Chapter 128: The Void-Shattering Hammer

With the secondary authentication provided by Lin Yuan, the walls suddenly erupted in a brilliant white light. As the light swept over the three of them, a teleportation formation began to activate.

"Do not resist; this is a teleportation technique."

"Understood."

"I see."

...

Elsewhere, the Holy Mother of the Black Lotus was seething with rage upon learning that the minor loose cultivator had returned to see her daughter and had even brought a stranger into the Liangyi Secret Realm.

The matter concerned the secrets of her daughter’s cultivation technique. It was already difficult enough for her to accept that Lin Yuan knew of them; having yet another person discover these secrets posed an intolerable risk.

In the world of cultivation, cultivators rarely allow others to know the specifics of their techniques. Once known, it is possible for others to tailor specialized artifacts or methods specifically to counter them. For instance, if one cultivates the "Fire God Scripture," others might know the name, but without having practiced it themselves, they remain ignorant of the finer details.

Weaknesses are known only to the practitioner. It is not merely a matter of water countering fire; it is about how one absorbs spiritual energy, the specific pathways through which mana flows, and the precise points in the meridians where mana accelerates or slows. Knowing these allows an opponent to use specialized techniques or artifacts to disrupt the flow of mana—and a cultivator without mana is no different from a lamb waiting for the slaughter.

In battle, having one's full foundation exposed is fatal.

Therefore, aside from master-disciple lineages, most techniques are passed down through bloodlines, often with minor modifications tailored to the individual's physique. This not only prevents disciples from betraying their masters and causing harm, but also optimizes the technique for the individual. However, unless one possesses profound theoretical knowledge, such modifications are rarely thorough and can sometimes even weaken the technique.

A master passes down a generalized version of a technique suitable for all, rather than the exact version they themselves practice. The disciple, in turn, must walk their own path.

In short, this common knowledge has circulated for years in the cultivation world, and the Holy Mother of the Black Lotus was naturally furious. Her daughter was still weak and lacked the ability to refine her own techniques. If she were to be captured by the rival factions of the Black Emperor Sect, the Holy Mother could not imagine what madness she might commit if she were to lose her daughter a second time.

She immediately flew toward the Liangyi Secret Realm. A moment later:

"Where are they?!!!"

...

Inside the secret realm, the three were greeted by a natural scene filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers. There was a sky and a sun, as if they had arrived in the outside world, yet upon closer inspection, one could discern an artificial quality to it.

"Where is this, Senior?"

"Naturally, we are within the secret realm. But do not move yet; let me calculate."

"Calculate?"

The two young people watched in astonishment as Cao Chengyu tossed the yarrow stalks and began muttering to himself after the coins landed.

Before this trip, because he could utilize the Yin-Yang Five Elements Divine Wheel, he was not afraid of a direct confrontation with the Black Emperor Sect. However, he had cast a divination for himself: red with a hint of pink—a sign of great fortune with a touch of romance—which was, for him, one of the best possible omens.

Now, he was primarily calculating for Lin Yuan and Ning Ruolian.

Lin Yuan’s fortune was deep red with a speck of black, indicating danger that could be resolved through luck. But Ning Ruolian’s was interesting: half red and half black, with red bleeding into black and black into red. It was a rare, shifting omen, meaning her destiny was undergoing a change due to some unknown factor. This transformation was not yet complete, and her future held both fortune and calamity in equal measure.

Whether this future was near or far, he could not be certain, and he certainly would not share this with them.

"Let’s go. This is the location of Master Liangyi’s true dwelling. Oh, right."

Cao Chengyu tossed the Yin-Yang jade pendant back to Lin Yuan. It was a specialized item bound to the user; it possessed a certain spirituality and had already recognized Lin Yuan as its master, making it useless to Cao Chengyu.

With his treasure recovered, Lin Yuan felt a touch more trust toward Cao Chengyu. This "Senior Hua" seemed to possess the integrity of a righteous cultivator.

The three had traveled for less than half an hour when a stone formation blocked their path.

"A formation?"

"Senior Hua, shall we break it?"

"No need."

Cao Chengyu chuckled. Yin-polarized Yang fire, catalyzed by his mana, surged from his hands and landed on the twelve key points of the stone formation. It began its familiar rotation.

He was decoding the password again.

Having become familiar with Master Liangyi’s method of setting up formations, he knew his habits like the back of his hand. This formation was merely a checkpoint to test the depth of one's theoretical knowledge.

In no time, the formation was broken. A pure black, heavy iron hammer rose from the ground and landed in Cao Chengyu’s hand. It was 1.4 meters long, weighed over three hundred jin, and was a classic octagonal hammer.

He sensed it with his divine consciousness.

"A peak third-grade artifact?!"

"The Heaven-Shattering Heavy Hammer. It comes with heavy strike, void-piercing, and lock-on effects. Not bad."

Since Cao Chengyu lacked a suitable artifact, this hammer was perfect for leveraging his body-refining cultivation. As for his disguise—having taken the name Hua Wuque—he naturally could not use the spells he was accustomed to. Obtaining this hammer was perfect for smashing enemies.

The sound of "80, 80, 80" echoed in his heart, making him feel a bit restless.

Seeing Cao Chengyu obtain such a treasure in the blink of an eye, Lin Yuan felt a pang of envy. He reasoned that since Senior Hua was at the Purple Mansion stage, he likely wouldn't gain much from staying with them, but their safety would be guaranteed. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke.

"Senior Hua, your cultivation is profound. It is difficult for us to gain much while staying with you. Shall we split up and act independently?"

He could tell that Senior Hua was not greedy, otherwise he wouldn't have dared to suggest this. Indeed, Senior Hua was not greedy—Cao Chengyu was only greedy for things like the bodies of cultivators to refine into Heavenly Demon Pills, and he had a Six-Eyed Flying Snake belt to store living things. He needed to find an opportunity to replenish his stock of Heavenly Demon Pills; cultivation at the Purple Mansion stage was slow, not just in terms of mana, but because the soul was difficult to advance.

"Of course, but you must agree to one request."

Cao Chengyu smiled.

Lin Yuan nodded, signaling for him to proceed.

"Lin Yuan, you possess that jade pendant; you are likely the successor chosen by Master Liangyi. My purpose in coming here was to ensure that Master Liangyi’s legacy returns to my lineage."

"Therefore, other items do not matter, but I require a copy of the core inheritance regarding the formations."

"Of course, I will not take it for nothing. Tell me what you need; as long as I have it, it is not a problem."

"..."

Lin Yuan was silent for a moment, but eventually nodded. He had learned to be flexible with the Holy Mother of the Black Lotus, so he could certainly be flexible with Cao Chengyu. Besides, this senior did not rely on his superior cultivation to rob him by force and even offered compensation. Furthermore, it wasn't as if he was being denied the knowledge; it was just a copy. Since the legacy belonged to that lineage to begin with, he had no right to stop him. He had no reason to refuse, and he felt a genuine fondness for Senior Hua.

"Very well. I wish you both a smooth journey."

Lin Yuan and Ning Ruolian left together. Cao Chengyu was perfectly happy with this. He began to search for formations on his own; every time he broke one, he gained precious items—spiritual herbs, spirit ores, spells, and Daoist scriptures were as numerous as the stars.