Chapter 67: Six Treasury Immortal Thief

“Alright~”

Lin Yu stood up from the ground with a smile and looked at He Jingfeng, who had silently stepped beside him: “This guy isn’t something you can handle.”

He Jingfeng wasn’t angry at all; instead, he nodded and said: “I know he’s my counter, but I just couldn’t resist testing him…”

Lin Yu smiled and asked: “Did you get it?”

“Got it.”

He Jingfeng handed something to Lin Yu.

Lin Yu nodded and accepted it, then turned to look at Baren.

Baren’s expression darkened, and he said coldly: “So your target was me all along.”

Lin Yu shook his head: “Not exactly. I’m just very interested in your Six Treasury Immortal Thief.”

Baren’s pupils shrank, and he said grimly: “How do you know?!”

“I know a lot more than that,” Lin Yu said with a smile. “I know you possess the Six Treasury Immortal Thief, where you learned it, and who taught you…”

Here, Lin Yu paused, then turned curiously to He Jingfeng: “Oh, by the way, you’ve been active overseas all these years—didn’t you ever go up to Kanchenjunga?”

He Jingfeng murmured: “I went five years ago, but by then, Ruan Feng had already left.”

Lin Yu nodded: “So he must have gone to Naisen Island five years ago.”

Naisen Island… Ruan Feng…

Is that his name?

Baren listened silently to their conversation.

Lin Yu turned back and smiled: “Do you know why I went to such lengths to create this private setting?”

Baren said coldly: “For my Six Treasury Immortal Thief?”

Lin Yu shook his head: “That’s part of it, but ultimately, it’s because I have a good impression of you.”

Baren blinked, then frowned: “What do you mean?”

Lin Yu smiled: “Literal meaning—I admire you as a person, so I’m offering you a chance: a fair trade, without soul-searching.”

Soul-searching?

Hearing those two words, Baren frowned.

Lin Yu spoke calmly: “As far as I know, the Six Treasury Immortal Thief is also called the Sage Thief. As the saying goes: ‘As long as sages live, great thieves never cease.’ Those who master the Six Treasury Immortal Thief can steal the vital energy of heaven and earth for themselves.”

“More specifically, they build a perfect absorption and digestion system based on the large intestine, small intestine, stomach, triple burner, gallbladder, and bladder—transforming all living energy into primordial qi, achieving immortality through mere eating and drinking.”

“…,” Baren forcibly suppressed his shock and said grimly: “It seems you know a great deal.”

“Of course—I might even know more than you do!”

Lin Yu grinned: “This perfect digestion ability is indeed fascinating, but the vital energy you absorb is still limited by what you consume.”

“Plants, stones, birds, beasts—all contain different kinds of vital energy.”

Here, Lin Yu paused, then looked at him calmly: “Baren, do you know what the most nourishing delicacy is for someone like you who cultivates the Six Treasury Immortal Thief?”

“…”

Baren fell silent, not answering.

“People.”

Lin Yu pointed at Baren and said calmly: “Especially those who have cultivated qi!”

“Over the years, you must have noticed—no matter how delicious the food, it no longer stirs your appetite. Your body craves something more nourishing…”

Baren’s face darkened: “Are you telling me to eat people?”

Lin Yu shook his head: “No, quite the opposite. I believe that wielding great power requires a matching character.”

“When Ruan Feng saved you, it was because even in despair, you held your line—you’d rather eat yourself than touch a companion’s corpse.”

“That steadfastness moved him, so he passed the Six Treasury Immortal Thief to you.”

“And I’m the same—because of that, I’m willing to offer you a fair trade…”

Lin Yu said seriously: “Give me the Six Treasury Immortal Thief, and I’ll solve your growing appetite.”

Hearing this, Baren fell silent, his expression shifting—seeming tempted.

After a moment, he looked up at Lin Yu calmly: “I’m sorry, but after careful thought, I still don’t believe I have the right to pass this technique to you…”

“No, you do.”

Lin Yu said coolly: “Because the person who taught you the Six Treasury Immortal Thief has already crossed the line.”

Baren’s pupils shrank in shock: “You mean… he… he…”

Lin Yu spoke calmly: “Let me introduce him—he’s Ruan Feng, a cultivator without a sect, one of the Thirty-Six Thieves who swore brotherhood with Wu Gen Sheng, the creator of the Eight Marvels technique known as the Six Treasury Immortal Thief, and a classic example of mismatched power and character.”

“…”

Baren’s expression shifted.

“Still don’t believe me? Then put yourself in his shoes—you’ve cultivated the Six Treasury Immortal Thief for only twenty years, and your appetite is already growing uncontrollably. He cultivated it for eighty years—while being hunted down!”

“Do you think… he could have held on?”

Lin Yu said calmly: “I understand Ruan Feng’s struggles—but I don’t agree with him.”

“To me, you—the one still holding your line—are the only true heir of the Six Treasury Immortal Thief. He’s already been consumed by the Eight Marvels.”

Hearing this, Baren’s inner mind struggled.

Beside him, He Jingfeng was also surprised—he hadn’t read the Naisen Island arc and didn’t know Ruan Feng’s current state.

“So the Six Treasury Immortal Thief has dangers rivaling the Wind After Qimen…”

He Jingfeng mused inwardly.

Lin Yu smiled: “So, how about it? This deal isn’t bad for you, is it?”

Baren remained silent for a long time, then looked steadily at Lin Yu: “Can you really solve my problem?”

“Of course.”

“Prove it.”

“Fine!”

Lin Yu readily agreed, then raised two fingers and smiled: “There are two ways to fix your issue. The first is hidden in the name of the Six Treasury Immortal Thief.”

“Immortal Thief, Immortal Thief—you must first be a thief, right?”

“Ordinary thieves are hunted by authorities; but an Immortal Thief steals the vital energy of heaven and earth.”

“As the saying goes: ‘Heaven’s law is cyclical, retribution never fails.’ An Immortal Thief is naturally subject to heaven’s judgment.”

“Your growing appetite? That’s heaven’s retribution manifesting on you.”

“So now the question is: how can an Immortal Thief avoid being caught by heaven?”

Lin Yu smiled: “The answer is simple—don’t steal.”

Baren froze at this.

Lin Yu spoke calmly: “A thief who doesn’t steal can never be caught—that’s obvious to anyone. But actually doing it? That’s not easy.”

“…”

Baren frowned, seemingly confused.

Lin Yu smiled: “I know what you’re wondering.”

“By ‘not stealing,’ I don’t mean you abandon the Six Treasury Immortal Thief. Eat when you’re hungry, drink when you’re thirsty, sleep when you’re tired—live freely, unswayed by your own desires. Achieve the sage-like state of Yang Zhu, the founder of Quanxing: ‘Not pluck a single hair, not take a single grain.’ Then you can perfectly master the Six Treasury Immortal Thief!”

“But the question is… can you reach that state?”

Hearing this, Baren fell silent again.

Beside him, He Jingfeng pondered, and for some reason, Feng Baobao’s image surfaced in his mind.

Just as Lin Yu said: eat when hungry, drink when thirsty, unswayed by desire or pursuit—such a thief who doesn’t steal… isn’t that exactly what Feng Baobao possesses, a touch of sage-like nature?

Lin Yu nodded: “It seems you realize you can’t reach it. Then only the second method remains.”

Saying this, he flipped his right hand and pulled out a white crystal, tossing it to Baren.

Baren caught it, about to ask its purpose, when suddenly he felt a dense surge of vital energy pouring from the crystal into his body, bringing him far greater satisfaction than any food.

“…What is this?!”

Baren stared tightly at the white crystal in his hand, his expression filled with shock, unspoken joy, and pleasure.

Lin Yu chuckled: “To Eastern cultivators, it’s a spirit stone brimming with heaven and earth’s vital energy. To Western alchemists, it’s the legendary Philosopher’s Stone they’ve dreamed of for centuries.”

Baren stared blankly: “So this is the legendary Philosopher’s Stone… no wonder it radiates such overwhelming vital energy!”

Lin Yu smiled: “This is the second method—treating symptoms, not the root. You fill your insatiable hunger with higher-grade nourishment.”

“At your current level, this stone will last you a hundred years.”

“Within those hundred years, if you persist in cultivation, you might reach the sage’s state…”

Baren looked up: “What if I still can’t reach it after a hundred years?”

Lin Yu’s face darkened: “Hey, are you pushing your luck?”

“Fine. I’ll help you to the end. If you’re still alive after a hundred years…”

Lin Yu pointed to He Jingfeng beside him: “Go find him.”

He Jingfeng blinked in surprise: “Wait, me?”

Lin Yu glanced at him: “Have more confidence. In a hundred years, you might have ascended to immortality. What’s one supreme spirit stone to you?”

“…Fair point.”

He Jingfeng nodded, then looked at Baren: “If you agree, I’ll leave you my contact details.”

Baren felt the endless vital energy from the spirit stone, wrestled with his thoughts for a long while, then sighed deeply.

“Fine. I accept the deal.”

(End of chapter)