Chapter 9

The number of cultivation schools in the world is countless, and each cultivator's innate constitution is different. Over the past few centuries, countless grandmasters have emerged, creating numerous cultivation techniques and powerful methods to harness the elemental energy of heaven and earth.

The Minshan Sword Sect and the Lingxu Sword Sect of the Great Qin Dynasty have pushed the art of sword control to its limits. The various sects of the Chu Dynasty, the Great Yan Dynasty, and the Great Qi Dynasty, however, have achieved unparalleled heights in alchemy, talismans, and the path of yin energy.

Even the three fallen dynasties of Han, Zhao, and Wei, aside from the hundreds of secret sects, have the Nanyang Alchemy Sect of the Han Dynasty, the Sword Furnace of the Zhao Dynasty, and the Yunshui Palace of the Wei Dynasty, which are among the few sects in the world that can match them in cultivation techniques and methods.

However, among all the cultivation techniques, the Nine Lives Silkworm Divine Technique is undoubtedly the most powerful and mysterious.

No one knows the origin of this technique, but it is vaguely speculated that it was the cultivation technique of the invincible Emperor of the Great You Dynasty, who founded the dynasty hundreds of years ago.

There is even speculation that the reason the Emperor, the strongest cultivator of his time, passed away at the age of fifty was due to an accident while cultivating this technique.

The reason for this speculation is that after the Emperor, the most brilliant figures of each generation have obtained this technique, but none of them, including the person who is almost a taboo in the mouths of all the people of the Great Qin Dynasty, dared to cultivate it.

Without anyone cultivating it, no one in the world knows what makes this technique so powerful and mysterious.

However, later cultivators learned from the records on the bamboo slips left by the Great You Dynasty that during the cultivation of this technique, many people must be killed... and when it touches the true essence of other cultivators, it produces a sound like thousands of silkworms eating mulberry leaves.

However, the cultivators of that time were certain that this technique could not directly devour the true essence of others to enhance one's own cultivation, like some of the demonic techniques of the Great Qi Dynasty.

What is the purpose of touching the true essence of the other party and producing this sound of thousands of silkworms eating? What does it mean?

Just this inexplicable speculation makes people feel even more mysterious and fearful.

However, what made Song Shenshu extremely fearful at this moment was not the technique itself, but the fact that this technique ultimately disappeared in the hands of that person.

That person once had many guests.

And Song Shenshu, many years ago, was just one of the most humble carriage drivers for one of that person's guests.

Now, the Nine Lives Silkworm Divine Technique, which should have disappeared with the death of that person, appeared before him with such vivid reality, bringing with it countless scenes he had deliberately tried to forget, pressing down on him like a mountain.

His body became even more immobile, and his whole body began to convulse violently.

He began to realize that the rumors circulating in Changling recently were actually true.

...

Ding Ning looked at Song Shenshu, his movements not pausing for a moment. His fingertips, as if smoothing out the wrinkles in Song Shenshu's clothes, carefully swept over every red true essence line on Song Shenshu's body.

Accompanied by countless faint sounds like silkworms eating mulberry leaves, the red true essence lines disappeared under his fingertips.

"What does it feel like to betray your friends for glory?" As he did this, he asked Song Shenshu seriously, as if he really wanted an answer.

Hearing this, Song Shenshu finally confirmed his guess. His fear returned to his current situation. "Don't kill me!" He was drenched in sweat, his throat muscles trembling, and he let out a hoarse, unpleasant sound.

"Debts must be repaid."

Ding Ning looked at him with pity. "Tell me, besides your life, what else can you use to repay your debt?"

Song Shenshu's eyes were almost covered by his own sweat. He forced his eyes open and said urgently, "If... if I tell you some secrets more important than my life, will you let me live?"

Ding Ning's brows furrowed slightly. He pondered for a few moments and said, "Yes."

Hope flared in Song Shenshu's eyes, but he was hesitant for a moment.

Ding Ning sneered. "You should know the name of his sword."

Song Shenshu's eyes brightened.

"Li Guanlan was killed, and the one who betrayed him was Mu Zi. He has now changed his name to Liang Lian."

He controlled his increasingly stiff throat, his voice hoarse and unpleasant, as he revealed what he considered the most important secret.

Ding Ning's eyes darkened imperceptibly.

Those familiar names represented many debts for him.

"Liang Lian?"

"The great general of the Northern Army? The one with the most military merit, the one most likely to be ennobled next?"

He frowned deeply, speaking to himself.

"That's him." Song Shenshu's desire to survive grew stronger, and although it was more difficult to speak, his voice became louder.

"Is that all? You should understand that if what you say is true, I would find out eventually, even without you telling me." Ding Ning raised his head and looked at him coldly.

Song Shenshu swallowed with difficulty, his heart pounding.

He knew that the next secret he was about to reveal would certainly satisfy the other party, but he was also very clear that if it were known that this secret came from his mouth, his future would be even more tragic.

"Lin Chujiu is still alive." He looked at Ding Ning with a pleading gaze, his voice hoarse.

Ding Ning's body trembled, his face losing its calm for the first time. He exclaimed in shock, "What did you say!"

"He is imprisoned in the deepest cell of the water dungeon."

Song Shenshu felt his heart was about to jump out of his throat. "Prime Minister Yan wants to obtain some cultivation secrets from him, so he has not killed him... The outside world thinks he is dead, even Li Xiang and Ye Sishou do not know this secret."

Ding Ning's face returned to calm. He was silent for a moment and asked seriously, "How do you know this secret?"

Song Shenshu dared not meet his eyes. "Because nothing useful could be extracted from his mouth, Prime Minister Yan tried some methods... He once arranged a fake prison break, and some of the people involved were people Lin Chujiu knew before."

"You were one of the people Lin Chujiu knew, but he didn't know you were already working for Prime Minister Yan." Ding Ning's face remained calm. "What happened next?"

Song Shenshu said with difficulty, "Something went wrong, and Lin Chujiu didn't fall for it."

"His mind is even more cautious than Prime Minister Yan's. How could such small tricks deceive him?" Ding Ning lowered his head slightly and said softly, "He must be very uncomfortable now."

Song Shenshu didn't know how to respond and remained silent.

Ding Ning didn't look at him but said softly, "Is that all?"

Song Shenshu's heart pounded again.

He sensed that the other party was still unsatisfied.

"I..." He trembled and revealed the last extremely important secret he knew, "The legendary Gushan Sword Treasury should exist, and most of the clues are likely in the hands of Bai Shanshui of Yunshui Palace."

"Gushan Sword Treasury?"

Ding Ning's breathing paused slightly. This was another piece of information he had never expected.

According to legend, the Gushan Sword Sect was a very mysterious and powerful sect, whose origins and extinction are unknown. However, it has always been rumored that the sect left behind a secret treasury containing many treasures.

In addition to some lost cultivation techniques, what excites all cultivators even more are some rare medicinal herbs and alchemy materials that have long disappeared.

As more and more things related to the Gushan Sword Sect have been discovered, cultivators in the world have now confirmed the existence of the Gushan Sword Sect and the secret treasury, but the exact location of the "Gushan Sword Treasury" remains unknown.

"How do you know?" Ding Ning's eyes flickered, and he looked up at Song Shenshu again.

"Someone from the Divine Capital Supervision once brought several fragments of jade slips to the library for authentication. The text on the fragments was very unique, and after thoroughly investigating ancient texts, we found it to be the unique script of the Gushan Sword Sect."

Song Shenshu said breathlessly, "And I secretly investigated. The people from the Divine Capital Supervision have fought with the remnants of Yunshui Palace. They confirmed that more of these jade slip fragments are in the hands of the remnants of Yunshui Palace."

Ding Ning was silent for a moment.

Even if the cultivators of Yunshui Palace are now as hidden as those of the Zhao Sword Furnace, as long as one is willing to spend the time, some clues can always be found.

"Is that all?"

After a dozen breaths, he looked at Song Shenshu and asked again.

Song Shenshu looked at him helplessly, his mind gradually blank.

He really couldn't think of any more secrets of sufficient weight.

"Very good."

Ding Ning looked at his face, seemingly very satisfied, and nodded. He leaned down, his face close to Song Shenshu's ear, "Since that's the case, you can die now."

Song Shenshu's eyes widened in disbelief to their utmost.

A burst of energy easily pierced his heart, severing the vital blood vessels that sustain life.

"You..."

He couldn't believe his life was about to end. A stiff hand, somehow finding the strength, grabbed the corner of Ding Ning's clothes.

"Are you surprised that I would break my word and kill you?"

Ding Ning looked at his gradually enlarging pupils and said softly, "He was the most trustworthy person in the world, so you thought his disciples would also keep their word."

"Unfortunately, he is already dead. Is his code of conduct still useful now?"

Ding Ning calmly pried open Song Shenshu's fingers and continued.

Song Shenshu heard this clearly. He felt the anger of being deceived, but in the next moment, he only heard a strange sound from his throat.

It was his last breath.

He died with endless regret.