CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 39: SHADOW

Chen Guan had a fairly good memory; in fact, he had already memorized all the content.

The text contained a dual cultivation technique; the so-called dual cultivation technique is a secret technique where two people cultivate together.

Since it didn’t specify whether it was limited to male-female, male-male, or female-female cultivation, Chen Guan also didn’t know if it required one male and one female for cultivation.

However, according to the outline, cultivating this dual cultivation technique benefits both parties immensely. If practiced to the extreme, it can lead to both ascending to immortality together.

The more Chen Guan thought about it, the more he felt something was amiss. The "Ah Peng Sutra" was a human technique created by the Emperor Ancestor, who refined all secret techniques under the heavens. In that era of male dominance, how could women have the same status as men?

So Chen Guan was very suspicious that this dual cultivation secret technique was not from the "Ah Peng Sutra" left by the Emperor Ancestor.

As Chen Guan continued to study, he found more evidence suggesting this was likely not the "Ah Peng Sutra," because the later sections clearly described the Yin-Yang harmonization method, which definitely required one male and one female for this secret technique.

"This secret technique must be related to the Corpse King; the Corpse King is the embodiment of Yin and Yang harmonization," Chen Guan thought to himself.

Ji Nanhong only remembered the first part, but also realized it was a dual cultivation technique, and was suspicious if this was really the kind of secret technique she thought it was.

"How could the secret technique created by the Emperor Ancestor be some obscene dual cultivation technique?" Ji Nanhong’s expression changed unpredictably.

After a while, the writings on the stone wall gradually lit up again. Ji Nanhong went to look again, memorizing the content in her mind.

Chen Guan no longer needed to memorize the content above; he only used the light from the text to survey the surroundings, hoping to find a way to escape.

Unfortunately, what he could see was very limited; apart from this stone wall, he couldn’t see anything in the distant darkness.

Suddenly, Chen Guan’s gaze focused on a spot on the mountain wall, his expression gradually turning shocked.

Ji Nanhong didn’t notice Chen Guan’s anomaly, still focusing on memorizing the writings on the mountain wall, too busy to pay attention to anything else.

The brightness of the font disappeared again, but Chen Guan’s eyes remained fixed on that spot on the mountain wall, where he saw a human shadow.

Yes, it was a human shadow, not a mural painted on the wall; it was a real shadow, only appearing under the light source.

However, Chen Guan didn’t see the person corresponding to the shadow; there was just a shadow imprinted on the mountain wall, seemingly appearing out of thin air without any origin.

"I must be seeing things; how could there be a shadow without a physical body?" Chen Guan’s expression was uncertain. That’s what he thought, but internally, he didn’t believe he was seeing things because he had seen it too clearly.

It was just a black shadow, unaffected by the ups and downs of the mountain wall, simply an imprint in the darkness.

Chen Guan’s heart pounded wildly; he wasn’t afraid of ghosts, as the bizarre nature of various secret spirits was no less formidable than ghosts. In this era, no one feared ghosts, those illusory entities.

But a shadow projecting itself on the mountain wall without origin or source could mean there was someone here, or the shadow itself was a secret spirit.

A shadow-shaped secret spirit; Chen Guan had never heard of such a thing. Physical attacks probably wouldn’t work on such a spirit, like some water-type secret spirits, where fists or blades barely harm them. Only special secret techniques or skills could injure them.

Chen Guan didn’t have such attack techniques. If he really encountered a secret spirit immune to physical attacks, today might be dire.

As various thoughts raced through Chen Guan’s mind, the characters on the stone wall lit up again. The words seemed to breathe, brightening and dimming in rhythm, with intervals of about a quarter of an hour.

Ji Nanhong continued memorizing those characters, while Chen Guan focused intently on the shadow on the mountain wall.

Yes, that was a shadow, an independent shadow, imprinted on the mountain wall without any source. It was in the area around the text, and because of the brightness of the characters, it wasn’t very noticeable.

Chen Guan noticed that the shadow’s posture had slightly changed from what he had seen before.

"There can be no mistake, it must be a kind of secret spirit, but I don’t know what level it is." As the light disappeared and the surroundings plunged into darkness again, Chen Guan felt extremely uneasy, as if evil spirits lurked everywhere, ready to pounce from the shadows and bite his head off.

The shadow is shapeless and bodiless; if it struck during the darkness, there would be no defense, and they wouldn’t even know how they died.

Countless thoughts flashed through Chen Guan’s mind, his body tense and ready to counter any moment.

Yan Zhi helped him break through the water, but was heavily injured and probably unable to fight effectively. Alone, he wasn’t sure if he could resolve the current predicament.

Even if Yan Zhi could fight, could it harm a shadow?

Amid Chen Guan’s wild thoughts, the lettering illuminated again. Chen Guan stared where the shadow was located, noticing that the shadow’s position had moved slightly, and its posture had completely changed from before.

The shadow now seemed to be sitting there, one hand supporting its chin, staring at Chen Guan.

Sweat streamed down Chen Guan’s forehead, for it was just a black shadow with no distinguishable features, yet Chen Guan felt the shadow was watching him.

"What’s wrong with you?" Ji Nanhong had finished memorizing all the content, only then remembering Chen Guan, turned her head to glance at him, only to see him covered in sweat, his face unusual as he looked at the mountain wall, as if something was ailing him.

Ji Nanhong, being extremely smart, realized something after asking this, and following Chen Guan’s gaze, immediately saw the black shadow, causing her pupils to contract sharply.

"What is that? A secret spirit?" Ji Nanhong didn’t know what it was either. However, she, like Chen Guan, felt the shadow was very dangerous.

"I don’t know, probably a secret spirit." Chen Guan continued staring unblinkingly at the shadow.

As the area darkened again, Ji Nanhong, like Chen Guan, experienced that indescribable fear, as if demons were lurking everywhere in the darkness, ready to devour them at any moment, causing goosebumps all over her body.

If it were a secret spirit like the Corpse King, Ji Nanhong wouldn’t have reacted this way; unable to defeat it would mean death at worst.

But such a bizarre shadow exerted such psychological pressure that the fear couldn’t be dismissed by a mere lack of fear of death.

Ji Nanhong gritted her teeth and said, "We must find a way to get out quickly; this place is too strange."

"We can’t reach the sky or ground here, and we can’t fly; how do we escape?" Chen Guan said helplessly.

"We can only dive to find a way out," Ji Nanhong said.

"But what if there’s a secret spirit underwater? How good are you in the water?" Chen Guan countered.

"I... can’t swim..." Ji Nanhong admitted, somewhat embarrassed.

"You can’t swim, and my swimming skills are just average. If there’s a secret spirit in the water, we’re doomed," Chen Guan sighed.

Ji Nanhong’s expression changed unpredictably; her current physical condition made escape from such a place incredibly difficult. Restoring her mobility might offer a sliver of hope.

But no medicine could instantly heal fractured bones unless...

Ji Nanhong couldn’t help but think of the dual cultivation technique she had just memorized; it detailed some application methods of the dual cultivation technique, very magical. If it truly worked, it might just heal her bone fracture in a short time.