Seeing this rather small platform still contained a narrow path, Ye Wen grew even more curious, wondering where it led.

Although he had now climbed to a position close to the peak of Mount Shu, he was still a considerable distance from the true summit. He had originally assumed this was the only platform available for rest, never suspecting there was more hidden within: "I wonder if this path leads to a larger space, or if it’s just a dead end?"

In his heart, Ye Wen hoped for a larger area, preferably holding something special. Having read so many novels, he always held a certain longing for those miraculous encounters. As a university student of the new era, Ye Wen had initially dismissed such tales as mere wish fulfillment born of boredom, yet now that he had experienced the bizarre event of transmigration and possessing another's body, experiencing a stroke of luck seemed fitting for a protagonist's identity.

Even though he possessed a ring that could summon secret manuals, after more than a year of observation, Ye Wen had discovered that the help the ring provided was quite limited, especially concerning the increase in his strength; the ring offered almost no assistance there. Its sole utility was ensuring he never lacked powerful cultivation methods.

As for when he would obtain higher-level martial arts manuals, the ring offered no guidance; it relied entirely on his own efforts to achieve successive ‘upgrades.’ In essence, when it came to power growth, the majority of the burden rested on his own diligence.

But relying solely on personal diligent practice, how long would it take him to become a true master?

Setting aside other matters, just consider the foundation of internal energy cultivation. The Complete True Heart Method was indeed excellent—among the best introductory techniques for building a foundation—but how long would it take to master?

In the original story, Guo Jing’s internal cultivation was never truly perfected even by the end of The Legend of the Condor Heroes; he was merely outstanding among the new generation of experts, still showing a gap when compared to the top masters of the previous generation. And that gap, he only managed to close by the time of The Return of the Condor Heroes.

The time difference between the two novels spanned at least ten years, and one must not forget that Guo Jing's fortuitous encounters were hardly inferior to those of protagonists in pure wish-fulfillment novels.

Looking at Jin Lao’s other works (since Ye Wen was primarily practicing Jin-style martial arts, he didn't consider others), in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, only Qiao Feng cultivated his power bit by bit through his own effort; the other two protagonists played the game from beginning to end with built-in cheat codes. However, Qiao Feng appeared as a man already in his thirties, having cultivated martial arts since childhood, achieving his status through innate talent.

In The Return of the Condor Heroes, Yang Guo encountered one lucky break after another, often so coincidental they were outrageous. Perhaps the only one happier than Yang Guo was the Duan young master, who roamed the world with the Northern Darkness technique, gathering internal energy to strengthen himself. But even with so many blessings, it took Yang at least several years to possess truly formidable combat power.

“Several years. Will the Mount Shu Sect still exist then?”

Ye Wen was certain that if he couldn't achieve another significant leap in his own power, after several years, the Mount Shu Sect might become nothing more than smoke and dust, everything turning to ash. The colossal threat of the Tianle Gang hung over him like a guillotine, constantly reminding him that the blade could fall at any moment.

Perhaps some might feel Ye Wen was overreacting; perhaps the Tianle Gang didn't even take the Mount Shu Sect seriously. But to Ye Wen, the less they cared, the more dangerous the Mount Shu Sect became.

This meant the sect wasn't worth anyone’s consideration; they could crush it whenever they wished. Even if the Tianle Gang didn't attack them, some other powerful sect might come to destroy the Mount Shu Sect. Perhaps the Jile Gang? Perhaps the Changle Gang?

This situation would only worsen as the Mount Shu Sect became more widely known. In short, Ye Wen realized that if he didn't devise some solution, the Mount Shu Sect would forever be dancing on the edge of a cliff, ready to fall and leave no remains behind.

Taking a deep breath to calm his slightly agitated mood, Ye Wen stepped out of the small path. The winding trail he had just traversed was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for one person, and its twists and turns had made Ye Wen feel somewhat disoriented.

Taking this final step, Ye Wen walked into a spacious area. The oppressive feeling of the narrow passage was gone, which offered him considerable relief.

What shocked him even more was that the moment he stepped in, the internal energy within his body stirred. That deep breath he just took seemed to have improved his internal cultivation.

Simultaneously, a refreshing energy entered his lungs; the icy sensation made his head snap alert. Ye Wen felt more comfortable than at any point that entire day; even the fatigue from sword practice and climbing had vanished entirely. His spirit and energy instantly reached their peak condition, leaving Ye Wen greatly astonished.

After a moment of stunned silence, Ye Wen realized this place was likely rich in spiritual energy—a so-called grotto-heaven, the ideal environment for cultivating internal martial arts.

The energy source for internal arts, besides the sustenance derived from eating, was the primal energy of heaven and earth absorbed through breathing. However, very little of this absorbed energy could be retained and utilized by the practitioner; if too much were absorbed, what was being practiced would hardly be called martial arts.

Breathing in a place rich with spiritual energy meant the primal energy inhaled was incomparable to that of ordinary locations. Cultivating internal energy in such a place naturally yielded twice the result with half the effort. Others might need a year of practice to achieve what he could accomplish in two or three years of hard work here.

Ye Wen had already noticed during this time that practicing on Mount Shu was much faster than practicing down the mountain. He had long suspected Mount Shu was a treasure trove of abundant spiritual energy, but at the time, although there was an effect, it wasn't pronounced, so Ye Wen hadn't paid much attention.

Now arriving here, Ye Wen realized he had truly stumbled upon a gold mine. Especially considering the platform leading here, the only way up was from behind the Mount Shu Sect. The other sides were sheer cliffs; unless one could fly, approach was impossible.

This meant Ye Wen had inadvertently encompassed such a treasure ground within the territory of the Mount Shu Sect by simply making a circuit. He was confident that if he could cultivate here for a while, his internal energy foundation would definitely advance by a large margin, and combining that with the heavy sword might yield even better results.

But thinking of the heavy sword brought immediate concern: it was too heavy. If he carried it on his back, he feared he wouldn't be able to reach this spot again. Given his lightness skill, reaching the platform was already a struggle, and he only managed the final stretch by climbing the vines; relying purely on lightness skill, he certainly wouldn't have made it.

However, this wasn't an insurmountable problem. Recalling the vines, Ye Wen thought he could use ropes to hoist the heavy sword up; it wouldn't be too troublesome.

Looking around, Ye Wen had been lost in thought and had forgotten to survey his surroundings. Only then did he remember to take a proper look. Upon doing so, he discovered this was a hidden valley, surrounded on all sides by towering cliffs that seemed to pierce the heavens. In such a desolate place, without that winding path, escape would be almost impossible, and outsiders certainly couldn't enter.

The valley floor was not as barren as the outside; there were many plants—flowers, grasses, and trees—all vividly pink and lush green, looking as if it were early spring. This surprised Ye Wen slightly, but considering the peculiar nature of this place, he guessed these plants were unaffected by the outside seasons, hence their vibrant appearance.

Walking a few steps deeper, Ye Wen reached a pool that occupied about one-third of the entire secluded valley. A layer of mist covered the surface of the pool, leading Ye Wen to secretly surmise: "Could this also be a hot spring?"

But when he dipped his hand in, he felt a sharp jolt and quickly withdrew it, rubbing it vigorously with his other hand.

"I thought it was a hot spring, but it's actually so cold!"

It turned out the mist over the water wasn't steam rising from hot water, but rather moisture in the air liquefying and gathering due to the intense cold emanating from the pool. It bore a strong resemblance to water vapor. Since the season was already autumn, though the summer heat hadn't fully receded, Ye Wen had made that incorrect judgment.

"But the coldness of this pool is frankly exaggerated." That brief touch had nearly frozen his hand due to the sudden shock; if he hadn't withdrawn it in time and immediately used internal energy to force out the cold, he would have suffered badly.

As he puzzled over why such an icy spring existed here, unable to find a sensible explanation, Ye Wen noticed that the pool extended all the way to a cliff face, and on that cliff face, there was an opening to a cave. It was pitch black, obscured by numerous trees and overgrown grass, making it impossible to see what lay inside. If Ye Wen hadn't approached the edge of the pool, he might never have spotted the entrance.

Just as Ye Wen was about to proceed further, he suddenly spotted a wooden plaque standing not far in front of him. This plaque was clearly erected by a person, and moreover, it bore clear writing.

To the young man of the Xu family:

I was hunted and forced to flee in haste, unintentionally discovering this place. This location is a rare treasure on earth, not only rich in spiritual energy but also home to an icy spring. The pool water is intensely cold; anyone entering would surely suffer cold poison invading their body, damaging their organs and leading to death.

However, for those who practice internal arts, borrowing this spring for cultivation can lead to progress that advances by a thousand li in a single day, and it protects against invasion by evil influences.

Since you found this place, your internal energy must have reached a small level of attainment. You may use this cold spring to practice, but remember: initially, only practice outside; do not venture inside.

This pool is formed by the water flowing from the cold spring. It is unknown how long it took to form this pool, but the chilling energy has slightly dissipated, making it bearable for you. If you go further inside, it is all fresh spring water; the cold penetrates the bone—entering means instant death. Remember this!

Furthermore, beside the cold spring grows a spiritual fruit, a Crimson Fruit, whose attributes are the opposite of the cold spring—it is an object of ultimate Yang and intense heat. I had only vaguely heard of this fruit before and never expected to see it here. This fruit could heal the internal injuries I suffered to the death. Regrettably, this fruit is not yet ripe; picking it would be useless, so I leave it for you.

Remember, for this fruit to be ripe, its entire body must be crimson. Do not pick it if there is even a trace of green, or it will be useless and even harmful if consumed.

One Crimson Fruit can enhance cultivation, and two, it can counteract the cold poison of this spring.

Be careful. Such naturally occurring spiritual fruits are guarded by strange creatures. I only glimpsed from afar that a giant serpent guards the Crimson Fruit day and night, never leaving its side. It seems that to obtain the fruit, you will need to kill this long creature.

All parts of such a spiritual creature are treasures. Young man of the Xu family, if you kill it, do not waste any part of it. Do not even spare the serpent’s offspring; all of them will greatly aid your practice. Just remember that the creature’s offspring are identifiable by a red circle two inches behind the head.

As for my identity, you need not know it. If you wish to remember, just recall that I died from a fatal injury after taking the full force of a palm strike using the Ice Soul Cold Skill from Tianshan.

The last words of a Fallen Elder

Reading the inscription on the wooden plank, Ye Wen sucked in a sharp breath: "Damn, this stroke of luck is too incredible! This isn't just a treasure spot; it's a treasure vault!"

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