Immortals of the End Times

Chapter 64: Entering the Cold Moon, Hunting the True Venerable (Second Update, Seeking Subscriptions)
The moment the Dream Marriage Technique was cast, the strands of hair wrapped around Zhao Wuji's fingertips suddenly straightened, and he sank into a dream as if falling into a deep pool.

In an instant, a scene appeared in my mind:
A burly man with a purple face and wearing black robes stood in a mountain valley, holding a white bone artifact. His eyes, like torches, swept across the surroundings, and his lion-like aura was awe-inspiring.

The image suddenly shattered, and Zhao Wuji snapped back to reality, his fingertips breaking off strands of hair.

"Unfortunately, my understanding of dream interpretation is still too limited to fully deduce the whole picture like the Duke of Zhou's interpretation of dreams."

He murmured something, but a realization flashed in his eyes.

But even in that brief moment, he had already guessed the other party's identity.

"A master of the White Bone Sect. Judging from his appearance and height, he must be the Left True Venerable of the White Bone Sect. His aura is approximately at the third level of Qi Refining."

Zhao Wuji compared the information he had obtained from the memories of the Black Jade Spirit Master and confirmed the other party's identity, his expression becoming solemn.

It's simply unbelievable that the Left True Venerable of the White Bone Sect was able to find the Xuan Kingdom's imperial city so quickly.

"After all, we can't underestimate other cultivators. It seems they've mastered some kind of tracking technique, enabling them to pinpoint the magic artifact I buried. It's probably related to the Black Jade Spirit Lord."

Zhao Wuji's gaze darkened slightly, and he immediately thought of the skeleton that even the bone-dissolving powder couldn't completely corrode, and he understood.

He was cautious and meticulous enough.

Even the other party's soul dissipated.

Little did they expect that even bones that weren't completely corroded could cause problems.

Now that things have come to this, we must take remedial action.

As the sound of the carriage rolling over the bluestone slabs drew closer, Zhao Wuji lightly tapped the window frame with his fingertips, a cold glint appearing in his eyes.

Zuo Zhenzun was unaware of his identity; he had merely followed the clues to the imperial city.

The enemy is in the open while we are in the dark; the hunter and the prey are still unknown.

"What the White Bone Sect seeks is nothing more than the Buried Wine Map and the Four Treasures Wine. They followed me to the capital this time, and if they can't find my exact location, they might inquire about the Buried Wine Map and the Qinghualang Aged Wine."

Zhao Wuji's lips curled slightly as a plan formed in his mind. "It seems that I should first alter Mo Quancai's short-term memory and hide the part about burying the wine. It would be better for both of us."

Besides altering Mo Quancai's memories, destroying the Left True Venerable of the White Bone Cult is also imperative.

Moreover, one must hunt the other before the other finds him.

Otherwise, once a conflict breaks out, many of his secrets will be exposed.

"The cultivators from the myriad grottoes who have come to the city to recruit immortal seeds might be of some use."

Zhao Wuji straightened his sleeves, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes, but he remained calm and composed.

The Left True Venerable's cultivation was comparable to his own, and he wielded a magical artifact that he had placed a qi restriction on. Whenever the Left True Venerable appeared near the imperial city, the Left True Venerable could sense it.

In this imperial city, a place of dazzling wonders, he had many ways to protect himself or fight back.

The following day, grand ceremonies to recruit immortals were held in full swing at the Imperial Astronomical Bureaus in various regions.

The Imperial Observatory in the capital was a gathering place for the sons of high-ranking officials and nobles, with their luxurious carriages and horses blocking the entrance.

Zhao Wuji went to check out the commotion midway through.

Lingjue could vaguely sense that there were indeed two cultivators stationed inside the Imperial Observatory, both of whom possessed auras surpassing those of a Grandmaster of Returning to Truth.

One of them seemed to be at the second level of Qi Refining, while the other was stronger and might have reached the third level of Qi Refining.

Instead of entering the prison, he used invisibility to visit Mo Quancai and used dream manipulation to alter the other party's short-term memory.

For the next three days, Zhao Wuji went to Penglai Palace to treat the Flower Peak Master with acupuncture, and the amount of Yin energy he collected reached more than two hundred strands.

The cold poison on Hua Fengzhu's jade wrist was finally cleansed.

Although it was only the tip of the iceberg, it had already made this aloof immortal master smile and once again extend an invitation to him.

This time, Zhao Wuji did not hesitate and chose to agree to join Hanyue Peak after entering Linlang Cave.

Having cultivated immortality for so long, it's time for my days of hiding my tracks to come to an end.

The identity of a disciple of the Cold Moon Peak of the Linglang Cave Heaven is exactly what he needs.

It allows one to cultivate openly and legitimately, while also leveraging existing resources.

For example, they could collect ancient books, spiritual materials for alchemy and weapon crafting, and recipes, and even directly share the royal family's resources.

"As long as you agree."

Inside the Penglai Palace, Peak Master Hua Feng lightly flicked his wide sleeves, and a brocade box containing three Origin Crystals and a copy of the "Cold Soul Heart Sutra" landed on the table.

"Practice first, and after you have been in the grotto for some time, I will teach you a more profound method."

Her tone remained cool, but it was warmer than usual.

"This is a benefit for beginners? It's not exactly a consultation fee, is it?"

Zhao Wuji thought to himself, then thanked him but was still somewhat puzzled. "The Peak Master once said that if any cultivator rashly approached to treat you, and their skill was inferior to yours, they might suffer a backlash of spiritual energy and have their meridians severed. Now, however, he's asking me to cultivate. What is this?"

Peak Master Hua tapped the ice table lightly with his fingertips and said, "That's because other cultivators haven't cultivated the 'Cold Soul Heart Sutra,' which conflicts with my spiritual power."

Over the years, haven't I tried to heal myself? I've even cultivated a disciple from a celestial realm.

"Unfortunately, those with superior spiritual talent are hard to find, and that girl is not as good as you at using golden needles to dispel cold, so the effect is minimal."

Then, changing the subject, he said, “But if you practice the same method to begin, there will be no conflict. On the contrary, they will complement each other. For example, when you are applying acupuncture, you can hold the position for a longer time.”

"So they thought my acupuncture time was too short," Zhao Wuji thought to himself. Sure enough, nothing comes for free.

She paused, gazing at Zhao Wuji with a faint expression. "I have no intention of taking on disciples, so the master-disciple relationship is unnecessary. You can simply be considered a cultivator of my Cold Moon Peak. I am older than you, so I will call you Wuji."

This way of addressing someone is both polite and maintains a just-right distance.

Zhao Wuji understood. This Ice Mountain Peak Master wanted a subordinate who could be commanded and was valuable, such as someone to treat him, rather than a disciple to inherit his mantle.

He immediately bowed and said, "Your cultivation is profound, so I will still address you as Peak Master."

Hua Fengzhu remained noncommittal, then changed the subject: "There is no need to come to the palace again, and do not publicize the matter of medical treatment. If I need medical treatment, I will come to you myself."

Zhao Wuji was taken aback, though he couldn't quite figure out the peak master's intentions.

But since the patient has said so, he, as the doctor, naturally respects it.

He immediately bowed in agreement, and seeing that the aloof peak master had no intention of chatting, he wisely took his leave.

"The fact that Peak Master Hua contracted a cold ailment while practicing her cultivation technique is known to both the Emperor and Consort Li, which is why they specifically recommended me to treat her with acupuncture. Now, however, she doesn't want outsiders to know the results of her treatment."

Back in his official residence, Zhao Wuji looked thoughtfully at the brocade box containing source crystals and cultivation techniques on the table.

"Could there be something fishy going on here? Or does she have some enemies and is trying to lie low and play dumb to take advantage of others?"

He was not complacent about the current smooth sailing.

If you rely on a mountain, it will crumble; if you rely on a person, they will run away.

Having a powerful backer only means leveraging their strength to quickly improve oneself, not that one can simply rest easy and be worry-free.

Moreover, it seems that even a powerful patron has his own worries and troubles.

He opened the brocade box and directly absorbed all three source crystals into the Nine Yin Nine Yang Pearl.

The yin and yang energies immediately increased by 120 strands, reaching 6224 and 1595 strands respectively.

These source crystals were all unused and neatly cut.

Each one, about the size of a fingernail, can contribute 40 strands of spiritual energy, which is equivalent to 40 strands of yin and yang energy, making it a very precious resource.

He then opened the box to examine the cultivation manual, "The Cold Soul Heart Sutra."

The discovery revealed a method for instructing people to begin practicing Qi cultivation, along with some notes.

However, Zhao Wuji did not intend to cultivate. The duration of the acupuncture treatment was entirely up to him; he only needed to gradually satisfy the Flower Peak Master.

Two days ago, he had already mastered the guiding technique to a slightly advanced level.

The ability to transform and convert qi through guiding techniques can completely simulate the spiritual energy cultivated by such introductory mental cultivation methods, so there is no need to cultivate such introductory mental cultivation methods.

After mastering the basics of guiding the energy, one can "find the energy in the earth's veins," observing the direction of the earth's veins within a ten-mile radius as if reading the lines on one's palm.

It can also 'transform qi into qi', instantly simulating the spiritual energy aura of different people.

It can also make the body supple, with the muscles and bones of the whole body stretching and contracting like a nimble snake, making it easy to pass through walls and gaps.

"The Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Techniques have endless uses. The higher one's level of cultivation, the more powerful they become, far surpassing ordinary techniques. My ingestion technique is also about to break through."

As he was pondering, a sudden twitch appeared between his brows.

The Qi-sealing technique placed on the white bone artifact emitted fluctuations.

"Hmm? The Left True Venerable of the White Bone Sect, after three days, he has finally entered the imperial city?"

His eyes flashed, a murderous glint in them, and he turned to retrieve the sobering stone and the Hundred Beast Claw from a hidden compartment.

As he donned the dark night-clothes, the guiding technique transformed into a faint earth elemental aura that enveloped his entire body.

"Guiding the Qi of Heaven and Earth, Unveiling the Mysteries of Life and Death"

Zhao Wuji lightly touched the ground with his toes and instantly sensed the earth's energy surging, spreading out beneath his feet like a spider web.

He focused his mind and locked onto the Qi-restricting technique on the white bone artifact.

Instantly, a gray line emerged from the earth's veins, like a guiding snake, winding its way into the distance.

call--

He made a hand seal with his fingertips, and his aura suddenly changed, transforming into that of an ordinary rogue cultivator. Then, his figure disappeared into the night like ink spreading in water.

Who the prey is remains to be seen.
(End of this chapter)