I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 236 I Won't Hold You Back
Chen Ming was quite interested in the legendary dual cultivation technique. He came to the stone wall and examined it carefully. The stone wall was polished very smooth, and the words carved on it looked quite old.

He looked at it for a while and became engrossed in its contents.

After what seemed like an eternity, I finally finished reading the entire inscription on the stone.

"This 'Path of All Beings' is truly profound and extensive!"

Chen Ming made this remark.

The content here is all-encompassing, and the creator named it "The Path of All Beings," which includes several cultivation methods and many secret techniques.

The most important part is the art of cultivating both body and spirit, but it is not the kind of "dual cultivation" in the narrow sense.

The first step in this cultivation method is the dual cultivation of one's own body and spirit. Next is dual cultivation with a Daoist partner. At a higher level, it involves dual cultivation with all sentient beings, thereby achieving the state where the power of all sentient beings is my power. As long as sentient beings exist, I will not perish.

Of course, this is the ultimate goal.

Chen Ming highly doubted that even the creator of this technique had reached this level. The so-called dual cultivation with all living beings likely existed only in theory. Whether one could actually reach this level was a big question mark.

However, even so, the content of the first two layers alone is already quite profound.

The secret techniques recorded within are quite wicked. These include the art of sexual cultivation, which can rapidly increase one's power. There are also several other extremely insidious methods, such as the Heart-Eating Thorn and the Mind-Taming Technique.

There's also the technique of concealing one's breath that Chen Ming has been longing for.

There was too much information on the stone wall, so he could only write it down for now.

Fortunately, after he gained a basic grasp of sword intent, his spiritual sense became much stronger, and he acquired the ability to remember everything he saw. He wouldn't forget anything he memorized in a short period of time.

Nie Hongyi had already buried several corpses. Seeing him say this, she asked, "Brother Gu, have you finished looking at them?"

Chen Ming bowed deeply to her and thanked her sincerely, "Thank you, Miss Nie, for allowing me to comprehend your sect's techniques. Your magnanimity is truly admirable."

After reading the contents, he realized how much of a bargain he had gained.

A strange look appeared in Nie Hongyi's eyes as she said, "Young master, please don't thank me yet. Actually, I'd like to ask you for a favor after you've learned the techniques in this book."

“Please speak, young lady. As long as it is within my power, I, Gu Xianyu, will not refuse.”

"There's no rush. Let's wait until you've mastered the second realm of the 'Path of All Beings.' This divine skill is profound and complex. My master practiced it for half his life but still couldn't reach the second realm. He could only learn the unorthodox 'Heaven-Mending Skill.'"

Chen Ming knew that the "Heaven-Mending Technique" was the same as the technique of sexual cultivation. Compared to the "Path of All Beings," the "Heaven-Mending Technique" was indeed a heretical and unorthodox method.

Nie Hongyi continued, "All I want is a promise from you, young master. If you can reach the second realm, you must help me deal with someone."

"Alright, as long as the person you ask me to deal with is within my capabilities, I will have no objections."

"It's a word."

Nie Hongyi raised one hand.

"It's a word."

Seeing this, Chen Ming gave her a high five. He didn't intend to renege on his promise, but he didn't know when they would meet again.

Then, Nie Hongyi raised her hand, and several sword beams flew out, destroying all the inscriptions on the stone wall. With a single move, she displayed the cultivation of a second-grade expert.

Chen Ming wasn't too surprised by this. Even with Xie Jianqiu's first-grade cultivation, he didn't dare to forcibly extract her essence, which showed that her cultivation was definitely not weak.

It seems she is not as young as she looks.

Normally, to cultivate to the second rank, no matter how exceptionally talented one is, one would be in their mid-twenties or even thirties.

In this book, "The Way of All Beings," there are several practices suitable for women to cultivate, which should all have the effect of preserving youth.

The three female corpses we just saw all looked to be in their early twenties.

After dealing with these matters, Nie Hongyi said, "Let's go."

Chen Ming called Jiang Yingxue over. She was a sensible girl, so she kept her distance, turned her back to him, and didn't look at the secret carvings on the stone wall.

Those are the secret techniques of that sect; peeking at them is a major taboo in the martial arts world.

Nie Hongyi took the lead and jumped into the water.

Chen Ming handed the leather strap to Jiang Yingxue and told her to tie it herself.

"Chen—" She had barely opened her mouth when she saw Chen Ming's stern gaze, so she quickly changed her words, "Brother Gu, you have to be careful of this woman. She doesn't tell the truth."

“How come you see?”

"She said those corpses were her master and mistress, but there was no sadness on her face; she was as indifferent as a stranger. I'm afraid even the name Nie Hongyi is fake."

"Ah."

Chen Ming nodded without saying anything more.

He could more or less guess the reason behind it, but since it involved Nie Hongyi's privacy, he couldn't tell her.

The cultivation methods specifically designed for women within "The Path of All Beings" are extraordinary, possessing remarkable effects on dual cultivation. According to the methods, if one can find a woman with a special physique, it may even be possible to directly break through bottlenecks and advance to a higher realm.

Since Nie Hongyi's master cultivated the "Heaven-Mending Technique," he would most likely find some women with outstanding aptitude, teach them these techniques, and then cultivate with them to break through his cultivation level.

She was called an apprentice, but she was actually a child bride, no, she should be considered a concubine, just a vessel for practicing martial arts.

It's understandable that Nie Hongyi didn't have any feelings for her master.

Xie Jianqiu's capture of Jiang Yingxue was likely for the same purpose: to get her to switch to one of his cultivation techniques, then cultivate with him, and thus break through to the peak of the first rank.

Then, he can enter the secret realm, unlock the divine treasure, and step into the realm of divine treasure.

Jiang Yingxue must possess some kind of special physique to have caught Xie Jianqiu's eye.

"Let's go." Chen Ming put aside his complicated thoughts, grabbed Jiang Yingxue, and jumped into the dark river.

……

Chen Ming and Jiang Yingxue swam in the turbulent underground river for nearly fifteen minutes. The current of the underground river became more and more rapid, and he didn't need to exert any effort to go downstream and merge with the underground current into the main river.

The current was swift, so he held Jiang Yingxue in his arms to prevent her from being swept away.

Finally, with a splash, the two of them emerged from the water.

"Brother Gu, we've escaped!"

When Jiang Yingxue opened her eyes and saw the clear blue sky, a feeling of joy at escaping death welled up in her heart. She hugged his neck tightly and shouted excitedly.

Chen Ming wrapped his arms around her waist, leaped out of the water, walked on the water, and flew all the way to the shore. He then put her down and untied the ropes.

He felt soaked and uncomfortable, so he used his internal energy to evaporate the moisture. He looked around and said, "I wonder where this place is."

Turning her head, she saw Jiang Yingxue's soaked clothes clinging tightly to her body, as if she were a little cold, and she was hugging her arms and shivering slightly.

This little girl has quite a lot of assets.

Chen Ming thought to himself, grabbed her hand, and transmitted a stream of internal energy to her to help her detoxify. He then discovered that the poison had been almost completely neutralized, and her internal energy had also recovered considerably.

He was taken aback, realizing that she had been faking it.

With her fifth-grade cultivation level, holding her breath for a quarter of an hour was not difficult for her. However, she pretended that she couldn't hold it in and asked him to lend her breath several times.

Jiang Yingxue's little scheme was exposed, and even though she was thick-skinned, she blushed with embarrassment and lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

Chen Ming glared at her but didn't argue with her. He turned around and looked around, asking curiously, "Where is Miss Nie?"

While circulating her internal energy to ward off the cold, Jiang Yingxue whispered, "Could it have run away on its own?"

Why is she running?
Finding no one there, Chen Ming had no choice but to give up. He turned to Jiang Yingxue and decided to make things clear to her, "Miss Jiang, there's something I must tell you. I already have a family—"

That doesn't count!

Jiang Yingxue said urgently, "You and that little bitch surnamed Yu didn't even have a wedding ceremony. She even claims to others that she's your wife. She's truly shameless."

What and what?
A little bitch surnamed Yu?

Chen Ming was confused by her. Could it be Yu Haitang?
This seems like something she would do; most likely, this is how she protects my family.

He finally learned some things about his family, which put his mind at ease. With Yu Haitang protecting him, no one should be able to harm his family.

As expected of someone who has shared life and death with you, she is quite loyal.

Chen Ming thought to himself, then put on a stern face. "I don't know anyone surnamed Yu. My wife is the daughter of the leader of the Xia Zhou Money Gang; everyone in Xia Zhou knows that. So, you shouldn't—"

Before she could finish saying "wishful thinking," Jiang Yingxue suddenly clapped her hands and said excitedly, "I know! A hero like Brother Chen—Brother Gu—wouldn't be held back by a woman. That way, Brother Gu can marry me under a different identity, and everyone will be happy."

Everyone's happy with your head!

Chen Ming couldn't hold back any longer, tapped her on the head, and scolded, "What on earth are you thinking?"

Jiang Yingxue covered her head, looked at him with a wronged expression, and pouted, "It hurts!"

He said with a stern face, "I am devoted to martial arts and will never be bound by romantic feelings. Don't say such things again, otherwise, we will never see each other again."

"Don't worry, I will never hold you back. My family has three secret realms. Once you reach the first rank, I can help you secure a spot to unlock the divine treasure. When I reach the third rank, I can also learn my family's divine skills, which I can then teach you. And..."

"..."

Chen Ming couldn't listen anymore; if he listened any longer, he would really be tempted.

He leaped up and jumped to the top of the tallest tree, looking around for Nie Hongyi's whereabouts.

Where did she go?
Could something have gone wrong?

Or--

Huh?
Suddenly, Chen Ming spotted a figure about a mile away and said, "Wait for me here."

Then, he flew off in that direction.

"Senior Tao, is it really you?"

Chen Ming arrived at a large tree and saw a familiar figure, exclaiming with delight.

"Quick - run -"

When Tao Zhiquan saw him, his eyes showed anxiety, and he spoke in a weak voice.

Just then, Chen Ming felt his hair stand on end, as if he were being locked onto by a chilling aura.

Oh no, it's Xie Jianqiu!
His heart sank.

What's that old scoundrel doing here?

In the face of life and death, Chen Ming suddenly looked at Tao Zhiquan, who was lying in front of him on the verge of death, and asked in a deep voice, "Senior, is there any wish you haven't fulfilled?"

Tao Zhiquan had been struck by Xie Jianqiu's sword, his life force already severed. He was merely clinging to life, not yet dead. Looking at the young man before him, he weakly said, "The only thing I can't let go of... is my granddaughter... Tao Fang—"

He did not mention revenge, clearly indicating that, on his deathbed, his granddaughter was more important to him than revenge.

PS: Thank you to the first reader "Jingqi" who lit up the light of the great author! This is the first update today, please vote with monthly tickets.

(End of this chapter)