Chapter 159: Golden Spring

Over the next few days, Zuo Zhicheng spent most of his time on the ship studying the Cold Light Rippling Sword he had obtained, while also cultivating Night Sea, learning about Corpse Vein, and further testing his Martial Arts.

Regarding Night Sea, Zuo Zhicheng discovered that his Life Grove seemed to be growing faster. He estimated that in about one or two more months, he would reach the Leakless stage.

Though he suspected this was related to the silver substance from before and the recently implanted Corpse Vein, Zuo Zhicheng lacked the necessary research tools and could only guess.

As for Corpse Vein, clearly after the transformation was complete, it caused him to mutate towards a Ghoul. However, he didn’t know if this was due to the peculiarities of the white Ghoul modified by Yilezi, the Blood Pool, or simply the unique nature of his own Night Sea.

Although the Corpse Vein transformation was complete, its effects differed from those of a typical Ghoul. He had achieved the Human Aspect in Spirit Refining. While his emotions became thinner, he didn’t develop the desire to eat humans like Quinlin and the others. Moreover, he had almost no regenerative ability; he could only say his healing power was stronger than before.

Upon reflection, this made sense. His muscle body strength was much greater than before, so the nutrients and energy required to maintain his body naturally increased as well. Losing the Super Rapid Regeneration ability wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Besides this, there were increases in strength and speed, among other attributes. However, after his Physique Strength reached orange-yellow, he found it difficult to make progress in his Martial Arts training after practicing. Thinking about it, the materials that make up the human body have their limits. No matter how much he enhanced himself, there was a ceiling. By the standards of his previous life, Zuo Zhicheng’s current physical fitness was already that of a minor Superman.

If orange-yellow 100% represented the maximum strength this human body could achieve, he could accept that.

Even so, the cultivation of Martial Arts still had to continue. On one hand, if he didn’t maintain his physical training, his body would naturally decline and degenerate. On the other hand, the path of Martial Arts wasn’t just about the body; there was also the way of Spirit Refining. The power of the Heart Mind was something Zuo Zhicheng had far from reached his limit in.

As for Void Training beyond Spirit Refining, he didn’t know much about it yet and wasn’t in a hurry. After all, breaking through to the Dharma Aspect seemed like it would take a lot of time currently.

Thus, the scene of Zuo Zhicheng primarily practicing forms and training methods for his Martial Arts shifted. Now, most of his time was spent sitting in meditation. Each day, he only practiced his fists and feet a little to prevent physical deterioration.

Besides consolidating his Martial Arts this way, Zuo Zhicheng also studied that Cold Light Rippling Sword. At first glance, he found this sword technique profound and intricate, directly pointing towards the Dharma Aspect path. It also matched perfectly with the mutated Nourishing Qi with Vast Righteousness he currently practiced and the Heart Mind power derived from its killing intent and aura.

He planned to study its mysteries carefully throughout the rest of the journey.

After the series of adventures and battles on the island, Zuo Zhicheng felt even more strongly the turbulent and unfathomable undercurrents of this world. His desire to enhance his strength became more urgent.

Aside from spending almost all his daytime hours on cultivation and self-examination, Zuo Zhicheng spent his evenings exchanging knowledge with Li Xunyi on various topics.

As for Liu Manwen, every time she tried to join in, Zuo Zhicheng mercilessly refused her. Originally, Li Xunyi wanted to bring his junior brother Jin Xunshou along, but his junior brother’s Flying Sword had been broken by Quinlin. Over ten years of cultivation were almost destroyed in an instant, leaving him mentally absent and unwilling to do anything.

This was what Sword Cultivators called “the sword lives with the person, the sword dies with the person.” A Sword Cultivator’s lifelong cultivation was all in one Flying Sword. One could say the Flying Sword was their organ, their external elixir. Every step of their cultivation, every enhancement, was closely tied to their Flying Sword.

With his Flying Sword broken and not even recovered, Jin Xunshou’s path to seeking the Dao was practically severed.

Seeing him haggard day after day, Li Xunyi could only let him be alone for a while.

Zuo Zhicheng and Li Xunyi exchanged knowledge about Dao Arts and Martial Arts. What Zuo Zhicheng had learned came from the orthodox Dao Sect of the Central Plains, the South Saint Sect, combined with memories of modern science from his previous life. One could say that although Li Xunyi didn’t learn any new Dao Arts from their exchanges, he felt he benefited greatly nonetheless.

Li Xunyi himself came from one of the three great sword sects of the world, the Qingwei Sword Sect. He had some knowledge of the Dao Arts, Martial Arts, histories, cultures, and secrets of various sects and schools. Through their conversations, Zuo Zhicheng gained a better understanding of this world’s background.

Through their exchanges, both men gained something. Li Xunyi found Zuo Zhicheng even more agreeable. So, on the third evening, he casually said, “A Zuo, I wonder if you’ve heard of Amariken and the legend of the so-called Golden Spring?”

“I know of Amariken, but what is the Golden Spring?”

Li Xunyi smiled, but his eyes were full of seriousness. “Since you know Amariken, you must know that, according to past legends, the entire New Continent was ruled by this enigmatic country. But do you know why the Central Plains have Dao Arts, the West has magic, but here on the New Continent, apart from some Authentic Transmission Martial Arts, they haven’t mastered any supernatural powers?”

“Because they were destroyed.”

“According to our sect’s records, Amariken absolutely existed in the past. They ruled the entire New Continent but, at the final moment, gathered and destroyed almost all materials related to Dao Arts on the continent, leading to their eventual collapse. This allowed us to defeat the natives on land and easily occupy this place.”

“Based on records from explorations and investigations by various major forces on the New Continent in recent years, before Amariken collapsed, they collected those things to create three divine artifacts. One of them is called the Golden Spring.”

“Golden Spring? Could it be something that produces gold?” Zuo Zhicheng asked curiously.

“Of course not. In Amariken, gold represented wealth and eternity. According to the latest research, this Golden Spring likely embodies the Amariken king’s pursuit of eternal life.”

Hearing this, Zuo Zhicheng’s lips curled slightly. “Interesting.”

“What’s even more interesting comes next, depending on whether you’re interested.” Li Xunyi stared intently at Zuo Zhicheng. “We are, after all, comrades who have faced life and death together, so I trust you.”

“Do you have specific information? I must return to Xinlu first.”

“No problem.” Li Xunyi showed a bright smile. “I’ll go with you.”

…

On the second night after Zuo Zhicheng left Xinlu City, a powerhouse formidable enough to unsettle the entire upper echelons of Xinlu barged directly into the bedroom of Long Feiyang, the leader of the Sea Dragon Gang, accompanied by five of his disciples.

Long Feiyang’s lips trembled as he knelt on the floor. Before him stood a bald old man dressed in red robes.

“D… Dharma… Dharma King, I was… was forced…”