My Cultivation Techniques Upgrade Automatically

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: You’re More Like It

Within Broken Blade Mountain.

A dense web of interlocking branches formed a canopy overhead, and murky yellow sunlight pierced through the leaves, splashing the ground with spots of light the size of copper coins.

The ground was piled high with rotting leaves, and ancient moss grew across the mountain rocks.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

Two figures walked through the forest, their feet crushing countless dry, yellow leaves. The sound sent venomous insects scurrying from beneath the foliage and startled birds into taking flight from the treetops.

"Young Master Wu, slow down. If we move this fast, we won’t be able to spot any herbs."

"Young Master Wu, go easy on the flatbreads. We’ve only just entered the mountain, and we still have a whole month left!"

"..."

Liu Linshan’s gaze continuously scanned the rotting trees and dead wood, carefully searching for any possible herbs.

When he looked up, he saw that Wu Chen was already some distance ahead.

He called out, but when Wu Chen didn’t slow down, Liu Linshan hurriedly rushed to catch up.

Only then did he realize that Wu Chen had, at some point, taken a flatbread from his pack and was savoring it with slow, deliberate chews.

By now, the refugee groups had all entered the mountain. Wu Chen and Liu Linshan were in one team, while Zhou Yuntao and his companions were in another, a great distance away.

Wu Chen didn’t respond to Liu Linshan’s words, simply lowering his head and continuing to eat.

’But what in this Broken Blade Mountain is worth the Zhuangzi spending so much to support two hundred people for over a month, only to send them in here in the end?’

’Two hundred people... even at a low estimate of ten silver per person per month, the total cost would be two thousand silver!’

’Even if we stripped this entire mountain of its herbs, it probably wouldn’t cover the cost of all the rice, flour, pills, and medicinal broths they’ve consumed.’

’So, what is the Zhuangzi scheming to get for such a high price?’

’What is in this mountain?’

’Could there be something forbidden, a "great terror"? Something that requires hundreds of people with abundant Qi and Blood to lure out?’

’Then, when this great terror appears, the Guards from the Zhuangzi will all attack at once to capture it?’

As his thoughts reached this point, Wu Chen’s eyes lit up with a flicker of interest.

For all the other refugees here, this "great terror" was a fatal threat.

But Wu Chen felt that this so-called terror might very well be an opportunity for him.

If he ran into it, he might even be able to subjugate it for his own use.

After all, if a few dozen Guards from the Zhuangzi could handle whatever was in this mountain, Wu Chen saw no reason why he couldn’t do the same.

As he pondered, he finished the flatbread and sucked all the remaining crumbs from his fingers into his mouth.

Only then did Wu Chen clap his hands together in satisfaction and come to a stop.

He turned to face Liu Linshan, who almost bumped into him, and said,

"Master Liu, I feel like some flatbread."

"What? Young Master Wu, didn’t you just finish eating?!" Liu Linshan stopped just in time. Though exasperated, he still took the pack off his back.

"Not from you."

Wu Chen casually took the pack from him and jutted his chin toward the space behind Liu Linshan. "I want theirs. The two guys behind you."

"Hahaha! Kid’s got sharp eyes!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a hearty laugh echoed from the woods, and two figures emerged.

Two burly men, blades resting on their shoulders, moved to block their path, one in front and one behind, cutting off any escape for Wu Chen and Liu Linshan.

Seeing that Wu Chen had spotted them, one of the burly men said with ill intent,

"Didn’t expect a guy at the Fourth Layer of the Body Tempering Realm to have such sharp ears and eyes."

"Since you’ve spotted us, my brother and I won’t waste any more words on you."

"Hand over your food and that herb you just picked. If you don’t, you’ll be eating my blade!"

As they spoke, they closed the distance until they were less than ten paces from Wu Chen.

From this distance, they could strike in the span of two breaths.

Wu Chen, who had long known the two were following them, unhurriedly took the pack from the still-dazed Liu Linshan and asked,

"Master Liu, feel like warming up?"

"Yes, yes!"

Only at that moment did Liu Linshan realize they had been targeted.

Having witnessed Wu Chen’s true strength, he had been focusing all his attention on searching for herbs since they entered the mountain.

Although he hadn’t let his guard down completely, he never imagined someone could trail them so silently.

And most importantly, he hadn’t detected a thing!

The old Hunter was embarrassed once again. He hastily drew his blade. "Young Master Wu, after eating and drinking so well these past few days, I’m itching for a little exercise!"

Wu Chen nodded. "Alright. One for each of us."

"Hmph! How arrogant!"

Seeing a Fourth Layer and a Sixth Layer of the Body Tempering Realm not only refuse to surrender but actually dare to resist two at the Seventh Layer, and even casually utter an arrogant phrase like, ’One for each of us’—they were utterly clueless.

The two refugee robbers’ faces flushed red with rage. They decided to leave no one alive. With a great shout, they raised their blades and charged.

Liu Linshan instantly spun around, raising his blade to meet the man coming from behind.

For the past month in the Zhuangzi’s training grounds, he had been practicing under Wu Chen’s watchful eye and frequently received his guidance.

Although his realm hadn’t improved, his blade skills had become noticeably sharper than before.

Coupled with his background as a Hunter, his skills were already quite formidable to begin with.

Thus, he was fully confident he could take down this refugee-turned-robber.

However, in the very instant their blades met,

the robber looked as if he had seen something terrifying. His pupils filled with dread, and the hand raising his blade faltered in mid-air.

He didn’t even notice the glint of Liu Linshan’s blade until it was right before his eyes.

SPLURT!

Hot blood sprayed through the air as the man collapsed, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"Heh, so that’s all he amounted to. To think he’d hesitate in the middle of a fight to the death."

Having felled his enemy in a single strike, Liu Linshan grunted in satisfaction.

"No matter how fast Young Master Wu is, I bet he couldn’t have finished faster than my single slash..."

He turned around excitedly, but his words came to an abrupt halt.

Ten paces away, Wu Chen was leaning leisurely against a tree. At his feet lay a limp corpse.

Liu Linshan finally understood why the man he had just fought had faltered for that brief moment.

If he had witnessed such a terrifying scene, one that completely defied his comprehension, he would have worn the exact same expression!

The only reason he wasn’t wearing it now was that Wu Chen had already shocked him countless times.

He had become desensitized.

After taking the pack of dry rations from the dead man, Liu Linshan walked over to Wu Chen.

"Young Master Wu, shall we continue deeper into the forest then?"

"There should be more herbs there, which will help us complete our task faster."

Wu Chen shook his head, deciding it was time to speak plainly.

"Master Liu, haven’t you noticed that something is wrong with the Zhuangzi? Or to put it another way, do you really believe the people from the Zhuangzi sent us into the mountains just to gather herbs?"

Liu Linshan was pensive for a moment before shaking his head with a bitter expression.

"Young Master Wu, I have noticed that things aren’t right, but what can I possibly do about it?"

Wu Chen: "..."

The question left him stumped.

Right. Not everyone had words popping up in their vision like he did.

Not everyone had the power to back up their arrogance.

Even if they realized something was wrong, all they could do was go with the flow, right up until they died a confused and meaningless death.

Wu Chen sighed at the hardships of the common folk, gathered his thoughts, and shared his earlier suspicions with Liu Linshan.

"Master Liu, I suspect there’s some kind of great terror lurking in this mountain, and that’s why the Zhuangzi supported a group of people with abundant Blood Qi."

"They sent us into the mountain to lure this great terror out."

"Why else would they give us insufficient food and an impossible task? They want us to fight and kill each other, using the stench of blood to draw out this great terror hidden in the mountain!"

"A great terror?"

Liu Linshan was a little speechless. ’If you ask me, *you’re* the great terror here,’ he thought.

But he still asked, "Young Master Wu, then what are you proposing?"

"Let’s try to lure out this great terror. I want to see if I can subjugate it!" Wu Chen declared.

Subjugate a great terror?!

Liu Linshan’s eyes went wide. He dug a finger in his ear, suspecting he must have misheard.

’He even wants to subjugate a great terror... No matter how I look at it, he seems more like the great terror himself!’

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