𝓞𝑣𝗅xt.𝕔𝑶𝕞
Three people were looking toward the thickets when they heard a clicking sound. However, the sound turned out to be a pheasant coming out of there. The stares made the pheasant freeze for a minute before it ran back away.
Shi Lang said, “So, going back to the topic, I am an ascender.”
Xiang San gulped and said, “That explains why you have not been able to break through to the immortal core realm yet. However, your physical body can make an immortal soul-level practitioner in terms of tenacity.”
Shi Lang nodded and said, “Not to worry, I have a plan about what I should do in the future.”
Xiang San nodded, and they got back to cultivation. Shi Lang did not tell them much about his aspirations, and he wanted to get inside these caves, take what he could return to the city, deal with the Ling family and then aim for the entrance of the spiritual heart sect.
Tian Long came forward to mention this sect, so he must have made some arrangements too. Shi Lang figured things out when asked to come to the eastern barrens, not the central plains.
Shi Lang talked about his family more and then went back to cultivation. His growth was slowing down, but his body had undergone immense change. The golden bones he had developed were not like the past anymore.
The constant pressure from the waterfall had turned his bones clear like glass but with a prominent golden tint. The terran was now able to move toward the inside of the waterfall.
The thicker the water curtain falling over him, the stronger the pressure. He began to feel short of breath, and his body shivered. Xiang San beside him was also the same. He was also shaking, but the two of them could not improve their physical toughness quickly in a short time.
A cultivator’s body takes a long time to improve, which cannot be changed. Even if they choose radical means to improve things, it will not work if their mental toughness is not up to match.
The people could go crazy from the torment of the radical means used in physical tempering. The two men did not falter and gritted their teeth as they moved through the thick fall of water.
As they moved closer to the end, Xiang San crawled on his fours, and Shi Lang was moving barely an inch with all. The relief came from the wall that he could see from the water curtain. He used his ability to sense things and found that the wall was inscribed with a few glyphs.
Although the markings were shallow, they could still be made out. The terran was not surprised. He could tell these markings were body postures. These postures were followed by a set of words just when he wanted to read them.
A wheezing voice sounded in his ear, “These are the stances of Titan Physique.”
Shi Lang found that Xiang San had crawled out of the waterfall. The terran did not do much and focused on walking out of the waterfall. He stepped out of the waterfall, and as soon as the pressure vanished, he fell to the ground.
He took time and caught his breath before he asked, “The Titan Body?”
Xiang San repeatedly nodded as his eyes were glued to the wall. The young man was mesmerized by it. Shi Lang asked, “What is the Titan Body?”
Xiang San replied, “The Titan Body is the lost technique of the Xiang Family. When the ancestor learned this technique and reached the pinnacle of his strength, many enemies chased after him to snatch it. However, none of them could defeat him.
This technique allowed him to wield the power that could kill an Immortal emperor in one punch. Do you understand what this technique means?”
Surprised, Shi Lang mumbled, “Immortal emperors do not fight, but if they do, the cosmos shatter. Is that not invincible if someone can kill that power with one punch?”
Xiang San nodded but commented, “This cannot give you instant invincibility. You will need a lot of resources and even more time. However, when you cultivate this technique, who knows, there might be that moment of invincibility you seek.”
Shi Lang nodded. He understood that it takes a long time to reach things peak. But now that he knew this technique belonged to the Xiang Family, he gave up practicing it. Regaining energy, the terran sat up, looked around, and found a cave opening.
He wanted to look inside with his ability, but the place was out of reach. His instinct told him to jump up, but he stopped making rash decisions. The experts usually left formations to stop anyone from looting such troves they left behind.
Shi Lang would not be risking his life carelessly. He looked around and picked up a pebble. Xiang San exclaimed, “I can channel my spirit energy now.”
Shi Lang nodded and channeled his spirit energy. The energy poured into the stone, and the terran flung the stone into the cave mouth. Contrary to his expectations, nothing happened. The cave mouth was left unprotected. Shi Lang gazed at Xiang San.
He asked, “Brother Xiang, I do not know if it is the right time. But can you tell me why your family did not send anyone else but you to look for the remains?”
Xiang San shook his head and replied, “My family did not send me here. My elder brother followed our Eldest sister to the rat race. On the other hand, I disagreed, so I slipped away under the guise of a self-exploration trip.”
Shi Lang nodded and commented, “So you are a thug.”
Xiang San looked at him aggrievedly and said, “That hurt me.”
Shi Lang did not care and said, “Try and find a way to get Xiao Nan over here too.”
Xiang San nodded and stood up wobbly. He wanted to jump up, but he had not yet recovered completely from the pressure of the waterfall. Shi Lang shook his head and controlled the spirit energy to buff his legs momentarily, and he jumped up.
The terran reached the cave opening and stood at the threshold. Xiang San asked, “How is it?”
Shi Lang shook his head and replied, “Dark. I cannot see or sense anything from here. I think it is laced up with illusion arrays.”
Xiang San agreed and said, “What now?”
Shi Lang looked around and found a lever to be carved into the stone surface of the wall. He felt the latch and pulled it slightly. The cave echoed with licking sounds making Shi Lang put up his guard. To ease his relief, a tiny wedge opened up in the waterfall.
Shi Lang was surprised and saw Xiao Nan also gawking at him from the bank. He beckoned her, and the girl moved quickly. The trio stood at the cave opening, and Shi Lang said, Brother Xiang, you should take the front. If there are any illusions, I will wake you up.”
Xiang San was confused and asked, “Why must I take the front?”
Xiao Nan replied, “Your ancestor left it behind?”
Xiang San nodded and then walked ahead. His steps were calm and firm. He did not hesitate because Shi Lang sensed a gaze on his back. Xiao Nan was the same. The two people followed behind.
However, soon Xiang San stopped in his tracks. Shi Lang walked close to him and poked his back with his spirit energy. The young man screamed for a second but stopped and turned around to glare at Shi Lang.
Xiang San said, “This is not a solution. The illusion must be disrupted, but it should be done by solving the formations here.”
Shi Lang sighed and said, “I am not an expert in dealing with things left behind by someone who can destroy us with a thought. So, would you want to go ahead and break the arrays?”
Xiang San sighed and said, “As much as I want to find a way around this boulder, the predecessor has set a present. If we do not break out of the illusion alone, we will have to go through it again. Tell me if you have a better way to get away now.”
Shi Lang thought briefly, saying, “Actually, this can be solved easily.”
Xiang San asked, “What do you mean?”
Shi Lang said, “The illusion arrays work by sending our inner spiritual energy into disarray, affecting our consciousness. So what if we do not have spiritual energy inside the body, and this will throw the arrays off.”
Xiao Nan shook her head and said, “Wrong, you will not be able to do it like that.”
Shi Lang tilted his head, and Xiao Nan commented, “What? Young Master Shi, are you not looking down on the senior too much? If you can think of this method. Then he must have thought of it too when leaving this place behind, right?”
Shi Lang and Xiang San agreed, but a deep calm voice replied, “Well, little miss, what you said is not entirely correct. This young man has his wits in the right place.”