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“West Houndhill?” As a keyboard warrior who used to hang out in forums in his previous life, Zu An had some impression of this name. It seemed to be an auspicious ancestral land for the Qin Royal Family.
But still, why can’t you just tell me what I’m heading to the West Doghill for? Why are experts like you fond of playing it secretive? Do you actually think that doing this makes you appear wise?
“Remember, you must bring Tai’e with you to West Houndhill,” instructed the man in the dragon robe.
“Why?” asked Zu An.
“Tai’e is the key into the West Houndhill.”
“Key?”
Zu An looked at the sword in his hand as he wondered just how large the door must be to require such a massive key.
“Of course, I won’t make you work in vain. Sealed in Tai’e is the first half of the Primordial Origin Sutra. It can temper your body and has a strong cleansing and recovery effect. It should be of great help to you.”
“Primordial Origin Sutra?” repeated Zu An.
Just from the name itself, he could tell that it was likely to be something formidable. He could care less about the tempering and cleansing effect, but the recovery effect was something that he direly needed at the moment.
The Phoenix Nirvana Sutra’s ability to strengthen his body when he was low on health was indeed formidable, but it was very dangerous too. If he failed to keep a close eye on his health bar and accidentally overstepped his limits, it would really spell the end for him.
On top of that, most recovery medicines took quite some time to take effect, including Divine Physician Ji. If he was in a critical condition, it was unlikely that those medicines wouldn’t be able to save his life. In the end, the only one that was truly reliable was ‘Faith in Brother Spring’, but it was simply too hard to draw it from the lottery.
“How do I cultivate the skill?” asked Zu An.
“Immerse your consciousness on the sword, and you’ll be able to feel it,” replied the man in the dragon robe.
Zu An was worried that the other party would try to possess him, so he made sure to keep a sliver of his consciousness in his surroundings. After all, it was a common plot in the drama series and novels he had seen in the past.
He tried focusing his consciousness on the Tai’e Sword, and a series of words emerged in his mind.
“Heaven and earth yet severed in the primordial, bleak and unseen. Everything originates from the primordial…”
It was then that the Keyboard’s voice sounded, “Detected: Westhound Hill’s Secret Scroll - [Primordial Origin Sutra]. Consume it to activate a keyboard function?”
Zu An was overjoyed. What an unexpected surprise! I actually managed to find another secret art here?
He quickly accepted the option. Black mist swiftly gushed into the F3 key, forming a mysterious imprint on it.
“Begin tempering your body?” prompted the Keyboard.
Tempering my body? What does this mean?
However, fearing that he would miss this opportunity if he rejected the option, he quickly selected ‘Yes’.
Following that, he saw a surge of black mist gushing out from the Keyboard and embracing his body. He had a feeling that the world’s ki—no, it was a power that was much purer and nourishing than ki, something that he had never sensed before—gushing into his body.
Is this the ‘primordial ki’ which books often talk about?
He could sense that his body and meridians were being reforged by the primordial ki gushing into his body. It felt like he was soaked comfortably in a warm spring, but from time to time, there would be a sharp tearing sensation as if someone was sawing him up.
It was fortunate that the pain receded swiftly, and there was a vague feeling of exhilaration after each burst of pain. If not for that, he would have thought that he had fallen into the other party’s trap.
“Detected sealed ki core under the abdomen. Dispel the seal?” prompted the Keyboard once more.
Zu An was stunned for a moment there before ravenous joy soaked his entire being, and he nearly leaped up in excitement. “Yes, dispel it!”
The primordial ki gushed toward his abdomen in order to break open the seal, similar to how the energy from the petal of the Evanescent Lotus did earlier. However, what was different was that the primordial ki was much more concentrated and powerful. The energy from the Evanescent Lotus might not be enough to knock down the seal, but under the forceful ramming of the primordial ki, the bottleneck that stood in his way earlier began loosening.
As if sensing the commotion over here, the primordial ki in the other parts of his body was swiftly channeled over to lend a helping hand. It didn’t take long for all of the primordial ki to be concentrated in his abdomen, leaving Zu An feeling deeply nervous.
He remembered hearing from Old Mi that the region was extremely fragile, and even the slightest mistake could easily result in irreversible damage.
The primordial ki better not make a mistake here! I might be sealed right now, but at least I’m still a man! If this primordial ki were to strike too hard and accidentally knock ‘it’ off, I might just ram my head into a pillar and end my life right here right now!
It was fortunate that the primordial ki was far more formidable than he had expected. Soon, there was a vague ‘pop’ sound. Zu An sensed something which had been blocked for many years had finally opened up, leaving him refreshed and invigorated. His body suddenly felt lighter than ever.
He might not know much about the seal, but he knew that whatever that was planted on him previously had finally been undone.
What made things better was that the primordial ki didn’t dissipate after breaking the seal down. It continued to circulate around his body to temper it.
Zu An lowered his head to take a look, and his eyes swiftly reddened from sheer excitement. The little chick which he had been feeling greatly insecure about had finally unfurled its wings and matured into a grand roc!
That very feeling that he would wake up every morning to in his previous life was finally back!
Zu An was tempted to raise his head and howl like a wolf to vent the overflowing feelings welling up in his heart.
Finally, finally! I’ve finally managed to get back what I’ve lost!
All this while, everyone thought that I’ve been living the high life. Suave, handsome, kind, and having a wonderful wife; I’m the very embodiment of a winner in life! Yet, only I know the best that it was all just a facade. If I can’t even work it down there, everything else is meaningless.
Rejoice, for all those days of wallowing in despair over my impotence is finally over!
Were it not for the fact that it was too embarrassing to tell others that he used to be impotent, he would have clanged the gongs and went around announcing this joyous news to everyone!
Then, he lowered his head to take another look, only to jolt in fright. “But this… isn’t this a little too exaggerated?”
Watching as the remaining bits of primordial ki continued to temper his body, he felt a little embarrassed but gleeful at the same time. By the time the tempering came to an end, his body had already fully recovered from its previous wounds, and he was overflowing with energy. He felt stronger than ever.
It was then that the Keyboard’s voice sounded once more, “Unable to unlock the new function due to the incompletion of the Primordial Origin Sutra.”
“Hm?” Zu An was stunned for a moment before realizing that he only had the upper half of the Primordial Origin Sutra.
“You’re blessed with talent and luck. It’s unexpected that you’re able to complete the first level of tempering so quickly. Your strength, resilience, and recovery ability have been greatly enhanced from before,” said the man in the dragon robe.
“Every level you advance in the Primordial Origin Sutra, your body will undergo transformative changes. Cultivators of the same rank will find it hard to hurt you, and the damage you receive from the attacks of higher rank cultivators would be greatly reduced too. If you’re able to reach the highest level of the skill, as long as you aren’t ground to ashes, your body will be able to regenerate back to its original state. By then, you’ll become the strongest man in the world!
“However… can you stop pointing that thing at me?”
Zu An was flustered. He squirmed around uncomfortably as he tried hiding his own body, saying, “My apologies. I have only just finished tempering my body. This is a natural reaction, a natural reaction!”
The man in the dragon robe harrumphed coldly as he said, “Of course I know that! How else do you think that you’re still able to speak to me?”
Zu An scratched his head sheepishly as he changed the topic, “Speaking of which, why is there only the upper half of the Primordial Origin Sutra here? May I know where the lower half is?”
“The lower half is in the West Houndhill,” replied the man in the dragon robe. “You’ll be able to obtain it when you get there in the future.”
Zu An couldn’t help but doubt if that man was doing it intentionally. You’re giving me a taste of the Primordial Origin Sutra in advance before telling me that it’s split into half so as to force me to do your bidding.
In any case, it was all worth it since he was able to release the seal on his little brother, not to mention that this skill was able to be used together with the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra. One needed him to be severely injured and the other allowed him to recover quickly. This was the perfect combo!
“The Primordial Origin Sutra requires you to practice it often. The more you use it, the easier it is for you to advance to the next level. Protect yourself well. Don’t die before managing to find the West Houndhill,” said the man in the dragon robe.
“Thank you for your advice, elder. May I know how I can find the West Houndhill?” replied Zu An.
The man in the dragon robe fell silent for a long while before finally replying, “I don’t know.”
“Is there no writings, maps, or anything that serves as a clue?” asked Zu An.
“There’s nothing at all.” The man in the dragon robe shook his head.
“Nothing at all?” Zu An was alarmed. Isn’t this a darned trap? Given how big the world is, how am I to find a single location without any clues at all?!
The man in the dragon robe continued, “I am just a sliver of a soul at the moment. My knowledge is limited, and much time has passed since then. The West Houndhill might not be at the same place it used to be. You can only count on yourself for that.”
His figure began to turn faint, looking as if he would vanish at any moment.
Zu An anxiously asked, “Is there a time limit to this mission?”
“None at all. However, my memories tell me that you should accomplish this mission as soon as possible,” replied the man in the dragon robe.
Zu An heaved a sigh of relief. He was glad that there was no time limit here, so he could take his time to look for the West Houndhill.
The aura of the man in the dragon robe grew even fainter as he said, “I’m about to vanish soon. Ask if you have any other questions, and I’ll answer you.”
“How should I deal with the woman in the crystal coffin?” asked Zu An carefully.
A sharp glint flashed across the eyes of the man in the dragon robe as he replied, “Kill her!”
“Kill her?” Zu An was stunned. The two of you used to be a couple after all, is there a need to be so vicious? Not to mention, it’s such a pity to kill a woman as beautiful as she is… “But she’s much stronger than me. How can I bear to kill her?”
“You can do it… Use the Primordial Origin Sutra… purify…” The man in the dragon robe finally dissipated, leaving just a few murmurs behind.
The sight before Zu An blurred, and by the time he snapped out of his daze, he was already back in the underground palace. Held in his hand was the Tai’e Sword.
“What are you dazing off up there for? Hurry up and get down here!” shouted Mi Li.