Ten thousand I am across the heavens

"You better shut up, kid." The Ghostly Demon Lord was the owner of that giant hand. At this moment, he acted like a ruthless robber, stretching out an invisible hand and slamming the unlucky guy who had just become an immortal to the ground.

"A useless immortal like you, who has just become an immortal and hasn't even refined any immortal gu yet, is simply the best furnace for me. From now on, you don't need to do anything. Just obediently produce immortal essence for me, and I can at least guarantee that you can live out your old age in peace. If you dare to have any other crooked thoughts, I will cripple you immediately."

As he spoke, one writhing Gu worm after another crawled out and swiftly burrowed into his body. These were Gu worms used to control others. Each one, once activated, could cause a fate worse than death, and could even instantly take the life of an immortal.

After completing all this, the Ghostly Demon Lord released his restraints. Although this fellow was ignorant and incompetent, he had come to understand the effects of the terrifying Gu worms within him during his growth. At this moment, he dared not act rashly and was forced to slowly refine his immortal essence as instructed.

The Ghostly Demon Lord acted as if he didn't exist, walking to a stone tablet and frowning as he read its inscription.

The stone tablet was densely inscribed with characters recording a highly mysterious killing technique. The Ghostly Demon Lord sat before the tablet, pondering and trying it repeatedly. However, he could only occasionally let out a muffled groan. It seemed that something had gone wrong during his cultivation.

"What a complex ancient killing move. It's so difficult to cultivate. Fortunately, I've already obtained this stone tablet. Even if I can't master it today, I'll master it sooner or later. When my power increases significantly, hmph! You just wait!"

After saying that, he continued to try to cultivate, but failed repeatedly. He even coughed up a little blood on his last attempt. It seemed that he truly lacked the talent to succeed.

Upon witnessing this scene, the unfortunate man had a sudden realization: the stone tablet wasn't positioned to avoid him, nor was it too far from his range of movement. With his formidable strength, he could barely make out what was written on the stone tablet.

Seeing that the Ghostly Demon Lord had left the stone tablet to attend to other matters, he quickly and silently moved closer to it, thinking he was being very discreet as he peeked at the inscriptions on the tablet.

"Even a seasoned immortal like him believes that mastering this killing move will greatly increase one's power. Does that mean that if I master this killing move, I might be able to turn the tables and defeat this old man?"

Just because this old man can't learn it doesn't mean I can't. Even immortals like him might not have better talent than me. After all, I've only cultivated for two and a half years and already broken through to the immortal realm—absolutely unparalleled talent. I want to see just how difficult it is to master this ancient killing move on the stone tablet.”

Upon carefully reading the instructions for the killing move, he discovered that the Gu worms used were all quite common. He had recognized almost all of them throughout his cultivation journey, and many even possessed some within his body. These ordinary Gu worms were of little value. The Ghostly Demon Lord hadn't even withdrawn them from his body; they remained there.

This rekindled his hope, and he carefully read the contents of the stone tablet, beginning to cultivate step by step according to the steps on it. "Truly, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. I thought this was my great calamity, but it turned out to be my opportunity. This killing move is truly exquisite; no wonder that old geezer couldn't learn it. It's indeed much more difficult than the killing moves I've learned before. Hmph, once I learn it, you'll be in for a surprise. Although it's difficult, I'm not as completely incomprehensible as he was. Indeed, I possess the most outstanding talent in the world. As long as I can get through this hurdle, the sea will be wide enough for fish to leap and the sky high enough for birds to fly. Just wait, I will be the new Venerable One in the future."

The Ghostly Demon Lord, secretly monitoring this scene through his immortal aperture authority, nodded in satisfaction. Some things need to be discovered and tried by him; forcing him to cultivate might backfire, leading to rebellion or a lack of seriousness. He suspected there was a trap involved.

Such a crude scheme would likely have fooled a more astute individual. However, the unfortunate soul he chose was one with poor abilities in every aspect. Naturally, he failed to see through the trick and began diligently practicing this deadly move. His ability to master it wasn't due to exceptional talent, but rather because the move itself wasn't particularly difficult.

While the killing technique system developed by the Republic of Mountains and Rivers is incredibly complex, as long as the techniques are created and optimized according to the standardized process of this system, high aptitude is not required for mastery. Complex steps are broken down into simpler ones, allowing for gradual practice. Ultimately, even those with average talent can learn incredibly complex killing techniques through hard work and gradual accumulation. While their application might be somewhat rigid and inflexible compared to those with exceptional talent, and some highly advanced techniques might be impossible to execute, mastering them is certainly achievable.

As for this unlucky guy finding it a bit difficult, it only shows that his talent and aptitude are indeed relatively poor. Faced with a killing move that has been broken down into simple steps as much as possible, he still finds it somewhat difficult to cultivate.

Time flows by seemingly calmly, yet in reality, it is turbulent. As the Ghostly Demon Lord continues his daily routine, like clocking in for work, he comes before the stone tablet to try and comprehend its meaning, performing his repeated failures to motivate the unfortunate souls he has captured.

And this guy, stumbling along the way, gradually learned most of the killing moves. So far, he hasn't sensed anything strange, nor has he realized why he happens to possess the vast majority of the Gu worms needed for the killing moves.

The more he cultivated, the more he realized he had stumbled upon an incredible opportunity. He had never seen such a refined and exquisite killing move before. He could hardly believe such a sophisticated technique existed in this world. The more he cultivated, the more certain he became that if he could master this move, he could easily kill the bastard who imprisoned him. He would then imprison the bastard, turning him into a slave who could only produce immortal energy for him, and subject him to daily humiliation to vent his hatred.

Meanwhile, the Ghostly Demon Lord observed his changes day by day, gradually understanding the general process of the killing move's operation. He confirmed that this process did not cause any damage to his body or create any hidden dangers that might remain within him. His trust in his future self was also increasing little by little. At the same time, he prepared to face the counterattack from the one he had nurtured.

[To be continued]

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