abcnovels
Chapter 185: Strong Endurance
Chapter 185: Strong Endurance
Chapter 185: Strong Endurance
"Useless."
"Idiot."
"What's the point of having you!"
"..."
Within the quiet chamber, a shadowy figure and a figure in white sat facing each other. Below them, the Dual Wielder stood with a bewildered expression, only to be greeted by a stream of insults from the shadowy figure.
"What...did I do wrong?" the Dual Wielder asked in puzzlement.
"You tell him what happened!" snapped the shadowy figure at the white-clad figure.
"I saw Chu Liang at Mount Shu again. Not only was he completely unharmed, but he also acquired a stalk of the Celestial Herb of Ascension. He went to the Hall of Alchemy and refined it into a Golden Pill for the formation of the ultimate-tier Golden Core. Sooner or later, he will become an influential presence," said the person in white with a grim expression.
"Even after several attempts, you failed to kill that cultivator who is only at the Spirit Awareness Realm. And you dare call yourself an assassin?" The shadowy figure continued to rebuke, "I will report this matter truthfully to our boss, and we will see what he has to say about it."
"How is that even possible..." The Dual Wielder's eyes were filled with disbelief as he said, "I killed him with my own hands. I even turned him into minced meat. You saw it with your own eyes!"
"Don't throw me under the bus[1]. I have only sent a crow as my eyes and ears. I didn't know what actually happened," the shadowy figure exclaimed, waving his sleeves to shirk any responsibility.
"That's not what you said then!" The Dual Wielder said angrily. "You said that you would take my surname if he didn't die!"
"What is your name?" the shadowy figure asked calmly.
"Lu Sha," the Dual Wielder answered.
"What is my name?" the shadowy figure asked.
"Lu Tong?" the Dual Wielder answered again.
"So what was the point of taking what I said seriously?" the shadowy figure shook his head and said, "Say no more. I will report everything as it is to the boss. I will not exaggerate your uselessness. However, the boss will surely be unhappy with the multiple failed attempts of the assassination of the Mount Shu Sect's core disciple. Someone is bound to bear responsibility later."
The white-clad individual, who hadn't been participating in this argument, immediately felt targeted as he hurriedly sat up and said, "I only failed once."
"Don't worry," the shadowy figure placed his hand reassuringly on the white-clad guy. "You've been undercover on Mount Shu for decades. You have worked hard and achieved many things. The boss hasn't even had a chance to reward you, so how could he punish you?"
"Give me another chance!" pleaded the Dual Wielder. "As long as he leaves Mount Shu Sect again, I'll go kill him first thing. This time, I'll bring along an artifact for collecting souls. If I don't chop him to pieces until his soul disperses, I won't be back!"
The shadowy figure stared at him for a while before he said, "Alright. I will try to give you another chance."
"Our boss has been busy on Evil Demon Mountain with some errands. He will be meeting up with the Eldest Disciple of Thunderbolt Stronghold. He will return, but I won't report this until he does. You'd better hope that Chu Liang will leave Mount Shu before his return."
The Dual Wielder gritted his teeth and stared at the white-clad individual as he pleaded, "Can you think of a solution?"
The white-clad individual paused, deep in contemplation, before stating, "I will help you this once."
"Thank you," said the Dual Wielder, his voice low and seething with anger. "Let me see if he truly cannot be killed..."
"This time, it's either his death or mine!"
...
"Caw—"
A sharp, piercing sound accompanied by the tearing of air as a hazy figure suddenly swept across the top of the ten-thousand-foot-high mountain which looked nothing more than a half-moon.
After the fleeting appearance, a slender figure seemed to materialize out of thin air in the valley of wilderness.
This was a tall man with a dark complexion, limbs elongated like those of an ape, and a face that appeared markedly different from that of ordinary people at first glance.
He strode through the verdant valleys until, after a moment, he came upon a newly constructed pavilion. Inside the pavilion sat a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar, boasting a broad forehead, a clean-shaven white face, and an air of composed demeanor.
The middle-aged man was making tea in the pavilion. Upon noticing the tall and thin man approaching, he chuckled and said loudly, "You must be Du Wuhen, the first prodigy of Thunderbolt Stronghold? You are truly a remarkable individual, as expected of the pride of the Thunderbolt Stronghold."
With a cautious expression, Du Wuhen inquired, "Lu Chengchou?"
"Young Hero Du, you can call me the Master of Mountain Haters or Mr. Lu." The middle-aged man smiled and extended his arm as he gestured for Du Wuhen to take a seat.
"Mr. Lu." Du Wuhen nodded slightly and sat down opposite him.
"I know that Young Hero Du is wholeheartedly dedicated to revitalizing the Thunderbolt Stronghold. And now, a great opportunity has presented itself. I wonder if you are willing to collaborate with us?" Lu Chengchou asked in a gentle tone.
"Mr. Lu, you haven't explained your background yet. I don't know if you represent the righteous or evil forces so how can I work with you?" Du Wuhen asked.
In response, Lu Chengchou posed a counter question, "Is it truly important whether I represent the righteous or evil? What matters is that the Thunderbolt Stronghold currently holds a prominent position among the Terrestrial Ten. Yet, if the Thunderbolt Stronghold aims to advance further and be ranked in the Divine Nine, there are only nine spots available. By assisting me in this small endeavor, there exists a chance to displace Mount Shu from the Divine Nine. Isn't this your ultimate desire?"
"You must be joking. The Mount Shu Sect and our Thunderbolt Stronghold are both righteous sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten. There's no reason for us to sabotage each other?" Du Wuhen said as he shook his head.
"You don't have to lie. Before coming here, I investigated the members of the Thunderbolt Stronghold thoroughly. Among the core disciples of Thunderbolt Stronghold, only you are capable of great things, which is why I chose you for this conversation."
Lu Chengchou leaned slightly forward, lowering his voice, "When the diabolical sect, the Monstrous Beast Sect, was destroyed by the Celestial Pivot Pavilion years ago, all their assets fell into the hands of the Thunderbolt Stronghold. The rapid development of Thunderbolt Stronghold in the past hundred years owes much to the benefits from this part of the inheritance. I know that there is a Beast Taming Manual for ancient ferocious beasts. You only need to give me the chapter on Taowu[2], and you don't need to know anything else."
"Whatever happens afterward, whether it's righteous or evil, has nothing to do with you, and no one in the world will know that you leaked it. If the Mount Shu Sect suspects the Thunderbolt Stronghold in the future, you can easily push the blame to a diabolical sect."
Du Wuhen remained silent, only furrowing his brows in contemplation.
Lu Chengchou pressed on, "You are the disciple most likely to inherit Thunderbolt Stronghold in this generation. If the sect can progress further under the leadership of the Lord of the Stronghold in this era, then in the future, you will helm a sect ranked in the Divine Nine! Young Hero Du, you will stand as one of the most influential figures in the world by then."
Du Wuhen paused for a moment and said, "How can I be sure that you will only use it to attack the Mount Shu Sect?"
Upon hearing Du Wuhen's words, a subtle smile formed on Lu Chengchou's lips.
The chirping of a cicada startled the birds halfway up the mountain.
...
"There you go."
It hadn't been long since she completed the first refinement. Chen Su would never have imagined that the second opportunity would arise so swiftly.
And it was for the same person.
"Senior Sister Chen, thank you," Chu Liang expressed his gratitude repeatedly as he accepted the freshly refined pill for the ultimate-tier Golden Core of Lesser-Yang.
"If you truly wish to express your gratitude, strive to achieve Core Formation," Chen Su couldn't help but remark. "Don't break my heart."
"I will try my best this time," Chu Liang said with a smile.
Observing Chen Su in such evident distress and pain, Chu Liang felt a pang of guilt, yet he couldn't find the words to explain himself.
If he mentioned anything about himself having another Golden Core, there would be inherent risks involved. If it wasn't absolutely necessary, it was wiser to keep such matters concealed.
Upon returning to the wooden cabin on the Silver Sword Peak, he closed the door behind him.
He had practiced Core Formation once in the morning and he would be doing it again in the afternoon.
As the saying goes: Practice makes perfect.
Chu Liang's control over his foundational qi and other skills surpassed that of others at his level of cultivation.
With the aid of the Celestial Herb of Ascension, the second process of Core Formation proceeded smoothly and culminated in success.
This time, the duration was considerably shorter. After experiencing some discomfort, another golden-red wheel appeared above his Sea of Qi, shining like the sun upon the sea.
With two Golden Cores coexisting, the disparity was palpable.
The foundational qi generated by these two different Golden Cores carried noticeably different sensations.
The Golden Core of Lesser Yin exuded a cold and icy aura, operating with sharpness and swiftness. The foundational qi it generated surged forth like razor-sharp blades.
On the other hand, the Golden Core of Lesser Yang emitted a sensation of heat and passion and the vortex circulating in the Sea of Qi gleamed brightly like the sun.
The foundational qi of lesser yin originated from the large-headed doll, while that of lesser yang originated from the Sea of Qi in Chu Liang's Dantian. The two sources of foundational qi eventually converged into a single location. Initially, there were intense collisions, and they seemed incompatible, like water and fire.
After a moment of contemplation, Chu Liang attempted to gather the two sources of foundational qi and circulate them through the meridians of his entire body. He channeled the two sources simultaneously, employing the state of the Eight Trigrams Yin-Yang Fish, until gradually, they merged into one.
Only then did the collisions between the two sources of foundational qi cease.
However, he also observed that there was internal consumption during the merging process of the two sources of foundational qi, resulting in an effect that was less than the sum of its parts.
Nonetheless, it was notably greater than either source alone.
Chu Liang deduced that the reason for this was because he hadn't yet discovered an effective method to combine the foundational qi of lesser yin and the foundational qi of lesser yang. These two should ideally have a complementary merging technique.
Such a method has existed since ancient times, typically referred to as "Dual Cultivation."
Chu Liang fell into deep contemplation and decided that he would head to the Hall of Conservation and acquire a Dual Cultivation technique.
This way, he could then try merging the foundational qi of lesser yin and lesser yang with the Dual Cultivation techniques.
Perhaps he would become the first man in the Realm of Immortal Cultivation to successfully practice Dual Cultivation alone.
With both Golden Cores coexisting and activated together, and with the puppet performing Perfect Circulation, the foundational qi emanating from these three sources surged forth like the waves of a river, eventually converging into Chu Liang's Sea of Qi.
Usually, cultivators who have broken through from the third realm to the fourth realm would take about five to seven days to fill up their Sea of Qi to its maximum capacity.
It had only been a day, yet Chu Liang's Sea of Qi was already approaching saturation.
For the majority of the time it took to saturate his Sea of Qi, he hadn't even formed the second Golden Core.
This speed was terrifying.
It implied that if someone else were expending foundational qi at the same rate as Chu Liang during a fight, Chu Liang's recovery speed would be a dozen times faster or even more!
I can freely employ powerful techniques that consume a significant amount of foundational qi to attack you. Naturally, you can do the same. However, after several rounds, you'll find yourself facing the embarrassing situation of qi depletion.
As for me, my source of foundational qi is inexhaustible!
Even without considering this, the sheer power of his divine skills would surpass that of others at the same cultivation level as him. In a true match among peers, he would be akin to a crafty player employing underhanded tactics.
He would be a man of strong stamina and high endurance.
My balls are not only stronger than yours. I have even more balls than you! What can you compete with?[3]
The two Golden Cores were akin to the sun and moon. After successfully forming both cores, Chu Liang practiced the Qi-Circulation Technique for a while.
He then hastened to the hill behind Silver Sword Peak as he impatiently wielded the Dustless Sword.
He first waved his hand, releasing a surge of foundational qi.
Huff—
A crescent-shaped white sword qi shot out in an instant, sweeping past and nearly slicing off half of the mountain wall!
This seemingly ordinary sword strike proved to be more powerful than the previous sword techniques.
The sensation of immense power made Chu Liang's eyes light up, and he immediately attempted to unleash his strongest attack.
Metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, lightning...
With a flick of his finger, he inscribed the eight talismanic script characters with the Dustless Sword, sending them streaking across the sky above his head before fiercely flying forward!
Having stepped into the Golden Core Realm, he could now unleash eight talismanic script characters with a single strike!
Boom!
With the ferocity of a dragon, a chaotic-colored sword qi crashed down with a thunderous roar, soaring through the air like a waterfall!
Half of the hill appeared to be swept by a real dragon!
Before Chu Liang could even sheathe his sword, a surprised voice came from behind him: "Such a strong sword qi."
Without turning back, he immediately recognized the voice and smiled slightly as he called out, "Senior Sister Jiang?"
1. Or as readers LIMA-PART and Dominos Insanire might say: UNDER THE CARRIAGE! ?
2. ?? (táowù) is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology known for its ferocious appearance and immense strength. It is often depicted as having multiple heads, eyes, and limbs, and is associated with chaos and calamity. ?
3. Yes. Author intended for it to be this way. If you get it, you get it. Don't ask me what it means in comment plssss ?