NOVEL NEXT Chapter 452: Strike First
Chu Xuan watched Moon True Master's retreating figure with a faint smile. After the effects of the Boiling Sea Pill wore off, Moon True Master would rapidly weaken. For now, it was wise to avoid his peak strength. The next time they met, Moon True Master would no longer pose a threat.
Chu Xuan swiftly vanished among the ruins, reappearing within a secluded cave where he instructed Hu and Long to stand guard. He then quickly returned to the Water Curtain Cave.
Meanwhile, the clash between Chu Xuan and Moon True Master had not gone unnoticed by the other cultivators, including White Bone True Master, who had been ready to watch the fight from the shadows.
Witnessing Chu Xuan force Moon True Master into a disadvantage, White Bone True Master was thankful for his earlier decision to avoid conflict, realizing he might not have survived an encounter.
Shang Xingchen, witnessing the fight from another vantage point, felt vindicated in his decision not to vie with Chu Xuan for the other heritages. Content with just the Sky Piercing Hall inheritance, he considered following Moon True Master at a distance, hoping to capitalize on the weakening effects of the pill.
Others, like White Bone True Master and Tie Jun, shared similar thoughts.
On another front, Chu Xuan spent ten days in the Water Curtain Cave mastering the Boiling Sea Art. The first technique, "Explosive Blood Technique," sounded unassuming yet proved incredibly powerful. The technique allowed him to surge his blood energy for an hour, with only a day of weakness afterward—essentially a stronger, more efficient version of the Boiling Sea Pill but with less downtime.
Armed with this new skill, Chu Xuan's combat abilities soared. Even against Moon True Master enhanced by the Boiling Sea Pill, he could easily prevail. However, such pills were exceedingly rare, and it was likely Moon True Master had exhausted his supply.
Having already secured the inheritances of the Melting Heaven Hall and Boiling Sea Hall, only the Unceasing Hall's heritage remained. Days later, Chu Xuan, while dispatching any ill-fated corpse demons that crossed his path, effortlessly discovered the Unceasing Hall and claimed the "Unceasing Technique," unchallenged.
Chu Xuan marveled at the unique focus of the Unceasing Art, which prioritized the restoration of vitality, akin to the endless flow of rivers into the sea, constant and unending. The visualization for the art itself was that of a river, not rapid or grand, but ceaseless, flowing day and night.
Delighted with this discovery, Chu Xuan felt content with acquiring three of the Eight Extremes Palace's heritages. Any more might prove too burdensome to master thoroughly, adhering to the principle that biting off more than one can chew is seldom wise.
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After securing the Unceasing Art, Chu Xuan began an urgent search for the location of the teleportation formation, guided by the information in Zhao Xuan's spiritual sense jade slip.
However, with five centuries having passed, the current state of that location and whether it had been damaged by corpse demons were unknowns that only a direct assessment could resolve.
...
Meanwhile, Moon True Master was caught in a prolonged state of debilitation. His blood had dried up, and he could no longer muster his spiritual qi. Only by relying on the power of the Boiling Sea Pill and some luck was he able to escape the encirclement of corpse demons. He could feel many eyes on him, waiting for him to fall. These onlookers were like hyenas, watching him tirelessly, yet hesitating to draw close, perhaps fearing his potential for a deadly counterattack in his final moments.
"Ahead... that should be the Celestial Star Hall," Moon True Master muttered to himself. His ancestor had once mentioned that the statue of the Celestial Star Hall would autonomously absorb stellar energy, which could heal injuries if one could make contact with it. "If I can just reach there, there may still be hope for me..."
His vision blurred, overwhelmed by the multitude of wounds that marred his body, some so deep that bone was visible, remnants of his frantic escape. While the power of the Boiling Sea Pill was active, these injuries were manageable, but now they began to fester and turn against him.
Suddenly, a vast chasm appeared before him. The path ahead had vanished, giving way to a deep, dark abyss. Looking down, he could see the glow of molten lava churning below. Moon True Master's face registered shock as he realized the devastating truth—the Celestial Star Hall was gone.
It was an impossible feat, he realized, for anyone to gather all eight legacies and leave this place. He was destined to be trapped here forever, never to escape. All his efforts and arduous journey to reach the Celestial Star Hall were in vain—the hall was gone.
With a sudden burst, Moon True Master's heart seemed to clench tightly; he opened his mouth and violently spewed fresh blood, collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud. Shang Xingchen, White Bone True Master, Tie Jun, and Zhong Tianshuo, along with other cultivators, watched from a distance, none daring to approach immediately. They looked at the severed path and the dark abyss below, their hearts sinking.
"It was said that if all heritages were obtained, one could leave," Shang Xingchen murmured, his brow deeply furrowed. "Now, it seems the Celestial Star Hall and the Hundred Rivers Hall are missing."
Could it be they were doomed never to leave?
White Bone True Master, who also possessed considerable information about the Eight Extremes Palace, shared this uncertainty. Beyond their concern over the puzzling situation, they suspected Moon True Master might be feigning death as a trap to lure them closer for slaughter. Even White Bone True Master, despite his Deity Transformation status, dared not advance—he couldn't utilize his full powers, and his physical cultivation was negligible compared to Moon True Master.
Everyone waited.
Soon, a corpse demon, drawn by the scent of the living, leaped towards Moon True Master. Brainless as it was, the demon saw no reason not to partake in the feast laid before it. Crunching sounds filled the air as it savored the rich, juicy flesh—the first it had tasted after such a long slumber.
Zhong Tianshuo was the first to move, flying towards the scene and bellowing, "Moon True Master the villain, who controlled his disciples with poison, deserves death! I'll strike first!"
White Bone True Master scoffed, "He has repeatedly encroached upon my White Bone Island's territory. His life should end by my hand!"