Chapter 155 – Entering the Dharma-Ending Era Dungeon, Fighting Old Dog Zong Again! (5k)

Su Xing gave a slight nod when he saw this.

He had already been planning to explore the Dharma-Ending Era dungeon.

Now that his strength was sufficient, it was only natural to go explore it.

“Let’s see what this Dharma-Ending Era dungeon has to offer.”

Su Xing murmured softly, his gaze turning to the simulation panel.

【You entered the Dharma-Ending Era dungeon, descending into a great mountain range.】

【You recalled the memories in your mind. All Class Users who entered the Dharma-Ending Era dungeon would be randomly dropped anywhere within the dungeon.】

【You took out the dungeon map obtained from the Great Xia Military and began to deliberate.】

【This Dharma-Ending Era dungeon was comparable to a small world — the map was vast, the technological level still stuck in ancient times, yet everyone practiced martial arts, and even ordinary people possessed considerable physical prowess.】

【You compared your current position on the map, then spread your divine sense outward like a tide.】

【Three thousand zhang of divine sense instantly enveloped the entire mountain. Every blade of grass and every tree on the mountain fell within your perception.】

【You furrowed your brows slightly, for the place you had descended upon was rather remote — aside from some fierce beasts and animals, there were no humans in the mountain.】

【You took out the map. Apart from some towns and cities, there were three major locations marked on it.】

【They were the Eternal Spring Gate, the Profound Yellow Sect, and the Floating Life Gate.】

【According to intelligence, quite a few undercover agents sent by the Great Xia Military were hidden within the Profound Yellow Sect, while the Eternal Spring Gate might have connections to Old Dog Zong.】

【So you decided to head toward the Profound Yellow Sect’s location first.】

【You traveled for a day and a night, covering several thousand kilometers, and arrived at the city where the Profound Yellow Sect was located.】

【The city was called Profound Yellow City, one of the three great cities of the Immortal Martial Era (Dharma-Ending Era) dungeon, established by the Profound Yellow Sect.】

【Your divine sense swept over the people in the city, and you were surprised to discover that these plainly dressed natives all possessed considerable strength.】

【Ordinary people had vigorous qi and blood, nearly approaching that of a newly advanced Bronze-stage Class User.】

【You even occasionally encountered one or two martial artists with astonishing qi and blood — their strength was likely comparable to Gold-stage Class Users!】

【What puzzled you even more was that the aura on these martial artists was extremely similar to that of body tempering cultivators. You suspected they had once practiced incomplete body tempering methods!】

Su Xing’s heart stirred when he saw this, and he murmured:

“As expected — this Immortal Martial Era dungeon really is set in the time period after the ancient Qi Refinement practitioners went extinct!”

“Although spiritual energy has vanished, body tempering can still be practiced! Could it be… that this dungeon contains body tempering techniques?”

Su Xing felt a surge of joy. Earth had no native cultivation practitioners — all knowledge about the cultivation world had to be pieced together through his own exploration. The Luotian Assembly dungeon had already yielded him considerable gains.

If he could explore the Immortal Martial Era dungeon now, the rewards would surely be substantial!

With that thought, Su Xing turned his gaze to the simulation panel.

【You did not act rashly, instead settling down temporarily in Profound Yellow City.】

【Gold and silver were accepted currency in Profound Yellow City. You exchanged a few gold pieces at a pawnshop for a generous amount of copper coins, then stayed at an inn, quietly waiting for your contact to find you.】

【The people of Profound Yellow City were fierce and martial in temperament, yet the food was remarkably refined. Quite satisfied, you spent several days sampling all the delicacies Profound Yellow City had to offer.】

【Several days later, an Elder of the Profound Yellow Sect who called himself Wang Wu came looking for you.】

【As it turned out, this Wang Wu was one of the undercover agents the Great Xia Military had planted in the Advent Cult.】

【He called himself Xiao Wu and stated that he had been undercover in the Profound Yellow Sect for twenty years, making him quite knowledgeable about everything within this dungeon.】

【Upon learning of your arrival, Xiao Wu was exceptionally excited — clearly, in his eyes, you were a figure of the highest importance.】

【After hearing Xiao Wu’s account, you felt a measure of satisfaction. Having someone to gather intelligence for you would surely save a great deal of effort.】

【Xiao Wu asked about the situation in the outside world, and you answered each question in turn. Xiao Wu appeared somewhat melancholic.】

【After your conversation, you asked Xiao Wu to find you a few martial arts manuals to study.】

【Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Wu produced three martial arts manuals.】

【According to Xiao Wu, the martial arts of this Immortal Martial Era were divided into nine grades, with first grade being the highest and ninth grade the lowest.】

【As an Elder of the Profound Yellow Sect, Xiao Wu could only access up to third-grade martial arts.】

【The three techniques were: a ninth-grade martial art called Five-Step Fist, a sixth-grade martial art called Six-Meridian Steps, and a third-grade martial art called Bone-Strengthening Art.】

【Though the names were unremarkable, you still studied them carefully.】

【After a night of research, you were astonished to discover that both the ninth-grade and third-grade martial arts contained traces of body tempering techniques!】

【In fact, these martial arts might very well have been simplified versions derived from incomplete body tempering manuals…】

【And the higher the grade of martial art, the more prominent the traces of body tempering techniques and divine abilities became!】

【For example, the third-grade Bone-Strengthening Art, when cultivated to Perfection, could make one’s bones as hard as metal and stone — remarkably similar to the Bone Forging stage of body tempering cultivators.】

【Excited by your discovery, you sought out Xiao Wu again and asked if he had access to more advanced techniques.】

【Xiao Wu shook his head, but told you that another undercover agent had already risen to become the Vice Sect Master of the Profound Yellow Sect, possessing Grandmaster-stage strength, and held a first-grade martial arts manual.】

【You nodded upon hearing this and immediately asked Xiao Wu to summon that agent.】

【A few days later, you successfully met the senior undercover agent and obtained a first-grade martial arts manual — the Meridian Forging Art!】

Su Xing couldn’t help but quip when he saw this:

“Damn, the Great Xia Military really knows how to get things done!”

“Their undercover agent has already become the Vice Sect Master? Give it a few more decades and they could just take over as the boss directly!”

Su Xing shook his head lightly, but the fact that these martial arts contained traces of body tempering techniques only further confirmed his belief — this dungeon absolutely contained ruins left behind by ancient cultivators!

“Spiritual energy dissipated, Qi Refinement practitioners went extinct… but the treasures and technique legacies left behind by the cultivators of old might still be found!”

At this thought, Su Xing felt a surge of excitement.

This was the remnants of an entire former cultivation world. Even if much had been worn away over the long ages, what remained would be more than enough for Su Xing to feast upon.

With that in mind, Su Xing looked expectantly at the simulation panel.

【After extensive research, you discovered that this Meridian Forging Art was not a martial arts technique at all, but a genuine body tempering cultivation method!】

【The Meridian Forging stage was actually the first realm of body tempering cultivators — the Body Tempering Realm — tempering the meridians and strengthening the physique!】

【This technique described the process of guiding internal force to strengthen the physical body, ultimately achieving the state of an indestructible vajra body!】

【The Meridian Forging Art was not of a high grade. Even cultivated to Perfection, you estimated it would only be equivalent to the Bone Forging stage in strength.】

【But what surprised you was that the internal force described in this technique bore a strong resemblance to the primordial energy you knew.】

【To explore this connection further, you wanted to find more advanced techniques.】

【But the undercover agent told you that according to legend, above first-grade martial arts existed acquired and innate martial arts.】

【However, these two levels of martial arts were only passed down through the hands of the Profound Yellow Sect’s Sect Master, and the position of Sect Master had been inherited from father to son for generations — he had no way to obtain them.】

【Unable to acquire martial arts above first grade, you naturally would not give up so easily.】

【So you activated your divine sense, disguised your appearance, and infiltrated the Profound Yellow Sect.】

【You successfully discovered an acquired martial arts manual hidden in a secret compartment in the Sect Master’s chambers.】

【However, you were also discovered by the Profound Yellow Sect’s Sect Master. Rather than killing him, you chose to knock him unconscious.】

【Afterward, you returned to your lodgings with the acquired martial art.】

【After carefully studying this acquired martial art, you made a striking discovery — the technique described a medicinal compound that could assist in body tempering, and by following this medicinal cultivation method, one could reach a maximum of the Organ Tempering realm!】

【But clearly, this acquired martial art was beneath your standards. You wanted to find even more advanced techniques!】

【So you infiltrated the Profound Yellow Sect once more, hoping to fleece them again.】

【To your surprise, the Profound Yellow Sect was prepared this time. Not only was the Sect Master present, but a hidden innate master who had long remained in seclusion also made a move.】

【You were astonished to discover that this innate master was actually a Qi Refinement cultivator. Though his Qi Refinement cultivation was only around the Foundation Establishment stage, his body tempering cultivation was comparable to a Primordial Martial Realm expert.】

【Even so, this innate master’s strength was only equivalent to the weakest Martial King — still far from being your match.】

【And so you surrounded the Profound Yellow Sect all by yourself and captured that innate realm expert alive.】

【Afterward, you used your divine sense to pressure and interrogate him, learning that this innate expert was the previous Sect Master of the Profound Yellow Sect. From his hiding place, you scavenged quite a few treasures.】

【One innate-level technique, the Mystic Yellow Art — the hereditary technique passed down through generations of the Profound Yellow Sect.】

【Several ancient texts recording advanced martial arts, which contained methods for utilizing inner force. After examining them, you discovered that these were actually divine abilities and techniques usable by Body Tempering cultivators.】

【Though their grade was far inferior to the “Protective Vigor Aura” that the Luotian Sect’s Grand Elder Niu Rulie had given you, they were still passably useful.】

【Beyond that, there was also a piece of fragmented jade that even you couldn’t see clearly.】

【Your intuition told you that this jade fragment might be hiding a great secret!】

【So you questioned the former Sect Master about the jade pendant’s purpose.】

【The Sect Master looked troubled, but still revealed the crucial information.】

【He said that according to legend, there were three such jade fragments in total. If all three could be found, they would lead to an ancient ruin, rumored to contain the secrets of ancient Qi Refinement practitioners.】

【These three jade fragments were each held by the three current martial sects. To gather them all, the three great sects would have to be unified.】

【And it was precisely because the three great sects had failed to unify over a thousand years that no one had ever been able to enter that ruin.】

Su Xing read up to this point, excitement showing on his face as he murmured:

“I bet the secret of this Immortal Martial Era dungeon is hidden within that ruin!”

The corner of Su Xing’s mouth curled upward as he said:

“Ahh, nothing beats steamrolling with overwhelming power! Whether you’re a sect master or an innate realm expert… this young master slaps you flat on the ground with one palm!”

“So next, I just need to methodically collect all three jade fragments!”

Su Xing thought this to himself, his gaze turning to the simulator panel.

【After obtaining the jade fragment, you set off for the Floating Life Gate.】

【The Floating Life Gate was several thousand kilometers from the Profound Yellow Sect. You traveled at full speed for an entire day and night before finally reaching the city where the Floating Life Gate was located.】

【Then you disguised your appearance and concealed your aura, slipping into the Floating Life Gate’s sect grounds under the cover of night.】

【You defeated the Floating Life Gate’s Sect Master in a single move, then drew out the innate realm expert hidden within the Floating Life Gate.】

【You successfully captured this innate expert alive and obtained his storage artifact.】

【Inside the storage artifact, you found a divine ability called the Fleeting Life Art, several martial techniques utilizing inner force, and the jade fragment.】

【With your objective secured, you rushed without pause toward the final sect — the Eternal Spring Gate!】

【But when you were still several hundred li from the Eternal Spring Gate’s grounds, your Myriad-Mile Tracking Art detected a familiar aura.】

【It was Old Dog Zong’s aura!】

Seeing this, Su Xing’s heart stirred as he murmured:

“So that’s how it is… no wonder I couldn’t sense Old Dog Zong’s aura before. Turns out this bastard has been hiding inside the Eternal Spring Gate all along!”

“The Immortal Martial Era dungeon is far too distant from Earth — it’s not even the same world… no wonder the Myriad-Mile Tracking Art couldn’t detect him!”

Su Xing pondered to himself — Old Dog Zong was probably hiding in this dungeon to escape the Advent Cult’s pursuit.

“Well, that works out. I’ll use Old Dog Zong to test just how strong I am now!”

Su Xing looked at the simulator panel with anticipation.

【After encountering Old Dog Zong, you didn’t act rashly. To avoid being detected by Old Dog Zong prematurely, you chose to restrain your divine sense and enter Eternal Spring City.】

【Eternal Spring City was built within a lush, vibrant green valley. It was quite expansive, and the entire city gave you the impression that its foundations ran considerably deeper than the other two sects.】

【And according to the display of your Myriad-Mile Tracking Art, Old Dog Zong appeared to be lurking right within the Eternal Spring Gate!】

【After disguising your appearance and concealing your aura, you pretended to be someone who had come to study martial arts. With the power of money, you bribed an outer gate recruitment Elder and smoothly joined the Eternal Spring Gate as an outer disciple.】

【Over the following days, you investigated repeatedly, and ultimately locked onto a target — an outer disciple who practiced the Eternal Spring Art.】

【This outer disciple was Old Dog Zong in disguise!】

Seeing this, Su Xing drew a sharp breath and said:

“Hss~ This Old Dog Zong really knows how to lay low! A dignified peak Spirit Transformation cultivator, actually disguising himself as an outer disciple and infiltrating a sect?”

“But well… this time, this young master has you dead to rights!”

【After confirming Old Dog Zong’s identity, you didn’t hesitate and chose to strike immediately!】

【Swirling primordial energy coated both your fists. The power of the Divine Power Realm erupted fully in this moment as you threw a punch at Old Dog Zong’s head, intending to kill him in a single blow!】

【But Old Dog Zong was worthy of being a thousand-year-old fox — he had sensed the danger ahead of time and dodged your punch by the narrowest of margins.】

【BOOM! Your fist smashed squarely into the ground, and in an instant, a sound like a mountain exploding rang out. The entire sect’s main plaza shook as if struck by an earthquake.】

【The earth cracked apart in all directions, and countless disciples scrambled to flee.】

【After you launched your attack, Old Dog Zong clearly sensed the familiar aura on you as well.】

【A savage grin immediately spread across his face.】

【You wanted to kill Old Dog Zong and seize his treasures — and Old Dog Zong was thinking the exact same thing.】

【And so, a great battle erupted!】

【Old Dog Zong first drew his bone sword. His sword techniques were vicious and ruthless, with resentful energy weaving into your spiritual power.】

【But your strength was no longer what it once was. At the same time, you gripped Blackice and activated your Sword Momentum!】

【With Sword Momentum empowering you, an unstoppable, forward-charging spirit welled up in your heart, and your fighting spirit surged!】

【Wherever the sword radiance passed, boulders crumbled and trees toppled. Old Dog Zong could only temporarily avoid its edge.】

【The two of you fought for over a hundred exchanges, and you maintained a steady advantage over Old Dog Zong throughout.】

【Knowing his swordsmanship was no match for yours, Old Dog Zong switched to competing with divine abilities!】

【Old Dog Zong thrust out a palm, and black qi surged toward you like venomous serpents.】

【You immediately countered with the Separation Fire Technique, sending flames rushing toward the black qi.】

【Although your Qi Refinement cultivation was only at Spirit Transformation stage, third layer — inferior to Old Dog Zong’s — the Separation Fire Technique’s natural suppression of black qi actually resulted in an even match for the time being.】

【Wherever the black qi passed, the entirety of the Eternal Spring Gate was shrouded in despair, and thousands of disciples were reduced to white bones in an instant.】

【But with spiritual power shielding your body and Body Tempering cultivation reaching the Great Perfection of the Divine Power Realm, the black qi had little impact on your combat strength in the short term.】

【Seeing that even his divine abilities were being countered, Old Dog Zong gritted his teeth and summoned seven Nascent Soul stage puppets. These seven puppets were linked in mind, forming a battle formation that could briefly rival a Spirit Transformation cultivator.】

【These seven puppets coordinated seamlessly with Old Dog Zong, and for a time, they actually fought you to a standstill!】

Seeing this, Su Xing raised an eyebrow and murmured:

“As expected, Old Dog Zong really does have plenty of trump cards!”

“He even has Nascent Soul puppets… and not just that, they can form a battle formation? Seven Nascent Soul puppets combined can rival a Spirit Transformation cultivator?”

Su Xing couldn’t help but marvel at Old Dog Zong’s methods.

But then the corner of Su Xing’s mouth curled upward as he said:

“Too bad — I’m not the same me as before! Forget puppets — even if you had an actual additional Spirit Transformation cultivator, it still wouldn’t save your worthless life today!”

His gaze turned to the simulator panel.

【The puppets and Old Dog Zong quickly became locked in close combat with you.】

【After several dozen exchanges, you drew upon your rich combat experience to seize an opening and blasted one of the Nascent Soul puppets apart with a single punch!】

【With one of the Nascent Soul puppets destroyed, the formation’s power plummeted instantly. It didn’t take you much effort after that to shatter all the remaining puppets.】

【Then, facing Old Dog Zong alone once more, you fought him for dozens more exchanges, beating him until he was coughing up blood.】

【Seeing his puppets blown to pieces, Old Dog Zong’s face twisted with the pain of his losses. But with his life on the line, he had no choice but to play yet another trump card.】

【A black banner appeared in Old Dog Zong’s hand — it was the Soul-Summoning Banner!】

【Old Dog Zong immediately put distance between you and himself, rapidly chanting an incantation…】

【Then, through your divine sense, you perceived that the souls of those sect disciples who had perished miserably within the Eternal Spring Gate were all being drawn into Old Dog Zong’s Soul-Summoning Banner!】

【As more and more souls poured in, the aura emanating from Old Dog Zong grew increasingly sinister and bizarre.】

【Finally, the black qi surged directly into Old Dog Zong’s arms.】

【In an instant, Old Dog Zong’s aura skyrocketed. His pupils turned black, and he charged straight at you!】