A Complete Spirit Tier Cultivation Method: Struck It Rich, This Wave Is a Huge Profit!

Behind this massive stone door, there was no murky water as imagined, nor were there swarms of monsters.

There was only silence, and a chill that seeped into the very marrow of one's bones.

Lu Chen leaned against the door panel, gasping for air.

That battle just now, though brief, had been far more perilous than any fight he had ever engaged in on the shore.

If this door hadn't suddenly opened, releasing a burst of cold air that forced back that terrifying Water Ghost King, he would likely have been skewered through by that massive Bone Fork by now.

"Hoo..."

Lu Chen exhaled.

The white mist had barely left his lips before it turned into tiny ice crystals, falling with a rustling sound.

So cold!

The temperature here was dozens of times lower than at the bottom of the raging Nu River outside.

Even with his Great Success Iron Cloth Shirt and the dual defenses of Thick Skin and Copper Skin, he felt a stinging pain on his skin, as if he were being sliced by knives.

A thick layer of white frost instantly formed on his eyebrows and hair.

Lu Chen circulated his Qi and blood, and the surging heat within his body finally dispelled some of the chill.

He straightened up and began to examine the interior of this so-called Dragon Palace.

This was no ruin.

This was clearly an underground palace preserved in pristine condition!

The palace was incredibly spacious, spanning hundreds of zhang in circumference. The vaulted ceiling was high, embedded with countless fist-sized Night-Shining Pearls that emitted a faint, cold light, illuminating the entire hall clearly.

The floor was paved with neat Cyan Jade Flagstones, each one as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the pearlescent glow from the dome.

On the walls surrounding the hall, there were no murals or reliefs.

Instead, the walls were embedded with dense clusters of black stones.

These stones were irregular in shape—some like fists, others like human heads—entirely pitch-black, with a faint black light radiating from their surfaces.

That terrifying, bone-chilling cold was emanating precisely from these stones.

Lu Chen looked at these stones, and his heart skipped a beat.

A strong intuition surged in his mind.

He strode to the wall, ignoring the biting cold, and reached out to grip a protruding black stone, pulling with all his might.

Crack.

He pried the stone straight out of the wall with his bare hands.

The moment it touched his palm, a bone-chilling aura surged from his hand directly to his brain.

[Ding! High-grade spirit material detected!]

[Item Name: Netherworld Stone]

[Grade: Mortal Peak-Grade (Associated Mineral)]

[Description: A special ore born in places of extreme Yin and cold. It contains pure Yin Fiend Qi and is an excellent auxiliary material for cultivating cold-attribute techniques. It can also be used to forge sinister weapons.]

"Netherworld Stone!"

Lu Chen stared at the black stone in his hand, his eyes erupting with a wild, ecstatic light.

He found it!

He had actually found it!

The key catalyst that had plagued him for half a month, the one thing that kept him from entering the treasure trove he had discovered, was actually right here!

And it wasn't just one or two pieces.

Lu Chen raised his head and scanned his surroundings.

The walls of this entire grand hall were densely embedded with nothing but Netherworld Stones!

Thousands upon thousands of them!

This wasn't some Dragon Palace; it was a massive treasure vault!

"I'm rich..."

Lu Chen muttered to himself, his mouth stretching wide until it reached his ears.

The Netherworld Stones, which he couldn't even buy for a thousand gold pieces outside, were treated like mere decorations embedded in the walls here.

The shock of this sudden wealth made his internal injuries seem less painful.

He tried circulating his breathing technique.

Without even needing to guide it, just by holding the Netherworld Stone, that icy aura began to drill into his body through his pores.

His Qi and blood, which had been agitated by his injuries, calmed down rapidly under the soothing effect of this chill.

Furthermore, the coldness didn't harm him; instead, it felt like drinking a glass of iced plum juice in the sweltering heat of summer, refreshing him from the inside out.

"It really works!"

Lu Chen felt a surge of relief.

With these stones, the greatest obstacle to cultivating the Profound Nether Hand had been cleared.

He was in no rush to pry the stones from the walls; these things weren't going anywhere, and sooner or later, they would all be his.

Lu Chen tucked the Netherworld Stone he was holding into his robe and continued deeper into the main hall.

Although the palace was vast, its layout was not complex.

Aside from the surrounding walls, there was only a stone platform raised above the ground in the very center of the hall.

On the stone platform sat a chair carved from a single piece of cold jade.

And upon that chair sat a withered skeleton.

Lu Chen gripped his Hundred Refinements Steel Saber tightly, lightened his footsteps, and approached step by step.

In this eerie place, the slightest carelessness could cost him his life.

But this skeleton was clearly long dead.

The bones were a dull, grayish color, and the clothing on them had long since rotted into dust, leaving only buttons and ornaments made of some unknown metal scattered across the seat.

Lu Chen walked up close and observed carefully.

This person must have been an expert during their lifetime.

Even after an unknown number of years had passed since their death, a faint trace of pressure still lingered on the bones, making one dare not treat them lightly.

And in the skeleton's right hand, something was gripped tightly.

It was a scroll of animal hide.

It was pitch black, and the material was identical to the map Lu Chen had in his robe.

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed.

He did not reach out to grab it directly, but instead used the tip of his saber to gently nudge it.

No traps.

No poisonous gas.

Because of the passage of time, the skeleton's fingers fell apart at the slightest touch.

The scroll of animal hide slid down and landed on the cold jade chair.

Lu Chen finally reached out his hand and picked up the animal hide.

It felt ice-cold to the touch, as smooth and slick as jade.

He took a deep breath and slowly unfolded the hide.

By the light of the Night-Shining Pearl in the dome, he could clearly see the contents.

They were a series of Meridian Circulation Diagrams, accompanied by dense, small annotations.

At the very top of the animal hide, four ancient, simple characters were written.

Profound Nether Hand (Volume II).

As expected...

Lu Chen's fingers trembled slightly.

He quickly pulled the piece of animal hide map he had obtained from Li Qingyi out from his robes.

The edges of the two pieces of hide were jagged, but when Lu Chen pieced them together—

They fit perfectly!

The previously broken meridian lines instantly connected, and the obscure, difficult-to-understand text became coherent.

[Ding! Related cultivation technique fragments detected!]

[Comparing...]

[Comparison successful! Profound Nether Hand fragment (Volume I) and Profound Nether Hand fragment (Volume II) can be merged!]

[Merge?]

Lu Chen looked at the prompt popping up on the Panel, the light in his eyes terrifyingly bright.

"Merge!"

He chanted silently in his heart.

This time, there were no earth-shattering phenomena.

The text on the Panel simply flickered a few times before rearranging itself.

A complete Spirit Tier cultivation technique, pointing directly to realms beyond the Meridian Connecting Realm, now lay quietly before his eyes.

Lu Chen let out a long breath.

This trip had been worth it.

Even if it meant getting injured, and even if a terrifying Water Ghost King was still blocking the door outside, it was all worth it.

This was a Spirit Tier cultivation technique!

In a small place like Nujiang County, a single high-grade Mortal Tier martial art was enough to make countless people fight until their heads bled.

But a Spirit Tier technique was a legacy that, in legend, only the great clans of the Prefecture City or the sects in the Imperial Capital possessed!

Having it was equivalent to holding a ticket to becoming a powerhouse.

Lu Chen carefully folded the two pieces of animal skin and tucked them away close to his body.

He turned around and looked toward the entrance of the main hall.

The stone door was not completely closed, leaving a gap half a foot wide.

The river water outside could not get in, but the cold air from within was continuously pouring out.

Lu Chen walked to the door and peered out through the gap.

At this sight, his expression instantly darkened.

The Water Ghost King had not left.

It was crouching a dozen or so yards away outside the stone door, its scarlet eyes fixed on the gap. Though its eyes held a hint of fear, they were filled even more with greed.

It was absorbing the cold air leaking out from the crack!

Meanwhile, on the surface of the Nujiang River.

The large boat bearing the government lanterns was still tossing in the turbulent current.

Wang Xiaoliu leaned over the gunwale, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as he stared at the whirlpool below.

"Why hasn't he come up yet?"

He stomped his feet in anxiety. "He's been down there for nearly half an hour!"

Beside him, Zhao Gang also wore a grave expression.

Although he had confidence in Lu Chen's strength, the depths of the Nujiang River were, after all, a forbidden zone.

The muffled thuds that had come from underwater earlier, along with the surges of murky silt rising to the surface, all indicated that a fierce battle had taken place below.

"Constable Zhao, look!"

Suddenly, a sharp-eyed bailiff pointed at the water and shouted.

Everyone followed the direction he was pointing.

The originally pitch-black river water had, at some unknown point, become coated in a layer of white frost.

At the center of the whirlpool, plumes of white, frigid mist were rising, and a thin layer of floating ice had even formed on the surrounding water!

"W-what is going on?"

Wang Xiaoliu was startled. "How did it suddenly freeze? It's the middle of summer!"

Zhao Gang reached out and scooped up a handful of river water.

It was bone-chillingly cold.

It felt as if he had plunged his hand into an ice cellar.

"The Yin energy from below is leaking."

Zhao Gang's expression was grim. "With this level of cold... what exactly is down there?"

"The Boss is still down there!"

Wang Xiaoliu grew anxious, grabbing a Water Splitting Dagger and preparing to jump into the water.

"Don't move!"

Zhao Gang grabbed him and held him back. "If you go down there now, you're just throwing your life away! At this temperature, an ordinary person would be frozen stiff in an instant!"

"Then what do we do? Just stand here and watch?" Wang Xiaoliu roared.

"Wait."

Zhao Gang watched the continuously rising cold mist and gritted his teeth. "Since Hall Master Lu dared to go down, he must have a way to save himself. If we act recklessly now, we'll only be a burden to him."

Although he said that, Zhao Gang had no confidence in his heart.

This kind of supernatural phenomenon was certainly not something human power could achieve.

Lu Chen, you had better not die down there.

Inside the Dragon Palace.

Lu Chen had no idea that his brothers above were worrying about him.

His entire focus was currently fixed on the massive creature outside the door.

Something was wrong.

After absorbing the cold mist, the Water Ghost King seemed to be undergoing some kind of transformation.

Its originally pitch-black scales were now faintly shimmering with a dark red luster.

Its already massive body was swelling rapidly, as if it were being pumped full of air.

The bulging muscles stood out, hard as granite.

Even more terrifying was the Bone Fork in its hand.

The once pale white bone fork was now stained with a layer of black, wreathed in wisps of black mist that made one's heart palpitate just by looking at it.

"Roar..."

The Water Ghost King let out a low growl.

This sound was unlike its previous bestial roars; instead, it carried the texture of grinding metal, shaking the surrounding river water.

Lu Chen tightened his grip on the hilt.

He could feel the monster's aura growing stronger by the second.

If it had only just crossed the threshold of the Meridian Connecting Realm before, it was now advancing toward an even higher level.

It was evolving!

By borrowing the pure Yin Fiend Qi leaking from the Dragon Palace, this Water Ghost King—a creature of Yin by nature—was undergoing a complete transformation.

"This is trouble."

Lu Chen's brows were tightly locked.

He had already tested it in the previous fight: in the water, he was no match for this thing at all.

Now that it had grown even stronger, how was he supposed to fight?

Charge out?

That would be serving himself up on a platter.

The Water Ghost King was now like a gatekeeper, blocking the only exit.

The moment Lu Chen dared to step out of this stone gate, he would undoubtedly be met with a thunderous strike.

"Damn it."

Lu Chen cursed under his breath.

Was he going to be trapped here until he died?

He glanced at the empty hall behind him.

Although it was safe here, there was no food and no water.

Even if he were a Martial Artist with powerful blood and energy, he could hold out for ten days or half a month at most.

Once he was too weak from hunger, wouldn't he die all the same?

Lu Chen took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

There must be a way.

Heaven never seals off all paths.

His gaze fell once again upon the animal hide scroll in his hands.

Profound Nether Hand.

Spirit Tier cultivation technique.

Netherworld Stone.

Land of Extreme Yin.

All the clues connected in his mind, and a crazy idea suddenly emerged.

Since he couldn't get out, and since he couldn't win in a fight.

Then he would become stronger!

Right here!

Right under the enemy's nose!

Lu Chen turned around and looked at the walls covered in Netherworld Stone, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

Here, he had a ready-made cultivation technique, an inexhaustible supply of cultivation resources, and the most suitable environment for cultivation.

This was a heaven-sent treasure trove for cultivation!

As long as he could master the Profound Nether Hand and cultivate that legendary Profound Nether Cold Qi.

By then, who would emerge the victor was still uncertain!

"I'll risk it!"

Lu Chen gritted his teeth, turned, and walked back to the cold jade chair in the center of the main hall.

He carefully moved the withered skeleton aside and then sat down upon it.

An even more intense chill struck him instantly.

Lu Chen did not use his energy to resist; instead, he opened his heart and body, allowing that chill to erode his physical form.

He picked up a piece of Netherworld Stone and gripped it tightly in his palm.

The Panel unfolded.

[Detected complete Spirit Tier Low-grade martial art Profound Nether Hand. Begin cultivation?]

"Begin!"

Lu Chen growled in his heart.

At this moment, he had staked everything.

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