Immortal Cultivation Secret Art

He sized up his senior brother and saw that Han Mo had broken through to the Qi and Blood Realm, which made him genuinely happy for him. "Senior Brother, come over to my place tonight for some roast meat. The meat of this green-maned beast is great—plenty of chew. After it's roasted, it goes perfectly with wine," Lin Zheyu invited with a smile. After young masters like Xu Qinyi and Ren Qingfeng had left Songyi City, his life had become considerably duller, with no one inviting him out to listen to tunes or watch theatricals in the evenings. Jia Yanyong, Xie Jiang, and Ning Hui did occasionally ask him to visit Hundred Pavilions, but they couldn't go every day. Going every day was not only more than their coin pouches could endure, but their bodies couldn't take it either. "Next time. I'm on patrol tonight," Han Mo said with a furrowed brow, looking somewhat worried. "I hear the rebel army has finished reorganizing and intends to launch an attack on Guanning City. Who knows if Guanning City can hold out." "Don't worry, it should be fine. Lately, I've seen tens of thousands of imperial troops passing along the official highway to reinforce it." "With so many troops going to support them, they should be able to hold, right?" Lin Zheyu said. Over this period, armies numbering several thousand could be seen passing by almost daily, with the largest single contingent numbering a full ten thousand. The leaders among them possessed terrifying strength, their qi and blood so frighteningly dense that even Lin Zheyu was unable to see through their cultivation. "I hope so..." Han Mo sighed. Though he had arranged an escape route for his parents, wife, and child, no one wanted to leave their ancestral home to live as refugees in a foreign place. If the rebels could be stopped and Songyi City preserved, that would be for the best. After chatting with Senior Brother Han Mo for a bit, Lin Zheyu carried the vicious beast home on his shoulder. After he had slain Xing Penghai and his father, his life had returned to its former tranquility, and the Xing clan's Fifth Elder had not come to recruit him again. Upon arriving home, he dressed the green-maned beast and ate a hearty meal. His appetite was tremendous now. If he let himself eat without restraint, such a large beast would not even be enough to feed him for a single day. After finishing his meal, Lin Zheyu practiced the Six Harmonies Saber Technique in the courtyard. From beginning to end, he had never used Origin Power on this saber art, relying entirely on his own bitter cultivation. Now, he was not far from perfection. Beneath the bright moonlight, cold silver-white gleams flashed across the courtyard. *Swish! Swish! Swish!* The blade cut through the air, producing sharp whistles as powerful gusts howled. Lin Zheyu cultivated for more than two hours before finally stopping to rest. [Heaven Rewards Diligence] Name: Lin Zheyu Origin Power: 0 Skills: Wild Bull Fist (Perfection) Six Harmonies Saber (Mastery 37%) Golden Goose Skill (Eighth Layer 40%) Ten Thousand Armies Steps (Fifth Layer 48%) Poison King Body (First Layer 0%) Turtle Breathing Art (Third Layer 5%) Lin Zheyu looked at the figures in his consciousness; the progress of his Six Harmonies Saber Technique had advanced by another bit. Over the past ten days, he had accumulated four units of Origin Power and pushed the Golden Goose Skill to forty percent of the Eighth Layer. To save money, Lin Zheyu paired each unit of Origin Power with eight doses of Blood-Nourishing Bone-Strengthening Decoction. Each time he finished advancing, he could recover to roughly ten percent of his qi and blood power. *** Early the next morning. As usual, after cultivating for two hours, Lin Zheyu took up his saber and headed out of the city. Arriving outside the entrance to Lion Valley, he staked out his familiar spot. He refused to believe he couldn't catch those fellows in the black-and-red robes. *Rustle, rustle, rustle.* Time slowly drifted by. Lin Zheyu sat cross-legged in a tree, cultivating the Turtle Breathing Art while watching for movement at the entrance. Through his bitter practice over this period, his Turtle Breathing Art had finally advanced by one percentage point. Upon reaching the third layer, the difficulty of cultivating the Turtle Breathing Art had skyrocketed. Advancing by even one percentage point required over a month of arduous training. If he used Origin Power to advance it, he estimated it would take around ten units to reach the third layer's perfection. *Someone's coming again!* Lin Zheyu's ears twitched, and he halted his cultivation. He silently rose and watched the newcomers from his vantage in the tree. This group consisted of thirty-eight people in total, with twenty-five horses bearing heavy burlap sacks that sank deep hoofprints into the dirt. When he saw who had arrived, his expression shifted, a flicker of surprise appearing in his eyes. *It's actually that old fellow. I've been looking for him for so long without catching a glimpse, and to think I'd run into him here.* Lin Zheyu was thoroughly astonished. Among this group, the strongest were three old men who looked to be in their fifties or sixties. One of the old men was none other than the Xing clan's Fifth Elder, who had previously tried to recruit him. This old fellow's strength was nothing to fear, merely at the level of the First Blood Transformation. Another elder possessed exceptionally vigorous qi and blood, having reached the Second Blood Transformation, likely not far from the Qi and Blood Three Transformations. The final elder was extremely strong. He seemed to possess a technique for concealing his presence, making his aura deeply veiled so that even Lin Zheyu could not see through him. Yet Lin Zheyu could faintly sense a feeling of threat radiating from him. *Could that old man be a powerhouse of the Qi and Blood Four Transformations?* Lin Zheyu frowned slightly. Holding his breath, he circulated the Turtle Breathing Art with all his might, hiding behind the tree trunk. Lin Zheyu watched the entourage enter Lion Valley until their silhouettes vanished. *The Xing clan actually mobilized such formidable martial artists for this trip. It seems their ambitions are not small,* Lin Zheyu thought to himself as he looked toward the entrance. Quietly keeping himself hidden, he continued his stakeout, waiting for the Xing clan's party to emerge from Lion Valley. Lin Zheyu felt that this time, he had hooked a big fish! *** The Xing clan entourage passed through the narrow entrance and arrived inside Lion Valley. After several months of construction, the valley had been shaped into quite an impressive compound by the Nine Nether Cult. "Grand Elder, do you think the Nine Nether Cult will agree to our request?" the Fifth Elder could not help asking upon entering Lion Valley. The three of them were the Grand Elder, Second Elder, and Fifth Elder of the Xing clan. "They will. Our request is nothing of consequence to them," the Grand Elder said softly. Upon entering the valley, dedicated personnel came to receive them. The handover of cargo did not require the attention of the Grand Elder or Fifth Elder; attendants took care of it. "Distinguished guests, the priest requests your presence!" a person in a black-and-red robe walked up and said to the three Xing clan elders. "Very well," the Grand Elder said softly. They followed behind the robed man, walking toward the shrine. As they passed the square, many people were kneeling of their own accord on the ground, offering prayers and worship toward a fiendgod statue. The Fifth Elder and Second Elder could not resist glancing at the statue on the square, and their minds shuddered violently. As though coming alive, the fiendgod statue expanded rapidly in their vision, turning into a terrifying fiendgod phantom ten thousand meters tall. The fiendgod phantom radiated an appalling pressure, causing both of them to tremble uncontrollably from head to toe. *Phew...* *Gasp...* The qi and blood inside their bodies circulated rapidly, and the two snapped out of the illusion, panting heavily for breath. *This statue has grown even more uncanny!* The Fifth Elder and Second Elder were thoroughly shaken. They had visited once before, and back then, the fiendgod statue had not been nearly this bizarre. Sensing the reaction of the other two elders, the Grand Elder glanced back at them. Seeing that they were fine, he turned to look at the statue at the edge of the square. Yet the Grand Elder merely cast a calm glance; his gaze tightened slightly, but he regained his composure almost instantly, seemingly unaffected by the fiendgod statue. "The Grand Elder's willpower is remarkably unyielding to remain unaffected by the fiendgod statue," the robed man remarked with a smile. "It is nothing more than a statue. Though it possesses some uncanny qualities, it is not enough to affect me," the Grand Elder said coldly, his eyes brimming with arrogance. "Heh." "In another six months, if the Grand Elder can still remain unaffected by the fiendgod statue, it will not be too late to make such claims," the robed man said with a cold sneer. The Grand Elder did not argue further, but inwardly grew even more vigilant. The Nine Nether Cult reeked of abnormality at every turn; even a mere fiendgod statue possessed such uncanny power. Had the terms offered by the Nine Nether Cult not been so enticing, they would never have wanted contact with these people. It was too dangerous; a single misstep could drag the entire Xing clan into the abyss. Stepping into the shrine, they found the main hall immensely solemn and imposing. At the very center stood a statue of the Nine Nether Fiendgod, flanked on both sides by eighteen statues of other fiendgods. Those fiendgods were generals serving beneath the Nine Nether Fiendgod. Having learned their lesson, the Fifth Elder and Second Elder did not dare look directly at the statue of the Nine Nether Fiendgod this time, keeping their eyes trained strictly forward and down. The Grand Elder cast a calm glance at the Nine Nether Fiendgod statue, his eyes narrowing slightly before returning to normal. Yet the rising and falling of his chest betrayed the turmoil in his heart. Seeing this, the robed man leading them let out a faint laugh, a hint of mockery in his gaze. *How could mortals like you gaze directly upon the Lord Fiendgod?* The robed man led them through a door on the right side of the main hall, through a corridor, and into a side hall. "My lord, the three elders of the Xing clan have arrived," the robed man said respectfully to the priest seated in a chair. "Very well. You may withdraw," the priest said calmly. "Yes, my lord." The robed man stepped back and exited, leaving only the priest, the Grand Elder, the Second Elder, and the Fifth Elder in the room. "Regarding the proposal from last time, I wonder how you have considered it?" the priest said placidly. "We wish to alter the terms slightly: one Longevity-Extending Pill, ten Blood Pills, plus thirty Essence-Qi Pills." "As for joining the Nine Nether Cult to become protectors, we have no such intention for the time being." "We wish to trade the opportunity for a fiendgod's blessing for an immortal cultivation secret art," the Grand Elder said calmly, a flicker of fervor flashing in his eyes. An immortal cultivation secret art—this was their primary objective in cooperating with the Nine Nether Cult. Records handed down by the Xing clan's ancestors stated that immortal cultivation secret arts could allow one to transcend the mundane, attain immortality through the Dao, and achieve everlasting life! Unfortunately, immortal cultivation secret arts were comprehensively banned by the Great Wei authorities and denounced as forbidden arts. The Xing clan had spent hundreds of years investigating in secret without finding a single secret art. To their surprise, the emergence of the Nine Nether Cult had brought them a glimmer of hope. "Are you certain you do not want the fiendgod's blessing? Even for me, such an opportunity is exceptionally difficult to obtain." "An immortal cultivation secret art is not as wonderful as you imagine. The dangers within can only be deeply appreciated once practiced, and it is far less valuable than a fiendgod's blessing," the priest looked at the Grand Elder and said calmly. "We are certain. We want the immortal cultivation secret art," the Grand Elder said decisively. "Very well." Seeing how resolute the Grand Elder was, the priest pressed no further. He drew a sheet of specially made parchment from his robes. The back of the parchment was covered in dense, profound patterns, while the front was filled with writing. "Drip your blood upon it and sign your names, and our contract shall be established," the priest said to the Grand Elder. *Whoosh—* The Grand Elder took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his chest. He picked up the parchment. It was made from the hide of an unknown vicious beast and had a fine texture, feeling softer and more delicate in his hand than silk. Examining the writing upon it closely and confirming that the contents matched what had been agreed, the Grand Elder produced a dagger and cut his finger. With a gentle squeeze, he forced out a drop of fresh blood, letting it fall onto the parchment. The blood was absorbed instantly, and the patterns on the back flashed with a fleeting scarlet glow. The Grand Elder picked up the writing brush beside him and signed his name. The moment he finished writing, his mind grew dazed, and an inexplicable power surged into his head before vanishing without a trace. The Second Elder and Fifth Elder exchanged glances, then both stepped forward, dripping their blood and signing just as the Grand Elder had. The moment they finished signing, they likewise felt an inexplicable power flood into their minds, then disappear. "This is a fiendgod contract. Once established, it cannot be violated. Against any who breach the contract, the Lord Fiendgod will bring down divine punishment," the priest said calmly as he put away the parchment. Hearing this, the three felt a slight chill in their hearts. Just now, they had indeed sensed a terrifying aura surging into their minds, though it had quickly vanished. "The contract has been signed. You may give us the items now!" the Grand Elder said steadily. "Mm." The priest gave a slight nod. He retrieved five pill bottles and a booklet from his robes. "This bottle contains the Longevity-Extending Pill, this bottle contains ten Blood Pills, and these three bottles each contain ten Essence-Qi Pills." "This book is the immortal cultivation secret art." "A word of advice: do not attempt the immortal cultivation secret art lightly, or the consequences will be endless."