Chapter 115: Kill-Body Nourish-Qi Art, Master's Breakthrough

Kill-Body Nourish-Qi Art.

This was the combat technique inscribed on the Human Skin Paper.

To be precise, it was a forbidden secret art.

Its cultivation method was highly unusual—requiring one to visualize oneself in a state of near-death stillness, utterly lifeless.

From that void, one was to awaken a killing aura of absolute stillness, a force capable of annihilating all vitality.

According to the text, this aura was immensely potent—its mere presence could unravel the life force of any living being. Truly, it was a technique of pure, unrelenting slaughter.

On the surface, it sounded simple.

But in truth, cultivating this art was extremely dangerous.

Pushing oneself into a state of death-like stillness—just one misstep, and one might never wake again.

To kill life, first kill yourself.

That was the art’s dark, perverse essence.

Having fully grasped its core principles, Lu Qing confirmed his earlier suspicion.

The combat technique on the Human Skin Paper was indeed evil, not righteous.

A sword path forged in extremity, focused solely on maximum lethality—perfectly aligned with his own Four Directions Sword.

That sword art was built upon the principle of slaughtering all in every direction.

And this Kill-Body Nourish-Qi Art could cultivate the purest essence of deathly killing intent.

If Lu Qing could fuse the two, his sword mastery would surely surge to an unimaginable level.

But…

This art demanded extraordinary physical endurance.

Without a body strong enough to withstand the crushing pressure of that deathly aura, the practitioner would be destroyed from within.

As the text stated, only those who had achieved the peak of Nei Fu Jing could attempt it.

Lu Qing was still far from that realm.

Right now, he hadn’t even reached Jin Gu Jing Xiao Cheng.

Even with pills to aid him, it would still take time to reach that stage.

For now, this art was beyond his reach.

From the art’s heritage, Lu Qing also understood why he couldn’t decipher the text before.

The technique had been written in a special ink on the Human Skin Paper—only revealed when washed with a particular herbal solution.

Wang Qing Shan had been unable to uncover its secrets, likely because he had no idea this trick even existed.

After inspecting everything, Lu Qing set aside all the items except the two bottles of Bone-Strengthening and Tendon-Regenerating Pills.

He glanced at the sky—dawn was near.

He didn’t bother returning to bed. With his current constitution, days without sleep wouldn’t faze him.

Thinking it over, he pulled out the pill he’d already cracked open, removed the wax coating, and swallowed it.

The moment it hit his stomach, a fierce, overwhelming energy surged upward.

Lu Qing wasted no time. He leapt into the courtyard, practicing Nourish Body Fist under the cover of night, channeling the pill’s power.

As he trained, the energy from the pill was rapidly absorbed and refined.

He could clearly feel his tendons and bones strengthening, thread by thread.

No wonder this is a high-tier pill from a great sect—its effects are astonishing.

Lu Qing silently praised it, then focused entirely on his cultivation.

With each repetition of the form, by the time the first light of dawn painted the eastern sky, he had fully refined every last drop of the pill’s essence.

He slowly finished the sequence, exhaled a breath of stale air, and checked his inner state.

A wide smile spread across his face.

After consuming the pill, his body had grown stronger—just a little, but clearly measurable.

At this pace, he’d reach Jin Gu Jing Xiao Cheng in no more than ten days.

And only days had passed since he’d first entered Jin Gu Jing.

In just half a month, from the threshold of Jin Gu Jing to its small completion.

Even Lu Qing felt a shiver of awe.

Now, at last, he realized the true magnitude of the Dipulse Spiritual Fluid’s blessing.

Clearly, after consuming it, his innate talent had been enhanced to an absurd degree.

That was the only explanation for why his cultivation speed had increased after entering Jin Gu Jing—rather than slowing.

Of course, this was a good thing.

So Lu Qing was in a joyful mood.

Just as he was reveling in his progress…

In a secluded residence within the county, a group of warriors stood frozen in terror in a courtyard, silent as tombstones.

Before them lay two corpses, wrapped in white cloth, illuminated by flickering lamps—unnervingly sinister.

If Lu Qing had been there, he would have recognized them instantly.

They were Tong Cang Lang and Wang Qing Shan—whom he and Xiao Li had slain.

“Little Brother,” growled a massive man, broad as a mountain bear, “what happened? How did Old Three and Lao Qi die in the mountains?”

“I don’t know, Elder Brother,” replied the White Robe Youth, who had appeared earlier in the valley, his voice strained. “Old Three and Lao Qi had split off from us. When we arrived, we found only their bodies—no trace of the killer.”

“Lao Qi was beheaded. Old Three had his heart torn out. The methods are too different to be the work of one man. Were they ambushed?”

The giant had already examined the wounds.

“It’s true,” the White Robe Youth admitted. “I checked the valley. There were footprints of two others besides Old Three and Lao Qi.”

“Given how little time passed since they split, someone who could kill them so easily must be far stronger than they were.”

“Agreed,” said the White Robe Youth. “That’s why we didn’t stay. We retreated at once.”

The giant nodded, not blaming the younger men.

With Old Three dead, lingering in the forest was pointless.

They’d only die too if they stayed.

But who was the killer?

Who could kill Old Three so easily?

That person’s strength was likely on par with the giant himself.

Only Wei Xinghe, within the Wei Family Residence, had that kind of power.

But Wei Xinghe wouldn’t leave the ancestral home unless he abandoned it entirely.

Could it be an outside ally the Wei Family had summoned?

Or was another faction now involved—seeking to steal the prize?

The thought chilled him.

If so, they’d have to be careful.

They couldn’t let their hard work be stolen by outsiders.

The entire Tian Cang Sect would be ridiculed.

“Elder Brother,” the White Robe Youth ventured, voice trembling, “is the Master not in the city?”

“He’s gone to meet someone outside the city,” replied the giant.

“Who’s so important they need the Master’s personal escort?” The White Robe Youth’s eyes widened.

The giant narrowed his gaze.

“Some things are none of your concern. You don’t ask about the Master’s affairs. Now, think—how will you explain Old Three’s death when he returns?”

The younger man shivered.

He knew his place.

Though he was the second of the Master’s disciples, in the Master’s heart, he was far beneath the elder brother.

Even beneath Old Three—his adopted son.

The elder brother knew everything.

He didn’t.

Like this mission—pressuring the Wei Family for their treasure.

But what treasure? He had no idea.

Yet the elder brother seemed to understand perfectly.

A flicker of envy stirred in his chest—quickly suppressed.

Time passed.

When the sun rose, a figure appeared in the courtyard—so silently that no one noticed at first.

A thin, sharp-faced old man, his eyes like a bald eagle’s—cold, piercing.

“What’s going on, Lao Er? What happened to Old Three and Lao Qi?”

A dry, rasping voice cut through the silence.

The warriors froze.

Only then did they see him.

All bowed instantly.

“Master! Second Elder!”

It was none other than Wang Cangyi—their Master.

But he paid no attention.

His cold, predatory eyes locked onto the White Robe Youth.

“Answer me. How did they die?”

Under that gaze, the younger man broke into a cold sweat.

“S-S-Sir… it was like this…” He stammered, repeating what he’d told the elder brother.

Wang Cangyi listened, then turned to another disciple.

“You. Confirm this?”

“Yes, Second Senior Brother’s account is correct. We arrived and found Third Senior Brother already dead,” stammered the man, trembling.

“So you failed to capture Wei Xinghe’s family… and now you’ve lost Old Three and Lao Qi?”

The White Robe Youth flinched.

“Yes… Master.”

Wang Cangyi stared at him.

The younger man trembled, on the verge of collapsing.

Then—finally—the gaze shifted away.

“Useless.”

Wang Cangyi spat the word like venom.

He raised a hand.

With a flick, he tore off the white cloth covering the two corpses, revealing their gruesome forms.

His eyes narrowed, scanning the wounds—his expression frozen in ice.

“Good. Excellent. Whoever you are… I, Wang Cangyi, will remember this debt.”

The words sent a chill through the entire courtyard.

Even the giant trembled.

No one dared speak.

After a long silence, the giant finally said,

“Master, we should first recover the bodies. And… the killer was skilled. I suspect another faction has intervened. Our plan may need revision.”

Wang Cangyi’s cold aura softened slightly.

He began to consider.

After a pause, he said,

“Xiong Er, come with me. Lao Er—take care of the bodies.”

As the elder brother and Master disappeared into the house, the White Robe Youth exhaled deeply.

He’d survived.

For a moment, he’d truly feared his Master might strike him.

But relief soon gave way to a familiar ache—resentment.

Again.

No matter what, the Master only consulted the elder brother.

He, a true disciple, was always left out—only given tasks, never trust.

Suppressing the bitterness, he began organizing men to prepare the bodies for burial.

Inside the house, the giant asked,

“Master, did you bring the guest?”

“Yes. I’d planned to use my friend’s strength to crush the Wei Family Residence together. But now… that plan may need to wait.”

Wang Cangyi’s voice remained icy.

Two disciples dead.

He couldn’t help but suspect outside interference.

But who?

Who dared challenge him Wang Cangyi?

Whoever it was, they must have powerful backing—Xian Tian level support.

Was it one of Tian Cang Sect’s enemies?

Regardless.

Anyone who stood in his way would be his enemy.

Even if they were Xian Tian cultivators, he’d cut them down.

The treasure the Wei Family possessed—it was vital to his cultivation path.

He would have it, at any cost.

Even if it meant breaking the sect’s taboo, he’d do it himself.

“Xiong Er,” Wang Cangyi said, “track down who killed Old Three. I want to know—just who dares to steal from the tiger’s mouth.”

“Yes, Master.”

---

Lu Qing had no idea that his and Xiao Li’s killing of Tong Cang Lang and Wang Qing Shan had triggered a storm of suspicion among the Tian Cang Sect.

Indirectly, they had saved the Wei Family Residence once again.

In the days that followed, life returned to calm.

To avoid trouble, he even stopped going to the Big Market.

Each day was spent either cultivating or learning Medical Skills from his master.

Life was fulfilling.

With one Bone-Strengthening and Tendon-Regenerating Pill refined daily, his progress was swift.

He was nearing Jin Gu Jing Xiao Cheng.

That morning, Lu Qing arrived at the Half Mountain Small Courtyard, intending to ask his master for two days’ leave to prepare for his breakthrough.

He entered the courtyard and saw his master sitting at the usual stone table.

Just as he was about to bow, he paused.

Something was off.

His master’s aura had changed—subtly, mysteriously.

It was as if the man had merged with the space of the courtyard, perfectly at one with it.

At that moment, Old Doctor heard his footsteps and looked up.

His gaze was crystal clear—like a mirror that could see through the soul.

Lu Qing felt a jolt through his body.

His face twisted in disbelief.

“Master… you’ve… broken through?”

“Yes,” Old Doctor smiled.

Lu Qing’s heart leapt.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end