Xue San emptied the ring's contents onto the cave floor, taking time to sift through them one by one.
There was a small cauldron, a few bottles with powders, and several pill bottles scattered among the spilled contents. Of the pills, Xue San recognized only three: Qi Replenishing Pills, Fasting Pills, and the strange, terrifying pill that Dan Qing had used on him. Though he did not know its name, he knew firsthand its dreadful effect all too well.
In addition to the pills, there were three jade slips, a jade talisman, and a curious dark-red marble speckled with shifting motes of light. Xue San studied the cauldron first.
Cylindrical and formed from a dusky bronze metal, it perched on three curved legs. Its surface bore a faint, shimmering luster, etched with delicate runes. Two slender handles arched outward on opposite sides, fashioned into twisting serpent shapes. The interior walls revealed three large runes carved directly into the metal. Representing the fire, water, and wood elements.
Xue San's heart stirred. Though he dared not voice it, he still harbored hope that one day he might become an alchemist. Owning such a cauldron, so clearly forged for the craft, set a subtle ember of excitement glowing within him.
Turning from the cauldron, he separated the pill bottles he recognized from those he did not. He placed the Qi Replenishing Pills, the Fasting Pills, and sinister unknown pills aside. The jade talisman had been something Dan Qing had used before, and Xue San intended to attempt it later—if he could recall the required incantations. He suspected he still remembered them, albeit imperfectly.
The dark-red marble puzzled him. He had not the faintest idea what it was, and so he set it carefully aside as well.
Finally, he picked up the three jade slips. The first bore the inscription "Shadow Veil Technique." The second read "Dan Clan Concoction Recepies nº1." The third slip's title was faded and archaic, with only a single recognizable word still visible: "…Ghostfire…"
"How does this work?" Xue San muttered. He recalled how Dan Qing had employed the jade talisman and decided to try a similar method. With a small nick of his finger, he let a bead of blood fall onto one of the jade slips. Nothing happened. Frowning, he considered incantations, then tried channeling his Qi into the slip—still nothing.
Then he remembered Dan Qing's words: "Hmph, you dare use your spiritual sense on me without even trying to disguise it?" Perhaps the strange power he had tapped into earlier was called 'spiritual sense.' Determined, he focused and sent out a tendril of that inner perception. Instantly, a stream of information surged into his mind, etched there as though he had studied it endlessly.
"Shadow Veil Art."
The Shadow Veil Art is a sophisticated spiritual technique designed to conceal and manipulate one's spiritual presence. It guided cultivators to blend their essence with ephemeral shadow energies until they could obscure their spiritual signatures from all detection, it could also hide a cultivator, cultivation base. At advanced stages, one could even vanish from sight. The art thrived under darkness, where its power reached exquisite heights. To cultivate it, one must meditate in dim surroundings, envisioning threads of shadow energy weaving seamlessly into the fabric of their spiritual sense, until it becomes indistinguishable from darkness itself. Be careful this technique becomes weaker during the day when the shadow energy is weaker.
"Incredible," Xue San breathed, his voice hushed with awe.
He took up the second jade slip and repeated the process, sending a focused strand of spiritual sense into it. This one was the "Dan Clan Concoction Recipes Jade Slip No. 12". The moment he made contact, a stream of knowledge rushed into Xue San's mind, revealing one formula after another: The Fasting Pill, The Qi Replenishing Pill, The Mindstream Pill, The Blood Replenishing Pill, and finally The Wood-Stone Poison Pill. What amazed him was that he not only acquired the recipes, but also detailed notes on their preparation—precisely which steps mattered most, subtle timings, critical temperature changes. It felt as if a skilled mentor stood silently over his shoulder, guiding him through each delicate step.
For a moment, Xue San smiled, elated by this trove of knowledge. But then he remembered how he had come by it, and his smile withered into a grim line.
Next, he turned his attention to the last piece of jade—the one of immeasurable age and faintly archaic aura—and repeated the process. The information it bestowed chilled him to the bone, stripping away any lingering guilt he still felt for Dan Qing's fate. What he found was a vile and appalling method of enhancing one's spiritual sense:
The Evil Kinblood Ghostfire Pill.
The jade slip explained that no one knew who first devised this fiendish recipe. It called for the blood and souls of one's three closest relatives, as well as the souls of a hundred cultivators who carried special bloodlines. When refined and consumed, this abomination could increase a cultivator's spiritual sense by twenty percent each time it expanded through cultivation. But the cost was beyond monstrous, staining the soul of the one who dared create it.
There were also instructions detailing the pill's exact concoction method. Xue San's gaze drifted to the dark-red marble, within which sparks of light danced and shimmered. Now he understood. That marble contained the soul's Dan Qing had gathered—those five cultivators killed to feed this horrific process.
"It all makes sense now," he muttered. Dan Qing must have slaughtered members of her own clan to prepare the base of this wicked formula, then left the sect to find more victims with special bloodlines. She had planned to use this place—and that sinister marble—to complete her unholy work. And by the looks of it, she had succeeded.
Xue San shook his head, disgust and disbelief warring within him. "What a terrifying woman," he said softly, his words echoing in the silent, ancient cave.
Xue San carefully returned every item to the spatial ring. He intended to explore this strange place first, suspecting that perhaps Bear-Axe had concealed his most valuable treasures here. After fashioning a crude torch, he pressed deeper into the cavern.
About ten minutes later, he emerged into a remarkable space. Ancient stone pillars rose from the damp earth, half-submerged and etched with runes nearly lost to time's relentless erosion. Stalactites, dripping with moisture, hung overhead, while moss clung to every surface. The pillars leaned inward, forming a broken circle around a fractured dais. A hushed darkness pervaded the chamber, punctuated only by a distant, subtle hum—an echo of a bygone era, lingering in the subterranean gloom.
At the circle's center lay a human skeleton sheathed in decaying armor. The metal was riddled with holes and fractures, so fragile that a single touch might reduce it to dust. But most astonishing to Xue San were the bones themselves, gleaming like pale jade—lustrous and gemstone-like, rather than porous and worn. The lower half of the skeleton was missing, severed at the waist, and it lacked one arm entirely. Yet the remaining one was using his hand to clench tightly around what seemed to be a small green jade token.
Intrigued, Xue San reached out, intending to lift the hand or at least free the jade piece. To his surprise, the limb would not budge. He strained against it, first with both hands, then by conjuring four Phantom Hands—translucent constructs of Qi—but his efforts proved futile. The skeletal grasp might as well have been forged from solid stone.
"What is this thing made of?" he growled, perplexed.
He crouched down for a closer look. The jade token bore some kind of carving—possibly a technique similar to the jade slips he had found in Dan Qing's spatial ring. Driven by curiosity, Xue San placed his finger gently against the jade. Its surface was cool, and a subtle vitality pulsed through it, resonating with his Qi. Steeling himself, he channeled a strand of spiritual sense into the token.
A sudden torrent of information erupted inside his mind, an overwhelming flood that threatened to sweep him away with its sheer intensity.
The Wood King Body
This technique was developed by the Elemental King when he was still at the Soul Seed Formation Stage, after meditating under the Eternal Ironwood Tree for twenty years. It is one of the strongest techniques for body enhancement in existence.
By refining materials rich in wood spiritual energy into their physical body, cultivators undergo a transformative journey through five progressive stages. Each stage amplifies their strength and grants extraordinary abilities.
Each stage instructs the cultivator in the delicate art of inscribing precise runes upon their skin, bones, flesh, and vital organs. Afterward, the cultivator must synchronize these inscriptions with the entirety of their body, forging a flawless and unified formation.
First Stage: Wooden Skin
Through meticulous absorption of wood-rich spiritual materials and meditation, the energy integrates into the skin, causing it to harden and become tough.
At this stage, the skin provides natural armor against physical attacks, and the cultivator's strength is multiplied by two, allowing for more powerful movements and strikes.
Second Stage: Iron Bones and Flesh
Building upon the foundation laid by Wooden Skin, the cultivator refines additional wood materials to permeate their skeleton and flesh. The bones and muscles undergo a profound transformation, hardening to the strength of iron.
The bones become nearly unbreakable, significantly reducing the risk of fractures. The flesh, now as tough as iron, synergizes with the skin, which also grows stronger. This synergy amplifies their overall physical prowess, multiplying their strength by four—effectively doubling the enhancement from the previous stage.
Third Stage: Iron Organs
Delving deeper, the practitioner focuses on internal organs. By refining extremely rare and powerful wood essences, the organs attain iron-like hardness without losing functionality.
The organs are shielded from internal injuries and can resist most toxins and diseases. Additionally, the cultivator gains a longer lifespan than others at the same stage. Physical prowess is multiplied by eight, showcasing a significant leap in power.
Fourth Stage: Verdant Rebirth
At this advanced stage, the cultivator's body attains remarkable healing abilities. At this stage, the cultivator needs special pills to be able to cultivate this stage. Pills like the Essence of the Forest or The Wood's King Breath.
At this stage, the cultivator can regrow lost limbs. Strength is multiplied by sixteen times, enabling feats beyond the ordinary. The body's enhanced healing slows aging and increases lifespan.
Fifth Stage: Eternal Evergreen
The pinnacle of the Wood King Body Technique, this stage grants near-immortality. The practitioner's connection with wood essence reaches its zenith. Cultivating this final stage requires not only extremely rare material, but also enlightenment into the Wood Law and a piece of the Eternal Ironwood Tree as material to refine the body.
At this stage, the cultivator can regenerate the entire body from a single drop of blood, provided it contains their life essence. Strength is multiplied by thirty-six times, making the practitioner a force of nature. The body can withstand catastrophic damage and recover fully.
To say that Xue San was utterly shocked would be an understatement. He could hardly believe such a godly technique existed. Even if he didn't fully grasp the final stage, the first few stages alone were astounding.
Now it all made sense "No wonder that Bear-Axe wasn't afraid to fight disciples of a great sect." he thought. "With a powerful technique like this, he was practically invincible. But where did he find the material to cultivate this?"
Xue San took one last, lingering look around the cavern, preparing to leave, when a sudden, terrible sensation claimed him. His entire body felt as though it had been plunged into the deepest, coldest waters of an unfathomable abyss. Every hair on his flesh stood on end like quills; he could not move an inch, let alone cry out. It was as if the air itself had solidified around him, trapping him in a moment of exquisite terror.
Before his frozen gaze, the once-motionless skeleton began to ascend from the ground, drifting silently upward until it hovered just before him. The armor—so delicate it seemed ready to collapse at a touch—remained intact around those jade-like bones. Despite the gaping emptiness where eyes or flesh might have been, Xue San felt an unsettling certainty that the skeleton was studying him.
In a slow, deliberate motion, it raised the hand still clutching that mysterious jade token. With nightmarish gentleness, a bony fingertip tapped Xue San's chest. At the contact, a bead of his blood seeped forth, rolling down to meet the jade's surface. The moment crimson touched green, the token flared with brilliant light and then vanished altogether.
The skeleton began to disintegrate. Its form shimmered and dissolved into countless motes of dust, starting at the torso and ending at the skull. Just before it vanished completely, Xue San had a strange and lingering impression that the skeleton was smiling at him. In that fleeting instant, a voice echoed through the cavern—distant, distorted, as though it traveled from a time long buried beneath ages of silence. Yet the words were mangled, torn by interference and weakness.
But from Xue San's perspective, only disjointed fragments reached him: "…me…my…k…your…du… …the…rry… ...than Clan!"
A sudden, unimaginable pain lanced through his mind, after hearing heating this, obliterating thought and sense. The world wavered, tilted, and then faded to black. Overwhelmed, Xue San slipped into unconsciousness.