193: Chapter 192 Killer Move

At noon the next day, the gates of Dragon Abyss Palace were visible in the distance.

The towering mountains, the swirling clouds and mist, and the partially visible pavilions and towers shimmered in the sunlight with a comforting radiance.

Jiang Hanzhou stood by the ship's railing, gazing at the gradually clarifying mountain gate as an indescribable emotion surged within him.

After leaving home for a month, he had finally returned.

Although this was not his true home, compared to that cold residence in Donghai Prefecture, this place felt more like somewhere he could Cultivate in peace.

The flying boat slowly descended and landed steadily on the plaza outside the mountain gate.

Zhou Lie cupped his hands in a salute: "Honorable warriors, until we meet again."

Huo Qingfeng returned the salute: "Many thanks to Captain Zhou for your care along the way. If you have some leisure time in the future, do come to Dragon Abyss Palace for a drink."

Zhou Lie nodded, his gaze falling upon Jiang Hanzhou for a brief moment.

In that gaze, there was scrutiny, curiosity, and a faint, almost imperceptible... sense of awe.

Then, he turned and boarded the flying boat.

The mysterious black flying boat soared into the air, speeding away toward the eastern horizon.

Jiang Hanzhou and the other five stood on the plaza, watching the flying boat recede into the distance, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Finally back..." Song Hu stretched, which pulled at his wounds, making him grimace in pain. "I'm going to get a good sleep, sleep for three days and three nights!"

Liu Ningshuang put away her twin swords and smiled slightly: "I am going to the Duty Hall to turn in the mission. Sixty contribution points; just thinking about it makes me happy."

Zhao Yuanjing nodded: "Let's go together."

Huo Qingfeng looked at Jiang Hanzhou and Teng Yuzhi: "What about you two? Coming to turn in the mission together?"

Teng Yuzhi shook her head slightly: "I will return to my Immortal Cave to regulate my breath first. My Pure Lotus Physique needs time to stabilize."

Jiang Hanzhou also shook his head: "I have other matters to attend to."

Huo Qingfeng nodded without asking further, and led Zhao Yuanjing, Song Hu, and Liu Ningshuang toward the Duty Hall.

Jiang Hanzhou turned around and was about to head toward Red Fire Peak—

A green streak of light shot across the sky and landed steadily in front of him.

Qing Zhu.

He was dressed in green robes, and his aura was significantly stronger than it had been a month ago; clearly, he had not wasted this past month.

"Senior Brother Jiang!" Qing Zhu cupped his hands in a salute, his face full of joy. "Elder Xue sent me to fetch you. He said to have you come to Lihuo Hall as soon as you returned."

Jiang Hanzhou raised an eyebrow.

Master Xue Mu was summoning him.

He nodded: "Alright. Let's go."

The two walked up the mountain path, passing through the crimson bamboo forest and along the winding stone steps, arriving in front of Lihuo Hall half an hour later.

Lihuo Hall stood as towering as ever, its vermilion doors wide open, and the massive plaque above the lintel gleaming in the sunlight.

Jiang Hanzhou stepped into the hall.

Inside the hall, Master Xue Mu sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, holding a Jade Slip in his hand. Seeing him enter, he looked up and smiled slightly.

"Back?"

The smile was faint, yet carried a touch of relief, a touch of satisfaction, and a touch of indescribable... pride.

Jiang Hanzhou walked up to him and bowed respectfully: "Master."

Master Xue Mu waved his hand: "Sit."

Jiang Hanzhou sat cross-legged on the cushion opposite him.

Master Xue Mu looked at him, his gaze lingering on him for a long time.

The gaze was calm, yet it seemed to penetrate everything, seeing the flow of every strand of True Qi within his body, the fluctuation of every True Intent, and the dormancy of every wisp of Dragon power.

"Not bad," Master Xue Mu said slowly. "Metal Sharpness True Intent at the second level, the Bottleneck of the fifth layer of the Li Huo Golden Body Art has loosened, and there is an additional... Dragon power within your body."

He paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "And that Heart Blade. A high-level secret technique from the Snow Empire, and you actually succeeded in cultivating it."

Jiang Hanzhou felt a slight chill in his heart.

He had not expected Master Xue Mu to be able to see through the existence of the Heart Blade.

It was an existence formed by the Divine Soul; ordinary Cultivators could not perceive it at all.

"Master has a Wisdom Eye," he said in a low voice. "Disciple was fortunate; I swallowed a dragon heart on Black Stone Island, and the remnant soul of the dragon invaded my Sea of Consciousness, only to be shattered and absorbed by the Heart Blade."

Master Xue Mu nodded without asking further.

He simply took out a palm-sized crimson jade token from his robes and gently placed it in front of Jiang Hanzhou.

The jade token was fiery all over, its surface engraved with intricate patterns, and in the center of the patterns was an ancient "Dragon" character.

"This is the entry token for the Dragon Blood Pool," Master Xue Mu said. "Three days from now, take this token to the Forbidden Ground behind Red Fire Peak, and someone will be there to guide you into the pool."

Jiang Hanzhou took the jade token; it was warm to the touch, and he could vaguely sense the immense fire-attribute Spiritual Qi contained within it.

"Many thanks, Master." He bowed solemnly.

Master Xue Mu waved his hand, signaling that he need not be so formal.

Then, his expression became serious.

"Han Zhou," he said, his voice low. "The Dragon Gate Trial is in two months."

Jiang Hanzhou looked up at him.

Master Xue Mu's gaze fell upon him, and those deep eyes flickered with complex light.

"The Dragon Gate Trial is the only path for an Outer Sect Disciple of Dragon Abyss Palace to be promoted to an Inner Sect Disciple. It is also the first threshold for the selection of True Disciples."

"Although you have only been in the sect for three months, your strength is already not inferior to those Inner Sect Disciples who have been cultivating for two or three years. But that alone is not enough."

"The difficulty of the Dragon Gate Trial is far beyond your imagination."

He paused and said slowly: "Every Dragon Gate Trial has hundreds, sometimes thousands, of Outer Sect Disciples participating. But in the end, no more than thirty people pass the trial and are promoted to Inner Sect Disciples."

"The elimination rate is over ninety percent."

"And among these thirty, at most three or five can be chosen by the Elders of each peak to be taken as True Disciples."

Jiang Hanzhou listened quietly without speaking.

Master Xue Mu continued: "The content of the Dragon Gate Trial is different every time. But the principle remains the same—it tests the comprehensive strength of the Disciples."

"Cultivation base, Cultivation Technique, Martial Skill, True Intent, Heart-Nature, adaptability, Luck... none can be lacking."

"You are currently at the Initial Stage of Yuanxiang, all three True Intents have reached the second level, the Bottleneck of the fifth layer of the Li Huo Golden Body Art has loosened, and you have two trump cards: the Dragon power and the Heart Blade. In terms of strength, you are already top-tier among the Outer Sect Disciples."

"But—" he changed the subject, his gaze fixed on Jiang Hanzhou: "Do you know what your greatest weakness is?"

Jiang Hanzhou was silent for a moment, then said slowly: "Disciple does not know; please instruct me, Master."

Master Xue Mu looked at him and said word for word: "You lack a true killing move."

"A killing move sufficient to turn the tide of battle at a critical moment and kill with a single strike."

"Your current methods—the Tidal True Intent is enduring, the Pure Yang True Intent is blazing, and the Metal Sharpness True Intent is keen; the combination of the three is perfect. But that is merely 'coordination,' not 'Fusion.'"

"You have not yet truly fused the three True Intents into one to form a unique ultimate technique that belongs solely to you."

"Your Divine Intent Heavenly Saber only borrows the True Intent; it does not command the True Intent."

"Your Li Huo Golden Body Art is only a Body Tempering Cultivation Technique, not an offensive method."

"Although your Heart Blade is strong, it can only slash the soul, not the body."

"If you encounter a true powerhouse, such as a Dragon Fetus Realm Cultivator, or those Inner Sect Prodigies who also possess multiple True Intents, these methods of yours will at most allow you to protect yourself, but it will be difficult to win."

Jiang Hanzhou's brows furrowed slightly.

He knew that what Master Xue Mu said was a fact.

Over the past three months, although his strength had greatly increased, those gains were mostly quantitative changes, not qualitative ones.

Tide, Pure Yang, and Metal Sharpness—the three True Intents fought independently; although they coordinated well, they had never truly fused.

What he lacked was indeed a killing move.

A true killing move that could fuse the three True Intents into one, while also incorporating the Dragon power and the Heart Blade.