C5 Fiveprison Meal

Wang Yue could no longer contain his curiosity and cautiously trailed behind them.

There was no need to get too close, as the burden they carried made their footprints distinctly visible. Wang Yue simply needed to hang back at a safe distance, able to keep up without the fear of being detected.

The journey to Star Bright Lake was somewhat lengthy, taking half an hour to arrive. As they neared the lake, Wang Yue took a detour to find a high vantage point that offered good cover.

From his concealed position, he couldn't hear their conversation, but he observed that the two Inner Sect Disciples became more talkative upon entering the Star Bright Lake area.

The seclusion of the location meant they were less concerned about discovery, which perhaps led to their heated argument. In a sudden, brutal act, the man viciously stabbed the woman in the back.

Wang Yue could clearly see the woman's expression of shock and disbelief. Despite her heart being pierced, she could have fought back at the Qi Refining Stage. Yet, from start to finish, she never retaliated, appearing to question something until her death.

The man callously kicked her body into the lake, where bizarre fish leapt from the water. In moments, there was no trace of the corpse, not even bones. He then attempted to throw a middle-aged man into the lake, but the man seemed to carry something heavy, causing him to fall short of the water.

Fratricide among sect members!

Wang Yue sensed he had stumbled upon a grave secret. As the male disciple departed, Wang Yue watched intently, etching his features into memory.

About to leave, Wang Yue sensed an anomaly.

"Hold on, aren't the creatures in Star Bright Lake known for their bloodthirstiness and aggression, drawn to the scent of humans? Why didn't any emerge after such a long time by the shore? And why, when the bodies were kicked into the lake, did most of the creatures hesitate to surface?"

The more Wang Yue pondered, the stranger it seemed. He caught a few small animals and tossed them toward the edge of Star Bright Lake. He observed that those near the middle-aged man were spared, while those farther away were devoured by the monstrous fish emerging from the lake.

Clearly, the middle-aged man had deterred the lake's monsters. Wang Yue approached the man cautiously, only to discover that he was already deceased.

"How can a corpse intimidate the lake's monsters? What's really happening here?"

Centered around the middle-aged man was a safe zone extending over three hundred meters. Within this radius, one was completely secure.

Wang Yue attempted to lift the middle-aged man but found he couldn't. It was no wonder the Inner Sect Disciple who had been carrying the body moved so carefully, yet still made noticeable noise. It wasn't a lack of skill in the Light Body Cultivation Method; the corpse was simply too heavy.

"I've heard that at advanced levels of cultivation, one's blood can be as heavy as lead or mercury, and bones can weigh several times more than an equivalent volume of lead. Judging by the weight of this body, it's not far from that realm. Such a robust physique surely qualifies as a Vajra Unbreakable Body. A person of this caliber couldn't possibly be killed by two Inner Sect Disciples. They must have stumbled upon this senior's body, found something valuable, and feared discovery, prompting them to destroy the body to cover their tracks."

This also made sense of why the man had abruptly killed the woman. Even a jade pendant containing the Five-prison Moving Technique could provoke the murderous intent of Inner Sect Disciple Yuan Yi. A senior with a Vajra Unbreakable Body likely had possessions of untold value.

"I mustn't get involved in this. It's time to leave and cover my tracks completely, ensuring no one can trace my contact with this body."

As Wang Yue was about to depart, the corpse jolted violently and sat up, exclaiming, "Impressive technique, Tian Jie Di Man, and well played, Baidai Fenghua!"

With a sharp snap, he seized Wang Yue with such force that it nearly fractured the bones in Wang Yue's hand. His eyes blazed with fury as he demanded, "Kid, where are we?"

"The Myriad Qi Profound Sect!" Wang Yue stammered in response.

"The Myriad Qi Profound Sect... Are we at Star Bright Lake within the Nine-peak Spirit Gathering Great Array?" His gaze quickly swept over the area, capturing every detail, and he even reconstructed the scene of a man and a woman dueling in his mind. "I see. It appears that greed can indeed sway hearts. Would you believe it—fellow disciples turning on each other for mere trinkets? Nie Yuvji always preached about the importance of stringent sect rules to ensure unity, but look what happens when faced with a bit of temptation."

Hearing the name Nie Yuvji sent shivers down Wang Yue's spine. The Sect Master was notorious for his ruthlessness; there wasn't a soul in the sect who didn't fear him. It was evident from the middle-aged man's tone that he was Nie Yuvji's contemporary and knew him well.

"What would you have me do, Senior?" Wang Yue asked with due reverence.

"Do?" The middle-aged man chuckled. "Actually, there is a favor I'd like to ask of you. Don't worry, it's nothing too challenging. I have a cultivation method I need you to deliver to Nie Yuvji. As for how you'll get it to him, that's simple. Once your cultivation level rises, Nie Yuvji is bound to take notice of you. At that point, just inform him that he needs to pass this cultivation method on to my family."

Wang Yue's eyes sparkled with excitement. To obtain a cultivation method out of the blue was no small fortune, especially one that was clearly complex enough to draw the Sect Master's attention.

And it was no ordinary method; it was a Sect Suppressing Level Cultivation Method, a rarity even within the Myriad Qi Profound Sect. Successfully delivering such a method to the Sect Master would be a significant accomplishment, even if he was merely the messenger.

The cultivation method imparted by the middle-aged man was astonishingly straightforward, so much so that Wang Yue could scarcely believe it. With the man's guidance, he mastered the basics with remarkable ease.

Gulp!

After just a few minutes of cultivation, Wang Yue was hit by a wave of hunger so intense that he had no choice but to voraciously consume the medicinal herbs from his pouch to quell it. He could distinctly feel the herbs being rapidly digested in his stomach.

"This technique is known as the Food Sunset Technique. To initiate it, one requires an abundant supply of food—be it spirit beast meat or medicinal herbs, all can be digested without issue. Once mastered to the point of Great Completion, you can draw sustenance from the elements themselves. Even as an Outer Sect Disciple, you must recognize the immense value of this technique!"

Wang Yue nodded in agreement. The technique was indeed remarkable, bearing a striking resemblance to the Five-prison Moving Technique.

"However, the Food Sunset Technique has a significant drawback. The further you progress, the more powerful your consumption ability becomes, and an ordinary body simply cannot endure it. You'll need an advanced Body Refining Cultivation Method. I won't teach you one myself, but if you give the Food Sunset Technique to Nie Yuvji, he will surely impart to you a Clan Suppressing Level Body Refining Cultivation Method."

Wang Yue's expression turned serious. He understood that the middle-aged man had set this contingency in case he refused to surrender the Food Sunset Technique. Yet, with his practice of the Five-prison Moving Technique, he might not need to seek out an additional Body Refining Cultivation Method elsewhere.

The middle-aged man continued, "It's a pity, really. The Food Sunset Technique is merely one component of a larger cultivation method. Without the Five-prison Moving Technique, it remains incomplete."

"The Five-prison Moving Technique?" Wang Yue gasped in surprise.

With a piercing gaze, the middle-aged man recognized something extraordinary. He swiftly patted Wang Yue thrice and asked, "You've actually cultivated the Five-prison Moving Technique?"

"Yes!" Wang Yue replied, regaining his composure. "Senior, if you require it, I can recite it for you right now."

Though the Five-prison Moving Technique was exceedingly valuable, it wasn't necessarily superior to the Food Sunset Technique. Wang Yue didn't feel shortchanged; in fact, he had gained a complete cultivation method, which was a far greater reward than merely acquiring the Food Sunset Technique alone.

"No, my time is short. I no longer need it. I've changed my mind. Do not pass on the Five-prison Moving Technique to Nie Yuvji. Instead, I want you to teach both the Five-prison Moving Technique and the Food Sunset Technique to my granddaughter."

With those final words, he began to chant in a bizarre language. Wang Yue felt as though he had been transported to hell, surrounded by a host of dragons. The sensation was fleeting, yet Wang Yue sensed something amiss.

"I've cast the Dragon Subduing Spell on you. Remember, if you ever find yourself able to teach the Five-prison Moving Technique and the Food Sunset Technique to my granddaughter and choose not to, you will never know peace!" His voice was icy, his will nearly tangible, sending a shiver down Wang Yue's spine. "Remember, my name is Yaen Xigui!"

After revealing his name, Yaen Xigui released his grip, closed his eyes gently, and his body sank into the earth, leaving no sign of disturbance. He had truly passed away.

Wang Yue cautiously concealed his presence and departed Star Bright Lake. He collected enough medicinal herbs to appear unsuspicious before heading back to the Sixteen Academies at Copper Willow Peak.

Once back at the Academies, he set about brewing the medicinal concoction, behaving as if nothing were amiss. No one would suspect a thing.

He downed a full pot of the brew, satisfying the hunger that had plagued him since leaving Chaos Cloud Peak.

Clearing space in his room, he spent over an hour practicing the Dynamic-static Clear Two-form Fist Technique, fully digesting the medicinal soup and absorbing half its potency. His blood and Qi surged, his skin rapidly refining. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before his skin was fully cultivated.

"The Food Sunset Technique seems straightforward, but its simplicity belies a profound depth. Its effects, however, are shockingly potent. Will I need to consume a pot of this concoction daily?"

Dabbing the sweat from his brow, Wang Yue felt a surge of unease. Was the Sect Suppressing Level Cultivation Method truly this formidable?

If a typical individual at the Body Refining Level Six were to consume this pot of medicinal broth, they might not fully absorb it even after half a month. Furthermore, they would likely only assimilate less than half of its potency. Yet, he managed to absorb half of the broth in just over an hour, and it seems the remaining half won't go to waste either.

"No wonder it's called the Food Sunset Technique. No wonder they say that upon reaching Great Completion, one can gain cultivation by simply eating the wind and drinking the dew. It's as if facing northwest and opening your mouth wide could fill your belly, with the air itself being digested right before your eyes!"

Crack! Crack!

While talking, he pulled the boiled medicinal herbs from the pot and started munching on them. Not fearing the Medicine Poison, he was determined not to let the residual medicinal properties go to waste.