Two fangs erupted from within the shriveled mouth!
"White Corpse? A fierce beast!"
"It’s... the Rogue Cultivator Alliance!!!"
"The omnipotent Great Master, failed, and was suppressed!!!?"
Zhou Si scrambled over, wailing as he dug through the ruins. He was desperate to pull out Ruo Liuli! But suddenly, a slender yet scarred hand grabbed his arm hard.
Ruo Liuli rose rapidly, her aura fluctuating, but her eyes were exceptionally bright! With a pull, she hauled Zhou Si into a deep pit, and then a figure spoke urgently and steadily.
"Do not have any regrets."
"Xiao Si, run."
"They won't kill all of us, they will only take us back."
"And he won't kill me!"
"Xiao Si,"
"Go to Black Ridge City, find the Shen Family Immortal Seed."
"Tell him, as long as he can save me, and can save our Black Horn Group."
"This master, I, Ruo Liuli, will acknowledge."
"Great Master."
"Xiao Si."
Ruo Liuli helped turn him around, some kind of heat still burning bright. "Obey!"
Zhou Si’s heart twitched violently. Afterward, he heard that swaggering figure’s demon blood erupt, as if in an empty realm, slaughtering several zombies, rushing towards the White Corpse that had no Dao Foundation but could still fly!
Her voice was cold and explosive, like a volcanic eruption.
"Is this all you have?"
"The Rogue Cultivator Alliance’s guest elder, it seems, is nothing more than this!"
In the air, the sound of a broken bellows rang out. It was very unpleasant, particularly grating—like a hundred-year-old dried corpse coming back to life and speaking.
The throat was full of thick, foul-smelling corpse fluid.
"Colluding with the Shen family, what do you want to do?"
"It’s hard to guess."
"None of your damn business! Come here and die!"
As for Zhou Si, he crawled out of the pit and kept crawling away, regardless of anything else. He could not attract anyone’s attention! He crawled just like that until he reached a place where no one was, then stood up. Then, he ran for his life toward the Yellow Sand Gobi!
It was as if he did not know fatigue; even when his body had reached its limit, he did not stop! He did not know how long he ran, only relying on willpower and memory to reach the vicinity of Black Ridge City!
He saw high walls, one after another, blocking his path. He had no strength left to climb over the walls, so he just kept smacking his hands against the dozens-of-centimeters-thick wall.
He mouthed words, but could not make a sound, like a fish about to die of thirst.
Just as he was about to lose consciousness, he heard a childish voice that sounded like celestial music.
"Daddy... there seems to be someone here."
"It looks... rather miserable."
Sun Dashan, who had stayed up all night taking his daughter to look at the stars, chewed on dry rations, naked, and looked at this blood-soaked corpse. He carried it into Black Ridge City.
"Who is this person?"
Some guards recognized them, their expressions changing in many ways.
"Is this from the Black Horn Group?"
"Did something happen?"
"Something happened."
Chapter 37: A Sudden Change! Unity of Purpose! Shen Li in Seclusion?
Inside the study, everyone was gathered, but one person was missing—Shen Li.
Yes, ever since the two returned to Black Ridge City, Shen Li had announced he was going into seclusion. No one dared to disturb him, saying it was of the utmost importance. And now, it seemed, they were without a leader.
Wang Teng saw that this person was half-dead and said casually, "Why not just throw him out? Or wait for him to pull through?"
"Is this person important?" the array formation master asked.
Qiu Ya nodded seriously. "He is not important, but the big boss of the Black Horn Group is very important to my young master."
"How important?"
"The young master wants to win that woman over."
Wang Teng said disdainfully, "The man surnamed Shen has no filter?"
Qiu Ya added, "That person is a grandmaster Martial Artist."
Wang Teng shut up immediately; he did not want to get beaten again.
"What should we do now? Shen Li is not here."
"Can we... ahead of time?" the array formation master’s eyes flickered.
However, Wang Teng and Qiu Ya spoke in unison, "No!"
Both knew the importance of this cultivation to Shen Li. Wang Teng knew less; he only knew that Shen Li was practicing with an Enlightenment Stone, which was extremely precious. If they rashly disturbed Shen Li now, that Enlightenment Stone would be wasted! Such a large Enlightenment Stone, this kind of opportunity, made even his teeth ache. He found opportunities the moment he stepped out—was this a child of destiny? He had heard his uncles say that this person’s luck was mysterious, but this was more than mysterious—it was practically uncanny! Could it be that he was sent here just to rub off on his luck? That would make sense!
Qiu Ya knew more. She knew that the Myriad Laws Golden Foil was there and knew about that great technique. And since Shen Li had returned and immediately entered cultivation, it was obviously to use that broken Enlightenment Stone to comprehend the 'Great Technique'.
Being at the second level of Qi Refining, it was absolutely impossible to practice a Great Technique, but Shen Li’s second level of Qi Refining was somewhat different from others. It was a second level of Qi Refining based on Moon Essence Spirit Water! It was equivalent to that old mouse’s fourth level of Qi Refining! So, it could be said he barely passed the threshold for comprehension.
Plus, with the passage of time, the appearance of uncertain factors such as the demon infestation caused a sense of urgency in the young master's heart, which is why he hurried back to enter seclusion. If they disrupted him, he would regret it for the rest of his life. She was more inclined to do nothing, but given the intentions her young master had shown earlier, it seemed he had the intention of bringing them under his command.
With the young master currently meditating and the city’s safety… perhaps it would be better if she made a trip herself!?
Protecting the Dao, protecting the Dao—as long as it concerned her young master's future, it was all protecting the Dao.
Thinking of this, Qiu Ya no longer hesitated, bowed, and said, "Everyone, this matter is somewhat important to my young master. But enlightenment is equally important to my young master, so I am thinking... could I trouble the array formation master and Young Master Wang Teng... to make a trip with me?"
Wang Teng asked, "Is it worth it? Just find someone else if you value them."
Qiu Ya pursed her lips. "If that is what my young master thinks, then it is worth it. If you cannot go, I will go by myself."
"Stop."
Wang Teng got up, somewhat helplessly. "How can you two, master and servant, have such different personalities? One appears kind on the surface but is filled with scheming and plotting inside. The other appears cold on the surface but is full of loyalty and righteousness inside?"
"This guy surnamed Shen’s luck is truly damn good!"
"If you go alone and die out there, then when the man surnamed Shen wakes up, not only will he regret it, he might curse me and insult me. He might even fight me to the death! I can't take that! And I don't want to trade my life for the man surnamed Shen’s—his life is cheap, mine is expensive! Let’s all go."
Elder Qiu hesitated, "My duty is to repair... the array formations."
Wang Teng’s expression turned cold, completely devoid of the pleasant atmosphere he had when speaking with Qiu Ya.
"Elder Qiu, are you afraid of battle?"
"Young Master Wang Teng."
Wang Teng stood up, approached Elder Qiu, and patted his shoulder. "Elder Qiu, you have a family, you have a wife and daughter, don't you?"
Hearing the threat, a flash of anger crossed Elder Qiu’s eyes. "Young Master Wang Teng, I, Qiu Liang, have at least put in some hard work for your Wang family, haven't I? Why are you speaking like this?"
"It’s precisely because you, Qiu Liang, have put in the hard work that you are still standing in front of me after saying that cowardly thing. Otherwise, I would have slaughtered you long ago."
"I am at the sixth level of Qi Refining, by what right do you slaughter me?"
"Oh? Elder Qiu, are you looking down on me? No matter. I might not be able to slaughter you, but there are others who can. You are just an array formation master. My Wang family can raise another one. Can your head grow back if it's cut off?"
"Miss Qiu Ya, will your blade become dull if you cut down someone of the same surname?"
"My blade is never dull!"
Qiu Ya’s Red Sleeve Blade slipped out of its scabbard.
Wang Teng said chillingly, "If I hack you to death, it’s just a beating for me, but if you die, your wife and daughter—tsk, tsk—I don't need to say what their end will be. You know my methods and my temper."
Qiu Liang trembled all over. After a long while, he deflated and said, "How has it come to this? I’ll go."
"But I need a solid foundation to lay out the array!"
"No problem, we have Sun Dashan, who is good at earth-shaping, don't we?"
The taciturn man remained silent, then patted his chest, signaling that it was no problem for him.
After that, the group boarded the dharma boat! Wang Teng kicked the unconscious Zhou Si, nearly killing him, then roughly dragged him up and said, "Where is his home? Point the direction? I’m full of anger right now; it’s perfect to have something to vent my anger on, otherwise, I won't feel comfortable!"
The dharma boat swayed, and Qiu Liang said in a deep voice, "Sit tight!"
The dharma boat then shot straight into the clouds!
Meanwhile, in the backyard, the Myriad Laws Golden Foil floated and sank, the Spirit Control and Traction Technique slowly connecting with it. In an instant, the Spirit Qi suddenly dried up. The storage bag opened, and over a thousand spirit stones were instantly drained. Afterward, the water vein in the air was almost sucked into an ordinary spring, and together with it, the Sea Buckthorn Fruit and Crescent Rice in the Grade 9 Spirit Field shriveled up in an instant.
And then... Shen Li was pulled into a mysterious space.
Chapter 38: The Mystical Law That Resides in the World, The Immortal Art That Lasts for Ages
[The Mystical Law That Resides in the World]
[The Immortal Art That Lasts for Ages]
Entering this mysterious space, Shen Li did not wake up, his eyes tightly shut. But before his closed eyes, there was always vast, flowing light flickering.
In his ears rang this grand voice, like the towering might of heaven.
The tone was boastful, but the power was even greater. And the influence was peerless.
Just as he had communicated with Qiu Ya, the Myriad Laws Long Green Mountain is the source of all laws, and this mountain originates from mystery. Unlike various Immortal Sects that exist to dominate a region or to seek longevity, the Myriad Laws Long Green Mountain seemingly exists purely to... bestow dharma and bring benefits to human cultivators.
Many Immortal Sects strive to trace the origin of the Myriad Laws Long Green Mountain but have no way to start, let alone talk about it. Some powerful masters attempted to use the Myriad Laws Golden Foil to trace the source, but could only see a void. It seems that the Myriad Laws Long Green Mountain is a concept, yet also an entity—an entity that no one can deduce, locate, or materialize.
There is only one way for the Myriad Laws Long Green Mountain to disseminate its laws to the world: through the Myriad Laws Golden Foil in Shen Li’s hands. Such an opportunity is no less than the Heaven and Earth Profound Object that one encounters before reaching the Dao Foundation realm that is compatible with one's own nature. To say it is a benefit for a lifetime is no exaggeration at all.
It is just that the Myriad Laws Long Green Mountain adheres to the rule that laws are not passed on to outsiders. Unless you are truly stunning and brilliant, these dharma techniques will inevitably dissipate between heaven and earth after your death. They cannot be recorded in bamboo slips, cannot be recorded in historical books, cannot be stored in the Sea of Consciousness, and cannot be supplemented by talismans.
They disappear with a generation.
But there are still people tirelessly chasing them. A single Great Technique can guarantee a significant lead in combat during the Qi Refining stage—this is a supreme opportunity! Whether they are rogue cultivators or noble families, everyone is frantically chasing them. It is just that the Myriad Laws Golden Foil is so rare—so rare that only one in a billion, like a grain of sand on this Yellow Sand Plains, might manage to obtain one!
And Shen Li, he never expected that one day, this Myriad Laws Golden Foil would fall into the hands of a mediocre cultivator like him. If he had arrived at the black market one day later. If he didn't have that extra bit of caution when he went to the black market. If he had just left at the beginning. If he hadn't returned, if the mantis hadn't stalked the cicada and the oriole not been behind them, if he hadn't obtained that Enlightenment Stone... none of this would have happened.
Fate is fickle, and it feels as if someone is pulling the strings. He didn't have time to ponder deeply; feeling the surrounding aura stabilize, he slowly opened his eyes.
Countless golden seal characters, shaped like tadpoles, gathered and circled around him, seemingly forming a thin layer of golden dharma robes. As Shen Li opened his Sea of Consciousness, the structure of the [Great Technique • Pear Blossom Rain] began to enter his sea of consciousness one after another. At the same time, the abundant Spirit Qi within him was constantly being depleted, depleted, depleted.
Drained dry, drained dry, drained dry.
And that broken Enlightenment Stone began to melt like snow, as if it had encountered its greatest natural enemy. The process was fast.
As the Enlightenment Stone dissolved, its colorless ash flowed into Shen Li’s nasal cavity as he sat straight. It formed a massive monument in his mind, quickly refining the obscure technique structure and then injecting it into his Sea of Consciousness.
Shen Li instantly fell into a mysterious state, his body like duckweed, and he saw a person before him. That person’s voice felt ancient, yet Shen Li could clearly understand the meaning of the words.
One person asked. No one answered.
"The Water Law is too weak."
"The Wood Law values harmony."
"Does it mean that by cultivating Water and Wood, I am naturally a step weaker than others?"
"Am I bound to see those cultivating Geng Metal, Thunder Law, Fire Law, or even Earth Law crush me?"
"I refuse to accept this! I refuse!"
"I will definitely research a Great Technique! A Great Technique that is not inferior to any combat-capable department in ferocity!"
That person began to research painstakingly, sitting in the mist-filled mountains for who knows how long. Sun rose and moon set, spring departed and autumn came. Gradually, they grew old, their aura withered. But their eyes became increasingly bright.
[Heaven has rain, pouring down, poisoning all living things, causing rivers to change course, causing disasters and massacre.]
[In ancient times there was an object called Gold-Water, shaped like water, but with an affinity like gold! Hiding swords in the rain, hiding gold in the water! It can be like a pouring rain that becomes as lethal as long iron swords!]
[Gold Law has the Great Technique 'Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Sect', I can emulate it! Learn from it!]
[There is a Lesser Technique 'Pear Blossom Moistening', which I can add to it!]
[Water values harmony; in this technique, I can not only make water extremely rigid, but I can also make water extremely soft, nourishing the Spirit Qi and the physical body!]
[Just need to carefully distinguish friend from foe... to understand every transformation within!]
[Then there will be nothing to worry about!]
[This method is beautiful, best suited for fighting against a pack of wolves!]
[Why don't I just call it... Pear Blossom Rain?]
[That fits just right!]
The Enlightenment Stone was consumed in an instant, and he found that his memory now contained many insights gained through epiphany, as well as the structure of the Dharma Seals. But clearly, a Great Technique was not something Shen Li, a weak second-level Qi Refining cultivator, could master. The foundation of his Moon Essence Spirit Water was exhausted, and his Spirit Qi was nearing a state of dryness! His body began to tear violently.
Shen Li pursed his lips, his expression unchanging! The remaining Spirit Qi reversed its flow, surging toward the crown of his head. The Qi-Eating Method was violently activated; fortunately, it was night, and he captured bundles of moonlight! His body was like a dried-up riverbed gushing forth a new spring! But it was far from enough.
Gritting his teeth, Shen Li took the Ocean-Hiding Flower from his bosom. Although it was not a consumption-type Heaven and Earth Profound Object, it could still be used for consumption. It was just that it absolutely could not be 'drain the pond to catch the fish'—to do so would be a reckless waste of celestial treasures. However, he had no other choice now.
The prohibition broke, and pure, deep Water and Wood Spirit Qi poured into his body. Shen Li did not ponder anymore, the pain in his whole body relieved by the Water and Wood properties. And then, he made a push for a higher level! Until the break of dawn, the rooster crowed.
A streak of dawn leaped from the horizon, and then the red sun quickly covered the entire world!
Puff~
Shen Li woke up from his sedentary meditation and spat out a mouthful of blood. The Ocean-Hiding Flower above his head had withered significantly! But on Shen Li’s face was the excitement and joy of someone who had survived by the skin of their teeth and committed an audacious act.
"Third level of Qi Refining. This Great Technique actually forced me into the third level of Qi Refining."
He quickly opened the bag. Dozens of low-grade spirit stones turned to ashes. Only then did he slowly rise.
Pain still constantly radiated from his whole body, but his spirit sense was brimming with jubilation!
"I actually... mastered a Great Technique! A Great Technique!"
Shen Li changed into a set of clothes and saw Chen He walking slowly over the corridor bridge. Looking at the backyard that looked as if it had been swept away by a storm, Chen He’s mouth hung open, wanting to cry but having no tears. He still cautiously asked: "Young Master, this is...?"
Shen Li said calmly, "There was a slight hitch in my breakthrough... let's rest for a few days. This Living Spring Water Vein, however, needs time to recover."
He looked at the Ocean-Hiding Flower, which had shrunk and withered considerably, and went to the outer city, placing it into the enclosed outer city area. As this Heaven and Earth Profound Object landed, the water aura suddenly became abundant. The sound of water chimed. Shortly after, a cloud of muddy yellow sludge appeared; the Vein-Connecting Dace cleared the earth veins between the two, beginning a complete integration. Then, the Living Spring Water Vein quickly recovered... and the Ocean-Hiding Flower also absorbed 'life' from the Living Spring Water Vein, its state stabilizing.
"Who would have thought... the Vein-Connecting Dace actually has such effects?"
"No wonder it’s called 'Vein-Connecting'... it connects water veins, after all."
A smile appeared on his face, but he didn't see the figures of Sun Dashan and his group. He couldn't help but return to the backyard and ask, "Where are they?"
Wang San had also been called away, and only less than ten guards remained. A guard explained the whole story. Shen Li’s gaze flickered as he secretly muttered to himself.
"Sure enough, something happened."
So he hesitated no longer and drove straight toward the beacon left by the group to provide reinforcements.
Chapter 39: I am Wang Teng! Go to Hell, Grandson!
Sand Sea Gang, in a sunken ship.
Drinks were poured, and everyone was happy. However, the figure of Sand Coin was absent.
In the underground dungeon, Ruo Liuli was covered in blood, her five limbs hung up, and chains pierced through the bones of her limbs. On her chest was a bone-constraining device for the shoulder blades. She hung in mid-air, her breath faint.