Chapter 70: Peerless Talent

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Peerless Talent

So that’s how it is.

Chen Yue’s eyes narrowed slightly. ’It’s one thing that their reinforcements haven’t arrived, but another major reason is that they plan to harvest all the Martial Artists in Youlin County, especially the elite ones, like high-quality medicinal ingredients.’

"When do you plan to make your move?" Chen Yue asked in a low voice.

Guo Xun shook his head. "The specific date... is top secret. Only the Prefecture’s Stewards, or someone like Elder Gu, are qualified to know. I’m just a subordinate who follows orders. I really don’t know."

"Guo Xun! You spineless coward... afraid of death! You... how dare you... COUGH COUGH..."

Just then, Gu Yiqiu, who had been suffering from the torture, relied on the tenacious Life Force and willpower of a Marrow Refining Realm expert to forcibly break through some of his sealed Qi Veins, roaring in a hoarse, venomous rage.

Gu Yiqiu’s eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Guo Xun, looking as if he wanted to swallow him whole.

Chen Yue’s brow twitched slightly. He turned to Gu Yiqiu. ’I’ve underestimated the resilience of a Marrow Refining Realm expert.’

Chen Yue again formed a finger-sword and struck several acupoints on Gu Yiqiu’s torso related to his nerves and the circulation of his Qi Blood, as well as the side of his throat, sealing his voice once more.

"Urk!"

Gu Yiqiu’s body arched violently as he was once again plunged into silent, agonizing tremors and convulsions. The faint glimmer of spirit he had just regained was instantly drowned in pain.

Chen Yue looked away from him, his gaze falling back on the deathly pale Guo Xun.

"The Divine Flame Cult and your Youquan Prefecture—how many Marrow Refining Realm experts does each side have in Youlin County right now? And how many at the Bone Forging realm?"

Seeing Gu Yiqiu’s even more miserable state, Guo Xun felt his own heart clench.

"I don’t know the exact numbers for the Divine Flame Cult, but based on our investigations and judgment, they should have seven or eight Bone Forging realm experts here, and... at least two in the Marrow Refining Realm.

Our Youquan Prefecture is about the same. Seven or eight at the Bone Forging realm, and for the Marrow Refining Realm, besides Elder Gu, there’s another one holding down the rear..."

Chen Yue listened in silence. The information was important, but he had no way to immediately verify its authenticity.

His understanding of this world, especially of these colossal powers hidden beneath the surface, was still too limited. Guo Xun’s words could only be taken as a reference.

An idea suddenly struck Chen Yue, and he asked an unrelated question. "What do you know about the Alchemy Ghost that the Divine Flame Cult has been secretly refining?"

"Alchemy Ghost?"

Guo Xun’s eyes showed a blank and confused expression. He thought hard for a moment. "This... I’ve never heard of it. The Divine Flame Cult has always acted secretively. Perhaps only Elder Gu, or the higher-ups in the Prefecture, might know something..."

Chen Yue carefully observed Guo Xun’s expression and the flicker in his eyes. With the keen perception of his Heart Spirit, sharpened by his Minor Success in the Heart Nourishing Technique, it seemed the man wasn’t lying.

"Good."

Chen Yue nodded. The next moment, his right fist shot out like lightning, landing squarely on the left side of Guo Xun’s chest, right over his heart.

THUD!

With a dull thud, the Dark Force contained within the fist instantly shattered Guo Xun’s heart.

Guo Xun’s body stiffened, his eyes flying wide open.

He could feel his life fading rapidly, and indeed, he did not feel the heart-wrenching, soul-deep agony that Gu Yiqiu had experienced.

Chen Yue had kept his promise and given him a dignified end.

Chen Yue slowly withdrew his fist and stood up.

The interrogation had come to an end for now, but even more questions weighed on Chen Yue’s mind.

Chen Yue’s gaze returned to Gu Yiqiu, who was still twitching silently. After a dozen or so breaths, the violent tremors gradually subsided. Like a drowning man pulled from the water, Gu Yiqiu gasped for air, each breath accompanied by bloody foam and a whistling hiss.

His unfocused eyes struggled to lock onto Chen Yue.

"That Palm Technique you used just now was fierce, domineering, and incredibly powerful. Very impressive," Chen Yue said suddenly.

Hearing this, Gu Yiqiu was stunned for a moment, apparently not expecting Chen Yue to suddenly bring this up.

Then, as if he’d heard the most absurd joke in the world, a strange "HEH HEH" sound escaped his throat, which turned into wild and mournful laughter. The laughter aggravated his injuries, causing him to cough up more black blood.

"HAHAHA... Junior! You’re going to kill me, but don’t tell me... at the very end, you want to force this old man to pass on the secrets of the Great Vajra Palm to you?"

A serious smile appeared on Chen Yue’s face. "You misunderstand. I just feel that this Palm Technique’s potential is wasted in your hands."

Gu Yiqiu’s laughter stopped abruptly. He glared daggers at Chen Yue.

If this were any other time, and someone dared to criticize the Great Vajra Palm he had painstakingly cultivated for decades, he would have torn them to pieces.

But now... the young man before him, with his Bone Forging Cultivation, had fought up a realm, clashed with, and ultimately defeated him, a Marrow Refining Realm expert. The strength and potential he displayed were simply monstrous.

’If this was truly an achievement he reached through his own talent... then his words aren’t arrogance.’

’If the Great Vajra Palm were truly cultivated by such a monstrous talent, what kind of brilliance would it display?’

But in the next moment, boundless resentment and despair drowned this fleeting thought.

"What has that got to do with you?"

Gu Yiqiu roared hoarsely, his voice like a broken gong. "I am a dead man walking! My Cultivation Technique’s lineage will vanish with me like smoke! Even if you have peerless talent, what does it have to do with this old man!"

Chen Yue paid no mind to his roaring, merely watching him calmly.

Gu Yiqiu panted heavily. After meeting Chen Yue’s gaze for a moment, the madness in his eyes was gradually replaced by a deep exhaustion and dead silence.

He was no masochist. He had no desire to keep enduring the extreme agony from before.

Gu Yiqiu grinned, revealing blood-stained teeth, and said in a raspy voice, "Junior, the greatest taboo in External Hard Skills is practicing recklessly without understanding the key points. Even if I were to recite the incantations, would you really dare to practice them? Aren’t you afraid it would be a death sentence sending you on your way?"

Chen Yue chuckled softly. "There’s no harm in listening. Whether it’s real or fake, a blessing or a curse, I have my own way of judging."

Gu Yiqiu fell silent. After a moment, he let out a long, foul breath tinged with the smell of blood. It was as if he had aged decades in an instant, all his ferocity and resentment dissipating with it.

"In a hidden pocket of my innermost robe, you’ll find the complete Secret Manual for the Great Vajra Palm. I’ve immersed myself in this art my entire life, constantly reviewing it to seek improvement... I never thought it would fall into your hands like this."

"Take the Secret Manual... and give this old man a quick end!"

Chen Yue looked at Gu Yiqiu and said no more. He raised his right fist again, a faint pulse of Gang Qi emanating from it, and pressed it against Gu Yiqiu’s heart.

Gu Yiqiu’s body trembled slightly. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately made no sound. His pupils dilated completely as he stared fixedly into the boundless night sky, his breath ceasing.

To his dying breath, this Marrow Refining Realm expert who had dominated for so many years couldn’t understand why he would fall in this desolate wilderness, killed by an unknown Bone Forging realm practitioner.

Confirming that both Gu Yiqiu and Guo Xun were dead, Chen Yue quickly began to search for his spoils of war.

He first went to Gu Yiqiu’s body and pulled a thin booklet from the inner lining of his brocade robe. On the cover, written in cinnabar with strong, sharp strokes, were the words: Great Vajra Palm.

’This Secret Manual is probably a trap.’

The Jianghu is a treacherous place. It was not uncommon for someone on the verge of death to give a fake Secret Manual, or to mix fatal errors into a real one, using it to kill by another’s hand.

’However, I have the panel. Real or fake, trap or not... once I study it for a bit, the panel will tell me.’