Ou Yangming was stunned, and he suddenly felt like the world is so huge that nothing could be too peculiar.
“The immense forest is massive and is a shelter for the beasts, but the Humans have a secret technique to resist them,” Elder Universe continued and explained after a pause, “If the He family has a talented genius, who’s also a male, he would be taught a secret technique to increase his cultivation base to the peak of Yang Grade, then he would cultivate the Iron Blood Loyal Heart Art.” Ou Yangming blinked his eyes. He knew Elder Universe was talking about He Liangce.
“If the man successfully cultivates the Iron Blood Loyal Heart Art, his cultivation base will always be maintained at the peak of Yang Grade. He may continue to cultivate in the future, but he’ll never break through.”
“Is the strange technique going to be used against the spirit beast?” Ou Yangming furrowed his eyebrows.
“Yes.” Elder Universe sighed. “Once the beast tide bursts out, the Humans will dispatch soldiers to fight the ferocious beasts, whereas the He family’s man and the Ni family’s lady will be escorted by elites into the depths of the immense forest to locate the spirit beast.”
Ou Yangming’s eyes lit up. “Shoot the horse first to shoot the rider, capture the ringleader first to capture the bandits!”
“Heh, you’re quite smart, young fella.” Elder Universe could not help but laugh. “The spirit beast is the root of all sins, so unless it is slaughtered, the Humans won’t be able to live in peace.”
Ou Yangming nodded. “But I don’t understand-how can they slaughter the spirit beast?” He also thought to himself, ‘He Liangce and Ni Yinghong can’t even kill you, let alone a more powerful spirit beast.’
Elder Universe shook his head and explained, “Based on their respective cultivation base, they obviously can’t kill the spirit beast. However, once He Liangce detaches the Iron Blood Seal on his body, his cultivation base will instantly break through its shackles, allowing him to become a great ancestor. On top of that, his previously constrained potential will burst out and he’ll even arrive at the peak.”
“That’s impossible!” Ou Yangming widened his eyes.
He would believe it if the process could allow He Liangce to become a Supreme Great Ancestor, but he certainly did not think that the young master could arrive at the peak and become on par with Elder Universe.
“Heh.” Elder Universe sneered. “There are endless secret techniques in the world. This is the greatest secret technique that can be used to eliminate spirit beasts, so how is it impossible?”
Ou Yangming was speechless, and he figured that there must be a reason the secret technique was so highly anticipated by many people. Furthermore, if the effect was not nature-defying, how could it be the ultimate killing weapon of the two counties to go fight the spirit beast?
Elder Universe added, “When the He family’s man advances to the peak of a great ancestor, the Ni family’s lady will activate a secret technique to stimulate her mental power and potential, which will be transformed into the richest essence for the man. The man will then absorb the essence to advance beyond the world’s limit, and he’ll become a superb powerhouse that can contend with the spirit beast.”
“The lady sacrifices for a noble cause. Does that mean she’ll die without her corpse intact?” Ou Yangming’s face darkened.
Elder Universe nodded. “You’re right; that’s the price that has to be paid by the Ni family’s lady. Every hundred years, someone has to sacrifice so that both counties can live in peace, and that Ni family will continue to stand tall for a thousand years.”
“What about the man?”
The elder curled his lips. “How can a man who becomes a superb powerhouse through such a bewitching method end well? For generations, every man who has cultivated the Iron Blood Loyal Heart died in the fight, no exceptions. They were not strong enough to kill the spirit beast, but they can still perish together with the beast because….” An unusual look was seen on the elder’s face. “They cling to the spirit beast and detonate themselves.”
“Senior, why do you know so much?” Elder Universe answered faintly, “Because I’ve experienced it once…”
Ou Yangming was startled for a while, but he soon developed a huge respect for the elder.
He did not expect the elder to be so old.
Countless thoughts crossed Ou Yangming’s mind, then he suddenly asked, “Senior, can any lady from the Ni family carry out the task? Or… Can ladies who aren’t from the Ni family cultivate the Ni family’s secret technique too?”
Elder Universe cast an odd look at him. “If I guessed it right, He Liangce has proposed to Ni Yinghong, am I right?”
Ou Yangming nodded with a grim look on his face. “He probably did, but the Ni family’s Three Great Ancestors haven’t agreed.”
Ni Xuetian and the other great ancestors did not inform Ou Yangming, but he could tell from their arrangements.
Elder Universe laughed. “Even if they disagree now, they’ll have to agree with it soon. How could the Noble Sacrifice Secret Technique be cultivated by ordinary ladies? Firstly, the lady must be gifted with mental power, and the stronger her potential, the better; secondly, the He family’s man who practices the Iron Blood Loyal Heart has to choose the lady, and the lady must be someone he can work in harmony with.” Ou Yangming questioned with a long face, “Are other options not allowed?”
“If anyone dares to fake anything related to this matter, one will be making a joke out of the lives of countless Humans from the two counties. Heh, if something like that happens, not to mention the Ni family, even I won’t sit by idly.” Elder Universe smiled smugly.
“Must it be her?” Ou Yangming’s face twitched.
Elder Universe looked quietly at the young fellow and finally sighed. “I feel sorry for the little girl too. Do you think I won’t be willing to let someone else replace her? But in order to cultivate that secret technique, the lady must have the Blood Meridian Legacy from beyond the heavens. Moreover, the better the lady can work with the Iron Blood Loyal Heart, the higher the chance of the man becoming a superb powerhouse. This is why… We’re left with no other options.”
Ou Yangming fell silent. After hearing the reason, he felt as though a scorching fire was burning in his heart, and he could not find an outlet to vent.
Who could he blame?
He Liangce? If the fellow had not appeared, everything would not be such a mess. That said, Ou Yangming was mournful at the thought of He Liangce’s possible ending, so he could not bring himself to blame him.
He Liangce did not choose Ni Yinghong for himself; he chose her to eliminate the spirit beast. As said by Elder Universe, nobody had other options in this matter.
In that case, could Ou Yangming blame the Ni family’s Three Great Ancestors or the other people? It would seem more far-fetched if he did. Instead of blaming them, he would seem like he was venting his anger on them.
Ou Yangming lowered his head and was flustered.
Elder Universe sighed and shook his head. He looked at Ou Yangming with compassion, but deep down his eyes were filled with strong killing intent.
He did not want to break the loving pair, but if Ou Yangming could not break free from the devil inside him, he would raise a butcher’s knife and get rid of all possible changes before the tide.
Ou Yangming clenched his fists after a long time, and he began to look resolute.
On the other hand, Elder Universe was full of killing intent, but he did not show it on his face at all. He comforted Ou Yangming in a friendly manner, “Young fella, look on the bright side!”
“Thank you for your comfort, senior, but I won’t admit defeat.” Ou Yangming pouted his lips.
Ou Yangming answered seriously, “I found the way to solve this.”
“What?” Elder Universe hid his palms in his sleeve and was ready to launch an attack at that moment. Given that he was incredibly experienced, even Ou Yangming could not notice anything.
Despite that, Ou Yangming was not bothered about the elder. He uttered at once, “That spirit beast is the culprit behind everything, the world will be in peace as long as it is slaughtered.”
“What?” Elder Universe exclaimed because he was taken aback.
The front and back parts of what Ou Yangming said seemed related, but they carried completely different meanings.
Ou Yangming proudly announces, “I… Want to kill the spirit beast!”
Elder Universe widened his eyes and mouth because it was his first time in hundreds of years hearing someone talking nonsense like that. Even so, for some reason, an unusual heat gushed out of his heart like a torrential flood; it could not be suppressed at all.
Chapter 228 - Runes Formation
“Spirit beast… Kill the spirit beast…” Elder Universe laughed and questioned, “Who doesn’t want to kill the spirit beast? But what do you think it is? Do you think you can kill it just because you want to?”
Ou Yangming grinned. “Senior, it’s a man’s responsibility to resist a spirit beast, how can we let a lady sacrifice herself?”
“You’re only saying that because you’ve never seen a spirit beast’s might; you won’t say the same if you see one.” Elder Universe sighed. His eyes looked blurry as though he recalled the deepest memory in his head. “That spirit beast is too powerful…”.
Ou Yangming raised his eyebrows. He could somewhat guess the spirit beast’s might judging from how Elder Universe-a Supreme Great Ancestor at the peak of Extreme Grade
—was so fearful. There was no doubt that He Liangce and the Ni family’s great ancestors had no options, so how could Ou Yangming have any options?
The young fellow cast this matter aside for the time being. Needless to say, he made up his mind that if he could kill the spirit beast one day, he would definitely bring along Elder Universe’s formidable combat power.
Elder Universe suddenly felt a chill when he noticed Ou Yangming staring at him. Even so, as knowledgeable as he was, he could not guess the young fellow’s thoughts. “Senior, do you study runes too?” Ou Yangming changed the topic. “I’ve lived for a very long time, so I’ve sort of dipped into everything.” Elder Universe was proud.
He made himself sound humble, but his expression sold his real feelings.
Ou Yangming’s eyes lit up. “Do you know Master Lu?”
Elder Universe stroked his long beard. “Didn’t you say the Ni family passed on the technique to upgrade inexpensive arm guards to the military through him?”
Ou Yangming nodded. “The Ni family didn’t just upgrade arm guards. If different weapons and armors can also be enhanced, Humans will benefit greatly from it. Since you have the ability to do so, why don’t you lend a helping hand?”
“The path of runes is too vast and profound. It was a God-given opportunity that the Ni family was able to come up with an Upgrade Rune. Besides, I’ve aged, so even if I’m willing to create a rune, I lack the power to do so.” Elder Universe sighed.
“Two heads are better than one. Senior, if you’re willing to humble yourself and discuss with Master Lu and the other blacksmiths, perhaps you’ll gain something!” Ou Yangming suggested without any hesitation.
“Young fella, you belittle the spirit beast, as well as the path of runes.” Elder Universe laughed while shaking his head. He waved at Ou Yangming and said, “Okay, I’ll give you a test. Come with me.”
He led Ou Yangming into the vegetable farm and hesitated for a brief moment before he guided the young fellow to a remote courtyard.
It was evident that the destructive power that Ou Yangming previously fiddled with was still fresh in Elder Universe’s mind, so the elder dared not let the scourge into the farm.
“I’ve studied runes for many years, so I did gain something,” Elder Universe said plainly, “Now, I’ll show you a few runes. Learn them and feel them to see if they’re different.”
While he spoke, he kept swaying his body. In a flash, peculiar stones appeared in the courtyard.
The stones were carved with weird veined patterns. They were scattered in the courtyard as if they were not connected at all, but there was a vague feeling that they were bound together by a mysterious power.
Ou Yangming scanned the stones with a lot of focus. He obviously could not notice anything if he only looked at the stones, but once his mind entered the integration of Heaven and man, as well as the thoroughly meticulous state, he instantly noticed a tremendous change in the environment.
He did not know how to describe it, but he felt something extra in the air.
It was a kind of unique energy. An ordinary person who lived in the courtyard would feel refreshed and physically fit, whereas a martial artist who cultivated here would be able to achieve his or her goal by doing half the work. At this moment, Ou Yangming thought about the Ni family’s Land of Inheritance in the Chaos Cave.
10.
The unique power that was gathered in that place was far richer than it was here.
A flash was seen in Ou Yangming’s eyes as he looked at the stones carefully. He became incredibly curious.
The arrangement of the stones was enough to cause a huge effect on its surroundings. As such, the rune’s effect was not inferior at all to the rune that could improve pieces of equipment.
Elder Universe watched Ou Yangming in silence. He was well aware of the young fellow’s mighty mental power, which was why he brought him to the courtyard and set up a Runes Formation.
Nonetheless, the elder was feeling somewhat regretful. The Runes Formation was so mysterious that even he had only scratched the surface after having researched it for decades. Ou Yangming was a genius, but it was impossible for him to gain anything from it.
Ou Yangming fixed his gaze on the Rune Stones around him. The stones were already uncommon and unordinary, so after being carved with runes, they were able to cause such a bizarre effect.
As he stared at one of the stones, he asked, “Senior, the rune on this stone is probably related to mental power, am I right?”.
Elder Universe was slightly stunned. “How do you know?”
“I saw it in one of the ancient books at the Ni residence, but I didn’t think it could be used like this.”
“Hehe, the path of runes isn’t something you can imagine.” Elder Universe was proud. “What do you think about it now?”
Ou Yangming responded, “This place that is surrounded by these runes contains more… Power, so much so that I’d like to cultivate here because I’m sure it’ll be very effective.”
Elder Universe was dumbfounded, and he could not help but look surprised. ‘This young fella actually perceived the effect of a Runes Formation. Indeed, he’s talented and has a good vision.’
“Young fella, try your best to remember the runes. Once you memorized them, you may discuss the path of runes with me,” the elder said leisurely.
Ou Yangming was moved, and he expressed his gratitude through his eyes.
It was unquestionable that the runes were highly valuable, and all of them combined were exceptionally worthy if not priceless. Nevertheless, Elder Universe casually found an excuse to teach Ou Yangming everything, causing the young fellow to wonder when he could repay the kindness.
Despite that, Ou Yangming had no idea that Elder Universe had developed killing intent against him earlier. The elder was only willing to teach him runes as a form of compensation and to see if he was a promising person.
Following that, Ou Yangming curbed his thoughts and looked at the stones again to remember them.
He quickly furrowed his eyebrows because he realized that the runes were all so great that a lot of mental and physical efforts were needed for him to remember any one of them.
Although Ou Yangming’s mental power was top-notch, he was limited to remembering only roughly four runes. However, there were at least ten Rune Stones around him, each one etched with a different rune.
Even if his mental power doubled, he could not remember so
many runes.
Of course, Ou Yangming could fulfill his wish if he was given about four days to slowly absorb and digest everything, but if he did that, Elder Universe would likely treat him lightly.
Ou Yangming shook his head. When he turned to look, he happened to see the scornful smile on Elder Universe’s face.
It somehow inspired emulation from him.
He did not want to be looked down on, and he was unwilling to embarrass himself in front of the Supreme Great Ancestor, who was at the peak of Extreme Grade.
Ou Yangming reached for a piece of steel as he was struck with an idea.
It was the raw material used for the smithing of molds in the military camp, but after he was done with the task, he used it to practice runes engraving.
Ou Yangming did not get rid of the steel on his way here. He initially planned to derive and practice the three runes that allowed one to gather mental power faster, but it was perfect for another function at the moment.
The Military Fire burned in his hand and enveloped the steel, which was turned into a stone after a brief moment.
At the same time, different runes appeared on the steel.
Elder Universe was secretly disappointed when he took a look at it. He could tell that Ou Yangming was imitating the Rune Stones, but he did not stop the young fellow.
The imitation method was indeed an essential technique in runes study. Without powerful mental power, one could only explore through this method.
On the other hand, the method would not be worth it for a powerhouse who possessed mental power.
Ou Yangming’s mental power was exceptional, and he could visualize rune drawings in his mind. While it required a huge consumption of his mental power, the effect would be greater than what he could achieve through the lowly imitation method.
Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725 Page 136
