Cultivating for Immorality: I Evolved Martial Arts into the Immortal Path – Chapter 107

Chapter 107: The Disappearance of Chu Liang

Crack!

Tree branches snapped and leaves flew.

Chu Liang had exerted too much force, and his speed was too fast. He couldn’t stop himself in time and crashed headfirst into the low bushes on the side of the valley.

By the time he finally stopped, he had already plowed a path dozens of meters long through the bushes.

“It’s really not easy to control.”

Chu Liang was secretly shocked. The explosive speed of this Blood Soaring Technique was truly astonishing.

But this movement technique not only emphasized explosive power but also agility.

“I need to practice slowly and gain control. Otherwise, this speed is useless to me.”

Chu Liang got up, brushed off the dead branches and leaves from his body, and calmed down to continue practicing.

For the next few days, he stayed in this valley to practice.

When he was tired, he rested on the spot. When he was thirsty, he drank from the mountain spring. When he was hungry, he gnawed on hard biscuits and dried meat.

Five days later, Chu Liang could finally barely control his speed and avoid crashing headfirst every time.

The entire valley was a mess from his collisions, with broken plants and scattered leaves, looking like it had been trampled by a herd of demon beasts.

“Fortunately, I’m practicing in the mountains. If it were in the martial arts hall courtyard…”

Chu Liang shook his head. He couldn’t bear to imagine that scene.

Fortunately, these few days had been very quiet, without any outsiders disturbing him.

Chu Liang gathered his things and called out to the two little rats, “Rat One, Rat Two, let’s go and get some fresh meat!”

“Okay!”

The two little rats responded in unison and followed Chu Liang, one in front and one behind.

They continued to traverse the mountains, venturing deeper into the forest in search of wild game.

As dusk approached, Chu Liang spotted a muntjac.

He drew his bow, nocked an arrow, aimed at the muntjac, and shot.

Whoosh!

The arrow flew true!

The muntjac fell to the ground with a thud, becoming a feast for Chu Liang.

“After eating dried meat for so many days, it’s finally time for something good.”

Chu Liang started a bonfire, bled the muntjac, skinned and gutted it, cut it into several pieces, and placed them over the fire to roast.

Soon, hot oil began to drip, and a fragrant aroma slowly wafted out.

He and the two rats shared the entire muntjac.

After eating his fill, Chu Liang climbed a large tree and rested on a branch for the night.

For the next twenty-odd days, he continued to wander through the deep mountains, sometimes tempering his Qi and blood, sometimes practicing his movement techniques.

His control over his speed improved, and he was no longer limited to practicing on flat ground. Occasionally, he would leap between tall trees or shuttle back and forth between deep ravines, like an agile ape.

“It’s just like the books described, moving like a galloping wolf, agile like a monkey.”

Chu Liang ran along the edge of the canyon, free and unrestrained, fast and agile, as if he had become one with this world.

At the edge of the canyon was a huge waterfall.

The waterfall was majestic and vast, its momentum astonishing, like a white scroll hanging from the nine heavens.

The sound of the water was deafening, like rolling thunder.

Chu Liang did not stop. With swift speed, like an agile beast, he leaped down from the waterfall.

“Boom!”

He plunged into the water like a boulder, falling a hundred meters.

An icy chill instantly enveloped his entire body.

Chu Liang swam underwater for a moment before bursting out of the surface, wiping the icy water from his face, and exhaling deeply.

“Hoo…”

Comfortable!

In the county town, he had too many concerns, but in the mountains, he had none.

Free and unrestrained.

He could unleash his full strength and release all his power, only controlling it when necessary.

“Master, there’s a snake-shaped demon beast in the river ahead!”

“Good.”

Chu Liang’s spirits lifted. He had been in the mountains for a month and finally encountered a demon beast.

He immediately went ashore and walked along the riverbank towards the demon beast’s location.

The demon beast was a water python, at least ten zhang long and thicker than a bucket, with blue-black scales all over its body. It was quietly lurking in the river.

Its golden eyes, like two lanterns, stared intently at the approaching Chu Liang. Its body began to coil, showing signs of nervousness.

Chu Liang and the two little rats, all with the strength of Four Strands of Qi and Blood, posed a great threat to it.

“This kind of water python is recorded in the county’s 《Demon Beast Records》. Each time its strength increases, a golden stripe appears on its head.”

The strength of many demon beasts can be judged by their appearance.

For example, the two little rats, at their current stage, had dull gray fur all over their bodies, but there would be a small patch of green fur on their chests.

The stronger they were, the deeper the green.

As for the water python in front of Chu Liang, its strength was related to the golden stripes on its head.

“It has three stripes on its head, comparable to a human martial artist with Three Strands of Qi and Blood,” Chu Liang judged.

“Master, it’s running away!”

“I see it.”

Chu Liang stood on the bank, not making any moves.

The massive water python swam away, moving further and further from Chu Liang, heading towards the depths of the river. Soon, it disappeared into the deep, murky water.

If Chu Liang wanted to pursue, he would have to jump into the river and search for the water python in the murky and icy depths.

But he did not act, merely standing by the river and watching for a while.

The water python had not attacked him, and he was not inclined to initiate a fight.

Although he was stronger, the underwater environment was full of unknowns, and he could easily get into trouble.

Chu Liang preferred to fight on land.

“Let’s go, let’s look elsewhere.”

Chu Liang’s figure flickered, moving with astonishing speed, turning into a blur as he entered the dense forest on the other side of the riverbank.

He darted left and right in the forest, his body agile. Despite moving at such an astonishing speed, he didn’t collide with a single tree.

◈◈◈

The Blood Soaring Technique, an extremely difficult movement technique to master, had been largely mastered by Chu Liang.

From now on, Chu Liang only needed to continue practicing to become more proficient.

Just two days later, Chu Liang encountered a second demon beast in this deep mountain forest.

This time, a battle broke out!

It was a ferocious-looking jackal!

It hid in the shadows, attempting to ambush Chu Liang, but was discovered by the two little rats.

“Awoo—”

Its eyes were fierce, and it did not retreat even after being discovered. With swift movements of its sharp claws, it pounced directly at Chu Liang.

“Good!”

Chu Liang did not draw his saber, facing it with his bare hands.

This jackal demon was known for its agility and cunning.

Its physique was not as large as that of a tiger demon or a wolf demon, but its speed was no slower, and its movements were erratic and unpredictable, making it the perfect opponent for Chu Liang.

The two figures, one human and one jackal, turned into blurs as they fought in the forest.

◈◈◈

And at this moment.

Far away in the county town.

News of Chu Liang’s disappearance began to spread quietly.

More than twenty days ago, Qi Xiuliang had noticed something was amiss.

At that time, he had made progress in his swordsmanship, gaining a deeper understanding of the Pine and Bamboo Sword Technique, and went to find Chu Liang for a sparring session.

But he waited outside the courtyard for a long time, and Chu Liang did not appear.

A few days later, he went again, but still couldn’t find Chu Liang.

“Strange, could Big Brother Chu have returned to his village?”

Qi Xiuliang found it odd and went to ask Chu Liang’s Second Uncle, but received a negative answer.

It made sense. Chu Liang had brought his family to the county town, so why would he go back to the village?

Qi Xiuliang felt increasingly uneasy and went to find Hall Master Li Ren.

But Li Ren also had no news of Chu Liang.

He also felt that something was wrong and immediately went to the Martial Alliance to inquire with Song Zhong and the others, but Song Zhong also didn’t know where Chu Liang was.

“Chu Liang is missing?”

Song Zhong and the others were surprised.

A perfectly healthy person couldn’t just vanish into thin air.

If it were before, Chu Liang could disappear for months without issue, but now was a critical time, and demon beasts could attack at any moment.

So, they also joined the search party.

Over the next few days, almost everyone connected to Chu Liang was questioned.

Song Zhong and the others even made a trip back to Qing Shi Village, but still couldn’t find Chu Liang.

“A few martial arts hall disciples saw Chu Liang leaving, saying he was carrying a package and his treasure bow.”

“Could he have gone hunting in the mountains?”

“He doesn’t lack silver, why would he go hunting?”

“Strange, this doesn’t make sense. There must be more to this…”

Qi Xiuliang, Song Zhong, and the others were extremely worried.

They thought of Wu Neng.

Wu Neng and Chu Liang were enemies, and now both had disappeared one after another. Something was definitely wrong.

The next day, Merit Hall Master Luo Hong personally went to the Law Enforcement Hall to question Liang Han.

“What does this have to do with me?” Liang Han denied it on the spot. “I do have a grudge against that Chu Liang, but he is still a member of our Martial Alliance. With the demon threat looming, why would I engage in infighting?”

He looked calm and composed, but inwardly he was secretly pleased.

It would be best if Chu Liang was dead, saving him a lot of trouble!

And so…

Chu Liang’s fate became a mystery.

Many people hoped he was dead, wishing he would disappear completely.

As time passed, a month since his disappearance, the likelihood of his death increased.

“I told you, the path of martial arts is long. Leading for a while means nothing. The one who laughs last is the winner!” In the Autumn Blade Martial Arts Hall, Qi Yue was in a great mood.

Xu Hua was also in high spirits. Today, he even swaggered into Tie Niu’s family’s noodle shop and ate a bowl of noodles, deliberately talking loudly about Chu Liang’s disappearance.

“Sigh, what a pity. A genius praised by the Alliance Leader himself, gone just like that, tsk…”

Xu Hua slurped his noodle soup and smacked his lips.

Tie Niu was so angry that his teeth itched, and he almost rushed over to fight again.

But remembering Chu Liang’s usual teachings, he forced himself to suppress his impulse.

Don’t get angry, anger hurts the liver!

“Just wait, Big Brother Chu is just away on a journey. He’ll be back soon!” Tie Niu said, suppressing his anger.

“How soon is soon? Three years or five years?” Xu Hua asked him deliberately. “By then, his bones might have rotted away. Even if he’s found, no one will recognize him.”

“You…”

Tie Niu was seething with anger, his fists clenched tightly.

The more frustrated he was, the happier Xu Hua became, feeling extremely pleased with himself.

Slap!

He slapped down the money for the noodles and left with a smug look on his face.

◈◈◈

Chu Liang, far away in the deep mountains, was completely unaware of these events.

He had just experienced an extremely brutal battle.

The jackal demon’s strength was quite astonishing, close to a human martial artist with Five Strands of Qi and Blood.

Chu Liang did not use his saber techniques, only using his movement techniques to fight it. They fought for nearly an hour, battling across several mountain peaks, and finally, he killed it on a mountaintop.

“Huff… this jackal demon is really something!”

Chu Liang wiped the sweat from his forehead, exhaled deeply, and felt a little tired.

This battle had allowed him to thoroughly test the results of his month-long training.

It was now dusk.

He sat on the mountaintop, gazing at the setting sun over the distant mountains, the bloodstained demon corpse beside him, his tattered clothes fluttering in the mountain wind.