Chapter 137 The Secret Book of Body Robbery

The cat raised its head, its pupils flashing slightly in the night, glanced at Chen Mu, and then lazily curled back up.

"In the middle of the night, who is bothering this lady... eh?"

Jiang Huoyu's grumbling came to an abrupt halt. She twitched her nose a few times, her gaze instantly locking onto the pile of things on the stone table. Her eyes lit up immediately, and the last remnants of her sleepiness vanished without a trace.

"Meat!"

She pulled the door open, dashed a few steps to stand in front of Chen Mu, and stared fixedly at the oil-paper package.

"Meat, I smelled meat!"

Chen Mu glanced at her.

"Your nose is quite sharp."

Jiang Huoyu chuckled, unceremoniously tore open the oil paper, pinched a piece of braised beef, stuffed it into her mouth, and narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.

"Mmm... delicious! I suppose you still have some conscience, knowing to bring something good back."

Chen Mu ignored her and went about his own business, taking out bowls and dishes from the room and setting the meal out one by one.

Jiang Huoyu sat down impatiently, grabbed the meat, and started eating in large mouthfuls, looking exactly like a starving ghost reincarnated.

Chen Mu unhurriedly picked up a piece of meat and said casually,

"Before coming back tonight, I went to see someone."

"Who?"

Jiang Huoyu, who was happily gnawing on a rabbit leg, asked casually.

"Jiang Xiong."

"Clatter."

The chopsticks in Jiang Huoyu's hand dropped onto the stone table, making a crisp sound. The lazy, casual expression on her face vanished instantly as she stared at Chen Mu with wide eyes.

"Uncle Xiong? You saw him? Where? What did he say to you?"

A series of questions were thrown out, clearly showing her anxiety.

Chen Mu felt slightly relieved. Jiang Huoyu's reaction indicated that Jiang Xiong had not fully disclosed the purpose of this trip to her. Her role within the Jiang Family was likely closer to that of a protected person rather than a core executor.

"At the Peony Pavilion, we discussed a deal."

"A deal?"

Jiang Huoyu's gaze sharpened, as if she had thought of something. The astonishment on her face gradually receded, replaced by a complex emotion.

There was a bit of realization, some helplessness, and a hint of faint worry.

"Did he ask you to do something very dangerous? Something related to the City God?"

"It seems you know."

Chen Mu was not surprised by this.

Jiang Huoyu sighed and picked up her chopsticks again, but she had lost her appetite.

"Uncle Xiong... he has always done things this way. Whoever he takes a fancy to, he will entrust with the heaviest burden and the most dangerous path. Since he thinks you are a good blade, he naturally won't let you go."

As she spoke, she looked up at Chen Mu with clear eyes.

"Chen Mu, Uncle Xiong represents the will of a portion of the Family. What they want is huge and very dangerous. Do you... really want to get involved? Withdrawing now might still be possible."

These words carried a hint of genuine advice and did not entirely stem from the Jiang Family's stance.

Chen Mu looked at her and shook his head.

"From the moment I stepped into the Demon Suppression Division and killed my first Chang ghost, I was already in the thick of it."

"Now, Xu Changze views me as a thorn in his side, and the City God evil god and I also share Karma. This is not a path I can just retreat from whenever I want."

"Trading with Jiang Xiong is merely seeking a glimmer of survival amidst danger."

Jiang Huoyu put down her chopsticks, fell silent for a moment, and finally nodded.

"You're right. In this world, taking a step back doesn't necessarily lead to a vast sky; it might just be a bottomless abyss."

"Then what do you plan to do next?"

Chen Mu also looked at her, posing a question that had existed for some time.

"What about you? What are your plans for the future? Are you staying here with me permanently?"

Jiang Huoyu hugged her knees, resting her chin on them, and looked at the black cat quietly licking its fur in the corner.

"Hmm... I still need to stay for a while. The atmosphere of Yunmeng City is very beneficial for its growth."

"Besides, since Uncle Xiong came personally and sought you out, it means this matter is reaching a critical point. Leaving now would actually be more dangerous. Following you... perhaps I can even help a little, and watch the show while I'm at it."

The last sentence carried her usual willful tone, but her eyes held a hidden gravity.

Chen Mu did not ask any further questions. Everyone had their own secrets; Jiang Huoyu was the same, and so was he. As long as their goals did not conflict for the moment, they could travel the same path for a while.

"Very well."

The two said nothing more and quietly finished the remaining food. After the meal, Jiang Huoyu took the initiative to clean up the bowls and chopsticks, while Chen Mu returned to his room and closed the door behind him.

He sat cross-legged on the bed and took out the scroll he had obtained from Jiang Xiong, the "Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body".

The scroll felt exceptionally heavy in his hands, and that ancient aura lingered once more. He did not open it, merely stroking the rough surface.

Today's conversation with Jiang Huoyu had partially confirmed several of his suspicions.

Jiang Huoyu was unaware of Jiang Xiong's whereabouts and even seemed to avoid Family matters. This perhaps indicated that certain purposes of Jiang Xiong's trip to Yunmeng were not necessarily known to everyone within the Jiang Family.

Jiang Huoyu's insistence on staying certainly had to do with feeding her spirit cat, but perhaps she also had her own plans. However, for now, it seemed she would not become his enemy.

Shen Qingyin's identity remained a mystery, but regardless of which side he belonged to, Chen Mu needed to make preparations regarding his contact with Jiang Xiong.

Right now, the most important thing was to improve his strength.

What kind of mysteries did the "Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body", a Cultivation Technique listed as a forbidden art by the Jiang Family, actually hold?

Chen Mu took a deep breath, placed the scroll on his knees, and studied it word by word.

This Cultivation Technique was indeed, as Jiang Xiong had said, not a conventional path.

Using heaven and earth as the furnace, creation as the craftsman, Yin and Yang as charcoal, and all things as copper, one's own body becomes the furnace, and Calamity power becomes the fire, tempering the form and refining the Divine Soul to reach the Hunyuan Wuji.

As Chen Mu read word by word, his expression grew increasingly grave.

This "Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body" was less of a Cultivation Technique and more of a masochistic philosophy of Cultivation.

It did not directly increase one's cultivation Realm; instead, it used various forms of Calamity power to temper the body.

So-called Calamity power could be external physical blows, internal Qi collisions, the encroachment of cold and heat, corrosive poisons, or even Heart Demon illusions and the tearing of the Divine Soul.

Each time one endured the Calamity power and survived, the body, Protective Aura, and Divine Soul would be tempered and purified once.

When cultivated to a high level, the Protective Aura would become as pure and condensed as refined steel, the Physical Body would be formidable enough to withstand divine weapons, and the Divine Soul would be stable, fearing no external demons.

Within the same Realm, one would be almost invincible, but the price was equally devastating.

The scroll recorded that a total of eleven people in the Jiang Family's history had attempted to Cultivate this technique.

Three died when they first drew the Calamity into their bodies, their meridians shattered and their bodies exploding. Four people collapsed mentally during subsequent cultivation, unable to endure the torment of the Calamity power, and became cripples. Three managed to reach the Middle Stage but were unable to control the Calamity power during a certain trial, resulting in a backlash that destroyed their cultivation entirely.

There was one more who cultivated to the Late Stage, but during a critical Breakthrough, they were taken advantage of by a Heart Demon, suffered Qi Deviation, slaughtered 17 Family Disciples, and were then killed by the elders.

Eleven people—all dead or crippled, none with a good ending. It was no wonder the Jiang Family listed this technique as a forbidden art.

Chen Mu closed the scroll and exhaled a long breath of stale air.

This Cultivation Technique carried immense risk, but its rewards were also quite high. If one could master it, being invincible within the same rank would be a trivial matter; more importantly, one's Foundation would become terrifyingly solid, and the future path of cultivation would be smooth sailing.

Furthermore, unlike others who had to risk their lives, drawing the Calamity into their bodies time and again, enduring inhuman pain, and slowly tempering themselves...

He had the System and only needed to pour in Lifespan. Since that was the case, why not give it a try?