"But what's so difficult about recording it again?"
Xiao Jinglin stared at Deng Qing for a long time without saying a word.
He knew, of course, that recording it again wouldn't be difficult; what was truly valuable was Deng Qing's kind intention!
Who would willingly hand over something like this and let others copy it?
Even in ordinary sects, obtaining a good martial arts technique requires personal instruction.
Moreover, this sword manual was obtained from the Ancient Era Ruins, so its value is unimaginable.
Deng Qing didn't even mention any conditions before offering to give him a portion.
Xiao Jinglin cupped his hands and said, "Brother Deng is truly a sincere gentleman. I've decided to be your friend."
Deng Qing waved his hand, "Brother Xiao, you flatter me. We all came in together, and Brother Xiao has helped me a lot. Of course, you should share in the benefits."
He spoke casually, but he wasn't actually troubled by it.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of martial arts techniques depends on who practices them.
With the help of the control panel, as long as you can figure out the basics, everything will go smoothly.
Even if others practice the same sword Swordsmanship, he is not worried about being surpassed.
Besides, copying another sword manual wouldn't cost him anything, but it would earn him Xiao Jinglin's gratitude and strengthen their relationship. Why not?
After expressing his gratitude, Xiao Jinglin asked, "Brother Deng, when shall we set off?"
"Wait for me a little longer."
Deng Qing pointed towards the woods, "There's still a bit of tail that needs to be tidied up."
Xiao Jinglin nodded in agreement and turned to tell everyone to pack their things.
Deng Qing then ventured back into the Dense Forest and sat down beside the pit.
In an instant, blood streaks emerged from his body and disappeared into the ground, and the Devour Heaven Scripture began to circulate.
This time, the heat he drew was not as abundant as before.
As the last bit of Blood Baleful Intent was extracted, the pit used to fill the Offal sank in.
Meanwhile, the desolate blood in Deng Qingdantian was once again fully stored.
With the extraction Offal phase complete, Deng Qing began studying the preliminary interpretation of the Grand Mastery level of the Devour Heaven Scripture: Initial Understanding.
When he advanced the Devour Heaven Scripture just now, the panel infused him with many insights, including various minor techniques and their applications. These did not open up new cultivation methods, but rather provided more specific applications for the Grand Mastery Devour Heaven Scripture.
Among them, Deng Qing was most concerned about the Blood Control Art.
These techniques, which are infused into his sea of consciousness as he advances, do not require him to undergo arduous practice; they are somewhat like Esoteric Buddhism initiation, which he learns directly.
At this moment, he wanted to find Zhang Yan's whereabouts, and what he needed to use was the Blood Control Art.
After all, his only blood connection with Zhang Yan was that they had both been injected with Wasteland Blood by Li Dashan.
However, Deng Qing had already refined the Wasteland Blood, so Deng Qing didn't know if it still had the effect of locating targets, but that didn't stop him from deciding to give it a try.
At that moment, Deng Qing pricked his fingertip, squeezed out a drop of his own blood, and summoned a wisp of Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood to pierce into the drop of blood.
He concentrated intently on the technique, carefully comprehending its meaning.
But after several attempts, the drop of blood still only contained his own scent.
Clearly, the Wasteland Blood that was swallowed back then had long been refined and completely eliminated by the Devour Heaven Scripture, along with the original mark.
Deng Qing frowned. After all, they had just learned the method, but they were missing a catalyst. This was quite a mess.
He wiped the blood from his fingertips and was about to get up when a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Before leaving, Zhang Yan asked him to deliver a letter to his wife.
He kept the letter close to his body, so much so that when the Front Line office put it away, they forgot about it.
Looking back now, it is highly likely that this was a suicide note.
If that's the case, there might be bloodstains in the letter.
In addition, life and death on the Front Line are unpredictable, so many Martial Artist would deposit their money and belongings at the Command Center. If they did not return, their families could claim their belongings with the Blood Token they left behind.
Upon realizing this, Deng Qing immediately reached into his robes and took out the letter that he always kept close to his body.
He carefully opened the letter, and after reading only the first few lines, his heart sank.
It was indeed a farewell letter.
In the letter, Zhang Yan clearly explained the money, belongings, and accounts of his family, and also specified what he had deposited at the Command Center. He asked his wife to ask Fan Sheng for help, so that she could retrieve his belongings from the Command Center by presenting the items that accompanied the letter.
In the letter, Zhang Yan's words of advice were tactful and heartfelt, making the reader feel deeply saddened.
As Deng Qing continued reading, he finally saw what he was looking for: a bloody fingerprint.
He shook the envelope; it seemed there was something else hidden inside.
When it was poured out, it turned out to be a piece the size of a fingernail, shaped like amber.
The outer layer of that thing was clear and bright yellow, while inside was a small clump of dark red blood.
Deng Qing knew that this must be the Blood Token Zhang Yan left for his family to retrieve the deposited items.
Deng Qing didn't touch the Blood Token. Instead, she used her fingernail to scrape off a tiny bit of blood from the edge of the bloody fingerprint on the letter and held it in her palm. Then she stuffed the Blood Token document and the letter into an envelope and hid it close to her body.
Then, he probed out a thin thread of blood and inserted it into the hole.
As the Blood Control Art was activated, the residual aura within the blood fragments gradually began to emerge.
Deng Qing's brows twitched slightly. He detected another aura mixed in with Zhang Yan's blood.
The aura was stagnant yet fierce, hidden within Zhang Yan's own blood energy, and deeply mixed with it.
Deng Qing knew with his toes that this fierce aura originated from the Wasteland Blood!
At that moment, Deng Qing focused his mind and controlled the Blood Baleful Intent to extract the part of the Wasteland Blood from that wisp of blood.
Finally, a dark red blood vessel was drawn out.
Because the sample was so small, the blood that was extracted was only a tiny thread, almost invisible to the naked eye.
But for Deng Qing, this trace of Wasteland Blood was enough.
Then, he separated a strand of Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood and wrapped it around that strand of Wasteland Blood. A moment later, a strange feeling welled up in his heart.
He could almost feel blood flowing in the distance, and then he could sense the fierce aura emanating from that flow.
Deng Qing continued to concentrate.
Soon, everything before his eyes seemed to blur, and his entire mind seemed to enter a dark and gloomy place.
Then, a faint blood-red light slowly began to appear.
Then, one point, two points, and finally they all gathered into a pile.
Deng Qing's heart skipped a beat, and he almost interrupted the spell.
Why are there so many?
He calmed himself and carefully sensed the blood, which finally stopped increasing. Upon closer inspection, he found that there were as many as nine spots.
Eight of them are clustered very close together, seemingly in the same place.
Only one spot remained, separated from the eight spots of blood-red light, standing alone in the distance.
Deng Qing carefully memorized the location of the lone, blood-red light, because he judged that it was most likely where Zhang Yan was.
As for the other eight spots of light, he guessed they belonged to Li Dashan.
He guessed that it was because Li Dashan was strong and had a lot of stored Wasteland Blood that this accumulation occurred in his Blood Control Art technique.
Ignoring Li Dashan, Deng Qing found Zhang Yan's direction and felt relieved.
He quickly finished his practice, clenched the sliver of Wasteland Blood in his palm, and got up to head towards the gathering place.
As Deng Qing approached, Chen Jun and the others came to greet him.
Each of them carried a large bundle stuffed with Fortune Meat, and after exchanging glances, Chen Jun spoke first, "Brother Deng, we've discussed it and decided that we've already gained quite a bit of profit on this trip, so we don't plan to take any more risks and want to head back now."
Deng Qing nodded, "That's what we should do. Being able to bring these spoils out safely proves that our trip wasn't in vain."
Seeing that Deng Qing did not stop them, Chen Jun and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
Deng Qing added, "However, I have other matters to attend to and cannot accompany you all back."
Everyone knew that he still cared about Zhang Yan.
Xiao Jinglin stepped forward. "Brother Deng, I'll go with you to rescue Senior Brother Zhang."
"I appreciate Brother Xiao's kindness, but I can handle my own affairs without troubling you."
As Deng Qing spoke, he pointed into the distance and said, "Brother Xiao, let's talk privately for a moment."
As he spoke, Deng Qing nodded to Su Yun, Chen Jun, and the others, indicating that they should wait a moment, and then walked toward the nearest Stone Pillar.
After the two walked behind the Stone Pillar, Deng Qing said, "Brother Xiao has already shown his true colors; there's really no need for him to keep going in."
If you just show your face, and the Command Center successfully nails the Wasteland Veins, you'll have secured the credit.
As you and I have both seen, even the Ancient Formation here has been tampered with. The Donghuang Cult has also entered. Who knows how much more trouble they will cause in the future?
I had to go save people; I had no other choice. Brother Xiao, there was really no need for you to take this risk with me.
Xiao Jinglin pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Brother Deng is right. The main problem is that my abilities are really limited. Even if I went with you, I would only be a hindrance and cause you trouble. In that case, I will go ahead first."
Deng Qing nodded, but noticing Xiao Jinglin's hesitation, asked, "What is it, Brother Xiao? We're not strangers, why are you being so polite? Just say what you need to say."
Xiao Jinglin's handsome face flushed slightly, and he coughed lightly. "Brother Deng just mentioned that he wanted me to copy a sword manual, but I don't know..."
"Don't know what?"
"Do you really believe it?"
Deng Qing glanced at him sideways, "Brother Xiao, what kind of joke is this? You can't deny what you said to my face, can you?"
Xiao Jinglin laughed and said, "Brother Deng just said that once we get out and I find the Divine Shadow Stone, I'll record a video of it."
Actually, I have another Divine Shadow Stone with me. If it's convenient, I might as well record it now.
If it's inconvenient, we can do it in the future.
Deng Qing was taken aback at first, then pointed at Xiao Jinglin and laughed, "You little rascal, are you acting like a shy bride getting into a bridal sedan chair? Come on, hurry up and record it."
As he spoke, he plunged into the depths of the Dense Forest, not forgetting to tell Su Yun and the others to wait a moment.
Xiao Jinglin followed closely behind.
Upon entering the Dense Forest, Deng Qing took out the Divine Shadow Stone, activated his Internal Breath, and the Divine Shadow Stone flashed with clear light, gathering into a light and shadow. Soon, the figure of the woman wielding the sword reappeared, and she began her sword dance.
Xiao Jinglin hurriedly channeled his Qi-Blood into another Divine Shadow Stone in his palm and began recording, his eyes widening as he stared at the sword-dancing woman.
"Excellent Swordsmanship... to be able to unleash such a sword strike with just a turn..."
At first, Xiao Jinglin watched and praised, but later he stopped talking and just stared intently at the dazzling figure.
Even after the female swordsman finished her performance, Deng Qing withdrew her Internal Breath, and the light and shadow dissipated, Xiao Jinglin remained in a daze.
Deng Qing patted his shoulder lightly and said, "It's finished recording. You can watch it slowly when you get back."
Xiao Jinglin put away the Divine Shadow Stone, and suddenly bowed deeply to Deng Qing.
Deng Qing waved his hand and said, "What kind of trouble is this now?"
Xiao Jinglin said, "Brother Deng is deeply grateful to share such a precious treasure with me."
Xiao Jinglin wasn't particularly skilled, but he came from a family with a strong academic background and was a discerning person. After witnessing the sword dance, he realized the weight of the favor Deng Qing had bestowed upon him.
Deng Qing said, "Let's not talk about these things between us. Oh, right, there's one more thing. After Brother Xiao leaves, please make a copy for Su Yun as well."
Upon closer examination, it turns out that Brother Su also contributed significantly to the discovery of this sword dance mural.
I promised him, but I don't know if Brother Su can afford this Divine Shadow Stone. I'll have to trouble Brother Xiao then."
Xiao Jinglin laughed heartily, "What's so difficult about that? I'll take care of Brother Su's share."
As he spoke, he solemnly cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Deng Qing.
Deng Qing quickly intervened, "Don't be so polite with me, I also need your help."
"Brother Deng, please speak freely."
"Your Xiao Family has a long and distinguished tradition of martial arts, and you must have many talented individuals. Perhaps it will be easier for you to truly master this sword manual than for me to keep it."
As he spoke, Deng Qing patted the Divine Shadow Stone in his arms, "If your family ever makes any progress in your research in the future, don't forget to let me know."
Xiao Jinglin raised his other hand, " Heaven and Earth bear witness..."
He was about to make the oath when Deng Qing stopped him, saying, "You really take everything seriously. I'll tell you what to do, and you'll do it if you can. If you can't, I won't hold it against you. Why bother with all this?"
With that, Deng Qing turned and left.
Xiao Jinglin followed, walked around to the front of Deng Qing, and opened his arms to Deng Qing, "Brother Deng, please be careful on this journey."
Deng Qing stepped back with a look of disgust. "Just say what you want to say, don't give me that cheesy stuff."
Xiao Jinglin shook his head and smiled bitterly. Deng Qing raised his fist and shook it at him. The two touched hands lightly as a farewell.
Then, Xiao Jinglin took out a thin piece of Mongqi Hide from his pocket, covered his face with it, and pressed it down haphazardly.
In the blink of an eye, that handsome face became droopy, his complexion sallow, like an ordinary man who had been working hard for many years.
Xiao Jinglin cupped his hands in greeting, turned and left. Without looking back, he whistled, and suddenly, several of his guards chased after him.
Upon seeing Deng Qing, the guards bowed respectfully and then followed Xiao Jinglin away. Deng Qing did not watch them leave but quickly returned to Su Yun and the others.
Deng Qing said, "Young Master Xiao has other matters to attend to and has already left. If you all wish to return, please set off as soon as possible."
Chen Jun and the others thanked Deng Qing again before setting off.
Seeing that Xiao Jinglin had also left, Su Yun packed his bags and prepared to return with Chen Jun and the others.
Before leaving, he took out a Booklet and handed it to Deng Qing. "These are some notes my grandfather took while researching the Desolate Soil. I copied a part of it and added some annotations myself."
Some of the guesses may not be accurate, but they are generally correct. Brother Deng, if you encounter any problems in this Desolate Soil, you can refer to this; it will provide some reference.
Deng Qing took it and casually flipped through two pages.
Besides the text, the Booklet also contained many diagrams of array patterns and stone carvings, with dense annotations crammed into the corners.
"Thank you, Brother Su. I really need this."
He carefully put the Booklet away and said in a low voice, "I've entrusted Brother Xiao with the matter I promised you. He'll give you an explanation after we get out."
Su Yun understood immediately upon hearing this and her face lit up with joy.
He had been wondering when he would see Deng Qing again after this trip, but he hadn't expected that the other party had already made all the arrangements.
"Brother Deng, you're very kind."
Su Yun solemnly cupped his hands in greeting, "My greatest gain is to have made the acquaintance with Brother Deng this time."
Deng Qing smiled and waved, "Take care on your journey."
Su Yun returned the greeting before turning around and catching up with Chen Jun and the others.
Once everyone had disappeared, Deng Qing didn't linger any longer and quickly walked towards the direction sensed by his Blood Control Art.
Arriving at a secluded palace, he found a corner, took out the Mongqi Hide Skin and covered his face, then opened the package on his back and changed into a gray robe.
A moment later, he had transformed into the appearance of " Xie Xuan ".
The reason he changed his identity was because there was irrefutable evidence that Huang Changhe and Huang Bingyao were colluding with the Donghuang Cult.
Huang Changhe, for reasons unknown, went on a rampage, demanding his corpse and blood from all over the world.
If the Donghuang Cult also receives this order, then if he continues to walk around in his original form, he will become a walking target.