Cultivating in a Bizarre World

On his way to the grotto, Ren Qing noticed Mu Yi was not in the camp. He had likely gone to the Forbidden Area to replenish the Magic Techniques used for the seal.

The sounds within the grotto were now a chaotic mess. Prisoners with pickaxes were everywhere, and the air had grown much fouler.

As the excavation of the mountain was now more than halfway complete, Song Zongwu and the other Forbidden Guards were digging furiously, trying to seal off the Forbidden Area as quickly as possible.

When Ren Qing arrived at his mine tunnel, he suddenly noticed a new one had appeared beside it. A rustling, chewing sound emanated from within.

He couldn’t resist a glance inside and saw hundreds of dark-gold beetles gnawing on the rock. They were not fast, but they were persistent.

Meanwhile, Li Yaoyang was manipulating Gu Insects on Camel Peak Mountain, only occasionally returning to the camp.

With this arrangement, there were always at least two Forbidden Guards present, leaving no openings to exploit.

Ren Qing stood before the stone wall, closed his eyes in deep thought, and placed his right hand on the hilt of his saber.

Based on the experience he’d gained over the past few days, he knew that to cleave through rock as if it were nothing, it wasn’t just about concentrating all his strength.

It was also crucial to strike along the grain, as this would significantly reduce resistance.

Ren Qing raised the Great Miao Blade over his head, mentally rehearsing the swing.

After an hour, Ren Qing lowered his Great Miao Blade and took a long, deep breath.

It was not that he was about to give up; quite the opposite, he now felt sufficiently confident.

His Double Pupils began to spin uncontrollably. He squatted, his muscles tensing as he settled into a blade-drawing stance.

In Ren Qing’s eyes, the stone wall seemed to zoom in. No detail escaped him, not even the motes of dust floating in the air.

It was as if he could feel the countless ages the stone before him had weathered.

SHIIING!!!

The Great Miao Blade slid out half a finger’s width, its cold light flooding the narrow mine tunnel. All around, the incessant sound of excavation abruptly ceased.

Ren Qing pushed off with his legs, his body sliding more than half a meter forward.

He remained frozen in the blade-swinging motion.

Dust swirled through the mine tunnel, appearing like flowing smoke under the dim lights.

CRACK... CRACKLE...

A fissure suddenly split open the rock face. Though it wasn’t cleaved all the way through, it was clearly the result of a strike from a sharp weapon.

In the adjacent mine tunnel, Huang Ziwang wore an expression of utter disbelief.

’If I remember correctly, Ren Qing has only been digging at this rock wall for a few days.’

’He went from breaking his pickaxe just by touching the rock to now being able to use a Weapon on it. Can mining really have such an effect?’

The corner of Huang Ziwang’s eye twitched, and his gaze fell upon the nearby pickaxe.

Ren Qing snapped out of it and inspected his Great Miao Blade. The edge was as good as new, completely undamaged.

He gave the Great Miao Blade a casual swing and felt it move like an extension of his own arm. The change in such a short period was simply night and day.

Ren Qing didn’t rush to strike again, as he was still far from mastering the technique. He refocused his attention on the rock face.

After a long moment, Ren Qing drew his blade and struck.

SWOOSH!

Another slash.

A few stone fragments broke off the wall as the gash visibly deepened.

Ren Qing continued to strike at a slow, deliberate pace. Steam started to rise from his body, a sign that his stamina was rapidly draining.

He hadn’t even performed a hundred strikes, yet he was already on the verge of exhaustion.

But his gains were far greater than what he would have achieved from days of digging with a pickaxe. Ren Qing was gradually learning to seamlessly integrate his Saber Technique with his Double Pupils.

’In the future, I can even plan to incorporate the Divine Sutra’s Werewolf Transformation into my strikes, creating synergy between my Magic Techniques.’

’Of course, that’s only if there are no Forbidden Guards around.’

Ren Qing left the grotto, intending to head back to camp for some food and a short rest.

He stepped outside to find it was already evening. The aroma of roasting meat wafted from the camp, where many Government Constables were busy at work.

Mu Yi was still nowhere to be seen in the clearing.

Ren Qing couldn’t help but mutter to himself, "Isn’t this my only chance?"

He shook his head and started toward his wooden hut. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure staggering toward the grotto.

It was one of the Hunters. His hands and feet had been mauled by a beast, so he had spent the last few days recuperating in his hut.

Ren Qing frowned, stopping in his tracks.

At first, the Hunter seemed relatively normal, even responding when people greeted him, but it wasn’t long before something seemed off.

His eyes were filled with terror. He was about to say something, but his right hand clamped over his mouth.

Blood dripped from the corner of the Hunter’s mouth. He wiped it away nonchalantly, but his expression twisted in pain.

As he took a step, a bloody tongue fell out from his sleeve.

The Hunter’s pace quickened. Blood instantly soaked through the bandages on his limbs, and his movements looked utterly uncoordinated.

Such abnormalities always signify something monstrous.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ren Qing drew his Great Miao Blade and burst forward, charging at the Hunter.

But before he could reach the Hunter, the man dropped into a crawling position on all fours as a series of sickening cracks echoed from his spine.

The Hunter opened his mouth; from the shape it formed, he was clearly begging for help.

He then slammed onto the ground and fell still, only his limbs twitching sporadically. A large pool of blood spread out from his body.

One by one, eyes began to sprout from the blood, radiating an aura of pure malevolence.

The blood erupted.

A mist of blood enveloped the clearing, spreading to the mouth of the grotto. Within it, innumerable eyes flickered in and out of view.

The surrounding people scattered, but they were a step too late. Several were spattered with blood and instantly dragged into the bloody fog.

Ren Qing immediately realized what was happening. This was clearly a Forbidden Area formed by a Half-Corpse Realm Mysterious Object, and the Mysterious Object most likely came from the Hundred-eyed Man.

’But the Hunter obviously wasn’t Song Rong in disguise, and his mind had been relatively clear, so it wasn’t the effect of a Magic Technique. How did they deliver the Mysterious Object?’

Ren Qing quickly calmed down.

’It’s just a Half-Corpse Realm Forbidden Area. There are four Forbidden Guards in the grotto right now; it can only hold them up for a moment at best.’

Sure enough, several powerful auras erupted from within the Hundred Eyes Forbidden Area.

The newborn Mysterious Object had not yet developed Spiritual Wisdom. How could it have the means to contend with Forbidden Guards? It wasn’t long before it showed signs of collapsing.

Moreover, the Hundred-eyed Man’s Mysterious Object inherited the ability to create Illusions, but it would likely be ineffective against Song Zongwu, who had mastered the Heavenly Listening Skill.

’If it had been the more troublesome Human Skin Book, which is stealthy and can possess people, it might have held out longer.’

Ren Qing suddenly realized something.

’Song Rong must have forcibly stripped every eyeball from the Hundred-eyed Man. He definitely paid a heavy price for it. This is a desperate, all-or-nothing move.’

Ren Qing turned his head to look at the distant mountain forest. Beasts were heading towards Camel Peak Mountain in droves, their target being the Disaster Mitigation Forbidden Area.

But an overwhelming swarm of Gu Insects immediately rose from the trees and grass to intercept them.

The beast tide struggled to advance, with only a portion managing to charge into Camel Peak Mountain.

Ren Qing’s eyes shifted slightly. He had already guessed Song Rong’s method, and it wouldn’t be difficult to find him using his Double Pupils.

In his eyes, Song Rong was already trapped. Defeat was inevitable.

However, the Magic Techniques Song Rong possessed represented a significant opportunity for Ren Qing. They might even hold clues to Life Extension.

Ren Qing turned and headed in the direction of Camel Peak Mountain.

’I won’t be able to take advantage of this situation once the Forbidden Guards break free.’