Immortals and Demons Forever

Chapter 13: A Major Discovery

He walked from east to west, not overlooking the ceiling either. There were inscriptions on the protruding rocks extending from the stone walls; some had been carved with a sword and were quite deep. Unfortunately, after being eroded, the characters had become somewhat distorted to the touch, making it impossible to decipher them. A few characters were incorrect, which might render the entire cultivation technique unusable. He’d heard stories of people who’d tried to decipher them before—spending a great deal of time on it, only to become overconfident and believe they’d obtained a complete technique. When they actually tried to practice it, however, the instructions didn’t make any sense, and they immediately broke down, becoming the butt of everyone’s jokes. Su Mu tried his hand at whatever he could still make out—some were a single move or half a move, while others didn’t even amount to half a move. He could put any hopes of striking it rich to rest. No one is a fool, and there were certainly plenty who came hoping to strike it rich, but everyone left with nothing but a sigh. In an inconspicuous corner, he spotted a manual on how to open the soul, and his heart immediately leapt with excitement. Su Mu’s current cultivation level was at the Eye-Opening Stage; he had cultivated his perception, and the next step was precisely to open the soul. Simply put, “Opening the Soul” involves channeling the small amount of Source Energy condensed within one’s body into the Dantian. Only when the integrated Source Energy reaches a certain threshold can one formally cultivate a Source Energy Seed. Waves of warmth surged through his body. However, as he followed the instructions in the manual, his qi circulation became somewhat chaotic—alternating between forward and reverse flow—leaving Su Mu feeling dizzy and disoriented. He persevered for a while, and his vital energy grew increasingly vigorous. Suddenly, his lips felt damp; he wiped them with his finger, only to find it covered in blood. What a fucking nightmare! Sure enough, the incomplete and disjointed text on the wall led to mistakes the moment he started practicing, and in the end, it caused his nose to bleed profusely. With his qi and blood too vigorous and nowhere to go, they gushed straight out of his nostrils and were already dripping onto the floor. He quickly channeled his energy, following the basic techniques for “Activating Blood and Unblocking Meridians” described in the foundational physical cultivation section to rapidly subdue the surging qi and blood. After going back and forth like this for over half an hour—all for nothing—the nosebleed finally stopped. Su Mu sat down on a large rock, feeling frustrated, and couldn’t help but laugh at his own actions. “I guess I’d better leave. No one’s been willing to come to this place for a long time now.” As he sat on the rock, just about to stand up, his eyes happened to glance to the ground, where he spotted a stone that had fallen from the Xuanwu Cliff—and it seemed to have characters on it! What’s going on? He jolted to his feet, hurriedly reaching down to pick up the stone. Upon closer inspection, there really were characters! And—there had originally been a layer of black substance, corroded by the Demon-Suppressing Barrier, coating it. How had it vanished?! Su Mu was utterly stunned. He saw that five characters were inscribed on this palm-sized stone, with a bloodstain right in the center. There was a distinct black mark on the bloodstain—could it be that the bloodstain had absorbed the corrosive substance? But where did this bloodstain come from? He looked down and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Huh?” There were a few drops of blood on the ground. It suddenly dawned on Su Mu: he’d been practicing his cultivation technique haphazardly earlier, causing his nose to bleed profusely; the blood had landed on this stone, and a few drops had also spilled onto the ground. If that’s the case—could his blood neutralize the black substance produced by the Demon-Drinking Obstruction?! Su Mu hurried to the front of the Xuanwu Cliff, picked up another piece of stone that had fallen from it, bit his finger until it bled, and watched with wide eyes as a drop of blood slowly fell onto the stone. His heart was pounding, and he felt a tension unlike anything he’d ever experienced. The moment the blood touched the stone, the black substance was diluted by it at a speed visible to the naked eye—just like an ice cube dropped into a pot of oil, causing an immediate reaction. It happened so fast it was practically the blink of an eye! Su Mu pinched his wrist hard. It really hurt! “Hahaha, hahahaha…” Su Mu couldn’t help but burst out laughing, his whole body trembling. The cultivation techniques inscribed on the Xuanwu Cliff here—he feared he wouldn’t be able to master them all even if he practiced nonstop for a year! He still clearly remembered obtaining the essence blood of a giant troll in his dream. He never expected that this single drop of blood, which had nourished his body and purged the stagnant toxins, would actually have such a marvelous use! After the initial euphoria and excitement subsided, he quickly regained his composure and didn’t rush to unlock the seals. If he used his blood to dispel the toxins, what if someone else came here and saw the cultivation techniques revealed on Xuanwu Cliff? Wouldn’t they be able to learn them too? That wasn’t even the main concern. If word of this got out and the corrosive substance mysteriously vanished, the authorities would certainly investigate the cause. If the investigation led back to him, how could he possibly explain it? He couldn’t reveal to outsiders the opportunity he’d gained on the back mountain of Misty Peak—it would bring him certain death. Although there were many martial arts techniques left on the Xuanwu Cliff, they were mostly suitable for outer-sect disciples to practice. He was now just two steps away from entering the inner sect; there was no need to spend a lot of time learning too much—just enough to get by would suffice. With that in mind, he could tell from the few remaining legible characters whether they described fist techniques, leg techniques, footwork, or sword techniques. For now, he only needed to learn two or three martial arts styles that would allow him to defend against enemies. If necessary, he could always return later. His mind worked meticulously; he first selected a fist technique. By dripping blood onto it, he was able to remove the black substance within a one-meter radius, fully revealing the fist technique’s contents before him. Su Mu took out paper and a pen, transcribed the techniques, and then destroyed the rock. To be absolutely certain, it was safer to destroy it. The martial arts techniques inscribed on the Xuanwu Cliff were intended for future Outer Sect disciples to study, but due to natural disasters, they had become illegible—and only he could decipher them. Why on earth should he share them with those people? Su Mu was no saint; he was clear about his likes and dislikes. Moreover, since he was constantly mocked in the Outer Sect, he might share his cultivation techniques with Da Fu, but as for the others—they could forget about it! *Fierce Elephant Fist*—relying purely on yang energy, a single punch can generate a thousand jin of force; upon reaching mastery, the fist’s wind carries the sound of an elephant’s roar. Su Mu was very satisfied with this fist technique; he would focus on it today, then copy two more copies to take back and practice in his spare time. He’d return to Xuanwu Cliff only after mastering them all; that way, he wouldn’t have to make the trip here every day, which might arouse suspicion if someone were watching him. When he unlocked the “Fierce Elephant Fist,” a portion of another technique nearby was also revealed, so he decided to go ahead and unlock them all. It was an Iron Head technique called *Iron Head Hammer*, designed specifically for training the head. As everyone knows, the head is one of the most vulnerable and lethal parts of the human body. Su Mu couldn’t help but be delighted—this “Iron Head Hammer” technique was ruthless and brutal, exactly to his liking. Now that he had martial arts to strike with, what if his opponent was faster and stronger than him? He’d have to be able to withstand the blows. Physical cultivators always say that to strike others, one must first learn to take blows; one must be able to stand firm before one can strike back. So what’s the harm in letting them hit you while you stand your ground? He carefully selected a martial art specifically designed to strengthen the tendons and bones to withstand pressure; it was called *Vajra Body Defense*. After transcribing it, Su Mu began practicing the fist techniques right there in the stone cave.