The rain was still falling, and the forest was dim. The black wolf lay trembling on the ground, not yet completely dead but lacking the strength to harm anyone.

The man in black stood opposite, his body swaying as he quickly set his broken bones. He didn't hide his astonishment and said, "Although the Golden Body Technique is powerful, few people practice it. One reason is that it takes a long time to see results, often requiring decades to achieve. Another reason is that any slight mistake can cause serious problems and harm oneself."

He stared at Wang Xuan. The latter's Golden Body Technique had clearly reached the later stage of the fourth level, which would require at least thirty years of cultivation. Yet, Wang Xuan was only in his twenties.

"How did you achieve this?" His eyes were sharp and filled with an intense desire to know.

"For whom did you come to kill me?" Wang Xuan asked calmly. He didn't recognize this man in black, who was in his fifties. They had never had any interaction before.

He believed that there must be someone behind the man in black, someone who had sent him to kill. Thus, the man in black was not the real mastermind.

The man in black's face remained calm as he said, "If you win against me today, let's stop investigating this matter. The person from the Grey Blood Organization who was sent to kill you is me, and I am also the one who personally took action. You can consider me the mastermind behind the scenes, and that is indeed the case."

A faint golden light flashed in Wang Xuan's eyes, a manifestation of his mastery of the Golden Body Technique. This made the man in black even more eager to know how Wang Xuan had reached this level.

The man in black didn't want to practice the Golden Body Technique himself; he wanted to find out if there were any secret methods or shortcuts. If he could truly understand this, the old techniques might regain their brilliance in this era.

He had practiced the old techniques for decades and had reached this level with great difficulty. He was already considered one of the few top experts in this field. However, he deeply understood that once he reached this level, there was almost no way forward.

Wang Xuan was very indifferent and said, "You came to kill me but refuse to reveal the person behind you. Why should I tell you?"

The man in black stretched his body and flexed his muscles and bones. He said, "As someone who practices the old techniques, I am just reminding you because I see that you have achieved so much at such a young age. If you can leave here alive and stop investigating up to this point, the matter should be considered over. You can live your life peacefully without thinking about uncovering anything. There shouldn't be anyone targeting you anymore."

Anger rose in Wang Xuan's heart. Although he was low-key and didn't like to cause trouble, he had been repeatedly attacked and now he was being told to endure it and not actively investigate, just to ensure his safety?

The man in black sighed lightly, "It's really not easy for those of us who follow the old techniques, especially in this era where the road has come to an end and the new techniques are about to completely replace the old ones. I am very unwilling and hold unrealistic ideas, hoping to find a way and persist to the point of obsession."

It was clear that he wasn't pretending; he truly had some feelings and a deep obsession with the old techniques.

The man in black didn't rush to take action and continued, "Since I learned that a certain ancient scripture of the old techniques appeared, but was locked away after being collected by certain people, I couldn't restrain myself and wanted to get close, hoping to obtain some insights and discover the secret of transformation into a True Immortal."

Wang Xuan remained silent and listened quietly.

"So, I intentionally approached and knew that there were people in that family who were dissatisfied with you and even wanted to kill you. I took the initiative to get close, subtly indicating that as a scholar and professor, I could 'educate' you, while also implying that I wanted to see the ancient scroll in their possession."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan frowned and tried to recall the people he knew, but he still couldn't figure out who it was. He had never had any deep grudges with anyone.

Until now, he didn't know who he had offended to the point of being targeted for death.

At the same time, he was also surprised that the man in black turned out to be a scholar and a professor. It seemed that his identity was quite complex.

The man in black seemed to sense what Wang Xuan was thinking and said, "For a period of time, before the old techniques declined, as a researcher of the old techniques, I also taught some students in the university on New Planet. Sometimes, I was even invited by some extraordinary old fellows to explain how to cultivate and maintain health. I had some reputation back then."

He laughed at himself and shook his head.

Wang Xuan understood that before the rise of the new techniques, the old techniques had indeed been explored for a period of time. At least the ancient bamboo slips from Old Planet's pre-Qin era had been completely divided among the financial magnates and major research institutes.

For a few years, New Planet had hoped to trigger supernatural powers through the old techniques and integrate them with the new techniques. Therefore, the man in black had become a guest of honor for some financial magnates. It was not surprising that he had the identity of a scholar and professor.

"On that day, after I expressed my interest, that person quietly took out a rare book from his home and showed me the first page. I was immediately captivated because I knew it was a priceless treasure that aligned with the path I had been exploring for many years. It broke through a barrier and opened a new window for me. And mind you, that was just the first page, which already revealed the essence of my lifelong efforts and pursuits. How astonishing would the rest be? In the hands of those people, it would be like a precious gem covered in dust. Although they have studied it, they cannot truly comprehend it. But my desire for it only grew stronger because I am confident that I can make that legendary scripture shine brilliantly once again in the era of ancient arts."

As he spoke, the man in black had a fiery gaze, as if flames were dancing in his eyes. His emotions were highly intense.

"Unfortunately, I only saw the first page!"

Finally, he gradually regained his composure, and the flames in his eyes extinguished. He stared at Wang Xuan and said, "I seem to have discovered something even more extraordinary in you. Have you been practicing the Golden Body Technique since childhood? Do you have a mysterious shortcut that allows you to reach the fourth level at your age? Or is it even more astonishing than I imagined?"

Two intimidating beams of light shot out from his eyes as he spoke. "According to my investigation, I know that the secret manual of the Golden Body Technique was given to you by Zhou Mingxuan at a gathering. How could you reach the fourth level in such a short period of time? There must be a major problem!"

Wang Xuan remained calm and did not say anything. In this era, no one could enter the Inner World anymore.

In ancient times, those who followed the path of ancient arts needed the assistance of pre-Qin Taoists or the guidance of legendary figures to enter the Inner World. But Wang Xuan entered for the first time without anyone's guidance. If he were to reveal this, it would shock those who understood the situation.

"I have become somewhat obsessed with my pursuit. In order to obtain the legendary scripture, I was willing to resort to violence and even kill you to exchange for it. Now, I realize that those of us who follow the path of ancient arts have lost hope. It's quite pitiful."

The man in black sighed and then stared at Wang Xuan, saying, "So, I advise you not to investigate further. That person might have only said he wanted to kill you out of temporary anger, and afterwards, he may not pay any attention to this matter anymore. Just pretend that nothing happened. Some people and forces are beyond the reach and confrontation of people like you and me. After all, this is no longer the pre-Qin era when Taoists displayed the brilliance of transformation."

Suddenly, his aura changed, and two rays of light shot out from his eyes. His internal organs resonated, producing thunderous sounds. A faint radiance emanated from his blood, and he seemed to be surrounded by a halo. In an instant, he disappeared from his original position, moving at an incredible speed as he lunged towards Wang Xuan.

Although Wang Xuan felt that this person had an obsession with ancient arts and was not pretending, he did not let his guard down. Human nature is complex, and the man in black, despite his dedication to ancient arts, might not be purely benevolent.

At the very least, his black beast had been severely injured and was on the verge of death, yet he showed no signs of concern. This revealed his hardened heart.

Boom!

Search "pawread.com" for the original.

Wang Xuan quickly dodged and fully activated his Golden Body Technique to confront this person.

In the spot where he disappeared, the man appeared with a loud thud, leaving a large pit in the ground. His strength was terrifying, even more astonishing than before.

The man in black took deep breaths, and his internal organs resonated with thunderous sounds. A faint radiance emanated from his blood, creating a halo around him. It was extremely strange and significantly increased his power.

Wang Xuan was greatly shocked. He speculated that this might be what the first page of the scripture that the man in black desired described.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Wang Xuan avoided his attacks and struck his arms and body from the side. Even so, he could still feel the opponent's incredibly powerful strength.

At this moment, the man in black was somewhat overwhelmed. In their brief contact, Wang Xuan's ten fingernails were torn off, blood continuously flowing, his arms were on the verge of breaking, and his finger bones were in excruciating pain. Even the Golden Body Technique couldn't withstand it!

The situation was extremely critical. In the consecutive collisions, Wang Xuan was sent flying, coughing up blood. He was about to be severely injured.

Seeing the state of the man in black, Wang Xuan immediately thought of a certain body technique he had also practiced—the Five-Page Golden Book left by Zhang Daoling. He had practiced the first illustration in the Inner World, but at that time, he didn't think it would have much power.

Now, witnessing the man in black's power, he suddenly realized and touched upon a similar force. It was related to the activation of the internal organs.

Boom!

Wang Xuan fought desperately, blood flowing from his mouth. He fully activated the body technique recorded in that illustration, causing his internal organs to resonate intensely. In this life-or-death situation, he sensed something extraordinary. When his physical body was about to collapse under the strain, and his internal organs were violently shaking, he felt a new and peculiar power surging within his flesh and blood. It rapidly expanded.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

He realized that his heart was beating powerfully, and his blood was surging like a river, emitting a faint golden radiance. He managed to withstand the fierce attacks from the man in black, and his arms and finger bones were finally preserved without breaking.

In the end, the man in black couldn't hold on any longer. After his internal organs resonated, he coughed up a large mouthful of blood. With a loud bang, Wang Xuan sent him flying more than ten meters away. His chest caved in, revealing a terrifying fist hole that even penetrated through his back.

Moreover, the secret power resonated by his internal organs was too strong, and now they were on the verge of collapse. With cracks appearing, he completely lost his combat power and was on the brink of death.

"Unexpectedly, you have also practiced similar scriptures." He continued to bleed from his mouth and nose, and finally sighed, "You are still so young, perhaps there is some hope. If you can pave a way for the old arts in the future..."

He couldn't speak anymore, his mouth full of bloody foam, breathing difficult, and rapidly weakening.

Wang Xuan was also in a bad state. Even though he quickly stopped the body technique recorded in the golden book, he still felt severe pain in his internal organs. He had consumed too much energy and felt weak, not wanting to move at all.

But there were still snipers nearby, posing a great danger.

Sure enough, he instantly felt as if he had fallen into a life-and-death situation. His brow ached unbearably, as if it was being pressed by a sharp weapon and was about to be pierced.

Was he being targeted and about to be shot?!

Wang Xuan felt that he was not far from death, never before had he been so close to death. Enduring the severe pain, he tried hard to turn over and narrowly avoided a bullet, which flew past and hit the spot where he had just been.

In an instant, he felt severe pain in multiple parts of his body. He was being targeted from all directions.

However, his condition was extremely bad, and it was difficult for him to react in time.

Was he going to die? He was unwilling to accept this. The root method of the pre-Qin alchemists automatically operated within his body. He didn't want to give up and still wanted to try to turn over.

Boom!

Suddenly, he noticed something unusual. Time seemed to slow down, his body was covered by the shadow of death, and under the extreme pressure of almost suffocating, he fell into a hyper-sensory state.

Even so, could he escape this disaster? He still had no confidence.

Thanks to: It's already a fluffy ball, Stranded ovo, Messed up thoughts, Reader 1394236070840274944, Luo Chuan Youming.

Thank you for the support of the above alliance leaders.

Thanks to the strong support of all the book friends!

I will keep writing, adjusting and readjusting, I want to gradually change the update time back.