"How did I end up here?"

Sipo Po walked out of the grass hut, choked with sobs. She said, "I worked so hard to raise you, and you silently followed a fox spirit and abandoned your stepmother. And you ask how I ended up here? Your wings have grown strong, and now that you have a fox spirit, you no longer need your stepmother! Little fox spirit, how do you want to die?"

Qin Mule quickly smiled and said, "Stepmother, you've misunderstood. I encountered Fox Ling'er by chance and heard her talk about the Dragon Palace in Yongjiang. So I went to take a look. I was immersed in comprehending the true dragon in the Dragon Palace and lost track of time, so I ended up staying there for two extra days."

"Not two days, but four days! Wait, did you say comprehending the true dragon?"

Sipo Po was surprised and said, "The little fox spirit didn't gather and absorb your essence?"

Fox Ling'er blushed with shyness and fear, hiding behind Qin Mule.

Qin Mule activated his qi and smiled, "Stepmother, please watch!"

A deep dragon roar echoed as Qin Mule's qi surged, transforming into a large dragon that entwined around his body. The two dragon claws merged with his arms. Qin Mule's body moved, and he threw out a punch, resulting in a thunderous explosion and a burst of divine sound.

He continued to throw punch after punch, and the resounding thunder echoed back and forth in the valley, rumbling continuously, causing vibrations!

"Qinglong Qi!"

Sipo Po was astonished. She knew that Master Ma had not taught Qin Mule the Great Mahayana Sutra, nor had he provided him with suitable techniques for the Thunder Sound Eight Strikes. Even with his abundant qi, Qin Mule's attainment in the Thunder Sound Eight Strikes couldn't be too high.

However, now Qin Mule was able to produce thunder with his punches, as if they were thunderbolts!

The Lingtai Realm without the corresponding techniques should not have been able to achieve this. It was almost impossible!

But the most crucial point was not this; it was the Qinglong Qi!

Qin Mule had just manifested the Qinglong coiling around his body. This was the unique Qinglong Qi possessed by the Qinglong Spirit Body among the Four Great Spirit Bodies!

This was already the third attribute possessed by Qin Mule's Tyrant Body Qi!

Qin Mule observed his water and fire attributes and realized that his Tyrant Body Qi now possessed the attributes of water and fire, corresponding to the Xuanwu Qi and Vermilion Bird Qi. And now, he also had the thunder attribute of the Qinglong Qi!

"Could it be that Mule absorbed the little fox spirit and made great progress in cultivation? No, I haven't taught him any demonic techniques of absorption..." Sipo Po wondered.

Qin Mule retracted his Qi, and the Qinglong Qi, which had transformed into his body, slid back into him from the head to the tail, vividly resembling a real divine dragon.

He was both surprised and delighted. He didn't expect that he could produce the Thunder Sound!

He had admired Mingxin, the young monk, for performing the Thunder Sound Eight Strikes and producing thunder. If Qin Mule were to use the Demon God's Mighty Power Seal, he could also produce thunder, but it consumed a lot of energy.

The Thunder Sound Eight Strikes consumed less energy, and combined with the "Tyrant Body Three Dan Technique," it was more suitable for cultivation and improvement in battle, resulting in almost no energy consumption during combat.

Producing Thunder Sound would greatly enhance his strength!

He recounted his experiences in the Dragon Palace to Sipo Po, who listened with fascination. When Qin Mule mentioned encountering the skeletal figures in official attire and the preserved corpses, Sipo Po's eyes flickered, and she said, "There's something strange about those two different causes of death. Be careful when you go in."

When Qin Mule mentioned the young dragon sealed by the Dragon Pearl and Gu Linuan, Sipo Po clapped her hands and chuckled, "That old man Gu Linuan is quite peculiar. Those skeletal figures in official attire must have died at his hands and been devoured by him! People in official circles have always been ruthless. How did you deceive him?"

Fox Ling'er was in awe of Sipo Po. The old lady hadn't witnessed these events herself, yet she made the same judgments as Qin Mule based solely on hearsay. Could she also be a fox turned spirit?

Qin Mule explained the Danxin Jue that he had been taught and then took out the Shao Bao Sword.

Sipo Po received it, examined it, and praised, "The Shao Bao Sword is indeed a rare treasure in the world. Yan Kang Kingdom exerted great effort to forge sixteen top-grade swords, including the Shao Bao Sword, Tai Bao Sword, Tai Fu Sword, Shao Fu Sword, Tai Shi Sword, Shao Shi Sword, San Si Sword, Biao Qi Sword, Si Wang Sword, Jun Wang Sword, Guo Gong Sword, Tai Wei Sword, Si Kong Sword, and Tian Ce Sword. They were respectively bestowed upon the Crown Prince Shao Bao, Tai Bao, Tai Fu, Crown Prince Shao Fu, Tai Shi, Crown Prince Shao Shi, Three Ministers of Ritual, Grand General of the Armored Cavalry, Heir Prince, County Prince, Duke, Grand Marshal, Minister of Works, and General of the Heavenly Strategies. Although the Shao Bao Sword is not as good as a genuine top-grade sword, it is more than enough to be regarded as a sect's treasured possession."

"It's so valuable?"

Qin Mule was taken aback and asked, "How does it compare to the Xiqi Luo Zen Staff?"

Sipo Po replied, "It's similar, not much higher. The Xiqi Luo Zen Staff has the blessing of the Tathagata, while the Shao Bao Sword is a top-grade sword bestowed upon a first-grade official, representing the fortune of the Yan Kang

Qin Mule asked, "He said that Yan Kang Kingdom's swordsmanship is the best in the world. I haven't learned it, I only learned the Danxin Jue Sword Control Technique. Is what I'm doing right?"

"Not learning it is the right choice. The swordsmanship of Yan Kang Kingdom's master is naturally excellent, but Gu Linuan, who was once a member of the demonic path, may not have cultivated his swordsmanship to the same level as the Yan Kang Kingdom's master. Swordsmanship depends on the individual. Even if the swordsmanship is excellent, if the master's teaching is not good, it will expose many weaknesses. Look at Mingxin, the young monk. He also cultivated the Thunder Sound Eight Strikes, but because his master's teaching was not good, he left behind the vulnerability in the throat," Sipo Po explained earnestly.

"Therefore, when learning swordsmanship, you must choose the best master. A master who is only halfway there should be firmly avoided."

Qin Mule was puzzled. Wasn't Gu Linuan a first-grade official and the Crown Prince Shao Bao? Could he be just mediocre?

"Little fox, I won't kill you."

Sipo Po smiled and said, "Mule, let's go home. The people in the village must be worried sick, thinking that you were eaten by a wild beast on your first hunting trip. Only Grandma is clever and knew that you were lured away by the little fox, so I've been waiting here all along. By the way, little fox, I've gone through those ancient books for you and added annotations. You can read them yourself to save you from taking unnecessary detours."

Fox Ling'er felt ashamed and dejected, hanging her head low. "I can't read..."

Sipo Po was surprised and chuckled, "You're an honest little fox spirit. Since you didn't harm Mule and allowed him to gain an opportunity, fine, I won't deceive you anymore. If you cultivate according to my annotations, you'll definitely fall into a demonic state and die miserably. Who told you to entice my child?"

Fox Ling'er trembled in fear, thinking, "Young Master Mule wasn't wrong. The old folks in their village are experts at trickery. They're old foxes turned spirits!"

Before long, they arrived at the Old Cripple Village. Qin Mule was slightly taken aback to see that a new village had appeared beside the Old Cripple Village, seemingly constructed recently. It was much larger and exuded an extravagant atmosphere with its magnificent buildings and pavilions.

The houses in the Old Cripple Village were simple mud walls with thatched roofs that sometimes leaked during rainy days. Qin Mule would often hold a basin to collect the rainwater inside the house. Compared to this newly emerged neighboring village, the Old Cripple Village appeared much more impoverished.

Sipo Po's expression suddenly turned grim, and she remained silent as she led Qin Mule towards the Old Cripple Village. As they approached, they noticed strange individuals coming out of the new village by the roadside—old and young, men and women.

As Sipo Po passed by each person, they would bow down respectfully and say, "Madam." Even elderly individuals with white hair would bow and address her with utmost humility, using the term "Madam." Their expressions and tone were extremely deferential.

Sipo Po's face grew increasingly grim, and she remained silent as she held Qin Mule's hand and walked towards the Old Cripple Village. Along the way, Qin Mule heard hundreds of "Madam" addressed to Sipo Po, leaving him bewildered.

At the entrance of the village, the village chief and the pharmacist were drinking tea. A young man sat across from them, leisurely sipping his tea, while an old man stood beside him.

"Madam," the old man bowed.

The young man looked up, his voice strangely old, and said calmly, "Yuyou, don't you want to greet your ancestral master?"

Sipo Po's body stiffened, she stopped in her tracks, and bowed, "Greetings, Ancestral Master."

The elder law enforcement officer glanced at Qin Mule, revealing a smile that nearly closed his eyes, and said, "Madam, is this Young Master Ling?"

Sipo Po glared at him, threateningly saying, "Say another word, and I'll tear your mouth apart! Mule is a child I picked up, not my son!"

The elder law enforcement officer showed an expression of understanding, as if he knew everything, making Sipo Po itch with anger.

The pharmacist smiled and said, "Grandma, our good friend from the Demonic Sect has been here for a few days but hasn't seen you. They don't want to leave."

Sipo Po's face grew even darker as she said, "Mule, you go back to the village."

"Grandma, you should go back too," the village chief said calmly.

Sipo Po frowned, and the village chief whispered, "Since you've entered the gates of our Old Cripple Village, you are one of us. Your matters will be shouldered by the people of the Old Cripple Village."

The young man sitting across from him sipped his tea and smiled, "Brother Dao is as domineering as ever. When it comes to our sect's leader, leader's wife, and the sacred scriptures, I'm afraid the Old Cripple Village might not be able to shoulder the burden."