Chapter 129: Secrets (II)

Tiger Transformation!

The fifth elder's heart trembled with horror; the sheer power of his opponent was overwhelming. This man, before him, had undoubtedly reached the Tiger Transformation. Only a warrior of that realm could shatter the iron-hard bones of his Bone Forging Realm arm with a single punch.

Without a moment's hesitation, he moved his feet and tried to flee. But a hand as hard as iron suddenly clamped around his neck, using immense force to crush down as the fifth elder's face turned scarlet. It all happened in an instant; within two seconds, the fifth elder's arm was shattered, and his throat was seized.

At that moment, the second elder realized something was terribly wrong. No matter how much strength he exerted, Lin Zheyu's saber didn't budge an inch. And in the next instant, before the second elder could even react, the fifth elder's neck was already locked in Lin Zheyu's grasp.

Crack!

A crisp snap echoed as Lin Zheyu's left hand twisted sharply, breaking the fifth elder's neck. He flung the lifeless body aside with a violent swing. The second elder was horrified, and he instantly understood that the intruder's strength was monstrous, far beyond what he could handle.

He released his grip, discarding his iron whip, and pushed off the ground to retreat at full speed. But how could he possibly match Lin Zheyu in terms of speed? Lin Zheyu tapped his toes lightly, his figure flickering like a ghost and appearing before the second elder in the blink of an eye.

Bang!

His right leg whipped out like a lash, slamming hard into the second elder's chest. A terrifying force surged through his body. His organs twisted in agony as five or six ribs snapped with a series of cracks.

Puh.

He spat out a mouthful of blood as his body was sent flying backward. With a heavy thud, he crashed into a tree trunk and rolled to the ground.

"Who... who are you?"

The second elder struggled to lift his upper body, but with his internal organs severely damaged, he could barely summon any strength. Lin Zheyu said nothing. His expression was cold as he approached step by step with the long saber in hand.

The second elder quickly shouted when he saw Lin Zheyu closing in, "Don't kill me! I can tell you a secret!"

He didn't want to die. He had just obtained the rumored immortal cultivation secret art and had yet to explore its mysteries. He still wanted to rely on it to pursue the Dao and achieve immortality.

Lin Zheyu still gave no reply. He advanced one step at a time as dry leaves crunched softly beneath his boots. A domineering aura surged from his body, pressing down on the second elder like a suffocating weight.

"As long as you spare me, I can give you a legendary immortal cultivation secret art, one that can grant immortality!" The second elder blurted out in panic as Lin Zheyu drew closer.

Hearing this, a flicker of surprise flashed in Lin Zheyu's eyes.

An immortal cultivation technique?

That, he truly hadn't expected. He had assumed that the Xing Family's mobilization of several Blood Qi Realm experts had something to do with conspiring alongside the Nine Nether Sect in rebellion. He thought the secret the second elder wanted to reveal must be related to that matter. Yet to his surprise, the man's secret was not rebellion but an immortal cultivation secret art!

Ever since his master, Liang Song, had told him that this world contained yaos and demons, men who pursued immortality through cultivation until they became beasts, Lin Zheyu had suspected that immortal cultivation secret arts truly existed.

Later, Han Mo had confirmed it as well. Immortal cultivation secret arts did exist, but within Great Wei, they were deemed forbidden arts. If discovered that one was practicing them, it was a crime punishable by the extermination of one's entire clan.

"How interesting. Immortal cultivation secret arts are forbidden, yet your Xing Family actually possesses one?" said Lin Zheyu with a rough, faintly amused tone.

"

Hmph!

So the emperors and nobles may seek immortality, but common folk are forbidden from pursuing it?" the second elder retorted coldly.

"Did you acquire it through dealings with the Nine Nether Sect?" asked Lin Zheyu.

Lin Zheyu couldn't help but make the connection. The Xing Family had dispatched an unusually strong group this time, with three Blood Qi Realm experts in total. One of them had even surpassed the third transformation of blood qi. He suspected that the man had reached the fourth transformation; otherwise, he wouldn't have felt such a sense of danger.

"Indeed. If you let me go, I can make you a copy of the immortal cultivation secret art," said the second elder with a faint sigh of relief. Lin Zheyu clearly showed interest in the technique, so perhaps he could still escape death.

"But how can I believe that if I spare you, you'll truly hand over the technique?" replied Lin Zheyu coldly.

"Just as you said, immortal cultivation secret arts are forbidden arts, and practicing them is a crime punishable by the extermination of one's entire clan. Now that you know about it, the only way to keep this secret is to bring you in," said the second elder.

His expression was sincere, yet in his heart, he seethed with murderous intent. If he managed to survive, he would find a way to eliminate this man.

"

Oh,

" Lin Zheyu said lightly. By now, he was standing right before the second elder.

Shing.

A flash of cold steel glimmered, and blood sprayed through the air. In the second elder's stunned gaze, Lin Zheyu's blade rose and fell. The edge sliced cleanly across his neck, and his head slipped from his shoulders, eyes frozen wide in disbelief.

We just started talking, so why did he strike so suddenly? That is an immortal cultivation secret art! A method said to grant the Dao and immortality!

"An immortal cultivation technique? So what of it?" said Lin Zheyu, his expression remaining indifferent.

He felt no temptation toward the so-called immortal cultivation secret art. Even if it were real, cultivating it to achieve immortality would hardly be easy. If cultivation in this world were anything like the novels of his previous life, requiring spiritual roots and innate aptitude, whether he could even practice it was uncertain.

Besides, Lin Zheyu sensed that something about this world was amiss. Or rather, that the Dao of Immortality itself was flawed. He had asked Xu Qinyi and the others about cultivation, yaos, and demons, and their answers were nearly identical to what Liang Song had once said. There were no immortals in this world. All who pursued the path of cultivation and sought eternal life ended up becoming demons.

The yaos and demons were powerful, terrifyingly so. That meant that if immortal cultivation secret arts truly existed, then regardless of whether their cultivators became yaos or demons, they were undeniably powerful beings. Yet such formidable entities had all but vanished, and the very act of cultivating immortality had become a forbidden art. In a world where strength reigned supreme, this was far too unnatural.

"Immortal cultivation... There must be a great secret behind all of this. My strength is too low for now. Getting involved in this too early would bring nothing but trouble. I'll uncover the secret of immortal cultivation when I've grown stronger," muttered Lin Zheyu softly.

He was still young and was only seventeen. With the aid of his

Heaven Rewards the Diligent

golden cheat, it would only take a few years for him to reach the pinnacle of martial cultivation and step into the Martial Innate Realm. When that time came, it would not be too late to pursue the mysteries of immortal cultivation.

After dealing with the old man, Lin Zheyu lifted his saber and walked toward the unconscious members of the Xing Family. A series of muffled splatters echoed through the forest; man and beast alike fell silent forever.

"

Huh?

So much silver!"

A look of delight appeared on Lin Zheyu's face. From the corpse of the old man at the second transformation of blood qi, he found 340 taels of gold, which was equivalent to about 3,400 taels of silver. Compared to the potentially dangerous cultivation technique, this wealth was what he truly needed right now.

In addition to the gold and silver, Lin Zheyu also discovered medicinal powders, emergency pills, and various hidden weapons on the old man's body. He searched every body thoroughly, gathering a total of 3,480 taels of silver, along with several types of medicinal powders and pills. To earn such a fortune in one strike made all the time he spent waiting near the Lion Valley entrance worthwhile.

"It seems robbing those who deal with the Nine Nether Sect is truly the best choice. These people are walking treasure troves!" muttered Lin Zheyu to himself.

After finishing the search, he glanced at the corpses, shook his head lightly, and turned to disappear into the forest. He made no attempt to hide the bodies. Even if they were discovered, no one would suspect him.

Over two hours passed after Lin Zheyu's departure. A dozen burly figures emerged from the woods, following the lingering scent of blood.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Arrows whistled through the air, swiftly killing the beasts that had been feeding on the corpses. The men then crouched to examine the remains.

"Boss, these people seem to be from the Xing Family," said one of them.

"

Huh

, you're right! I recognize this one! He was the one who handed off goods to us last time!" said another.

"All of them from the Xing Family? Damn! I've seen this old man before; he's one of the Xing Family's elders. He was at least at the first transformation of blood qi, yet he died here!" exclaimed another man in disbelief, his eyes filled with unease.