Chapter 67

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In the sealed cave, a faint pearl-like light glowed dimly.

Wujiao still sat cross-legged, no longer panicked as before. Instead, he grinned, his eyes shining brightly, looking like someone who had stumbled upon a fortune.

Scattered on the ground was a pile of items.

Two sets of silk clothing, one green and one white; three pairs of new and soft deer leather boots.

A set of purple wooden food boxes, with multiple layers and small compartments, intricately crafted and filled with various seasonings and several types of pastries.

A sheathless short sword about a foot long, gleaming with silver light.

Two jade bottles, one containing pills for fasting and the other for healing.

Three spirit stones, one of which was lacking in spiritual energy.

A booklet with the title "Secrets of Cultivation and Refinement."

Seven or eight jade slips, mostly blank, with the remaining ones differing and requiring further identification.

More than ten talismans, half made of paper and half of animal skin, each with different uses.

In addition, there were a few pearls and miscellaneous gold and silver items.

"Oh! A gentleman does not accept others' favors, for it would make him uneasy! Coveting unrighteous wealth is a moral failing..."

Wujiao looked at the pile of items before him, speaking to himself with a stern and righteous tone, yet he rubbed his hands together and said matter-of-factly, "Who am I if not He Tiancheng? Even if I act recklessly, let Senior Brother He take the blame, hehe..."

He felt his smile was a bit lecherous and quickly收敛了灵力, took off the golden crystal mask, and picked up the booklet with a serious expression, flipping through it.

It is said that one must wash their hands, clean the desk, sit upright, refrain from idle talk, and concentrate to show respect for words and books, thereby achieving academic excellence. However, what he was reading now was not poetry or classics, but a cultivation technique, which also required focused respect to achieve the grand and righteous energy of harmony between heaven and man!

"Secrets of Cultivation and Refinement," as the name suggests, its mysteries were yet unknown, and he would have to read it slowly.

He knew that at this moment, he was not lacking in spiritual energy but in methods to utilize it, and he needed to apply what he learned. Just like studying, one must read widely, remember well, and integrate knowledge to excel!

Wujiao focused his mind and calmly opened the booklet. Before he could read it in detail, he suddenly closed it with a strange expression. After a moment, his eyes darted around, and he opened the booklet again, still finding it hard to believe.

The booklet had only a dozen pages, all filled with colorful illustrations of people. There were both men and women, vividly depicted, with expressive eyes, but... they were completely naked, entwined in a passionate embrace, with clear red and white contrasts, creating a scene of infinite allure. This was clearly not a cultivation technique but a vulgar depiction of carnal scenes. Each illustration had annotations, such as "Nestling Swallow" or "Boating on the Spring River," accompanied by poems, mantras, and descriptions of the joys and benefits of the act!

Tsk, tsk, how can there be such indecent things in a sect? It's outrageous! Even if cultivation is tedious, one shouldn't act so recklessly!

However, the items produced by the sect were indeed exquisite, with the figures leaping off the page, a first-time experience for him!

Oh, one should not look at what is improper, and he shouldn't look any further. Just a glance is enough...

Wujiao couldn't help but feel his breathing become irregular, and his face turned a bit flushed. He quickly flipped through the booklet from beginning to end and then casually threw it away, as if discarding a highly tempting and heavy, terrifying monster. Unintentionally, he activated his spiritual energy, and the booklet "slapped" against the stone wall, followed by a "thud." The previously intact booklet was now shattered into pieces by the powerful spiritual energy. He let out a long breath, feeling somewhat guilty, and gave a self-deprecating smile.

As a man, it's not a big deal to be like this. After all, he was twenty-two, in the prime of his youth, not the time for asceticism! Yes, being fond of beauty without indulgence is the mark of a gentleman. At least he was better than those hypocritical cultivators. Moreover, for Ziyun, he had a pure heart, with sincere feelings for the moon!

Wujiao straightened his back, trying to calm his mind, but the alluring scenes still lingered before his eyes. He shook his head hard, finally regaining his composure, and then reached out to pick up the jade slips on the ground, examining them one by one.

Eight jade slips, five of which were blank. The remaining three were a map, the basic cultivation technique of Guxian Mountain, and a method for controlling a flying sword, as well as a copied classic containing brief descriptions of formations, alchemy, talismans, and related minor techniques.

Wujiao put down the jade slips and picked up a stack of talismans on the ground.

More than ten talismans, each about the size of a palm, made of unfamiliar talisman paper or animal skin. Using his spiritual sense, he identified wind control talismans, armor talismans, true fire talismans, and exorcism talismans, which were for escape, defense, attack, and healing, respectively. The spiritual energy and power contained in them were far inferior to the two talismans from Qi Sanren.

Wujiao continued to activate his spiritual sense, gently waving his left hand, and the pile of items on the ground instantly moved into the bone ring on his thumb. He stretched lazily, slowly lay down, and with a wave of his hand, the purple wooden food box and three jade slips returned to their original positions.

He opened the food box and tasted a piece of lotus flower cake.

Hmm, it tasted good.

A cup of hot tea would be nice, and with a soft mat, a full meal, and a good night's sleep, it would be perfect! Let the worries of the world be cast aside, and let the beauty of the West Lake and the blooming flowers in the old garden be the only concerns...

Wujiao rested his head on his arm, eating the cake, seemingly carefree, but his eyes were fixed on the cave ceiling, with a hint of bitterness in his gaze.

His thoughts wandered far, just like his current state, always unsure of where to go. Sigh, it's good to be alive, at least there's hope for tomorrow!

He grinned, his relaxed and lazy expression unchanged, and then picked up a jade slip to examine it.

The basic cultivation technique of Guxian Mountain, from guiding qi into the body, refining and cultivating the essence, to condensing qi and solidifying the foundation, and refining spiritual energy, involved a series of complex mantras, hand seals, and body movements. For cultivators, this was an unavoidable task. For a mortal who had mistakenly entered the path of cultivation, there was no need to practice. The breathing and cultivation methods might be useful, so he decided to remember them for now.

The method for controlling a flying sword was called "The Ancient Sword Technique," which included various techniques for refining and controlling a flying sword.

Two hours later, light snoring echoed in the cave. He had just figured out the breathing and cultivation methods, and drowsiness overcame him. After several days of constant changes, he had no chance to rest. Now, hiding in the cave in Canglong Valley, he could finally have a good sleep...

...

At the front of Canglong Valley, there was a canyon.

The canyon was about a hundred feet wide and several hundred feet deep, with high mountains on both sides, covered in cloud pines.

Beyond the canyon, there was a wide valley. A few miles away, the cliffs rose a thousand feet, and the peaks were layered. At the entrance to the valley, a stone stele blocked the way. On the stele, which was over ten feet high, the words "Canglong Sword Pond" were carved.

At this moment, five or six figures stood in front of the stele. In addition to Chu Yuan and his nephew Chu Fang, there was He Tiancheng, who was leaning on a branch and dressed in disarray, and several cultivators guarding the valley. Everyone was silent, looking up.

On the left side of the canyon, about a hundred feet up the mountain wall, a row of suspended pavilions was built, with carved beams and painted rafters, exquisitely beautiful, resembling a palace in the clouds. After a moment, an old man floated down from the pavilions, it was Zheng Su from Huanglong Valley, who landed in front of everyone, still with a gloomy expression, and said, "According to reports, no disciples from the various peaks are missing. The villain who harmed He Tiancheng might be the one mentioned by Junior Brother Chu Yuan, Wujiao. I apologize for my oversight, allowing him to infiltrate Canglong Valley!"

The branch He Tiancheng was leaning on trembled slightly, and he said with a mix of joy and hatred, "Senior Uncle, please bring the criminal to justice!"

Chu Yuan was slightly surprised, shook his head, and sneered, "We'll see. For him to dare to impersonate and infiltrate Canglong Valley, he must have a lot of nerve!"

Zheng Su was somewhat annoyed, turned to look at the nearby stele, and then looked into the valley, worried, "This is the entrance to the dragon's head of Canglong Valley and the forbidden Sword Pond. If the senior disciples in seclusion are disturbed, they will surely blame us, and we may not be able to bear the consequences..."

Chu Yuan dismissed the concern, "It should be fine! On the day Canglong Valley opens, that boy will surely show up. We only need to wait here and kill him on the spot, without alarming the senior members of the sect!"

Zheng Su pondered for a moment and nodded, "Junior Brother Chu is right, we have no other choice!"

Chu Yuan chuckled, looking confident. However, his gaze towards the valley was filled with more doubt.

That boy, Wujiao, had an unknown background, was bold and reckless, and now had infiltrated Canglong Valley. Could he have been planning something all along?

...

Some people are simple.

Perhaps it's their nature, or they have experienced too many upheavals, understanding the hardships of life and the difficulty of survival. Thus, as long as they are well-fed and well-rested, each day is satisfying.

At this moment, he was still lying horizontally in the cave, eyes closed, sleeping soundly, but his toes were gently swaying, perhaps thinking of Ziyun or lost in a carefree state.

On the nearby empty ground, three jade slips were placed. There were also more than ten finger marks, recording the days of solitude. The purple wooden food box was open, and the various pastries, except for the seasonings, had been eaten. Although he was no longer hungry, his appetite was still there...

At this moment, Wujiao suddenly opened his eyes, slowly sat up, stretched, and picked up the three jade slips, a faint smile on his face.

Over the past ten days, he had not been idle.

He had roughly studied "The Ancient Sword Technique," not seeking deep understanding but grasping the basics of refining and controlling a flying sword. If he had to fight again, he would have more confidence.

The classic from Guxian Mountain, "The Ancient Sword Record," was quite extensive and had no time to be thoroughly studied, so he would leave it for later contemplation.

The only map among the three jade slips was the one mentioned by Liu'er, the map of Canglong Valley. With the map in hand, his future explorations would be much easier. Now, after ten days, it was time to go out.

However, he still needed to prepare before leaving.

Wujiao put the food box and jade slips into the bone ring, took out a silver short sword, and after a moment of concentration, made a few awkward hand seals. An invisible spiritual energy flowed from his fingertips, instantly forming a talisman in his palms. He grabbed the short sword with his talisman-infused palms and wiped it from left to right. A faint "click" sound was heard, and the spiritual imprint in the short sword was completely destroyed. He then focused his mind, activated his spiritual energy, and a drop of blood fell, lightly exploding into a small blood mist, which formed the shape of a talisman and quickly immersed into the short sword, disappearing without a trace.

To successfully attempt the refining method for the first time?

Wujiao didn't think much about it, took a deep breath, put away the short sword, made a hand seal, and lightly tapped it. The short sword, just about to touch the ground, suddenly flashed with silver light, swirling up, and a cold, murderous aura filled the surroundings. He chuckled, stood up, and...

...

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