Chapter 10: The Guardian of the Medicine
“It’s already been over a month, and he still hasn’t shown himself. That boy really has patience!” In a newly dug secret chamber within the Serpent’s Den, Wan Gu Xiao, who had just broken through to Grand Martial Master, muttered to himself.
Over this past month, not only had he advanced from the peak of Martial Master to Grand Martial Master, but his cultivation had also stabilized, granting him the initial strength of a Grand Martial Master.
At the very moment his training concluded, Wan Gu Xiao released his second-tier life-bound Yuan Gu to meticulously investigate any movements at the exit of the Serpent’s Den.
Yet, to his disappointment, the information relayed by his Yuan Gu was no different than before—
For over a month now, nothing unusual had occurred at the Serpent’s Den exit.
“Could that boy have died here? Or perhaps he quietly slipped away through some secret passage?”
Turning these thoughts over in his mind, Wan Gu Xiao recalled the strength and cunning Lu Sheng had displayed that day and quickly dismissed the first possibility. A den of hibernating snakes could hardly pose a mortal threat to Lu Sheng!
“As for secret passages leading outside, although I’ve already used my snakes and insects to take control of most routes, the Lu family has been here seventy or eighty years—perhaps they’ve left secret ways unknown to me.”
“I hadn’t discovered the passage that connected to the Lu family’s secret room that day, either!”
“After all, this Serpent’s Den is simply too vast. Even if I can command the creatures within, given their limited intelligence, it’s impossible to control every inch!”
At this realization, Wan Gu Xiao’s nerves tensed.
Whether or not Lu Sheng had slipped out of the den mattered little—what concerned him was if Lu Sheng returned to the Central Plains for Lu family reinforcements, or if he was captured by the Ma brothers of Longsang Island. Then, the secrets of Black Stone Island might forever slip from his grasp.
“They’ve guarded this place for seventy or eighty years—surely they’re waiting for some rare spiritual herb to mature.”
“Only a spiritual herb that takes centuries or even millennia to ripen would be worth generations of watchful waiting!”
“The Lu family of Black Stone Island must be the appointed guardians of such an herb, probably left by some branch of the Imperial Lu clan.”
In this world, with its abundant primordial energy, countless spiritual herbs could be born. But these herbs required immense time to mature and could only grow in particular, unique places.
Because of this, once a spiritual herb was found before ripening, most would keep it secret, leaving clues for descendants or stationing people to guard it, lest others seize it as well.
Those who keep watch over spiritual herbs are called the Guardians.
“Some Guardians are mere servants or retainers, while others are of blood descent. Since the Lu father and son both practice the Hunyuan Technique, they are likely direct descendants of the Lu line!”
“Though I can’t say which branch of the Lu family left them here, it’s surely not the Lu clan of Yangzhou across the sea. With their power, if they discovered a spiritual herb, they’d take it openly—there’d be no need for secrecy.”
The Lu clan of Yangzhou, like Lu Sheng’s own ancestral branch from Bingzhou, was descended from the imperial Lu line of the Great Jing realm.
Back when the Emperor Jing unified the land, after witnessing how the previous dynasty fractured following the collapse of a strong central government, he enfeoffed regional kings as bulwarks. Those granted lands were either loyal grandmasters or his six sons.
Among them, the third son, Lu Xiaoguang, was granted the title King of Wu, and his descendants formed the Yangzhou Lu clan, also known as the Wu royal line. This branch had produced several grandmasters, and even now, as the Great Jing dynasty wanes, their reputation remains formidable.
For example, Lu Wanshan—regarded as the strongest man in the current imperial court and one of the greatest grandmasters in the world—hails from the Wu royal line.
“However, all Lu clans across the land are one family. No one can say with certainty whether the Lu family of Black Stone Island is connected to the Yangzhou branch.”
“If such a connection does exist, I’ll have to flee for my life!”
Wan Gu Xiao came from the Yuan Gu Sect of the Myriad Venoms Sect in Yuezhou. After expelling the descendants of the King of Yue, who had been enfeoffed by the Emperor Jing, his sect’s relations with the nearby Yangzhou Lu clan were always tense. Several major clashes had broken out, and both sides knew each other well.
Even as a Grand Martial Master, Wan Gu Xiao could count himself a significant figure in the Central Plains. But if the secret of Black Stone Island were great enough to warrant direct intervention by the renowned Grand Martial Masters—or even Martial Saints—of the Yangzhou Lu clan, he would have to flee for his life!
The gulf between a Martial Master and a Grand Martial Master was vast enough, but between Grand Martial Master and Martial Saint, it was even greater. The Yangzhou Lu clan might not have many Martial Saints, but their number of Grand Martial Masters approaching that level was surely not small.
If just a few of these experts were dispatched, Wan Gu Xiao would be forced to flee in disgrace!
Even if he immediately called for help from his own sect, Black Stone Island’s proximity to the Eastern Sea and Yangzhou meant they’d arrive far too late!
With these thoughts, Wan Gu Xiao hesitated no longer. He immediately left his secluded chamber, used his Bone-Shrinking Technique to reduce his stature, and made his way outside.
“After over a month inside, it’s time to get some fresh air!”
The air inside the Serpent’s Den was poor, fires couldn’t be lit, and bathing was impossible. Though Wan Gu Xiao had dealt with snakes and insects since childhood, after over a month in this place, he found it hard to endure.
Now that his power had increased, and with a legitimate reason to search outside for Lu Sheng, he left the Serpent’s Den at once.
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“So this is what it feels like to be a Martial Master?” Hidden away in a secluded spot within the Serpent’s Den, Lu Sheng felt the flow of profound energy within himself, the continual transformation of his body, and the ever-growing vigor of his spirit.
A sense of great strength surged naturally in his heart. It was as if his entire being had undergone a profound metamorphosis.
By now, more than a month had passed since his last encounter with Wan Gu Xiao.
During this time, though trapped in the Serpent’s Den, Lu Sheng’s strength had increased dramatically thanks to the merit he gained from slaying snakes.
Not only had he used merit to rapidly advance his physical development—his stature now fixed at five feet, four inches—but his inner energy, fueled by merit, was now as robust as any seasoned warrior’s.
With such a foundation, even if his bones lacked a bit of strength from their recent growth, Lu Sheng did not pause. He directly attuned himself to the world’s primordial energy, eager to absorb it, convert his inner energy into profound energy, and hasten his next advancement.
After all, with the presence of merit, he had no fear that the world’s primordial energy would be too wild and cause him injury—so long as he was not killed outright, any wound, no matter how severe, could be healed by expending merit!
Fortunately, Lu Sheng, with his enhanced spiritual perception, successfully sensed the world’s primordial energy and drew it into himself without calamity. Though he suffered some minor injuries in the process, he recovered swiftly.
Without a hitch, Lu Sheng had risen from a mere warrior to a true Martial Master!
“It went so smoothly—almost unbelievably so!”
Recalling all he had experienced since crossing into this world, Lu Sheng couldn’t help but marvel at his good fortune. Though he’d been startled by Wan Gu Xiao, he’d ultimately escaped unharmed.
Aside from that, nothing else truly troubled him!
“Perhaps it’s because the Three Treasures Wishful Technique I practice has boosted my luck.”
“In this world, luck is the manifestation of a being’s essence—a person’s luck grows stronger with their power and the strength of their origin.”
“Thanks to the Three Treasures Wishful Technique, my luck is triple that of others at my level. It may not match those innately blessed, but it’s certainly enough for a smooth path!”
“Moreover, this body itself had latent potential, so there was no barrier to becoming a Martial Master.”
“I’ve simply used merit to accelerate the process!”
“With increased strength and the ability to unleash triple bursts when needed, the tribulations others might face no longer qualify as tribulations for me.”
“That purple snake, for instance, would have meant certain death for the original Lu Sheng, but for me, it was merely troublesome. With a triple boost, I was able to slay it in one strike!”
“That is perhaps why the Three Treasures Wishful Technique augments luck so powerfully!”
“In this world, strength naturally brings greater fortune!”
Gazing at his own stats—‘Essence 6.16, Vitality 6.22, Spirit 6.18; Luck 288, Merit 326, Sin 21’—Lu Sheng mused.
These days, due to his meditative visualization practices, his spiritual power had grown steadily; under the effect of the Wishful Technique, so had his essence and vitality.
Especially after this breakthrough to Martial Master, his essence, vitality, and spirit had risen dramatically. Compared to a month ago, he was on a whole other level!
As a result, though he had quietly slain many more snakes over the month, his stock of merit had barely grown, having been almost entirely spent to fuel his physical and energetic enhancements.
Now, as a Martial Master, raising his profound energy would only consume merit at an even greater rate.
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“Martial Master—the Teacher of Warriors. No wonder they are the backbone of this world’s powers!”
Having once again harmonized his essence, vitality, and spirit, Lu Sheng admired the flow of profound energy within and pondered the abilities of a Martial Master.
“Compared to the ranks of Martial Trainee, Practitioner, or Warrior, only Martial Masters are truly the backbone.”
“A Martial Master is, after all, the teacher of warriors!”
“In other words, with a Martial Master, one can train countless warriors; indeed, only with Martial Masters can a faction maintain a stable inheritance.”
“In the hierarchy of martial cultivation, Martial Masters serve as the crucial bridge between the lower and upper ranks.”
“When instructing disciples, a skilled Martial Master’s first step is to read the bones. Back when this body first practiced martial arts, Martial Master Lu Hai used his own profound energy to examine the development and growth direction of its skeleton.”
“An experienced Martial Master’s conclusions from reading the bones are as accurate as any instrument from my previous life.”
“Based on bone development and growth, a Martial Master can select the most appropriate techniques for a disciple, and through medicines and regimen, adjust their training so that person and art are in harmony—thus ensuring the proper transmission of martial lineage.”
“For example, this body, being naturally agile and reasonably strong, was taught the Rolling Stone Technique by Lu Hai.”
“My cousin—one called Shi Qinhu—was tall and robust, so after receiving the Rock-Steady Technique, his training and physical development were further tailored to fit the art’s requirements.”
“Hence, he often needed medicinal baths to guide his body’s development.”
“That is the true ability of a Martial Master. No faction lacking such strength can achieve this!”
“What’s more, the profound energy of a Martial Master can heal wounds and cure illnesses. Even if their disciples are injured during practice, they can swiftly recover through this energy without any lasting effects.”
“For a martial artist, this is invaluable!”
As someone who had once lost his health, Lu Sheng understood its importance more than anyone. In his previous life, one major injury could ruin an athlete’s career, sometimes forcing them into early retirement. In the world of warriors, a single misstep in deadly combat could mean the end!
This is why, in the martial world, Martial Masters and physicians are held in the highest esteem!