I forge eternal life with the Dao seed

"Huff…!"

A gentle breeze swept across the hill, dispersing the lingering smoke and dust.

When everything settled, Zhao Heng slowly opened his eyes, though his vision remained blurry and stung painfully.

"Damn it, why does that Exploding Thunder Pearl feel like a flashbang too?" Zhao Heng couldn't help but mutter in frustration.

His gaze shifted to the site of the explosion. The ground was barren, with no vegetation remaining. Not far away, a charred and broken body lay motionless, utterly lifeless. The blood-stained saber near it was rendered useless.

Seeing this, Zhao Heng finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"Finally dead!"

Moments ago, Zhao Heng had risked taking a direct blow from his opponent's full-strength strike to shove an Exploding Thunder Pearl into Liu Hong's belt.

With the destructive power of the pearl, capable of shattering rocks, even someone in the Bone Tempering Stage like Liu Hong was doomed at such close range.

The feud between Zhao Heng and Liu Hong had festered for a long time, with both sides itching to kill each other. Ultimately, Zhao Heng's superior tactics prevailed, eliminating his sworn enemy.

However, even after slaying such a formidable foe, Zhao Heng remained on high alert.

This was, after all, Oxhorn Mountain, a place teeming with mystical beasts. At any moment, one might appear. Moreover, there was the possibility that the disciples of the Bone Melting Sect might return.

Pushing his battered body to move, Zhao Heng quickly made his way to Liu Hong’s remains, scanning the area until he spotted a scorched but intact leather pouch nearby.

The beast-hide pouch, though charred, remained unscathed—a clear sign of its extraordinary material, capable of withstanding the blast.

Seeing the pouch brought a glimmer of joy to Zhao Heng's eyes.

Liu Hong, as a steward of the Miscellaneous Peak, also had ties to the demonic Blood Refinement Sect. He was bound to carry valuable items. If the pearl had destroyed them, it would’ve been a tremendous loss.

Zhao Heng picked up the pouch and swiftly pocketed it before taking out a bottle of corpse-dissolving powder and sprinkling it over Liu Hong’s remains.

The powder rapidly dissolved the body, leaving behind nothing but a pool of dark liquid.

During this process, a strange, fingernail-sized bug, grayish-black and almost indistinguishable from the surrounding soil, crawled out of Liu Hong’s remains. It moved stealthily and quickly toward the distance.

Yet, before the bug could make it more than a few feet—

"Slash!"

A blade cleaved down, splitting the bug in two. Despite being halved, the creature continued writhing stubbornly.

Zhao Heng, wielding his Black Gold Leopard-Head Blade, slashed it repeatedly, cutting the bug into pieces. To ensure no traces remained, he sprinkled more corpse-dissolving powder on the fragments, turning them to sludge.

Though Zhao Heng didn’t know what the bug was, his cautious nature dictated that any “witness” left behind should also be eliminated.

After completing the task, Zhao Heng surveyed the surroundings. Confirming nothing was amiss, he dragged his injured body away from the area as quickly as possible.

He retraced his steps to a tree hollow he had used earlier as a hideout.

Thanks to his familiarity with the path and his cultivation of the Aura-Observing Technique, which allowed him to detect nearby movements, Zhao Heng managed to reach the hollow safely.

Once there, he sprinkled a special potion at the entrance to mask his presence and carefully sealed the opening.

Finally, with all precautions in place, Zhao Heng allowed himself a moment of relaxation.

He eagerly retrieved the beast-hide pouch, opening it to reveal a pile of shimmering blue spiritual crystals, roughly two or three hundred in total.

In addition, there were some spiritual herbs and mystical beast materials, including a mystical beast heart. Judging by its condition, it appeared to belong to a second-tier mystical beast.

This discovery filled Zhao Heng with excitement—it was the exact ingredient needed to craft Bone-Tempering Pills.

After emptying the pouch, Zhao Heng inspected it thoroughly, eventually noticing something unusual.

Using his Leopard-Head Blade, he carefully slit the lining of the pouch, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside were two thin manuals: one in light purple, the other in dark red, blending seamlessly with the beast-hide.

Zhao Heng’s meticulousness had paid off; without it, he would never have discovered the hidden items.

He first examined the light purple manual.

“Yin Wind Claw, Mid-Tier Mortal Skill!”

This was the very demonic martial art Liu Hong had used earlier—a vicious and venomous claw technique.

Next, Zhao Heng turned to the dark red manual. The bold characters on its cover caused his eyes to light up.

“Nine Lives Blood-Burning Saber Technique, High-Tier Mortal Skill!”

"This technique!"

Zhao Heng vividly recalled that during their fierce battle, Liu Hong had been cornered by him and Hua Gu Xiong, yet suddenly unleashed this secret art. His strength surged, overwhelming both Zhao Heng and Hua Gu Xiong in an instant.

Had it not been for his Red Undergarment and the Exploding Thunder Pearl, Zhao Heng would never have been able to kill Liu Hong.

“However, as Hua Gu Xiong mentioned, this demonic secret art comes at a cost—killing enemies at the expense of self-injury. It’s not easy to master.”

Zhao Heng intended to study the manuals further, but a sharp pain in his chest interrupted him, forcing a mouthful of blood from his lips.

"No, the injuries are too severe. I need immediate treatment."

The joy of survival and treasure acquisition gave way to the harsh reality of his condition. Zhao Heng finally felt the full extent of his injuries—deep cuts, claw marks, and multiple fractures.

His chest and abdomen were particularly damaged; though the Red Undergarment had mitigated the impact of Liu Hong’s full-strength strike, the force had still broken several ribs and caused significant internal injuries.

Thankfully, Zhao Heng had prepared extensively, bringing plenty of medicines for both internal and external injuries.

He decided to recuperate in the tree hollow, regaining enough strength to leave Oxhorn Mountain safely.

Sitting cross-legged, Zhao Heng began circulating the Green Pine Technique, refining the medicinal energy within his body.

Meanwhile, in the Blood Refinement Sect, thousands of miles away…

A black-robed youth hurried to the entrance of a mist-shrouded cave, bowing deeply.

"Master, I report that one of our infiltrators in the Feathered Transformation Sect has fallen—his soul lamp has extinguished."

A hoarse, aged voice echoed from within the cave.

"Send someone to retrieve his natal gu and trace the killer's aura. Interrogate and kill them."

The youth hesitated. "Master, the infiltrator’s natal gu has also been destroyed."

"Oh…?"

The voice sounded intrigued before responding indifferently.

"It matters not. A mere external agent’s death is insignificant. The sect has greater plans ahead; avoid unnecessary disturbances."

"Understood!"

The aged voice continued, "Summon your Seventh Senior Brother. I have instructions for him."

The youth’s face grew awkward. "Master, the Seventh Senior Brother is currently gathering herbs for a special elixir he’s crafting."

"Gathering herbs? Hmph! That scoundrel neglects his cultivation to wander aimlessly. Trouble will find him sooner or later!"

At the same time, a decrepit temple stood a hundred miles from Oxhorn Mountain.

Within, shadows of dozens of figures flickered. Leading them was a refined-looking young man in white robes, exuding an air of grace.

Beside him stood four individuals: a monk, a Daoist, a young girl, and a seductive woman.

Before them, Hua Gu Xiong, who had fled the earlier battle, was bowing respectfully as he reported.

"Young Sect Master, that’s all that transpired. What are your instructions?"

The young man furrowed his brow, contemplating.

“The Sun-Moon Divine Sect, Ren Woxing—what an audacious name. I’ve never heard of such a sect or person before. Still, since they are fellow demonic cultivators who aided us, I should pay them a visit one day.”

He paused before continuing. “As for Liu Hong from the Feathered Transformation Sect, if he knew Blood Refinement Sect secrets, he was likely an infiltrator. If they suspect us because of his death, it could spell trouble.”

After a moment’s thought, he concluded, “Let’s leave this troublesome region. We’ll find a place to rebuild the sect and strive to restore the Bone Melting Sect to its former glory!”

"Young Sect Master is wise!"

[--------------------------------------------]

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