Chapter 53: The Path to Strengthening the Fetal Breathing

By the time Old Rong Tuo had finally managed to collect his wits, Rong Rong Xuantao and the others had also received the message and were rushing over with utmost urgency.

Upon entering the underground palace and witnessing this desolate scene of dried-up waters and dimmed rosy clouds, each of them showed shock on their faces, gasping in a cold breath.

"Even a Daoist at the third level of Foundation Establishment could not have drained this pool dry in merely two days..."

Rong Jin's heart ached so much that his hands trembled: "It will take at least fifteen or sixteen years to restore this to its former splendor! Was that person a Rakshasa or a Yaksha, just escaped from the Hungry Ghost Realm?"

Old Rong Tuo had no leisure to listen to Rong Jin's complaints; he only felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, unable to muster any strength in his body, and only after circulating his cultivation method several times did his spirit slightly revive.

"Um... so this is the 'Jade Womb Mother Pool'?"

Just as he was gritting his teeth to suppress his rage, another voice sounded.

Huang Huang Zaichen, peeking and shrinking his head, arrived at the underground palace; his body had just crossed the stone gate, and the expression of admiration on his face had not yet been withdrawn before his mouth acted faster than his mind:

"It looks no different from the outside; there isn't much spiritual energy..."

Old Rong Tuo grew even angrier, turning to glare at Huang Huang Zaichen.

Huang Huang Zaichen also realized he had misspoken, lowered his head, and dared not face Old Rong Tuo's gaze, which seemed ready to kill.

"Brat! Brat! Killing you is the only way to dispel my hatred!"

The more he thought about it, the more annoyed and resentful he felt, until Old Rong Tuo could not help but shout aloud:

"Do not try to stop me; anyone who blocks me dies! I am going to chase him down right now and beat him to death!"

However, after storming forward angrily for several zhang, no one came to dissuade him; Old Rong Tuo's face immediately became somewhat untenable, and just as his steps reached the exit of the underground palace, he halted abruptly, freezing in place.

"Fool! Don't you know how to seize the opportunity? Come and hold me back quickly!"

Rong Jin, who was still standing there in a Xiao Daze, was scolded via voice transmission: "With a young man so lacking in insight, how can I feel at ease handing the Rong clan over to you?!"

Rong Jin was startled, then immediately understood, and dragged Old Rong Tuo, who looked extremely unwilling, back by force, offering kind words and continuous consolation.

Even Huang Huang Zaichen dryly offered a few words of advice.

Only Rong Rong Xuantao paid no attention to this side.

This robust elder, standing sixteen feet tall with arms hanging past his knees, first walked around to the edge of the "Jade Womb Mother Pool," and after clearly seeing the line of calligraphy dancing like phoenixes and drifting like clouds carved into the pool wall, he sighed inwardly.

Turning his head, he also saw a letter left not far away; picking it up to read, he found the ink stains were not yet fully dry, obviously written very recently.

After reading Rong Rong Xuantao's words one by one, his gaze became increasingly heavy and solemn, and by the end, it unexpectedly revealed a hint of concealed joy.

"Eldest Brother..."

He called out to Old Rong Tuo in a deep voice: "Everyone here is family; Supplier Huang has even married a woman of our Rong clan, so he is someone we can share our hearts with. Stop pretending; let us discuss the real matter!"

Old Rong Tuo, who was still putting on an act of being ready to sacrifice himself generously, found it difficult to continue upon hearing these words.

He shook off Rong Jin's hand gripping his sleeve and shouted: "Pretend? He Ceng have I pretended! Do you think I fear that brat?!"

"Old Seventeen, you old rascal are getting better and better at undermining people's stages!"

Seeing that Rong Rong Xuantao remained unmoved, embarrassment appeared on Old Rong Tuo's face; he sighed and clapped his hands: "After so many years, you still haven't improved! If you weren't my younger brother, I would really want to beat you severely..."

"By the way!"

At this moment, Old Rong Tuo seemed to suddenly remember something and angrily said again: "Didn't I tell you to take out the White Lion Illusion Map, and once the momentum was fully built, directly kill that Chen Heng right there in the underground palace?! Why did you make no move? Was it too late, or was the momentum insufficient?"

"Eldest Brother probably does not dare to kill him; I know your character well. If you truly wanted to act, why would you instruct me with these details? You would have immediately taken out that 'Morning Fragrance Taiyin Register'."

"How dare I not kill him?"

Old Rong Tuo sneered continuously: "What kind of thing is he! Merely a descendant of the Lanliang Chen clan; even if he entered the Xuanzhen Sect to study the Dao, he is still a dispensable trifle! With Yan Zhen gone, does he think he is still as unapproachable as before?"

The layer of skin representing a disciple of a great sect on Chen Heng had long been torn off by the members of the Rong clan.

After all, they had ruled the nation for over three hundred years; even though they were nearly forced to flee their home by Tong Gaolu, they ultimately still possessed some foundation.

Old Rong Tuo had long harbored doubts about Chen Heng's identity, and upon seeing Tu Shan Ge, that Daoist Yangshan fox, and connecting it with previous events, an answer formed in his heart.

It was just that eliminating Tong Gaolu still required Chen Heng's effort.

Old Rong Tuo did not dare to make it public, so he simply pretended to be confused...

"Does Eldest Brother dare to kill him? Does he not fear him? This is likely nonsense. I am different; I dare not kill him, and indeed I fear him greatly."

Rong Xuantao clasped his hands behind his back and spoke to himself: "Although we do not know what opportunities this male favorite has obtained, his divine abilities have already surpassed those of Tong Gaolu; even so, we at least have the 'Morning Fragrance Taiyin Register,' and if we are willing to bleed heavily, killing him is not impossible! But what fills me with terror is this person's nature; he is truly cold and ruthless, truly without mercy..."

"Has Eldest Brother forgotten?" Rong Rong Xuantao fixed his gaze on Old Rong Tuo:

"How did he incur a grudge with Tong Gaolu?"

It was simply because he killed the Daoist Yangshan, a sworn brother who was insignificant in Tong Gaolu's eyes.

To prevent the matter from being exposed, he directly employed cruel methods and severed one of Tong Yi's arms.

Afterwards, he rushed a thousand li from Lanliang to Yuanjing, uprooting Tong Gaolu along the way, killing everyone cleanly, sending the entire family to heaven.

Rong Rong Xuantao reflected on how he would act if he were in Chen Heng's position.

When dealing with Tong Yi, he would have tried every possible method to ease the situation between both parties.

Whether by sacrificing money and goods, or offering talismans and treasures, flattering them in every way... under no circumstances would he sever Tong Yi's arm, rush to Yuanjing, and kill Tong Gaolu as well.

Even Tong Gaolu, at the moment of his death, must have felt it was absurd.

That merely a Daoist Yangshan Daoist would become a major cause of his demise...

"It seems that those three years spent as a male favorite in the Xuanzhen Sect have polished this person's nature until its sharp light bursts forth; his heart is full of killing intent! Once unsheathed, he injures others! For a character like this, even if his divine abilities are not high, I absolutely dare not provoke him; if we strike the snake but fail to kill it, we will suffer harm instead, and when Chen Heng slaughters my entire family in the future, he likely will not hesitate for even a moment."

Rong Rong Xuantao said: "Eldest Brother, I know you are also hesitating. Although the items left by our Ancestral Emperor are good, there are only a few of them; compared to this mortal foundation of the Rong Kingdom, they are the true foundation of our Rong clan..."

He pointed to the line of carved characters on the "Jade Womb Mother Pool":

"This person leaving these characters is already warning us and saving face for the Rong clan! Do not feel unwilling, then pretend to the point where you even convince yourself, and truly rush out to seek death!"

The material of the "Jade Womb Mother Pool" is incredibly hard; only the true qi of a Foundation Establishment Daoist can leave marks upon it.

Yet Chen Heng insisted on carving characters with his bare hands; the meaning behind this is self-evident.

Hearing these words, Old Rong Tuo fell silent and speechless, Rong Jin became even more apprehensive, while Huang Huang Zaichen was quite baffled.

"... What you say also makes sense; the items left by the Ancestral Emperor are few, and once used, they are gone; even when Tong Gaolu usurped the throne, I could not bear to use them; compared to a mere mortal foundation, they are the very root of our Rong clan's life."

After a long while, Old Rong Tuo finally let out a long, drawn-out sigh:

"I dare not kill him, nor dare I tamper with the Ancestral Emperor's relics, yet in my heart I remain unwilling to accept it; a mere male consort, yet so arrogantly presumptuous!"

Rong Tuo clenched his fists tightly: "His ancestors, for who knows how many generations, lived under my family's rule! They relied on my family just to survive and thrive! Yet I merely revealed a hint of killing intent, and he retaliates so fiercely; how detestable!"

Rong Rong Xuantao shook his head.

He knew that deep down, Rong Tuo had already let go, possessing only a lingering resentment that he needed to vent, so he simply allowed him to do so.

After Rong Tuo had pointed at the sky, traced circles in the air, and stomped his feet for a while longer, Rong Rong Xuantao, seeing his qi flow smooth out slightly, handed him the letter in his hand.

"What is this?" Rong Tuo asked as he took it.

"A letter left by Chen Heng," Rong Rong Xuantao said. "This is the main matter I wished to discuss with you."

Rong Tuo frowned as he read, his expression growing increasingly complex, until even that final trace of killing intent vanished.

Finally, unable to restrain himself, he let out a long sigh and tucked the letter into his sleeve.

"What did Chen Heng write in the letter?"

Rong Jin asked curiously.

At this moment, Huang Huang Zaichen felt he had already heard far too much today; if he stayed any longer, he would inevitably be targeted later, so he prepared to slip out of the underground palace.

But Rong Rong Xuantao grabbed him firmly and shook his head.

"He wrote that today's events were truly the Rong clan reaping what we sowed, blaming no one else, but if he has not died in thirty years, our clan may take this letter to him and request One Mid-Grade Item of talismanic apparatus," Rong Rong Xuantao stated calmly.

Rong Rong Xuantao spoke lightly.

"What? A talismanic apparatus?!"

Upon hearing this, Rong Jin's eyes widened, and he could not help but feel somewhat consoled.

If it truly was One Mid-Grade Item of talismanic apparatus, then today's incident would not count as a major matter.

After all, even within the Rong clan, mid-grade talismanic apparatuses were not overly abundant.

"Why are you shrieking like a ghost? With a mind so unsettled, how can you ever hope to pursue the Great Dao in the future!"

Rong Tuo snapped irritably: "Thirty years? Whether he can even live that long is another matter; does our Rong clan lack talismanic apparatuses?! Even if we truly wait thirty years, how do you know he will be able to produce one? You foolish boy, no matter how great the benefit, until it is in hand, it is merely empty words; do not be so rustic!"

Rong Jin fell silent, looking embarrassed and unable to retort.

"There is an additional sentence appended at the end, stating that if our Rong clan feels unwilling to accept this, he is currently waiting outside Yuancheng City, and we are welcome to seek him out."

A bitter smile spread across Rong Tuo's face as he sighed repeatedly:

"That brat... that boy possesses such tremendous audacity! Such a fierce killing intent!"

"Then what shall we do?" Rong Jin asked cautiously.

"Go do what? Seek death?" Rong Tuo no longer maintained an appearance of deep-seated hatred; he slanted a glance at him:

"Do you secretly wish for Fuchan Ancestor to die so you can take control of that 'Morning Fragrance Taiyin Record' yourself? Let me tell you, there is only one such item; even if you were to die, you would still be unable to utilize it!"

"How would your grandson dare?" Rong Jin waved his hands repeatedly.

Rong Tuo snorted coldly, walked to the edge of the Jade Womb Pool, and seeing the inscription left by Chen Heng, found it more and more eyesore with each glance.

With a wave of his hand, the pool body emitted a rumbling boom; a light resembling yellow jade spread over it, shining brilliantly, about to scrub the inscription clean.

Yet this action was stopped once again by Rong Rong Xuantao.

"What now? Do you perhaps intend to make a Ta Yin copy, find it aesthetically pleasing, and mount it in your study?" Rong Tuo asked impatiently.

"I actually think... keeping it might do no harm."

Rong Rong Xuantao hesitated before speaking:

"Elder Brother, have you forgotten the story of True Person Master Junyao of Yu Yuchen Sect that we heard while wandering as rogue cultivators together?"

"True Person Master Junyao of Yu Yuchen Sect?"

After a moment of stunned silence, Rong Tuo also recalled it.

That was the one who swept to victory at the "Danyuan Assembly" and is now a Jin Dan True Person whose fame echoes throughout the Nine Provinces and Four Seas.

Before achieving the Dao, it seemed he had also encountered a similar situation...

Back then, he helped a Xiaozong Sect eliminate a Yin Demon, but after the deed was done, the Xiaozong Sect was reluctant to pay the reward, employing every manner of evasion and delay.

In the end, Master Junyao secretly slipped into the Xiaozong Sect's treasury, took every single talisman coin within, leaving not a penny behind, and even carved something akin to "Master Junyao visited here" upon the mural.

That Xiaozong Sect suffered a silent loss, having bitterness they could not speak, and dared not lightly mention retaliation, pretending it had never happened.

Yet after Master Junyao defeated countless geniuses from the Bapailiu Sect at the "Danyuan Assembly" and claimed the championship,

this prior tale of shame transformed into a boastful topic of conversation...

Not only did the mural bearing Master Junyao's inscription spark a frenzy of bidding among various True Persons, but eventually, the Wuguang Sect actually paid a huge price to purchase it with a Ren-Grade Spirit Vein, enshrining it within their mountain gate.

Once this matter emerged, no one failed to envy that Xiaozong Sect's good fortune, wishing they could trade places with them.

At that time, even Master Junyao, who had already managed to Achieve First Grade Jin Dan, chuckled upon hearing this and specially bestowed a "Crimson Reflection Cloud Scenery Map" upon that Xiaozong Sect to serve as their mountain-protecting foundation.

This affair was talked about until it was worn threadbare among rogue cultivators, so naturally, both Rong Tuo and Rong Rong Xuantao were thoroughly familiar with it.

"You think he could possibly attain the same achievements as True Person Master Junyao? The Danyuan Assembly?"

Rong Tuo laughed: "Stop joking! Whether he can even gain entry into the Wuguang Sect is difficult enough; you must know that the Wuguang Sect does not accept rogue cultivators."

"In any case, only our own family can enter this place, so seeing it brings no shame; let us keep it, just in case it truly proves useful?"

Rong Rong Xuantao remained insistent.

Although his appearance was rough and fierce, his mind was anything but careless.

In past years, while wandering as a rogue cultivator, everyone would look down on him due to his crude speech, unaware that this was precisely what Rong Rong Xuantao deliberately displayed to deceive others.

As Rong Tuo paced back and forth a few times, still unable to make a decision, he instead waved both hands, driving everyone out of the underground palace.

Once only he remained in this place, after hesitating several times, he quietly preserved that line of inscription.

"As for the Ren-Grade Spirit Vein, let it be..."

Rong Tuo muttered: "If I can exchange it for three hundred talisman coins, I will be fully satisfied."

—

At this moment, elsewhere outside Jingcheng, the Cloud-Brushing Flying Boat hung in the sky like a patch of red cloud, remaining from sunrise until sunset without anyone pursuing them.

"It seems the Rong clan lacks the courage to come."

Inside the cabin, Tu Shan Ge yawned and looked at Chen Heng, who was sitting cross-legged opposite him cultivating Qi: "Master, why didn't you exterminate the Rong clan completely and seize that 'Jade Womb Mother Pool' for yourself while you were at it?"

"Fellow Daoist is indeed decisive in killing intent."

Chen Heng unhurriedly concluded his cultivation, glanced at the dimming sky, and said, "A small punishment as a warning suffices; having ruled the nation for over three hundred years, they may possess other means. As for what you mentioned, it is not too late for me to act when the Rong clan catches up."

"However, in thirty years, will Master truly give the Rong clan a talismanic artifact?"

At this moment, Tu Shan Zhuang, gnawing on a chicken drumstick nearby, could not help but interject: "I heard that thing is quite valuable."

"In thirty years, if I am not yet dead, a mere talismanic artifact would be but a grain of millet in a vast granary to me; using it to temporarily stabilize their minds and prevent the Rong clan from acting desperately in their plight is no loss."

Chen Heng smiled: "If by then I still haggle over such trifles and feel humiliated, I might as well crash into a sword and end my life for a quicker release."

"As for you lot, if you diligently cultivate, there may yet be a chance for one among you to attain the Dao in the future."

Upon hearing this, Tu Shan Ge and the others were delighted, repeatedly bowing with clasped hands to express their gratitude.

"Enough, I have some miscellaneous matters to attend to; wait for me a moment."

Seeing that they had waited so long and the Rong clan indeed would not appear, Chen Heng did not wish to speak further; he leaped from the boat, found a patch of towering wild forest, and landed on the ground.

Shrubs and weeds grew luxuriantly everywhere with no sign of human presence; he released his Universe Pouch and shook out a mutilated corpse into the air.

The mutilated corpse was tall and vigorous; upon closer inspection, faint strands of jade light could still be seen flowing within it.

This was precisely the remains of Tong Gaolu.

On the day he slew him, Chen Heng had secretly stored Tong Gaolu's body in his Universe Pouch; in the intervening days, he had killed Zhou Chuyu, cultivated the Tai Su Jade Spirit, and made use of the Jade Womb Mother Pool, among other things.

Consequently, the matter of Tong Gaolu had temporarily been set aside.

"Come, let me see if my Qi cultivation technique can truly draw in another's fetal breath..."

Expressionless, Chen Heng extended his finger and pressed it against Tong Gaolu's brow center.

Following this action, after a few breaths, faint strands of fetal breath flowed from the mutilated corpse into his body.

It was not until a quarter of an hour had passed that he withdrew his finger; by then, the fetal breath within Chen Heng had grown slightly stronger, rolling through his chest and abdomen, filling his meridians with a comfortable warmth.

As for Tong Gaolu's remains, since even the last traces of fetal breath had been drained dry, although his flesh still retained a jade luster, it had become withered and shriveled.

"After death, doesn't most fetal breath, losing the binding of consciousness, instantly dissipate into heaven and earth, unable to be preserved even within a Universe Pouch?"

Chen Heng's gaze turned dim as he thought: "Only a small amount can remain stored in the flesh's acupoints, which is not much after all."

However.

This was ultimately a path to strengthen one's fetal breath, and he currently lacked the qualification to be selective.

"Yet this conduct, in the eyes of outsiders, is purely a practice of the Demonic Path; desecrating a corpse is a heinous crime."

Chen Heng summoned the Flowing Cloud Ruler and, with a few strikes, smashed a deep pit into the ground, pushed Tong Gaolu into it, and covered him with soil.

Although this method was effective, it must not be easily displayed before others.

If used, it must either be in a secluded place, or else every single observer must be slain, leaving not one alive!

If news leaked out, it would bring endless trouble.

Only after the corpse was buried did he scan his surroundings once more, then reactivate his escape light and return to the Cloud-Brushing Flying Boat.

Two-in-one.