Chapter 53

The air was dry, and despite no one having entered for many years, it did not feel difficult to breathe.

Chen Zong carefully examined the surroundings with the light from the fire basin, and was greatly surprised.

After walking a few meters down the passage, he entered a stone room. Indeed, the walls around were made of smooth, dark green large stones.

The stone room was estimated to be about ten meters long and wide, and about five meters high. Chen Zong's gaze quickly swept over the room and was immediately drawn to the center.

There was a dark green stone table, and behind it sat a figure in a brown robe.

"Senior..." Chen Zong tried to call out, but received no response. He took a few more steps closer and was instantly startled.

The seated figure was a mummy, clearly dead for a long time.

Behind the mummy was a row of bookshelves, with over a hundred books neatly arranged. In front of the mummy, on the stone table, were some items.

Chen Zong was very cautious.

After confirming there were no traps or dangers, he walked to the stone table and stared at the items on it.

There were five scrolls made of animal skin, and one of them was already spread out, covered in small black characters. A writing brush and an inkstone with dried ink were placed beside it.

"I am Xu Zhengji, known to the world as the Dragon Subduing Immortal..." Chen Zong read the black characters carefully. It was clearly a will, and its content made Chen Zong increasingly shocked and excited.

This Dragon Subduing Immortal Xu Zhengji was a martial artist even more powerful than the family elders.

Chen Zong already knew that above the Blood Qi Realm was the Power Training Realm, and above that was the True Martial Realm. This Dragon Subduing Immortal was not only a True Martial Realm powerhouse but also one at the peak of that realm.

"True Martial Realm peak..." Chen Zong's heart raced.

Within the entire Wind Martial City, the Power Training Realm was the strongest, and the True Martial Realm was like a legend. He never thought he would encounter a True Martial Realm powerhouse, even if it was just a mummy.

"... On the table are five scrolls. Two of them are my lifetime cultivation techniques and martial arts, two are the techniques and medicinal formulas left by the owner of this stone room, and one is a map I drew. If you are a person of destiny, you may perform the disciple ceremony to inherit my techniques and martial arts..."

"Should I become a disciple?" Chen Zong thought for a moment and then rejected the idea.

The Dragon Subduing Immortal Xu Zhengji was indeed a powerful martial artist, standing at the peak of the entire Eastern Continent. If such a powerhouse wanted to take a disciple, just spreading the news would attract countless geniuses, who would fight to the death for the opportunity.

The reason Chen Zong did not want to become a disciple was clear: the Dragon Subduing Immortal did not practice sword techniques.

According to the will, the Dragon Subduing Immortal was skilled in palm techniques, but Chen Zong had no intention of giving up the sword for palms. Of course, practicing both was not impossible.

"... If you do not wish to become a disciple, please take my techniques and martial arts to the True Martial Main City and give them to my Xu family descendants. As a reward, you may freely study and practice the techniques and martial arts I left behind, but remember, they must not be passed on to anyone other than yourself and my Xu family descendants..."

The will contained a lot of content, and Chen Zong read it very carefully, taking some time to finish.

"True Martial Main City..."

Chen Zong was no longer the novice who had just left Xiaohu Town. He knew more about the Eastern Continent.

On the Eastern Continent, there were five main cities, and the True Martial Main City was the center. Wind Martial City was just one of the garrison cities under the jurisdiction of the Great Martial Main City.

For the Xu family to have roots in the True Martial Main City, the center of the five main cities, clearly indicated their extraordinary status.

The will also explained that this stone room was not built by the Dragon Subduing Immortal but discovered by him by chance, perhaps left by a predecessor. There were no cultivation techniques or martial arts, only over a hundred miscellaneous books and two scrolls of techniques and medicinal formulas.

He said he intended to explore the Hundred Beast Mountain, leave the Eastern Continent, and venture into the legendary vast world beyond. However, he encountered a powerful beast and was injured. Fleeing into the Dragon Subduing Mountain, he knew his time was limited and had no time to return to his family. Thus, he came to this stone room, left his cultivation techniques and martial arts, and wrote the will.

The will was dated 336 years ago, meaning the Dragon Subduing Immortal had been dead for sixty years. Chen Zong was the only person of destiny in those sixty years.

"Luck isn't bad," Chen Zong said to himself with a smile, then picked up the first scroll of animal skin and carefully read it.

This scroll contained cultivation techniques, with a total of four.

The Dragon Subduing Technique, suitable for Blood Qi refinement, could refine Blood Qi at least four times, regardless of who practiced it.

The Human Grade Supreme Small Dragon Subduing Technique, suitable for Blood Qi Realm practitioners, had five levels. Practicing to the fourth level would allow the formation of a Dragon Subduing Force within the body.

The Earth Grade Superior Great Dragon Subduing Technique, suitable for Power Training Realm practitioners, was known for its fierce and powerful nature.

The Heaven Grade Intermediate Great Dragon Subduing True Force, suitable for True Martial Realm practitioners, was fierce and tyrannical, capable of subduing dragons and taming tigers.

Chen Zong could understand the content of the Dragon Subduing Technique, but the Great Dragon Subduing Technique and the Great Dragon Subduing True Force were completely beyond his comprehension. The profundity of Earth Grade and Heaven Grade techniques far exceeded his current cultivation level and martial arts experience.

This did not dampen Chen Zong's excitement.

"Indeed very powerful. If I didn't already have the True Sword Heaven Absolute Technique, I would definitely practice the Dragon Subduing Technique," Chen Zong thought.

Clearly, the True Sword Heaven Absolute Technique was superior to the Dragon Subduing Technique.

However, the Dragon Subduing Technique had one advantage: it had a complete lineage of subsequent techniques. Practicing techniques from the same lineage would result in more refined and pure power.

Chen Zong rolled up the cultivation technique scroll and opened another one, which contained martial arts.

The Foundation Martial Art Small Dragon Subduing Hand had eight forms, the same number as the True Sword Eight Forms. When practiced to perfection, it could exercise eighty percent of the body, similar to the True Sword Eight Forms. Chen Zong was amazed.

Until now, he had not seen a foundation martial art that could rival the True Sword Eight Forms.

The Small Dragon Subduing Hand was fierce and powerful, capable of breaking stones and splitting rocks, with terrifying power. Chen Zong studied it carefully.

In the end, Chen Zong concluded that although the Small Dragon Subduing Hand could match the True Sword Eight Forms in terms of level, its power was still inferior. Even if practiced to the highest level, it would only be equivalent to the first level of a Human Grade Lower Technique, still clearly inferior to the strongest form of the True Sword Eight Forms.

This made Chen Zong even more curious about the True Sword Eight Forms. What was its origin?

Next was the Human Grade Supreme Great Dragon Subduing Hand.

The Great Dragon Subduing Hand required the Small Dragon Subduing Hand as a foundation and had three levels. Its power was incredibly fierce and tyrannical, far surpassing the Small Dragon Subduing Hand.

"Truly terrifying!" Chen Zong gasped.

Within the entire Wind Martial City, there were no Human Grade Supreme techniques or martial arts.

Continuing, the third martial art was the Earth Grade Superior Dragon Subduing Ground Hand, and the fourth was the Heaven Grade Intermediate Dragon Subduing Heaven Hand.

Each martial art required the previous one as a foundation and was more fierce and tyrannical than the last.

Moreover, using the Dragon Subduing lineage techniques to drive the Dragon Subduing lineage martial arts would maximize their power. Starting from the Great Dragon Subduing Hand, if the Dragon Subduing lineage techniques were not used, the power would be greatly reduced and could even harm the practitioner.

If not for his love of the sword and sword techniques, Chen Zong might have been swayed and abandoned the sword to inherit the Dragon Subduing lineage.

Imagine having such a complete lineage of techniques and martial arts. With sufficient talent and effort, one could almost certainly reach the True Martial Realm, and even have a chance to reach the peak of the True Martial Realm, becoming a super powerhouse standing at the peak of the Eastern Continent.

But that would just be another Dragon Subduing Immortal.

"Unfortunately, my aspirations lie elsewhere. I want to use my sword to carve out a new path," Chen Zong thought.

The mysterious sword tip's origin was unknown, but Chen Zong felt its value was definitely greater than the Dragon Subduing Immortal's lineage.

If he had to choose between the two, Chen Zong would naturally choose the mysterious sword tip.

Furthermore, Chen Zong preferred to forge his own path. This was a desire and a longing. Even if his achievements could not match those of the Dragon Subduing Immortal, at least he would not regret it.

"Getting off track, let's look at the other three scrolls," Chen Zong shook his head, rolled up the martial arts scroll, and picked up the third one to open it.

This was a scroll of medicinal formulas.

Ice Fire Membrane Ointment!

Effect: Refine the skin...

Ingredients: Earth Cold Grass, Fire Rock Flower, Seven-Day White Orchid, Cold Python Essence Blood, Flame Tiger Essence Blood...

Preparation method...

Usage method...

The first formula was detailed from its effect to its ingredients, preparation method, and usage method, making it easy to understand.

Tiger Leopard Muscle Pill!

Effect: Strengthen muscles and tendons...

Ingredients: Blood Tiger Bone Gel, Black Cloud Leopard Bone Gel, Broken Tendon Grass...

Preparation method...

Usage method...

Thunder Sound Bone Pill!

Effect: Refine the bones...

Ingredients: Thunder Grass, Dragon Vine Root, Silver Snake Vine...

Preparation method...

Usage method...

The scroll contained three formulas, all very detailed.

"The True Sword Heaven Absolute Technique refines Blood Qi. The higher the level, the sharper the Blood Qi, and the stronger the body must be to support it. Based on my estimate, with my current physical strength, the third level would already cause me pain, and the fourth level might tear my body apart," Chen Zong's eyes gleamed.

Many powerful techniques often had higher requirements. After all, powerful strength first acts on oneself, and one must bear it with one's own body.

For example, the Dragon Subduing Technique of the Dragon Subduing Immortal required a sufficiently strong body to withstand the fierce and tyrannical power.

"These three formulas, refining the skin, strengthening the muscles and tendons, and forging the bones, fundamentally enhance the body, making it capable of withstanding greater stress. They are exactly what I need," Chen Zong was delighted.

Compared to the Dragon Subduing Immortal's techniques and martial arts, Chen Zong felt these three formulas were more valuable.

Of course, this was relative.

Rolling up the formula scroll, Chen Zong picked up the fourth one and opened it.

Body Forging Technique!

A very straightforward and easy-to-remember name, but it immediately piqued Chen Zong's great interest.

The Body Forging Technique, as the name suggests, is a technique for exercising the body, which is easy to understand.

Starting from the first word of the main text, Chen Zong read carefully and could not help but become excited. This Body Forging Technique was clearly designed to complement the three formulas, or rather, the three formulas existed to serve this Body Forging Technique.

The Body Forging Technique had four levels, with no indication of its grade.

The first level, Copper Skin, as the name suggests, refines the skin to the extreme, making it as hard as ancient copper.

The second level, Steel Tendons, refines the tendons to be as tough as steel.

The third level, Iron Bones, refines the bones through repeated hammering, making them like iron.

The fourth level, Mixed Essence Body, combines the first three levels, refining the body to a new height.