The dense forest hid the sky and covered the earth, far more dense than the trees in the Death Swamp.
A strange fluctuation emanated from the depths of the forest, beckoning Xiao Ye, causing him to move forward involuntarily.
The forest was extremely quiet, or rather deadly silent, not a single living thing was present. The dense trees stood like fortresses, separating this place from the Death Swamp, as if they were two different worlds.
Xiao Ye’s heart raced as he tightened his grip on the Flame Saber, and slowly walked forward.
Half an hour later, Xiao Ye emerged from the forest, and the scene before him suddenly became clear.
What unveiled before him was a vast depression, where numerous stumps stood erect, the earth cracked and desolate, as if it were an ancient battlefield.
Xiao Ye went forward to check and found that these stumps were the remains of a terrifying force, like the battlefield of a duel between two powerful martial artists.
A shudder ran through Xiao Ye’s heart; few martial artists who entered the Death Swamp over the years could have reached this place, let alone come across each other and battle it out.
For example, his ability to reach here was not just due to the Xuan Artifact and the map, but also a significant part of good fortune.
"Could it be that besides the Sixth Elder, other powerful martial artists have entered the Death Swamp?" Xiao Ye suppressed the shock in his heart and continued walking towards the front of the depression.
At this moment, the strange fluctuation calling Xiao Ye intensified. With a tense mind and roving gaze,
suddenly, his pupils contracted violently; he found an ice-cold corpse, sitting cross-legged in the center of the depression, wearing a decayed black robe.
This corpse was different from the ones he had previously encountered. The bones shone with divine light, as if even the power of time could not erase it.
Xiao Ye felt as if he was seeing another version of himself, having gone through a brutal battle and ultimately turning into a cold corpse, sitting here in death.
From this corpse, Xiao Ye felt these two emotions, transporting his mind into that brutal battle.
It was a man in a black robe, standing in the vast Heaven and Earth.
His hair wild, his eyes emitting two beams of Divine Light, his body’s Blood Qi surged tremendously, turning into four Giant Cauldrons suspended above his head, shaking the void, exuding the aura of Suppression of All Heavens.
He stood alone, as if capable of tearing through Heaven, defeating the Nine-layered Heaven.
However, his opponent was even more terrifying; cloaked in endless light was a vague shadow, towering high above the Nine Heavens, looking down coldly at the man in the black robe.
A transcendental battle erupted.
The man in the black robe tilted his head back and howled, the four Giant Cauldrons simultaneously emerging, evolving into Supreme Attack Techniques, causing the land to fracture, rivers to dry up, and the terrifying might disturbed the Nine-layered Heaven.
His Physical Body Power was too strong, a single punch could kill Innate Strong People.
But that enshrouded vague figure, with just one palm strike, made the man in the black robe cough blood and retreat, his body collapsing, blood staining the skies red.
The man in the black robe defied, glaring angrily at the figure towering above the Nine Heavens.
This time, the vague shadow took the initiative to attack, transforming into a sky-covering palm descending upon the man in the black robe, carrying the momentum to sweep away all foes.
This palm strike was like the destruction of Heaven and Earth; below, all Ferocious Beasts turned into a mist of blood, swathes of trees fell, and the ground formed a deep crater.
The man in the black robe reached his peak extreme, releasing the most powerful attack of his life, yet unable to block this palm, like a moth to a flame, resulting in the Four Cauldrons shattering, blood flying everywhere.
With the shattering of the Four Cauldrons, the lifeforce ceased.
The man in the black robe let out a tragic laugh, his face filled with the gray of death, dragging his ruined body, he sat down in the devastated battlefield, turning into an ice-cold Corpse.
Xiao Ye watched this transcendental battle like a bystander, the terrifying might shaking his spirit.
"The man in the black robe is the Sixth Elder!" Xiao Ye regained consciousness, his gaze fixated on the corpse.
This moment, he fully understood that the strange fluctuation which called him here was emitted by the Sixth Elder’s corpse.
Because they both practiced the Four Tripod Heavenly Technique, they shared a special connection.
"The Sixth Elder did not fall in the gravity area but here."
From the seen visage, the Sixth Elder had indeed done it; despite a flawed Cultivation Technique, he went against the grain to condense the Four Cauldron Power, on par with martial artists at the Innate Limit.
And this battlefield was the site of Sixth Elder’s last battle.
"Who was the Sixth Elder’s adversary? Frightfully terrifying." Xiao Ye thought of that aloof vague shadow, and his heart stirred with alarms.
That palm strike would likely be unstoppable even for a Mystic Martial Realm powerhouse.
"That...couldn’t be the Empress’s Evil Fruit mentioned by the Sixth Elder, could it!" Suddenly, this thought flashed through Xiao Ye’s mind, and he felt a chill run down his spine.
Modifying the Cultivation Technique and forcibly breaking through, offending the Empress, being attacked by the energy produced from the Empress’s negative emotions, and ultimately being obliterated.
Xiao Ye pieced together this explanation; the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. After all, who could easily kill the Sixth Elder, and why would such a powerful person come to the Death Swamp to battle the Sixth Elder?
After a long while, Xiao Ye finally calmed down.
"I hope the Body Secret Technique created by the Sixth Elder remains on his body." Xiao Ye, with trepidation, approached the Sixth Elder’s corpse and reached out to touch it.
Xiao Ye’s palm touched a hard object amidst the decayed black robes.
He quickly pulled it out and discovered objects the thickness of a finger, emitting a sinister red glow – it was a crystal, and beside it, a roll of Beast Skin.
"What is this?" Xiao Ye couldn’t recognize the crystals but turned his attention to the roll of Beast Skin.
This piece of beast skin, just like the one in his embrace, were notes from the Sixth Elder.
"I spent two years honing my Physical Body in the gravity zone, and finally took that last step, condensing the Four Cauldrons Power in my body."
"However, this action not only did not establish any Cause and Effect with the Empress, it instead made the Emperor’s Evil Fruit even stronger."
"I deeply feel that my lifeforce is fleeting and do not wish the Secret Technique I created to be lost, so I recorded it specially, hoping it can be passed on."
The back of the beast skin then recorded the contents of the Secret Technique.
"I really didn’t guess wrong! And it even records a powerful Body Combat Skill!" Xiao Ye thought of the majesty when the Sixth Elder activated the four cauldrons and evolved the Attack Technique, and his face was immediately filled with excitement.
That set of Body Combat Skills was simply tailor-made for the Four Tripod Heavenly Technique, as long as he learned it, his strength would surely increase manifold.
After that, he began to study the Body Secret Technique created by the Sixth Elder.
"The Sixth Elder truly is a scholar of Heavenly People, able to create such a Secret Technique." After finishing reading, Xiao Ye exclaimed, full of admiration for the Sixth Elder.
"These crystals are called Blood Vein Crystals, a kind of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that can rapidly condense the Two Tripods Power as long as they are integrated into the body."
"These ten were specially collected by the Sixth Elder for his breakthrough; they were the ones he had left over, and now they have helped me instead." Xiao Ye played with the Blood Vein Crystals in his hand.
Suddenly the Sixth Elder’s corpse vibrated suddenly, and then with a bang, it shattered.
No strong person can withstand the Power of Time; after death, they all must turn to dust.
Xiao Ye sighed gently, ready to move forward to bury the Sixth Elder’s remains.
A supremely terrifying Suppression suddenly appeared, sweeping across the entire Death Swamp.
At this moment, winds and clouds changed, Heaven and Earth trembled restlessly.
The formerly very active Ferocious Beasts, terror emerged in their eyes, fearfully looking in the direction of the forest, then lying on the ground, trembling.
Xiao Ye, caught off guard, was pressed down to the ground in an instant, unable to move at all, even breathing became very difficult.
A figure enshrouded in endless Divine Light stepped out from the shattered corpse of the Sixth Elder, arrived above the Heaven, and looked down at Xiao Ye indifferently.
"Emperor’s Evil Fruit!" Xiao Ye was frightened out of his wits, staring agape.
The Empress’ dignity, not to be offended!
Even though the Sixth Elder had died twenty years ago, the Emperor’s Evil Fruit still had not dissipated.
"What should I do?" Xiao Ye was extremely nervous, if the Emperor’s Evil Fruit wanted to kill him, probably just a thought would be enough, let alone now he was completely immobilized.
Could it be that he would die here right after obtaining the Sixth Elder’s Secret Technique?
That figure cloaked in endless Divine Light, looked down high above at Xiao Ye for a long time, then as if giving up, stepped out, dissipating between Heaven and Earth, as if it had never appeared.
"Too terrifying." Xiao Ye climbed up with lingering fears, his complexion pale.
It was the Sixth Elder who ended up with the Emperor’s Evil Fruit issue, so it did not make a move against him, otherwise, no one could have saved him.
That scene was too real, although it was just the energy produced by the Empress’ negative emotions, it was as if the Empress herself had arrived, exuding the Great Emperor’s Power.
"That Realm is too far away from me, what’s important is to enhance the Power of my Physical Body."
Xiao Ye suppressed the shock in his heart, then dug a big pit, put the shattered remains of the Sixth Elder into it, and then covered it with earth, making a simple tombstone with trees.
"Sixth Elder, this junior thanks you for the grace of your Secret Technique." Xiao Ye bowed deeply as a gesture of respect.
After doing all this, Xiao Ye picked up a Blood Vein Crystal.
"As long as my Physical Body can break through to the Two Tripods Power, I will be able to stand at the peak of the Inner Sect Disciples! Another breakthrough to the Three Cauldrons Power, even Zhao Qian will not be my match!" A sharp gleam flashed in Xiao Ye’s eyes.
He wouldn’t forget, in the Judgement Hall, how Zhao Qian forcibly altered the judgment result.
If he didn’t have enough strength, even if he now returned to the Sect, he would definitely face the same outcome again.
"Zhao Qian, new grudges and old hatred, I will settle them all with you." Xiao Ye picked up a Blood Vein Crystal, laid it flat in his palm according to the method recorded by the Sixth Elder.
Instantly, a torrent of powerful Energy surged out from the Blood Vein Crystal, traveling over Xiao Ye’s Physical Body.
Xiao Ye’s body trembled as the energy from the Blood Luo Crystal cut through his Physical Body like blades.
The pain penetrated deep into his bones and Soul, Xiao Ye gasped in pain, almost passing out.
The Blood Vein Crystal forcibly enhances the Power of the Physical Body, this act is naturally very painful because it goes against nature.
"No! I must persevere! If I can’t even withstand this pain, how can I defeat Zhao Qian!" Xiao Ye gritted his teeth, so much so that a trickle of fresh blood seeped from between them.
The energy from the Blood Vein Crystal was transforming Xiao Ye’s Physical Body, the Power of his Physical Body enhanced with each moment.
(First update here, sorry, it’s a bit late.)