Chapter 3934: Vitality Comparable To An Immortal Body Cultivator

The chief immediately shook his head.

"I misspoke." He folded his thick arms. "Our predecessors found it when this settlement was first established. They chose to preserve it and it has remained inside the chief’s house ever since."

Lin Mu nodded thoughtfully. "So, you don’t know where it originally came from?"

The chief slowly shook his head. "No. By the time I became chief, it had already been here for many generations. I inherited the responsibility for protecting it."

Lin Mu considered the answer.

That meant the mural predated every living person inside the settlement. Perhaps by centuries or perhaps even longer.

He decided to pursue another line of questioning. "How long have you personally lived here?"

The chief answered without hesitation. "Forty eight pools."

Lin Mu blinked once and quickly performed the calculation.

Forty eight complete cycles with twenty five years each meant...

’Twelve hundred years.’ His eyebrows slowly rose.

That made this man the oldest prisoner Lin Mu had encountered anywhere within the Mad Demon Depths. Far older than anyone from the previous settlements.

"You’ve remained here for over twelve centuries."

The chief nodded calmly. "I have."

Lin Mu looked more carefully at him.

Despite such immense age, the man’s body remained powerful. His muscles retained extraordinary density, his posture remained perfectly straight, his heartbeat sounded vigorous and no trace of frailty could be detected.

"You’ve been here the longest?"

The chief gave another nod. "I am the eldest. I’ve watched many generations grow and I’ve buried many chiefs before me. The responsibility eventually became mine."

Lin Mu silently compared him against the other elders he had seen outside.

The difference remained obvious. Although everyone respected the chief, his vitality vastly exceeded the others. Even his physique appeared to be centuries younger.

’His original cultivation...’ Lin Mu finally asked the question forming in his mind. "What was your cultivation before your imprisonment?"

The chief answered immediately. "Fifth Tribulation Stage of the Immortal Realm."

Lin Mu finally understood. "No wonder."

Cultivators reaching that realm possessed extraordinarily long lifespans. Even with their cultivation sealed, the longevity accumulated before imprisonment remained. That explained how the chief had survived twelve centuries.

It also explained why his body still retained such overwhelming strength.

Lin Mu instinctively released a deeper scan through his Immortal Sense but then his expression gradually shifted as something felt wrong.

Or rather it was unexpected.

He carefully examined the man’s body and everything appeared remarkably robust. It was comparable to someone who had extensively tempered their body. Yet there wasn’t a single trace suggesting dedicated body cultivation.

Lin Mu frowned.

"Wait." His eyes narrowed slightly.

"You’re..." He looked at the chief more carefully. "...not a body cultivator."

The chief quietly watched him.

"Your vitality rivals at least an Immortal Realm body cultivator. But your physique lacks the characteristics of body cultivation techniques." Lin Mu continued. "Your muscles, blood, skin and bones have all been strengthened. But through a completely different method."

Curiosity appeared within his voice. "How? How does someone without body cultivation possess vitality like this?"

The chief slowly turned toward the ancient mural hanging upon the wall and his eyes softened.

A faint smile appeared upon the weathered giant’s face.

"The answer lies with our benefactor." He quietly said.

The room fell silent once again as Lin Mu’s attention returned to the ancient crest carved into the weathered stone. The chief’s eyes slowly drifted toward the ancient mural hanging above the main seat as well.

The weathered stone seemed to carry countless memories within its faded surface. For several moments, the chief simply stood there with his arms folded, deep in thought. Finally, he spoke.

"What I’m about to show you..." His deep voice echoed softly through the hall. "...has remained a secret among our village for generations."

Lin Mu waited patiently as the chief continued looking at the mural.

"Our predecessors swore that it should never be revealed to outsiders." His expression became conflicted once again. "But you came carrying our benefactor’s crest. You knew enough to seek us and you clearly know things we do not."

He slowly turned toward Lin Mu. "I don’t know whether trusting you is the correct decision."

A brief silence followed but then the chief unexpectedly smiled.

"A long life teaches a person many things and sometimes one has to trust instinct."

He nodded firmly.

"You’ve brought more clues regarding our benefactor than anyone has in countless generations. As such I’ll show you."

Without another word, the chief walked toward the large wooden chair positioned beneath the mural. The chair appeared far heavier than ordinary furniture, carved from the trunk of an enormous ancient tree.

The chief placed both hands upon it and then with a low rumble, he slowly pushed it aside.

Scrrrr...

The chair slid several meters across the stone floor and beneath it a square wooden hatch became visible. Lin Mu’s eyes narrowed slightly as the chief bent down and lifted the heavy lid.

Cool air drifted upward from below and a sturdy ladder descended into darkness.

The chief gestured downward.

"Follow me." Without hesitation, he began climbing down.

Lin Mu followed close behind.

The ladder extended roughly four meters before reaching solid ground. The underground chamber proved surprisingly warm as several large fat lamps burned steadily upon stone shelves carved into the surrounding walls.

Unlike ordinary oil lamps, these emitted a stable yellow light without producing much smoke.

The gentle illumination revealed the entire chamber and Lin Mu slowly looked around. The room measured roughly five meters in width while its length appeared nearly identical. Every wall had been carefully carved smooth before being decorated with simple geometric patterns.

The atmosphere felt solemn and reverent.

Rather than resembling a hidden storage room, it looked like a shrine. A place where generations had quietly paid their respects. At the very center stood a stone pedestal and resting upon it was a crystal.

Lin Mu immediately stopped walking, and his eyes fixed upon the object as it was simply far too unique to ignore