"These troublemakers, they deserve to die."
Gao Xian muttered to himself as he caressed his sword, his deep hatred towards the Red Snake Gang evident.
If it weren't for the Red Snake Gang, the Feima Sect wouldn't have been in such a mess, and his days would have been much more peaceful and comfortable.
He used to think Zhu Qiuniang's attitude towards the Red Snake Gang was a bit extreme, but how many cultivators were truly good people anyway!
After a few encounters with the Red Snake Gang, Gao Xian realized just how despicable they truly were.
Gao Xian flicked his Qing Frost Sword in hand and practiced the Clear Wind Sword Technique from start to finish.
Amidst the sharp sword whistling, the shimmering green sword light converged into a ball, completely enveloping Gao Xian's figure.
As the sword whistling suddenly stopped, the flowing greenish-blue sword light solidified, then slowly dissipated, revealing Gao Xian's figure.
"Brother, you're amazing!"
Watching from the side, Big Bull couldn't help but applaud and admire.
He had watched Gao Xian practice boxing and swordsmanship all day, but it was the first time he had seen Gao Xian's swordsmanship at such a high level.
"Not bad, not bad. I've made some progress recently..." Gao Xian chuckled.
Without even looking, he casually sheathed his sword into the scabbard at his waist with the precision of a bird returning to its nest.
With the continuous use of Tiger Blood Ointment, his physical fitness had improved in all aspects over the past few months, making it easier to wield the Qing Frost Sword.
However, he still couldn't control it with fine precision.
After reaching the fourth level of Qi cultivation, the twenty-seven-pound Qing Frost Sword had become moderate in weight, easy to handle, and no longer cumbersome.
It responded to his commands effortlessly, without any stiffness.
After a round of sword practice, even if he only used seventy percent of his strength, his intentions were conveyed through the sword, hinting at a fusion of man and sword.
He felt a sense of relaxation and satisfaction.
Gao Xian then practiced the Iron Dragon Hands twice more until his whole body was slightly warm before stopping.
He bid farewell to Big Bull and returned to his room.
Seeing another room shrouded in darkness, he knew Zhu Qiuniang was likely studying, so he didn't disturb her.
Back in his own room, Gao Xian performed the Cleansing Technique twice to rid himself of the sweat odor.
Normally, he would have taken off his outer garments before getting into bed, but considering the recent activities of the Red Snake Gang, Gao Xian decided to sleep in his Qingyun Daoist robe.
The May night was slightly cool, and wearing the robe didn't make him feel hot.
Gao Xian completed his routine exercises before closing his eyes and sinking his consciousness into the Hall of Heart and Mind, a palace belonging solely to him, where he could access the Moon and Wind Mirror.
Over the past four months, he had accumulated a considerable amount of Human Dao Spiritual Light.
Gao Xian had been saving these Human Dao Spiritual Lights, intending to upgrade his Grand Occult Divine Art.
Among all the spells he knew, the Grand Occult Divine Art was undoubtedly the most important and fundamental divine skill.
To elevate the Grand Occult Divine Art to the level of Grandmaster Perfection, he needed twenty thousand Human Dao Spiritual Lights.
Under normal circumstances, he would have enough saved up within a year.
"Eight thousand and ninety-three points of Human Dao Spiritual Light..." Gao Xian pondered.
With this many Human Dao Spiritual Lights, he could upgrade both the Electric Dragon Subduing Hand and the True Yang Spear to Grandmaster Perfection.
Both of these spells were very useful, especially the Electric Dragon Subduing Hand, which had greatly assisted him.
Although he was reluctant, the True Yang Spear, even at the level of Grandmaster Perfection, had limited power.
The Electric Dragon Subduing Hand might bring surprises, but it was difficult to make a qualitative leap in his combat power.
Despite the Red Snake Gang causing trouble in the depths of Tengshe Mountain, Gao Xian didn't feel much threatened by them.
Compared to his cultivation level, he believed his combat strength was sufficient.
His goal in combat was not to destroy the enemy but to protect himself.
This principle must be clear.
As the saying goes, "I am like gold and jade, my enemies are like clay and stone."
From a fundamental perspective, the most important thing is not how strong one's combat power is, but how strong one's ability to protect oneself is.
Thinking in terms of modern warfare, one could consider oneself as a comprehensive combat platform.
The Grand Occult Divine Art enhanced his divine consciousness, sixth sense, including the ability to detect scents, allowing him to preemptively detect enemy information.
It was akin to a radar warning system, a command system.
The Shadowless Garment concealed his position, similar to the stealth technology of a stealth aircraft, granting him the initiative on the battlefield.
The True Yang Spear provided electronic interference.
The Ice Arrow Technique and Flame Bullet were like ship cannons, while the Crimson Flame Flying Sword could be seen as a missile.
Various defensive spells and artifacts like the Wood Shield constituted the defense system.
What was he lacking the most now?
To be honest, he wasn't a military enthusiast and didn't have much knowledge of modern warfare theory.
The things he knew were just remnants of internet information.
Starting from the need to protect himself, what he needed now were stronger defensive spells and artifacts?
His current defensive artifacts were already strong enough, and having more defensive artifacts wasn't necessarily better.
Because artifacts and spells could actually interfere with each other.
Otherwise, when facing a strong enemy, he could just throw out a dozen Wood Shields and Earth Shields to withstand the attacks.
Gao Xian contemplated for a long time, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration, realizing what he needed.
He needed enough space to have strategic depth, to be able to use various tactics.
Just like being cornered by someone, one could only fight to the death or be beaten.
Having more space would provide more choices.
One could escape, engage in guerrilla warfare, or call for reinforcements...
With enough space, one could employ various means.
How could he have enough space? In his current situation, he mostly faced direct combat.
He needed to move faster to create space, to have more options.
Just like playing the game King of Glory, a clever flicker could often change the outcome of a battle.
Gao Xian looked at the Electric Dragon Subduing Hand.
This divine skill could make him faster, but it wasn't a teleportation spell.
Spells like Wind Riding Technique and Divine Speed Technique didn't count either, as they only increased one's speed, more like auxiliary spells.
Among the spells he had learned, only the Earth Magnetic Wheel was a true teleportation spell.
The Earth Magnetic Wheel used the magnetic energy of the earth to form an invisible rotating wheel.
Cultivators could control it with their divine consciousness to move rapidly.
This first-grade middle-tier spell was quite complex, had a rapid burst speed, and was very mana-intensive.
It could only be used for combat and was not suitable for long-distance travel.
It took Gao Xian several months to master this spell at a basic level.
He found the Earth Magnetic Wheel very useful, but the casting speed was too slow, with a long pre-casting time, as one would say in gaming terms.
In high-speed battles measured in seconds, such a slow spell was clearly ineffective.
Moreover, he wasn't proficient in using it.
With the perfect combination of Ice and Fire Nine Heavens and Flame Bullet, Ice Arrow Technique, Gao Xian had been thinking about what could complement the Earth Magnetic Wheel to indirectly accelerate his mastery of the spell.
In the "Essentials of Cave Dwellers," there was a spell called Yin-Yang Wheel, where Yin and Yang energies circulated.
Its form resembled a Yin-Yang fish, hence the name Yin-Yang Wheel.
Gao Xian had been meditating and refining pills for the past few months, and with the need to save Human Dao Spiritual Light, he hadn't had the time to ponder these esoteric spells.
Considering everything, Gao Xian decided to give it a try.
Even if it didn't work out, he would only lose one or two hundred Human Dao Spiritual Lights.
In this aspect, Gao Xian truly had a talent.
However, this small spell required cooperation.
After pondering for a while, Gao Xian went to the next room to find Zhu Qiuniang.
After some massaging and flattery, he finally managed to persuade Zhu Qiuniang to help him practice the spell...
End of Chapter.