Chapter 41: Reaching the Peak

One day later.

Newly appointed as a grave digger, Chen Luo was reassigned to the area near the mountain valley.

With daily deaths occurring there, the County Office’s existing grave diggers were already overwhelmed. As soon as Chen Luo’s identity was verified, he was immediately put to work.

“Perfect timing. The corpses have been piling up for too long; any delay could lead to serious problems.”

Seeing Chen Luo and his group approach from outside the mountain valley, the soldiers guarding the checkpoint welcomed them without suspicion. They then led the newcomers to the designated corpse collection site within the valley. Being stationed here, the soldiers understood that improper handling of bodies posed the greatest risk to themselves, so they showed keen enthusiasm for this task.

Accompanying Chen Luo were three other novices.

These new recruits were desperate individuals with no alternatives, lacking even basic training in grave digging. The County Office assigned them under Chen Luo’s supervision. Now, he effectively held a supervisory role among Qingya County’s grave diggers, similar to Third Uncle’s position before. This clearly indicated the severe shortage of grave diggers in Qingya County; not only were experienced veterans scarce, but anyone available was being enlisted, regardless of their skills.

As Chen Luo stepped back into the mountain valley, he distinctly felt the changes within.

Compared to before, the temperature inside was noticeably warmer.

Despite being the cold winter season, flowers had begun blooming in the valley, with butterflies fluttering amidst them—a sight so astonishing that it left the three novice grave diggers behind him utterly spellbound.

“Look less, talk less, work more!” The soldier leading ahead warned without turning back.

Hearing this, the trio promptly lowered their heads and followed obediently behind Chen Luo towards the pile of corpses.

Chen Luo mirrored their behavior. As they passed through the checkpoint earlier, he distinctly sensed another powerful presence, akin to the deceased Old Daoist Li Chen’s energy—remarkably strong.

Indeed, the imperial court is teeming with such experts, as common as cabbages, one after another.

“We’re here. This pile will be your responsibility,” the guiding soldier stopped and announced.

The four newcomers were dumbstruck.

What once was a narrow passageway in the valley was now nearly filled with bodies, numbering at least 150. Each corpse belonged to a martial arts master, with the weakest among them being at the Qi circulation realm.

Those daring enough to seek their destiny as immortals must have had confidence in their abilities.

Alas, confidence could not save their lives; now they lay here as lifeless corpses, their names unknown.

‘Jackpot!’ Chen Luo’s heart raced with anticipation.

With so many fallen jianghu experts, he could significantly upgrade his existing ‘external minds.’ This time, he would finally replace those useless brains that once bowed and cried “Grandpa” before Old Daoist Li Chen.

“Start handling these first; more bodies might arrive later. It’ll be demanding over the next few days, but once we’re done, there will be rewards from above.”

After giving brief instructions, the soldier turned and left. His duty was defense, not managing the burial tasks.

“Boss, what should we do?” Once the soldier departed, the three newcomers stood nearby, eagerly looking at Chen Luo for orders.

“Dig some pits first.” Chen Luo glanced at them, assigning a simple task.

The new recruits promptly picked up their tools and began digging with vigor, while Chen Luo took the opportunity to methodically search through each corpse.

‘Encountered deceased brainwaves, damage level 71%, read access?’

‘Encountered deceased brainwaves, damage level 32%, read access?’

Messages continuously flooded his screen as Chen Luo diligently searched for relatively intact brains and those with unique abilities. Having used his golden finger for quite some time, he had become well-versed in its capabilities, now able to retrieve information through touch.

After more than ten minutes, Chen Luo straightened up.

The external minds stored within his body underwent a thorough update. Apart from the few most crucial ones, all other ordinary brains were discarded.

The deceased travelers found in the mountain valley possessed remarkably high-quality brains. With this replacement, Chen Luo distinctly felt his abilities upgrading.

While unsure of the specific changes yet, he knew they would undoubtedly be beneficial.

The only regret was that the brain with ‘Immortal Cultivation Aptitude’ remained solely the royal one. Although the other brains were powerful, their aptitude for immortal cultivation matched Chen Luo’s own—remarkably lacking.

This incident also provided Chen Luo with a glimpse into the cultivation world.

Just the requirement of cultivation aptitude alone would exclude ninety-nine percent of people from it. Only the remaining one percent had the privilege to enter that enigmatic realm.

And among those few, how many could truly achieve immortality and ascend?

Each stage eliminates a vast number, leaving only the chosen ones at the pinnacle—individuals blessed with immense destiny and fortune.

“Are there any significant figures inside?” Chen Luo’s thoughts returned as he glanced towards the location of the mine.

The soldiers had set up their blockade centered around the mine, indicating that someone important must have entered. Unfortunately, Chen Luo hadn’t caught sight of them yet, unsure if they were genuine cultivators. However, his curiosity was mild; he had already reaped substantial benefits, leaving behind only scraps.

The day’s task concluded swiftly.

As night fell, the soldiers who brought them in escorted them back out.

With the imperial army encamped nearby and hidden experts guarding covertly, there was no concern for ordinary travelers. Consequently, these grave diggers faced no difficulties; after receiving their rewards, they were allowed to rest. However, they were reminded to report promptly the next day.

For several days that followed, Chen Luo diligently reported to the mountain valley on time.

Under his guidance, the three new grave diggers gradually became proficient. Although they still avoided more complicated corpses, they could handle those with simple blade wounds. With their assistance, Chen Luo’s presence became less conspicuous.

Having achieved his ‘borrowed brains’ objective, Chen Luo’s initial meticulous approach to grave digging waned. Apart from occasionally updating with more valuable brains, he spent most of his time slacking off.

On the fifth day, he simply requested a sick leave, citing ‘poisoning’ on his absence notice.

This excuse proved highly effective; poisoning was incredibly common among grave diggers. A single mishap could cost them their lives. In fact, over half of the County Office’s grave diggers had died from poisonings. Upon hearing that Chen Luo was ‘poisoned,’ the County Office promptly approved his leave without hesitation and even provided him with a stipend for recovery.

The incident startled Jiang Danian greatly, leading him to personally visit Chen Luo with some restorative medicines afterward. Only after ensuring Chen Luo was unharmed did he depart.

Night fell.

Chen Luo sat alone in the courtyard, holding the jade booklet that had dramatically altered his fate.

The jade booklet’s luster was no longer as vibrant as before, and upon closer inspection, fine glass-like cracks were visible within it. This likely indicated that its power had been partially depleted due to extensive use over many days.

“The Black Tiger Fist is completely useless now, the venomous insect concoction has lost its effect, and I still haven’t found any brains with exceptional aptitude,” Chen Luo reflected on everything he had done recently.

All these efforts pointed towards a single outcome: His martial arts cultivation had reached its peak.