Testing the Waters

Leaving the ruined temple, Lu Wangchuan ventured deep into the mountain forest, using the Limitless Sword Dao to carve out a simple stone cave.

A Dantian Realm expert, armed with a top-grade treasured sword, could split mountain rock like tofu—effortlessly.

This made Lu Wangchuan sigh inwardly once more: the truly strong were terrifying beyond measure.

Because a strong person's attack, defense, and mobility weren't something machines could easily match.

Take his current cultivation level, for instance. If he were transported back to Earth, as long as the other side didn't unleash a nuclear-level ultimate move, it would be hard for them to pose a lethal threat to him.

That was how strong he was!

He set up the iron pot, tossed in the medicinal herbs one by one, and began brewing.

Surviving in the wild wasn't as convenient as at home. The conditions for making Spirit Elixir were much cruder, so some of its aroma would drift out, attracting many forest beasts.

Spirit Elixir didn't taste great, but the energy it contained was extraordinary. Just smelling it could refresh the mind and sharpen the senses. Though these beasts hadn't awakened their intelligence, they still knew good from bad.

By the time Lu Wangchuan finished brewing, it was already dawn the next day.

He stored the Spirit Elixir in containers he'd prepared beforehand. Unlike pills, Spirit Elixir couldn't be preserved for long, but Lu Wangchuan drank it daily, consuming an entire pot within a few days, so he didn't worry too much about evaporation.

After finishing, he stepped out of the cave to find a crowd of animals gathered outside—small ones like foxes, weasels, hares, and rats, and larger ones like wild dogs, wolves, and boars. There was even a fierce tiger!

These beasts greedily sniffed the lingering Spirit Elixir scent in the air but dared not act rashly, afraid of disturbing Lu Wangchuan.

And when he emerged, they all lowered their heads, even the Tiger with Upward Glaring Eyes bowing in submission.

Beasts lacked much intelligence, but having lived in the forest for years, they sensed danger more keenly than humans.

The man before them was no ordinary threat. The oppressive aura he exuded made their hearts race and their breathing heavy.

Lu Wangchuan walked straight past without harming any of the beasts.

It wasn't out of kindness. At his level of cultivation, unless absolutely necessary, he couldn't be bothered to harm these ants.

He suddenly realized that as his cultivation grew stronger, his mindset seemed to have changed imperceptibly.

He traveled using the Heavenly Dipper Eight Steps, occasionally drinking a bottle of Spirit Elixir. With this movement technique, he not only avoided fatigue while traveling but also gained a slight boost in blood qi and cultivation.

Even at the Dantian Realm, Lu Wangchuan didn't scoff at such meager gains.

Thus, before noon, he arrived at an inn.

In ancient times, there were no phone maps. Traveling far relied entirely on asking directions; without them, you'd get lost.

"Waiter, a pot of tea."

"Coming right up, sir."

The waiter swiftly brought a pot of tea. His steady steps and brisk pace showed he was a practitioner who had reached the Blood Solidification Realm.

In these chaotic times, you couldn't run an inn without some martial skill.

Lu Wangchuan swept his gaze across the inn. There were many traveling merchants and quite a few martial artists, but aside from himself, not a single one was above the Open Source Realm.

The inn had three strongest individuals: the shopkeeper at the entrance, the head escort in a courier uniform at the next table, and a burly man with a beard sitting in the corner, a broken blade resting on his table.

None of them hid their strength. Judging by the depth of their breathing, all were at the Bone Forging Realm.

The higher the cultivation, the fewer the people. An Open Source expert could already rank among the top in a county town, while Dantian Realm cultivators were rare and seldom seen.

Lu Wangchuan didn't touch the tea on the table. Ordering it was just a pretext to ask for directions. Without offering some benefit, you'd rarely get the truth, and if someone took a dislike to you, they might mess with you by pointing you in the wrong direction, leaving you running until your legs gave out.

That was the way of the world.

"Waiter, a question. How do I get to the Divine Water Sect?"

"Oh, you want to go to the Divine Water Sect, sir? From here, head south past Pine Tree Slope, cross two more mountain ridges, then follow the main road southwest. Ask a few more times along the way, and you'll definitely find the Divine Water Sect."

"Thanks."

Lu Wangchuan tossed two copper coins, and the waiter pocketed them with a grin.

"You're generous, sir. Let me give you a heads-up—there's a bandit gang on the ridge ahead. If you pass by noon each day, you'll be fine. Don't go at any other time."

Lu Wangchuan nodded. This was all part of the unspoken rules of the jianghu. If you gave a tip, they'd warn you in advance; if you didn't, you'd die for nothing. Also, you couldn't give too much money, or showing off your wealth would get you killed faster.

As a Dantian Realm cultivator, he naturally had no need to worry about a few petty bandits, but how many Dantian Realm experts were there?

Most who didn't understand these rules were probably already queuing up on the road to the Yellow Springs.

Just then, a female guest at a table by the north wall suddenly screamed.

"Ah—! A finger! There's a finger in this dish."

The waiter's face darkened as he walked over.

"What's all the shouting about? The chef accidentally chopped his finger into the meat while cutting it. It's no big deal."

Lu Wangchuan shook his head. Traveling far and daring to order meat dishes at a roadside inn took some guts, he had to admit.

Having gotten his directions, he was about to stand up and continue his journey, but just as he rose, a little girl came bouncing into the inn. Their eyes met, and her gaze instantly turned icy. She pointed at Lu Wangchuan and shouted to the shopkeeper:

"Dad! It's him! Yesterday, he ruined my and my uncles' good deed, and my fish almost got off the hook."

The little girl was the villain who had cried for her mother the day before, and the "fish" naturally referred to the two women who had been victimized.

Hearing this, the shopkeeper's eyes blazed with fury. He slammed his hand on the counter, vaulted over it, and a wave of Sha Qi surged toward Lu Wangchuan.

"You little bastard, daring to ruin my daughter's good fortune—I'll skin you alive!"

The moment the words fell, the man had already charged forward. At the Bone Forging realm, one possessed boundless strength and a body of steel and iron. As his fist lashed out, several hundred jin of force tore through the air with a piercing howl.

The onlookers' faces tightened in fear, all convinced that Lu Wangchuan was as good as dead. Even the female guest who had been arguing with the waiter shuddered and fell silent.

Yet just as everyone expected Lu Wangchuan's head to be smashed flat by that punch, he moved without haste. His right hand rested on the hilt of the Godslayer Sword—draw, swing, one fluid motion!

All the crowd saw was a flash of cold light. The innkeeper's head flew from his shoulders on the spot, his massive body stumbling forward several paces before crashing into a table and collapsing lifelessly.

The young girl's face went pale with terror as she turned to flee. Lu Wangchuan lifted his leg and kicked, sending her flying dozens of meters away, ending her wretched life on the spot.

These two moves made everyone in the shop shudder. The escort and the Blade Breaking Swordsman, however, had their eyes light up.

"Excellent skill!"

The waiter was so terrified his guts nearly split. He turned to run, but the Blade Breaking Swordsman let out a cold laugh, grabbed the broken blade from the table, and hurled it forward. It pierced straight through the waiter's body, pinning him to a red-lacquered wooden pillar.