Looking at the corpse of the Nascent Soul cultivator, the Grand Elder stroked his beard and let out a sorrowful sigh.
“We must move. We absolutely must move. We just recruited disciples, and trouble is already knocking at our door.”
“Alright,” Hanyan agreed. With a flick of his finger, a tiny flame shot out and instantly set the Nascent Soul cultivator's corpse ablaze.
Watching Hanyan’s actions, the Grand Elder’s eyes flickered.
“We must move to a place where those little rascals will never find us...”
In less than half an incense stick's time, the entire Qingshan Sect was completely empty.
Even the large blue stone in front of the mountain gate, carved with the words "Qingshan Sect," had been carted away.
...
After eating and drinking his fill, Lu Ming sat cross-legged inside his tent.
He began to study the various techniques he had copied back at the sect.
He wanted to find a way to use weapons.
After all, swords had swordplay, sabers had saber techniques, and even Big Yellow’s mace had its own staff technique.
He wanted to find an armory technique, but even after searching through all the techniques, he couldn't find one.
However, his search was not entirely in vain. He found a body refining technique called the 《Qingshan Manual》.
It was a proprietary body refining technique of the Qingshan Sect, strictly forbidden from being shared with outsiders.
Lu Ming picked up the 《Qingshan Manual》 and began to read. This body refining technique was divided into four layers.
The first layer, Spiritual Energy Body Refining, required using spiritual energy to temper the entire body. Once mastered, the body's physical resistance would increase threefold.
The second layer, Copper Skin and Iron Bones, required tempering the bones of the entire body with spiritual energy. Once mastered, the body would become ten times stronger than before.
The third layer, Regrowing Limbs, required tempering the internal organs with spiritual energy. Once mastered, the body would be a hundred times stronger than before, and the cultivator would gain the ability of Regrowing Limbs.
The fourth layer, the Indestructible Golden Body, required not only spiritual energy but also countless immortal herbs, spiritual medicines, and Purple Heaven Divine Lightning to refine both the physical body and the soul.
Once this fourth layer was mastered, spells could barely harm the cultivator, allowing them to easily withstand tribulation lightning. Every gesture would carry the power to topple mountains and overturn seas. Most importantly, as long as a single drop of blood remained, they could restore themselves to their original state.
After reading the introduction to the body refining technique, Lu Ming was completely dumbfounded.
“Good heavens. If this isn't an exaggeration, and I can actually cultivate to the fourth layer, wouldn't I be able to walk completely unchallenged in this cultivation world?”
“I have to cultivate it. I absolutely must! A disaster-prone protagonist like me needs a life-saving Indestructible Golden Body.”
Lu Ming shouted excitedly. At this moment, nothing could stop his determination to cultivate this body refining technique.
Afterward, Lu Ming studied the body refining technique for a while longer. He realized that while this technique sounded incredibly formidable, it was not easy to cultivate at all!
Although the first three layers did not require any immortal herbs or spiritual medicines, they demanded a massive amount of spiritual energy.
While it seemed simple, it was actually quite difficult. The difficulty lay in the need for a vast amount of spiritual energy to repeatedly temper the body.
If it were an ordinary cultivator, where would they find so much spiritual energy to spare for body refining?
After all, any spiritual energy they absorbed had to be used to increase their cultivation level.
Fortunately, it was a different story for Lu Ming.
After all, his dantian was a vortex, and his speed of absorbing spiritual energy was incredibly fierce.
Comparing it with the records of the Qingshan Sect, Lu Ming found that his absorption speed was twice as fast as even a top-grade spiritual root.
Therefore, Lu Ming felt that this body refining method was practically tailor-made for him.
At the same time, looking through the cultivation records, he also realized how incredibly stupid his past actions had been.
If not for the Protagonist Halo over his head, he would have fucking died eight hundred times over.
During his very first attempt at cultivation, he had actually consumed a Spirit Gathering Pill meant for the Foundation Establishment stage.
If he had been an ordinary person, he would have exploded long ago. Fortunately, he was no ordinary person.
He could control and handle everything.
Just then, cries of surprise echoed from outside.
“The secret realm has opened...”
“The secret realm has opened early...”
Hearing this commotion, Lu Ming frowned.
“Why did it open early? Could it be my protagonist physique at work again?”
Shortly after, Lu Ming walked out of his tent. He, Big Yellow, and the others packed up their things and rushed toward the entrance of the secret realm.
The Hengduan Mountains were named as such because a wide canyon ran right through their center.
It divided the mountain range perfectly in two, as if someone had intentionally sliced it apart.
Lu Ming swept his gaze around and found that a large crowd had already gathered in the valley.
There were young people around his age, and even many elderly cultivators.
Moreover, the eyes of those elderly cultivators gleamed with a faint, desperate light.
In an instant, Lu Ming understood. These people were likely nearing the end of their lifespans. After all, he had also heard that there was a spiritual medicine inside this secret realm called the Star Snow Lotus, which could extend one's life.
However, standing at the very front were the cultivators from the three major sects, including the Haoran Sect.
Only behind them did the cultivators of other, smaller sects stand.
Suddenly, Big Yellow patted Lu Ming with its paw. Following its guidance, Lu Ming looked over.
He discovered that the cultivators of the Chixia Sect were staring at them with faces full of resentment.
Lu Ming's eyes flickered. What do these people mean? Is this never going to end?
Withdrawing his gaze, he looked at Huang Tianbao and instructed:
“We don't have any missions or goals for this trip. The Grand Elder and the others didn't ask us to find any Star Snow Lotus for them either. We just need to protect ourselves...”
Big Yellow and Huang Tianbao nodded repeatedly.
“Senior Brother Lin, those two people and that dog are the ones who killed your brother...”
At this moment, the Foundation Establishment cultivator who had fought Lu Ming the other day spoke up.
Senior Brother Lin glared at Lu Ming and the others, his eyes filled with killing intent.
“Once we go in, find an opportunity to kill them...”
“You still need to be careful. They are not simple; they likely have high-grade aura-concealing magical artifacts on them.”
“As for the other mortal, he might have concealed his cultivation level as well.”
Elder Ding warned at this moment.
Senior Brother Lin and his group nodded, but they were not afraid.
They had three peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, three mid Foundation Establishment cultivators, and three peak Qi Refining cultivators. With so many of them, how could they possibly lose to those three?
...
“Senior Brother, is that the entrance?”
At this moment, Huang Tianbao asked, pointing to a transparent vortex floating in the valley.
On the other side of the vortex, a hazy mist swirled. It was no ordinary mountain fog, but one that shimmered with a seven-colored halo.
Watching this scene, Lu Ming swallowed hard. This was also his first time seeing a secret realm!
He had only read about them in novels before. Who would have thought that secret realms actually existed in the cultivation world?
And at this very moment!
Rumble...
A thunderous rumble resounded as bursts of blinding light erupted from the vortex.
The vortex gradually calmed down, becoming as smooth as a mirror.
“Enter!”
Following a loud shout, the elderly Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators from the three major sects, including the Haoran Sect, immediately rushed inside.
Seeing that there was no immediate danger, the rest of the young cultivators followed suit.
Only Ye Fan remained standing behind the Sect Master of the Haoran Sect.
He wanted to wait until Lu Ming entered before going in himself.
As the crowd filed in, Lu Ming and his group, whether intentionally or not, slowly drifted in front of the Chixia Sect.
Watching Lu Ming and his group walk ahead of them, cold sneers hung on the lips of the Chixia Sect cultivators. This was even better. Once they were inside, they would take their revenge directly.
Just after Lu Ming and his group entered, the Chixia Sect cultivators were about to follow them in.
Ye Fan stepped right in front of them and said coldly: “You wait.”
The Chixia Sect cultivators were stunned, their hearts skipping a beat.
They recalled that the Haoran Sect had stood up for those people earlier. Could it be that they had realized their intention to kill the trio?
However, the killing intent in their hearts grew even stronger. Those two people and the dog had to die. They had the Haoran Sect as their backer. If they ever complained, and the Haoran Sect decided to make trouble for them, the Chixia Sect wouldn't survive.
Yet at this moment, the Chixia Sect members all bowed and scraped, repeatedly nodding in agreement.
“Ye Fan, be careful,” the Sect Master of the Haoran Sect warned repeatedly as he watched Ye Fan prepare to enter.
“Yes, Master,” Ye Fan replied, then stepped into the secret realm.
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