Chapter 55: Beast Skin

Li Zhen remained hidden within the ‘small Inverted Five Elements Array,’ prepared to activate his spatial divine ability at any moment.

Fortunately, the worst did not occur. Even after the commotion outside subsided, he refrained from venturing out to investigate.

He initially planned to continue practicing his talisman fabrication but found himself persistently uneasy.

“Ah, forget it. I should head back now,” he finally decided, somewhat resigned.

He resolved to avoid this area for the next few days, surmising that the market’s turmoil would be significant based on the previous day’s events.

Upon returning home, he lamented the loss of nine spirit stones from his Dragon Heart Space, finding it quite disheartening.

However, this trip was not entirely fruitless. In the market, he refrained from examining the items too closely, fearing they might contain tracking enchantments.

He began by retrieving a high-grade first-rank longsword. Grasping the sword, he felt a surge of appreciation for its exceptional quality as a magical artifact.

Sadly, his spiritual energy was too depleted. Without equipping his martial fighter armor, the sword would likely drain his reserves in an instant.

From the hilt of the longsword, he discovered its name - a rather ordinary one: ‘Iron Sword.’

This naming convention was undoubtedly connected to the Iron Sword Gang. If he could obtain more of their magical artifacts, he’d realize that all the gang’s longsword artifacts shared the same name - ‘Iron Sword’.

Li Zhen casually stored the iron sword in his Dragon Heart Space before retrieving a storage pouch.

Unlike the storage pouches from the Xian Nation, which were notoriously difficult to open, this pouch from another world proved far more accessible. Any cultivator could effortlessly use a storage pouch once its owner had perished.

Li Zhen concentrated his mind on the pouch and began to sort through its contents. He soon found two spirit stones encased separately, each containing 23 spirit stones, and when he opened them, he discovered even more.

This unexpected windfall lifted his spirits, sweeping away the gloom caused by the significant depletion of his spirit stones during his travels between worlds.

Next, he pulled out a jade slip, which turned out to be a manual for an advanced sword technique called ‘Iron Sword Secret Scripture’.

Honestly, as someone who hadn’t yet mastered even the basic sword techniques of the Xian Nation, such new manuals held little practical value for Li Zhen. He simply didn’t have the time to learn another set of sword techniques, especially ones not native to the Xian Nation.

As he continued to empty the storage pouch, it became clear that this young master had many admirers. The pouch contained numerous feminine items alongside more mundane treasures like gold and silver.

While inspecting these items, Li Zhen stumbled upon a peculiar talisman among the small collection of magical charms.

The young master’s bag of holding contained only six talismans. Aside from that special talisman, the rest were all ordinary mid-grade ones.

After enduring a fierce battle, the young master of the Iron Sword Gang had depleted most of his talismans, leaving not a single pill behind.

Upon realizing he’d been poisoned, he recklessly consumed all the pills, hoping for a miracle.

This explained why the contents of his bag seemed so meager, ill-fitting for the young master of the Iron Sword Gang. His family was undoubtedly wealthier than this paltry collection suggested.

Li Zhen’s eyes settled on that special talisman. What made it unique was that, unlike ordinary talismans drawn on special paper, this one was inscribed on a piece of animal skin.

Moreover, the spiritual aura emanating from this skin indicated it was perilously close to being a second-tier artifact.

As someone who had recently begun learning how to create talismans, Li Zhen had a solid understanding of their properties. But this beast skin talisman was a stark departure from what he’d studied.

Though he couldn’t identify exactly what type of talisman it was, he could discern that its power was indeed terrifying. The mere materials used were far beyond what a typical Qi Refining cultivator could access.

In truth, this beast skin talisman was truly extraordinary. The Iron Sword Gang, despite being a minor clan and associating with rogue cultivator families in the market, had a lineage that produced exceptional talent in its past.

The beast skin talisman was a life-saving relic left behind by a sword arts genius for the Iron Sword Gang. Within it lay stored the essence of that genius’ sword glare.

Li Zhen, however, had no intention of delving into the talisman’s intricacies. Instead, he opted for the simplest approach: he placed the beast skin talisman into his Dragon Heart Space and allowed the space to consume it.

Within the Dragon Heart Space, the talisman began to emit a golden glow.

This radiant light was incredibly potent, carrying with it an indescribably dangerous aura from the moment it appeared.

However, the golden radiance did not linger long before being fully absorbed by the Dragon Heart Space.

On the very walls of the Dragon Heart Space, a faint golden sword mark emerged.

Li Zhen, now in contact with this faint golden sword mark, felt an unimaginable torrent of information flood into his mind. The sheer volume left him reeling with pain, nearly causing him to lose consciousness on the spot.

Only through his cultivation of the Black Iron Body was he able to endure until the transmission of this vast information ceased.

Though the headache had subsided, Li Zhen remained frozen in place, too stunned to move.

He sat motionless throughout the entire night. It was only the next morning that Mei Yun, his intelligent housekeeper, discovered him still there. Her timely reminder finally brought Li Zhen back to his senses.

He hadn’t slept a wink, but for him, that was nothing. His eyes sparkled with newfound vigor.

By swallowing the dragon heart beast talisman, Li Zhen had received a sword technique from an unknown sword genius.

This sword technique possessed an incredibly terrifying power.

What Li Zhen gained from this experience went beyond mere knowledge; it elevated his understanding of the sword path itself.

This sword had no name, nor any formalized move. When unleashed, it was accompanied by the booming of thunder, endowing a forward-striking blade with unparalleled speed and destructive force.

“Li Zhen, you’ve got ten minutes until school time!” Mei Yun’s voice chimed through the house once again.

Li Zhen’s mind finally snapped back to reality—he had to go to school today.

Quickly rising to his feet, he mentally instructed his clothes to transform into his school uniform via the Dragonheart Space.

Slashing his Xingrui E07 longsword into a sheath at his waist, he strode towards the doorway.

“Zhen’er, did you get lost in your training and lose track of time? There won’t be time for breakfast, take these spirit rice cakes to eat on your way!” Mother Li had been waiting for him, and as soon as he emerged from his bedroom, she promptly placed a spirit rice cake in his hand, her voice brimming with concern.

Mother Li wanted to call Li Zhen earlier, but she was concerned he might be in the middle of cultivating. Disturbing him would be worse.

“Thank you, Mom!” Li Zhen said, grabbing the spirit rice cake and smiling.

He dashed out of the house, knowing it wouldn’t be easy to reach school in ten minutes. He cast ‘Lightness Spell’ to enhance his speed.

Using the Lightness Spell for travel naturally drew attention, but when people saw the uniform from Second High School, some cultivators nodded sympathetically. They had all been through this before, using magic to make up for tardiness.

Li Zhen arrived at Second High School just in time. As he entered the classroom, he noticed several empty desks.

“Li Zhen, you made it!” Yu Nan waved him over, while Han Wenqin smiled and nodded.

If not for keeping in touch with Li Zhen, they might have assumed something had happened to him.

“Are some classmates still missing?” Li Zhen asked softly as he took his seat.

“Ah, those who haven’t come probably won’t make it today!” Han Wenqin replied, shaking her head.

Li Zhen had witnessed death before, but the idea of his classmates dying still shook him. It was hard to accept that despite their grown-up appearances, they were all just twelve-year-old children.

“What happened to Cheng He too?” Li Zhen couldn’t help but ask, noticing Cheng He’s absence.

“I heard that Cheng He didn’t face any real danger,” Han Wenqin replied with a hint of disdain. “But it shattered his nerves. Now he’s holed up at home too scared to step out!”

Li Zhen wasn’t surprised. He’d watched Cheng He evolve from arrogant to silent, then to insecure, and now completely withdrawn—too afraid to leave his house.

Cheng He had claimed accomplishments that weren’t his, which attracted the attention of the Demon-Worship Cult.* Without the corresponding strength and with no sense of restraint, this incident was bound to happen sooner or later.*

“Li Zhen, let’s meet at the Go Beyond Swordplay after school. There’s someone there who can keep watch,” Han Wenqin suggested.

Li Zhen nodded in agreement.

Just then, Teacher Zhang entered the classroom. Her face was ashen, and her breaths were uneven.

“Students, please stand and observe a moment of silence for our fallen classmates,” she said, her gaze lingering on the empty seats.

The entire class rose to their feet, lowering their heads in a respectful silence.

“Although most of you won’t choose combat, danger isn’t something you can avoid just because you wish it to be,” Teacher Zhang continued once everyone had risen. “Every piece of knowledge you gain and every skill you hone today will enhance your safety. As your teacher, I don’t want to bid farewell to any more of my students!” She paused before adding resolutely, “I want to see you all graduate successfully.”

She hoped that following this incident, her students would redouble their efforts to study and train.