Chapter 173: Sky-Reaching Token
Chapter 173: Sky-Reaching Token
After escaping, Mu Feng did not go far, hiding in a thicket halfway up Cangjian Peak.
He was not unwilling to go further; he was simply unable. There was a fiery stinging pain in his chest, so he could only find a spot nearby to conceal himself. Luckily, the fearsome green-robed man did not lead the Sky-Reaching Guards to pursue him.
Hiss…
Mu Feng tore open his robe and looked down, gasping in shock.
On his chest, a handprint was clearly visible, and the surrounding skin was fiery red as if burned by fire. It didn’t look like the injury from a palm strike—more like being branded with a red-hot iron hand!
Incredible!
Mu Feng felt a lingering fear. Only then did he realize how fortunate he had been to escape successfully. No wonder the Black-clad Woman, though skilled, was heavily injured by the terrifying green-robed man in an instant.
After reaching the Mortal Realm Peak, his power was astonishing. One palm strike felt like eighteen giant dragons crashing forward, enough to crush an ordinary Mortal Realm Peak expert into pulp. But compared to the green-robed man, his strength was like a small stream against a great river—he had almost been killed outright. He couldn’t even imagine how strong that man truly was.
Marquis, who exactly is this green-robed man?
Mu Feng quietly pondered the identity of the green-robed man, then sat cross-legged, forming the Shamanic Incantation, and began using Blood Refining Art to heal himself and cultivate.
Blood Refining Art was the innate divine ability of a Blood Shaman and also the best way to heal.
As long as his Lifeblood Essence and blood energy were not exhausted—even with just one drop of Lifeblood Essence remaining—he could gradually mend severely damaged, or even torn, internal organs, muscles, and bones. Cultivated to a high level, even if he were killed and reduced to ashes, he could be reborn from a single drop of blood—a testament to his incredibly tenacious vitality. That was why he was called the most fierce, most formidable Ancient Great Witch!
Seeing Mu Feng sit down to heal, Jing Wushuang drew the sword at her waist and silently stood guard by his side.
Her power was pitifully small, only at the early Mortal Realm stage. Any Sky-Reaching Guard catching up could easily crush her. But no matter how weak she was, she would never let enemies rush him now. Seeing the weary, heavily injured Mu Feng, her eyes reddened, and her nose tingled with emotion. Her thirst for power and her desire to become stronger suddenly felt incredibly intense.
She didn’t seek fame or fortune, nor did she have any interest in reaching the cultivation peak. She only wished that next time they faced strong enemies, Mu Feng wouldn’t have to fight alone, covered in blood. She didn’t want to see another bloody wound on his body!
Power!
The delicate, still-injured Jing Wushuang whispered softly to herself.
Ghost Mother’s power was unfathomable; if nothing else, her skills in medicine and poison were exceptional. But Jing Wushuang had only wanted to learn healing, not cultivation—and certainly not the evil poison arts, in her view. No matter how Ghost Mother coaxed or threatened, she refused to learn.
At the time, some of Ghost Mother’s words had sounded especially harsh, but now, she understood they were true.
Poison techniques themselves weren’t good or evil—what mattered was the nature of the user. Mastery in poison meant great power, which could be used to kill or to save lives. If she had learned even half of what Ghost Mother knew, Mu Feng wouldn’t have had such a hard, perilous journey.
“Maybe joining the Poison Sect and cultivating the dreaded Manual of Extreme Poison isn’t a bad thing after all!”
A new thought suddenly arose in Jing Wushuang’s heart as she stood there, unmoving.
Love that runs deep doesn’t need to be expressed in every waking moment.
To truly love someone isn’t to cling to them all day long, but to wish them a lifetime of happiness and safety!
Hoo…
The cold wind blowing halfway up the peak grew even colder, carrying the icy chill from the mountains, biting to the bone. Jing Wushuang, holding her sword and standing guard, wore only a thin robe. She shivered violently, and as the chill intensified, frost formed on her exposed hands, making her limbs numb.
The bitter wind whistled. Ducking into the dense thicket would have been much warmer, but Jing Wushuang remained still, focusing intently, sensing their surroundings, terrified the fearsome Sky-Reaching Guards might return and jump out from the darkness. And so she stood motionless in the cold until daybreak.
“Embarking on the Way Through Slaughter, Carrying the Dao via Blood!”
At dawn, Mu Feng finally opened his eyes, slowly calming the surging, fiery blood energy inside him. He lowered his head and saw that the palm print on his chest had faded, nearly invisible.
Combining fierce attacks with his incredible self-healing ability made him very confident in his innate divine ability, Blood Refining Art. If he cultivated like this, it wouldn’t be a far-fetched dream to one day reach the cultivation peak. Once he broke through to the True Human Realm, Ren Pingsheng, Hall Master of the Sword Control Hall, Blind Master, and Chief Transmission Disciple Mu Tie—they were all like ants!
Three years!
The life-or-death battle against Chief Transmission Disciple Mu Tie, three years from now, had always weighed on him. But now, he felt a surge of anticipation. He looked forward to slaying gods in his path and publicly crushing Mu Tie three years later!
Mu Tie, cultivating Heartless Sword Dao, progressed incredibly fast, hailed as a prodigy. With a Devil Leader like Blind Master by his side, it was no surprise his growth was terrifying. But fate was ever-changing—who said he would necessarily lose in three years?
Mu Feng’s fighting spirit soared. He would never give up until the very last moment. Taking a deep breath, he quietly reflected on the profound mysteries of Blood Refining Art.
First Stage, Blood Coagulation—plundering the blood essence of foes.
Second Stage, Blood Tempering—tempering bones, muscles, and bloodline, with blood energy releasing outward to form weapons like the Blood Spear, Blood Armor, and Blood Wheel.
And the third stage?
What changes would come then, and how powerful would it be?
Feeling the robust, surging power within, Mu Feng abruptly stood up, throwing his head back with a long roar, filled with anticipation for the third stage of Blood Refining Art.
He had a premonition. The day he unsealed the Ancestral Sorcerer’s Essence Blood and comprehended the third stage wasn’t too far off. Perhaps when he broke through to the Elite Realm—perhaps in the very next moment. Blood Refining Yang Seizing—taking the power of enemies; absorbing vast amounts of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, or perhaps stumbling upon a sudden enlightenment, the next layer of the Seal might open naturally!
“Shuang’er, take a look at this token—does it have any secrets?”
Mu Feng brought out the Sky-Reaching Token he had pulled from the Sky-Reaching Guard captain’s body, handing it to Jing Wushuang, who stood beside him. Then, he took one of his robes from the Breeze Ring and gently draped it over her.
The robe was thin, barely able to block the howling cold wind. Yet draped upon her, Jing Wushuang, chilled through the night, felt a warmth spreading, all the way to her heart. With a soft “Yes,” she examined the token closely, gently running her fingers over the talismanic script.
Completely black, not quite jade, not quite iron—who knew what material the token was made of. On the front was engraved a massive, majestic cauldron, symbolizing the authority of the Tongtian Emperor. One glance, and an imposing aura pressed down. On the back was a crossed sword and blade pattern, bristling with killing intent.
“No, it seems there’s nothing special—just an identity badge,” Jing Wushuang stated, after a careful look, shaking her head.
“No, it’s more than just a simple identity badge!”
Mu Feng smiled, forcing out a drop of his Lifeblood Essence and letting it drip onto the token. Suddenly, black light shimmered on the back, gradually revealing a figure—broad-shouldered and handsome-faced. Who else could it be but Mu Feng himself? The bottom right corner shimmered, revealing four digits: ‘Five Two One Three.’
Staring at the figure on the badge, then at Mu Feng standing before her, Jing Wushuang cried out in surprise, “Huh… Mu Feng brother, this is…?”
“It’s a secret marker used among the Sky-Reaching Guards. Those unaware, even if they picked up the badge, couldn’t impersonate them—only the owner’s blood could activate the hidden information.”
Mu Feng paused briefly before continuing, “Unfortunately for that Sky-Reaching Guard captain, not only was he killed by me, his blood was refined by me on the spot. So now this badge is mine. Shuang’er, from now on, you can call me Five Two One Three!”
Deceiving heaven to cross the sea—walking within the Tongtian Dynasty as a Sky-Reaching Guard?
Jing Wushuang’s eyes brightened, understanding Mu Feng’s idea immediately. She helped him put on his Large Bamboo Hat, holding her sword imposingly. He now truly looked somewhat like a Sky-Reaching Guard.
“Shuang’er, let’s go. Ahead lies the Hengling Mountain Range!”
Mu Feng put away the Sky-Reaching Token, bent down to carry Jing Wushuang on his back, and swiftly departed, his strides long and fast. Soon, they crossed over the towering Cangjian Peak and vanished into the boundless Forest Sea.