World-Shaking Secret

Thinking of his current predicament, surrounded on all sides, Chen Changming felt his unease growing.

The spiritual herbs in the Ziyuan Secret Realm had been growing steadily over the past few years and were now nearing maturity.

In about half a year, at most.

Once they matured, he would lose his value and be forced to fend for himself.

One morning.

Just as he finished circulating the Evergreen Art, a thunderous sound echoed in his mind, followed by a surge of warmth.

"Evergreen Art, fifty thousand times!"

He had broken through!

The youth was overjoyed, and a stream of profound information automatically appeared in his mind.

After digesting the news of this enhancement, Chen Changming was stunned.

After the fourth enhancement of the Evergreen Art, it had undergone a qualitative leap. Its ability to absorb and convert spiritual energy had increased twentyfold compared to the original, which meant his cultivation speed had also surged.

The problem of slow cultivation caused by his Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root had been at least half-solved, at least for the Qi Refining Realm stage.

If he could also utilize Low-grade Spirit Gathering Pills or the "Pigeon Eggs" produced daily by the little insect, his cultivation speed should be on par with a cultivator of average aptitude.

Chen Changming dared not compare himself to the heaven-gifted geniuses.

He had self-awareness; being able to keep pace with the vast majority of ordinary people was enough.

"After working so hard for so many years, I've finally caught up to the pace of a normal person..."

Exhaling softly, Chen Changming felt his mood lighten considerably. Wanting to catch a breath, he walked out of his cave dwelling and sat on a bluestone by the small river. He rested his chin in his hands, watching the murmuring green water and the fish leaping from the surface, lost in a daze.

From the age of nine to sixteen, he had barely rested, spending every day and night in a frenzy of cultivation.

Even so, it had taken him seven years to reach the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm.

This progress was very slow.

For the past three years, lacking the aid of Low-grade Spirit Gathering Pills, he had focused primarily on practicing the Heavenly Furnace Body-Forging Art.

Hard work pays off.

He had finally mastered the first level of the Heavenly Furnace Body-Forging Art, his skin achieving a golden hue, and its power far exceeded the original description of the technique.

Splash!

A carp leaped out of the water again, sending up a spray.

"I feel like eating fish."

Seeing how plump and delicious the fish looked, the youth was tempted. Since entering the Lingxiao Sect, he had eaten nothing but spirit rice for seven years and was sick of it.

Splash!

The youth leaped into the water, first swimming freely at the bottom before starting to catch fish.

The Spirit-Devouring Insect suddenly flew out.

At first, Chen Changming didn't pay it much mind, but seeing the little insect flying further and further away in the water, he couldn't help but feel curious and followed closely behind.

One insect and one man, one after the other, swam against the current.

Rounding a stretch of rapids, a deep pool appeared behind a protruding boulder.

The Spirit-Devouring Insect dove straight in.

The pool was three zhang deep. When Chen Changming followed it down, he found a large carp floating at the bottom, larger than any he had seen before, lying perfectly still.

This carp actually exuded the aura of a first-level low-grade demonic beast.

"The people from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion said there were no demonic beasts in this secret realm. It seems that was an exaggeration; they missed this one..." Chen Changming thought to himself.

The Spirit-Devouring Insect, naturally drawn to demonic beasts, landed on the carp's head. The carp remained motionless, as if it were asleep.

"This fish must be delicious."

Chen Changming lunged forward and grabbed the carp. To his surprise, the fish didn't struggle or move; it felt like a dead fish.

A faint glimmer of light suddenly shot out from the fish's head, piercing toward Chen Changming's forehead.

"What is this?"

Chen Changming instinctively activated the Heavenly Furnace Body-Forging Art, his entire body instantly turning into golden skin.

Bang!

The glimmer struck him with a muffled thud and was sent flying back.

"A body-refining cultivator!"

A voice of surprise rang out, and then the glimmer fled the pool in a frantic panic, as if terrified.

Chen Changming did not hesitate; he activated the Dragon Glide Step and gave chase.

In the span of a few breaths, he caught up to the glimmer of light and immediately unleashed a Spirit Finger Flick, striking the faint glow with a resounding boom.

The glimmer wobbled in the water and spoke in a human voice, "Stop hitting me! If you keep this up, you'll kill me..."

"Who are you?"

Chen Changming asked with a frown.

"I am a Golden Core stage cultivator. A wisp of my remnant soul survived by hiding inside a carp..."

The glimmer transformed into an illusory old man, his phantom form flickering unsteadily.

"Are you from the Medicine Sect?"

Chen Changming asked.

"No, I am not from the Medicine Sect. I once participated in the great war to annihilate the Medicine Sect, and I unfortunately fell within this Ziyuan Secret Realm at that time. Fortunately, my divine sense was strong enough to leave behind a wisp of a remnant soul, which hid inside the body of a carp."

The old man said.

Rubbing his forehead, Chen Changming asked coldly, "What were you trying to do to me just now?"

He was still a novice in the world of cultivation and did not quite understand the old man's previous attack.

"I wanted to perform a soul possession."

The old man answered truthfully, then gave a bitter smile, "I didn't expect you to be a body-refining cultivator. Your skin is so tough and dense that my remnant soul couldn't even drill inside..."

"What is soul possession?"

The youth asked again.

The old man felt a headache coming on; how could this youth have reached such a formidable level of cultivation while knowing absolutely nothing?

With no other choice, he had to explain the concept of soul possession.

"So, you wanted to replace me."

Chen Changming's expression turned grim as he slowly raised his finger, preparing to extinguish the old man.

"Young man, my remnant soul has been wounded by you twice now, and I won't last more than a few days."

The old man knelt down, begging bitterly, "This old one is willing to offer a secret in exchange for a chance to live."

A secret?

Chen Changming's heart stirred, and he said indifferently, "Speak. Let's see if your secret is worth your life."

"Young man, you should be aware that this herb field was left behind by the Medicine Sect and later seized by the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, right?"

The old man said.

Chen Changming nodded, his eyes fixed intently on the old man.

"In truth, at least one-third of the guards in this herb field are people from the Four Seas Merchant Alliance. They have long since plotted to wipe out the people of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion and seize all the spirit herbs once the field reaches maturity."

The old man dropped a bombshell.

"The Four Seas Merchant Alliance has actually infiltrated the Ziyuan Secret Realm!"

After hearing the old man's words, Chen Changming was deeply shocked. In his mind, the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion was so powerful, yet they had been infiltrated so severely by the Four Seas Merchant Alliance.

It could only be said that this herb field was of immense value.

The old man's eyes flickered as he said slowly, "Young man, don't you want a share of these spirit herbs?"

"With my level of cultivation, I'd better forget it."

Chen Changming said with a bitter smile.

"You are being too modest, young man."

The old man sighed softly.

The youth before him was ignorant of the cultivation world, and thus had no idea of his own strength.

The old man looked at Chen Changming and said with envy, "Young man, if this old one has not miscalculated, the toughness of your golden body is enough to rival a ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivator."

"Nonsense! How could I possibly be that strong!"

Chen Changming immediately retorted.

His golden body was merely a facade; only his skin had been tempered, while his flesh, bones, and internal organs remained untouched.

His skin was as hard as iron and impervious to blades, but if a massive force were to vibrate through him, his flesh and internal organs would not be able to withstand it.

"Young man, this Ziyuan Secret Realm is becoming unstable. If I am not mistaken, the moment the herb field matures is the moment this secret realm space will collapse. If you do not act, it will be extremely difficult for either side to take the herbs, and in the end, they will all perish within this realm."

The old man said gravely.