Chapter 6

As the sun gradually set in the west, the twilight enveloped the gold, and the cold crows began to call, the weary birds started to return to their nests.

The day was almost over.

Tanggu glanced at the sky and was taken aback.

"It's time to go back!"

He had matters to attend to the next day, and if he suddenly disappeared, it would raise suspicions. He couldn't stay on this small island any longer.

Moreover, the island had no beds, no couches, and no food or drink. Although staying here wouldn't immediately starve him, it certainly wouldn't be comfortable.

Additionally, some beasts preferred to hunt at night. As a low-level cultivator in the Qi Sensing stage, staying alone here at night would be extremely dangerous.

Therefore, returning to town was an imperative.

However, before leaving, he still had some things to take care of.

First, the black-clad corpse.

The corpse was easy to handle; he buried it on the spot.

Given the tragic state in which the man died, Tanggu feared that someone might trace back to him, so he didn't even set up a tombstone. In the end, he only marked the spot as he did when he found the "Blood Sinew Fruit," to avoid forgetting it.

The mysterious purple bone and the strange crystal ball were also easy to handle, as they were not heavy and could be carried with him.

Such valuable items, Tanggu naturally wouldn't leave behind, so he kept them in his pocket.

The only thing that gave him a headache was the large bow.

The bow was extremely heavy, impossible to move or take with him. Even if he tried to hide it somewhere, it would be impossible.

The bow weighed over ten thousand pounds and was immovable. He had only managed to drag it over with the help of the sea's buoyancy.

However, leaving it exposed on the shore was also inappropriate. Although the island was rarely visited, one could never be too careful. What if someone discovered it?

Such a divine bow would make anyone covet it, and no one would be willing to leave it for others.

Although Tanggu didn't believe anyone could move it, if someone found it, it would be much harder for him to retrieve it later.

In the end, Tanggu came up with a plan. He took a thick oilcloth from the boat, dug a deep hole under the purple bow, and let it sink slowly.

Finally, he added some thick soil and sand on top, making the spot indistinguishable from the rest.

Even if there were some traces, the sea would wash them away, and no one would guess that a pit had been dug and a mysterious giant bow buried here.

After finishing, Tanggu clapped his hands and smiled in satisfaction. He believed that with such material, even if it endured some seawater and dampness, it would not be damaged at all.

Not only that, Tanggu felt that even after thousands of years, the bow would not deteriorate, showing its extraordinary quality.

The only concern was how many years it would take for him to have the strength to lift it, like the black-clad man, and use it as a weapon.

But it was clear that it was impossible for now.

Subsequently, Tanggu sailed away from the Fog Island, disembarked, and returned to his "home."

Speaking of "home," it was actually a very simple thatched hut with a few large holes. Looking through them, one could even see the stars outside.

Such a thatched hut could only shield from the wind and rain but could not withstand the severe cold of winter.

During the day, with the sun shining, the thatched hut was still warm. But at night, the cold wind blew through, penetrating the body.

However, this was all Tanggu had. He had no other desires; having a place to stay was already satisfying.

He pushed open the door.

Facing him was a simple wooden table, whose color was no longer discernible. Behind the table was a bed and a chair.

The "bed," called a bed, was actually a makeshift bed made of a few simple wooden boards, with some dry grass laid on top, no bedding or pillow.

The chair had one leg broken, no paint, and was propped up with a piece of wood.

The entire room contained nothing else.

However, even in such a simple environment, it was his place to rest.

Compared to the intrigue and deceit in the martial academy, although the thatched hut was simple and might seem unbearable to others, Tanggu preferred to return to his humble abode.

After a tiring day, Tanggu took off his coarse gray shirt and carefully hung it to one side.

He wouldn't wear this coarse gray shirt outside, as it cost him half a month's stone coins, just to look decent when he first entered the martial academy.

Otherwise, with his current appearance, he might not have found this job.

Even as a servant, a martial academy servant was not a position anyone could take.

He walked to the bed, lay down quietly, and looked up at the sky. His eyes carried a sense of bewilderment for the first time.

It seemed that only at this moment could he regain a bit of his true self.

He began to think about his next steps.

Although he didn't understand why the top-ranked outer academy disciple, "Iron Sword" Du Pengfei, specifically targeted him, the enmity was already formed and hard to resolve.

If he didn't find a way to protect himself, his life in the martial academy would be difficult, let alone cultivation.

Another pressing matter was the "Little Blood Sinew Fruit."

Originally, he went to the island to take the "Little Blood Sinew Fruit" and break through to the first stage of the Qi Path.

However, now... he didn't get the "Little Blood Sinew Fruit" and instead encountered a powerful enemy, a Metal-type first-stage beast, the "Phantom Flame Copper Eagle."

Not a human, but a beast as a formidable enemy.

The matter with "Iron Sword" Du Pengfei could be postponed, to be investigated later, but this issue could not wait.

Although he still didn't know how many days it would take for the "Little Blood Sinew Fruit" to fully mature, it was undoubtedly not much time.

After waiting for three months and checking every few days, seeing it finally about to mature, only to have it snatched away, not by a human but by a beast, anyone would be frustrated.

Moreover, this item was too important to Tanggu, and there was no reason to give up.

Everything was back to square one. Originally, he wanted to use the "Little Blood Sinew Fruit" to replace the "First Stage Pill" and break through to the first stage of the Qi Path.

But now, to deal with the "Phantom Flame Copper Eagle," he had to break through to the first stage of the Qi Path, and it was even more urgent. The situation was caught in a vicious cycle.

Everything came down to strength. If he had enough strength...

Tanggu thought silently, his eyes slightly narrowed. His thoughts turned, and he couldn't help but recall the strange encounter on Fog Island.

The floating corpse at sea, the black-clad cultivator with peculiar attire, the powerful and mysterious purple bow, the bone fragment that could float in the sky, and a crystal ball that shimmered.

Where did all this come from?

And the ancient and dangerous "Ancient Soul Technique," should he cultivate it?

After deep thought, Tanggu's eyes flashed, and he made a decision.

The "Little Blood Sinew Fruit" must not be lost, so the "Phantom Flame Copper Eagle" must be killed. Tanggu wasn't that naive to think he could reason with it.

Otherwise, if he waited until the "Little Blood Sinew Fruit" fully matured and was eaten by the "Phantom Flame Copper Eagle," even if he later improved his strength and killed it, it would be too late.

The "Little Blood Sinew Fruit" would dissolve in the eagle's mouth, and even if he killed it later, he couldn't retrieve it.

Moreover, the "Phantom Flame Copper Eagle" might gain a significant boost in strength after consuming the "Little Blood Sinew Fruit," making it even harder to kill in the future.

Time was of the essence, so he needed to enhance his strength as quickly as possible. The "Ancient Soul Technique" was the only way.

If this technique could deal with the "Phantom Flame Copper Eagle," even if it was risky, it would be worth it.

Moreover, as a person with no power, status, or background, it was not easy to cultivate to a higher martial realm.

Such an opportunity might only come once in a lifetime, and he couldn't afford to miss it.

The best cultivation techniques and spirit techniques were stored in large martial academies and sects. If he didn't take a risk, he might never get what he wanted.

The path of cultivation was a struggle against fate, using human effort to defy the heavens and seize a glimmer of hope.

Without the determination to challenge fate, even the most talented would ultimately be forgotten, lost in the crowd, and become a mere supporting character.

He couldn't take the long road.

To stand firm in this mysterious world, he needed to be prepared to pay a greater price than others.

Was there anything without danger? There was no gain without sacrifice. To achieve great results, one must first make great sacrifices.

The prospects of cultivating the "Ancient Soul Technique" to its ultimate level were worth the risk.

Thinking and acting, Tanggu reached into his pocket and took out the mysterious purple bone from the black-clad man, then gently pressed it to his forehead.

Instantly, as before, countless tadpole-like characters appeared in the purple bone. These characters, as if with a will of their own, rushed into his mind the moment they touched his forehead.

The terrifying sensation of his head about to split, as experienced during the day, reappeared. However, this time, Tanggu, having experienced it before, was no longer afraid and did not move the purple bone away.

After a moment, the purple bone's light dimmed and fell. Tanggu wrapped it in white cloth and put it back in his pocket. Then, he looked outside and fell into a bitter smile.

He realized he had been too optimistic. He only considered whether he wanted to cultivate this soul technique but didn't think about whether he could cultivate it.

According to the purple bone, to cultivate it, he needed a large amount of resources. Just the materials needed to break through to the first stage of the Soul Path were far more than those needed to break through to the first stage of the Qi Path.

"Materials needed for the first stage of the Soul Path: one gram of black crow root, three spirit grasses, two green pearl sky chrysanthemums, two inches of thousand-faced vine, five small withering and flourishing flowers, and one low-level beast soul."

If a low-level beast soul was unavailable, a hundred ordinary beast souls could be used, but the effect would be greatly reduced, which was not worth it.

This was just for the first stage of the Soul Path. According to the purple bone, the path of soul cultivation was intense and tyrannical. It was easy to start but difficult to reach a profound level.

Low-level beast souls were easy to find, but high-level beast souls were too powerful, some of which were not easily defeated by human cultivators.

Therefore... it wasn't a matter of whether Tanggu wanted to cultivate it, but whether he could cultivate it. The root of the problem was still a lack of money!

Whether it was the "First Stage Pill" needed for the first stage of the Qi Path or the beast souls and spirit medicines needed for the "Ancient Soul Technique," if Tanggu had money, he could buy them.

It seemed he needed to find a way to earn a fortune in a short time. Otherwise, everything would be stuck, and that was absolutely unacceptable.

...

Second update.

After 12:00, I will push for the new book ranking. If you are still around, please help by voting with two recommendation votes. This is the first time the book is pushing for the new book ranking... I hope for your support. If it can be in the top twelve tomorrow, there will be three updates!

Thank you!

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