Chapter 138 The Tribulation of a Thousand Years of Life

He silently recited "System" in his heart and pulled up the panel.

[Chen Mu: Seventeen years old, Remaining Lifespan: Forty-two years, (Plundered Lifespan): One thousand five hundred and four years]

[Mastered Cultivation Techniques: Broadsword Technique Perfection! Taibao Horizontal Training Perfection! Sword Drawing Technique Perfection! Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique Perfection! Divine Void Step Perfection! Wind God Wings (Not Initiated), Soul-Loss Art Perfection! Heavenly Illusion Shape-Shifting Technique (Not Initiated)]

[Special Items: bear paw gloves (Flying Bear Dream-Entering Technique: Perfection), ancient demon seal]

[New Infusable Cultivation Technique Discovered: Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body (Not Initiated). Requires consuming a massive amount of Lifespan. The infusion process is irreversible. Infuse?]

His Plundered Lifespan had already reached over one thousand five hundred years. Previously, even when he obtained new Cultivation Techniques, he dared not invest Lifespan to infuse them, solely for the sake of obtaining this secret technique as a reliance to cope with future crises.

No longer hesitating, Chen Mu focused his mind, drew upon that massive amount of Plundered Lifespan, and infused it into the Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body.

[Infusing...]

[The first year: You studied the general summary of the Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body, but the true meanings of "Hunyuan," "Wuji," and "Calamity" were like viewing a mountain through mist. After sitting in silent meditation for eighty years, you finally attempted to circulate your Protective Aura according to the blurry guidance diagram. When it reached the intersection of your Meridians, the Protective Aura became stagnant and caused intense pain. You endured the agony and repeatedly guided it, finally drawing a trace of imperceptible, heterogeneous Calamity Force to mix into your Protective Aura.]

[The three-hundredth year: The Calamity Force felt like a dull blade scraping your Meridians, and your Protective Aura gradually condensed. You endured for sixty years and discovered that the "Internal Calamity" fluctuations generated by the collision between the Sword Intent of the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique and the Protective Aura of the Taibao Horizontal Training were most beneficial for nurturing and refining the Calamity Force. Thus, you actively created Internal Calamity to nourish the Calamity Seed, a process as slow as a snail's pace.]

[The four hundred and twentieth year: The Calamity Force had grown as strong as an ice seed, coiled in your Dantian. You guided the Calamity Force to disperse into your hundred bones to conduct the first "Calamity Refinement." Where the Calamity Force passed, your bones creaked like rusted hinges being turned, and the intense pain pierced your heart. Afterward, your arm bones developed a jade-like luster, and your physique began to solidify. Another hundred years later, the shallow-layer Calamity Refinement of your entire body was completed. Your Meridians expanded and became resilient, your bones radiated light, your skin and flesh solidified, and your Divine Soul was cleansed. Your Foundation underwent a qualitative change, yet your Realm did not rise.]

[The six hundred and fiftieth year: You delved deep into the Calamity Refinement of your internal organs. When the Calamity Force invaded your heart pulse, you nearly died suddenly, only narrowly surviving by relying on the Soul-Loss Art to stabilize your Divine Soul. Afterward, your heart pulse became strong, and your blood and Qi surged. You then refined your marrow sea and ancestral aperture, enduring three years of pain and illusions, finally achieving a refreshed spirit and microscopic perception.]

[The eight hundred and seventieth year: You used the Calamity Force to harmonize the multi-attribute Protective Aura of the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique, Taibao Horizontal Training, Divine Void Step, and others. After experiencing several internal Qi riots and Meridian injuries, you finally condensed a trace of a brand-new "Hunyuan Astral Qi" with the quality of wind and thunder. The Calamity-Force-affinity body was initially formed.]

[The one thousand one hundred and eightieth year: You successfully cultivated the first stage of the Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body, "Calamity Body Initially Formed." Your Foundation and physique could already compare to the Heart-Awakening Realm. For the next three hundred-plus years, you continuously transformed your Protective Aura, merging Calamity into Aura, moving toward the second stage, "Unification of Calamity and Astral Qi."]

[The one thousand five hundred and fourth year: Just as your entire body's Protective Aura was about to transform into Hunyuan, at the instant when the Calamity Force and Protective Aura were on the verge of merging, a flash of inspiration suddenly appeared, and you touched that mysterious barrier in the void concerning the true meaning of Wuji.]

[Notification: Infusion paused (Insufficient Lifespan)]

[Current Cultivation Progress: Approximately two-thirds.]

Chen Mu opened his eyes abruptly, golden light bursting from them, which then quickly retracted, a faint, dark golden stream of light seemingly flashing and disappearing deep within his eyes.

He slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

This breath was incomparably long, actually condensing in the air without dispersing, faintly containing a sense of heaviness.

The consumption of over one thousand five hundred years of Lifespan had only advanced this forbidden technique by two-thirds; its difficulty and formidable nature were truly shocking.

If not for the System's infusion ability, even if ordinary people obtained this method, they would likely struggle to even reach the initiation stage, no matter how much of their life they exhausted.

He looked at his hands; his skin was lustrous and moist, appearing no different from an ordinary person's.

But when he clenched his fist, he could feel explosive power contained within every inch of muscle and every bone.

He circulated his Protective Aura, and with a slight movement of his mind, a wisp of grayish Calamity Force appeared at his fingertips.

This Calamity Force appeared weak, yet it carried an aura of destruction. Chen Mu had a feeling that if he struck this Calamity Force into an enemy's body, it would be enough to instantly destroy their Meridians and Foundation.

A sharp light flashed in Chen Mu's eyes.

Jiang Xiong was right; although this forbidden technique does not directly raise one's Realm, its boost to combat power far exceeds other Cultivation Techniques.

With his current cultivation at the Late Stage of the Dao Entry Realm, combined with the two-thirds mastery of the Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body, he had the confidence to confront a Martial Artist at the Early Stage of the Heart-Awakening Realm head-on.

If he added the Soul-Loss Art, Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique, and other perfected Cultivation Techniques, as well as treasures like the ancient demon seal and the soul-slaying blade...

The two guards beside Wen Jingxing gave him an extremely strong sense of oppression; they were at least at the Middle Stage of the Heart-Awakening Realm. If it were before, he would have had no choice but to retreat.

But now, he might not lack the power to fight.

...

Nie Feng's figure darted through the streets and alleys of Yunmeng City.

His figure was lean, his movements exceptionally precise, and every time he landed, it was in an inconspicuous shadow, landing without a sound.

He had been tracking them since the Peony Pavilion, witnessing Qi Huan and Chen Mu part ways, watching Qi Huan hide among the fish and dragons in a cheap inn, and also watching Chen Mu walk through the streets alone and push open that secluded courtyard door.

The earthen walls were low, the wooden door was old, no different from the thousands of poor households in Yunmeng City.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Nie Feng would never have believed that Chen Mu—who was described as cunning and ruthless by Xu Changze and could still maintain some composure in front of Lord Wen—actually resided here.

He restrained his aura, pressed himself into the shadow of the courtyard's outer wall, and slowly extended his perception into the courtyard.

Two extremely faint breathing sounds could be faintly heard from inside the courtyard.

One was steady and long, clearly the state of a Martial Artist regulating their breath.

The other was light and soft, like an ordinary person fast asleep.

A cold sneer curled the corner of Nie Feng's mouth.

Chen Mu had indeed returned to his own residence; as for who the other person in the room was, he did not care.

Lord Wen only said to handle it cleanly and efficiently; killing one more or one less made no difference.

And he only needed to choose an appropriate moment to eliminate the target in the swiftest and most concealed manner.

A moment later, his figure shifted slightly, intending to first vault into the courtyard to get a clear idea of the layout. However, the very instant he was about to take a step, an indescribable palpitation suddenly struck him.

Nie Feng abruptly stopped his movement, his pupils suddenly contracting.

Something is wrong!

Inside the courtyard, Chen Mu's aura... has changed!

What on earth happened?

Just a moment ago, the aura of Chen Mu in his perception, while denser and heavier than an ordinary Dao Entry Realm, was still clearly distinguishable. But just in that instant, that aura seemed to have been thrown into a millstone, having undergone some invisible grinding, suddenly becoming restrained and heavy.

Although this change was fleeting and quickly returned to calmness, even hiding deeper than before, Nie Feng was certain he had not perceived it wrongly.

This change came too fast, too abruptly, completely defying common sense.

Unless Chen Mu had made an astonishing Breakthrough or had an Epiphany in his cultivation in that short amount of time.

This kid... what did he do in the room? Cultivate?

What kind of Cultivation Technique could cause such a bizarre transformation of aura in such a short time?