Decaying World

Chapter 139

Late at night, Clear Wind Temple.

Lin Hui sat cross-legged in his bedroom, his gaze fixed on the jagged gaps faintly visible along the edge of Ruyi.

It was only recently strengthened, yet it is already on the verge of breaking. At my current level, engaging in combat without a suitable weapon is becoming difficult.

Upon returning from the Inner City, he had immediately shed his disguise and retreated to his room to assess the situation.

With his weapon damaged and his body injured, Lin Hui understood his standing with clarity: his strength was likely equivalent to that of a Divine Officer or a Grandmaster.

Above Divine Officers are the High Divine Officers, Palace Masters, Trueblood Nobles, and the ultimate Mistborn. This world...

Sighing, Lin Hui extended a hand and gently placed it upon the Ruyi sword. The intricate patterns of the Blood Seal instantly condensed on the back of his hand.

[Ruyi Steel Sword: A steel sword of excellent material evolved from an ordinary longsword;

extendable. Status: Damaged. Evolvable Branches: 4.]

Indeed, Lin Hui planned to trigger another evolution. Since the steel sword could no longer meet the demands of his combat intensity, he would evolve it again. He now possessed various medicines to shorten the evolution time.

He selected the evolution branches.[1 — Special Synthetic Steel Sword.]

[2 — Phoenix Cry Sword.]

[3 — Purgatory Phosphorescence Sword.]

[4 — Nether Wind Sword.]

The four branches offered this time were distinctly different, clearly originating from divergent power systems.

My greatest need right now is a longsword that is sturdy and hard;

everything else is secondary. Let’s see which branch satisfies that condition.

He reviewed the descriptions.

[Special Synthetic Steel Sword: Crafted from super-strength battleship steel synthesized in a special ratio. Its sturdiness and wear resistance have reached an extremely high standard, and it possesses excellent resistance to various types of chemical and high-low temperature corrosion.]

[Phoenix Cry Sword: A mysterious longsword sealing the cry of a phoenix.]

[Purgatory Phosphorescence Sword: The sword used by the Purgatory Lord Misadiu. It releases Purgatory phosphorescence when swung, eroding the opponent.]

[Nether Wind Sword: An unknown blade infused with the wind of the River Styx. A single-use item capable of releasing the wind of the River Styx to erode the opponent's lifespan.]

Merely reading the descriptions allowed Lin Hui to estimate the time required for each evolution. Checking the details confirmed his suspicions: apart from the first option, the Special Synthetic Steel Sword, the other three required no less than twenty years.

Only the first option required roughly a year and a half.

Fortunately, his goal was simply a durable longsword, so he wasn't picky. After confirming the first evolution option, Lin Hui stowed Ruyi away and began to channel his Internal Force to heal his injuries.

Mobilizing Internal Force relied on its inherent ability to nourish tissues and accelerate repair. One only needed to circulate the energy over the injury repeatedly to speed up healing—provided there were no major bleeding points, which would otherwise result in a hemorrhage.

However, the moment he mobilized his energy, Lin Hui sensed something was wrong.

He had just closed his eyes and settled into a meditative posture, but less than two seconds later, he stood up abruptly.

Wait, how is my injury already healed?!

He touched the center of his chest, the spot struck by the Grandmaster’s explosive technique. Previously, it had been aching faintly, marked by a bloody gash. Now, tearing open his ruined clothes, he found only smooth, pale skin.

Not even a scar remained.

Could it be the inherent strengthening effect of the Purgatory Internal Force? he speculated.

Walking to the window, he gazed at the hazy Mist outside, where strange, twisted shadows occasionally flashed past.

This time, I’ve touched the upper limit of the enemies I can currently handle. Although I haven't used the Spirit-Sealing Array or the Sealing Toxin yet, other Grandmasters might possess their own killing moves, to say nothing of the mind-spirit attacks of Divine Officers. I must proceed with caution...

With his brother injured and recuperating, the Wanhua Sect, the Clear River Sect, and the Liu family were all potential sources of trouble. The Clear River Sect, in particular, would inevitably launch a retaliatory investigation after having two of their strongholds swept in succession.

Once they discover I was the one who acted...

Next, I will cultivate properly, live a quiet life, and avoid rash actions. It is more appropriate to shift my focus to the Mist Zone.

Plan determined, Lin Hui drew the curtains, returned to his bed, and began to cultivate his Internal Force.

The cultivation and Body Tempering of the Typhoon Sword Technique utilized sword moves to guide Internal Force, tempering both the body and the mind-spirit.

The Internal Force Body Tempering aspect was an enhanced version of the Wild Wind Sword Technique, requiring continuous, careful perception of the fluctuations of an extremely vast and magnificent power beyond the deeper layers of the Web.

This cultivation focused primarily on perception. The function of Internal Force was to provide a steady stream of amplification to the mind-spirit to support the consumption of energy.

Perceive the Mighty Power, contact the Mighty Power, merge with the Mighty Power, and induce the Mighty Power.

These were the four stages of the Typhoon Sword Technique, as well as the four subdivided levels of the Ninth Rank of Body Tempering.

As for the moves, simple repetitive practice sufficed. By circulating Internal Force, perceiving the Mighty Power, and then executing perfect moves to induce that power through a mysterious rhythm, one exercised oneself.

Simply put, the cultivation of the Typhoon Sword Technique could be static or dynamic. Static cultivation trained the Internal Force and exercised only the mind-spirit. Dynamic cultivation was superior, training both moves and Internal Force simultaneously, tempering both mind and body.

The night passed in silence.

Early the next morning, Lin Hui went to the entrance of the South Ninth Gate to eat breakfast and observe the activity.

Lacking intelligence channels regarding the Inner City, and finding it unsuitable to reveal his trump cards to the temple disciples, he could only come personally to keep watch.

I exposed the Clear River Sect's statue, so their primary target won't be me, but the Clear River Sect itself. The Mist God statue was hidden underground in the New Martial Alliance branch, so the Alliance will definitely be implicated. This matter cannot blow over calmly.

While Lin Hui ate braised meat buns and drank hot soy milk, his gaze swept over the queues entering and exiting the South Ninth Gate.

In the morning hours, merchant caravans transporting goods into the city formed an endless stream. Occasionally, figures leaping high in the air would rush out from inside, flashing past and causing the crowd to stop and bow their heads, daring not to look too closely.

These figures appeared every few minutes in pairs;

it was unclear whether they were Called Ones or Inner City martial artists.

The queues entering the city were accustomed to this. Knowing that the majority were people they couldn't afford to offend, the travelers stuck to the sides of the gate, leaving the central path to these high-flying experts.

Lin Hui watched for an hour. Confirming there was no major commotion, he prepared to leave.

But just as he finished the last mouthful of soy milk, his eyes narrowed. He looked toward the main entrance of the South Ninth Gate again.

"Where Myriad Blessings arrive, grace is bestowed upon the masses!"

Clang.

A clear gong resounded.

Two martial artists beating gongs, wearing black veils and long black robes that covered their entire bodies, shouted loudly as they cleared the way.

Following closely behind them was a black flatbed cart, over ten meters long and four or five meters wide.

On the cart sat a massive, dark red object resembling meat jelly.

The surface of the object was covered with densely packed, jagged mouths. These mouths varied in size;

some were eating, some were speaking, and some were extending tongues to lick their lips.

At a glance, the thing was simply a ball of meat growing countless small black mouths!

"New Myriad Blessings Meat is here! Those who want to collect must register at the yamen!" The gong-beating black-robed man shouted again.

"The meat is here!"

"Quick, quick, quick!"

"So hungry... it looks so fragrant!! Hahaha!"

A large crowd, who had been hiding in the shadows, swarmed forward, squeezing toward the massive dark red meatball.

Drooling, most had dull eyes and emaciated frames. Some had sallow complexions, some coughed incessantly, and others knelt and kowtowed to the meatball from afar.

Aside from them, the majority of the other Outer City residents avoided it from a distance, unwilling to even get close.

Watching this scene, Lin Hui felt a strange curiosity about the origin of this Myriad Blessings Meat.

He didn't know why the Inner City high-level officials continuously provided Myriad Blessings Meat to the populace. Perhaps maintaining the population count held some special significance for the Moon Towers or the Mistborn.

Standing up to pay the bill, Lin Hui didn't look at the Myriad Blessings Meat again. Han Xiaoyue's parting words echoed in his mind: Go look at the Core Zone of the Moon Towers.

I'll go take a look once Big Brother's injury is healed. After all, the past is still a bit too distant.

In the following days, just as Lin Hui had expected, the Inner City showed no intention of investigating him. Instead, they posted wanted notices for major members of the Clear River Sect, offering significant rewards for clues.

Clearly, the Clear River Sect had become a thorn in the side of the Inner City's Three Great Powers.

None of this involved Lin Hui. He steadfastly cultivated Body Tempering every day, took medicine to accelerate the Blood Seal, and occasionally checked the disciples' progress. He visited Lin Xiaoliu, who was constantly growing, as well as his parents and Second Mother, who spent their days in leisure.

Life seemed harmonious and beautiful.

But peace had always been a luxury in this world.

Over a month later, just after a few days of stability, news came from Wang Yueheng in the Inner City.

Xue Ying and experts from the Chen clan had come into conflict in the Mist Zone. The Chen clan was ambushed and lost three Divine Officers and one High Divine Officer.

The losses were catastrophic.

Although the Chen clan was one of the Inner City's Three Great Powers, High Divine Officers were scarce. Each one was a strategic pillar. Losing one in a single blow caused the Chen clan to launch a frantic retaliation.

A large number of Chen clan experts swarmed out, searching the surrounding Mist Zone for Xue Ying's tracks every day.

In comparison, the small matter of Liu Wujun's injury counted for nothing. Almost everyone's attention was focused on the grudge between Xue Ying and the Chen clan.

The commotion also affected Tao Xuehai, who was practicing martial arts in the Clear Wind Temple.

Clear Wind Temple, Council Hall.

Lin Hui sat on the Grand Preceptor Chair, tea in hand, listening to his disciple Tao Xuehai report on the recent situation.

"To be honest, we didn't expect anyone in the family to get dragged into this. My eldest uncle had a good relationship with the Chen clan. He and two other old friends had some fame in the Middle Ring and were hailed as the 'Three Friends Amidst the Snow,' each skilled in a musical instrument. They often played together in the mountains to discuss rhythm and laws. One of the three Divine Officers from the Chen clan who died this time was one of their Three Friends Amidst the Snow..." Tao Xuehai said helplessly.

"It is not your turn to worry about this matter;

just practice your cultivation well." Lin Hui looked at the anxiety on his disciple's face and frowned slightly.

He placed high hopes on Tao Xuehai. The kid had extremely high perception, was willing to work hard, and came from a family with a scholarly background and abundant resources. Rising to a high place in the future was almost inevitable.

But recently, after the news about his eldest uncle arrived, the kid had obviously become anxious.

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