Chapter 13 - Cang Lang Mountain Range
Panda Novel
Su Zimo took the chance to return to the cultivation field when it was still dark. At the sight of Die Yue, he asked, “Miss Die, I have already mastered Body Tempering. Although I have only attained initial success, I should have some chances of defeating the Level 1 Qi Refinement Warrior?”
“You… You will die for sure!”
Die Yue glanced at Su Zimo and said coldly.
Su Zimo stood dazedly on the ground. He could not hide the disappointment in his eyes.
He had felt quite disdainful when he heard Uncle Zheng’s words earlier as he thought that he could suppress the Qi Refinement Warrior easily. He did not expect…
As such, doubts rose in Su Zimo’s heart at this moment.
Since demon cultivation was also a form of the cultivation of Dao, why was it that he could not even defeat a Level 1 Qi Refinement Warrior?
Die Yue seemed to have read Su Zimo’s mind. She said nonchalantly, “Your current strength is enough to kill a Level 4 Qi Refinement Warrior. However, you don’t have a good understanding of combat. There are too many factors that can influence combat and strength is only one of them.”
“Kill a Level 4 Qi Refinement Warrior!”
Su Zimo was stunned. He gradually recovered from his senses. So, it was not that he was not powerful enough but because he lacked the combat techniques.
It was akin to a peerless knife that would unleash varying degrees of potency, depending on whose hands it landed in.
Since that was the case, Su Zimo still felt a little indignant. He raised his voice, “I know a little about fighting. When I was round up by hundreds of pugilistic experts, I can also carve out a path amidst the adversity!”
“You have been beaten up so miserably by a group of mortals. Yet, you think that it is something worth bragging about it?”
Die Yue sneered. She waved her hands lightly. Seemingly led by an invisible force, the Thunderbolt Saber that was initially pierced in the ground rose and floated in the air.
“Jee!”
A few feet away, Die Yue stretched out her finger and pointed at Su Zimo’s direction.
Swoosh!
Blades of light flashed. The Thunderbolt Saber had already appeared in front of Su Zimo’s eyes. It was hanging in front of his glabella without moving an inch!
It was too fast!
He did not even have the time to react.
Die Yue said with a lazy drawl, “This is the most common attack stroke of Qi Refinement Warrior – making use of spirit qi to control the spirit weapon. If you are fighting with the Qi Refinement Warrior, you will be dead meat by now.”
“S-so fast? How do I dodge it?” Su Zimo was a little dazed.
Die Yue said, “There are two abilities in demon that are far beyond that of the cultivators. First, a strong and powerful body. Second, an acute spirit perception. You must remember. Most of the cultivators’ bodies are relatively weak. As long as you can avert their first wave of attack and take the chance to shorten the distance between the both of you, you will be able to make use of the strong and powerful close combat ability of the demon clan to slay them!”
Su Zimo frowned and pondered deeply. After some time, he asked, “I understand what is meant by strong and powerful body. The objective of Body Tempering is to train the body. But what is spirit perception?”
Die Yue said, “It is hard to explain spirit perception. You can take it that it meant alertness and sense of danger. The demon clan believed in jungle laws and the survival of the fittest. If you don’t have a keen spirit perception, you will be eliminated and your entire family annihilated!”
“The cicada senses it before the autumn wind approaches?” Su Zimo’s eyes shone brightly.
Die Yue nodded.
“How do I cultivate the spirit perception?” Su Zimo asked again.
“Simple.”
The corners of Die Yue’s mouth curled up slightly. With an odd smile, she suddenly waved the sleeves of her robes and swirled towards Su Zimo.
Swoosh!
Space became contorted and everything turned black. Su Zimo felt that he had lost all his senses.
In the next moment, it seemed that he had been brought to another place.
“Where am I?”
After Su Zimo regained his senses, he looked around. There was pin-drop silence in the surroundings. It was pitch black and exuding an aura of primitive wilderness. A peculiar atmosphere filled the air.
Die Yue casually said, “This is the Cang Lang Mountain Range. If you can survive here for one year, you will have successfully cultivated the spirit perception.”
Su Zimo was stunned.
The Cang Lang Mountain Range was about a few tens of kilometers from Ping Yang Town. It was famous for being a dangerous terrain. Dominated by demons and beasts, there was danger at every step. There was absolutely no way that one could pass through this place at night.
Previously, he had heard many legends about the Cang Lang Mountain Range. There were fiendish demons that suck in human essence and energy as well as fearsome beasts with eyes like bronze bells.
Of course, the lord of Cang Lang Mountain Range were the wolves, which were the majority. Blood thirsty and brutal, they definitely bore grudges.
A few decades ago, a hunter from a nearby village caught a small wolf from Cang Lang Mountain Range. Unexpectedly, that same night, the entire village had been devoured and wiped out by thousands of wolves. Even fowls and dogs were not spared. It had become a ghostly village that no one dared to live at.
The surrounding states could not do anything about the Cang Lang Mountain Range. None of the armies dared to venture deep into the place.
Not to mention surviving in it, it was as difficult as reaching the sky just to pass through it safely and unscathed.
Die Yue continued to say, “There is a difference in realms between the demons too. Those at the lowest realm are not even qualified to be called a ‘demon’. They are termed as spirit beasts in the cultivation arena, meaning, they are beasts that can understand humans. There are weak and strong spirit beasts. That Zhui Feng of yours is considered the weakest kind of spirit beast. It’s spirit intellect had just been activated. For powerful spirit beasts, their ability is comparable to a Perfected Qi Refinement Warrior!”
“Above the spirit beast is the spirit demon. There is an even greater gap between the weak and strong ones. The strong ones are comparable to Perfected Golden Core. The weak ones are equivalent to Foundation Establishment Cultivators.”
Su Zimo frowned and asked, “Are there spirit demons in Cang Lang Mountain Range?”
According to Die Yue, he could not even defeat the most commonplace Qi Refinement Warrior, let alone the spirit demons whose abilities were equivalent to the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core Realms.
“I don’t know.” Die Yue smiled imperceptibly.
Su Zimo was stunned.
What kind of answer was that?
Su Zimo believed that it was impossible that Die Yue did not know. The only possibility was that Die Yue did not wish to tell him.
Die Yue said calmly, “This is a test. If you can survive, you will completely transform and unleash the true powers of The Mystic Classic of the Twelve Demon Kings of the Great Wilderness. If you can’t endure it… You will no doubt be shared and devoured by the spirit demons. Everything will end then.”
Su Zimo realized that if he were to survive in the Cang Lang Mountain Range for one year, he would definitely face various kinds of spirit beasts. Danger would be lurking in every corner. This was a cruel test.
Of course, it was also a form of training.
A life and death experience!
In the moments of struggle between life and death, one could mould a strong and powerful spirit perception!
Die Yue said, “It’s not too late to regret now. If you decide to stay here, I won’t take care of you. If I don’t see you in Ping Yang Town one year later, I will leave on my own.”
“Regret?”
Su Zimo smiled. Be it Zhou Dingyun who could come back to look for him at any point in time, the enemy of the Su family or to seek revenge for Zhui Feng, he did not have a choice.
“I will return alive in one year’s time.”
In the darkness, Su Zimo’s eyes were bright and clear, and firm and resolute.
He requested a brush and paper from Die Yue and wrote the words ‘I will be away for some matters. Please don’t miss me’.
Su Zimo folded the paper and passed it to Die Yue. He said, “Find a way to send this to the Su residence. Uncle Zheng recognizes my handwriting.”
Die Yue nodded and said, “There are still three hours to dawn. I will impart the Tendons Transformation section to you and leave before dawn. You only have three hours to cultivate. Make full use of the time.”
A page of sutra verses appeared in Su Zimo’s mind again.
“The Mystic Classic of the Twelve Demon Kings of the Great Wilderness. Body Tempering is the foundation. If the flesh and skin are not hard and strong enough, when one cultivate Tendons Transformation, the body will swell and explode amidst the contraction, expansion and pulsation of the large tendons. The cultivator will become paralyzed.”
“The Tendons Transformation method originates from the Anaconda Demon King and the Sanguine Ape Demon King. Cultivate the anaconda section, followed by the ape section. Anaconda is the most agile one. It has the ability to cut swathes, twist and coil as well as bend and stretch. Apes are adept at climbing the mountains and ascending the rocks.”
“Upon the initial success of Tendons Transformation, the body’s resilience will increase tremendously. It will be as agile as the python and as light as the ape. It will rise like the wind and fall like an arrow. Your strength will also increase. The pulsating sound of the large tendons will be similar to that of the vibration of bowstrings. Upon phenomenal success, the three body parts – skin, flesh and tendons – will be in perfect harmony. One will be able to expand and contract the muscles and change his figure or appearance. No one will be able to see through him unless the Perfected Nascent Soul make use of his detection methods to do so.”
Die Yue spoke about the profound meaning of Tendons Transformation tirelessly.
In the deep forest, it was dark and silent. Even the cicadas were not making any sound. It was only resonating with the pleasant and lazy-sounding voice of a lady.
The green-robed scholar beside the lady was focused and listening attentively.
Time passed and the dark sky gradually faded.
When the first ray of sunlight broke through the mist and landed in the forest, Die Yue stopped and turned to Su Zimo. She said softly, “I’m leaving.”
In Su Zimo’s memory, he had never seen Die Yue speaking to him with such a tone.
For some unknown reason, there was a strange feeling in Su Zimo’s heart.
As if he had been possessed, Su Zimo asked, “If I encounter any danger, will you really leave me in the lurch?”
Su Zimo regretted as soon as he finished his words.
True enough, Die Yue sneered. “What has your life and death got to do with me?”
These words seemed very cold-blooded and inhuman.
After inviting a snub, Su Zimo looked embarrassed. He was silent.
Die Yue turned and left. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared into the dense forest.
Su Zimo’s lonely figure remained rooted to the ground Just as Su Zimo was feeling a little disappointed, Die Yue’s voice rang again. It became increasingly distant and gradually faded off.
“Cang Lang Mountain Range is the world of ‘demons’, especially at night. If you can tide over the first month, you will have 30 percent chances of leaving it alive in one year’s time.”
Su Zimo was stunned.
No matter what, Die Yue was not completely unconcerned about him. Otherwise, there was no need for her to impart the Tendons Transformation to him last night.
“There is only a 30 percent chance of survival after enduring the first month?”
Su Zimo was secretly shocked. He assessed the surroundings with vigilance. After confirming the absence of danger, he tied the Thunderbolt Saber on his back and sat cross-legged to recall the contents of the Tendons Transformation sutra.
If he wished to survive in the Cang Lang Mountain Range, he would have to master the Tendons Transformation as soon as possible.
According to Die Yue, his ability would be of a threat to the Level 8 Qi Refinement Warrior upon attaining the initial success of Tendons Transformation.
This also meant that he could slay most of the spirit beasts in the Cang Lang Mountain Range. His chance of survival would increase tremendously.
Su Zimo constantly used the breathing and expiration method and diligently tried to comprehend the Tendons Transformation.
It could be due to the foundation of the Body Tempering or the pressure of being in danger; not long after, Su Zimo managed to master the initial stage of the Tendons Transformation breathing method.
He did not need Die Yue’s reminder this time. Su Zimo combined the sutras of both Body Tempering and Tendons Transformation and cultivated them simultaneously.
With each breathing and expiration, Su Zimo was hardening and refining not only his flesh and blood but also his large tendons. He had become more flexible and powerful.
Su Zimo was immersed in the cultivation and had forgotten his whereabouts.
After an unknown period of time, Su Zimo suddenly felt a liquid-like substance dropping onto his face. It felt a little warm and sticky.
“Is it raining?”
Just as this thought arose, Su Zimo opened both his eyes immediately. His countenance changed greatly.
Wrong!
How could rain drops feel warm and sticky?
Su Zimo was instantly jolted awake. He finally realized that he was in the danger-filled Cang Lang Mountain Range and not the original cultivation field!
There was danger!
