It had to be said, Zhao Shengping truly lived up to his origins in the Guanxi Plain. His breadth of knowledge indeed surpassed theirs, as he recognized at a glance that this was a demonic cultivator's Myriad Swords Piercing the Heart body tempering method.
Chen Fan stood at the cave entrance, watching the scene before him. His expression remained calm, and he said nothing.
This was the first time he had learned that Old Demon Jiangbei was genuinely a demonic cultivator.
He had assumed "Old Demon" was merely a description of the man's conduct.
As for whether Qi Yue could pull through safely, it was not that Chen Fan was unconcerned.
After all, the old demon had repeatedly and deliberately touched the "Diary" jade slip left behind by that figure. With the rampant sword qi tearing wildly through his body, he had already experienced that agony several times, and his tolerance had long since increased substantially.
Humans were creatures of habit.
No matter how agonizing an experience was, as long as one endured it enough times, only two outcomes were possible: either complete collapse or complete desensitization.
During this process, he could not take any pills or activate any exotic treasures for protection. He had to rely solely on his own willpower and his threshold for pain!
Squelch!
A streak of sword qi thrust straight into Qi Yue's perineum and burst out through his groin!
At the sight, everyone could not help but shudder instinctively, clutching their crotches. Merely looking at such pain felt as though pain-sharing had been turned on, making it feel as if it were happening to their own bodies.
An incense stick of time passed.
There was not the slightest sign of it stopping.
The sword qi multiplied, one streak after another constantly piercing through Qi Yue's body. His expression grew increasingly twisted—enduring such torment was evidently far from easy.
"Zhao Shengping." Chen Fan turned to Zhao Shengping beside him, frowning as he asked in a deep voice, "From what you know, how much longer will this Myriad Swords Piercing the Heart body tempering last?"
He was beginning to lose confidence in Qi Yue as well.
Even if Qi Yue had gained some resistance to the agony from comprehending that bamboo slip, he surely couldn't endure for this long. Chen Fan was worried Qi Yue might actually be tortured to death by the pain.
"Reasonably speaking, it should have ended after an incense stick of time."
Zhao Shengping took a deep breath, gazing with a pale, horrified expression at Qi Yue, whose body was repeatedly pierced by dozens of sword qi streaks. In a raspy voice, he said, "To break through to Martial King, one prerequisite must be satisfied.
"That is to purge all impurities from the body.
"In truth, that is only an approximate phrase.
"How could it be possible to purge every single impurity from the body? Generally speaking, when ninety percent are removed, we say all bodily impurities have been purged, and at that point, one can break through to Martial King.
"On this foundation, the more impurities one purges, the stronger the Martial King will be after the breakthrough.
"Their strength will be greater.
"The meridians will be completely cleared and unobstructed, allowing spiritual qi to circulate far more smoothly through them, and the dantian will be able to store even more spiritual qi.
"Their potential will be greater.
"Going forward, both their cultivation speed and their learning rate for martial techniques will increase substantially.
"On the Guanxi Plain, when people from many major forces make their breakthroughs, they take a green pill called the 'Martial King Pill.' The sole effect of this pill is to purge bodily impurities, but as the saying goes, every medicine carries some toxicity.
"While the Martial King Pill can purge a vast majority of impurities, it also leaves behind that slight toxicity inside the body.
"Taking multiple Martial King Pills and supplementing them with other methods can, at most, purge ninety-nine percent of the impurities in the body.
"That is already the limit.
"At present, there is no known method capable of purging one hundred percent of bodily impurities. If one insisted there was, then theoretically speaking, a demonic cultivator's Myriad Swords Piercing the Heart body tempering method could indeed achieve it.
"Yet that is only theoretical.
"After all, one incense stick of time tempers the body to ninety percent. Tempering to ninety-nine percent requires a full two hours, and complete, one-hundred-percent tempering requires six hours.
"The further it goes, the more time it demands.
"Never mind six hours—even after two hours of tempering, even if the person doesn't die, they come out raving mad, mentally deranged, and left with horrifying aftereffects."
"What aftereffects?" Chen Fan asked, his brow furrowing tightly.
"Phantom pain.
"From time to time, they feel stabbing pains throughout their body, yet there is no physical wound whatsoever. Taking any pill is useless, holy water cannot cure it, and no method can suppress it. They can only endure it for the rest of their days. It is an excruciating affliction.
"It could be considered an ailment of the mind."
Zhao Shengping paused briefly before explaining, "It is somewhat like 'phantom limb pain,' where someone loses an arm but still feels that the arm exists and is in agonizing pain, even though they know perfectly well it is gone.
"It feels as if countless ants have crawled into their heart, itching unbearably, yet they cannot scratch it.
"The last demonic cultivator who suffered from phantom pain ended his own life with a single sword slash at the age of thirty-seven."
Demonic cultivation.
A shortcut left open for everyone.
If your luck was bad, and you did not become an architect, an alchemist, or any kind of special cultivator;
If you had no family pedigree and no background;
If you lacked enough ghost stones to cultivate and had no time left to spare;
And you did not wish to spend your entire life in obscurity;
Then for you, demonic cultivation was the finest answer. Anyone could embark on the demonic path—it was a "special cultivator" that an ordinary person could choose.
It granted a cultivation speed far outstripping other cultivators, and combat power far exceeding them.
Even a rogue cultivator would have a chance to stand atop the continent.
The sole price was that they might die rather early, and live rather uncomfortably.
Chen Fan remained expressionless and silent. All he could do now was pray for Qi Yue. After all, Qi Yue was already a member of Fan Domain, and he had no desire to lose this capable general.
This world heavily favored luck.
If one were not born a special cultivator, one's path in life was essentially fixed from the start, leaving scarcely any opportunity to rise.
If he had not possessed the Eternal Night Lord panel,
He might well have stepped onto the path of demonic cultivation as well.
Just then, he suddenly frowned and looked toward the canyon. A carriage came rattling and bumping along the canyon toward the sinkhole. Its exterior was already battered and pitted, and of the three Skeleton Horses that had originally pulled it, only one remained.
The Eternal Night had fallen.
This carriage had rushed out from Fan City, braving the Eternal Night to reach Fan Domain.
Even though the distance between the two points was not particularly far, it was still the Eternal Night, filled with unknown and ferocious ghost creatures. Chen Fan had held his fire, merely watching as the carriage dashed to the sinkhole and slowly came to a halt.
Only then did he look at Gongyang Yiyue seated upon the carriage and say softly,
"Elder Gongyang.
"As a Nightwatcher, launching a night raid on Fan Domain without any prior word is hardly a friendly gesture.
"Had it been anyone else, I would not have allowed you to pass through the canyon in safety."
The newcomer was indeed the Gongyang clan's carriage.
"Indeed."
Gongyang Yiyue wore an awkward, helpless look as he said, "Domain Lord Chen, for this sudden intrusion, the Gongyang clan will certainly offer an apology gift. However... you should be aware of the matter between Qi Yue and my clan's young lady.
"The moment she sensed the agony Qi Yue was enduring, she went frantic trying to come to Fan Domain.
"If I didn't accompany her, she would have come on her own. I simply couldn't put my mind at ease."
A young girl clad in a white dress leaped down from the carriage. After hastily offering Chen Fan an apology filled with regret, she stood to the side, her eyes brimming with heartache as she looked at Qi Yue being pierced by myriad swords.
She knew her coming here would be of no help.
She only wanted... so that when it was over, Qi Yue could see her the very first moment. Perhaps that would make him feel a little better.
"This is..."
Gongyang Yiyue looked at Qi Yue undergoing body tempering by myriad swords, and a flicker of horror suddenly flashed through his eyes. "A demonic cultivator's Myriad Swords Piercing the Heart body tempering!
"Dare I ask the Domain Lord, how long has this been going on?"
"An incense stick of time."
"That is good, then."
Gongyang Yiyue breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "It seems Qi Yue has successfully pulled through and should smoothly break through to Martial King."
Two hours passed.
Chen Fan and the others had all gone to sleep.
Inside the sinkhole stood only Qi Yue and the two members of the Gongyang clan. Everyone else had retired for the night, as they still had work to do tomorrow.
"Elder."
Gongyang Yue looked up at Gongyang Yiyue, her face filled with anxiety. "Why hasn't the Old Demon finished yet?"
"He is pursuing the limit."
Gongyang Yiyue's expression had turned somewhat grim, his voice raspy. "He doesn't merely want to break through to Martial King—he wants to become the strongest Martial King. Two hours have passed, and his body is already ninety-nine percent tempered.
"Yet he is still not satisfied.
"He wants complete body tempering."
"Is complete body tempering that powerful?" Gongyang Yue asked, her face full of worry and heartache. She understood little about cultivation and could not fathom why Qi Yue would endure such prolonged agony for the sake of such a tiny difference.
"Extremely powerful."
Gongyang Yiyue fell silent for a long time before speaking slowly. "Ghost creatures are inherently stronger than humans. Even against the lowest-tier ghost creatures, ordinary humans can scarcely resist head-on.
"A Level 5 ghost creature can be called a ghost king.
"Only a Level 10 cultivator can be called a Martial King.
"Yet,
"A single ghost king can fight three Martial Kings.
"Since ancient times, the birth of a ghost king has always heralded rivers of blood and fields of corpses. That is precisely why so many forces have turned their eyes upon Fan Domain—because Fan Domain slew a ghost king during the rainy season. That was an extraordinary feat, one that saved countless living beings and spared them from slaughter.
"However, the three Martial Kings mentioned are ordinary Martial Kings—those whose bodies were tempered to ninety percent.
"If one can achieve complete, one-hundred-percent body tempering,
"And supplement it with martial techniques, spirit treasures, and exotic treasures of decent grade that suit oneself, then upon breaking through to a Level 10 Martial King, one can stand toe-to-toe against a ghost king without falling behind.
"Killing a ghost king might still be difficult, but a ghost king wouldn't be able to kill him either.
"Right now, there is not a single ghost king in the Jiangbei Eternal Night.
"If he truly manages complete body tempering, he will be the strongest demonic cultivator of recent years. Until his spiritual qi runs dry, he could stride unchecked through the Jiangbei Eternal Night, with no one capable of taking his life."
"Then... could he die?"
The unease within Gongyang Yue grew increasingly palpable. The greater the strength the elder described, the greater the underlying danger. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
"He could."
Gongyang Yiyue sighed softly, concealing nothing. "The risk of death is very high. Even if he survives, severe consequences will remain.
"The Gongyang clan investigated him, but we only know whom he killed, not the specifics of what he went through.
"Yet one thing is certain.
"It must have been an unforgettable ordeal etched into his very bones.
"The ancients said that for a gentleman, ten years is not too long to take revenge.
"In truth, however, almost no one ever takes revenge after ten years unless they happen to do so in passing. They rarely seek it out deliberately. Hatred fades; with the passage of time, the drive for vengeance grows weaker and weaker.
"In ancient times, there were 'ghost creature prisons' that held certain human powerhouses.
"They did not mistreat them, providing ample food and entertainment every day.
"Tight guard was kept only during the first few years after capture, but in the years that followed, surveillance became very lax.
"That was because most escape attempts occurred during the initial years. After staying a few years, one grew accustomed to it; even if you told them to escape, they wouldn't want to. They would automatically imagine the consequences of a failed escape and compare it to their current life.
"Yet after so much time has passed, the hatred in Qi Yue's heart hasn't diminished in the slightest, and he remains willing to give his all for revenge. Such willpower is unimaginable. Without that drive, he could never have endured two hours of body tempering."
"Miss."
Gongyang Yiyue went quiet for a long moment before whispering, "He might make a very fine friend, but he will not make a good husband. Before his vengeance is fulfilled, he will not fall in love with anyone."
Yet Gongyang Yue could no longer take in any of his words.
She merely clutched her dress in distress, pacing back and forth anxiously.
The corner of Gongyang Yiyue's mouth twitched slightly. He had just shared an ancient secret—the ancient ghost creature prisons, a piece of knowledge his clan had uncovered from ancient texts that few forces knew about.
He had thought his young lady would surely ask him what the ancient era was, or what a ghost creature prison was.
Then he could have expounded on it at length,
Helping distract her mind.
In the end, she hadn't asked a single thing, as if an ancient ghost creature prison were dime-a-dozen trivia that everyone already knew. It was truly rather deflating.
Another four hours slipped by.
It was already the dead of night.
The canyon was profoundly quiet, save for the occasional squelch of sword qi piercing flesh from the sinkhole, and even that sound was finally slowing down.
The surrounding sword qi gradually dissipated.
A pool of foul black water gathered at his feet.
Qi Yue, who had kept his eyes shut the entire time as he stood in place, slowly opened them. The moment his eyes opened, he saw Gongyang Yue standing on tiptoe right before him. He stared in mild bewilderment, instinctively glancing toward the canyon.
He recalled that when he began his breakthrough, night had already fallen, and Gongyang Yue had not been in Fan Domain.
Where had she sprung from?
"Old Demon, are you all right?"
Paying no heed to the sweat and filthy fluid covering Qi Yue, Gongyang Yue threw herself into his embrace, her voice trembling and laced with tears. "Why do you have to be so cruel to yourself? Did you really have to achieve complete body tempering to break through to Martial King?"
"Wasn't ninety-nine percent enough?"
"Phew."
Qi Yue let out a long breath. He could feel his body was extraordinarily refreshed; he had achieved complete body tempering, a feat that had previously seemed utterly impossible to him.
He did not answer.
He merely stroked Gongyang Yue's head, turning his gaze toward Chen Fan standing atop the wall.
He sank to one knee.
"My thanks to the Domain Lord.
"That Qi Yue could achieve this today is entirely thanks to the opportunity bestowed by the Domain Lord. Once my great vengeance is avenged, I will brave mountains of blades and seas of flames at the Domain Lord's command."
Chapter 137