Chapter 135 Hunyuan Tribulation

Jiang Xiong shook his head and tsked.

"Tsk, that's quite a serious injury."

"The bewitching miasma from those three vixen foxes of Beimang, plus that palm technique that forced you to overdraft your potential... Officer Qi, if you drag this injury on for two more days, I'm afraid it will damage your martial Foundation."

His words were spoken as if he had seen it with his own eyes, clearly discerning the source of Qi Huan's injuries.

Qi Huan's heart jolted, and he forced a smile, cupping his hands and saying,

"Lord Jiang's eyes are like torches. This subordinate's minor injuries are not worth your concern."

Chen Mu, however, was much calmer.

"Brother Jiang is very well-informed."

"Sit."

Jiang Xiong smiled, pointed to the seat opposite, and waved to the servant standing to the side.

"Go fetch the items."

The servant acknowledged and withdrew.

Jiang Xiong picked up the wine pot and personally poured two cups of warm yellow wine for the two of them.

"Drink some wine to warm your bodies and dispel the bad luck. Qinglin Town has heavy Yin Qi and a strong stench of foxes; it's not pleasant to be tainted by it."

Chen Mu picked up the wine cup and downed it in one gulp. As the liquid went down his throat, his tense nerves did indeed relax a little. He set down the cup and looked at Jiang Xiong.

"Brother Jiang seems to know a great deal about what happened last night."

Jiang Xiong sipped his own wine and spoke slowly.

"I know a thing or two. Xu Changze's little tricks are nothing more than using demons to kill people and using power to suppress others. Those vixen foxes from Beimang can only fool those who don't know the truth. That you were able to slay him is unexpected, yet reasonable."

Just as he finished speaking, the servant returned carrying a purple sandalwood box, placing it respectfully on the tea table.

Jiang Xiong opened the wooden box, which was divided into two compartments.

One compartment held three mutton-fat jade bottles, their surfaces warm and smooth. The other held a palm-sized jade box; upon opening it, a translucent paste with an exotic fragrance was revealed.

"Inside these bottles is the Heart-Cleansing Soul-Purifying Pill, specifically for countering bewitching miasma and residual toxins from illusions. This jade box contains the Hundred-Herb Rejuvenation Paste; it can be applied externally or taken internally, perfect for treating internal hidden injuries."

After saying this, he pushed the wooden box toward Qi Huan.

"Officer Qi, there is no need to decline. Only by recovering quickly can we handle what comes next."

Qi Huan reached out to take it and said in a low voice,

"Many thanks, Lord Jiang."

Jiang Xiong's gaze then turned to Chen Mu, his smile carrying a deeper meaning.

"As for you, Brother Chen... your blood energy is slightly fluctuating and your Protective Aura consumption is not small, but your Foundation is undamaged. It seems those three foxes didn't cause you too much trouble, and perhaps, you even obtained something else from them?"

Chen Mu's heart tightened slightly, but his face remained calm; he only gave a slight nod.

Seeing his tacit admission, Jiang Xiong's interest grew, and he looked straight into Chen Mu's eyes.

"I am becoming increasingly curious: how did you do it? As far as I know, that Red Fox's illusions can trap even those who have just entered the Heart-Awakening Realm if they are slightly careless."

Chen Mu met his gaze, his tone flat.

"Pure luck. I have a slight resistance to the Dao of illusions."

"A slight resistance?"

Jiang Xiong laughed loudly upon hearing this, stopped pressing, and instead said,

"A 'slight resistance,' indeed. Very well, one shouldn't ask about personal destiny. Let's talk business."

He retracted his smile, took a dark-colored scroll from his sleeve, and placed it on the table.

The scroll looked extremely ancient, its edges even frayed, and it faintly exuded a heart-palpitating, desolate aura.

"This is the forbidden technique you wanted. This technique is called 'Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body.' To Cultivate this technique, one must use oneself as a furnace, draw the power of calamity into the body, and temper the flesh, bones, organs, Divine Soul, and even one's own Protective Aura. Martial insights, everything tangible and intangible, must undergo the tempering of calamity."

"The improvement brought by the calamity-tempering is not a direct increase in power, but a fundamental purification and solidification of your Foundation. It won't let you immediately achieve a Breakthrough in Realm, but it can make your Protective Aura ten or a hundred times more condensed and pure."

At this point, Jiang Xiong's eyes gradually sharpened.

"This technique has monstrously harsh requirements for the cultivator's Heart-Nature, Comprehension Ability, perseverance, and even predestined affinity. It does not rely on external resources; it relies entirely on steady, grinding effort and Epiphany. The process is slow, despair-inducing, and extremely dangerous; one wrong step and you could perish."

Jiang Xiong looked at Chen Mu.

"Are you still sure you want it? I can exchange it for a powerful, fast-cultivating superior Cultivation Technique. With your talent, reaching the Heart-Awakening Realm within ten years would be no problem."

The room fell quiet, with only the faint sound of breathing from the few people present.

Qi Huan listened with trepidation; looking at the scroll, it was as if he were looking at an ominous object.

Such a dangerous Cultivation Technique, Chen Mu, he...

"I want it."

Chen Mu reached out and picked up the scroll without the slightest hesitation.

The scroll felt cold and heavy in his hand, but he did not immediately attempt to infuse it with Lifespan.

For one, this place was not suitable, and for another... Jiang Xiong was right across from him. He could not display any abnormal control or adaptability to this dangerous forbidden technique.

Having exceptional talent was understandable, but if he could instantly master even this kind of forbidden technique that required grinding effort and was extremely dangerous, he wouldn't be a Genius, but a monster.

Before his strength was sufficient to protect himself, and before the Jiang Family's intentions were fully clear, he had to hide his edge.

A complex emotion flashed in Jiang Xiong's eyes, seemingly admiration, seemingly regret, which finally turned into a sigh.

"Very well, keep this item safe and explore how to Cultivate it yourself. Remember to act within your limits; injuries to the Divine Soul are the hardest to heal."

Chen Mu tucked the scroll away close to his body. He turned to the main topic.

"The Cultivation Technique is settled. Regarding the matter of the City God's divine cache that Brother Jiang mentioned earlier, could you elaborate?"

Jiang Xiong nodded, his expression becoming serious again.

"The Yunmeng City God has been enfeoffed by the imperial court for over a hundred years. By rights, enjoying the incense of a region means one must protect its peace and regulate the order of Yin and Yang. But in the last twenty years, this fiend has harbored evil thoughts, colluding with local officials to abuse power for personal gain, harming the Souls of living beings to aid his own Cultivation. He has long deviated from the righteous path of the divine."

"The divine cache I want is the object condensed from the hundred years of accumulated incense Power Of Will and the authority of his divine office within his golden clay statue. This object is intangible but crucial. The only way to obtain it is the moment he is completely destroyed, body and spirit, and his connection to the golden statue is completely severed. It will manifest for an instant, and it must be collected with a special container, otherwise, it will instantly dissipate into the heavens and earth."

Chen Mu silently noted this down and asked again.

"What is the Yunmeng City God's Cultivation level? What is the strength of his Yin soldiers and ghost messengers? Inside his temple, besides him, are there any other existences that require attention?"

Jiang Xiong pondered for a moment.

"As for this fiend's Cultivation, I estimate it should be at the Late Stage of the Heart-Awakening Realm. Because of his divine nature, he is skilled in using the Power Of Will from incense and is faintly in harmony with the local ley lines. Within the confines of his temple, his strength will be bolstered."

"Under his command, there is one Day Patrol God and one Night Patrol God, as well as several Ox-Head and Horse-Face ghost messengers, all bolstered by his Divine Power. Their strength is roughly at the middle to Late Stage of the Dao Entry Realm."

"As for others that require attention..."

Jiang Xiong paused, a flash of coldness in his eyes.

"Xu Changze, and those behind him who might intervene."

"The City God and Xu Changze are deeply colluded. If you move against the City God, Xu Changze will definitely not sit idly by, and that Wen Qian-shi from the Prefecture behind him... is also not someone to be trifled with."