Chapter 94

Standing before the jade bed, Lu Shaoyou had long sensed its extraordinary nature. A stream of energy was swirling above it, but for others, this spirit jade bed was a treasure, while for him, its effects were minimal. His normal cultivation speed was already astonishingly slow, and even if it could be accelerated, it probably wouldn't be much faster. What he needed most were demon cores and spirit pills. PaoShu8.com

"Master, how did you end up here? What level of strength did you reach in the past?" Lu Shaoyou asked.

"Hehe." The Holy Hand Spirit Venerable smiled, but his mummified body showed no signs of a smile, adding a touch of horror: "Back then, I was at the Ninth Rank Spirit Venerable level. I discovered this place by chance and planned to break through to the Spirit Emperor level in peace. However, I fell short by a step. There is a small river below. Follow the current, pass through a canyon, and when you reach the end, you can leave by emerging from the water."

"Ninth Rank Spirit Venerable." Lu Shaoyou was startled. That was a Ninth Rank Spirit Venerable. In this world, there seemed to be no Spirit Venerables or Martial Venerables, and at that level, they were undoubtedly all super-strong.

"Surprised, aren't you? A Ninth Rank Spirit Venerable, yet still unable to break through to the Spirit Emperor level. It's a pity you're not a spirit practitioner. Remember, if you can reach the Martial Venerable level in the future, never be careless. There are far more strong people in this world than you can imagine. With this Heavenly Spirit Record, even though you're not a spirit practitioner and can't cultivate everything, as long as you have some talent, you will have a place in this world." The Holy Hand Spirit Venerable said.

"Master, what kind of ultimate technique is this Heavenly Spirit Record?" Lu Shaoyou asked, curious about the ultimate technique his master, the Holy Hand Spirit Venerable, had mentioned.

"You'll know when you open the jade slip. It won't disappoint you. My soul can't last much longer. You are my disciple now, remember, if you have the chance, take care of the Duanmu family." As he spoke, Lu Shaoyou was examining the cold jade bed, and the Holy Hand Spirit Venerable's corpse suddenly fell to the ground, his withered face turning to powder, and his black robe turning to ashes.

The mummy's skin had disappeared, leaving behind a white skeleton, perfectly connected without any damage, exuding a strange aura.

Lu Shaoyou bowed three times to the skeleton. Although the Holy Hand Spirit Venerable had just become his master, he had already acknowledged him as such, and he had also received many benefits.

He then collected the Holy Hand Spirit Venerable's bones, crawled out of the cave, and buried them at the foot of the mountain. He couldn't help but sigh, even such a strong person couldn't escape the end. Under the laws of heaven and earth, no matter how glorious one's life, after death, one would only be a pile of yellow earth. According to legend, only those at the peak of martial and spirit paths could transcend the void and enter the realm of immortality.

"Since I have chosen the path of cultivation in this life, I will cultivate to the extreme and step into the legendary realm of immortality." Lu Shaoyou gazed at the Holy Hand Spirit Venerable's grave, silently vowing in his heart.

Originally, Lu Shaoyou only wanted to become strong to protect his mother and everything he cared about. Now, seeing his master, such a strong person, unable to escape the end, he couldn't help but sigh. In the future, there would be another path before him.

After a while, Lu Shaoyou returned to the cave. The river was the exit, but he wasn't in a hurry to leave. His injuries had not fully healed, and he needed to wait until they were completely recovered to avoid any danger.

Opening the storage ring he had just received from his master, the Holy Hand Spirit Venerable, Lu Shaoyou began to check its contents. Apart from a white jade token and a jade slip that seemed to contain a spirit technique, there was nothing else. There were no demon cores, spirit pills, or even third-grade pills.

Lu Shaoyou couldn't help but think, even among the strong, there are poor ones.

"Let's heal my injuries first." Lu Shaoyou thought. Everything else could wait until his injuries were healed. Healing his injuries would take some time, so he let Little Dragon go into the forest to find food. In this remote valley, Little Dragon wouldn't be in any danger.

"Jade spirit bed." Lu Shaoyou looked at the jade spirit bed left by his master, the Holy Hand Spirit Venerable, with interest. Sitting on the jade spirit bed, he immediately felt a mysterious energy enveloping his surroundings. A warm aura rose from beneath him, and his true qi began to flow slowly, making him feel incredibly comfortable.

"Truly a treasure." Lu Shaoyou was delighted. The jade spirit bed, which was a treasure even to a Spirit Venerable, was indeed excellent. Even without cultivating, sitting on the jade spirit bed gave him a sense of being in a cultivation state. A force in his mind was guiding the spirit energy in his brain, making his body feel incredibly comfortable.

"Let's heal my injuries first." Lu Shaoyou took out the third-grade healing pill, the Qi Recovery Pill, from his storage ring, which he had obtained from the Fire Yin monster. The pill immediately transformed into a massive energy that spread throughout his body.

Lu Shaoyou quickly activated the Yin-Yang Spirit Martial Technique. This third-grade pill was far superior to the second-grade healing pill, the True Return Pill, being at least several times stronger.

After a while, a faint yellow glow enveloped Lu Shaoyou, and he entered a unique state, quietly healing his injuries. With the help of the third-grade Qi Recovery Pill, Lu Shaoyou could clearly feel his internal injuries healing at an extremely fast rate.

At the same time, a unique energy from the jade spirit bed also flowed into his body, working in tandem with the energy from the Qi Recovery Pill. The speed of his injury recovery was at least ten times faster than when he was healing in the cave. Most surprisingly, the energy from the jade spirit bed made the spirit energy in his mind extremely active, significantly enhancing his cultivation. Compared to his normal cultivation speed, it was at least twice as fast, reaching the speed of a normal spirit practitioner.

Feeling the effects of the jade spirit bed, Lu Shaoyou couldn't help but sigh. If a normal spirit practitioner cultivated on the jade spirit bed, with a speed twice as fast, it would be terrifying. No wonder his master, the Holy Hand Spirit Venerable, said he had risked his life to obtain it.

Time passed slowly, and Lu Shaoyou quietly continued to heal, his injuries gradually recovering.

Meanwhile, in the outside world, many disciples from Fog City were searching the cliffs where City Lord Wang Mingyue had battled the Fire Yin monster, using several rock eagles. They searched the nearby mountains, but no one could enter the bottom of the cliff, and they eventually had to give up.

On a mountain range, two rock eagles carried Elder White Eyebrow, Lu Wushuang, Dugu Binglan, Cuìyù, and others, all with somber expressions, except for Wang Guang and Lu Shaohu, who were in high spirits.

Two days later, in the cave within the mountain, a faint, invisible, transparent aura enveloped Lu Shaoyou, who was surrounded by a faint yellow glow. A mysterious aura filled the stone room.

At this moment, Lu Shaoyou's face was no longer pale, and a light flush indicated that his internal injuries were almost fully healed. His aura had also returned to its usual state, and if one paid close attention, it seemed to have subtly strengthened.

The mysterious aura around him was somewhat unstable, fluctuating up and down. In Lu Shaoyou's mind, the spirit energy was rapidly fluctuating.

Suddenly, a strange energy wave surged in the stone room. Shortly after, a powerful aura erupted from Lu Shaoyou's body, rapidly ascending to a new height.

The invisible, transparent aura around Lu Shaoyou also ascended, and most mysteriously, the jade spirit bed seemed to respond, emitting a faint glow that harmonized with the aura around Lu Shaoyou, creating a highly mystical atmosphere.

In Lu Shaoyou's mind, the spirit energy reached a new height, and under its impact, an invisible barrier was almost effortlessly shattered. The rapid ascent of his aura lasted for a moment before gradually subsiding, and a wave of invisible energy spread out.

This invisible energy, like a tangible sound wave, struck the hard stone walls, causing them to vibrate slightly, as if swept by a powerful force.

As the energy dissipated, the aura around Lu Shaoyou gradually faded, and his aura stabilized.

"Phew..." Lu Shaoyou exhaled a long, turbid breath, his tightly closed eyes slowly opening. His eyes flashed with a sharp light before quickly fading, leaving his gaze brighter and deeper.

At this moment, Lu Shaoyou couldn't help but smile. He felt that the spirit energy in his mind had increased several times, breaking through to the Second Rank Spirit Scholar level. This spirit energy, which had not broken through for a long time, had finally advanced with the help of the jade spirit bed.

Now, Lu Shaoyou felt that the jade spirit bed was not just an ordinary treasure, as it also significantly enhanced his true qi, though not as much as it did for spirit energy.

Originally, it had taken him three days to heal his injuries to about 40%, but with the help of the Qi Recovery Pill and the jade spirit bed, his injuries were fully healed, and his true qi was on the verge of breaking through to the Sixth Rank Warrior level. His spirit energy, which had not broken through for a long time, had finally advanced.

Without the help of the Qi Recovery Pill and the jade spirit bed, Lu Shaoyou estimated it would have taken him at least a month to heal his injuries on his own.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Shaoyou took out the Heavenly Spirit Record left by his master, the Holy Hand Spirit Venerable. This was the ultimate technique of a Ninth Rank Spirit Venerable, and Lu Shaoyou couldn't help but feel excited about what this Heavenly Spirit Record contained.

His master, the Holy Hand Spirit Venerable, had not specified whether it was a martial technique or another cultivation method, but as a technique left by a Ninth Rank Spirit Venerable, it was bound to be excellent.

"What kind of ultimate technique is this?" Lu Shaoyou formed a hand seal, bit his finger, and a drop of blood dripped onto the jade slip.

"Zhisshh!"

The jade slip immediately glowed brightly, and the entire stone room was enveloped in a dazzling light. The light then surged into Lu Shaoyou's forehead, transforming into a massive amount of information that entered his mind.

After about half an hour, the light gradually faded, and Lu Shaoyou began to examine the massive amount of information in his mind, feeling both surprised and shocked.

The Heavenly Spirit Record was not a martial technique or a spirit technique. To Lu Shaoyou's surprise, it was a skill outside of martial and spirit techniques. In a world dominated by martial artists and spirit practitioners, the Heavenly Spirit Record was a unique and incredible skill.

The Heavenly Spirit Record contained various array formations, puppet-making, and weapon forging techniques. There was little information about alchemy, but it also recorded many unique methods, such as the Soul Search Technique, which could probe an opponent's memories.

There was also a Beast Control Technique, which allowed one to control large numbers of demon beasts and spirit beasts with sufficient strength. One could also raise demon beasts and spirit beasts from a young age, unlike ordinary spirit practitioners who needed to spend a lot of effort to control demon beasts and spirit beasts but could not raise them or control large numbers of them. Each control of a demon beast or spirit beast required a significant amount of soul power, which ordinary spirit practitioners could not afford.

Therefore, powerful spirit practitioners usually controlled only one good spirit beast or demon beast. Controlling spirit beasts meant consuming more soul power, and spirit beasts were difficult to control.

Excessive consumption of soul power was a major taboo for spirit practitioners, directly affecting their future cultivation. If it affected their foundation, it would ruin their future, so no spirit practitioner would dare to control large numbers of spirit beasts and demon beasts.

The Beast Control Technique was different. Controlling large numbers of demon beasts and spirit beasts was not a problem, and one could even raise them from a young age. These self-raised demon beasts and spirit beasts had a better synergy with their owners, acting as their right and left arms, and could play a significant role in battles.

In addition to all this, the Heavenly Spirit Record also contained some of the Holy Hand Spirit Venerable's insights and detailed information about various materials, essentially a comprehensive reference.

Carefully examining everything in the Heavenly Spirit Record, most of the techniques required spirit practitioners to master, such as the Soul Search Technique, which required one's soul to be stronger than the opponent's and to suppress the opponent's soul. Spirit practitioners had a significant advantage over martial artists in this regard.

Some puppet-making techniques required powerful soul power to create high-level puppets, which martial artists could only create at lower levels.

Some array formations also required strong soul cultivation to activate, which was difficult for martial artists.

Seeing everything in the Heavenly Spirit Record, Lu Shaoyou understood why his master, the Holy Hand Spirit Venerable, had said that even if he cultivated the techniques suitable for martial artists, he could still stand a place in this world. These techniques were undoubtedly more attractive and powerful than martial and spirit techniques.

Imagine a person with not very high strength but controlling many demon beasts, spirit beasts, puppets, and arrays. Who would dare to provoke such a person?

"Fortunately, I am both a martial and spirit practitioner." Lu Shaoyou was delighted. As a spirit practitioner, he could learn everything in the Heavenly Spirit Record. With these techniques, he would have enough means to stand a place in this world.

"Surviving a great calamity must bring great fortune." Lu Shaoyou thought. Surviving this calamity, he had received a great gift from his master, which was worth more than a treasure trove.

Lu Shaoyou smiled. Uncle Nan's jade slip mainly contained information about alchemy, with less about weapon forging, which could not compare to the Heavenly Spirit Record. However, the alchemy information in the Heavenly Spirit Record was more extensive than what Uncle Nan had given him. Combining both, his mind would be a complete reference.

"This can be done gradually. Let's see what the spirit technique is."

Lu Shaoyou then took out the spirit technique from his storage ring. If martial techniques were precious, spirit techniques were even more so. One could say that if martial techniques were gold, spirit techniques were diamonds.

A spirit technique, as the name suggests, was a technique used by spirit practitioners, which martial artists could not cultivate. Spirit practitioners were already rare, and spirit techniques were even rarer. At the same level, the value of a spirit technique was at least twice that of a martial technique.

"Elementary Rank Mystic Spirit Technique." Lu Shaoyou looked at the jade slip in his hand. His master, the Holy Hand Spirit Venerable, had said it was an Elementary Rank Mystic Spirit Technique. At this level, it would cause a huge stir in the outside world. Even in large sects, Mystic Rank martial techniques were comparable to the treasures that guarded the mountains, let alone Mystic Rank spirit techniques.

Holding the Elementary Rank Mystic Spirit Technique, Lu Shaoyou hesitated about whether to cultivate it. Uncle Nan had said that with his current strength, he should not cultivate high-level martial or spirit techniques too early, as his strength level could not fully control them, and it would require a lot of time and effort, which would not benefit his cultivation.

But Lu Shaoyou deeply knew that his means were too few, and his strength was insufficient. He needed to quickly improve his strength, and he could not afford to consider other things for now. He could only focus on improving his strength.