Ha ha, trying to solve riddles with me?
Today, I'll let you taste what it means to use someone's own method against them!
Chen Kuang laughed brilliantly, feeling as pleased as wearing new underwear for the New Year.
Huo Hengxuan looked at him with a blank expression.
Chen Kuang continued to laugh, "What? The esteemed Grand General, Da Liang God of Slaughter, can't solve such a simple riddle?"
Even though Huo Hengxuan guessed it had something to do with the Elixir of Longevity, he knew this was something that absolutely couldn't be openly discussed, so he was forced to remain silent.
One could say both the path forward and the way back were blocked.
Huo Hengxuan was silent for a long time, looking deeply at Chen Kuang, then suddenly let out a long breath, his withered eyes seemed to brighten slightly.
He chuckled, squinting his eyes, a cold, ambiguous glint passing through them.
The old man snorted coldly:
"Boy, you're inexplicably proud of yourself, I don't recall wanting to play any riddle games with you."
"How you accomplished it is none of my concern."
He paused, then said sternly, "Moreover, you're wrong, I've met one of the prison guards."
"Who?"
"You don't know him, but you will, given the time we'll spend together in this Celestial Prison."
"Alright then..."
Huo Hengxuan slowly moved to the railing, seeing the writing on it had been erased, leaving it smooth, his eyes shining even brighter.
His gaze shifted down, landing on Chen Kuang's broken leg, and he asked softly:
"Was it worth it?"
Chen Kuang nodded.
Huo Hengxuan looked into his eyes again and asked:
"Can you understand it?"
Chen Kuang shook his head.
That section of text seemed like an enigma to him, only the Qi Nourishing Visualization Method he could slightly comprehend.
The Visualization Method involved visualizing a sword.
A giant sword suspended above the sky, filled with pure killing intent. Just one glance was enough to make one's eyes hurt and skin crawl.
It's unknown what method Huo Hengxuan used when he engraved the text, but when Chen Kuang touched that part of the narrative, this sword appeared in his mind.
Its presence was so strong, it felt as if it wasn't suspended above the sky, but right over their heads.
Just like a Sword of Damocles, it seemed poised to bring catastrophic disaster at any moment.
However, under such pressure, the spiritual qi within surged more fiercely, the speed of absorbing and expelling the qi increased.
Yet beyond this, Chen Kuang was ignorant of the content regarding swordsmanship.
Huo Hengxuan frowned slightly, sighing almost imperceptibly.
The path of the sword, or indeed all cultivation in the world... depends on talent.
There's a story of a scholar studying Confucianism for seventy years, only to realize in old age that he lived in a village inside the mouth of a Kunpeng Great Demon. A flick of its tongue stirred seas, a grind of its teeth crumbled the scholar's world, thus he swore not to save all the world but one single breath, and became a sage overnight.
There is also a tale of a lowly wanderer dreaming of luxury, traveling from North Sea to distant lands by night, waking to find his hair turned white, laughing thrice at the heavens before taking flight on a crane...
But it seems Chen Kuang does not possess such talent.
He gave the withering text to Chen Kuang to see if he had such fate.
Yet...
The opportunity given, yet the fate absent.
But this could not be forced.
Huo Hengxuan could only do his best.
There seems to be something without such barriers...
He reached out to Chen Kuang.
"Boy, look at me."
Chen Kuang raised his head, seeing Huo Hengxuan's eyes suddenly blaze with a golden light, his entire body solidifying like molten copper, taking on an ancient hue, resembling a Vajra's Furious Gaze statue.
At the same time, countless pieces of information flooded into Chen Kuang's mind.
"Mud Golden Sculpting Technique!"
This is a Body Refining Technique of moving energy and blood!
And amidst this information, not only was there the technique itself, but also countless insights from Huo Hengxuan, incredibly detailed.
Chen Kuang instinctively closed his eyes, examining and absorbing it carefully.
When he reopened them, he saw Huo Hengxuan with his back to him, his scar-laden upper body withered, ribs protruding, hair mostly white, surrounded by a lifeless aura, indicative of severe blood and energy depletion.
Chen Kuang immediately understood how arduous this act of energy transfer was for Huo Hengxuan.
Indeed...
For such a God of Slaughter, those Immortal Masters of the Zhou people must have imposed severe restrictions on him, and breaking through them would undoubtedly require a substantial price.
Chen Kuang was momentarily at a loss for what he felt.
He could only whisper, "Thank you."
After a long while.
Huo Hengxuan's hoarse, aged voice came through:
"Ha ha... I should be thanking you."
He paused, then said softly, "If only you didn't want to become the new emperor, it would be better."
Chen Kuang glanced at Chu Wen Ruo, whose eyes and face were flushed red.
The latter turned his head away without speaking.
Only upon asking did he learn that he had fainted for a while earlier, and the normally gentle Chu Wen Ruo almost cursed Huo Hengxuan fiercely.
He cursed inwardly.
Old bastard.
...
At dinner, a strange prison guard brought in some steamed buns.
There was still no promised exotic delicacies, fine wine, or gourmet dishes.
The prison guard responded, "General Li said, your agreement starts tomorrow."
Chen Kuang chuckled, this woman is truly petty. Just by slightly displeasing her, she could hold a grudge for so long.
Not only did she break his leg, but she also deliberately made things difficult for him like this.
But Chen Kuang could also understand why Li Hongling was so displeased, because she was completely pinched by Chen Kuang—
If it were truly as she said, she could summon an Immortal Master at any time to make people tell the truth.
Then why bother with torture for confessions?
So, Chen Kuang guessed, either she couldn't command those Immortal Masters.
Or she wasn't willing to let those Immortal Masters know there was news about the Elixir of Longevity, and she was deliberately hiding it!
Chen Kuang believed it was the latter.
More importantly, it was also why Chen Kuang dared to make such a request.
It was when he was summoned into the barracks, he explicitly hinted at the existence of the Elixir of Longevity, such an important moment, yet only Li Hongling was there, and the so-called Immortal Master was absent.
This perfectly confirmed Chen Kuang's suspicion.
Thus, Li Hongling would rather take a week to wait slowly for a result, hoping Chen Kuang would speak for himself, to hide it from those Immortal Masters.
And she broke his leg, leaving him no chance to escape...
Li Hongling appeared to be strong, but in reality was the one compromising, hence her frustration.
However, although there were no exotic delicacies, Qingcuo had brought the Dragon's Gums.
Chen Kuang took the ancient zither and began to tune it slowly.
Huo Hengxuan asked with a strange expression, "What do you want this zither for?"
"Each in the world has their own role, Generals know what Generals know, Musicians naturally know what Musicians know."
Chen Kuang said calmly, running his hand over the thousand-year-old zither on his knee.
The ancient zither strings emitted a deep, distant sound under his touch.
Dragon's Gums.
Besides musicians of such specialized skill like this original owner, no one would know,
Dragon's Gums is not just a zither.
But... a sword.