Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One: Gains and Losses

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Unlike the Black Fiend Legion, whose influence had faded along with the departure of its people, the Chu Mountain Sect, Spirit Wind Mountain, and Martial Alliance had shown no intention of letting their leaders’ deaths go unanswered. Over the past few days, Hu San had heard that these three sects had dispatched nearly all their experts. Those who had not yet arrived were still on the road.

Three of the major sects now controlling Empty City Mountain belonged to this group. Whether they had come to search for their sect masters and fellow disciples, or were still pursuing the Boundless Scripture, no one could say.

In any case, the martial artists gathered in Wu City were growing more numerous by the day, while martial-arts factions were pouring in from every direction. Everyone wanted the Boundless Scripture, and everyone hoped to profit from Empty City Mountain. The resulting chaos was beyond description.

After learning everything he wished to know, Hu San had no reason to remain. Judging from the final battle, he had also formed his own conclusion about the truth behind the so-called Boundless Scripture. In essence, a spirit artifact had sought out a genius disciple for a declining sect. Yet if that disciple wished to restore the sect to its former glory, he first had to open its gates—and doing so required a blood sacrifice involving a great many people.

The final outcome made matters quite clear. That sect must have possessed terrifying enemies in the cultivation world, and therefore everything had to be carried out in the utmost secrecy. That was why news of the Boundless Scripture had circulated only through the martial world.

Jiangnan Sheng had merely been a pawn of the spirit artifact. He was useful both for facilitating the blood sacrifice and for refining a guardian for the sect’s disciples—the White Bone Battle Slave. Of course, because of some unknown mishap, the battle slave had not been taken away in the end, but that did not prevent the spirit artifact’s plan from succeeding.

All the martial artists who had been lured there were pawns as well. The spirit artifact presumably possessed some method of screening candidates, ensuring that no cultivator beyond the plan’s limits could infiltrate the proceedings. Hu San suspected that, during the earlier part of the journey, some cultivators from the cultivation world had been expelled. Naturally, this was merely his own conjecture and could not be taken as fact.

In the end, however, matters had still exceeded the spirit artifact’s expectations. Hu San possessed the Black Wind Formation and cultivated both shamanic and immortal arts—clearly something beyond its calculations. He had even managed to trap a White Bone Battle Slave in the late stage of the Dharma-Gathering Realm.

That alone was not the most important issue. The true problem was the sudden change within the Boundless Jade Tablet, something the spirit artifact could never have foreseen. That was why everything had ultimately gone awry.

Judging from the final transformation, Hu San guessed that the Boundless Daoist Venerable had been the supreme expert who founded the Boundless Sect. All the secret manuals and techniques of the Boundless Sect had likely been created by him, and the Boundless Divine Mirror in the Boundless Abode had also been left behind by him.

This expert had created the cultivation arts of the Boundless Sect based on the Northern Abyss Illumination Diagram within the Boundless Jade Tablet. Yet for some unknown reason, the Boundless Jade Tablet—which should have been the most important treasure of all—was something even the people of the Boundless Sect knew nothing about.

No one knew what conditions were required to activate the Northern Abyss Illumination Diagram hidden within it. Thus, by this point, no one had any understanding of the true nature of the Boundless Jade Tablet. Even the Boundless Divine Mirror, the treasured heirloom of the Boundless Sect, believed that the tablet was merely a means devised by the sect to select its successor. It had no idea that such secrets lay hidden within.

Hu San guessed that he had been able to awaken the Northern Abyss Illumination Diagram because the techniques known as Fish Step and Bird Strike were extraordinary in their own right and had fulfilled some unknown condition. That, in turn, had led to everything that followed.

As for why the Boundless Divine Mirror and Shen Fang had been sent away, or where they had been taken, Hu San had no clue at all.

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This journey to Empty City Mountain had cost Hu San dearly. Not only had he exhausted every talisman on his person save the Talisman of Poison Avoidance, but the only usable lower-grade refined magical weapon he possessed—the Ice Shuttle Sword—had also been gravely damaged. It appeared that after a few more uses, it would shatter completely. His ten spirit stones had likewise been consumed in their entirety.

Even by the most conservative estimate, the Black Wind Formation Plate in his possession could be used only once more. It might not even survive a single additional use before breaking apart completely, after which he would have to refine another himself.

Furthermore, Hu San had used up every ordinary iron arrow he carried. Not one of the hundred armor-piercing arrows or hundred tracking arrows remained. Even the most precious meteoric-iron arrows had been reduced to a mere three.

It could be said that Hu San had practically gambled away his entire fortune on this expedition.

Of course, the rewards had been considerable as well.

Among everything he had gained, the most important thing to Hu San was the direction he had found for cultivating the divine art—or cultivation technique—that he would one day create through the Northern Abyss Illumination Diagram on the Boundless Jade Tablet.

With Fish Step as its foundation and Bird Strike as its continuation, Hu San had the feeling that once he succeeded in creating this technique, it would shake the entire world.

Aside from the already existing Bird Strike and Fish Step, his present cultivation and knowledge were nowhere near sufficient to create even one ten-thousandth of such a technique. Yet after experiencing the revelations contained within the Boundless Jade Tablet, Hu San believed that, given enough time, he would certainly be able to bring that hazy technique into existence and carry it to its ultimate summit.

There were countless secret arts in the world, and tens of thousands of methods of combat and divine abilities. But what suited oneself best was often the most powerful of all.

Through his comprehension of the Northern Abyss Illumination Diagram, Hu San had truly found his own direction and the path he was meant to walk.

That was far more valuable than being given ten thousand copies of the Boundless Scripture, or even receiving the Boundless Return-to-Ruins Scripture outright. Only what one created for oneself was truly the best.

From this moment onward, Hu San had finally set foot upon the road to becoming a powerhouse. Everything before this had merely been imitation.

Of course, it was still far too early for Hu San to create the Northern Abyss technique. What mattered most for now was that the Northern Abyss Illumination Diagram had shown him the road ahead and kept him from losing his way. Beyond that, however, it had brought him very little increase in actual strength.

Compared with the future benefits bestowed by the Northern Abyss Illumination Diagram, the White Bone Battle Slave was an immediate source of power. If he could control it, Hu San’s survival in the cultivation world would undoubtedly become much easier.

Compared with the value of the White Bone Battle Slave, everything Hu San had lost earlier was completely insignificant. Naturally, that depended on one condition: he had to obtain a method of controlling the battle slave. Without one, all of this would be meaningless.

“For now, the most important thing is to reach the Crow-Hidden Kingdom and find the Bear Fist mentioned by Black Bear. Although I am cultivating a foundation-laying method for shamans, it is not a genuine shamanic art. I may be able to deal with weak opponents, but if I encounter a true cultivator from the cultivation world, I fear I will be entirely at their mercy. I must obtain the Bear Fist.”

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“If I fail to obtain the Bear Fist, then I can only temporarily travel through the cultivation world under the identity of an immortal cultivator. In any case, my Water-Cloud Formula has already reached the third level. As long as I find a way to control the White Bone Battle Slave, I should be able to survive in the cultivation world somehow.

“Unfortunately, my spiritual roots are truly abysmal. Even with the help of that warm current, advancing to the higher realms will still be exceedingly difficult. Forget it. It is too early to worry about these things. When the time comes, whether I continue searching for shamanic arts or focus solely on immortal cultivation will depend on the circumstances then.”

A glint flashed through Hu San’s eyes. He raised a hand and pressed down the brim of his hat, which the wind had blown upward. Having made up his mind, he did not linger. He headed straight for the place where Wu City connected with the territory of the kingdom. Many merchant caravans departed from there every day, and he intended to join one of them.

Hu San did not know that, just as he mingled with the crowds and left the bustling city behind, an old man in blue stood in an inconspicuous corner of Empty City Mountain, frowning as he gazed at the sky before him.

After a long while, the old man finally sighed.

“What sect does that expert belong to? To cast me out without a sound, and then vanish without leaving the slightest trace... Strange. Very strange. The Boundless Scripture... the Boundless Scripture. Could it be the inheritance of the Boundless Sect founded by the Boundless Daoist Venerable?”

“But how could that be? The inheritance of the Boundless Sect was destroyed by the Limitless Daoist Venerable a hundred thousand years ago. Even the Dao Fruit of the Boundless Daoist Venerable was seized by him. How could the inheritance of the Boundless Sect appear here?

“Yet if it is not the inheritance of the Boundless Sect, then, surveying this world, which sect or which person possesses the strength to conceal themselves from me without a sound?”

“If it truly is a remnant of the Boundless Sect, then this matter is likely far from trivial. With my level of cultivation, involving myself could leave me unable to escape unscathed. Enough, enough. I have more important matters to attend to!”

The old man’s figure grew fainter and fainter. Moments later, the place where he had stood was empty. Only the sigh echoing through the valley proved that someone had been there moments before.

At the same time, more and more martial artists flooded into Empty City Mountain. Even experts from the lofty Heavenly Net Stronghold had arrived.

The news that the Boundless Scripture had appeared was like a fuse, completely igniting the martial world, which had already been tottering on the brink of collapse.

The whole of Wu City had descended into utter disorder. By then, however, Hu San had already left the city with a merchant caravan. No matter how chaotic things became there, they no longer had anything to do with him.

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