Chapter 30: Dragon Jade Hand

Seeing Iwao's indifferent demeanor, Swallow was infuriated. He gnashed his teeth and bit into the Spirit Jade fiercely, the sound echoing as he vented his anger. "I'm so mad! How dare he look down on me!" Soon, the Double Marked Spirit Jade was gone. "Iwao, give me more Spirit Jade!" Swallow reached out. Iwao handed him more Double Marked Spirit Jade, but Swallow directly tossed it aside, acting aloof. "I don't want Double Marked Spirit Jade. Didn't that woman just have Elder Sexton bring you a bunch of Triple Marked Spirit Jade? I want those!" "Always so demanding," Iwao muttered under his breath but still gave him some. Swallow consumed the Triple Marked Spirit Jade at a much slower pace, unable to wolf it down like before. After half an hour of chewing, he finally finished all the Triple Marked Spirit Jade. "Burp!" Swallow belched loudly, and a visible burst of Spiritual Energy sprayed from his mouth, dissipating into the air. Suddenly, he clutched his stomach, grimacing. "Iwao, I... I ate too much. I can't stand up. Can you... help me massage my belly, please?" Rolling his eyes, Iwao thought, "Such a glutton!" However, he couldn't deny Swallow's request for a massage. After a few moments of rubbing, a mysterious light burst from Swallow's body. With a rumble, he leveled up. From First Rank, he ascended to Second Rank. "It's a shame. It's too slow to unseal my bloodline strength just with Spiritual Energy. If only we had some Beast Origin Fruit." After ranking up, Swallow's Spiritual Energy inside and outside his body was depleted. Beast Origin Fruit was a precious item that could increase an Illusionary Beast's ranking, particularly valuable to Beast Tamers. For them, Illusionary Beasts were the primary source of power. Improving a beast's rank with Beast Origin Fruit also benefited its owner greatly. Swallow leaped up triumphantly. "Now, I'm Second Rank, and my bloodline power has unsealed a bit more. Don't you feel stronger now? No need to thank me. I just like helping newbies in cultivation!" "No," Iwao shook his head. "Damn!" Swallow got frustrated. "You must not have sensed it carefully enough. Come on, try again!" Seeing Swallow so anxious, Iwao chuckled. "There's been a slight improvement in my internal Spiritual Energy, and the vitality of the Myriad Wood Soaring Body feels a bit stronger. Not bad. You're not entirely useless." "Nonsense! I'm the Primordial Hongmeng Tree!" Swallow boasted again. "Proud of what? In my Illusionary Birth Space, your nine 'eggs' were the first to hatch! It means you're the weakest, the first to hatch out of all the weak little chicks. Get it?" Iwao teased. "Argh! It makes me so mad! If they were hatched now, I'd beat them up to show who's boss!" Swallow clenched his fists, his vibrant green leaves swaying wildly. "Why is it that you've upgraded from First Rank to Second Rank, but your appearance hasn't changed at all?" Iwao picked Swallow up and scrutinized him closely. Indeed, there was no change at all! "Everyone else's Illusionary Beasts are so dominant, and you're just this little sapling, barely the size of my palm, looking like a weakling," Swallow sneered. "You don't know anything. The strength of an Illusionary Beast has nothing to do with its size. What's the use of being big?" Swallow retorted. "I'm not arguing with you!" With that, Swallow ran off to the side. Having just ranked up, he felt mentally exhausted and quickly fell asleep. "As Swallow gradually improves and unseals his bloodline power, my combat power will also increase," Iwao thought aloud, throwing a few punches casually. The sound of breaking air was louder, and his strength had increased slightly. His understanding of Imperial Art had deepened as well. "Since I resumed training, my Maneuver is not lacking, but my Martial Techniques are lacking. I need to find some Martial Techniques to enhance my combat power." With one hand holding the Gathering Spirit Bead, Iwao pondered. The bead absorbed Spiritual Energy from the surrounding area, gathering it into a vortex and pouring it madly into Iwao's body. He planned to ask Swallow about it when he woke up, to see if he knew any suitable Martial Techniques for him to practice. If not, he would have to ask Rana. With these thoughts in mind, Iwao closed his eyes and began using the breathing technique recorded in the Imperial Art, absorbing Spiritual Energy from the void, circulating it within his body, and then exhaling impurities. "Exhale!" His voice was deep, like a dragon's breath. Each inhalation and exhalation completely absorbed the essence of Spiritual Energy, without wasting any. Purely in terms of breathing techniques, he was much stronger than other prodigies. The night passed quietly. Swallow rubbed his eyes, waking up from his slumber. The morning sun shone on Iwao, making his figure appear even more towering. "Iwao, you trained all night? That's so diligent," Swallow yawned, feeling incredibly refreshed from his sleep last night. "Swallow, do you have any Martial Techniques? Something stronger that can increase combat power?" Iwao hadn't forgotten what Magar had said to him yesterday. In recent days, many disciples have come to challenge him in various ways. If he could beat them, he would. If not, he would hide. "Martial Techniques? Let me think..." Swallow furrowed his brow, deep in thought. It was evident that his memories, like his bloodline, had also been sealed. The Imperial Art and the Myriad Wood Soaring Body were both comprehended by him unconsciously and then immediately shared with Iwao. Now, Iwao suddenly asked him for Martial Techniques. He needed to organize his memories and see if there were any Martial Techniques available. "Ah, there is!" A few moments later, Swallow's excitement showed. "This Martial Technique is very powerful and has room for growth. Do you want to learn it?" "Quit the chatter and teach me!" Iwao urged. "I'll teach you, but you have to give me ten Triple Marked Spirit Jade!" Swallow was getting more and more audacious, chuckling, "With the gains from Thundering Fury Mansion before, plus what that girl gave you, you have them. Don't hide it, come on, bring it out!" "I'm not learning anymore," Iwao said, turning directly. "I'll go ask Rana. She'll provide me with better Martial Techniques!" "Hey, Iwao, don't joke. My Martial Techniques are the strongest!" Swallow's smile froze. "Ten is a bit much. How about five? Just give me five Triple Marked Spirit Jade, and I'll teach you this Martial Technique!" Seeing Iwao really about to leave, Swallow panicked. "Three, three should be enough, right?" "One!" Iwao took out a Triple Marked Spirit Jade from the Storage Ring, his face stern. "Take it or leave it. I'll go to Rana's. She has plenty of Martial Techniques anyway!" "You're ruthless!" Swallow was speechless. And so, they completed the transaction for the price of one Triple Marked Spirit Jade. "This move is called Dragon Jade Hand. Once executed, the palm is as mighty as a real dragon and as hard as jade! It has similarities with your Myriad Wood Soaring Body and can mutually enhance and promote each other!" Swallow raised his hand, imparting a memory into Iwao's mind.