The Condor Heroes: The Quanzhen Sect has produced a vengeful master!

Just as Yang Guo finished applying the medicine, a fourth-generation disciple sneaked over to him.

"Junior brother! You're in a really bad situation!"

Yang Guo was naturally wary of this attempt to get close to him, but the fourth-generation disciple chatted enthusiastically and eventually pulled out half a pancake from his pocket.

"Junior brother! You said you didn't eat dinner, so here's half a pancake for you! But please don't tell Uncle Jiuling!"

After the disciple left, Yang Guo looked at the half-eaten pancake in his hand in surprise.

It wasn't big, but it exuded an enticing aroma.

Yang Guo was already tired and hungry, so he ate in the end.

The disciple who delivered the cakes breathed a sigh of relief after he left.

He was actually one of Wang Jiuling's henchmen, and it was Wang Jiuling who asked him to deliver this cake.

Yesterday, Yang Guo didn't bother to fetch water properly, so Wang Jiuling naturally let him go hungry.

Yang Guo really tried his best today, and whatever his reasons for trying, it's all good.

If Wang Jiuling really only allowed Yang Guo to eat one meal a day, he would be too hungry to even fetch water in just a few days.

This will not lead to progress; on the contrary, it will damage your body.

But he couldn't let Yang Guo know this, otherwise Yang Guo would become complacent. So Wang Jiuling arranged for his disciples to bring him some food, so that he wouldn't be full, but could still help him recover his strength.

Yang Guo didn't trust Wang Jiuling at all, so naturally he couldn't see the key point.

At this moment, Wang Jiuling was already practicing martial arts with Wang Chongyang on the western mountain peak.

"Your innate skill has now opened up the eight extraordinary meridians, and your true energy can be released outwards, which is a minor achievement."

Wang Chongyang and Wang Jiuling sat facing each other, and his tone was more serious than ever before.

"The early and middle stages of cultivating the Innate Skill aren't too difficult, but from today onwards, you will truly begin to face challenges!"

Despite Wang Chongyang's reminder, Wang Jiuling remained unmoved.

"This disciple will not be afraid of difficulties!"

Wang Chongyang smiled and stopped talking about it, instead explaining the Innate Skill to Wang Jiuling.

"The way of Heaven is to take from those who have too much and give to those who have too little."

"The way of man is to take from those who have little to give to those who have more!"

"The Innate Skill, like the Way of Man, emphasizes purity and the ultimate! It is willing to sacrifice oneself to forge that path to heaven!"

He looked at Wang Jiuling. "The general principles of the third level of the Innate Skill lie in five words—'Returning the Acquired to the Innate!'"

Wang Jiuling nodded in agreement.

"Master, what should this disciple do?"

Wang Chongyang took a deep breath. "Returning to the innate state after birth, though it's only five words, is actually extremely dangerous. Refining essence into qi is refining the very essence of the human body."

"The fear of reversing one's innate state isn't that you don't know how to practice, but that you'll suffer too much damage and be unable to complete the training before your original essence is exhausted, leaving you with nothing but an empty shell!"

Wang Chongyang stood up, pacing back and forth as he spoke:

"Kid, you underestimate your talent. To be honest, your progress is truly terrifying."

"But the faster you cultivate, the more fundamental energy you need to support you; otherwise, you'll die even faster!"

Wang Jiuling finally understood.

The Innate Skill is so extreme that it allows one to tap into their own talents by consuming their own essence, thus returning to their innate state from the acquired.

This is truly an act against the will of Heaven.

If it fails, the minimum consequence will be premature aging.

"Master, if this disciple wishes to cultivate the Innate Skill, he needs to find a way to replenish his vital essence?"

Wang Jiuling raised a question, and Wang Chongyang nodded deeply.

"Methods to replenish one's original essence are scarce in this world. Cultivating innate skills depends on talent, but even more so on fate."

This is also why I did not pass on this martial art. Even my fellow Daoist Yideng only learned a portion of the Innate Skill back then.

At this point, Wang Chongyang turned around, a strange, dangerous look on his face. "What? Scared?"

Wang Jiuling shook his head.

"Master, this disciple is not afraid!"

"If you give up halfway through practicing today, you will be afraid of this and that."

Even if I were to relearn other martial arts techniques in the future, and encounter difficulties, would I continue to retreat as I have today?

"Besides..."

"Besides what?" Wang Chongyang asked curiously when he saw Wang Jiuling looking at him.

Wang Jiuling's expression was resolute. "This disciple dares to say that since the Ancestor succeeded, this disciple does not believe that I will fail!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chongyang was first taken aback, then burst into laughter.

"Very well! Then I will pass on the knowledge to you! Whether you achieve great success or turn into nothingness depends on your fate!"

Wang Jiuling began his spiritual practice.

As Wang Chongyang taught him the next part, Wang Jiuling realized that the third level of the Innate Skill was completely different from the first two levels.

The first layer is to transform innate vital energy, and the second layer is to open up the meridians.

This third level completely transcends the scope of ordinary martial arts. The entire Innate Skill encompasses four key aspects: "skill, method, application, and supplementation."

Cultivating the three treasures of the human body: essence, energy, and spirit.

This reminded Wang Jiuling of the Taoist "internal alchemy" he had heard about in his previous life.

From this night onward, Wang Jiuling will not only practice the chapters of the Innate Skill on refining essence into qi and transforming qi into spirit every night, but also breathe in the essence of heaven and earth in the morning sun.

There was also an additional task: collecting dew for drinking, which is a method in the Innate Skill to replenish one's original essence.

Of course, this can only help Wang Jiuling lay a solid foundation; it will only get more and more difficult in the future.

And so, half a month passed.

Under Wang Chongyang's guidance, Wang Jiuling made rapid progress, constantly cultivating his essence, energy, and spirit with his innate true energy every night.

For half a month, I have felt refreshed and clear-headed, with sharp hearing and eyesight, and my innate true energy has become even purer.

It's a strange feeling, as if you are becoming one with the world.

But the consequences Wang Chongyang foresaw have come to pass.

Even though Wang Jiuling constantly inhaled the essence of heaven and earth, drank dew, and basked in the morning sun to replenish himself.

But after each practice session, I still feel a sense of emptiness in my core.

He could clearly feel his body getting stronger and his internal strength becoming more profound, but the feeling of emptiness was also very real.

"At this rate, in a year at most, the essence of heaven and earth alone will not be enough to support your cultivation." — These were Wang Chongyang's exact words last night.

"This is the true innate skill..." Wang Jiuling exclaimed as he descended the mountain.

At this moment, Yang Guo had just finished his morning class and returned to his residence.

Looking at the empty water vat, he kicked the bucket aside in a huff.

For the past two weeks, he has continued to fetch water as usual, but he hasn't made much progress.

Two weeks ago, it could fill half the tank; two weeks later, there's hardly any change.

Yang Guo was indignant. He wasn't fetching water to practice martial arts because he felt that Wang Jiuling was just making fun of him.

He was just trying to give Uncle Guo an explanation, so that when he saw Uncle Guo in the future, he could say: "Uncle Guo, you saw it, right? I tried my best and did not let you down. It's just that the Quanzhen School was unwilling to teach me."

"I've been fetching water for half a month, that's enough! I'm not doing it again! I'll figure out what to eat for dinner myself!"

Yang Guo doesn't plan to fetch water today.

Feeling hungry from the bland, watery food every day, Yang Guo decided to sneak off to the woods halfway up the mountain to catch rabbits.

But halfway there, they were stopped by someone.

"stop!"