My Martial Arts Level Never Drops

With this confirmed, Qin Fang finally set his mind at ease.

…'He really didn't want to inexplicably create an avatar, only to have its consciousness suddenly rebel and try to seize control of his body one day… That would be a complete nightmare…'

'If something like that could really happen, then this avatar… he'd be better off not cultivating it at all.'

The Second Layer had reached Great Success, but to advance further, he would have to absorb more Yan Gang Stone.

…'Looks like I'll have to wait until next year.'

"Sigh. High-end materials really are scarce."

Qin Fang sighed in resignation.

However, he was indeed planning to venture out…

...specifically, to return to Old Ox Back to continue his secluded cultivation.

…His journey into the Secret Realm had made him realize that his current strength was still far too weak.

The Three Religions were stirring up trouble again.

He felt a sense of urgency, a desire to grow stronger as quickly as possible.

So, on the third day after the ceremony, Qin Fang went to his Master to bid farewell before heading to Old Ox Back.

His Master naturally wouldn't stop him, but still gave him the customary warnings.

…Qin Fang respectfully accepted his instructions.

After bidding his Master farewell, he went to Guiyuan Valley to say goodbye to his senior sister and martial uncle as well, and then departed.

…Once again, he didn't bring Xile with him.

Xile could no longer keep up with him.

Its usefulness as a mount had diminished significantly.

…He was much faster than Xile now.

Bringing Xile along might attract unnecessary trouble, so he decided to leave the creature at the Sect.

That same day, he transformed into a streak of light and departed from Lanyang City.

But as was his custom, he didn't fly directly to Old Ox Back, instead choosing a roundabout route.

This was to ensure that no one could track his exact movements.

'Speaking of which, the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect must have returned to Jinlan Prefecture by now. I wonder if that Zhao Yuanling is plotting to steal my opportunity…'

Qin Fang thought to himself as he flew through the air.

…He had been in the Secret Realm for six years. By the time he emerged, the disciples of the Six Sects had long since departed. After all, it had become clear that the Three Religions weren't just causing trouble in Canglan Prefecture. The other sects had to return and thoroughly investigate their own territories.

…Otherwise, they would be a laughingstock if they went out to help the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect only to return and find their own headquarters had been compromised.

The Three Religions operated in a treacherous manner; it was nearly impossible to detect their movements before they made their final move.

By the time anyone noticed, their goals were usually already accomplished.

It was just like the incident in Yanfang Prefecture a few years ago, and the situation in True Martial County more than a decade ago… always the same pattern.

Beforehand, there were, at best, only faint warning signs.

But these signs were so subtle that only the local commoners could vaguely sense them.

In this world, however, it was extremely difficult for ordinary people to travel far.

Many people lived and died trapped in one small area, never once stepping beyond the mountains where they were born and raised…

「Three days later.」

Qin Fang returned to Old Ox Back, a place he hadn't seen in a long time.

He subconsciously glanced at the bamboo forest below, only to find that the few traces of his stay had been all but erased by the passage of time.

The bamboo hut had completely collapsed.

Only a field of rubble and ruined walls remained.

Gazing at the bamboo forest, Qin Fang fell silent for a long while before finally letting out a soft sigh.

He didn't try to clean it up. Instead, with a single thought, his Divine Sense swept up the collapsed remains of the hut, lifting them into the air and tossing them into the wilderness.

All that remained was a clearing, which now looked strangely bare.

He watched it quietly…

…'It's been ten years.'

'It's time to let some things go.'

He lingered no longer, ascending Old Ox Back to the Cold Cave he had long been away from.

As he stepped into the Cold Cave, a faint chill prickled his skin. Although the cold at a depth of ten meters could no longer truly affect him, he still shivered subconsciously…

…The aura here inexplicably reminded him of the Great Abyss.

The aura in the Great Abyss was very similar to this place.

Only, it was even more desolate.

'What's really at the bottom of the Cold Cave?'

The thought surfaced in Qin Fang's mind once more.

And then, he couldn't resist the urge to explore deeper.

'Last time, I only made it seventy meters in. I was just at the True Species Realm then, not even at the Primordial Stream Realm.'

'But now, I've reached the Condensing Gang Realm. I'm immeasurably stronger in every respect… Fine, I'll press on and see just how far I can get.'

Driven by this curiosity, Qin Fang headed straight inside.

When he reached the thirty-meter mark, he saw the mysterious liquid again. He hadn't been here in over six years. The Porcelain Bottle he had left was already full, and a few drops had even spilled into the stone bowl outside it.

'This mysterious liquid in the Porcelain Bottle seems more potent than I imagined… My bones, which remained unscathed even in the Gang Wind of the Great Abyss, are all thanks to this liquid.'

His eyes glinted. He carefully collected the full Porcelain Bottle, set down a new one in its place, and stored the full one securely before continuing deeper into the cave.

At the sixty-meter mark, he saw the orchid.

'I've nearly finished reading all the texts in the Hundred Herbs Courtyard, but I still haven't found any information on this orchid or the Treasure Plant deeper in the cave…'

Qin Fang's brow furrowed slightly as he looked at the orchid, which cast a faint, blueish glow in the cave.

…Over the years, whenever he was at the Sect, he would make time outside of his daily cultivation to visit the Hundred Herbs Courtyard and read its texts.

Even though he only read them sporadically, his Divine Sense was powerful and his memory was astonishing, so he had nearly finished all the texts in the Hundred Herbs Courtyard.

Yet he still hadn't found any description of these two Treasure Plants.

That was astounding.

…After all, those were texts accumulated by the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect over thirty-six hundred years.

'And there's absolutely no description of these two Treasure Plants?'

This could only mean one thing… both of these Treasure Plants were exceptionally rare.

But based on pure intuition… the Treasure Plant deeper inside the cave was likely far rarer and more precious than this orchid.

He watched it for a moment, then left the orchid untouched and continued on his way.