaang Ye saw Wu Guanghai, Wu Guanghai saw him too. A ferocious look appeared on Wu Guanghai’s face as he said with a cold, humorless smile, "Zhaang Ye, where do you think you’re going? Oh, did you know we were coming for you? Trying to sneak away and hide? Let me tell you, you’re not going anywhere. This time, I’m going to break both your legs to avenge the humiliation you brought upon me."

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

The men trailing Wu Guanghai were clearly his hired help. Hearing his taunts, they all burst into smug laughter. They sized Zhaang Ye up with condescending glares, looking at him as if he were already dead meat.