Chapter 163: The Eighth Layer of the Heart-Tempering Art
"King White Tiger, why did you violate our agreement and kill our martial marquis?" asked a grandmaster in a cold voice.
Roar! Roar!
The White Tiger beast king let out a low roar, reeking of a murderous intent.
If it weren't for its wariness toward the two human grandmasters, it likely would have already attacked.
The two human grandmasters exchanged glances, completely unable to make out what the White Tiger beast king was trying to convey.
"Zheng Long from the Zheng family used to be a beast tamer and understands animal language. Let him come and speak with the beast king," suggested a grandmaster.
"Zheng Long has gone in another direction to provide backup; we'll have to wait a moment," another grandmaster replied. Then, he turned to the White Tiger beast king and said, "O Beast King, if something has happened, we will certainly cooperate, and no one will leave. Please keep your peace."
The White Tiger beast king clearly understood human speech. It let out a low roar, its murderous intent gradually subsiding, and crouched on the ground, fixing its gaze upon them.
The grandmasters from the thirteen great noble families entered Mount Kunwu in waves, moving from various directions to meet and escort their respective martial marquis.
At that moment, the giant ape had also been intercepted by two grandmasters.
The martial marquis who had tried to block the giant ape were all severely injured. Even Zhao Dongyang, the strongest among them, had several ribs broken, his face pale and drained of color.
Once all the martial marquis were safe, they summoned Zheng Long, the Zheng family's grandmaster who understood beast language, to parley with the giant ape.
Before long, they discovered why the tier-3 beast king had gone berserk.
A grandmaster traveled across the various sectors, and shortly afterward, all the martial marquis and grandmasters of the thirteen noble families gathered together to face the two beast kings.
Amidst the crowd, Lu Yan caught sight of Li Wenxin. The poison had already been forced out, and he appeared to be out of danger.
"Someone has ventured deep into the Scarlet Jade Flower Sea and hunted down the exotic beasts specially nurtured by the beast kings there."
"Weren't notices issued stating that no one is allowed to enter the Scarlet Jade Flower Sea? Exactly who is it? Such sheer audacity to disregard the rules!"
Several grandmasters muttered in discussion.
Lu Yan happened to be nearby and heard every word clearly.
*A notice was issued forbidding entry into the Scarlet Jade Flower Sea? How is it that I never received such a notice?*
Lu Yan furrowed his brow.
Did the Zhao family deliberately withhold the notification, or was someone playing tricks behind the scenes?
Several figures immediately flashed through Lu Yan's mind.
Zhao Po, Zhao Yi, and Zhao Hao.
Although Zhao Yi and Zhao Hao were dead, they still had living relatives who might well harbor a deep grudge against him.
Then there was Zhao Po. His attitude when he failed to buy a quota from him earlier clearly showed he was no gentleman.
Of course, other members of the Zhao family could not be ruled out either.
After all, because of the quota and the Phoenix Incense, there were bound to be people unhappy with him and holding a grudge.
Yet, come to think of it, had he received the notice and refrained from entering the Scarlet Jade Flower Sea out of fear, he never would have obtained the Dao food.
Fortune and misfortune truly depend upon one another.
Roar!
Roar!
The two beast kings were conversing with Zheng Long.
Zheng Long listened intently, his expression growing increasingly grim.
"The beast king says that they implanted immortal bones into the bodies of exotic beasts to see if they could cultivate immortal beasts, but someone from our side entered the area, hunted down multiple exotic beasts in succession, and excavated the immortal bones," Zheng Long reported to the other grandmasters.
*Immortal bones? What kind of bones are those? Are they the bones of immortals? Does the world truly possess immortals?*
Upon hearing this, Lu Yan felt a mixture of astonishment and doubt.
Was this not a martial arts world? It was not the immortal-cultivating realm from his past life—could immortals truly exist here?
What were the immortals of this world like? Could they too attain eternal youth and live as long as heaven and earth?
A chaotic jumble of thoughts flooded Lu Yan's mind.
"Did the beast king see who entered the Scarlet Jade Flower Sea?" asked a grandmaster from the Zhao family.
"They intercepted two individuals who turned out to be martial spirits, and those two have already been slain by them. However, no immortal bones were found on their bodies. The beast king suspects they have accomplices, and that the immortal bones are in the hands of those accomplices," Zheng Long said.
The expressions of the various grandmasters turned grave in the extreme.
Martial spirits!
Among the martial marquis who entered Mount Kunwu, there were actually martial spirits.
This was undeniably a monumental affair.
Within the crowd, Li Wenxuan's expression shifted slightly, though he quickly masked it.
Fortunately, he had been cautious, wishing to observe first rather than entering the Scarlet Jade Flower Sea on schedule, or else he would have been among the dead.
"What did those two look like?" inquired the Zhao family's grandmaster.
Roar, roar.
The crimson giant ape let out a low roar.
"The beast king says that one of them was an old woman, extremely aged..."
Zheng Long described them based on the giant ape's words.
Before long, the crowd had pinned down the origins of the two individuals.
One hailed from the Bai family of Qingfeng Commandery, and the other from the Ouyang family of Da'an Commandery.
"You two, aren't you going to offer an explanation? How is it that the Bai and Ouyang families produced martial spirits? Could it be that you are secretly harboring the sacrificial arts used to communicate with martial spirits?"
The gaze of the Zhao family's grandmaster fell upon the grandmasters of the Bai and Ouyang families.
The expressions of the grandmasters from the two noble families shifted dramatically.
"Spitting blood! How could my Ouyang family possess sacrificial arts to communicate with martial spirits? As for where Ouyang Xuan obtained such sacrificial arts, we have no idea whatsoever," the grandmaster of the Ouyang family immediately retorted, denying it flatly.
"My Bai family likewise possesses no sacrificial arts for communicating with martial spirits," the Bai family's grandmaster also spoke up in denial.
"Whether you do or not, who knows?" sneered a grandmaster from the Fang family, another grandmaster-level clan in Qingfeng Commandery.
"Fang Tong, what do you mean by that?" The Bai family's grandmaster's eyes turned frosty.
"Keep a tally in your own heart."
The Fang family's grandmaster showed no fear, continuing with a cold laugh.
The two factions stood at swords' points, looking ready to strike at any moment, until the Zhao family's grandmaster finally stepped in to intervene, preventing a brawl.
"Outside Lingwang City, an unknown martial spirit also appeared, and now within the Bai and Ouyang families, more martial marquis have transformed into martial spirits. Is there any connection between these two events?" another Zhao family grandmaster frowned as he spoke.
"Are you implying that someone is secretly cultivating martial spirits?" someone asked.
"Indeed. Aside from the Bai and Ouyang families, who can say whether other noble families have been infiltrated?" the Zhao family grandmaster stated.
This declaration caused everyone's complexion to change.
It was entirely possible.
Aside from the flaw of malignant mutation, martial spirits possessed only advantages. To martial cultivators, the temptation was simply too great.
Roar, roar.
At that moment, from deep within Mount Kunwu, a series of roars echoed, followed by six more colossal beasts charging out.
All of them were tier-3 beast kings.
Eight of the ten tier-3 beast kings of Mount Kunwu had now arrived.
The human grandmasters instantly grew tense.
Although they held a numerical advantage with a total of fourteen grandmasters, if a real fight broke out, they might not necessarily emerge victorious against eight beast kings.
Not to mention, there were still two more beast kings capable of arriving at any moment.
The eight beast kings let out low growls at one another, seeming to converse.
Zheng Long listened intently, his expression solemn.
"The beast kings say that earlier, three fiends appeared, breached the depths of Mount Kunwu, fought a battle against the beast kings, and then retreated. The eight beast kings went out in pursuit of those fiends," Zheng Long explained.
"Three fiends?"
"And they appeared at this precise juncture."
The expressions of the grandmasters grew even uglier.
The timing was far too coincidental.
They seemed to catch the faint scent of a conspiracy.
"The various beast kings state that everyone present, including ourselves, must submit to a search," said Zheng Long.
"What?!"
A surge of anger welled up within the hearts of the various grandmasters.
They were dignified grandmasters; to be subjected to a body search alongside the rest—where would they save face?
If word got out, wouldn't they lose all their prestige?
"The beast kings say martial spirits are treacherous, and grandmasters may not necessarily be exempt from being martial spirits either; therefore, everyone must be searched. As long as no immortal bones are found on anyone, they will not make things difficult. But if anyone refuses to comply, they will be treated as thieves who stole the immortal bones," Zheng Long said helplessly.
The fourteen grandmasters exchanged glances and conferred for a moment before ultimately choosing to compromise.
They definitely could not win a fight.
Once a battle erupted, breaking away would naturally pose no problem for them, but as for those martial marquis, very few would likely leave alive.
Moreover, it would thoroughly alienate the beast kings of Mount Kunwu, making any future attempts to enter the mountain practically impossible.
"Take out everything you are carrying and let the beast king search you," Zheng Long shouted loudly.
How dared the various martial marquis disobey? They obediently untied their cloth pouches and laid out every single item within.
Lu Yan also helplessly undid his pouch, revealing its contents, which instantly drew a circle of scorching gazes from those around him.
Phoenix blood insects, heart pearls, mutated heart meat, ink-jade spirit ganoderma...
Especially the first two, which were enough to drive any martial marquis wild.
Even grandmasters cast frequent side-long glances, staring at Lu Yan with undisguised astonishment.
Such a harvest was enough to move even a grandmaster's heart.
*I hope I haven't caught the eye of the grandmasters,* Lu Yan muttered to himself, resolving to depart at top speed the moment this matter concluded.
A hound-like beast king stepped forward, inspecting people one by one and extending its claws to grope around each person's body.
Naturally, Lu Yan could not evade it and was thoroughly checked.
He inwardly rejoiced, secretly thanking the Dao Book for swallowing the immortal bones; otherwise, he would have faced certain death today without a sliver of hope of survival.
In the end, even the fourteen grandmasters were searched from head to toe.
Nothing was found.
Not a single piece of immortal bone was recovered.
"Roar, roar..."
Several beast kings let out long howls, their fury surging.
Zheng Long relayed their message: the beast kings asserted that the bones must have been buried somewhere by someone, and that among this crowd, martial spirits definitely still lurked. They warned them to take care of themselves.
Furthermore, unless the various noble families ferreted out the martial spirits, they should forget about ever setting foot in Mount Kunwu again for the next twenty years.
With that, the eight beast kings strode away, going to mobilize exotic beasts and scour the entire mountain in search of the immortal bones.
The various grandmasters also led the members of their respective noble families away from Mount Kunwu, each harboring their own hidden agendas.
"Senior two, thank you for your care and protection. Lu will take his leave now."
As soon as they left Mount Kunwu, Lu Yan bid farewell to the two grandmasters of the Zhao family.
The two Zhao family grandmasters scrutinized Lu Yan closely before nodding in assent.
Lu Yan turned and bolted toward the northern direction.
To return to Baicao City, his route should have taken him southwest, but he deliberately headed north precisely to throw people off his scent.
Lu Yan could distinctly feel at least dozens of gazes locking onto his back, feeling as though needles were pricking his skin.
He could not help accelerating his pace.
After running for a distance, Lu Yan unleashed the Cloud-Walking Step to its absolute limit, operating at full speed as he plunged into the mountain forests and vanished from sight.
Lu Yan sprinted through the mountains without a moment's rest. After covering a stretch in one direction, he would alter his bearing—now heading east, now west, now south, now north.
He changed his course over a dozen times in succession.
Throughout the mad dash, the Heart-Tempering Art continued to steadily improve.
"The third layer has been reached."
A look of joy appeared on Lu Yan's face.
He could feel that even with the Heart-Tempering Art breaking through to the third layer, it had not yet consumed the energy of a single piece of immortal bone.
*An immortal bone is truly an immortal bone; the energy reserve is immense! That being the case, that finger bone back in Dingxing City must have been an immortal bone as well,* Lu Yan mused.
He did not stop, running continuously for over five hundred miles until he spotted a small town.
Lu Yan entered through the southern gate. Shortly afterward, transformed into a hunched, fifty- or sixty-year-old peasant carrying a bamboo basket and wearing tattered clothes, he emerged from the eastern gate, slowly walked into a small village, and then bolted into the woods, resuming full speed as he raced toward the southwest.
Not long after Lu Yan left the small town, a figure appeared at the southern gate, brows tightly locked.
Had Lu Yan been present, he would have recognized him instantly: this person was none other than one of the fourteen grandmasters from earlier, hailing from the Gao family of Nanyi City.
"Once reaching this place, all traces vanish completely. It seems this person is exceptionally skilled in the art of disguise," the Gao family grandmaster thought to himself, his expression somewhat gloomy as he let out a cold snort and turned to leave.
Scarcely had the Gao family grandmaster departed when another grandmaster materialized. He circled the city walls once, ultimately failing to find any trace of Lu Yan, and reluctantly left.
Lu Yan found a secluded spot to consume some martial rations. Once his bone-strength had recovered, he sprinted another five hundred-plus miles in one breath, located a remote mountain valley, and slipped inside.
Because the immortal bones were still being continuously digested, his Heart-Tempering Art was undergoing rapid advancement.
He decided to wait until the immortal bones were entirely digested before returning to Baicao City.
Time ticked away second by second, and the Heart-Tempering Art advanced by leaps and bounds.
When the first piece of immortal bone was completely exhausted, the Heart-Tempering Art surged in one breath straight to the fifth layer.
His heart thudded with powerful, resounding beats.
With every single throb, impurities seemed to be purged; his heart was undergoing a slow metamorphosis, growing resilient and potent. Waves of vitality surged from his heart outward through his entire body, nourishing his internal organs and physical flesh.
Lu Yan felt full of vigor and boundless energy.
Once the Heart-Tempering Art reached the fifth layer, the heart would undergo a transformation, ultimately becoming as tough as silkworm silk, while his lifespan would also be extended.
His heart was indeed rapidly strengthening; as for whether his lifespan had increased, that remained difficult to judge.
"The fifth layer is still not enough. Continue."
With that silent thought, Lu Yan continued to mobilize the energy within the Dao Book, channeling it into the Heart-Tempering Art's cultivation avatar.
The progress of the Heart-Tempering Art avatar continued to climb.
Several hours later, the Heart-Tempering Art reached the sixth layer.
His heartbeats grew even more violent and powerful, and a trace of black blood was expelled from the heart, traveling along his meridians and through his pores to be discharged outside his body.
His heart seemed shrouded in a layer of luminous glow, appearing both sacred and profound.
Continue.
The seventh layer. The eighth layer.
When the second piece of immortal bone was entirely expended, the Heart-Tempering Art was cultivated in one go all the way to its peak eighth layer before the progress finally halted.
At this moment, his heart resembled a fiery-red gemstone, crystalline and translucent.
Every single beat sounded like the booming of a grand drum, countless times more powerful than before.
It was said that when the Heart-Tempering Art was cultivated to the eighth layer, the heart became as tough as a dragon's heart. Judging from how it felt now, that was likely an exaggeration, but it was nonetheless overwhelmingly formidable, offering immense aid for breaking through to the grandmaster realm.
Lu Yan even felt that without the assistance of any other martial rations, his heart alone could withstand the immense pressure of bone-strength.
Of course, that was merely a thought.
Or perhaps it was just an illusion brought on by rapid advancement. To be safe, breaking through to the grandmaster realm in the future would still require the coordination of martial rations.
Once the heart ruptured, it meant certain death; this was no joke, and since he only had one life, he could afford not a single misstep.
The Dao Book began digesting the third piece of immortal bone, and Lu Yan redirected the energy emitted by the book toward the martial cultivation avatar of the Crimson Flame Golden Body.
The progress of the Crimson Flame Golden Body began to climb at a rapid pace.
The advancement of a first-rate martial art avatar was much simpler than that of the Heart-Tempering Art avatar, requiring no accumulation of energy between tiers. Once the progress threshold was met, the breakthrough occurred naturally, flowing like water finding a channel.
Before long, the Crimson Flame Golden Body made a single, mighty push and advanced into the realm of the Unity of Human and Martial Arts.
Lu Yan practiced according to the cultivation method of the Crimson Flame Golden Body.
Upon mastering the acquired martial physique, a descent of heaven and earth blessings arrived.
When the heavenly blessings subsided, Lu Yan's physical body had grown roughly ten percent tougher, while the bone-strength within his body had thickened by well over twenty percent.
As for how much his blood-qi capacity had increased, it was still difficult to judge; he would need to consume martial rations to accumulate blood-qi before he could properly evaluate it.