My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting-Chapter 048 – Cultivation

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

Senior Li’s residence was filled with a flock of lively maids, all giggling and chattering as they peered at the young man stepping through the gates. Their gazes roamed over Li Yuan’s figure.

After all, very few people ever set foot inside these walls. Those who did were usually just guests, not like Li Yuan, who now held a special status.

He glanced at the maids in return. They were all beauties, each with her own appeal. Some were gentle, some spirited, some shy, others seductive, and still others fiery. They ranged from tall and short to slender and curvy, though none might be called breathtakingly gorgeous. Together they formed a veritable paradise of warmth and charm.

Thinking of Senior Li’s life here, Li Yuan couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. It was practically a private kingdom for anyone powerful enough.

Regardless, these women though not officially his master’s wives were all Senior Li’s companions. So Li Yuan kept his eyes down, following the lead of the woman called Xi Yan, who had greeted him at the door. She guided him toward the rear courtyard.

“Senior Li usually trains here,” Xi Yan explained. “Yesterday, he told us to bring you in if you came.”

“Thank you,” Li Yuan replied, casting a quick look around.

Compared to the cramped space behind his old lodging, this courtyard was huge, more like a small martial arts arena. At its center stood a raised platform of solid black rock.

One side had a rack filled with an assortment of eighteen different weapons, while the opposite side held iron armor and various contraptions that reminded Li Yuan of the weighted sandbags and exercise equipment from his previous life.

To the left was a narrow lane lined with metal dummies.

“That’s the puppet alley,” Xi Yan said, noticing his interest. “Once you’ve made progress in your practice, you can go there to test your skills in combat.”

“Puppets?” Li Yuan asked, intrigued. “could you show me how they work?”

“Of course. Senior Li told me you’re allowed to use this entire space as you wish.” With a soft laugh, Xi Yan swayed her hips toward the area.

Li Yuan couldn’t help but glance toward the eastern side of the courtyard as he followed her. There, a large room was hidden behind a thick black curtain. A faint, fishy smell wafted from inside.

“What’s that in the east wing?”

“That’s where Senior Li keeps his captured demonic beasts.”

“Demonic beasts?” Li Yuan was surprised. In this world, there were autonomous puppets and demonic beasts?

He saw Xi Yan enter the alley and pass by the unmoving metal dummies. Clearly, they weren’t sound-activated. Maybe they were simply not turned on yet. She waved him over and he quickly followed.

Squatting behind one of the puppets, Xi Yan fiddled with three numbered gears. When she set the code to 526, a small hatch popped open, revealing a pair of simple push levers inside.

“One lever is for movement, the other for attack. With the movement lever, you can set the puppet’s patrol area, speed, even its route. But only Senior Li knows exactly how to do that. All the puppets here are pre-programmed to move within the rear training yard. They won’t go anywhere else.”

Li Yuan thought for a moment. “What if someone carries the puppet out of the yard? What would it do then?”

“Huh?” Xi Yan looked at him as if he were asking a ridiculous question.

Li Yuan just smiled. “Never mind. Please go on.”

Xi Yan continued, “Once the movement route is set, if you activate the attack lever, the puppet becomes extremely sensitive to sounds within its patrol area. As soon as it detects any commotion, it’ll rush over and attack.”

Li Yuan rapped his knuckles against the puppet’s metal body. It was solid, likely made from more than just ordinary steel, perhaps infused with some hidden alloy or crafted through a secret art. “How does it attack, exactly?”

“Once it’s switched to attack mode,” Xi Yan said, “it’ll sprout six arms, each holding an iron rod, and swing wildly at anything nearby. Senior Li mentioned that higher-level puppets can be programmed with actual combat skills, so they don’t just flail around but strike with real attacks. We don’t have any of those here, though.”

Li Yuan’s eyes lit up. “Are there even more powerful puppets out there?”

Xi Yan shook her head. “I’m not sure. Senior Li never said anything more about them.”

Li Yuan glanced at the levers again. “Could we turn one on to see?”

“We’d better not...” Xi Yan warned. “Once these things start, we can’t shut them down. Senior Li said you can train with these puppets when you reach the eighth rank, but that’ll be at least three or four years from now.”

Li Yuan nodded. So three or four years is how long it usually takes to reach eighth rank, assuming you have both talent and the proper guidance. He filed that away mentally.

“Could I have a look at the demonic beasts?”

“They’ll wake up if you shine light on them. But you can lift the corner of the curtain and peek inside.”

Li Yuan walked over quietly and lifted a corner of the heavy black cloth, peering into the darkness. At the far end of the room was a hazy shape, its outline looming in the gloom. He caught a glimpse of a pale mist and, hovering above it, the faint numbers 40~150.

Lowering the curtain, he asked, “What kind of beast is that?”

“It’s an ashen spiritmare. Senior Li said it’s an eighth-rank demonic beast.”

“My teacher is at the seventh rank, right?”

“Yes, Senior Li is seventh rank.”

Li Yuan nodded. He knew Senior Li’s overall combat power was well over 100, surpassing over 200 in peak condition. The demonic beast’s range of 40~150 was odd. He couldn’t fathom why the numbers spiked so drastically.

Taking a slow breath, he said, “Thanks for showing me around. I’ll stay and train here for a while.”

“If you need anything, just let us know,” Xi Yan said, giving a slight bow before turning to leave.

Li Yuan made his way to the training platform. Taking out the booklet, he followed the prescribed postures and began to regulate his breathing.

At first, he sat cross-legged, but after a while, he stood up and took one of the sets of heavy iron armor from the equipment rack. Once he’d strapped it on, he sat down again, curling his body as much as possible, then tried to control his breathing.

Right away, he felt how difficult it was to gather breath as heavy as mountains. Every inhale felt like a struggle, as though the air might slip away at any moment. Still, he forced himself to hold it in, then exhaled a long, turbid breath.

He knew this was only the most basic level of training. To truly master it, his posture would have to be as precise as a contortionist’s. He wore the heavy armor without letting his body touch the ground, curled into a ball, taking in huge volumes of air and compressing it, then directing that compressed breath through his blood according to the method’s instructions. He did this over and over until a trace of that mysterious special blood appeared.

Simultaneously, he was supposed to begin practicing the first form of the Spring-Autumn Blade.

By the time evening approached, Li Yuan returned to the north gate of the black market and handed the manual back to Senior Li. They discussed some more details about his training.

When the sky was lit with the glow of sunset, Li Yuan finally took his leave, rushing off toward the south market.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Li Yuan arrived at the boat mooring area by the lakeside of the south market, just in time to see a young man in casual clothes jump off a boat.

“Cai Ze!” Li Yuan called out.

The youth turned. Seeing Li Yuan covered in sweat, he flashed a hint of envy, then clasped his fist in greeting. “Heading back already, Li Yuan?”

“Yeah, it’s almost dark. My wife’s waiting at home for dinner.”

“Hah...” Cai Ze couldn’t help rolling his eyes slightly. A wife waiting at home for dinner? Not exactly what you’d expect from an entry rank martial artist...

He glanced around warily, and Li Yuan could tell he had a task at hand. Though Cai Ze wasn’t especially powerful, he clearly had some backing in the Blood Blade Sect.

Given the earlier recommendation and a few prior hints, Li Yuan felt sure Cai Ze was helping someone important in the sect with a secret mission.

Not prying, he simply clasped his hands in farewell. “Take care. In a few days, let’s share a drink. No talk of sect business, just stories of adventure, romance, and strong spirits.”

Smiling, Cai Ze pointed a finger at Li Yuan. “Romance and revelry, huh? You’d better not forget you said that. We're going to be getting that drink for sure!”