The Ancient Tree

Shen Mu had inherited his predecessor's memories, so he naturally knew a few things about the Extreme Profound Scripture.

It was said that over ten thousand years ago, there had been a martial artist in this world—the only one ever to reach the pinnacle of the martial path. People called him the Martial God, a living legend of martial arts.

His name had long since been lost to time. Before ascending to godhood, he had created a martial art and cultivation technique for future generations, which he named the Extreme Profound Scripture.

The Extreme Profound Scripture consisted of nine volumes, corresponding to nine supreme secret arts.

Legend had it that the Extreme Profound Scripture recorded how he had become a god. Anyone who obtained even one volume and practiced its teachings could gain truly terrifying power.

As the ages passed, the Martial God's descendants lost the Extreme Profound Scripture, and it changed hands repeatedly throughout the martial world.

But after more than ten thousand years, whether anyone had practiced the Extreme Profound Scripture, whether it truly existed, and whether that Martial Saint had ascended after leaving it behind—all these questions remained unsolved mysteries.

After all, whoever obtained the Extreme Profound Scripture would never publicize it.

Instead, news that someone had found the Extreme Profound Scripture would periodically emerge in the martial world. Then, after a stretch of bloodshed and chaos, peace would return.

That was why whenever news of the Extreme Profound Scripture appeared, it was usually accompanied by conflict.

"I think the Extreme Profound Scripture might really exist."

Luo Tao couldn't help saying, "Otherwise, after more than ten thousand years, why would there still be signs of it now and then?"

Then he changed the subject and sighed wistfully. "If only I could get my hands on a volume of the Extreme Profound Scripture. That'd be wonderful..."

Shen Mu shook his head at that.

Setting aside whether the Extreme Profound Scripture truly existed, if a volume really fell into his hands, it would undoubtedly be a double-edged sword.

If no one else knew how he had obtained it, then perhaps he could use the Extreme Profound Scripture to become a powerful figure one day.

But if others found out how he had gotten it, he would probably end up like that fellow named Gu Yunfan, hunted by everyone in the martial world...

And what good would it do to obtain the Extreme Profound Scripture then?

He would have to hide like a rat, living in constant fear and never knowing peace.

The Extreme Profound Scripture might be a priceless treasure, but without the strength to protect it, it was a blade hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment.

Shen Mu also resolved to avoid lingering outside as much as possible over the next while, so he wouldn't get caught in the crossfire when martial artists fought.

"Let's go."

Shen Mu said, "We should get back and rest."

"Sure thing, Brother Shen. See you tomorrow morning!"

The two parted ways on the street and headed home in opposite directions.

Shen Mu lived at Number Eleven, Mist Glow Lane, Silver Moon Street. It was a residence covering over a hundred square meters, and the only inheritance his predecessor's parents had left him.

The residence had three rooms, along with a bathroom, kitchen, and latrine.

Creak.

Shen Mu pushed open the courtyard gate. Beyond it lay a yard of more than ten square meters, piled high with firewood.

At a glance, the entire residence came into view, quiet and deserted.

In this era, ordinary people didn't have many ways to entertain themselves.

Shen Mu wasn't married, so he didn't even have that one form of entertainment...

He had been in this world for only a month, but he had already adjusted to life here.

Shen Mu lit the oil lamp hanging on the wall. Its flame lent the residence a touch of warmth.

After a quick wash, he let his mind sink into his consciousness.

In his mind, a vast ancient tree, both real and unreal, grew out of the void. Its enormous trunk towered into the sky, radiating an endless, boundless sense of age and weight.

As someone who had transmigrated, Shen Mu had been an avid reader of online novels in his previous life.

When he first arrived in this world, he had examined himself but found no system bound to him. Apart from the ancient tree in his mind, he hadn't noticed anything unusual.

He had immediately realized that this tree might be his cheat.

He just didn't know what it could do.

Over the past month, he had tried all kinds of investigations, but the ancient tree in his mind hadn't stirred or changed at all. It remained an illusion.

"I just don't know what use it is..."

Shen Mu examined the tree carefully. After confirming it was still unchanged, he thought to himself.

"Maybe I'll figure out what this tree does when I go to the Firewood Gang headquarters tomorrow to learn body tempering?"

Shen Mu found himself looking forward to tomorrow's trip. Then a wave of sleepiness washed over him, and he promptly fell into a deep sleep.

The sky was still dark when the rooster's crow woke Shen Mu. He got up, washed, dressed, and quickly headed out.

"Brother Shen."

As Shen Mu left Mist Glow Lane, Luo Tao, standing on the street and munching on a steamed bun, hurriedly called out to him.

When Shen Mu approached, Luo Tao handed him a bun. The two ate as they walked toward the Firewood Gang headquarters.

"Brother Shen, good thing you pulled me away last night. This morning, I heard Old Li from next door say those two ranked martial artists fought each other last night. A couple of onlookers were hit by flying roof tiles, and they died before they even made it to the clinic. Besides those two unlucky souls, seven other people were injured too."

Luo Tao sounded gleeful, but at the same time, he still felt a lingering fear.

If Shen Mu hadn't dragged him away last night, he might well have gone over to watch. Who knew if he would have been caught in the crossfire?

"Just as expected."

Shen Mu sighed. "Ranked martial artists unleash terrifying power when they fight. We're just ordinary people. Why risk our lives for nothing?"

"Brother Shen, if the two of us manage to become ranked martial artists someday, wouldn't we be somebody in all of Cloud Dragon County?"

Luo Tao's face filled with longing.

Ranked?

Shen Mu's expression turned strange, and he chuckled. "You haven't even started body tempering yet. Who knows how long it'll take you to reach the First Stage Boiling Blood, and you're already thinking about becoming ranked? If you're still half asleep, why not go back and get some more rest? You can have anything in a dream."

"Heh heh."

Luo Tao rubbed his head and laughed sheepishly.

As one of Cloud Dragon County's nine great factions, the Firewood Gang occupied over a hundred acres of land and had three branches, each responsible for different affairs.

When Shen Mu and Luo Tao arrived at the Firewood Gang, members in the gang's uniforms were coming and going through the main gate.

Of all the factions in Cloud Dragon County, the Firewood Gang was undoubtedly the friendliest toward ordinary people. Anyone could become a peripheral member by paying a ten-tael registration fee.

If they reached the First Stage Boiling Blood, they would immediately become full-fledged members of the Firewood Gang.

The other eight great factions had far stricter entry requirements than simply paying ten taels of silver.

"Big brother, we're peripheral members. Here are our tokens. We've come to the gang to practice body tempering..."

Shen Mu and Luo Tao reached the gate and handed their tokens from Wang Jin to the guards on duty.

"Mm. Go on in. The Martial Arts Arena for teaching body tempering to peripheral members is on the west side."

The guard took their tokens, glanced at them, and handed them back once he had confirmed they were genuine.

"Thank you, big brother."

Shen Mu put away his token, thanked the guard, and walked through the gate with Luo Tao.