Chapter 14: 14. Time is up [You spent one hundred years continuing to comprehend the ’Killing Arrow Technique’. This time, you aimed at ’improving range and enhancing accuracy’. In the seventy-fifth year, you comprehended the ’Slaughter Crossbow Skill’. This technique could not undergo a third mutation, returning the remaining twenty-five years’] [You spent two hundred years continuing to comprehend the ’Killing Arrow Technique’. This time, you aimed at ’increasing power’. In the ninety-ninth year, you comprehended the ’Evil Gun Technique’. You then spent twenty years combining the ’Evil Needle Technique’, ’Slaughter Crossbow Skill’, and ’Evil Gun Technique’. You comprehended the ’Torrential Rain Evil’. This magic has mutated to perfection and cannot mutate further, returning the remaining eighty-one years’] ... ... Magic cultivation completed, no further enhancement possible. Song Yan continued to advance his realm. [You spent one hundred years cultivating the full version of the ’Profound Qi Guiding Technique’. In the forty-fifth year, you successfully cultivated 900 strands of mystical energy, merging into nine springs, along with the previous one spring, each flowing into the ten meridians within your body. Your physical strength further increased, and your perception also improved to some extent. You entered the Refining Profound Second Layer. Due to lack of subsequent cultivation techniques, returning the remaining fifty-five years of lifespan] ... ... Song Yan attempted to conceal the ten springs of mystical energy using ’Condensing Evil and Controlling Profound Technique’, successfully. He glanced at the panel: [Lifespan: 17/3469]. ’Magic cannot be further enhanced, cultivation techniques, spirit root, seem fine...’ ’Let’s try again.’ The young man was full of patience. In this dangerous world, he tirelessly pursued the enhancement of power. [You spent one hundred years deducing and cultivating the ’Profound Qi Guiding Technique’. No matter how you tried, you found the mystical energy within was full. You vaguely felt that some external medicine might be needed, but you... didn’t have such medicine. As for cultivation technique, the ’Profound Qi Guiding Technique’ seemed to be the best method for inferior Profound Root in the Refining Profound level. A hundred years passed, you gained nothing] [You spent one hundred years deducing ’Inferior Ghost Spirit Root’. You lay on a lonely cliff, but ghosts were no longer entering your body. You vaguely felt that improving the spirit root wasn’t easier than creating something from nothing, and this time you didn’t have the luck to succeed inadvertently, you needed some opportunity. A hundred years passed, you gained nothing] ’Gained nothing, huh? Indeed, it’s not that easy.’ Song Yan thought silently in his heart. This was his first time using the panel comprehensively. Soon, he summarized some rules, or rather, experiences: First, his lifespan deducing panel cannot create something from nothing, cannot conjure medicine when there isn’t any. From this, it’s deduced that as long as he prepares the medicine, he can likely cultivate by completely consuming the medicine. Similarly, he can also utilize the environment. Different environments impact cultivation differently. His ’Inferior Ghost Spirit Root’ was a result of the fishy mist on the cliff of the Tannery. Second, the magic itself has a potential limit, cannot mutate infinitely. And each mutation requires a significant increase in time spent, with the increase seemingly being an extra half of the first comprehension time. To achieve perfect mutation, all mutations of the same level must be completed and fused, which requires far more time than cultivating the magic itself. In other words... cultivating existing magic is far easier than comprehending it oneself. As for the remaining 3269 years of lifespan, Song Yan wasn’t surprised. After all, the cultivation techniques he practiced were low-level, spending more than six hundred years in total was already quite remarkable, and this included two hundred years of fruitless effort. After fully digesting the power, Song Yan finally took a long breath of relief. He looked outside, the originally hazy red mist became much clearer, and the twisted mist meshed into more lines, as if a mentally disturbed artist made chaotic sketches with blood on a black curtain; He listened attentively, the sounds outside, originally almost mute, entered his ears once again—wind sounds, the sound of the leaves in the forest at the cliff bottom, the terrifying howling of skin and bone ghosts half-awake, the crisp rolling sound of a small stone on the cliff, and even the light conversation between two people in the suspended room next door, he could already hear them. It was called conversation, but in fact, there was no discussion. Just some indescribable humming sounds. This was the only time the servants could escape. After the humming, the female servant in the adjacent room asked, "When will you do what you mentioned?" Next, the male servant said, "In two more days." The female servant said, "I’ve saved 10 contribution points, you also have 10. Can you ask Master Zhang who passed on the skills if giving him all 20 points can let us leave? If 20 points aren’t enough, we can save more... as long as we can leave, it’s all good." The male servant sighed and said, "I’m afraid it won’t work." The female servant said, "This doesn’t work, that doesn’t work, what should we do then?" Then, she began to complain. The voice gradually faded, because this was a problem with no solution. Which servant doesn’t want to run away? But how can they escape? Song Yan looked towards the bedchamber. Originally, Qiu Lianyue’s silhouette was barely visible, but now, as his perception strengthened, she became clearer. It was late spring, and the young lady was covered with a thin blanket, her chest swelling prominently, her long legs revealing the red ribbon of silk at the snow-white thigh’s root, a seductive sight. Yet, her brows were tightly furrowed, as if in a nightmare. A day ago, Song Yan was equally fearful, but now... he suddenly found himself able to get a good night’s sleep. Because, even in his dreams, his perception and alertness exceeded that of an awakened mortal. He yawned, leaned back slightly, and closed his eyes to sleep. ... ... Time began to accelerate again, and the Tannery became Song Yan’s comfort zone. Two months quickly passed. Wang Susu’s group faced testing. The testing process was secretive. Of the six who entered, only three successfully passed, Wang Susu being one of them. At that moment, the elegant woman seemed to gain a new life, her aura shining as she left the Tannery. As for Song Yan... she had long forgotten him. There was no love, no hate, no desire to show off—just a passerby. Of course, if Song Yan’s room had a constant rotation of women, Wang Susu might approach to say, "Junior Brother, I’ll be waiting for you at the Shadow Puppet Peak Master Peak," to forge a good relationship. However, since the young lady Qiu Lianyue entered Song Yan’s room, she has been living well. Meanwhile, Song Yan foolishly spent Contribution Points on many Strengthening Ginseng Pills for her. Wang Susu only found this behavior laughable. Initially, when Song Yan survived her grasp, she thought this young man had some dignity and hastily offered information to settle grievances. But now... she realized she overestimated him. ... ... As some leave, others arrive. Of those who left, far more died than those who became Official Disciples. New arrivals began the cycle anew. Two months later... The man in Qi Yao’s room died weakly, and another woman in Xu Changjun’s room disappeared. These two people of potential moved in together. As night fell... Qi Yao and Xu Changjun did not roll onto the bed but sat across from each other solemnly. Qi Yao sighed softly, tears glistening in her Shui Xing-like eyes, and she spoke sorrowfully, "Senior Brother is dead. He died to protect me..." Xu Changjun replied with dignity, "To overthrow this Puppet Palace, every sacrifice is worth it." Qi Yao pursed her lips and took a deep breath. Xu Changjun said, "A month later, Junior Sister, show your power and pass through." Qi Yao was startled and asked, "Then what about you, Senior Brother Xu?" Xu Changjun smiled faintly, "Someone needs to stay everywhere to gather information. I... will continue to remain, hide my ability, and stay in this Tannery." Qi Yao thought for a moment and said, "That’s right, Senior Brother long ago broke through the Refining Profound First Layer, and with the Qi Concealment Technique, he can easily hide." Xu Changjun flashed a charming smile and shook his finger, "No, Junior Sister, I have reached the Refining Profound Second Layer." ... ... "Good man, good man, nourish me, a little more nourishment..." "Good man, hurry, I beg you." "Just like this, just like... this..." With a month until the deadline, Qiu Lianyue was extremely anxious. Especially when realizing she was still healthy, she nearly went insane. Her health meant Song Yan gave her less nourishment. Less nourishment meant fewer chances of passing the test. If Song Yan couldn’t pass the test and become an Official Disciple, she would never see her fortune... Song Yan was a good man, she knew. So, at this moment, the young lady, like a crazed mother leopard, relentlessly demanded the "excessive request" of "being nourished." ... ... Time slipped away slowly... A month passed again. It was time to test the cultivation results...