Urban Martial Saint

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing immediately widened his eyes and said, ”This... how is that possible? Humans cannot come back to life after death, the same is true for animals. How can a dead animal come back to life?”

”But it’s a fact!” Yin Xianzi looked at Ye Qing, speaking in a solemn voice, ”In the years that followed, that pet remained by the Great Demon King’s side. Until the Great Demon King perished on Beimang Mountain, the pet was buried here as well, always guarding its side.”

”How do you know it’s true?” Ye Qing asked.

”The Heavenly Master personally told me, the Heavenly Master would never lie!” Yin Xianzi said.

Ye Qing opened his mouth but didn’t know how to refute. Because he knew Yin Xianzi’s trust in Heavenly Master Lin Xuan Yue was absolute. Whatever Heavenly Master Lin Xuan Yue said, she would have no doubt, even if the matter was absurd, she would absolutely choose to believe it.

”But think about it, is that possible?” Ye Qing said, ”After a person dies, the body loses its function, the brain dies, completely losing consciousness, how can there be a resurrection? The same is true for animals, dead is dead, the body’s organs completely lose function, it’s impossible to revive!”

Yin Xianzi shook her head and said, ”What you’re saying suggests you don’t yet understand what true death is!”

”True death?” Ye Qing was taken aback and looked at Yin Xianzi, puzzled, ”What do you mean?”

”Generally, how do you determine if a person has died?” Yin Xianzi asked.

Ye Qing said, ”The loss of bodily functions, the heart stops, breath stops, pulse stops, these all indicate it.”

”Really?” Yin Xianzi smiled and said, ”But if the heart stops and then starts beating again, is that person truly dead or not?”

”This... how is this possible?” Ye Qing said.

”Why is it impossible?” Yin Xianzi said, ”In modern medicine, aren’t there pacemakers and electrical shock treatments to stimulate heartbeats?”

”Uh...” Ye Qing found himself momentarily unable to respond, realizing that Yin Xianzi had a deeper understanding of these things than he did.

”Actually, true death is not distinguished through the methods you mentioned.” Yin Xianzi said, ”For Martial Artists, true death occurs either when the body’s functions are completely wasted or the body’s energy can no longer sustain the body. For Martial Artists, the latter is basically impossible; the former is the primary cause of the body’s death. Simply put, many modern deaths are caused by organ failure. If the organs remain healthy, a person can generally live longer. And us Martial Artists pursue life extension by using certain special methods to maintain organ vitality and reduce the rate of organ deterioration, thus achieving the purpose of life extension.”

Ye Qing nodded, this was something he understood, and it’s why people who exercise often live longer than those who don’t.

”But, ultimately, the body has its end. No matter how good your martial arts are, no matter how well you maintain your organs, it’s impossible to sustain forever. Ultimately, bodily deterioration leads to death.” Yin Xianzi looked at Ye Qing and said, ”But, if we can change bodily deterioration to always keep the body vigorous, would one then achieve eternal life?”

”Is eternal life possible?” Ye Qing asked in surprise.

”Theoretically feasible, but no one has achieved it. Keeping the body forever vigorous is fundamentally impossible,” Yin Xianzi said. ”However, it can be agreed that if a dead body regains vitality, then it may come back to life. And the Great Demon King accomplished that; he resurrected his pet!”

”How did he do it?” Ye Qing asked anxiously.

”This is the question that countless people have pursued over millennia by venturing into Beimang Mountain!” Yin Xianzi looked at Ye Qing and said, ”If we can find the method the Great Demon King used to resurrect his pet, perhaps it could be applied to people, extending life and age. That temptation drives people to risk entering Beimang Mountain!”

Ye Qing took a deep breath, realizing that Beimang Mountain holds numerous secrets. He wondered what kind of extraordinary figure the Great Demon King was, to have such defiant means. Even after thousands of years, so many still rush to seek the secrets he left behind, showing his great influence on later generations.

After a moment of silence, Ye Qing suddenly asked, ”Yin Xianzi, are you trying to find this method to resurrect Mr. Ding?”

Yin Xianzi looked at Ye Qing and said, ”Even if there’s a glimmer of hope, I must try!”

”But can we really find this method by coming here?” Ye Qing looked around and said, ”The cave’s terrain is very strange with many forks ahead. Who knows how many forks remain; how can we find the secret techniques left by the Great Demon King?”

”Moving forward, there are no forks anymore!” Yin Xianzi shook her head and said, ”These five routes are the final checkpoints. If you pass them, you’ll reach the spot where the Great Demon King perished!”

”Really?” Ye Qing was greatly surprised and asked, ”How do you know? Did the Heavenly Master say so?”

Yin Xianzi nodded and said, ”Actually, this route was also told to me by the Heavenly Master. The Heavenly Master once entered here; didn’t you ask me earlier why I chose that place to enter Beimang Mountain? The Heavenly Master entered from there years ago.”

Ye Qing suddenly realized why both the Sorcerer and Yin Xianzi chose that route; it seems it had been explored by predecessors.

”Did the Heavenly Master find the secret techniques left by the Great Demon King?” Ye Qing asked quickly.

Yin Xianzi shook her head and looked at the stone wall ahead, speaking solemnly, ”The Heavenly Master walked halfway through the cave and stopped going further.”

”Why?” Ye Qing asked curiously.

”Common people come here seeking the life-extending secrets left by the Great Demon King. But as the top figure in the Taoist Sect, the Heavenly Master already had Taoist methods sufficient to extend his life; there would be no need to seek the Great Demon King’s secret techniques. Besides, the Great Demon King’s method of life extension was very cruel, unsuitable for someone from the Taoist Sect.” Yin Xianzi said, ”Moreover, the Heavenly Master said he came to Beimang Mountain to verify something. He walked halfway through the cave and had already confirmed it, so he stopped further exploration.”

”What was he verifying?” Ye Qing asked.

”I don’t know either.” Yin Xianzi shrugged and said, ”The Heavenly Master is always thorough; there must have been a reason for not continuing.”

Ye Qing scratched his head, unable to fathom Heavenly Master Lin Xuan Yue’s thoughts. Throughout history, many risked everything to find the Great Demon King’s secret techniques but failed, while he almost found them yet left at a critical moment. What was he thinking?

”You mentioned that these five routes are checkpoints?” Ye Qing looked around and asked softly, ”Which of these five routes is the safe path?”

”These five routes differ from earlier ones.” Yin Xianzi shook her head, ”There aren’t any safe ones here.”

”What?” Ye Qing was shocked again. He followed the traces left by the monk, assuming it would be safe here, but Yin Xianzi’s words left him stunned.

”The previous checkpoints required choice. Among those routes, one must be safe.” Yin Xianzi said, ”But these five are the final challenges; there’s no choosing. Every route hosts a Devouring Demon Flower; whichever path you take, you’ll face the Devouring Demon Flower. Whether you exit depends on your ability and luck. If you do, you reach the Great Demon King’s resting place and find the secret techniques. If not, you’ll become like those skeletons, your physical body will serve as fertilizer for the Devouring Demon Flower, leaving nothing but bone remains.”

Recalling the skeletons, Ye Qing felt a chill. Those who reached here must be remarkable, yet they left their lives here, reduced to mere bones. Wealth, fame, beauty, all became void; after death, nothing remains!

”So this cave is quite dangerous.” Ye Qing furrowed his brow, observing cautiously, fearful that a sudden Devouring Demon Flower might swallow them.

Yin Xianzi said solemnly, ”Anyway, during all these years, I’ve never heard of anyone reaching the Great Demon King’s resting place!”

Ye Qing slightly furrowed his brow and said, ”Since people know the power of the Devouring Demon Flower, why didn’t they bring some Holy Detoxifying Medicine?”

”These Devouring Demon Flowers can’t be countered just by having Holy Detoxifying Medicine!” Yin Xianzi said solemnly, ”The Holy Detoxifying Medicine is just an aid; I heard from the Heavenly Master that exiting the cave primarily depends on one’s true heart.”

”True heart?” Ye Qing was even more surprised and asked puzzled, ”What does that mean?”

”I don’t know either; that’s the Heavenly Master’s words.” Yin Xianzi looked around and said softly, ”The Heavenly Master repeatedly warned us not to enter Beimang Mountain. But this time, I have no choice; I must save Cyclops!”

Ye Qing also took a deep breath; regarding Ding Lianshun’s matter, he shared the same attitude as Yin Xianzi.

Ye Qing gripped Mu Ling tightly and said solemnly, ”Don’t worry, we will surely exit and find the Great Demon King’s secret technique to bring the dead back to life!”