The Eternal Sin-Chapter 48: A Needle in the Throat.

The cave was dim and steeped in a deep lingering chill.

Fragments of bone lay scattered upon the uneven ground like withered petals of white lilies. Jiang Chen remained motionless in the silence, the soot black ring resting in the center of his palm.

He brushed the ring with his divine sense, yet there was not the slightest fluctuation within it. If tossed among common trinkets, it would not attract a second glance, appearing no different from a cheap mortal ornament.

But Jiang Chen knew better.

He appraised it inwardly. ’A peak grade Yellow Rank spatial ring? Oh, it even possesses an innate concealment array that deceives the divine sense and disguises itself as a mundane object. Even my high grade purple storage ring cannot conceal itself so thoroughly. This thing is probably worth a couple thousand spirit stones. Heh, the old fox wanted to hoard treasures even in death. How petty and small minded.’

Though Jiang Chen had never practiced the path of treasure refining, his foundation in formations was deep enough for him to understand many things. After all, the arts of formations and refining are branches of the same root. Both deal with the carving of runes and the weaving of dao marks into stable structures. The main difference lies in specialized rules, methods of creation, and depth of application.

This did not mean Jiang Chen could grasp everything. Certainly not. But it did mean he could glimpse some of the underlying principles and judge the ring’s extraordinary nature.

Without hesitation, he slid the blackened ring onto the finger of his left hand. He bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of essence blood onto the metal while his spiritual essence seeped out from his dantian, bolstered by his divine sense, and wound itself into the ring like a serpent seeking its den.

The previous cultivator’s divine will within the ring resisted at first. It was like prying open a sealed gate. Jiang Chen guided his energies in concentrated spirals. He probed along the lines and found the core will. With a firm push, the obstruction gave way. The ring trembled, letting out a faint hum of submission as it accepted a new master.

A vast space unfolded before his inner sight.

Jiang Chen’s eyebrows lifted slightly. The space within was five times the size of his purple storage ring and thirty times the capacity of standard storage bags. It was enough room for ten elephants to sleep without touching the walls.

His divine sense swept across the interior like wind over a plain. A small pile of spirit stones rested near the center, roughly five to six hundred in number. Spirit stones were the main currency in the Boundless Genesis World, and there was never such a thing as having too many.

Beside them lay a stack of a dozen elemental talismans. Fire, wind, and lightning patterns flickered upon their surfaces. They could cause trouble even for a fifteenth layer Qi Condensation cultivator.

Not far from the talismans floated a peculiar ball of reddish wool. A slender diamond needle pierced through its core, gleaming with cold metallic brilliance, while the wool itself exuded a subtle spiritual vibration.

Jiang Chen had no inkling of what it was, except that it was a treasure. Beyond these items rested a jade slip, and below it lay a thin manual inscribed with three characters.

’Midnight Sun Arrow.’ Jiang Chen’s mind lingered on the manual briefly before shifting to the jade slip. He withdrew it and pressed it lightly against his brow.

A familiar frail voice echoed within his mind, filled with warm, almost fatherly kindness. "Oh fated one. Forgive this old man for testing your heart. If you hear these words, then you have buried my bones and shown kindness in a cruel world."

The voice coughed before continuing weakly. "This ring was hidden so that only one who laid my remains to rest would discover it. I entrust this small inheritance to you in the hope that you walk the Immortal path with a compassionate heart. This old man sought neither a genius nor a tyrant as the inheritor of my legacy. I wished only for a kind soul who would bring true goodness into this world. Though I suffered greatly at the hands of the world, I refused to sow suffering in return."

The message went on at length. Jiang Chen listened from beginning to end without interruption. When the voice finally ended, he lowered the jade slip. A faint chuckle escaped him.

’So that was the trick, huh. The ring was positioned beneath the corpse in such a way that only one who bothered to lift the bones and bury them would ever discover it. Most cultivators would not waste effort on a corpse unless there was visible gain. They would simply leave the bones to rot. Thus, they would miss this reward. Only one who showed compassion would inherit it.’

’And I happened to kick the corpse in irritation. By chance the ring rolled free. If I had simply walked away, I would never have found it. Is this basking in the sun after surviving a storm? Heaven’s designs are truly mysterious and unfathomable. Hehe, how lucky... Wait!’

Jiang Chen’s expression darkened.

’Why did I lose control of my temper and kick those bones...? That is unlike me. I know who I am. I know my own heart. My emotions are not so easily influenced. Strange. Really strange!’

He suddenly stood unmoving in the dim cave. His thoughts churned like dark water beneath ice.

’It all started this morning with the White Bone River Turtle. From there, the series of events may have been influenced by unseen threads at play. Who could do this to me? Who would want to? Who would possess the power? Someone from a different faction? Unlikely. Maybe Sun Jian wants to kill me, seeking to eliminate anything that could potentially expose his act of treason at the Jade Heart Plantation. But from my understanding of the situation, that is a foolishly low possibility. Perhaps my recent actions in Black Iron Village prompted a powerful individual in the sect to take action.’

’But if so, who could it be, and how are they doing this? Are they using methods to tamper with luck, fate, or karma perhaps? Even then, with the Heavenly Star Treasure Auction taking place soon, they should be wary of the inner sect disciples behind me. Or is this the scheme of some entirely different individual? And most confusingly, why the hell reward me now? This is not right at all.’

A sense of frustration sprouted in his mind.

’This will not lead me anywhere. I can think of a hundred more possibilities. But without definite lead, it is nearly impossible to narrow down the culprit.’

Jiang Chen looked down at the pile of bones in silence, feeling a cold premonition that it could very well be him next.

’Hmph, a person who fears every wave will never cross the sea. I will remember this unease and take more precautions. I must look into treasures and techniques that guard against the influence of fate, karma, and luck, while also focusing on Information Path methods. All of this will become much easier once I have access to the fire essence, with the freedom to construct beast totems. What methods would I not have then? But for now, I will do what I can. And if this pattern of manipulation reveals itself again, I will seek its roots and rip them apart.’

With that, he crushed the jade slip between his fingers. It broke into powder and scattered among the bones on the floor.

Jiang Chen removed the contents of his purple storage ring and storage bags, transferring everything into the space within the black ring. His gaze shifted toward the ball of reddish wool inside the ring. According to the jade slip, it was a Yellow Rank peak grade treasure called the Wool Surgeon’s Needle.

Jiang Chen first made a clone stand before him. Then he retrieved the treasure carefully. The diamond needle was as thin as a hair. The wool itself was soft, but if not handled carefully, the faint spiritual vibration within it could split skin.

Without hesitation, he placed the needle between his lips.

Cold metal touched flesh.

He guided spiritual essence toward his tonsils. Essence gathered there like sunlight condensing inside dew. With steady control, he pushed the needle inward. Pain flared sharply, but he did not flinch.

The needle pierced the soft tissue of his tonsil. Blood welled. The clone’s shared perception provided a perfect view of the angle. Jiang Chen adjusted minutely. The reddish wool followed. It threaded into the pierced flesh and began stitching itself with a mysterious rhythm.

Spiritual essence flowed along the wool like molten silver. It fused the woolen material with living tissue.

The process was neither short nor gentle. Sweat beaded upon his brow as he maintained steady breathing to preserve control. He endured the raw sensation of foreign matter weaving into his throat.

At last, the final strand sank within.

The needle disappeared from sight. The wool settled into the tonsil and became one with it. When he swallowed, there was only faint resistance.

He lay there for a minute, recovering his composure.

"Phew... That was fucking awful," Jiang Chen muttered, his voice slightly raspy. He then directed a surge of spiritual essence into his tonsil.

The wool responded instantly. The diamond needle shot from his mouth with a trail of red wool streaming behind it like a streak of blood light. It hovered before him like a loyal servant under his mental command.

He directed it toward his injured right hand. The bones within the hand were cracked and the flesh was a mangled mess. With expectant eyes, he guided the needle to pierce the skin and begin weaving.

The sensation was peculiar. Not pain, but a tight pulling. The wool moved with uncanny precision, its body blurring with the speed of a dragonfly as it danced across his skin. The needle dipped in and out of his flesh, sewing the torn muscles back together and forcing the fractured bones into proper alignment.

Spiritual essence flowed through the thread and transformed into vital energy that permeated the cells, which responded eagerly, like a drunkard thirsting for strong wine. The red wool was a divine thread, knitting the cellular structure of his body with a speed that defied the natural laws of healing.

Within a dozen breaths, the arm had fully reformed. Only a series of thin stitch marks remained on his forearm and bicep like faint red lines. These marks would fade with time, though he did not care.

Jiang Chen exhaled a breath of turbid air and flexed his right hand. Movement returned without any noticeable hindrance.

He clenched his fist, feeling the familiar coiled power of his tiger bone essence returning to his grip. He turned toward the cave wall and unleashed a sudden explosive punch.

Bam!

Stone cracked outward in a web pattern the size of a human head. Dust and fragments rained down, but his knuckles remained entirely intact. A look of genuine satisfaction finally appeared on his face.

’A treasure that can restore vitality mid battle is worth more than a hundred talismans. With this needle, my endurance multiplies to frightening levels. Even life and death injuries can be reversed in moments as long as spiritual energy allows it. In prolonged battles, this is an ace to rely on.’

He summoned the needle back. It zipped through the air and vanished into his mouth. The wool retracted smoothly. His throat felt itchy for a moment before returning to normal.

Jiang Chen then spared a thought for the Midnight Sun Arrow technique resting within the ring.

’This is a Yellow Rank high grade technique. It would compensate for my long range weakness. But mastering a new technique requires time and a stable environment. I will think about it after returning to the sect.’

’For today, it is better that I rest here. There is not much left to climb, and finding a place to camp above would be time consuming. I will cultivate for a while and keep my clones watching over me until morning. At times like this, I do miss the Divine Concealment Array. I will look for formation flags in the black market.’

Jiang Chen then stepped toward the cave entrance as the clones made way. Moonlight spilled inward in pale silver. The abyss below remained dark and unfathomable. Wind sighed through the heights like distant chanting.

Jiang Chen caressed the black ring with his thumb and gazed into the dark night.

"The world is vast and indifferent. Hardships come in waves, each bearing its own bitter flavor. Yet since life has not turned its back on me, how could I abandon the journey? The long river flows east without asking who watches it. I too will move forward without seeking anyone’s approval. And along this journey, what is a little darkness to one who carries his own light? Hehe, Heaven and Earth can scheme as they please, but my steps will not waver!"