Jinchuan's ambush in the underground palace made Wang Xuan think a fierce bloodbath might ensue, but after a brief clash, both parties quickly retreated.
Wang Xuan sensed that the relationships between the two groups were complex.
On the way back, the atmosphere in the small spaceship was heavy. The Hawk had a large hole in his chest, his upper body soaked in blood, and his body was already cold.
The other groups also suffered casualties, each carrying their own dead and injured as they left.
Qingmu spoke up, "I'll send some money privately to the Hawk's family later."
With his green mask obscuring his expression, his voice calm, he added, "You get used to it after seeing it often. Those who survive are explorers; those who die are merely passersby."
Wang Xuan remained silent. That was a vibrant life, recently as strong as a tiger or leopard, now covered with a white cloth.
Such exploration was no longer just about tension, excitement, and mystery; it was gradually revealing a horrifying side, with participants teetering on the edge of life and death.
Regarding the Qingcheng Mountain operation, the exploration organization had assessed its danger level as not very high.
Qingmu revealed that some expeditions occasionally encountered supernatural phenomena that defied conventional explanation—those were truly terrifying.
Black Tiger was sharpening his alloy knife, Feng Zheng had his eyes closed, and Old Mu sighed. Their moods were low, and they were unwilling to speak, clearly having experienced such situations more than once.
They could hardly remember how many companions had changed over time.
"I'll save for two more years and then retire completely," Feng Zheng suddenly said.
…
The return journey went smoothly, and the spaceship landed at a villa on the outskirts. Several vehicles then took Black Tiger, Old Mu, and the others away.
In the villa, Qingmu kept Wang Xuan behind to talk.
"Keep the five pages of the golden book; it may be a powerful body technique, but I suspect it's extremely difficult to master. You need to be mentally prepared."
Qingmu had only looked at the first page of the golden book before feeling overwhelmed; it involved the resonance of the organs, power generation, blood renewal, and rebirth—concepts he had heard of before.
"A long time ago, there was a master of old techniques over in the New Star who practiced something similar and ended up killing himself."
Wang Xuan was dumbfounded upon hearing this.
Studying old techniques could actually lead to one's own demise?!
"It involves blood renewal and the rebirth of organs. While it only activates certain organs, the temptation is immense for a master; once mastered, one could extend their life by decades."
That was a master, and yet he still died—that was terrifying.
In modern times, old techniques had long since declined, and it was rare to find someone at such a high level referred to as a master.
It was likely that such figures were hard to come by in this era.
"Don't think otherwise; the New Star excavated a lot of valuable things in its early years, so naturally, some people achieved great accomplishments. However, over the past several decades, old techniques have become increasingly undervalued, and this field has become completely barren."
What Qingmu said aligned with reports from the New Star; it seemed they had discovered supernatural phenomena decades ago and had already begun exploring them.
"Stay calm; this sort of thing can't be mastered just because you're eager. Just the first page—I tried it earlier, but it didn't work, and my organs felt like they were being cut with knives." Qingmu was actually trembling.
He turned away, quickly pulled off his mask to wipe the cold sweat, and took deep breaths, his chest heaving violently. A fleeting glance at his profile revealed an alarming pallor.
He calmed his turbulent blood and returned the golden book to Wang Xuan. Although he felt some reluctance, he managed to suppress his emotions.
"Don't experiment recklessly; this is a death warrant!" Qingmu warned again, not daring to look at the following pages, fearing he might lose control one day and end up harming himself.
Wang Xuan's expression grew serious; for the first time, he realized that practicing body techniques could be so dangerous—it was even more extreme than practicing foundational techniques.
"Foundational techniques are the roots of old techniques, enhancing your inner constitution and spirit, while body techniques are the trunk and branches, outwardly showcasing your strength."
Tracing back to ancient times, descriptions of body techniques became more exaggerated, showcasing methods like throwing elephants and damming rivers.
Wang Xuan handed over the silver animal skin scroll, which was the target of the exploration organization this time.
Qingmu would take the silver scroll to have it evaluated, and if its value exceeded expectations, Wang Xuan would receive compensation.
Wang Xuan stated his request, "If you decipher those texts, please provide me with an explanation."
"Of course; after all, you discovered and brought it back," Qingmu assured him, noting that the exploration organization wasn't stingy toward its own members.
Before parting, Qingmu once again reminded Wang Xuan not to act recklessly, as the body techniques in the golden book might be significant and practicing them blindly could be deadly.
He seriously suspected that these might be artifacts left behind by Zhang Daoling.
Wang Xuan inhaled sharply, truly shocked; could the five pages of golden paper be connected to him?
Upon reflection, it indeed seemed possible. There was a saying that Zhang Daoling lived on Qingcheng Mountain in his later years, ultimately achieving transcendence there.
Wang Xuan suddenly felt that the five pages of golden paper might be as significant as the silver scroll, and he carefully stored them away, determined to research them thoroughly once he returned home.
Qingmu agreed for him to take the scanner and then arranged a vehicle to take him back to the city.
Upon returning to campus, Wang Xuan packed his things in preparation to leave; today was the final deadline, and the old techniques experimental class was officially over.
He had only a few changes of clothes and no major belongings—just a backpack was enough for him to leave, simple and quick.
Wang Xuan took one last look at the familiar sights—the tall teaching buildings, the clear Lingtai Lake, and the swirling leaves in the lush garden… then he turned away.
Everything behind him had come to an end; from now on, he would officially dive into the dye vat of society.
The apartment had already been rented, and he had a cleaning service tidy it up a few days ago. Wang Xuan went straight to purchase bedding, towels, toothpaste, and various daily necessities.
He felt somewhat emotional; now he had to manage for a living.
This gave Wang Xuan a strange feeling—he had just left Qingcheng Mountain, where he had been exploring, fighting, and dancing between life and death.
Now, back in the city, he was busy buying towels and toothbrushes, and in two or three days, he would need to go to work, hustling for a living.
He felt a sense of temporal dislocation—Qingcheng Mountain exploration, the nine-to-five grind, all were trajectories of his life, and he felt a mix of emotions.
He didn't immediately discuss going to the New Star with Qingmu; having just joined this exploration organization without contributing anything yet, it seemed unrealistic to make such a high demand.
But now that an opportunity had arisen, once they evaluated the silver animal skin scroll, he could talk to Qingmu about it.
Wang Xuan quickly and efficiently gathered all the necessary items in one trip, finishing everything with a single taxi ride.
The place he rented was in an older neighborhood with a pleasant environment. The tall trees, planted long ago, had grown into towering giants, giving the area a tranquil atmosphere.
The downside was that the facilities were somewhat outdated and not very modern.
He rented a one-bedroom apartment that had been renovated two years prior and was overall in decent condition.
Wang Xuan swiftly arranged the daily necessities, laid out the bedding, poured himself a glass of water, and sat down to rest.
His phone had been off for a day, and upon turning it back on, there were indeed many messages and missed calls. He first called his parents to let them know everything was going smoothly and that he would start working officially in a couple of days.
Then, Qin Cheng's call came through.
"Old Wang, where have you been? I've been worried sick! You've been off for over a day, and I couldn't find you. I thought that dog Zhou Yun had gotten to you. I'm rallying our classmates to avenge you and get some justice!"
He rattled on, his voice loud enough to hurt Wang Xuan's ears.
Qin Cheng was genuinely concerned, fearing that Zhou Yun would retaliate against Wang Xuan, considering he was from the New Star consortium's direct lineage.
Wang Xuan wanted to tell him that little Zhou was badly injured, with a broken nose and an arm, likely too busy hating a mixed-blood kid to think about anything else.
But he held back, fearing Qin Cheng, the blabbermouth, would spread the news everywhere the next day.
Wang Xuan turned down the volume on his phone and held it farther away, explaining that he had been meditating deeply this time, which was why his phone had been off.
"I'm about to leave; I couldn't find you. Let's have dinner tonight at the top floor of Cangding Tower!" Qin Cheng exclaimed grandly.
The restaurant on the upper floors of Cangding Tower had exorbitant prices, making it somewhat daunting for a freshly graduated student to go there solely on his salary.
Wang Xuan laughed, "Is this your way of celebrating your girlfriend coming back to you?"
He wasn't worried about Qin Cheng's finances, knowing his family was well-off and didn't care about such things.
"Alas, the outlook isn't great. How do I relieve my worries? Only by indulging in a grand feast! See you tonight!"
Wang Xuan sat in his room, flipping through the golden book, carefully pondering its contents. He ultimately couldn't resist trying to resonate with his organs based on the first few diagrams from the first page, following a special rhythm to exert force.
Instantly, he felt some pain in his organs, confirming Qingmu's warnings that this was extremely difficult to practice.
However, he was a bit skeptical; unlike Qingmu, he didn't feel pale. He thought the pain was bearable.
"Better be cautious," he reminded himself, knowing this body technique might be connected to Zhang Daoling and had a significant pedigree.
Daoism had existed long ago, with concepts like Huang-Lao thought involved.
As for the religious aspect, it emerged relatively later, specifically founded by Zhang Daoling.
Without a doubt, even if Zhang Daoling were placed in the pre-Qin era, during the pinnacle of old techniques, he would still be among the top practitioners.
Wang Xuan glanced at the time; the sun was nearly setting—it was time to head out.
The area around Cangding Tower was bustling, with a mature commercial district and heavy foot traffic.
Upon arriving, Wang Xuan took the elevator straight to the top floor.
There were three restaurants on the highest level; though the prices were outrageous, all were doing excellent business.
He guessed Qin Cheng must have made a reservation in advance; if all went well, it should be "Flowing Golden Years."
Qin Cheng had visited here before and claimed it had the best flavor.
As Wang Xuan walked forward, he suddenly paused. Had this place been… booked out?
"Flowing Golden Years" was entirely reserved!
He could only marvel at the wealth—one table's expense could require several months' salary for an average person, and yet someone had rented out the whole place.
Peering inside, he noticed some private rooms were empty, suggesting they had encountered a wealthy patron who wanted privacy and booked the entire venue.
"Wang Xuan?!" someone suddenly called out, their tone seemingly unfriendly.
Inside "Flowing Golden Years," a few women noticed him and approached.
He recognized two of them: one was Zhou Mingxuan's daughter, Zhou Ting, who was also the cousin of his ex-girlfriend. She looked good today, dressed in a fitted long gown, appearing graceful and quite beautiful.
The other was a university classmate of his, born on the old continent, now selected to go to the New Star, unexpectedly meeting her here.
"Which Wang Xuan? It can't be the one related to Ling Wei…" a woman in a white evening gown said, her expression unfriendly.
"That's him," Zhou Ting confirmed.
These women were all dressed formally in evening gowns, their figures and appearances striking, ranging from youthful and vibrant to cold and elegant.
The woman in the white gown, adorned with crystal-embedded high heels, scrutinized Wang Xuan and said, "Can you be more of a man? Since it's been over a year since the breakup, why come here to cause trouble?!"
Wang Xuan frowned, sensing the situation but not fully understanding it. He felt he wasn't to blame regardless.
The woman in white raised her chin, giving him a disdainful glance, "You're not welcome here, and this isn't a place for you. Please leave immediately!"
Wang Xuan was not accustomed to tolerating such people. He replied calmly, "What I do is none of your business. And who do you think you are?"