Path to Immortality: Mastering a Hundred Arts Chapter Sixteen: The Evil Cultist and Malevolent Heaven

“There truly exists such a miraculous secret technique in this world!”

After reading the introduction to the Spirit Concealment Technique, Li Feng’s heart brimmed with excitement.

If he could master it, he would be able to hide a portion of his spiritual roots, even fooling instruments specifically designed to detect them.

Though this concealment technique would not enhance cultivation efficiency, when used skillfully, it could bring numerous advantages.

Take, for example, the owner of the ruins, who possessed four types of spiritual roots during his lifetime.

After acquiring the Spirit Concealment Technique, he concealed three of them, masquerading as a single-rooted prodigy, attracting countless sects eager to recruit him.

Without exception, these sects were all exploited by the ruins’ owner.

This was a key reason why, despite his unremarkable talent, he cultivated up to the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment.

Unfortunately, his excessive number of spiritual roots ultimately prevented him from breaking through to the Golden Core stage, and he died when his lifespan was exhausted.

Li Feng decided to remain in the ruins for a while longer to thoroughly master the Spirit Concealment Technique.

A round trip from Anhe City to the Luoshan nation's border and back would take at least three months.

Returning too soon would certainly raise Hong Ling’s suspicion.

...

Several months slipped by leisurely.

One day, while cultivating within a first-tier Spirit Gathering Array, Li Feng’s aura surged, successfully breaking through to the seventh level of Qi Refining.

After ceasing cultivation, he felt the strengthening of his power and was deeply moved.

This was the first time he had broken through a realm purely on his own.

Such marked progress was partly due to the array’s enhancement effect.

Another factor was the support of high-grade spirit stones.

Over the three months, not only had his strength increased, but the Spirit Concealment Technique was also successfully cultivated.

Whenever he wished, he could conceal all his spiritual roots, disguising himself as an ordinary, unremarkable mortal.

Moreover, his array formation skill had reached a mid-level first tier just a month prior.

Li Feng possessed unparalleled talent in the myriad arts of cultivation.

To date, his alchemy and talisman crafting were both of high first-tier quality.

Now, he had added the art of array formation.

The first-tier Spirit Gathering Array’s enhancement effect on cultivation was quite significant, comparable to training within a first-tier spiritual vein.

“It’s time to return.”

Li Feng left the tomb chamber, sealing it with illusion arrays, killing arrays, falling rock arrays, ghost soil arrays, and the Yin-Yang Five Elements Array…

Not trusting the seals alone, he also set “some” talisman traps.

The combination of formations and talismans was unpredictable in power.

It would likely require a Foundation Establishment cultivator to shed layers of skin just to enter.

With these precautions taken, Li Feng retraced his steps outside.

...

After long confinement within the earth, breathing fresh air again invigorated Li Feng.

Before he could take a step, cries of a beast’s agony sounded nearby.

His expression shifted slightly as he quickly crushed a protective talisman, enveloping his body in dozens of layers of golden light.

In his left hand was a talisman, in his right an array formation tool—only then did he feel some measure of safety.

About a hundred meters away, a gaunt, demonic man wreathed in overwhelming dark energy was extracting the demon core from a beast’s body with his bare hands, chewing on it.

Li Feng’s heart tightened in shock.

This was undoubtedly an evil cultivator, and one at the Foundation Establishment stage.

He silently lamented his bad luck—just as he emerged from the ruins, he encountered such trouble.

The man had obviously noticed Li Feng, glaring with ill intent.

Li Feng knew hiding was futile; he stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and apologized.

“Sorry to disturb your esteemed pastime, senior. I will take my leave immediately.”

With that, he tried to slip away.

“Stop right there!”

The evil cultivator called out, his tone full of interest.

“I have hunted here for many days and never sensed anyone approaching. Yet you suddenly appear—could there be a fortune nearby?”

“You must be joking, senior. I am merely adept at concealment and wandered here by accident, finding no fortune.”

“Dare to lie before me? You seek death!”

The evil cultivator flew into a rage, unleashing a massive surge of black mist from his dark robes to engulf Li Feng, aiming to consume him.

Li Feng swiftly retreated, pulling out two stacks of talismans while silently setting a confinement array.

Fire talismans and thunder talismans, designed to counter evil beings, would exert some deterrent effect.

Sure enough, upon seeing the vast number of talismans in Li Feng’s hands, the evil cultivator became significantly more cautious.

“Good kid, and quite plump too. Your life belongs to me now!”

Li Feng remained silent and flung talismans like a shower of flowers.

Flames interlaced with lightning scattered the black mist, forcing it to retreat.

But given the disparity in cultivation, the black mist would inevitably recondense and press on.

For a moment, neither could gain the upper hand.

Unwilling to prolong the stalemate, Li Feng took out five more stacks of talismans from his storage pouch, identical in type to the previous ones.

The evil cultivator’s heart was unsettled, guessing at Li Feng’s true identity.

Ordinary cultivators did not possess such deep reserves.

These talismans took up half his storage space.

Before venturing into the Ten-Thousand Mountains, Li Feng had prepared thoroughly.

Because he knew well he lacked powerful spells and was not skilled in combat.

If danger arose, he had to maximize his own advantages.

Talismans and pills were his greatest assets.

“I am a disciple of Blood Cloud Patriarch’s inner chamber. Since you wish to fight, I will accompany you to the end!”

Li Feng’s confidence surged as he swallowed a dozen Spirit Recovery Pills to prevent spiritual exhaustion.

The evil cultivator was no fool; after some analysis, he withdrew the black mist and forced a smile onto his demonic face.

“Since you are a Blood Cloud Sect disciple, I’ll spare your life this once—go!”

“Invoking help is easy; sending it away is hard. If I let you go, wouldn’t that embarrass my patriarch?”

Li Feng was thus aggressive because he saw some use in this evil cultivator.

Anhe City was swarming with disciples of the Tianhe Sect.

Coupled with the killing of Liu Tianci, a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Liu was investigating the murderer, creating a tense atmosphere in the city.

If he could divert everyone’s attention onto this evil cultivator, he would be safer and gain more time to grow.

The evil cultivator’s face darkened as he coldly said, “I spare you out of respect for the Blood Cloud Patriarch. Don’t be ungrateful.”

Li Feng showed no fear, raising a jade stone as if to smash it.

“This jade stone is linked to my divine sense. If shattered, my patriarch will know at once that I’m in trouble.”

“By the way, a few months ago, Tianhe Sect disciples provoked me. My patriarch even declared war on Tianhe Sect because of it. Do you think you’re more capable than Tianhe Sect?”

Li Feng’s words grew more and more outrageous, firmly shifting the blame.

The evil cultivator was indeed wary.

He was half-believing of Li Feng’s claims.

But the thick stacks of talismans and the pills he consumed like beans were indeed not the possessions of an ordinary cultivator.

“What do you want?”

After careful thought, the evil cultivator’s tone softened somewhat.

“Leave all your belongings here, and I’ll pretend today never happened.”

“Seeking death!”

“I, Li Etian, am the only one who robs others. No one dares to steal from me!”

The evil cultivator exploded in anger, tearing off all pretenses.

Black mist spread once more.

Li Feng remained calm; during their negotiation, he had already set numerous arrays, just waiting for the other to fall into the trap.