Translator: Cinder Translations
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The content of this writing was even more severely damaged than its title.
The only complete sentences that Song Wen could decipher were a few.
"Nurtured at the foot of the high mountain."
"Enjoys drinking the water from the deep spring below."
"Nourished by the blood and flesh of living beings."
"Unlimited proliferation and expansion."
"Refining immortal blood can break through the cultivation bottleneck."
Song Wen guessed that the last two characters were likely "bottleneck."
The complete meaning of this sentence should be that refining "immortal blood" can help break through a certain cultivation bottleneck.
However, what exactly was "immortal blood"?
Was it some kind of spiritual herb?
Or a type of beast?
Or something else entirely?
Which bottleneck could it help someone break through, and at what level?
Moreover, the most critical point in this passage was the method of refining "immortal blood." What was that?
Song Wen had too many questions in his mind.
The missing parts of the writing were too severe, leaving him unable to ascertain this information.
He had gone through so much trouble to enter this stone house but found no treasures, only this severely damaged text, which left him feeling quite disappointed.
He approached the teleportation array in the center of the stone house to study it.
The teleportation array was intact, with no claw marks.
It was clear that the white tiger had a decent level of intelligence; it knew well that it couldn't destroy the teleportation array, or it would be trapped inside the stone house.
This was a miniature teleportation array, which should only allow for short-distance teleportation.
Because of this, the cost to activate the teleportation array was minimal.
Song Wen estimated that cultivators at the Golden Core stage and above could inject their mana to activate the array.
With his late-stage Foundation Building cultivation, he found it difficult to activate the teleportation array.
Around the teleportation array, there were eighty-one grooves, clearly meant for placing spirit stones.
Song Wen raised his hand and tossed out eighty-one mid-grade spirit stones, which fell into the grooves.
In an instant, the teleportation array emitted a green glow.
After a moment, Song Wen vanished from the stone chamber.
When he reappeared, he found himself among the clouds and mist above the mountaintop.
He felt a pang of regret, having gained nothing of value and wasted eighty-one mid-grade spirit stones.
However, being able to escape the stone chamber was already a stroke of luck.
Song Wen flew down to the mountaintop, where the other three Sacred Gu were already waiting.
After retracting the Sacred Gu, Song Wen descended the mountain.
...
At the stone hall where the secret realm's exit was located.
Inside the slightly ajar hall doors, the white tiger was still sound asleep.
Song Wen appeared at the foot of the cliff outside the stone hall.
At this moment, Rong Jingyun and the others had already left, not knowing where they had gone.
Song Wen did not recall the Sacred Gu that was monitoring the white tiger.
Instead, he gazed at the mountaintop, lost in thought.
He was contemplating whether to find a way to leave the secret realm alone or to team up with others to leave together.
After pondering for a moment, he flew down toward the foot of the mountain, searching for traces of Rong Jingyun and the others.
Leaving the secret realm together with the group was the safest option.
At the very least, after startling the white tiger, he could use his evasion technique to shake off the others and make a chance escape.
Song Wen found Rong Jingyun and the others on the gentle slope halfway up the mountain.
Upon seeing Song Wen, Rong Jingyun's eyes lit up.
"Elder Wu, weren't you supposed to go down the mountain? How did you come down from the mountaintop?"
Song Wen simply smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, not responding verbally.
However, Mu Yunxin, standing nearby, spoke with a hint of sarcasm.
"He probably saw the white tiger guarding the stone hall and developed greedy thoughts, aiming for the treasures in the white tiger's den, and came to the mountaintop to find it."
As soon as Mu Yunxin finished speaking, Rong Jingyun, Xue Gu, and Jie Ku all felt enlightened, instantly recalling Song Wen's earlier actions.
Xue Gu exclaimed, "Fairy Mu, why didn't you say this sooner? The treasures in the white tiger's den must be incredibly rare. It's likely that they have already fallen into his hands."
After saying this, he cast a scrutinizing gaze at Song Wen, filled with suspicion.
Mu Yunxin replied, "He might have wasted his efforts; the white tiger's den is not at the mountaintop."
"How do you know this, Fairy Mu? Have you been to the mountaintop?" Xue Gu asked.
Mu Yunxin responded, "Though I haven't been there, during the last opening of the secret realm, a senior from the He Huan Sect went to the mountaintop when the white tiger went down the mountain to hunt. There was nothing there but snow, not even a cave."
Then, she looked at Song Wen and asked, "Elder Wu, is what I said correct?"
Song Wen nodded straightforwardly, "Fairy Mu speaks the truth. I indeed did not find the white tiger's den at the mountaintop."
Xue Gu appeared confused. "The white tiger always disappears into the clouds at the mountaintop when it leaves. It also emerges from the clouds at the mountaintop. If its den isn't at the mountaintop, where could it possibly be?"
"Fairy Mu, could it be that the white tiger's den is indeed at the mountaintop, but your sect's senior simply didn't notice it?"
Mu Yunxin fixed her gaze on Song Wen, her eyes burning with intensity.
"That's something to ask Elder Wu. As far as I know, he is the second person to have been to the mountaintop. Whether the white tiger's den is at the mountaintop, he has the most authority to speak on it."
Xue Gu's gaze toward Song Wen turned unfriendly.
"He isn't an idiot either; even if he found the white tiger's den and obtained treasures, he wouldn't admit it."
The atmosphere among the five suddenly grew tense.
When they all had a common goal of trying to leave the secret realm, they could still cooperate.
But now that Xue Gu suspected Song Wen had obtained great treasures, a sense of suspicion arose.
Not only Xue Gu, but Jie Ku was also staring intently at Song Wen, trying to discern something from his face.
Song Wen looked at Mu Yunxin, secretly thinking.
Indeed, striking the snake without killing it would leave it on the stick.
With just a few words, Mu Yunxin had incited Xue Gu and Jie Ku to harbor suspicions about him.
She was seeking revenge for Song Wen's earlier attempt to kill her.
Song Wen said, "Everyone, the white tiger is sound asleep in the stone hall. You can easily go to the mountaintop and see for yourselves whether there is a den or not."
Xue Gu and Jie Ku exchanged glances, both somewhat tempted.
"What if the treasures in the den have already been claimed by you? Wouldn't we have made the trip in vain and risk the white tiger possibly returning at any moment?" Xue Gu replied.
Song Wen countered, "You're afraid of wolves in front and tigers behind. You're not like other sword cultivators who think it's either me or them."
Xue Gu retorted, "You don't need to provoke me. You just believe that I wouldn't dare to act against you here."
He turned to Jie Ku, saying, "Master, shall we go to the mountaintop together to investigate?"
Jie Ku agreed, "That's exactly my intention."
Xue Gu then looked at Mu Yunxin, asking, "Fairy Mu, what about you?"
Mu Yunxin replied, "My injuries haven't fully recovered yet, so I won't go."
Xue Gu nodded.
"You can stay behind, but you must be cautious of the two people from the Beastmaster Sect. Even though the white tiger is intimidating, they might take the opportunity to ambush you while I'm not around."
Though Xue Gu spoke with concern for Mu Yunxin, his true thoughts were calculating.
If they found the white tiger's den at the mountaintop, it would only be him and Jie Ku sharing the treasures.
If Mu Yunxin didn't go, even better!
That meant one less person to share the loot.
(End of the Chapter)
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