Chapter 439 - 449: The Old Monster of Life Peak

The next day.

Wen Qingye, as usual, arrived at the forest where he often trained.

"Steady, heavy, mountainous, earthen, endless," Wen Qingye muttered to himself, holding Bladeless.

BOOM!

He slashed out. The surrounding leaves and air scattered as if pushed by a shockwave. In the distance, trees were caught in the might of Bladeless, shattering into splinters.

"Still missing something. This Rock Law... it’s still not quite there," Wen Qingye said, shaking his head.

Then, Wen Qingye picked up Bladeless and began to practice, slashing again and again, seeking comprehension with each strike before attacking anew.

The Slaying Immortal Sword Dao was one of the top one hundred of the Three Thousand Great Daos. If Wen Qingye hadn’t already possessed a foundation in the Sword Dao, it would have been impossible for him to progress so quickly.

The Lifeless Sword Dao was much harder to comprehend, as it lacked a set cultivation path. For now, Wen Qingye was focusing on the Slaying Immortal Sword Dao, as its three great Laws were still only at the First Layer of the Human Dao.

Once Wen Qingye cultivated the three Laws of the Slaying Immortal Sword Dao and the three Laws of the Lifeless Sword Dao to the First Layer of the Earth Dao, he planned to begin fusing the Laws together.

Wen Qingye watched the wood splinters dancing in the air, his brow furrowed slightly. ’Where exactly am I going wrong?’

He sank his Heart Spirit, and the scene he had witnessed on the Great Wilderness Ancient Stele surfaced in his mind: countless disciples of the Immortal Slaying Sect training, swinging their greatswords. A flicker of insight seemed to strike Wen Qingye.

’It seems to be like this... potential-less!’

As if he had realized something, Wen Qingye slowly raised the Bladeless in his hand. The surroundings fell completely still.

"Hah!"

He slashed out. There was no disturbance, only boundless tranquility. Even the leaves directly beneath the blade felt no change, remaining perfectly motionless.

BANG!

A distant tree was instantly severed by Wen Qingye’s sword strike. The powerful force seemed to stretch for dozens of feet, and even nearby rocks shattered from the shock.

Joy surged in Wen Qingye’s heart.

’Is this the Rock Law at the First Layer of the Earth Dao? To think it’s this incredible even without infusing any Primordial Qi... I’ll try it again.’

Wen Qingye was about to draw his Bladeless Sword free, but at that very moment, he felt a sudden gale surge. His vision blurred, and a massive force slammed into him, sending him flying.

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

His body slammed through several thick, ancient trees, snapping them one by one. He flew for a good hundred feet before crashing to the ground.

"Who are you, kid? Don’t you know this is my territory, Jin the Third’s?"

Where Wen Qingye had just been standing, a red-haired old man now stood. He smacked his lips as he looked at Wen Qingye on the ground, observed him closely, and nodded. "Kid, you’ve got a sturdy body. Seems like you’re completely fine."

"Jin the Third?" Wen Qingye slowly got to his feet, frowning at the red-haired old man before him. His heart sank. ’This man’s cultivation is on par with Meng Yiyu’s. Looks like I’m in trouble this time.’

Jin the Third looked at Wen Qingye, took out a small knife, and said leisurely, "Well, kid? Tell me, which finger are you going to leave behind? I’m currently missing a thumb and an index finger for my collection of ten. Which one are you going to give me?"

Wen Qingye looked at Jin the Third and said in a grave voice, "You want my finger?"

Jin the Third heard this and asked curiously, "What? A problem with that? Who’s your master? Let’s hear it."

"Zhang Zhilin," Wen Qingye said slowly.

"Zhang Zhilin? Why does that name sound so familiar?" Jin the Third fell into thought, muttering to himself, "The current Peak Master of Life Peak, right? I almost forgot. It’s that little guy."

Jin the Third looked at Wen Qingye and roared with laughter. "Hahaha! Kid, being Zhang Zhilin’s disciple doesn’t seem to do you any good with me!"

Wen Qingye asked in a low voice, "You want my finger just because I was training here?"

Jin the Third nodded, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "That’s right. This is where I rest. And I hate it when people train in my resting spot."

"Fine!"

Without hesitation, Wen Qingye extended both his hands, palms slightly open, and said calmly, "Go ahead. Take as many fingers as you like."

Jin the Third was taken aback. He had never met such a strange person, someone who would let him chop off a finger without any resistance. ’Could this kid know who I am?’

"Do you know who I am?" Jin the Third asked, puzzled.

Wen Qingye nodded. "You said it yourself. You’re Jin the Third."

"I am called Jin the Third, but that’s a name I took after joining Life Peak," Jin the Third muttered to himself as he walked over to Wen Qingye.

"You have calluses on the web of your thumb and next to your index finger. Looks like you’re a sword master. I’ll take your thumb, then. Without a thumb, I imagine you won’t be able to use a sword anymore. And if you can’t use a sword, you might even thank me one day, kid. You’ll live a few years longer."

With that, Jin the Third’s small knife sliced toward the thumb on Wen Qingye’s right hand.

SHIING!

The body of the blade was entirely red, and it chopped down with a crimson glow.

It all happened in a flash!

The speeding red knife suddenly halted, hovering just over the fine hairs on Wen Qingye’s skin.

Jin the Third looked at the unblinking Wen Qingye and asked in great surprise, "Kid, are you really not afraid?"

Wen Qingye shook his head and said calmly, "I’m not. The one who should be afraid is you."

"Me? Why?" Jin the Third couldn’t help but laugh. "Go on, tell me. If you can make me laugh, if I find it amusing, I’ll let you off the hook."

Wen Qingye pointed to the area below Jin the Third’s armpit. "Three inches below your armpit—it starts to ache every day at Noon, doesn’t it?"

"You... How do you know that?" Jin the Third stumbled back several steps, his brow twisting and a look of horror filling his eyes.

Wen Qingye continued, "Furthermore, every night, you suffer from sharp pains in your abdomen, and you have to drink a cup of realgar wine before you feel a warming sensation that soothes it."

"Kid, speak! How do you know this?"

Jin the Third suddenly erupted, his boundless aura pressing down directly on Wen Qingye. The surrounding leaves flew wildly in all directions, and for a moment, the forest was filled with the rustling and whistling of the wind.

"I saw it with my eyes," Wen Qingye sneered. "If you had cut off my thumb just now, you would have lost your only chance to live. Within a year, you’ll be nothing but a pile of white bones. Believe it or not."

Hearing Wen Qingye’s words, Jin the Third flew into a rage. "Kid, are you threatening me?"

Wen Qingye scoffed, "Threatening you? Why don’t you press your index finger on your Shenmen and Tianchong acupoints and see for yourself."

Hearing Wen Qingye, Jin the Third was skeptical but extended his index finger and pressed on his Shenmen and Tianchong acupoints.