Chapter 117: Analysis, Cultivation
Song Yue gazed at the exquisite crimson coffin, carefully lifting its lid. Inside, there was only a thin sheet of metal inscribed with scripture. Previously, Xiao Qi had obtained a similar sheet, but his was blue; this one was black.
Song Yue took it out and found it was etched with ancient, unfamiliar characters, carved with a blade. The moment he attempted to decipher it using the Celestial Venerable’s spiritual technique, the black metal sheet shattered instantly!
It dissolved into countless characters that floated above the massive coffin before surging all at once into Song Yue’s body.
Startled, Song Yue introspected and discovered that these characters had all rushed straight into his lungs!
He was speechless, baffled by the situation. Xiao Qi, who was leaning above, was equally stunned and asked, “What’s going on?”
Song Yue said nothing but focused his spiritual power to sense the characters invading his lungs. Suddenly, a vast, overwhelming demonic aura exploded from his body.
Xiao Qi was the first to be blasted away, landing hard on his backside some ten meters away, eyes wide with terror as he watched the demonic energy, almost tangible, surge from the coffin.
“T—Brother… have you turned into a demon?” he stammered.
“You’re the one who turned into a demon!” came Song Yue’s voice, muffled from inside the coffin.
“What’s going on then?”
Xiao Qi scrambled to his feet, wincing as two of his recently healed ribs shifted out of place from the fall. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he glanced toward the coffin.
Song Yue leapt out and stood still, immersed in contemplating his transformation.
At the instant the black scripture dissolved into countless characters that penetrated his lungs, Song Yue clearly sensed his lung capacity expanding to an extraordinary degree!
As a young grandmaster of martial arts, his lung capacity was already immense—far surpassing that of ordinary people by many times.
Now, it was even greater.
He felt as if his lung capacity had increased to more than ten times that of a typical grandmaster.
This transformation’s most direct benefit was that during long-distance, high-speed exertion, he could unleash far greater power and sustain endurance much longer.
So… this scripture was also a form of body refinement?
He soon realized things were more complex. When he used the Celestial Venerable’s spiritual method to decode the text, he found it was an immense scripture originating from the demon clans!
It contained the supreme secrets of demonic cultivation.
Once initiated and combined with his transformative arts, he could perfectly manifest various demonic forms.
Moreover, nearly all demon clans possessed physiques far superior to humans.
This scripture perfectly illustrated that point.
It represented a cultivation system fundamentally different from that of humans—a path originally exclusive to demons, but now tread upon by Song Yue.
Standing there, meditating deeply, Song Yue felt he had nearly reached the threshold.
At that moment, the Dark Sacred Scripture, originally housed within the Jade Void Towering Stele, suddenly burst forth.
The verdant grass sprouting in his spiritual sea instantly began to sway.
Boom!
A mysterious force erupted from the Dark Sacred Scripture, a ball of utter darkness and demonic energy enveloping Song Yue entirely.
“Brother!” Xiao Qi, still nursing his ribs, shouted in alarm.
Demonic energy was one thing, but now he was shrouded in dark demonic energy? Was this a sign of demonization?
He hurried forward, attempting to pull Song Yue out.
Boom!
The dark energy slammed Xiao Qi away.
Blood spewed from his mouth as he crashed another dozen meters away; the ribs he had just set snapped again.
Unaware of this, Song Yue was trapped within the dark energy, completely cut off from external perception.
Suddenly, he was drawn into a terrifying primordial world.
Before him stood a colossal beast tens of thousands of meters tall, its body wreathed in raging demonic flames, locked in combat with a giant of similar size.
Neither seemed to use any mystical arts; they relied purely on brute strength.
Yet countless thunderclaps, flames, and icy blasts erupted amidst their strikes.
Song Yue was utterly captivated, mesmerized by the scene.
For some reason, he could even see the reconfiguration, structure, and manipulation of energy during their attacks.
To his eyes, the energies were fully analyzed, transformed into complex mathematical formulas—each so intricate that a mere glance induced dizziness.
Was this the true essence of the Dark Sacred Scripture?
Unblinking, Song Yue fixed his gaze on these energy formulas and entered a frenzy of memorization.
In the presence of the giant beast and giant, he felt minuscule—less than an ant.
As they fought across the land, mountains collapsed, the earth cracked open, lava spewed forth, rivers reversed their flow.
The battle ascended into the sky, tearing the very heavens asunder.
Under the collision of energies, vast portions of the celestial dome warped.
Song Yue felt the trembling of the earth beneath him.
He knew not what kind of world this was, nor the vastness of the continent beneath his feet.
Despite such devastation, it teemed with vibrant life energy.
The Supreme Refining Scripture operated autonomously, pouring boundless life essence into his body.
He lost track of time in that place.
The giant and the beast fought relentlessly like two fearsome war machines, tireless and unyielding.
After memorizing over half of those energy formulas, Song Yue finally felt a wave of fatigue.
At that moment, the grass in his spiritual sea ceased trembling.
The next instant, Song Yue returned to reality.
Through his spiritual eye, he saw the Dark Sacred Scripture transform into a stream of light, shifting from solid to ethereal, entering his body.
Ultimately, it nestled within his kidney.
Song Yue: !!!
What was this about?
Had his body become a refuge for wandering souls?
A grass occupied his spiritual sea, a scripture brimming with demonic energy filled his lungs, and now the once docile Dark Sacred Scripture claimed his kidney?
They were aiming for the heavens!
Yet, with the Dark Sacred Scripture’s arrival, Song Yue clearly felt his vitality surge and his kidney energy strengthen.
He was speechless.
What on earth was going on?
Meanwhile, the dark demonic energy also entered his kidney alongside the Dark Sacred Scripture.
That area returned to normal.
Song Yue looked at Xiao Qi, who wore a face of misfortune, and asked, “Hey? How did you get hurt again?”
Xiao Qi said nothing, preferring solitude to calm himself.
Song Yue also wished to steady his mind and study his current condition carefully.
Although everything seemed to be improving—both body and spirit gaining remarkable enhancement—he was uncertain whether this was ultimately favorable or not.
His only guess was that both the Dark Sacred Scripture and the metal scripture, while appearing made of metal, were actually embodiments of some great Dao, forms of energy.
Activated under special circumstances, they had successfully fused with internal organs.
For now, that was the best explanation Song Yue could offer.
There was another less pressing concern: if Brother Qian suddenly wished to cultivate the deeper secrets of the Dark Sacred Scripture, how would Song Yue explain it to her?
Would honesty be misconstrued as impropriety?
After exiting the second tomb chamber, Song Yue and Xiao Qi prepared to assault the third and final chamber on the far right.
Outside, Guo Quan, Konstantin, and Sun Chu—a senior official from the Administration Department—accompanied a group of distinguished young men and women, approaching not far from the grand tomb.
Konstantin gazed at the pyramid-shaped mausoleum, exclaiming excitedly, “Heavens! Our Western pyramid tomb! It’s our Western pyramid tomb!”
Alongside them were more members affiliated with the Three-Headed Dragon organization, all equally thrilled, their eyes shining with reverence.
“Indeed, a pyramid!”
“This is a tomb of our ancestors!”
“Who would have thought it would appear in the East? Does this mean…”
Guo Quan interjected coldly, “Mean what? The pyramid originates from a mythical civilization; what does that have to do with your West?”
Konstantin bristled, “That can’t be…”
Among the distinguished youths, one sneered, “Enough with the false ancestry. Your Western ancestors were powerful, yes, but this pyramid has no connection to Western civilization.”
“Nor does it relate to present-day Eastern Huaxia civilization,” added a noble-looking woman with her hair tied up gracefully. “She’s right. This is a relic of the previous mythical civilization, belonging to a branch of the demon clans—strictly speaking, not human civilization at all.”
Konstantin and the Three-Headed Dragon members fell silent.
They dared to spar verbally with Guo Quan’s Huaxia people but lacked the courage to resist these seemingly youthful yet possibly centuries- or millennia-old powerful beings.
The noble woman glanced at the vibrantly colored tomb and softly said, “According to ancient texts, that mythical civilization’s customs were entirely different. Their underground palace entrances were set at ‘Sha Wei’—the position of malevolent energy.”
Sun Chu, somewhat versed in such matters, grew curious and asked, “Regardless of the civilization, malevolent energy is malevolent energy. Why would anyone place a tomb entrance in such a dangerous spot?”
The woman replied, “Their cultivation system differs; their understanding and utilization of energy is unique. There are races specializing in dark energy cultivation—energy so obscure that even the greatest cultivators cannot comprehend it.”
Sun Chu smiled with admiration, “I’ve learned something new.”
Konstantin sneered in secret—Easterners sure excel at flattery.
A man then instructed Konstantin, “Send a few men to scout that spot.”
Konstantin complied; cooperation was part of the deal.
Though their organization belonged to the Western faction, the Three-Headed Dragon leader had ties with the sect of these young visitors.
Thus, accompanying them was a supreme honor for the organization.
Konstantin dispatched two subordinates toward the swirling, dense, multicolored aura.
They approached cautiously.
Fearing danger, they stopped a dozen meters from the aura, and one threw a stone into the colored mist.
The stone vanished silently, stirring nothing.
Exchanging glances, they relaxed and moved closer.
The moment they touched the aura, two red beams flashed out.
Before they could scream, both collapsed motionless.
Konstantin’s heart pounded wildly.
Guo Quan and the others felt a chill.
Only the distinguished youths remained calm.
A young man in white robes frowned slightly, saying, “This must be that legendary energy—terrifying and deadly without a trace.”
The noble woman said, “Exactly. We must take measures.”
The young man nodded, “Begin.”
They produced formation devices—flags, plates—and began setting a formation around the vibrant aura.
Konstantin’s group mourned their comrades but paid no attention to the formation; to them, such ‘Eastern’ methods were incomprehensible.
Sun Chu’s expression darkened as he watched, but he restrained himself from revealing his unease.
Guo Quan, familiar with Sun Chu, asked discreetly, “Is something wrong?”
Sun Chu stepped aside, feigning interest elsewhere, and whispered, “That formation… is a sacrificial formation.”
Sacrifice? To whom?
Guo Quan’s sensitivity heightened.
Recently, in Huaxia, blood sacrifices for cultivation had stirred unrest; the word ‘sacrifice’ was a trigger.
Sun Chu cautioned, “Don’t show alarm. If I’m right, the victims won’t be us.”
He glanced at Konstantin’s group.
Though he guessed, he felt no relief.
Given the age and power of these youthful yet ancient elites, they had no great need for cooperation; their fate was no better than Konstantin’s men.
They had prepared for such possibilities, but the pursuit of immortality blinded them to the risks.
Once approached, refusal was impossible.
Inside the tomb, Song Yue and Xiao Qi had entered the third chamber—the last one.
They forced the door open with the Jade Void Towering Stele.
Inside, they were dumbfounded.
Xiao Qi stared in shock, “What kind of place is this?”
Opening the chamber door revealed an endless expanse of blood-red ocean.
A salty, metallic stench drifted from its depths.
Beneath their feet lay a beach of fine sand, beyond which stretched this crimson sea.
Song Yue opened his spiritual eye to examine it.
A massive aura surged toward him.
The vast sea appeared even more boundless in his spiritual vision.
Moreover, his eye detected countless terrifying energy undercurrents within the waters.
Like the mathematical formulas he’d seen before, these energy currents were intricately structured and exceedingly dangerous.
He felt even a ten-thousand-meter giant beast would be shredded instantly by these currents.
Standing at the shore, Song Yue activated the Celestial Venerable’s spiritual method, meticulously studying the energy currents’ architecture.
This did not immediately advance his cultivation level but promised immeasurable enhancement to his offensive capabilities.
A surge of excitement rose within him.
On the path to becoming a Martial Saint Lord, he must become a sponge, absorbing all nourishment and transforming it into his own strength.
Beside him, Xiao Qi sensed something amiss about this sea.
Beyond its bloodlike hue, he keenly felt a dreadful energy hidden within.
He tried to probe with his spiritual power, but was frightened on first attempt—he felt a gigantic primordial beast lunging at him.
His heart pounded fiercely.
He looked at Song Yue, who was walking toward the sea.
“Brother Yue, what’s wrong? Don’t go in there — it’s dangerous!” Xiao Qi warned loudly.
Song Yue raised a hand in a silent gesture and stepped into the water without a word.
It didn’t seem like he was controlled, but Xiao Qi’s heart thudded with unease.
He wanted to stop him but feared disrupting his cultivation.
Before he could decide, Song Yue’s foot touched the blood-red water.
Suddenly, a massive wave formed without warning, crashing down upon Song Yue.
At the same time, a robust surge of blood energy erupted from Song Yue, forming a solid defense that blocked the wave.
An elliptical vacuum zone formed around him, with the blood-colored waters splashing and flowing outward.
Song Yue’s excitement grew.
He wasn’t just analyzing the terrifying energy; he wanted to personally experience its might.
His first plunge met with a harsh welcome.
Fortunately, he applied the energy’s structural method to his protective aura, yielding unexpected results.
The aura successfully repelled the energy.
He ventured deeper, soon fully submerged, drawing closer to the dark currents.
Boom!
As he neared a small current, it surged violently toward him.
Song Yue employed the current’s structural method to channel energy and unleashed a thunderous punch.
A violent energy wave exploded underwater.
His body was hurled skyward, landing awkwardly on the beach.
Xiao Qi rushed over anxiously, “Are you alright?”
Song Yue wiped sea water from his face and laughed, “I’m fine, really!”
Then he strode back into the sea.
Repeatedly, Song Yue was blasted out, each time more battered—blood trickled from his lips.
Xiao Qi thought his brother had gone mad.
Yet he noticed a difference: Song Yue’s aura grew stronger with each emergence.
After the latest ejection, a thunderous roar echoed from within Song Yue, followed by an earth-shattering momentum erupting from his body.
Xiao Qi was utterly stunned.
He felt as the internet’s humorous commentators described: “How can anyone cultivate in such a hellhole?”
Yet here Song Yue was, seemingly advancing by leaps and bounds.
When Song Yue was flung out again, Xiao Qi’s curiosity got the better of him and he asked.
Song Yue pondered, then replied regretfully, “This probably isn’t suitable for you. The sea contains countless terrifying energy currents—you must first analyze their composition, then…”
“Brother! Brother… don’t say anymore, I don’t understand!” Xiao Qi covered his face, deeply feeling the sorrow of a poor student.
Analyzing energy constitution? He could barely comprehend how to analyze a tomb’s structure.
Not a matter of intelligence, but specialization. Brother Yue was a born prodigy in cultivation.
Xiao Qi was unaware that ten years ago, many at the cultivation academy did not share this opinion.
As time passed, Song Yue’s immersion in the sea lengthened.
Xiao Qi witnessed his brother’s transformation from being repeatedly expelled to battling mysterious energies within.
The scene inspired profound awe.
He even fancied: Might I witness the rise of a peerless master?
What had begun as a tomb suspected to house a True Immortal concealed so many mysteries?
Bored, Xiao Qi sat on the beach, contemplating and theorizing.
Gradually, he sensed that the three chambers they explored were not the true tomb chambers.
They had entered here only by following the Towering Stele’s guidance.
The true chambers lay elsewhere.
When Brother Yue ceased cultivation, Xiao Qi planned to share this insight.
Perhaps this grand tomb still held many unexplored secrets.
Idle on a rainy day, he mused: Better to improve my realm than remain defenseless.
The future would take care of itself.
Maybe as a warrior, he could explore ancient tombs in other worlds.
Song Yue in the sea was like a tireless child, endlessly cultivating and learning.
Just as his master had told him, the path of martial arts was lonely.
Help from others was always limited.
Though spiritual and physical techniques were excellent, he could not summon those two great gods for daily guidance.
Now, he realized that opportunity was a rare blessing reserved for warriors.
Henceforth, the path was his alone to tread.
Fortunately, he was accustomed to solitude.
Using the Celestial Venerable’s spiritual method as a medium and the Dark Sacred Scripture as a bridge, he could now attempt to analyze all kinds of energy compositions.
This would play a decisive role in forging his unique path.
He could even instantly analyze energy structures in others’ attacks, quickly learning and mimicking them.
Who said warriors couldn’t excel?
Song Yue deeply enjoyed the joy that cultivation brought.
He was happy.
Outside, several were anything but.
Including Konstantin and the Three-Headed Dragon members, one by one, they stared at the calm-faced youths with dread.
Konstantin’s voice trembled as he asked, “May I ask, have we offended you in some way?”
“No,” replied a young cultivator controlling them calmly. “We only need to dispel this fearful energy. A sacrificial formation is required, and you are fortunate to be the offerings.”
“F*ck…!” Konstantin exploded, his fear and anger overwhelming reason, collapsing instantly.
Fortunate to be sacrificed?
“If commoners were sacrificed, the number required would be vast, attracting attention. You are more suitable—travelers from afar. Any accidents during exploration are understandable.”
The youthful cultivator spoke seriously.
Konstantin snapped utterly; others from the Three-Headed Dragon cursed loudly, their voices a continuous stream of obscenities.
The noble woman frowned, disliking such vulgarity.
With a wave of her hand, including Konstantin, all fell silent.
Unable to curse or plead, most wept.
The suddenness of it all left no time for farewells.
Sun Chu and Guo Quan watched silently.
Though they disliked these Westerners, seeing their fate stirred sorrow.
True cultivators were cold-blooded.
Though some truths were understood—such as powerful cultivators rarely seeing mortals as their equals—mundanes always harbored illusions.
Only witnessing this could they grasp the truth: they were truly not the same kind.
To these powerful cultivators, controlling Konstantin’s group for sacrifice was no different than taking a chicken from home for market.
Konstantin and his men were just chickens.
“You need not fear. We do not kill innocents wantonly,” the white-robed young man told Sun Chu and Guo Quan calmly.
But to them, it sounded like nonsense.
Not wanton killing? Then what was this?
Killing chickens to entertain guests?
So Sun Chu and the others remained silent.
“If Song Yue were here, perhaps you would not have to die,” the white-robed youth said softly. “His blood energy is strong enough that sacrificing him alone equals all of you.”
Konstantin and company were speechless.
They were essentially meaningless sacrifices, delivered on a platter.
It did not matter if it was them or Song Yue.
Such casualness surpassed even the market’s choice of chicken.
Their hearts filled with grief and yet hope—if only Song Yue appeared.
Inside the tomb, Song Yue finally ceased his cultivation.
He sensed his combat power had reached an unprecedented height.
At this level, facing a peak grandmaster like Chen Jue might still be challenging, but a fierce battle could end evenly.
He sensed something far more powerful lurking in the ocean depths.
The Jade Void Towering Stele had also emitted faint pulses.
But not actively.
Song Yue judged that with his current strength, he could not claim it.
This blood-red sea was too perilous.
Though he appeared to have wrestled with the sea for long, he had not ventured even a hundred meters.
“Let’s go, Xiao Qi!” Song Yue called.
“Brother Yue, you’re amazing!” Xiao Qi praised sincerely, awed by Song Yue’s advancement.
He then shared his theory that the tomb might hide other secrets.
Song Yue waved him off, “If some ancient being truly rests here, we shouldn’t disturb it further. We’ve gained enough already.”
Xiao Qi remained curious but dared not argue.
Indeed, they had benefited greatly—even recruiting the puppet legion.
One must know contentment.
They followed the original path back, but Xiao Qi suddenly frowned.
“This doesn’t seem like the way we came in…”
Song Yue also sensed something amiss and used his Qi-divination technique, saying, “Let’s keep going.”
At the path’s end, the stone door, seemingly wary of Song Yue’s brute force, opened by itself.
Stepping out, they realized they had circled to the tomb’s other side—the very entrance Xiao Qi had first suspected.
“I told you!” Xiao Qi excitedly exclaimed, then wondered, “Why did we exit here?”
This tomb had far exceeded his understanding.
Song Yue smiled, “Why worry? As long as we’re out, let’s go…”
They skirted the tomb and from afar saw a crowd gathered near the malevolent energy zone.
Some appeared controlled, thrown directly into the swirling, colorful malevolent aura.
Konstantin, cast inside, caught sight of Song Yue and Xiao Qi emerging on the other side.
In that instant, despair overwhelmed him.
His spirit utterly shattered.
Couldn’t they have appeared a minute earlier?!
Boom!
A terrifying killing intent surged.
The third-in-command of the Three-Headed Dragon lost consciousness.
At that moment, the white-robed young man and Sun Chu, Guo Quan, and others also noticed Song Yue and Xiao Qi.
Both sides froze.
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