Testing the Waters

Leaving the ruined temple, Lu Wangchuan went deep into the mountain forest and carved out a simple stone cave using the Limitless Sword Dao.

A Dantian Realm expert equipped with a supreme-grade precious sword could chop through mountain stone as easily as slicing tofu, effortlessly.

This once again stirred deep emotion within Lu Wangchuan's heart, realizing that experts were truly, overwhelmingly terrifying.

That was because an expert's offense, defense, and mobility could not be easily matched by machinery.

Take his current cultivation realm for example: if he were to be transported back to Earth, as long as the other side did not unleash a nuclear-level ultimate attack, it would basically be very difficult to pose a fatal threat to him.

He was just that strong!

He set up an iron cauldron, tossed the medicinal herbs in one by one, and began to brew.

Survival in the wild was not as convenient as at home, and the preparation environment for the Spirit Elixir was much cruder, causing some of the elixir's scent to drift out and attract quite a few beasts from the forest.

The scent of something like the Spirit Elixir wasn't particularly appetizing, but the energy contained within it was extraordinary. Just a single sniff could refresh one's mind and invigorate the spirit. Although these brute beasts had not awakened their spiritual intelligence, they still knew the difference between good and bad.

By the time Lu Wangchuan finished brewing, it was already early the next morning.

He stored the Spirit Elixir in a container he had prepared in advance. Unlike pills, which could be preserved for a long time, the Spirit Elixir could not. However, Lu Wangchuan drank it basically every day, and could consume a whole pot within a few days, so he didn't need to worry about too much evaporation.

Having finished all this and stepping out of the cave, he found that many animals had already gathered outside, ranging from small ones like foxes, ferrets, hares, and rats to large ones like wild dogs, wolves, and boars, and even a Tiger with Upward Glaring Eyes!

These beasts greedily sniffed the scent of the Spirit Elixir lingering in the air, yet they didn't dare to act presumptuously, fearing they might startle Lu Wangchuan.

And the moment they saw him emerge, they lowered their heads one after another; even that Tiger with Upward Glaring Eyes bowed its head in submission.

Brute beasts lacked much intelligence, but having lived in the jungle year-round, they were better at sensing danger than humans.

The man before them was dangerous beyond the ordinary, and the oppressive aura radiating from his body made their hearts beat faster and their breathing somewhat heavy.

Lu Wangchuan walked straight away without harming these beasts.

It wasn't out of kindness; with his cultivation having reached this level, unless it was truly necessary, he couldn't be bothered to trample these ants.

He suddenly discovered that as his cultivation continuously grew stronger, his state of mind seemed to have changed a great deal without him noticing.

While hurrying on his way using the Heavenly Dipper Eight Steps, he would occasionally drink a flask of the Spirit Elixir. Utilizing the Heavenly Dipper Eight Steps movement technique, traveling not only didn't tire him out, but it also served to increase his faint blood qi and cultivation.

Even having reached the Dantian Realm, Lu Wangchuan would not turn his nose up at meager gains in blood qi and cultivation.

Thus, before noon, he arrived at an inn.

In ancient times there was no mobile navigation, so setting out on a long journey relied entirely on one's mouth—if you didn't ask for directions, you would get lost.

"Waiter, bring a pot of tea."

"Coming right up, patron."

The waiter nimbly brought a pot of tea. Judging by his steady build and the way wind seemed to stir beneath his feet, he was also an initiated martial artist in the Blood Solidification Realm.

In times of chaos, one couldn't run an inn without a few punches and kicks.

Lu Wangchuan glanced around. There were quite a few passing merchants in the inn, and martial artists were not in short supply either, but apart from himself, not a single one was above the Open Source stage.

The three strongest people in the entire inn were: the proprietor at the door counted as one, the leader of the armed escorts wearing agency attire at the adjacent table counted as the second, and the third was a bearded brute sitting in the corner with a broken blade resting on his table.

These three made no effort to conceal themselves; judging by the robust and profound nature of their breathing, they were all in the Bone Forging Realm.

The higher one's cultivation realm, the fewer people there were. The Open Source stage was already enough to rank near the top in a county town, while Dantian Realm experts were fewer than fingers on a hand and extremely rare.

Lu Wangchuan left the tea on the table untouched; ordering it was merely a pretext to ask for directions. Without giving some benefit, it was hard to get the truth, and if you ran into someone displeased who tricked you, pointing you randomly down the wrong path could wear your legs out and still leave you stranded.

This was the way of the world.

"Waiter, let me ask you something. How do I get to the Divine Water Sect?"

"Oh, the patron wants to go to the Divine Water Sect? Head south from here, bypass Pine Tree Slope, pass two more mountains, and when you see the main road, keep going southwest. Ask a few more times when you get there, and you'll definitely find the Divine Water Sect."

"Many thanks."

Lu Wangchuan tossed out two copper coins, which the waiter accepted with a beaming smile.

"You're quite straightforward, patron, so I'll give you a hint: there's a band of bandits behind that mountain. It's safe if you pass by around noon every day, but avoid crossing at other times."

Lu Wangchuan nodded. These were the rules of the jianghu; give benefits, and the other party would inform you in advance; give nothing, and dying would be for naught. Furthermore, you couldn't give too much money either—revealing wealth would only make you die faster.

As a Dantian Realm expert, naturally he didn't need to worry about a few petty thieves, but how many Dantian Realm experts were there?

The vast majority of those who didn't understand the rules were probably already lined up on the path to the netherworld.

Right at that moment, a female guest at a table against the northern wall suddenly let out a shrill scream.

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

With a gloomy face, the waiter walked right over.

"What are you screaming for? The master chef accidentally clipped his own finger while chopping meat, what big deal is that?"

Lu Wangchuan shook his head. Traveling out and about, daring to casually order meat dishes at a mountain wayside tavern—her courage was truly admirable.

Having asked for directions, he was already prepared to stand up and leave to continue his journey. However, no sooner had he risen than a little girl hopped and skipped into the inn from outside. Their eyes met, the little girl's gaze instantly turned icy, and she pointed straight at Lu Wangchuan, shouting to the proprietor:

"Daddy! It's him! He ruined the fun for me and my uncles yesterday, almost making my fish slip the hook."

The little girl was the evil scoundrel who had been crying for her mother yesterday, and the "fish" naturally referred to those two persecuted women.

Upon hearing this, the proprietor's eyes bulged with rage. Bracing his hands on the table, he vaulted directly out from behind the counter, an intense wave of Killing Intent rushing toward them.

"Little bastard, daring to ruin my daughter's good deeds! I'll skin you alive!"

The words had barely left his lips when he had already closed the distance and charged forward. Being in the Bone Forging Realm, he possessed immense strength and bones like steel; with a single punch thrown, hundreds of pounds of force produced a piercing sonic boom in the air.

The onlookers tightened their expressions in fright, all assuming Lu Wangchuan was bound to die without a doubt. Even the female guest who had been arguing with the waiter earlier shrank back in a shudder, not daring to utter a word.

However, just as everyone thought Lu Wangchuan's head was about to be blown flat by a single punch, they saw him remain completely unhurried. His right hand rested on the hilt of the Godslayer Sword; drawing and slashing happened in one smooth, flowing motion!

People only felt a flash of cold light in their eyes, and the proprietor's head flew off on the spot. His massive body staggered forward a few meters, crashed into a table, and collapsed limply to the floor.

Terrified out of her wits, the little girl turned and ran, but Lu Wangchuan raised his leg and kicked, sending her flying dozens of meters away and instantly ending her sinful life.

This double display of action made everyone in the inn shiver, while the armed escort leader and the Blade Breaking Swordsman both lit up with excitement.

"Fine kung fu!"

Scared out of his wits and his soul nearly split apart, the tavern waiter turned to run. At the side, the Blade Breaking Swordsman sneered, grabbed the broken blade off his table, and hurled it forward, piercing straight through the waiter's body and pinning him dead against the red-lacquered wooden pillar.