Iron Body Shows Its Might, Ancient Cultivator Abode

As soon as Xu Yang spoke, Qin Shuang and the others were taken aback. They turned to look at him, their faces filled with disbelief. Su Ru asked with a hesitant expression, "Fellow Daoist Xu says you have a way? Could you elaborate so we can hear it?"

Xu Yang knew they were skeptical and didn't believe he had any good solution, but he wasn't annoyed. He replied directly, "This junior practices a body-refining technique, so I have some confidence in my physical strength. I am fairly certain I can push open that stone door."

Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in the eyes of Qin Shuang and the others. The three pairs of eyes stared intently at Xu Yang for a long while, but they discovered nothing. Xu Yang's physique appeared completely ordinary, showing no signs of body refinement at all.

The three withdrew their gazes and exchanged glances, still harboring doubts. Seeing this, Xu Yang didn't say much more. He stood up from his chair and walked to the open space in the hall. With a soft shout, he quickly activated the Iron Body Technique. His skin immediately turned a greenish-black, and a powerful aura radiated from his entire body.

Qin Shuang and the others were shocked to see Xu Yang's transformation. They hadn't expected him to actually practice body refinement, and to be so good at hiding it—not revealing a single trace or aura. If Xu Yang hadn't activated the technique right in front of them, they would have remained skeptical and never discovered a thing.

Xu Yang had carefully considered using the Iron Body. Through their previous conversation, he had found that Qin Shuang and his wife were decent people; at the very least, they wouldn't kill him for his treasures. Furthermore, the Indestructible Golden Body Art kept his aura restrained, so they wouldn't discover the secret of his technique and would only assume it was a common body-refining method.

With this in mind, Xu Yang walked over to a giant boulder in the hall. The boulder was massive and incredibly heavy, making Xu Yang look tiny in comparison. He reached out, grabbed the crevices of the boulder, and channeled his immense internal strength, slowly lifting the rock above his head.

Seeing this, Qin Shuang and his wife were overjoyed. With such strength, surely he could push open the stone door? Xu Yang placed the boulder back in its original spot and walked over to Ling Feng, asking, "How about it, Fellow Daoist Ling? With my strength, should I be able to push open the stone door?"

Ling Feng looked at Xu Yang in astonishment. Hearing the question, he lowered his head to ponder before replying, "I don't know, because that stone door is even larger than this boulder. But right now, Fellow Daoist Xu is the person most likely to be able to open it, so I think we should let you try." Having said this, Ling Feng turned to Qin Shuang to offer his suggestion.

Qin Shuang lowered his head to deliberate, thinking to himself, "Su Ru and I can't get in, and even if we did, we probably couldn't push the door open. We have no choice but to let the kid try; there's no better candidate. But is this kid actually trustworthy?"

Xu Yang retracted his Iron Body and came to Qin Shuang's side to wait for his answer, only to see his expression shifting, filled with hesitation. Xu Yang quickly grasped his concerns and spoke directly to Qin Shuang, "I understand your reservations, Senior. However, delays can lead to complications; there is no guarantee that the abode won't be discovered by others. If that happens, it will be even harder to obtain the treasures inside."

"Furthermore, I can swear a solemn oath again that I will never covet the treasures within the abode. What do you think, Senior?" Hearing this, Qin Shuang looked up and stared hard at Xu Yang. "If you don't want the treasures, why risk your life? I don't believe you're just a saint."

Xu Yang smiled and said, "Of course I am not a saint. The Lesser Return-to-Origin Talisman that Senior Su gave me saved my life, and I want to take this opportunity to repay that kindness. Besides, Yaoyao is very cute, and I don't want her to become a cultivation vessel for other cultivators."

Having said this, Xu Yang looked at Qin Shuang again and added, "Additionally, I trust that once the task is complete, Senior will not treat me unfairly or let me work in vain!"

Hearing Xu Yang's words, the three of them felt relieved. Su Ru smiled and said, "We naturally won't treat you unfairly. Regardless of whether this succeeds or not, we will give you some rewards. Of course, don't think about the Lesser Return-to-Origin Talisman; we don't have that treasure anymore."

Hearing this, Xu Yang asked Su Ru with a puzzled look, "The Lesser Return-to-Origin Talisman is just a low-level talisman, why would Senior not have any? Is there something special about it?"

Qin Shuang, standing to the side, explained with a smile, "The Lesser Return-to-Origin Talisman that Su Ru gave you is extremely special. We obtained it while exploring an ancient abode; it was crafted by ancient cultivators, and its effects far exceed those of modern talismans. We only had three of them, and the other two were used long ago, so naturally, we cannot give you any more."

Xu Yang suddenly understood. No wonder that talisman was so powerful; it turned out to be from ancient cultivators. It is said that the ancient cultivation world was prosperous and powerful, far exceeding the present day, and the Lesser Return-to-Origin Talisman was proof of that. Its effects were truly incomparable to modern talismans. It was a mystery why that prosperous era had suddenly declined, leaving only ancient ruins and abodes that were occasionally discovered by cultivators.

Qin Shuang and his wife had discovered an ancient cultivator's abode and obtained the talismans there, but unfortunately, there were only three, and they had all been used. Xu Yang felt a sense of regret; after all, such a talisman could save one's life in a critical moment.

Since everything was out in the open, both sides had no more concerns. After some discussion, they decided that Qin Shuang would lead Xu Yang and Ling Feng to the abode, while Su Ru would stay behind to look after Yaoyao.

To avoid any complications, Qin Shuang didn't delay and led the two men out of the abode. Once they reached the area outside the camp, Qin Shuang flipped his hand to produce a Flying Boat. It hovered in the air and rapidly expanded. Xu Yang and Ling Feng jumped on, and under Qin Shuang's control, the boat flew toward the north.

Standing inside the Flying Boat, Xu Yang scanned his surroundings and found the interior beautifully decorated with carved beams and painted pillars, even featuring tables, chairs, and beds for resting. It was far superior to the Flying Boat that Huo Lian had piloted before.

Flying Boats were specialized flight artifacts. They varied in speed and size, but generally lacked offensive capabilities, though their defenses were quite sturdy. The smallest ones could only carry the pilot, though they were still much faster than flying on a sword. Large Flying Boats were not only beautifully decorated but also had vast interior spaces, enough to carry dozens of people at once.

Qin Shuang's Flying Boat was quite impressive—a high-grade artifact that could hold about ten people. As for its power source, it could be fueled by Spirit Stones or powered by the input of true essence. True essence was the power within a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, formed by the liquefaction of Gang Qi, which was why Flying Boats were generally a symbol of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Golden Core cultivators usually flew on magic treasures, only using specialized flight artifacts for long-distance travel.

The Flying Boat lived up to its reputation as a specialized flight artifact, moving with incredible speed far beyond that of a Flying Sword. Under Qin Shuang's control, it raced toward their destination. A moment later, Qin Shuang took out a dozen Spirit Stones and placed them into the boat's core. Seeing Xu Yang's curious expression, he explained, "Flying Boats consume too much true essence. Although I can sustain the consumption, we will be arriving at the abode soon, so it is better to maintain my peak state. I have to use Spirit Stones instead!"

Hearing Qin Shuang, Xu Yang nodded and said, "Senior is very thoughtful, I admire that. May I ask where the abode is located? Please, tell me more."

Hearing this, Ling Feng interjected, "Let me explain! The abode is located in the Dongyi Prefecture of the Yue Kingdom. There is a steep mountain in the prefecture called Snake Mountain. The abode is located within a valley on that mountain."

"Snake Mountain! Are there many snakes in that mountain? Otherwise, why would it be named that?" Xu Yang asked with a strange expression.

"Fellow Daoist Xu is right. Snake Mountain is filled with all kinds of snake-type demonic beasts, most of which are highly venomous. If bitten, one would be poisoned, which is very troublesome. Fortunately, these venomous snakes are only low-level demonic beasts, the strongest being at the ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm. No Foundation Establishment demonic beasts have been found there, so Snake Mountain is a treasure trove for Qi Refining cultivators to hunt beasts, and many often go there for training," Ling Feng said.

Xu Yang was surprised and asked Ling Feng, "The Yue Kingdom is the territory of the demonic Blood Refining Sect. Do these demonic cultivators allow other cultivators to enter their domain?"

Ling Feng smiled and replied, "Righteous cultivators naturally aren't allowed, but cultivators under the Demon Fire Sect and the Loose Cultivator Alliance can enter." Xu Yang had a sudden realization; it turned out there were other cultivators within the Yue Kingdom.

Having learned about the situation at the abode, Xu Yang stopped asking questions. He greeted Qin Shuang and Ling Feng, then sat to the side to meditate and adjust his breathing. They would soon be entering an ancient abode, and who knew what dangers lay inside? It was best to be in his best state.

Seeing Xu Yang's actions, Qin Shuang and Ling Feng also went to the side to cultivate quietly. The Flying Boat fell silent for a time. After flying for a day, they finally arrived at Snake Mountain.

Under Qin Shuang's control, the Flying Boat landed on a flat patch of ground. The three quickly disembarked and, led by Ling Feng, headed toward the abode. Along the way, Xu Yang looked around and indeed found snake trails everywhere, with colorful venomous snakes slithering about from time to time.

Fortunately, these snakes were not strong, only at the third level of the Qi Refining Realm, and they were easily dealt with. However, as they ventured deeper, the strength of the snake-type demonic beasts increased, and Xu Yang had already spotted beasts at the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm.

Luckily, Xu Yang didn't need to lift a finger, as Ling Feng handled them all. After watching Ling Feng in action, Xu Yang realized he was a metal-attribute cultivator. The spells he used were all metal-elemental; golden spears and arrows swirled around him, and whenever a beast approached, they would shoot out, piercing the creature into a honeycomb. Xu Yang was left clicking his tongue in amazement, gaining a deeper understanding of Ling Feng's strength.