As the True Martial Disciples watched in confusion, a tremor suddenly ran through Qin Fang.

The doorframe in his hands instantly exploded into a shower of wood splinters!

The next moment...

He waved his hand, and in an instant, the splinters shot toward the disciples, each carrying a terrifying Qi Force!

Dozens of splinters formed a dense cloud, requiring no aim whatsoever.

A series of sounds, PFFT PFFT PFFT, rang out as dozens of projectiles pierced flesh...

All of the True Martial Disciples stared, their eyes wide.

A second glance revealed... bloody holes had appeared on all their bodies.

Some in their heads, some in their chests, some in their faces.

...including three who were Anjin Level Martial Artists!

But now, they were all frozen in place.

"You..."

One of them managed to choke out a single word.

The next moment...

THUD. THUD...

One after another, the bodies collapsed.

In the blink of an eye, Qin Fang was the only living person left in the valley.

...’Once you understand one principle, a hundred others become clear.’

’The Mortal Martial Canon wasn’t just limited to fists, feet, and bladed weapons... Qin Fang had also integrated Hidden Weapon Techniques into it!’

...’Even a flower or a leaf can be used to kill.’

’Though he had only used wood splinters, the act of shattering the doorframe and launching them with the same motion... this technique was already a massive improvement over his previous Hidden Weapon Techniques.’

With a flicker in his eyes, Qin Fang turned and re-entered the thatched hut.

...’Of course, he wasn’t going to let these True Martial Disciples live.’

’They had no personal quarrel, but now that he had killed Chen Shanhe, he would likely have to leave for the Prefecture City soon.’

’But he couldn’t just abandon this place... The secret of Old Ox Back was too important. Even after he truly stepped into the Divine Domain, he would still have to return.’

’Naturally, he couldn’t let anyone else know the secret of Old Ox Back.’

’And these men had all been near Old Ox Back. What if one of them had noticed the cave?’

’He would have to seal the cave before he left. But what if someone noticed something was off and discovered its secrets?’

...’The possibility was low, admittedly.’

’But as long as there was any chance at all, Qin Fang wouldn’t ignore it.’

...’That cave was likely tied to his cultivation speed after he broke through to the Divine Secret Realm!’

Entering the thatched hut once more, Qin Fang’s gaze fell upon the wooden box, and a hint of anticipation flickered in his eyes.

...’The Divine Secret Realm!’

He walked over and opened the box, revealing a thread-bound book lying inside.

Written on the cover was a single line of text...

"Profound Nether True Water Scripture..."

’Is this a Secret Manual for the Divine Domain?’

Qin Fang’s eyes widened. He immediately picked it up and opened it to the first page.

"The greatest virtue is like water. It nourishes all things without contending. It dwells in places loathed by the masses, and so it is close to the Way."

"Yet, that which is softest can also be the hardest; that which is lowest becomes the deepest. In the North Netherworld lies an abyss whose cold penetrates the cosmos; in the land of Guicang, all things return to their origin."

"This method does not draw upon the surging power of rivers, nor does it mimic the vastness of lakes and seas. It reveres only the Profound Nether True Water—as deep as eternal night, as still as an ancient well. The power of life and death is concealed within its chill, and creation is nurtured within Guicang..."

This opening alone made Qin Fang’s eyes shine.

Its conceptual depth was clearly far beyond that of the Wild Bull Qi Strength Pile and the Spiritual Snake Listening Wave Pile!

’Could it be...’

’Is this a true Root Technique that leads directly to the Divine Domain?’

Unable to wait, he flipped to the second page.

"True Essence is the foundation upon which a Martial Artist transcends the mortal to become sacred, the very flower of the dual cultivation of spirit and life."

"Its root lies in Primordial Essence, its use springs from Divine Will. With the Dantian as the cauldron and Divine Fire as the forge, one smelts the Primordial Essence, refines the soul, transforms the crude matter of Qi Blood, and tempers the spiritual core of one’s being. Therefore, Force is a function of the physical body, while True Essence is the power of creation itself."

"Strength is like the sharp edge of a sword; it is bound to physical form and cuts on the outside. True Essence is like the light of a furnace fire; it is born from spirit and illuminates from within. Strength is limited to skin, flesh, muscle, and bone; True Essence permeates the meridians and the sea of marrow. To expend Strength is to be exhausted; to circulate True Essence is to be endlessly renewed."

"In the highest state of cultivation, Essence and Spirit merge. They can leave the body to form a protective Gang, transform matter, and command Qi. Such a cultivator is immune to heat and cold, and untouched by plagues. Their life is extended by three hundred years, their body frozen in youthful spring. This is the foundation of the Extraordinary, the very root of all Divine Techniques."

"Thus it is said: To refine Primordial Essence into energy, this is True Essence. When Spirit resides within this energy, one can connect to the Heavenly Way."

True Essence...

’It really is a Root Technique for the Divine Domain!’

Qin Fang’s eyes lit up completely.

He couldn’t wait any longer. He sat down on the spot and immediately began to read, turning to the third page...

"The origin of True Essence is not mere energy, but the subtle essence of life and spirit, the unified motion of soul and body. The five viscera of the human body each command one of the five elements. The kidneys are the organ of water, the root of one’s innate constitution, the anchor of the Life Gate. They store Primordial Essence, govern the marrow, and resonate with the energy of winter..."

"Common Water Element Cultivation Techniques draw upon the surging of rivers or mimic the nourishment of rain and dew; they all seek change through motion. However, the ’Profound Nether Guicang’ carves a different path, aiming directly for the Essence of Water Virtue: Stillness, Cold, Storage, and Life..."

"The ’Profound Nether True Water’ we seek is not flowing water, but a settled essence, the flower of Guicang. It emulates the abyss of the North Netherworld, absorbing without revealing. It mimics the cold of the Nine Netherworld, condensing without releasing. Using the Kidney Palace as a furnace and Primordial Essence as fuel, in a state of absolute stillness and Ultimate Yin, one refines a single thread of Original True Essence—one that is the Purest and Coldest, the Heaviest and Softest..."

Qin Fang was completely captivated.

The Profound Nether True Water Scripture was conceptually profound. It used the principle of "the highest good is like water" as its foundation and described "True Essence" in painstaking detail. Every word was a gem, and reading it made his heart pound with excitement.

"The following is the Guicang Heart Method, Volume One."

"The Breaking Door Scroll!"

Upon seeing those three words, a brilliant light erupted in Qin Fang’s eyes as he hurriedly flipped to the next page...

"To seek the Extraordinary, one must first break the Divine Gate!"

"The ’Divine Gate’ is not made of metal or stone; it is formless and without substance. It is the barrier between mortal and sacred within the human body, the border between yin and yang, the very pivot where the tangible and intangible converge."

"It is located in the deepest, most remote part of the Dantian. It connects upward to the Mud Ball Divine Sense and downward to the Kidney Palace Essence. It rests against the Dragon Vein of the spine and faces the vast ocean of Qi Blood."

"An ordinary person lives their entire life in ignorance, their gate forever sealed. Only when a Martial Artist cultivates to the Perfection of Huajin, when their Qi Blood and Divine Will condense into one, can a sliver of light pass through the crack, allowing them to perceive the gate’s existence..."