Chapter 34

In the end, Old Man Tian and his group decided to stay.

The primary reason was Tian Daniu’s injury; they couldn’t leave immediately. With increasing dangers outside and their ox cart destroyed, it was impractical for Old Man Tian to forcefully flee with his nephew. Blindly attempting escape would be suicidal. Instead, seeking refuge with Chen Luo, whom they considered a familiar face, seemed more sensible—at least Chen Luo wouldn’t harm them.

Chen Luo paid no heed to their decision. The mountain valley was vast and not solely his domain. At most, he might remind them as time neared its critical point.

Daybreak arrived swiftly.

As the sun began to rise, revealing half of its face above the horizon, Chen Luo leaped onto the high platform. Recalling the method gleaned from General Fan’s memories days ago, he started mobilizing his inner qi.

The first rays of sunlight infused with an indescribable power were absorbed by Chen Luo.

It was invisible, intangible.

The jade booklet, which had previously remained elusive despite his efforts, suddenly emitted a warm energy once again. This change invigorated Chen Luo, prompting him to quickly scan his surroundings for any signs of transformation. Unfortunately, the surge of power came and went rapidly. There were no noticeable changes in the environment, let alone any extraordinary phenomena.

‘Could I have chosen the wrong location?’

Without hesitation, Chen Luo sprang to his feet, disregarding the bewildered looks from Old Man Tian and the others. With a swift leap, he reached the highest point of the area, meticulously observing the terrain and layout of the mountain valley.

While Chen Luo was not proficient in geomancy, having consulted with Third Uncle ensured he couldn’t possibly be at the wrong location, especially with General Fan’s intellect assisting him. Even if both he and General Fan were mistaken, surely the imperial experts wouldn’t remain oblivious? There were still over ninety other ‘brains’ involved; it seemed highly unlikely that all could err simultaneously.

“If the location is correct, then the issue must lie with the timing.”

Descending back onto the platform, Chen Luo began recalling the contents of Magistrate Lou’s secret letter.

It was brief, mostly detailing the spirit mine’s characteristics and reporting findings. Alongside the letter, a sample had been sent, but unfortunately, Chen Luo couldn’t examine it now. The copy of the letter left in the official residence by Magistrate Lou was merely his own backup transcription. This guy, always covering his tracks due to past misdeeds, habitually prepared contingencies for everything.

“It might not refer to the hours of a day, but rather the phases within a month.”

After some contemplation, Chen Luo arrived at this conclusion.

As expected, matters involving cultivators were indeed profound, intertwining with celestial cycles, lunar phases, and changes in stars. This realization heightened Chen Luo’s anticipation, calming his nerves as well.

After all this effort, leaving now was out of the question.

Missing this opportunity would make it exceedingly difficult to find another similar chance in the future. Numerous martial artists never encounter ‘immortal destiny’ throughout their entire lives, and Chen Luo didn’t want to end up regretting it while sitting alone with graying hair in his courtyard.

With newfound determination, Chen Luo returned to the platform and embarked on a new round of cultivation.

Applying two medicinal patches onto his body, he slowly began practicing his punches.

Once again, it was the Black Tiger Fist.

However, progress had become minimal; even stacking nearly a dozen patches together only produced a slight warmth. It seemed that soon these patches would be rendered ineffective altogether.

“I must explore new avenues.”

Having reached this level in his martial arts training, Chen Luo felt a sense of stagnation, as if there was no further advancement possible.

He knew well that the Grandmaster realm lay above him, but finding a way to step into it proved elusive. Moreover, he sensed that the limitations for reaching the Grandmaster realm were not solely based on one’s technique but also on innate aptitude. He understood his own capabilities from day one when Cripple Ma bluntly informed him:

“A dud among duds.”

Without the assistance of over a hundred ‘good friends,’ he likely would still be stuck at the first layer of the Black Tiger Fist. Achieving his current level would have been impossible, even if he trained until death.

After experiencing two sudden enlightenments from comprehending the jade booklet, this feeling intensified.

He had a strong premonition that even if he obtained a Zongshi cultivation technique, it would be impossible for him to truly break through; at best, he might reach Half-Step Zongshi. Recalling the battle between the sword-wielding man and the muscular brute reinforced this belief.

Compared to them, his innate strength was significantly weaker, particularly in terms of blood qi accumulation!

To become a Grandmaster, apart from one’s natural aptitude and comprehension, the most crucial factor is the accumulation of blood qi. During their fight, their internal blood qi surged like ocean tides, seamlessly integrated. This vibrant power originated solely from within the cultivators themselves, built up since birth as their fundamental source.

When Chen Luo first started training, he had asked Cripple Ma about this.

From Cripple Ma, he learned that individuals like himself, who began martial arts training at a young age, consumed vast quantities of rare treasures and took medicinal baths. Shimei He Min followed a similar regimen, with her mother starting nourishing supplements and ginseng soups during pregnancy itself, ensuring they were inherently stronger than ordinary people from birth.

This applied only to Cripple Ma and Shimei He Min; the accumulation for true Zongshi masters would be even greater.

Scholarship thrives on poverty, but martial prowess requires wealth—many outcomes are determined at birth.

The late General Fan, whom Chen Luo killed, faced a similar predicament—a weak constitution by nature.

Thus, he had placed his hopes on this jade booklet, even betraying Prince Ning for it. However, General Fan’s understanding was limited; after studying the booklet, he devised an evil method involving women’s vital essence to cultivate, ultimately leading to Chen Luo beheading him.

“Immortal path…”

Unconsciously tightening his grip on the jade booklet, Chen Luo cleared his mind amidst mixed emotions and began a new day of cultivation.

A full day passed.

As night fell, once again reaching the transition between sun and moon, another opportune moment arrived.

Seated cross-legged on a rock, Chen Luo closed his eyes and quietly focused. The jade booklet emitted its familiar warm sensation, evoking the same feeling as before.

This time, the transformation felt even more pronounced than the previous instances.

In this state, Chen Luo experienced a sensation akin to his soul leaving his body, granting him an entirely different perspective. He could visualize scenes behind him, with the entire mountain valley unfolding in his mind, centered around himself. Below, in the valley, Tian Daniu, now recovered, was being lectured by Old Man Tian. Fang Cun and Fang Shan stood nearby, not daring to make a sound.

Despite them being behind him, Chen Luo distinctly ‘saw’ their presence.

With the arrival of nightfall and the setting sun, that mysterious aura vanished.

The prince’s consciousness returned to his body as Chen Luo opened his eyes, gazing thoughtfully at the unchanged jade slip in his hand.

The material of this jade slip was undoubtedly extraordinary, otherwise, the recent experience would be inexplicable. Sensing his inner qi strength, he remained in the early stage of the Bone Tempering Realm but felt significantly stronger than before.

This mystical state had indeed helped enhance his inner qi, albeit not substantially.

“Hero, we’ve roasted two wild chickens. Would you like to come down and have some?”

Having finished scolding his nephew, Old Man Tian started a fire for cooking. Noticing that Chen Luo had emerged from his meditative state, he promptly waved him over.

“No need.”

Chen Luo declined, instead retrieving his own provisions and began eating slowly.

The dry rations tasted poor, hard and brittle upon biting into them. However, they provided sustenance.

When traveling alone, Chen Luo preferred consuming food he prepared himself. Although he had spent several days with Old Man Tian and his family, they were not his kin, so maintaining caution was necessary.

The night passed uneventfully.

Early the next morning, Chen Luo once again entered that enigmatic state.

With each repetition, he distinctly felt his understanding and mastery of that realm growing. Concurrently, subtle changes occurred within the mountain valley, signaling that the anticipated moment was approaching.

The long-awaited day to harvest the spirit mine was nearly here.