Journey of True Cultivation-Chapter 77: Message Within the Stone

The sun rose as it did every day, indifferent to the affairs of the mortal world, it simply shone above all, silent and constant.

Inside his cultivation cave, Yuan sat cross legged on his bed, eyes closed in deep concentration. He was fully immersed in his cultivation, his thoughts untouched by war or politics.

Only one thing mattered now, his strength. The stronger he became, the greater his chances of surviving the war that loomed ahead.

The cave was utterly silent, save for the soft, steady sound of Yuan's breath. But that stillness was suddenly broken by a knock on the wooden door.

Yuan's eyes snapped open, revealing his uniquely colored black azure eyes. He stood up without hesitation, his movements fluid from countless hours of focused cultivation. Stepping lightly across the stone floor, he reached the door and unsealed it with a practiced motion.

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Outside, resting on the ground, was a small green stone, square shaped, with delicate runes etched into its surface. Yuan's gaze scanned it briefly.

He immediately recognized the markings, Knowledge Engraving Runes and Slow Knowledge Absorption Runes.

He bent down and picked it up.

An Inheritance Stone.

It was a rare and valuable tool, crafted by combining spiritual stones with refined spiritual essence and carefully inscribed runes. Only Advanced Rune Masters could create them.

Fortunately, the Howling Wind Sect was large and well established, no doubt it possessed several such experts, making the creation of these stones relatively accessible within the sect.

After Yuan finished examining the Inheritance Stone, he stood up and resealed the door to his cultivation cave. With the stone still in hand, he returned to his cultivation bed and sat down once more in a lotus position.

He bit lightly into the tip of his finger, drawing a single drop of blood. Then, he pressed his bleeding finger against the surface of the Inheritance Stone, allowing a small amount of spiritual blood to soak into the runes.

The stone pulsed faintly beneath his touch.

Yuan closed his eyes and gripped the Inheritance Stone firmly, allowing his spiritual blood to flow deeper into it. Slowly, the runes etched onto the stone began to glow, responding to his essence.

The Inheritance Stone came to life.

The drop of blood was drawn back into his wound, but it didn't stop there, it continued to circulate through his meridians, traveling up through his body until it reached his mind.

And then, the information stored within the stone began to transmit itself directly into his brain.

It was a slow, grueling process.

Minute by minute, the knowledge embedded in the runes flowed into him. It took nearly three hours to complete.

Each new piece of information was painful, his mind strained under the pressure of the sheer volume of data being absorbed.

When it finally ended, Yuan's black azure eyes slowly opened.

He looked down to see that the Inheritance Stone had completely crumbled into fine green dust, the remnants now scattered across the floor near his cultivation bed.

He didn't pay it any attention.

His mind was still racing, sorting, categorizing, absorbing what he had just learned.

The first piece of information confirmed what he had already expected: he would be placed on Li Yun's team, serving as vice leader under him.

Beyond that, the stone also contained detailed information, their meeting place, assigned objectives, and departure timing.

All of it had now been burned into his memory.

According to the Inheritance Stone, Yuan and the others were to gather on the fifth floor in one month's time.

Only then would the details of their mission be revealed. Until that day, they were granted a month of seclusion to cultivate and prepare.

That arrangement suited Yuan perfectly.

Without hesitation, he closed his eyes once more and returned to his internal battle, struggling against the resistance in his blood as he pushed toward further refinement.

Hours passed in silence.

Then, without warning, the alarming meaning rune near him began to glow a bright red.

Yuan's eyes snapped open, irritation flashing in his black azure gaze. He already knew what this meant.

Ming Ze. Again.

Yuan glanced at the rune and read the meeting location encoded in the message. With a sigh, he stood from his cultivation bed, his expression still tinged with annoyance.

He resealed the cave behind him and made his way toward the designated location.

This time, it wasn't their usual meeting house.

According to Ming Ze's message, he was to go to one of the sect's tea houses, order a tea, and wait.

Yuan did exactly that.

Upon arrival, he requested a private room, paid the fee, and ordered a spiritual tea. The attendant bowed and left.

Five minutes later, Ming Ze arrived.

He knocked once and entered, carrying a tray with a teapot and two cups. Without a word, he closed the door behind him, placed the tray on the table, and began pouring the tea, his movements careful and smooth.

Once both cups were filled, he set the teapot in the center and took the seat across from Yuan.

Ming Ze smiled politely, but unlike usual, there was a subtle hint of worry behind his cheerful expression.

"Greetings, Boss Yuan!" he said, his voice as bright as ever.

But Yuan was in no mood for small talk.

"Speak directly. I don't have much time," he cut in, his tone sharp but not angry, just focused.

Ming Ze flinched slightly, his shoulders tightening as he lowered his gaze. A flicker of embarrassment passed over him.

Yuan sighed and shook his head.

"Speak. The sooner we're done, the better. Say what you came to say."

Ming Ze cleared his throat and straightened in his seat. He met Yuan's eyes, now more serious.

"Boss Yuan... the sect wants me to become the Vice Leader of the Alchemists of the Sect, for all disciple ranks."