Chapter 68

Recently, the progress in the "Great Yin-Yang Lament" has been the most satisfying thing for Zhuang Wudao. It might be because he has entered the Qi Cultivation Realm, making his physical body stronger, or it might be due to his recent intense practice. A month ago, he could only manage to say the first two characters, "ten years," of the line "Ten years of life and death, vast and boundless, not thinking, yet unforgettable, a solitary grave a thousand miles away, no place to speak of sorrow." However, now he can recite the entire seven-character line, "Ten years of life and death, vast and boundless."

However, after each practice session, Zhuang Wudao would suffer excruciating pain. His bones felt as if they were shattering, his muscles and tendons went limp, and his body convulsed. At such times, Yun'er would always mock him.

Zhuang Wudao himself could hardly bear it. Each practice session felt like a torture. After reciting the seventh character, his body would be covered in black sweat, emitting a foul odor. If not for his indomitable will and his refusal to admit defeat, he might not have been able to persist.

However, the reason Zhuang Wudao did not give up was not entirely due to his quarrel with Yun'er. He was envious of the supreme power displayed by the Immortal King Phoenix Plunder when he performed the "Yin-Yang Chaos" in his dreams. Additionally, he gradually realized the benefits of the "Great Yin-Yang Lament." Each time he recited it, his internal organs and bones would vibrate. Over time, his body began to undergo some incredible changes.

Although his physical strength did not increase, Zhuang Wudao could feel his heart beating stronger and the frequency of his heartbeats decreasing. Sometimes, for ten or twenty breaths, his heart would not beat at all, as if he were dead.

It was not just his heart; his other internal organs were also vibrant. Even his bones and bone marrow underwent changes. Although he could not see them, every time he used the "Bone Transformation and Tendon Strengthening Pill" and the "Qi Nourishing Pill," he felt that the effects of these pills had slightly increased.

Yun'er had also mentioned to him that the "Great Yin-Yang Lament" could be considered a supplementary cultivation method. It did not strengthen the body, but it had the power to cleanse the bones and marrow and solidify the foundation and cultivate the essence.

Although the cultivation of this method was arduous, it had many benefits. For him, its value even surpassed that of the Bull Demon Yuan's Body.

After all, cultivation techniques were common in the world, but methods to cleanse the bones and marrow and solidify the foundation and cultivate the essence were rare.

His innate talent and immortal bones were inferior to others, and only his comprehension could barely be considered decent. To catch up with others, he often relied on the power of pills during cultivation. However, all pills carried a certain toxicity, which was not obvious in daily life but accumulated deep in the bones, flesh, and internal organs. Especially potent pills like the "Blood Essence Pill," which could stimulate potential, also greatly consumed the body's essence and lifespan.

Those who often relied on the power of pills rarely reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, mainly due to the accumulation of toxins.

This "Great Yin-Yang Lament" was precisely the remedy for this, cleansing the bones and marrow to remove toxins from the body. Solidifying the foundation and cultivating the essence could increase the body's essence, allowing him to take various pills with peace of mind.

"Master Sword, you are being too optimistic and are underestimating the Great Lament," Yun'er's ethereal voice echoed in his mind again as Zhuang Wudao secretly rejoiced. "Although the Great Lament is a high-level method that can cultivate supreme mystic arts, it is not without limitations and flaws. While this method can help cleanse the bones and cultivate the essence, at your current cultivation level, you will have to endure pain that even a Golden Core cultivator would find unbearable. If you cannot persist and give up halfway or progress too slowly, you will suffer a backlash. At that time, not only will you not solidify your foundation and cultivate your essence, but you will also suffer significant damage to your essence."

"Backlash?"

Zhuang Wudao was stunned, then frowned and asked, "If it is harmful and not beneficial, why didn't you say so earlier? Why did you still teach me the Great Lament?"

"I didn't plan to teach it to you; I just wanted you to know the difficulty and back off. However, I didn't expect Master Sword to have such an extraordinary memory, able to remember it completely after one or two tries. Your mental fortitude is also strong, allowing you to practice up to the seventh character."

Yun'er sighed, "However, this method can still cleanse the bones and marrow, so practicing it is not a problem. Since you haven't entered the door yet, the slight damage to your essence can be remedied. It will just delay things by a year or two."

A year or two?

Zhuang Wudao was conflicted. He didn't want to delay even a month or two. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly stopped. At that moment, the door to the spirit room was pushed open, and Gu Yu's figure appeared at the entrance.

Yun'er communicated with him through mental telepathy, so there was no fear of others noticing. However, during such times, Zhuang Wudao would often "lose focus," and others might notice some abnormalities.

Especially for a late-stage Qi Cultivation Realm cultivator like Gu Yu, whose spiritual senses were extremely sensitive, Zhuang Wudao tried to minimize his conversations with Yun'er when he was around.

Methods like the Great Derivation Technique, the Sword Cultivation Technique, and the "Great Yin-Yang Lament," which Yun'er had taught him, Zhuang Wudao did not dare to practice in front of him.

"Miss has asked me to inform you that the cultivator gathering at the Xuan Yuan Pavilion is scheduled for tonight," Gu Yu said with a smile as he pushed open the door. "Miss said that if you want anything at the gathering, just buy it. If you don't have enough money, as long as it's within four thousand gold taels, you can borrow it from the Beiting Family."

Zhuang Wudao was quite surprised and wondered why the cultivator gathering at the Xuan Yuan Pavilion and the academy ranking battle coincided.

The academy had already sent someone three days ago to inform him that the Lue Shan Academy had agreed to challenge the Lichen Academy that afternoon.

Just as he was thinking about this, Gu Yu continued with a smile, "Also, this afternoon, the Lue Shan Academy and the Lichen Academy have a scheduled battle. Miss wants you to attend no matter what. It is said that the Inspector from the Lichen Mountain has already entered Yuecheng, and the Xuan Yuan Pavilion's gathering tonight is to take advantage of this opportunity. To be honest, we still haven't figured out this person's identity. However, this person might also pay attention to today's battle between the two academies. As the chief disciple of the Lichen Academy, if you don't show up, it will be hard to explain and may affect the Inspector's future impression of you."

I see!

Zhuang Wudao smiled, understanding Beiting Wan'er's good intentions. However, he had no intention of missing today's battle. He responded and glanced at the sky, seeing that it was already noon. He quickly washed off the foul black sweat and changed into fresh clothes. Feeling refreshed, he set out immediately.

As he walked out of the courtyard gate, he saw Qin Feng and Wang Wu leading a group of thirty Blood Cultivation Realm experts, all dressed in fine clothes and armed with weapons, turning into the alley. Qin Feng and Wang Wu's faces were a mix of worry and anger, while Ma Yuan and Lin Han looked dejected.

Zhuang Wudao knew these people were going out of the city to inspect the ore veins that Zhuang Xun had mentioned. Curious, he walked over quickly. Qin Feng did not wait for him to ask and said with a bitter smile, "Zhuang Xun was right; they are rich veins. However, the surrounding situation is a bit off. If we want to mine them ourselves, it might be troublesome. We need to think carefully about this."

Zhuang Wudao understood that Zhuang Xun had not revealed these ore veins with good intentions. Although Qin Feng's massacre of the Zhuang family was excessive, it was not unjustified.

"I specifically inquired and found that the nearby ore veins are controlled by several powerful families in the city. However, it seems they are not yet aware of the essence stone vein discovered by the Zhuang family. Zhuang Xun's secrecy is quite good; even his trusted managers in Yuecheng are not very clear about it. I had to go to great lengths to find an old mine foreman who used to work for the Zhuang family to learn the truth."

Qin Feng continued, "Zhuang Xun has been secretly mining for five years. However, starting a year ago, the mine slaves began to disappear one after another. At first, it was thought to be an accident, but later, some traces were discovered, leading to the speculation that there might be a nest of Earth Devouring Golden Rats beneath the ore veins. Helpless, Zhuang Xun sealed the four ore veins."

"Earth Devouring Golden Rats?"

Zhuang Wudao exclaimed in shock, feeling a chill run down his spine.

He had long heard of the Earth Devouring Golden Rats. Although their rank is not high, and an adult is only as strong as a first-stage Qi Cultivation Realm cultivator, they are first-stage initial-level spirit beasts. Only a few king beasts can reach the second stage, or even the fourth or fifth stage. However, these Earth Devouring Golden Rats are highly social, often living in nests of thousands. Larger nests can have ten or twenty thousand.

Fortunately, these spirit beasts usually fear light and do not appear on the surface. Their living habits are also relatively peaceful. As long as they are not provoked, there is no need to worry about their harm.

However, these small creatures have a strong sense of revenge. Once their "territory" is invaded, they will attack in groups, not stopping until their enemy is dead. Even a powerful general like the Southern Town General would find it difficult to escape unscathed.

Naturally, if the Earth Devouring Golden Rats were just protecting their nest, it would not be too much of a concern. However, about sixty years ago, two mine owners in Yuecheng somehow angered a nest of Earth Devouring Golden Rats, triggering a "rat flood."

That disaster resulted in the deaths of over ten thousand people. Several major families in the city suffered significant losses, and even a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator perished. It took ten years for the city to recover.

The two mine owners who triggered the rat flood were met with public outrage, and their entire families were brutally killed.

If Zhuang Xun's claims are true, then his intentions are truly despicable. Without a thorough understanding, rashly mining could lead to the destruction of the entire family!

"Lower your voice!"

Qin Feng glared at Zhuang Wudao coldly, "Zhuang Xun is ruthless. He planned to eliminate the witnesses. Hundreds of mine slaves and their families were all killed. Only the old mine foreman was smart enough to escape early when he saw the situation was wrong. He hid in the city for several months until he learned that the Zhuang family was gone before he dared to come out and work again."