Chapter 243 : An Unexpected Gain
Chapter 243: An Unexpected Gain
“Greetings, Senior Jin.”
Everyone bowed toward the figure half-submerged in the spring water.
That person was dressed in a black robe. His body no longer resembled that of a living human—only skin and bones remained. His skin sagged like layered tree bark, creating a ghastly sight.
In fact, there was no trace of life emanating from him at all. He looked no different from a corpse.
And yet, upon entering this place, everyone had felt an immense and pure surge of primal force saturating the air. No one knew whether it came from the spring water in the pool or from the expert himself.
Chen Ming also bowed. As he lowered his head, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Logically speaking, once a person reached First Grade, the decay of the physical body should slow significantly. Even at the end of life, the body should not wither to such a frightening degree.
For instance, the master and mistress of Nie Hongyi from Xingyue Sect had been dead for years, and their bodies still remained incorrupt.
Upon reaching the Divine Repository Realm, after opening the divine repository, one’s body was supposed to become even more formidable.
It seemed this man had relied on some secret art to prolong his lifespan, paying a tremendous price just to cling to life. That was why he had ended up in such a state.
“No wonder everyone yearns for immortality.”
Chen Ming thought to himself, feeling a trace of sympathy for this expert.
The man wasn’t dead yet, but the great powers of Jiangzhou were already sharpening their blades, eager to carve up Jin Yutang like a feast at the table.
That was why having a successor was crucial—at the very least, one could depart with dignity. Unlike now, where even arranging one’s own affairs had already been decided by others.
The strange man in the pool did not move his lips, yet an ancient voice sounded, “Nine people, and among them two of Second Grade—very good!”
His voice no longer seemed so feeble, and his half-closed eyes gleamed faintly, as if in relief.
“Senior Jin.”
As before, Tian Qidong was the first to speak. “May I ask how you intend to choose a successor? Please give us guidance.”
Elder Jin replied, “If you wish to inherit this old man’s mantle, it will depend on whether your constitution is compatible with my art. On the western wall, there is an introductory technique carved. Go and comprehend it. Six hours later, whoever grasps it the deepest shall receive my legacy.”
Everyone turned and saw, sure enough, that ten zhang away, words and diagrams were carved into a stone wall.
Two figures immediately shot forward, seizing the best position before the wall.
The others were unwilling to fall behind and quickly displayed their movement techniques, positioning themselves before the wall. Some stood closer, others farther, each keeping a distance as they earnestly studied the carved technique.
Chen Ming did not compete. He chose the farthest spot. With his eyesight, even at over ten meters away, he could see clearly.
“Six hours… I wonder how much can be comprehended.”
At first, when he heard they were to comprehend a technique, his heart leapt with joy. Who could possibly compete with me in this? But when Elder Jin added that there were only six hours, worry crept into him.
His comprehension had never been great. In such a short time, could he truly grasp the technique?
Only if he comprehended it would the technique appear on his System panel.
Focusing his mind, he began to read. After a few lines, an intense feeling of familiarity surged through his heart.
“This technique—”
Suppressing his excitement, he read on until he finished the entire passage. Waves roiled in his heart.
The Mysterious Earth True Art!
There was no mistake. What was recorded here was the Earth Chapter of the True Art of Five Elements.
Truly, one could search high and low only to stumble upon it by chance!
Chen Ming was ecstatic.
Originally, he had planned to wait until reaching First Grade before traveling across Jiangzhou to complete the True Art of Five Elements. He never expected to find the Earth Chapter here.
Unfortunately, this inscription only contained one level—the incantations of the Fourth Layer, which refined true qi.
“But that’s strange… why give us the Fourth Layer instead of the first three?”
Doubt rose in Chen Ming’s mind.
Any cultivation art required steady progression. Even though the Body Refinement stages were trivial for those at Second or Third Grade, they still formed the foundation.
Without the first three layers of Body Refinement, beginning from the Fourth Layer could easily cause problems—
Wait!
Elder Jin’s disciples had all suffered cultivation mishaps.
Could it be… he never had the first three layers? That was why only those with special constitutions could cultivate the Mysterious Earth True Art to completion?
The more Chen Ming thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
So that was it!
This “Elder Jin” was indeed a genius. Even without the first three layers, he had managed to cultivate the Mysterious Earth True Art to the Divine Repository Realm. Truly remarkable.
Could he be one of those rumored to possess the Innate Black Tortoise Constitution?
Chen Ming’s thoughts churned. Suddenly, he turned to glance at Yu Haitang to his left—and finally understood why she had come to fight for this inheritance.
She must have long known Elder Jin cultivated the Mysterious Earth True Art and had schemed for this very moment.
Earth gives birth to Wood. For her, the best way to complete the True Art of Five Elements was to start from the Mysterious Earth True Art.
“What a pity—”
Chen Ming looked at the inscriptions on the stone wall and gave a wry smile.
Without the first three layers, he could not integrate this technique into the True Art of Five Elements. Nor could he compete with the others present.
The other eight were all true geniuses. To reach Third Grade before thirty, their talent and comprehension were first-class. How could someone like him, who had relied on adding points, compete with their comprehension?
“Am I going to leave empty-handed?”
Chen Ming reached into his robes, pressing his hand against the tortoiseshell he had been nurturing, unwilling to accept defeat.
The instant he touched it, a tremor coursed through his heart. A foreboding dread welled up.
His pupils contracted sharply.
The tortoiseshell… was warning him?
Was there immense danger here?
Danger from where?
Clutching the tortoiseshell tightly, he let his gaze sweep across the eight before him.
The tortoiseshell gave no response.
Not them?
Then it must be—
A sudden realization struck Chen Ming. His scalp tingled as he thought of the figure in the pool.
Not good. This was a trap!
That decrepit old man had lured them here. His true goal wasn’t to find a successor, but something else entirely!
…
“Then why hasn’t he acted yet?”
Chen Ming had weathered countless storms. He knew that in a crisis, calm was paramount.
He carefully analyzed.
With a Divine Repository Realm cultivation, killing a group of Second and Third Grades should have been effortless.
If he hadn’t acted immediately, there was only one explanation—his condition was too poor, and he wasn’t fully confident against them.
So, what was he waiting for?
Chen Ming’s thoughts spun.
The tortoiseshell had once helped him escape a dead end in Xiazhou City. He trusted it wouldn’t guide him to death now. This path was dangerous, yes—but not hopeless.
Where was the crisis?
Where was the turning point?
Then he thought—if he were this old ghost, in such weakness, how best to deal with a group of strong juniors?
“Poison!”
The answer hit him instantly. Simple, brutal, effective.
At once, he stopped breathing, sealed his pores, and formed a protective layer of yuan energy over his skin, isolating himself from the air.
Extending his spiritual sense, he discovered that two others had also ceased breathing.
One was Yu Haitang.
The other was the sharp-eyed man surnamed Yan.
That Yu Haitang was cautious was no surprise. But that Yan fellow—had he also guessed something?
Suddenly, Yu Haitang turned her head slightly and glanced at him, her lips curling into a faint, mocking smile.
Clearly, she had noticed Chen Ming’s small movements.
Soon, she turned back to continue comprehending the stone wall.
As for the others, they were all absorbed in the technique, oblivious to the silent exchange.
…
Unknowingly, several hours passed.
Chen Ming also studied the art, though he kept a sliver of focus on the other eight—especially the six who had no defenses.
So much time had gone by, and yet, nothing had happened.
“Could it be I was overthinking?”
He wondered, but still didn’t lower his guard.
At last, the ancient voice sounded again, “Enough. The time is up. Come here.”
Everyone rose and gathered once more at the poolside.
Chen Ming walked at the very back. This time, he hadn’t even considered danger, and so had not brought the Po Jun Sword—only a normal refined-steel blade. That had been a mistake.
Then Elder Jin said, “Sit by the pool. Let this old man sense how much you have comprehended.”
Tian Qidong asked, “May I ask, Senior, what is the name of this art?”
Elder Jin answered, “This is an unnamed divine art. What I obtained was incomplete. You should have realized this by now. That is why compatibility matters. Only one whose constitution is most fitting can cultivate this art to completion.”
Tian Qidong pressed, “How then will you judge who is most compatible?”
“Very simple. This cave abode is saturated with pure primal qi. Sit and circulate what you just learned. Whoever draws in the most primal qi is the one whose constitution is most compatible. Any questions?”
“I see. This junior has no further doubts.”
“Good. Then begin.”
Thus, everyone sat cross-legged by the pool and began to cultivate, each striving to inhale as much of the pure primal qi as possible.
The more one could absorb, the better their fit.
Chen Ming, of course, did not act rashly. He sat cross-legged as well, merely pretending to breathe in and out. In truth, he only feigned the process while staying alert for danger.
About half an hour later—
The ancient voice rang out once more. “Girl, why do you not absorb this primal qi?”
The words shook the heart and mind.
Chen Ming stiffened. He knew the question was aimed at him. Forcing calm, he replied, “Forgive me, Senior. This junior’s comprehension is ordinary. In this short time, I could not grasp the essence of the technique on the wall.”
“Is that so?”
The old voice asked again, “And you, the girl in yellow?”
Yu Haitang opened her eyes, a hint of mockery within them. “That is the power of a Divine Repository Realm expert dispersed after death. It contains the very source of his being. I would not dare take it into my body.”
The moment her words fell, everyone was shocked.