After defeating Lei Xiong, Mộc Phàm continued his journey. He delved deeper into the Thiên Đãng mountain range, where dense vegetation, humid air, and wild life reigned supreme. Traces of humans, especially cultivators, grew increasingly sparse. However, this didn't mean absolute safety. Higher-level demonic beasts, hidden within these primeval forests, occasionally appeared, presenting new challenges for Mộc Phàm. He treated each battle as a lesson, a way to temper his Mortal Body True Adamant and refine his techniques.
The nameless stone in his pouch continued to guide him. Its gray light was faint but unwavering, leading Mộc Phàm through treacherous mountain paths and bottomless ravines, until he reached a region covered in thick mist. Spiritual energy here was extremely thin, but an ancient, decaying energy permeated the air.
This was the sign of an ancient ruin.
Passing through the mist, a grand yet dilapidated scene unfolded before Mộc Phàm's eyes. Enormous stone walls, soaring into the clouds, now lay in ruins, covered in vines and moss. Ancient stone structures, built in an architectural style he had never seen before, lay scattered in desolation, testifying that this was once an extremely glorious sect or power, now completely decayed, swallowed by time and nature.
"This is an ancient Sect..." Mộc Phàm murmured. His senses told him that this place held something related to his path. Spiritual energy was scarce, but earth vein energy and another strange aura were incredibly abundant.
Following the stone's guidance, Mộc Phàm ventured deeper into the ruins. He moved cautiously, for even in ruins, remnants of ancient formations and restrictions could still pose a danger. He noticed that the runes carved on the stones here bore similarities to the runes he saw in the Ancient Vein Spirit Spring cave, where he found the Mortal Body Hundred Forgings Art.
He passed through dilapidated grand halls and desolate plazas, until the stone in his pouch vibrated most intensely. It led him to a ruined tower, located at the center of the ruins. The tower had mostly collapsed, with only a part of its base and a few lower levels remaining, but from within, a primal, powerful, and somewhat melancholic aura emanated.
Mộc Phàm cautiously stepped inside. The space was dark and damp. At the center of the tower, a colossal stone statue, worn down by time to the point of being unrecognizable, stood proudly. The statue depicted a warrior with a robust body, no magic artifacts, only fists and a determined expression.
As Mộc Phàm approached, the stone statue suddenly glowed faintly, and the ancient runes carved upon it began to flicker. The nameless stone in his pouch flew out, hovering before the statue, emitting a gray light more intensely than ever before.
Another massive surge of information flooded Mộc Phàm's mind, far stronger and clearer than the last time. These were no longer fragmented pieces, but the missing parts of the "Mortal Body Hundred Forgings Art," chapters on how to evolve the Black Iron Core, how to unleash Mortal Body True Adamant to a higher realm, and most importantly, records about the origin of this cultivation method!
Through the transmitted images and memories, Mộc Phàm understood that this was the ruin of an Ancient Sect that had perished long ago, named the "Mortal Body Sect." This sect did not cultivate spiritual energy but focused entirely on tempering the mortal body to a realm surpassing immortals. They believed that humans, even without spirit roots, could reach the pinnacle of the Grand Dao through the tempering of their bodies and unyielding will.
But the Mortal Body Sect had perished in an ancient war, likely due to conflict with traditional cultivation powers, those who could not accept the existence of a sect that possessed earth-shattering power without needing spiritual roots.
The records also mentioned some rare materials that the Mortal Body Sect used to temper the body, things that contained no spiritual energy but harbored powerful primal energy, such as "Heavenly Forged Profound Iron" or "Earth Core Blood Marrow." These were incredibly difficult to find but were the key to cultivating the Mortal Body to a higher realm.
Furthermore, Mộc Phàm realized that the nameless stone in his hand was no coincidence. It was a part of the Mortal Body Sect's legacy, a type of "Bloodstone Qi Conductor" – a special tool that helped guide and transform primal energies to nourish the body and the Body Core.
With this information, Mộc Phàm felt enlightened. His path was no longer murky. He had found the origin, found his direction. He knew he wasn't alone, that an entire sect had once followed this path.
After absorbing all the information, the nameless stone emitted a faint hum, then its gray light retracted, returning to its normal state. The tower and the stone statue also became silent as before, as if nothing had happened.
Mộc Phàm didn't linger. He had found what he needed. Now, he needed to seek out those rare materials and continue tempering his Black Iron Core to a higher realm. He believed that with Heavenly Forged Profound Iron or Earth Core Blood Marrow, his Body Core would undergo another earth-shattering metamorphosis.
Leaving the ancient ruins, Mộc Phàm's gaze became even sharper and more resolute. He was the inheritor of the Mortal Body Sect, and he would prove to the cultivation world that the mortal body path was no less than any immortal dao.