"Of course I wish to," Yu Ci responded with a smile. He saw clearly that Elder Chu was fishing for information, but his technique was crude, so he did not bite. "Unfortunately, I have nothing on me that is ten times more precious than the Blood Treasure."

Elder Chu, noticing his attitude, realized he had been too eager. Having devoted his life to studying the ways of the Divine Soul, he was adept at understanding human nature but lacked practical skills and patience. He grumbled:

"Don't play dumb, I'm sure you have something."

He kept his gaze on Yu Ci. "I've observed over these days that you act without restraint, yet your Divine Soul injury improves day by day. You must have a method to dissipate Yin and Evil Qi and nurture the Divine Soul. I have spent my life studying the ways of the Divine Soul and need to collect similar methods. If you are willing, I am prepared to offer another Mirage Jade Scroll in exchange!

"This Mirage Jade Scroll originated from the Heaven Escape Sect a catastrophe ago. It records some teachings within the sect, demonstrating twenty-four fragments of Escape Techniques and sword killing methods, encompassing both Physical Spirit. Although it doesn't elaborate on the essence, those who study the Sword Way will surely benefit from it. Its value far exceeds that of the 'Light Extinguishing Escape Method'. What do you think?"

Yu Ci was intrigued upon hearing this. A Mirage Jade Scroll is a special method of storing various images in a jade slip, both static and dynamic. High-level Mirage Jade Scrolls can fully reproduce the sound and light effects of dynamic images. Some special types can even retain smell and touch, hence their high value. The one Elder Chu mentioned must be of high quality, and the images contained within would not be inferior.

It would be excellent to witness the secret killing sword of the Heaven Escape Sect and study the mysteries of its sword aura, but unfortunately...

Yu Ci shook his head. "Elder Chu, the Heaven Escape Killing Sword and the like may have reference value for me, but they are not necessities. I have my own path of the sword. While it may not be flawless, it is the result of years of refinement and has become a habit. The 'strike and retreat a thousand miles if not hit' method of the Heaven Escape Killing Sword is actually quite different from my 'seizing the moment of life and death' approach..."

Speaking of sword aura, Yu Ci became unconsciously enthusiastic, almost launching into a lengthy discourse. He only halted when he saw Elder Chu's displeased expression, and forcefully dragged the topic back. "Also, I don't want to hide from you, my ability to nurture the Divine Soul is not due to any method, but relies on external objects. As for what these objects are, I'm afraid I can't reveal due to their importance, and they are certainly not for trade. Therefore, I have to let this opportunity pass."

On this point, Yu Ci was indeed not lying. The rapid recovery of his Divine Soul injury was due to the "Qi of the Heavenly Dragon True Form" obtained from the Fish-Dragon and the True Purple Smoke Warm Jade. Both items were quite private and it was impossible to share them with others.

Thus, it did not matter whether what Elder Chu presented was merely the Mirage Jade Scroll or even the core secret manual of the Heaven Escape Sect, Yu Ci was not in a position to make the exchange.

Elder Chu stared intently at Yu Ci. After a while, he finally confirmed that Yu Ci was not haggling over the price, but was indeed rejecting his offer. His bald forehead began to redden, a precursor to his impending rage.

Yu Ci was prepared for a verbal onslaught, yet for some reason, the old man swallowed his anger. He grunted, pushed past Yu Ci who was blocking his way, and headed towards the warehouse. Just before entering, he stopped and turned around:

"I don't know what method you have to dissolve Sha energy, perhaps you are very confident, but I must remind you, matters involving the Divine Soul are the most mysterious of all. The so-called Heart Demon, if it could be easily swept away like dust and dirt, it wouldn't be called a Heart Demon!"

He was a master in the study of Divine Souls. His judgement in this matter was not like commenting on swordsmanship as an amateur. He pointed to his own head:

"The Heart Demon is not an external object, but the Divine Soul itself. The so-called Heart Demon's Evil Energy is merely its external appearance, purely to scare people. The real Heart Demon is formless and invisible, subtly influencing you unknowingly, confusing your mind. Once it takes root, your Divine Soul has already mutated. To reverse this is extremely difficult.

"Don't think that having a treasure can protect you and you can rest easy. Look at those who have practiced hard for thousands of years and achieved True Immortality. Which of them does not have several methods or treasures to deal with the Heart Demon? But in the following Tribulation, those who died because of the Heart Demon have never ceased from ancient times to the present!

"As for the prevalence of Heart Demons, this world has the highest cultivation level with the sword. Because the sword gives birth to Sha, it entangles one's life. It's either the sword slaying the Heart Demon, or the Heart Demon destroying the sword. You are not a sword cultivator, but you can give birth to Sha with a sword, invincible. The corresponding Heart Demon entanglement is also inevitable in the future. If you want to avoid its disaster, you should prepare for it now. I've said all I can, you should take care of yourself!"

With that, Elder Chu left with a sweep of his sleeve. His words sounded like a threat, even a curse, but given the old man's character, he wouldn't stoop so low. Yu Ci felt this was more of a declaration of washing his hands off the matter, feeling helpless. He couldn't help but laugh, realizing that this matter was still somewhat ethereal, at least not as urgent as the current situation. He temporarily put it out of his mind, returned to the warehouse to recuperate and prepare for possible troubles ahead.

Stolen story; please report.

There were no more incidents until the long night passed.

The beast tide had already swept over the mountain and was rushing eastward, leaving a rare silence in the wilderness. However, from Yu Ci downwards, no one was overly optimistic. The panicked and chaotic beast tide had passed, and if there was no threat like the cold wave of the Sky Rift Valley to the west, most of the wild beasts would return to their original habitats. But in this process, there would inevitably be bloodthirsty and frenzied battles between predatory birds and beasts for territory. At that time, the real test for the dock would come.

Therefore, the atmosphere in the dock was still heavy. Although it was already daytime, there was no change in the sealed mountain belly. Most of the cultivators in the warehouse remained silent, meditating and recuperating on their own. Even if someone spoke, they unconsciously lowered their voices, as if afraid that the sound would reach outside and bring disaster.

Yu Ci found the atmosphere displeasing, and without further ado, he rose and retreated to his room. After the battle of the previous night, he had subtly become the most prominent figure at the docks. No one would question his actions, and even if they did, they would not voice them.

Inside his room, Yu Ci first used the "Qi Leading Method" to train his Talisman, then set aside some time to refine the Divine Bronze Mirror and the Tao Scripture Master Three Treasure Seal, two Magical Instruments. Finally, he adjusted his mindset with the "Method of Returning to Void and Combining", and activated the "Inner Void of the Heart" to observe the degree of assimilation between the Qi of the Heavenly Dragon True Form and his Divine Soul Vitality. This was a daily routine, and by the time he finished the entire set, it was already noon.

Following his usual schedule, after lunch, it was time to reorganize and study Sword aura. He would contemplate and practice simultaneously, usually until evening. However, today, Yu Ci suddenly felt like changing things up.

He took out the newly acquired "Light Extinguishing Escape Method" Jade Slip, and scanned it with his divine sense. From what he could gather, this Escape Technique was relatively simple. The Jade Slip contained a few hundred words and several simple images that explained it clearly, and anyone with an initial Cultivation Level of Nature-Connecting could attempt to cultivate it.

The Light Extinguishing Escape Method had nine basic stances, including flying, running, rolling, leaping, pouncing, crouching, sidestepping, backflipping, and standing still. These nine stances were guided by a master mantra, and each stance had corresponding principles of Qi flow, such as where to condense Qi when flying and how to vibrate the Qi channels when sidestepping.

The Jade Slip was detailed and devoid of any obfuscation or obscure theories. It was evident that the creator of this Jade Slip intended to impart a "practical skill", not anything else.

Yu Ci had "Primordial Qi" by his side, and his meridians' Qi and Blood flow were almost unobstructed. After some thought, he realized that these methods of Qi flow were not difficult for him. However, he also noticed that there were some basic Curse techniques mixed in, which were vaguely connected to the Five Elements Escape Technique.

This was not surprising. The Five Elements Escape Technique, based on the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, was the most fundamental among all Escape Techniques in the world. It was said to be easily integrated with any other Escape Technique. The "Light Extinguishing Escape Method" that Yu Ci encountered was more akin to physical displacement. Without connecting to the Five Elements Escape Technique, it would be somewhat inconsistent with its name.

Although the Five Elements Escape Technique was the most basic of basics for a Cultivator, Yu Ci was not proficient in it. He was a maverick, and had only encountered the Five Elements Escape Technique during his time at the Still Heart Temple, where he had practiced the Earth Escape to the level of a "Wall-Piercing Technique".

At this moment, he began practicing the "Light Extinguishing Escape Method." Everything else was fine, but the part involving the Five Elements Escape Technique was somewhat rough when combined. The room was small, making practice inconvenient. After making a few gestures, he shook his head, choosing not to continue, and began to contemplate the difficulties in his mind.

In the belly of the mountain, it was hard to tell the time of day, but the mechanical system had solved this problem. At the beginning of the hour of the Monkey, a copper bell rang clearly in the room. This was the signal for Yu Ci to take over the watch.

Yu Ci didn't delay. He got ready and headed to the Central Docking Array. The one who had been on duty before him was Yan Hao, but when Yu Ci walked into the central area, the honest man's face didn't look good.

"What happened?"

"Just now, a beast broke into the Jue Valley Docking Formation."

Using the Round Light Spell, the mirror on the wall of the room showed the current situation of the Jue Valley Docking Formation. Indeed, there were beasts in the valley where the Guiding Cloud Shuttle was docked, and not just one, but two. Unluckily, both beasts were large and were fiercely fighting each other, oblivious to the damage their battle could cause to the Rune Patterns of the Docking Array.

Yu Ci shook his head, "Alright, I'll go take care of them."

Such matters couldn't be delayed. The longer it took, the greater the damage to the Rune Patterns of the Docking Array, and the more difficult it would be to repair. Yan Hao was the only one at the dock who had the ability to repair the Defensive Formation. If the damage was too extensive, it could take three to five months to repair. Naturally, Yu Ci wouldn't let this happen.

He turned to leave but suddenly stopped, "Do I have to go around...?"

To get to the Jue Valley Docking Formation, the normal route was to go from the upper level of the mountain to the lower level, enter the Dock, open the tunnel connected to the valley, and then enter the valley. All in all, it would take nearly a minute. By then, the beasts would have caused considerable damage to the Docking Array.

Why not go directly instead!

At first, it was just a thought, but after an afternoon of contemplating and even practicing the "Light Extinguishing Escape Method," both Yu Ci's mind and body were in a very active state. It was this thought that sparked his vitality.

Without thinking too much, Yu Ci leaped, directly crashing into the thick rock layer.

There was no impact sound. Yu Ci's body, like a wave of insubstantial smoke, instantly seeped into the cliff wall.

Yan Hao reflexively looked at the round mirror on the wall, only to see in the valley, the necks of the two fighting beasts suddenly spurted blood like fog. Their massive bodies, without losing momentum, collided heavily with each other, twitching in overlapping convulsions, entering a state of near death.

From the shadow of the cliff wall beside them, Yu Ci's figure gradually became clear, finally appearing next to the two beasts, staring blankly at their corpses.

...