Martial Arts Longevity Begins with the Equipment Slot

Chapter 42 The Serpent Swims, Success Achieved in Two Days

The red fog grew thicker.

The cliff face began to undulate.

The dark red liquid solidified into a translucent film, like a giant cocoon, slowly closing in.

The fog kept flowing, converging in the same direction, as if guided by some kind of will.

Chen Yu heard footsteps.

"Tch, tch."

It was the sticky sound of bare feet stepping on the mist.

The crimson mist surged, tearing open a rift in it.

A woman in red walked out from there.

Its posture is not like that of a human standing.

His spine curved backward at an excessive angle, yet his head was directly facing Chen Yu.

"Click click click".

A series of cracking sounds came from the neck bones as the joints rearranged.

The mist retreated automatically around her, then greedily closed in behind her, as if the cliff was just a dream.

Chen Yu still couldn't see her face clearly.

All I could see were a pair of eyes, glowing with an inhuman golden-red hue.

Like a venomous snake locking onto its prey, its vertical pupils contracted slightly in the darkness.

The fabric was some kind of living, dark red cloth, its edges writhing in the void, exchanging colors with the mist.

Beneath the fabric, her skin was almost transparently white, and one could see thicker substances flowing through her bluish veins.

The woman in red stopped three steps away.

"What exactly are you, and why did you save me?"

Chen Yu took a deep breath and tried to communicate with her.

"You're a collectible I've set my sights on. How dare a mere painting spirit try to take you from me?"

The woman in red tilted her head, and a slight clicking sound came from the side of her neck.

"As for what I am like..."

She took a step forward.

The fog suddenly thickened, and Chen Yu instantly lost his sense of direction.

Red was everywhere—in front, behind, left, and right—and the afterimages of her fluttering dress.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh."

The woman in red suddenly drew closer, her scent a mixture of stale sweetness and the metallic stench of rust.

She lifted Chen Yu's chin with her cold fingers.

"Look at me."

Chen Yu looked up.

The face finally became clear.

It's stunningly beautiful, yet it has a terrifyingly inhuman feel to it.

Her features were so exquisite that they seemed to embody the most malevolent curse.

Her lips were the same color as the blood mist, and when she opened her mouth, her tongue forked and disappeared in a flash.

"No mortal has ever survived my fog."

"But you're different..."

She leaned down, her nose almost touching Chen Yu's neck, and took a deep breath.

"Your qi and blood feel familiar... they have the scent of blood lotus..."

"Very full...very pure...very durable..."

Chen Yu felt a chill run down his spine.

It wasn't from fear, but from some kind of awakened, willful desire.

"Hehehehehehe".

The woman in red suddenly gave a sinister laugh.

Laughter erupted from the depths of her chest, spreading out like waves, causing Chen Yu's internal organs to resonate with it.

She reached out and slid her hand towards Chen Yu's neck.

A small cut was made with the fingernail.

Chen Yu didn't feel any pain; instead, he felt a strange tingling sensation.

"Don't move."

The woman in red whispered, as if coaxing, yet also as giving a command.

Chen Yu felt helpless.

Every time I encountered her, I had no chance to struggle.

When facing the painting spirit, at least they can manage to hold their own for a while.

Judging from how easily she defeated the Painter Soul, her skill level is probably much higher.

"This is my place, and you are mine."

"From that day on, my true name is in your blood, and my true form is etched in your bones."

She bent down and licked the wound with the tip of her tongue.

The touch felt like something alive burrowing into a blood vessel, not like human temperature.

Chen Yu felt something moving under his skin, wrapping and knotting around the surface of his heart.

Fine, golden-red lines began to appear at the edge of her vision, like mist, or perhaps the reflection of her pupils.

"The mark is more solid now."

The woman in red stepped back and admired her work.

Chen Yu looked down and saw that the wound on his neck had healed, but a dark red mark remained.

Its shape resembles a coiled snake, or a strange talisman, pulsating slightly beneath the skin in sync with a heartbeat.

"I……"

Chen Yu tried to speak, but found his throat was sore and he couldn't utter a word.

"Now, you will always be my collection."

"There are other things in these mountains, some older than me, some hungrier than me..."

The woman in red's voice suddenly turned cold, and her vertical pupils contracted into thin slits.

"But they can't touch you, they can't touch you no matter what."

"Anyone who dares to touch my things will never be able to leave this fog."

"Including yourself, you'll never escape... never..."

The voice of the woman in red came from all directions.

Even Chen Yu's own throat was filled with her voice.

The fog receded like the tide, revealing the real world.

Chen Yu stood alone on the edge of the cliff.

The mark on my collarbone suddenly burned with pain, which subsided after a few seconds, leaving behind an addictive tingling sensation.

Chen Yu touched the mark.

"Knock knock!"

It is pulsating.

Like a second heart awakening.

After the fog completely dissipated, the surrounding scenery changed again.

Chen Yu felt his vision blur for a moment.

Soon, the scene switched back to the dormitory of the Central Court.

After confirming several times, it was confirmed to be a familiar lodging for one.

Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

I collapsed onto the bed, and my tense nerves finally got some rest.

Today's experience was incredibly exciting.

It's so exciting that his heart is still pounding.

Lying in bed, Chen Yu recalled various things.

First, there's Li Sandao.

This bastard almost got himself killed.

The sword manual he gave himself actually contained a terrifying demon called the Painting Soul.

If it weren't for the woman in red intervening today, I would have lost my life here.

The more Chen Yu thought about it, the more he felt that Li Sandao was not a good person.

If I ever get the chance to find him, I must kill him to avenge the death I suffered today.

Then there's that treasure map.

No, it's not certain yet whether it's a treasure map.

It can only be described as a possible treasure map.

After all, the location is at Broken Soul Cliff, so what's hidden there might not necessarily be treasure.

It might be some kind of strange thing again.

Chen Yu wasn't particularly interested in the treasure map.

He initially thought the place was too dangerous.

It's not worth risking your life for something so vague and unreal.

But after being marked again by the woman in red today, Chen Yu felt it didn't matter anymore.

He made up his mind that once his strength improved, he would definitely return to Broken Soul Cliff to take another look.

Some things, the more you try to avoid them, the more you can't avoid them.

Instead of being afraid, let's go ahead and find out the truth.

Chen Yu got up, scooped up a ladle of cold water, and drank it down his throat.

The cool sensation swept away all my fatigue.

It's still early; there's no point in thinking about it too much.

Chen Yu took out the book "The Coiling Serpent's Body Technique" from the cabinet and began to read it carefully.

"This technique is a lightness skill, which was developed by snake hunters in Lingnan who observed pythons climbing dead trees and incorporated it into their body movements."

"After the skill is mastered, the spine moves like a snake, segment by segment, using a curved path to eliminate resistance, and is used specifically for traversing dense forests and vines."

"The technique consists of three forms, which can be practiced in four levels."

"The first move is 'Snake on Grass,' which involves slithering through tall grass and reeds without moving the branches or leaves."

"The second move is to climb up the tree by wrapping your arms around the trunk and pressing your chest and abdomen against it."

"The third move is 'Snake Shedding Skin,' where the joints dislocate when captured, like a snake shedding its skin to escape."

"Finally, here's the key: the bones should be relaxed, the flesh hollow, and the movement should be like flowing water, leaving no trace."

After memorizing the content, Chen Yu immediately went out to practice his skills.

Only by practicing martial arts and improving his strength can he feel more at ease.

The Coiling Serpent Body Exercise is a very simple exercise.

In just two days, Chen Yu mastered it to the extreme.

【Technique Section (Tier 2 7.5%)】

[Technique]: The Coiling Serpent Body Technique

[Progress]: Four floors (400/400)

Looking at the cultivation techniques panel in front of him, Chen Yu was once again lost in confusion.

He had finished practicing all the techniques he had.

The Sword Forging Manor's library contains secret manuals, but you need to reach a certain contribution point threshold to borrow them.

I'm still far from good enough; I need to accumulate experience gradually.

Where can I quickly obtain cultivation techniques?

Chen Yu thought of the underground black market that Xiahou Fei had mentioned before.

In Wangjiang City, there are small markets on the 3rd, 13th and 23rd of each month.

Perhaps we could go there and see if we can find some martial arts techniques that we like.