161: Chapter 161 The Fifth Life, The Blazing Sun Illuminates the Martial Path (109)

"However, there is a place that could save you from at least ten years of detours."

Master Li Er set down his teacup, his gaze falling upon Chu Shi with a hint of something hard to detect.

"The Temporal Secret Realm in the Four Seasons Holy Land will open in three months. It cannot truly change the flow of time, but it can invoke the intent of the changing seasons to bless your body, increasing the speed at which you temper your bones by several times."

He paused, his tone becoming serious: "However, the faster the speed, the more intense the pain you must endure. The bone tempering process, which would normally be spread over a dozen years, will be compressed into a mere year or two. If you are not careful, your bones could be shattered, and your Dao heart could collapse."

Master Li Er leaned back against the chair, crossing his arms over his chest, looking at Chu Shi with a half-smile, his tone clearly provocative: "Well, do you dare to go?"

After hearing this, Chu Shi was stunned, his hand holding the teacup suspended in mid-air, a few drops of tea spilling onto the stone table. He was truly bewildered.

He had thought Master Li Er was deliberately trying to scare him, not expecting that there really was a place that could compress over a decade of grinding effort into just a year or two. Before his brain could even process this, the words slipped out: "Old geezer, you aren't planning on harming me, are you?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the temperature in the entire hall dropped by three degrees. Chu Shi stiffened, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He slowly raised his head, meeting Master Li Er's face, which was so dark it could drip ink. Those eyes, usually filled with a lazy air, were now like two burning charcoal fires, staring fixedly at him.

"Cough, cough, cough!" Chu Shi coughed violently, a fawning smile quickly spreading across his face. He held the teacup out with both hands, his tone sickeningly sweet: "You misheard! What I meant was, my dear teacher, you aren't planning to harm your obedient, adorable, clever, and promising personal disciple, are you?"

As he spoke, he unobtrusively shifted half his body toward Elder Zhang, hiding behind this kind elder as he continued: "This place sounds suspicious! Compressing over a decade of effort into a year or two—even if I have absolute confidence in my willpower, I wouldn't dare say I could handle it one hundred percent. Moreover, what good is willpower alone? Such a violent transformation would definitely be too much for my physical bones to bear; one slip-up and I'd be shattered to dust."

"And then there are the resources." Chu Shi counted on his fingers. "Time is compressed, but the Gold Qi and heavenly treasures needed won't be discounted. To cram ten years' worth into a year or two—what kind of astronomical number would that be?"

Elder Zhang, standing nearby, watched his cunning behavior and couldn't help but stroke his grey beard and laugh heartily, his voice so loud it made the glazed tiles on the hall roof tremble slightly. "Little Chu, do not worry. I will be the one leading the team this time. Everything you are worried about has long been clearly considered by our predecessors."

He picked up his own teacup, took a sip, and explained slowly: "The Temporal Secret Realm of the Four Seasons Holy Land is recognized as the number one treasure land for acceleration in the Copper Bone Realm within our Tianwu Dynasty, and it has existed for over a thousand years. All regulations and protective measures have long been perfected to the extreme."

"The intent of the changing seasons circulating within the secret realm can not only accelerate physical tempering by several times, but it will also simultaneously bless the cultivator with four effects: 'Spring Growth, Summer Expansion, Autumn Harvest, and Winter Storage.' The intent of Spring Growth repairs damage, Summer Expansion stimulates blood and Qi, Autumn Harvest condenses muscles and bones, and Winter Storage stabilizes the soul. These four intents complement each other, allowing you to slowly repair, stabilize, and settle while undergoing violent transformation, with absolutely no fear of your body collapsing. It also keeps your soul clear and lucid, greatly reducing the pain during tempering."

"Moreover, the secret realm itself has the highest level of protection mechanisms," Elder Zhang added. "Once it detects that a cultivator's consciousness is blurring or their physical body has reached its limit, it will immediately stop the blessing of the changing seasons and safely send you out. Over so many years, tens of thousands of disciples have entered, and there has never been a real loss of life. Your master is just deliberately trying to scare you."

Chu Shi nodded repeatedly while listening, but the look of suspicion on his face did not fade; instead, it deepened. He wasn't a three-year-old child. Where in the world could such a good thing exist? Safe, efficient, and with built-in protection mechanisms—it was practically a paradise tailor-made for cultivators in the Copper Bone Realm.

A spot in such a place must be a scarce resource that money couldn't buy. Not to mention the massive amount of cultivation resources consumed after entering. The Great Sun Holy Land, or rather Lieyang Peak, must have paid a huge price to secure this spot for him. If someone offers favors without a reason, they are either treacherous or plotting something.

Master Li Er looked at his expression, which clearly said "you must be brewing some evil scheme," and his mouth twitched in anger, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "You brat, what kind of nonsense are you thinking about all day? You've consumed so many of my resources, pushed all the way from the Iron Skin Realm to now; the treasures I've poured into you could pile up into a small mountain. Do you think I would let you go to your death?"

He paused, his tone softening slightly, his gaze looking toward the rolling mountains outside the hall, his voice dropping a few notches: "It is just that there is a secret realm, extremely important to me and to the entire Lieyang Peak, that will open in your generation. As for the specifics, I will naturally tell you after you come out of the Temporal Secret Realm. Hurry up and wipe that look off your face as if you're guarding against a thief; it's annoying to look at."

Upon hearing this, the stone hanging in Chu Shi's heart finally dropped with a "thud." He knew it. The sunk costs were right there. He was like someone who had borrowed a huge usurious loan from Master Li Er, and he hadn't even started paying back a single cent of interest. If he were to die inexplicably, Master Li Er would definitely be more anxious than him; he would probably flip the entire Tianwu Dynasty upside down to find the culprit (to collect the money).

Since he wasn't being sent to be cannon fodder, there was nothing to panic about. Based on his experience from reading web novels for over a decade and writing a few flop works before transmigrating, it was nothing more than a special secret realm with age and realm restrictions. There was a high probability that it contained some high-level cultivation techniques or rare heavenly treasures—nothing unusual.

Having figured this out, Chu Shi immediately reverted to his true nature. Taking advantage of the moment Master Li Er turned to speak with Elder Zhang, he swiftly grabbed the teapot and poured himself another full cup of Ice Soul Tea. As the tea slid down his throat, a clear, chilling coolness slipped into his Dantian, instantly dispelling the heat that had risen from his earlier nervousness. Chu Shi squinted his eyes comfortably, savoring it in small sips. This Ice Soul Tea was Master Li Er's prized possession, usually hidden more tightly than anything else. He had been here many times over such a long period, yet he hadn't even heard a whisper of it. Today, thanks to Elder Zhang, he could drink his fill—it would be a waste not to.