Heart Fire Ape, Nourishing the Spirit

Time passed day by day. Silver City. For the past few days, Li Hao had been immersed in martial arts, cultivating through the night without sleep. He rarely even returned to the large courtyard compound, spending almost all of his time in the Law Enforcement Building, training day and night. Nine Refinements Force, Five Animals Art, Shadowless Sword. He practiced these three secret arts over and over. His Nine Refinements Force had reached five stacked strikes, but that was still not enough. Back when Liu Long reached Hundred-Breaker culmination, he could stack up to nine. Liu Long's father had also been able to achieve nine folds in his day. Li Hao felt he was far from adequate. Five stacked strikes was truly too few. Moreover, he was trying to figure out how to rapidly switch between secret techniques like the Shadowless Sword and Nine Refinements Force. Especially the Nine Refinements Force! Executing it required using the Nine Refinements breathing technique, which meant the Five Animals Art and Shadowless Sword could only serve as secondary arts and could not be used in tandem. This did not match Li Hao's expectations. Li Hao scrutinized every move and posture, painstakingly pondering how to combine them. After an unknown amount of time, Li Hao thrust out with his sword, then swiftly drew it back. The next instant, he exhaled, transforming his breath into a sword as a plume of white vapor shot forth! The moment he exhaled, Li Hao attempted the Nine Refinements method, hoping to spit out five stacked sword strikes in a single breath. The first breath-sword emerged smoothly, and Li Hao instantly switched his breathing technique, but the second breath produced nothing at all. "Still no good!" Li Hao frowned. The key to spitting breath into a sword lay in the lungs. The lungs belonged to metal. If the lungs were strong enough, or if their supernatural lock was unlocked, would they be able to store more breath and follow up with a second sword? As things stood, exhaling breath into a sword once left him unable to sustain another. The main issue was still that his lungs were not strong enough. "Teacher said the lungs nourish the spirit, nourishing the bird god..." In the Five Animals Art, the bird momentum corresponded to the lungs and belonged to metal. "The Five Animals' momentum corresponds to the five viscera... It doesn't necessarily have to be that way; it's just that Teacher reached great completion in all five, making it the best choice." Li Hao thought of himself. He had grasped a sliver of earth momentum. Earth belonged to soil, which corresponded to the spleen, and the spleen invigorated blood and qi. Now he was placing his hopes on mastering sword momentum. The sword belonged to metal, and metal corresponded to the lungs. Using sword momentum to replace bird momentum—was it not the exact same principle? Thinking was one thing, but Li Hao dared not attempt it right now. Sword momentum was too sharp; a single misstep meant certain death. Besides, he had not even entered Thousand-Battler. Right now, what he needed most was to strengthen his earth momentum and condense sword momentum. He did not seek to fuse five momentums like his teacher; as long as he could merge earth momentum and sword momentum, he would be completely satisfied. Fusing two momentums would allow him to enter Thousand-Battler and even surpass Liu Long, who had achieved the realm with only a single momentum. Moreover, Li Hao's sword momentum was extraordinary. Up to now, he had only transformed inner force into swords. True sword momentum had not yet succeeded; he had not managed to forge it. Li Hao knew in his heart... true sword momentum might require actual blood before it could be achieved! What kind of sword never tasted blood? Therefore, this trip to the ruins offered the true hope of condensing his sword momentum. With many thoughts running through his mind, Li Hao practiced for a while longer. Checking the clock on the wall nearby, he tidied up briefly and walked out of the basement. Outside, the sky was already dark. Midnight. Twelve o'clock in the morning. His teacher had told him to visit after five days. Today was the fifth day, crossing into August 26. And the exploration of the ruins was set for August 28. *** The Yuan residence. Li Hao did not enter the house, waiting quietly in the courtyard instead. He watched in silence. Five days! His teacher was cultivating the Heart Fire Ape. Would he emerge from seclusion today? Inside the house, Wang Ming came out yawning. He had also stayed here over the past few days, primarily to integrate the breathing technique into his instincts, circulating it day and night without ever leaving. Seeing Li Hao, Wang Ming opened his mouth to speak, but Li Hao waved his hand, disinclined to chat. Seeing this, Wang Ming kept quiet. Over the past few days, he had caught wind of the situation. Yuan Shuo seemed to be in seclusion cultivating, refusing to even eat, never stepping out of the study. Li Hao had not come for several days, yet he suddenly showed up today; perhaps Yuan Shuo was about to emerge. The two sat in the courtyard, waiting in silence. The sky remained pitch-black. There was no sound from the room either—no surges of inner force, no supernatural energy manifesting, only dead silence. After an unknown amount of time, a faint glimmer of light began to break across the horizon. At that moment, Liu Long arrived. He brought Liu Yan with him. It was already the twenty-sixth. Hengduan Canyon was over a thousand li from Silver City. They could not drive the entire way, and reaching it would take at least a day. If they did not set out soon, they might miss the ruins' exploration. Seeing Li Hao and Wang Ming waiting in the courtyard, Liu Long nodded to them, said nothing, and silently stood to the side, waiting. Since Yuan Shuo had not appeared for days, Liu Long also guessed that he might be seeking a path to break through. Toward this, Liu Long could only look up in awe. Presently, he had only just entered Thousand-Battler and was far from the next realm. Yet Yuan Shuo, who had advanced only a few days ahead of him, was already marching toward that next realm. An unknown realm! The four people in the courtyard harbored their own thoughts, waiting for Yuan Shuo to come out. *** Inside the room. Yuan Shuo felt as though he were trapped in a furnace. Vaguely, a massive ape emerged over his heart, incomparably furious, struggling wildly! The Heart Fire Ape! Using the heart as a furnace to fuse the ape of the Five Animals. Apes were agile, but also irritable. Spirit intent possessed both spirit and will, meaning the momentum had already developed a degree of consciousness. Under such circumstances, subduing the ape of the Five Animals and making it willingly take root in the heart was tremendously difficult. Yuan Shuo's heart pounded. It beat faster and faster! Whether he could subdue the Heart Fire Ape affected the cultivation of all five viscera, determining his next realm. Strengthening the heart would break the balance among the five viscera. Could it actually work? Yuan Shuo did not know. So he could only test it. Cultivating all five viscera simultaneously was something he had no time for. *Haaah, wheeze...* At that moment, the giant ape over his heart let out a series of ragged gasps, as if fighting to escape the heart, unwilling to endure such restraint. It could not be trapped! Over these five days, Yuan Shuo had exhausted every method, yet he could not contain this great ape. Even though it was only his spirit intent, when that spirit intent refused to stay inside the heart, he could only control it with immense difficulty. Five days already! Yuan Shuo could feel time slipping away, yet he seemed unable to succeed. Yuan Shuo felt neither disappointment nor panic. After five days, he had not come away empty-handed either. At this moment, he let out a sigh. "You forced my hand!" Refusing to obey! The next instant, his heart surged. Gradually, atop its surface, a chain seemed to manifest—the so-called supernatural lock of the supernatural realm, which was also the lock of the heart. Since you refuse to stay obediently... don't blame me for locking you down! Over the past few days, he had been unwilling to use this trick because he feared his Heart Fire Ape was too powerful. What if it snapped the chain? Would he be forced into the supernatural realm? Become a fire-type supernatural? That was not an outcome he wished to see. Yet at this stage, Yuan Shuo could only take the gamble, wagering that the Heart Fire Ape could not snap the heart lock. His heart lock was remarkably tough; having absorbed a massive amount of fire elemental energy to strengthen the heart, the heart lock had naturally been strengthened as well. An ordinary person's supernatural lock might have snapped immediately under the strain, but for a martial master, strengthening any part of the body meant strengthening the corresponding supernatural lock. As such, the Heart Fire Ape might not be able to tear it apart. If it truly broke... that might be the moment he broke through. At this moment, Yuan Shuo made up his mind. At his heart, the chain whipped toward the giant ape. *Haaah, wheeze...* The heavy breathing grew louder, deafeningly fierce. The giant ape roared furiously, thrashing about and swinging both arms to hammer at the chain, refusing to be bound. Yet the chain descended upon it with unyielding resolve. The heart lock locked the heart. Once inside the heart, how could it escape? Despite the Heart Fire Ape's immense power, it was suppressed that instant beneath the massive chain with a resounding boom—a sound that echoed only within Yuan Shuo's heart. A moment later, within his heart, the Heart Fire Ape was pinned beneath a colossal chain. This was Yuan Shuo's heart lock. Incomparably mighty! No matter how the Heart Fire Ape struggled, it was in vain. The heart beat violently, thrashing, even rioting. *Boom... boom... boom...* This was the sound of his heartbeat, continuing for a long time. Blood seeped steadily from the corners of Yuan Shuo's mouth, yet a brilliant smile spread across his face. It was truly locked! "So... before advancing to the next realm, one must strengthen the five viscera and reinforce the supernatural locks..." He committed every step of the process to memory. All of this had to be passed down. He could not even spare the effort to rejoice, keeping his eyes peeled and wholly focused on the next changes, monitoring every subtle shift. Within his heart, the moment the Heart Fire Ape was completely shackled, his heartbeat accelerated, and the other four viscera trembled violently, destabilizing. The balance of the five viscera had been broken! The lungs, spleen... these organs even began to faintly bleed. Because the balance was shattered, the heart grew stronger, and the speed of blood circulation surged, leaving the other organs struggling to withstand the enhanced heart. "Thus, when subduing one organ, the other four must also be strong, or they will easily rupture..." "The stronger the supernatural chain, the better! If it's too weak and the momentum is too strong, it will easily shatter the chain. With good luck, one becomes a supernatural. With bad luck, the viscera will be smashed along with it..." He absorbed all these insights. By now, the Heart Fire Ape had ceased its struggling. Soon, however, Yuan Shuo noticed another abnormal sight. Inside the heart, the Heart Fire Ape no longer struggled, and the chain gradually settled. But before long, the Heart Fire Ape suddenly revived, seemingly entwined with the supernatural lock. Grasping the chain, the giant ape suddenly roared inside his heart. Fire! Endless flames flared in its eyes, and the entire Heart Fire Ape instantly transformed into a true fire monkey. Yuan Shuo's heart stirred, and the next moment, the momentum of the Five Animals erupted. The tiger, deer, bear, and bird momentums remained the same as before, but the instant the ape momentum appeared, it immediately segregated itself from the other four. The mighty fire ape seemed to manifest out of thin air, still wrapped in chains. *Clang, rattle!* The sound of rattling chains echoed outward. The next instant, the Heart Fire Ape grew agitated and abruptly lashed the chain into the void. This strike seemed to pierce through physical matter! *** In the courtyard. Liu Long and the others had also sensed something unusual. As they waited, Li Hao's eyes suddenly narrowed. He saw a fiery red chain shoot out from the house! It carried terrifying might! This was not because of his unique eyesight; everyone saw it. In an instant, Li Hao and Liu Long leapt and rolled aside, dodging the chain. Wang Ming, having reached Solar Radiance, glanced at the chain. Whether because he could not dodge in time or felt no need to, he actually grew excited as he saw the chain striking toward him. He probably thought Yuan Shuo was testing them! Without a second word, a golden longsword materialized, slashing toward the chain! *Clang!* A crisp impact rang out. The next instant, Yuan Shuo's voice roared from inside the room, "Get back!" With a bang, the golden sword shattered, pulverized in an instant. Yet the chain continued forward. Wang Ming's face drained of color, blood spilling from his lips. Just as the chain was about to pierce his skull, it seemed to be brought under control and was yanked back! The next moment, the door opened. Yuan Shuo walked out with a flushed face. He looked at Wang Ming and remained silent for a long time before saying, "What are you doing?" Still shaken with lingering fear, Wang Ming swallowed hard. "Teacher... weren't you testing us?" "..." Yuan Shuo was speechless. Testing my ass! A moment ago, the Heart Fire Ape had defied him, trying to resist, and unleashed that strike beyond his control. Naturally, Yuan Shuo had still reined in the shackled ape and suppressed it. He just had not expected Wang Ming to be so simple... and foolish! Test you on what? What was there to test? "Congratulations, Teacher!" At this moment, Li Hao rose from his roll, casually dusted himself off, and showed a look of joy. Did he succeed? And what was that chain just now? A Thousand-Battler was still just a martial master, yet that chain had appeared out of thin air and instantly shattered a Solar Radiance metal sword, carrying a distinct flavor of supernatural power. A fiery red chain—did it have something to do with the heart's god? As Li Hao pondered, Yuan Shuo glanced at him, then looked at Liu Long, who was cupping his fists in salute. Yuan Shuo showed a faint smile. "It's merely the beginning. Nothing worth congratulating." With that, he looked outside. Dawn had broken. As for Wang Ming, he finally came back to his senses, wiped the blood from his mouth, and stared blankly at Yuan Shuo. "Teacher... what was that just now?" Yuan Shuo was a martial master! Martial masters were typically known for being invincible in close combat, but powerless at range. He knew a bit about the momentum of a Thousand-Battler. Yet that chain just now did not feel like momentum. A ranged strike! A Thousand-Battler martial master had instantly shattered his supernatural sword from a distance! Unbelievable! Wang Ming found it impossible to understand. Yuan Shuo glanced at him and said, "Who said martial masters can only fight up close? Did you think that being far away from me meant I couldn't touch you?" "No... that's not what I meant..." Yuan Shuo chuckled. "That's exactly what you meant!" Wang Ming smiled sheepishly. He had assumed that now that he was at Solar Radiance, even if he couldn't rival Yuan Shuo, he could at least run away if they were far enough apart. Yet... that strike just now had left his head spinning. "Alright, come inside, all of you!" Yuan Shuo said no more, turning back into the house. Li Hao and the others followed him in. At the moment, Yuan Shuo's hair was somewhat disheveled. Without entertaining the others, he went straight to the washroom to clean up. *** Once Yuan Shuo left, Wang Ming grew animated again, asking in astonishment, "That strike just now was incredible... How did Teacher do that?" A ranged attack that left him completely defenseless. It was terrifying! Li Hao remained silent, and Liu Long was also deep in thought, replaying that strike in his mind. What kind of secret art was that? He had never seen it before! It was not a weapon. If it had been a weapon, it wouldn't have been quite so shocking. It felt like a supernatural ability! Had Yuan Shuo become a supernatural? Leaping from Thousand-Battler into the supernatural realm, instantly becoming a Three Sols expert? All sorts of thoughts crossed their minds. Everyone fell silent for seven or eight minutes until Yuan Shuo walked out, having changed his clothes. He sat straight down in a chair, his hair still damp. Seeing the others staring at him, he smiled. "What are you looking at? Still thinking about it? It wasn't supernatural power; it was the ability of a martial master! I told you long ago, martial masters are not inferior to supernaturals—they will only be stronger! Subduing the power of the five viscera, subduing the power of the heart. The heart belongs to fire; it looks similar to fire-type supernatural power, but in truth, it is completely different! "Supernaturals use mysterious energy, while I use momentum—I use spirit!" Liu Long inhaled sharply. "Spirit intent made corporeal?" How could that be! Spirit intent was merely a form of momentum, an imposing pressure. How could it take physical form? Yuan Shuo glanced at him and said after a pause, "Don't overthink it. I'll tell you just one thing: use your inner force to nourish your five viscera more! Your water momentum can also be used to nourish your kidneys." Liu Long raised an eyebrow. Wang Ming also looked at Liu Long in surprise and shock. Liu Long did not catch on at first, but after a moment, he understood and said with a dark expression, "What are you thinking about?" Wang Ming gave a dry cough! Nothing at all! He chuckled sheepishly, then looked at Li Hao and winked, as if saying: *The Director has kidney deficiency!* Li Hao was speechless. Wang Ming didn't understand any of this, who knew what was running through his head. Although their teacher hadn't said it outright, telling Liu Long to nourish the five viscera—especially starting with the kidneys—was already revealing the next step of the path. Teacher had succeeded! Li Hao was delighted as well. Before he could speak, Yuan Shuo added, "The rest of you wait outside. Li Hao, stay!" This meant he was going to pass down secret teachings to his core disciple. As a nominal disciple, Wang Ming was not qualified to receive the secret legacy at this stage. Liu Long said nothing, standing up and heading outside. Liu Yan smiled and followed him out. Wang Ming was still a little reluctant... *What is there that can't be told to me?* Yet on second thought, he obediently left as well. *** Once everyone had departed. Yuan Shuo said in a solemn voice, "The five viscera must be strong! Incredibly strong, or you will easily die from the backlash. Second, supernatural locks are very sturdy, but they have their limits. When fusing momentum into the viscera, you must judge in advance whether the supernatural lock can restrain the momentum!" "Restrain momentum?" Yuan Shuo said nothing. The next instant, he seemed to transform into a giant ape! Right now, a long chain was wrapped around the massive fire ape. Li Hao's eyes flickered. "Teacher, is that the supernatural lock?" "Yes!" The fire ape spoke, then shifted back into Yuan Shuo. "Or rather, it is not merely a supernatural lock, but a bridge built between the viscera and the body..." He fell into deep thought before continuing, "These chains do not merely serve to seal; they feel to me like they connect all the secret treasuries within the body! The human body is a treasure trove. These chains lock those treasuries away, but they also serve to link them. "They don't necessarily have to be broken... If you truly break them, it means your secret treasury is unleashed." Li Hao nodded thoughtfully. "Teacher, does this count as advancing to the next realm for you?" "It does not!" Yuan Shuo shook his head. "Today, I gained more insights, more discoveries. Cultivating the five viscera simultaneously... is as difficult as ascending the heavens! Beyond Thousand-Battler is not simply Ten-Thousand Breaker or Ten-Thousand Suppressor. I have only locked the spirit of one organ. Strictly speaking, I have not advanced; I have merely taken a step further within the Thousand-Battler realm without formally crossing into that stage. "In my view, beyond Thousand-Battler should be Spirit Nourishing! Nourishing the spirits of the five viscera!" "Spirit Nourishing might be divided into five stages: one spirit nourished in each organ!" Spirit Nourishing! This was the new realm proposed by his teacher: nourishing the spirits of the five viscera, which was merely the nurturing phase. "Once the spirits of all five viscera are successfully nourished, that will be great completion of Spirit Nourishing. And after Spirit Nourishing comes opening the secret treasuries of the five viscera, which I wish to call the Spirit Fusion realm!" Ten-Slayer, Hundred-Breaker, Thousand-Battler, Spirit Nourishing, Spirit Fusion. Li Hao pondered. "Can Spirit Nourishing rival Three Sols?" "Barely!" Yuan Shuo explained, "There's little point in comparing it to supernaturals. Whether Spirit Nourishing can deal with Three Sols and whether it is equal to Three Sols can only be known after fighting. "However, after entering Spirit Nourishing, like me right now nourishing the Heart Fire Ape, purely in terms of power, I feel I might not be weaker than Qiao Feilong was!" Evidently, he believed such an analogy held. He had now taken an initial step into the Spirit Nourishing level. At this level, once all five visceral spirits were successfully nourished, it would be extraordinary. Li Hao exhaled. "Teacher is truly a marvel!" Yuan Shuo's trailblazing move had shattered the rigid boundary of traditional martial arts. Yuan Shuo shook his head. "I only laid out a general outline. Many problems remain. For instance, after Spirit Nourishing, how do we fuse the spirits of the five viscera? We can't simply bring them out one by one every time; that wouldn't be very useful. "Also, should nourishing the five visceral spirits be done all at once, or one by one... Which is better? "Furthermore, breaking the balance is not something anyone can endure... For a realm to be recognized by the world, it means everyone must be able to cultivate it, not just a single person. A realm that only one person can cultivate is not truly a realm!" If others could not step onto the path, it was not a new realm. He continued, "I absorbed a lot of fire elements combined with your sword energy. Others don't have that; how many years would they need to nourish their five viscera? Ten years? Twenty? Or fifty?" He could hardly imagine how long it would take to nourish the viscera step by step until they could bear the momentum. "Therefore, at the Thousand-Battler stage, the breathing technique must take another step forward. It cannot merely regulate the body; it must also strengthen the five viscera!" Yuan Shuo said solemnly, "The Five Animals Breathing Art is insufficient now. Originally, after entering Thousand-Battler, I thought it didn't matter. But now I'm considering how to modify the Five Animals Breathing Art so that it can nourish the five viscera using inner force rather than five-element energy. You must understand, the sword energy... is yours alone; it is an external object!" If that ran out, would everyone stop advancing? Stop cultivating? So at this moment, Yuan Shuo was thinking further ahead: how to reform the Five Animals Breathing Art so this fundamental method could strengthen the five viscera, allowing the masses to cultivate and grow stronger. It was not that he wanted to spread it to the outside world, but his disciples and lineage would have to be taught. Could they all rely on Li Hao's sword energy? Seeing that his teacher actually intended to reform the Five Animals Breathing Art, Li Hao could only feel admiration. Honestly, he had never even considered this, because in his view, the current sword energy might be enough for the two of them. Yuan Shuo, however, was looking much further into the future. His intention was to push the entire domain of martial masters one step forward. Was that possible? Li Hao did not argue. Whatever his teacher chose to do, he could neither support nor dissuade him. They were simply no longer on the same level! "You actually have a wonderful foundation... You have been strengthening your five viscera all along. At this stage, it doesn't show much, but once you step into Thousand-Battler, you can save far more time than others, and perhaps even go straight into Spirit Nourishing!" Yuan Shuo remarked with deep emotion, "Perhaps one day you will surpass me... The degree to which my other four viscera are nourished might not match yours." "Teacher, you can also absorb sword energy to nourish them quickly!" Yuan Shuo smiled, tossing the small sword to Li Hao. "Feel it!" Li Hao caught the small sword and circulated the Five Animals Breathing Art slightly. After a moment, he said helplessly, "It's almost depleted?" It was nearly gone! Yuan Shuo coughed dryly. "Over these past few days, my heart couldn't bear the strain, so I absorbed a bit more. There was no time to search for the other stone doors either, so only a tiny bit remains. I didn't dare absorb it all. When we head to Hengduan Canyon, it might still come in handy; at least save some for life preservation." It truly was almost drained! The sword energy absorbed at the stone door last time had been heavily used by Li Hao recently, and Yuan Shuo had consumed a great deal during his Spirit Nourishing seclusion, running it nearly dry. Fair enough! Now Li Hao understood why his teacher was so eager to reform the Five Animals Breathing Art. If it wasn't modified and they found no other stone-door ruins, once the sword energy was exhausted, would they simply stop cultivating? Yuan Shuo said no more, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Back then, when his heart could not bear the pressure of the momentum, he had no choice but to absorb sword energy to save his life. Sword energy could always be replenished, but if he died, this kid Li Hao would be in even deeper trouble. Next, Yuan Shuo went over the problems, difficulties, and potential scenarios one might encounter during the Spirit Nourishing process. These insights were things perhaps only Yuan Shuo possessed. As for whether Thousand-Battler martial masters in other regions had stepped into this tier... it was hard to say. Even if they had, they might not be the same, and the paths they walked might differ. *** Master and disciple talked for roughly half an hour. After a while, the two stepped out of the room. Outside the door, Liu Long and the others were chatting... or rather, Wang Ming was doing most of the talking, babbling endlessly with question after question. Seeing Li Hao and Yuan Shuo emerge, Wang Ming said excitedly, "Teacher, have you advanced to Ten-Thousand Breaker?" "..." Where would Ten-Thousand Breaker come from! Yuan Shuo shook his head. Wang Ming was instantly disappointed. He hadn't? What a shame! He was Yuan Shuo's nominal disciple after all. If Yuan Shuo truly entered the next realm of martial masters, he could leverage that connection to secure a mighty backer. Liu Long, meanwhile, looked at Yuan Shuo several times without asking anything. Yuan Shuo had told him to nourish his five viscera the moment they met, giving him a vague inkling that this was tied to the next path forward. After entering Thousand-Battler, Liu Long had actually been quite lost. Where to go next? How to take another step forward? Having newly entered Thousand-Battler, he still had plenty of room for improvement, such as strengthening his momentum and inner force. He was only at the beginning of these paths, but all of that was only a matter of time. Sooner or later, his inner force would reach its absolute peak. His momentum would also grow as powerful as it could get. And after that? There was no road left! Today, Yuan Shuo had given him a hint. "Elder Yuan, are we setting out today?" Liu Long did not dwell on the matter. "Director Hao and the others arrived at Hengduan Canyon long ago. It will take us at least a day to travel there, and we might run into trouble along the way. Near the canyon, we'll have to walk on foot... If we leave any later, we probably won't make it." Time was running out. Once they arrived, they would still need some time to rest. He only feared that Yuan Shuo could not travel right now, as multiple days of seclusion took a heavy toll. "Let's set out. Just pack some food!" Yuan Shuo laughed. "Hao Lianchuan is probably anxious as hell and cursing up a storm right now!" The day after tomorrow was the agreed-upon exploration date. Everyone else had likely arrived, while Yuan Shuo had not; it would be a miracle if he wasn't cursing! Liu Long laughed as well. That was truly likely. *** At the same time. Hengduan Canyon. Inside a tent, Hao Lianchuan was indeed cursing, furious. "Find a way to send a message to Silver City! What on earth is Yuan Shuo doing?" It seemed he had not even set out! It was already the twenty-sixth, and Silver City was over a thousand li away. The roads were poor, and this group couldn't fly. Once they arrived in the vicinity, they might even have to walk on foot... Was he planning to arrive at the last second? A martial master journeying all that way on foot would expend considerable energy. Wouldn't that be asking for trouble? He couldn't understand it. Had Yuan Shuo put on airs so much that he forgot martial masters couldn't fly? Did he expect his Bird Art to fly him across a thousand li? Beside him, a middle-aged woman smiled upon hearing this. "Director Hao, calm yourself. There's no rush! Besides, if Yuan Shuo doesn't come, the other factions won't dare explore rashly either. Yuan Shuo is, after all, a grandmaster in this field..." Hao Lianchuan remained silent, cursing inwardly. Easy for her to say! The crucial point was that the twenty-eighth was the most suitable time for exploration, which was why they had deliberately chosen that date. If they missed the twenty-eighth, they would have to wait another month. Who knew what might happen in that month? Below Hao Lianchuan, a burly man rumbled, "Should I go receive them? Or maybe Huang Yun can head over?" Huang Yun was fast, while he himself excelled at earth tunneling. "No!" Hao Lianchuan shook his head and said solemnly, "It's inconvenient to leave right now. Everyone has their eyes on each other. If you leave, be careful they don't assassinate you." As for Yuan Shuo, the danger was not large. First, if an expert departed, it would cause quite a stir. Second, everyone hoped Yuan Shuo would take part in the exploration, so they likely wouldn't move against him for the time being. Hao Lianchuan exhaled and dropped the topic, asking with a heavy tone, "Has anyone seen Sun Yifei?" "No! But word has it that someone spotted him in Hengduan Canyon over the past few days... apparently near that old overpass..." Only then did Hao Lianchuan reveal genuine worry. Sun Yifei... wouldn't strike at Yuan Shuo before the ruins' exploration even began, would he? If that happened, all factions might plunge into a grand melee before even entering the ruins. The Night Watchers certainly would not sit by and let Yuan Shuo be killed like that. What an immense headache! Someone else thought of this as well and sighed with emotion. "Back then, the Silver Moon martial arts world was thrown into complete chaos by these people, with deaths happening every single day. Now Sun Yifei is back, and Yuan Shuo has arrived as well... The chaos of the Silver Moon martial arts world won't repeat itself, will it?" For a moment, everyone fell silent. Events from decades ago were not forgotten by everyone!