Chapter 15: Primal Essence Elixir, Little Golden Serpent

“What’s going on? Why did that boy’s scent suddenly vanish?” The sudden upheaval among the serpents made it difficult for Ma Buting to distinguish Lu Sheng’s voice for a moment. At the same time, Ma Buti was facing a problem as well—

The aura that Lu Sheng had been emitting was now completely undetectable!

“Could it be that the boy is dead? Swallowed whole by a python?” Ma Buti had scarcely voiced this possibility before Ma Buting refuted it immediately:

“The force he used to collapse the passage just now was at least seven or eight thousand jin. Even if it was amplified by a secret technique, he must possess two or three thousand jin of strength himself—comparable to a martial artist.”

“Though it’s different from what we’d learned before, with that kind of power, even if he encountered a demon serpent, he’d be able to put up a fight. There’s no way he died so suddenly!”

“Therefore, he’s either been devoured by the snakes or—”

“Hunyuan Elixir!”

They spoke the name in unison.

Among the three great miraculous arts in the world, each was supported by a unique medicinal aid. Hunyuan Technique was the most robust, with the Hunyuan Elixir to increase mysterious energy and enhance one’s essence; Taixu Technique was the most agile, aided by Taixu Dew to strengthen the spirit, making the body light and nimble; Golden Armor Technique was the strongest in defense, complemented by Golden Armor Ointment to temper the body, rendering one’s golden body indestructible.

These three arts and their corresponding medicines were all created by supreme grandmasters or their successors. After long use, their effects were well known.

The Hunyuan Elixir, in particular, was famed for its ability to blend various medicinal herbs perfectly, fusing their properties into a single liquid. There were many formulas and a range of effects: most notably, aside from the restorative and energy-augmenting varieties, one type was renowned—

When applied, it could unify the aura of the entire body, leaving not a trace detectable!

Before Wan Guxiao turned against Lu Hai, neither Ma Buting nor Ma Buti had paid special attention to the Lu family of Blackstone Island. But after Lu Hai’s death, the two quickly investigated the family’s background.

Based on the Lu family’s Rolling Stone Technique and its practitioners’ performances, they deduced that the Lu family of Blackstone Island must have descended from the illustrious Lu clan of Dajing—

The so-called Rolling Stone Technique was but a disguise for the Hunyuan Technique!

“Lu Hai practiced Hunyuan Technique. He was both a martial artist and a physician, so it’s not surprising that he could concoct the Hunyuan Elixir to mask his aura. No wonder Wan Guxiao hasn’t been able to catch Lu Sheng these days!” Ma Buti seemed to realize something, speculating aloud.

In his view, the reason Wan Guxiao had failed to capture Lu Sheng for so long was not only due to Lu Sheng’s own abilities but also the aura-concealing effects of the Hunyuan Elixir.

Wan Guxiao had only recently broken through to Grand Martial Master, and likely hadn’t focused much effort on Lu Sheng before. With the help of the Hunyuan Elixir, it was understandable that Wan Guxiao hadn’t managed to catch him.

“The Hunyuan Elixir might have been prepared by Lu Hai beforehand, but it’s also possible Lu Sheng made it himself.”

“Judging from Lu Sheng’s performance, that boy is likely a gifted one, and his meridians have probably been refined.”

“He was able to convert his inner energy into mysterious energy soon after completing his energy refinement, becoming a martial artist.”

“That explains not only his sudden surge in strength but also why he possesses the Hunyuan Elixir!”

Ma Buting analyzed calmly.

Though not yet sixteen, Lu Sheng had nearly mastered energy refinement earlier and, alongside his cousin Shi Qinhu, was considered one of the two greatest prodigies of Blackstone Island’s generation.

Having uncovered all this, and considering Lu Sheng’s past performance, Ma Buting had already surmised that Lu Sheng was likely a gifted individual.

Thus, unlike Wan Guxiao—who, having sensed only physical strength in Lu Sheng through the purple serpent, assumed his great strength was due to consuming rare fruits or elixirs—Ma Buting, unbound by such assumptions, quickly deduced that Lu Sheng might already be a martial artist!

“A gifted one!”

A trace of envy, tinged with jealousy, flashed across Ma Buti’s face as he spoke: “We’ll have to be careful. If this boy could evade Wan Guxiao’s pursuit for over a month, he’s clearly not as harmless as he looks!”

Ma Buting nodded slightly. “Indeed, caution is warranted. The gifts of such chosen ones are varied and unpredictable. Even we, as Grand Martial Masters, could be overturned if we’re careless.”

“Fortunately, to conceal their origins, the Lu family has always acted in secret—whether leaving behind Hunyuan Elixir, medicinal herbs, or other preparations, their supplies are surely limited.”

“As long as we’re vigilant, even if Lu Sheng has become a martial artist, he poses no real threat to us.”

“Once he runs out of Hunyuan Elixir, we’ll be able to track him down again!”

With this conclusion, though they’d lost Lu Sheng’s trail, the two decided—after some discussion—to remain in the serpent den.

Unable to find Lu Sheng for now, they could still track Wan Guxiao by the horse dung scent they’d secretly placed on him earlier. If Wan Guxiao managed to catch up to Lu Sheng, they could follow suit!

Sensing that Wan Guxiao was heading their way, the two remained calm, found a spacious corner in the den, drew water and food from their storage bags, and began to rest.

Poised and unhurried, they conserved their strength, preparing for the coming confrontation.

———

“The sense of danger has lessened considerably, though with my heightened spirit, I can still faintly sense it.”

Fleeing through the winding tunnels, Lu Sheng felt the diminishing sense of peril, yet a lingering thread of crisis still tugged at his heart. He pondered the possibilities:

“The Ma brothers are the strongest here—they gave me the greatest sense of danger. With that threat dropping so sharply, they must have lost my trail.”

“Wan Guxiao isn’t as strong as the Ma brothers, but if he’d shaken them off and was now after me, the sense of danger wouldn’t be this weak.”

“Which means the source of my unease must be one of the serpents or insects under Wan Guxiao’s control—”

“Just like that purple serpent last time!”

The memory of killing that purple serpent was still fresh. In these cramped tunnels, the smaller and nimbler the body, the deadlier the threat.

If not for his surprise attack at heightened speed, that purple serpent would have been a serious problem.

Now, the one tracking him was likely another such serpent, orchestrated by Wan Guxiao.

“Serpents hunt by scent, and if these are mutant breeds, their olfactory senses could far surpass those of even a seasoned martial artist.”

“My Hunyuan Elixir isn’t perfect—it might shield me from detection at a distance, even from Grand Martial Masters.”

“But some mutant serpents and insects might still pick up my scent.”

“What’s after me now is likely one of those mutant snakes!”

As he pondered, Lu Sheng considered his next move:

“Wan Guxiao hasn’t yet caught up using his serpents and insects…”

“No, he’s on his way now!”

Feeling the sudden spike in danger, Lu Sheng thought grimly, “I have to find the tracking serpent quickly and kill it!”

Without hesitation, Lu Sheng found a circular passage and began to circle around. Any serpent or insect moving swiftly would leave traces—the tracking snake would be no exception.

Once he found it, Lu Sheng was confident he could slay it and reap another merit.

“And if I devour the gall of such a mutant serpent, perhaps I’ll even awaken my eye aperture!”

The thought stirred his determination.

———

“How odd, why have the Ma brothers suddenly stopped moving?”

Deep in the tunnels, Wan Guxiao, in pursuit of Lu Sheng, suddenly sensed through his other serpents that Ma Buting and Ma Buti had come to a halt. He was puzzled.

Carefully attuning himself to the little golden serpent still on Lu Sheng’s trail, Wan Guxiao began to understand:

“So, Lu Sheng’s scent has suddenly diminished—a drop so sharp that even Little Gold can barely detect it.”

“Little Gold is already a ranked demon beast—its body as tough as diamond, its sense of smell extraordinary.”

“If even it can barely scent him, the Ma brothers have almost certainly lost the trail—”

“No wonder they stopped!”

Delighted, Wan Guxiao was about to continue the chase when he suddenly remembered the horse dung scent on himself and thought, “I still carry the horse dung scent—almost impossible to dispel, and only those of the Ma bloodline can detect it.”

“If I catch up with Lu Sheng now, won’t that just lead the Ma brothers right to him as well?”

“I’ll need to make some arrangements and slow the Ma brothers down!”

With that, Wan Guxiao also paused, and the hissing, squeaking, and croaking of serpents and insects echoed through the tunnels as he summoned his creatures to hinder the Ma brothers’ advance—

In this den of snakes, after all, he was the master of the realm!