Chapter 168: Old Men

The Great Ruins, Disabled Elders Village.

The Village Chief, as usual, sat slumped in a recliner at the village entrance with the Apothecary, slowly sipping tea. Suddenly, the Apothecary turned to him and said, "Village Chief, you've been slumped like this for a while, haven't you? It seems you've been like this for the past two days, not even moving when the darkness encroached, nor returning to your room to sleep. I saw you slumped here this morning when I woke up."

The Village Chief, lazily squinting, replied, "Apothecary, your mind is troubled. Ever since Mu'er left, your mind has been restless."

The Apothecary sneered, "My mind is troubled? Clearly, it's *your* mind that's troubled! Look at me, I still wash and groom myself neatly every day. As for you, disheveled and filthy, you're practically on the verge of dying in that recliner."

The Village Chief retorted, "You were the one who moved me to the village entrance yesterday morning, and then at night, you forgot to take me back to my room. Isn't that your mind being troubled? You suddenly forgot to do something you do every single day."

The Apothecary, laughing in exasperation, exclaimed, "If I forgot to take you back to your room, why didn't you walk back yourself? Or fly back? What good is your profound cultivation if you can't even do that?"

The Village Chief fell silent for a moment, then gloomily said, "You know, I have no legs, and no hands..."

The Apothecary was furious. This old rascal had been left out in the darkness all night, and not even the curses and monsters within the darkness had killed him. Yet, he still had the audacity to claim he had no legs.

Just as he was about to argue further, he suddenly looked up. The Village Chief also perked up instantly, his spirits lifted, and he chuckled, "Isn't it a joy to have friends come from afar? Fellow Daoist, you seem much lighter now."

An old man and a young man were coming up from the lower reaches of the Surging River, approaching the village from outside.

The Village Chief looked at the Apothecary and quickly said, "Where's your comb? Don't hide it; I know you always carry one, it's in your pocket! Quick, take it out. I haven't groomed myself in two days; how can I receive guests like this?"

The Apothecary scoffed, unmoved.

The Village Chief chuckled apologetically, "It's my fault for being too lazy to move these past two days."

The Apothecary handed him the comb. The Village Chief used his vital qi to wield the comb, tidying his hair somewhat.

The Young Patriarch and the Enforcement Elder walked up, stopping to bow in greeting. The Village Chief chuckled, "As a disabled person, I cannot return your bow. Please forgive me, fellow Daoists. Please, have a seat. Apothecary, serve tea."

The Young Patriarch sat down, then looked at the Enforcement Elder standing beside him and said with a smile, "I am no longer the Patriarch of the Sacred Cult, so there aren't so many rules. Please, sit with me."

The Enforcement Elder also sat down, taking off the bamboo basket from his back and placing it aside.

The Apothecary brought out the tea set, boiled a fresh pot of water, added tea leaves, and let it steep for a short while before pouring tea for the two guests.

"Apothecary, you prepare tea the Southern way," the Young Patriarch remarked with a smile.

The Apothecary chuckled, "I was born in the South and am used to Southern tea. Northern tea often focuses on the rise and fall of young buds, while Southern tea has a clear, bright broth that reflects the heart. Each has its own merits."

The Young Patriarch smiled, "No wonder you two often sit here. Village Chief, I've come to stay for a few days. What do you think?"

Before the Village Chief could reply, the Apothecary clapped his hands and laughed, "Excellent, absolutely excellent! This old man has nearly suffocated me since Mu'er left. He just lies here day after day, not speaking or moving."

The Village Chief shot him a glare, then said to the Young Patriarch, "Now that you're free, it would be pleasant to stay here for a few days and clear your mind."

The Young Patriarch said, "I greatly admire you, fellow Daoist. The Sacred Cult Master, having received your guidance, is truly extraordinary and remarkable, which is why I wished to seek your advice. The Sacred Cult Master was born with a Hegemon Body and cultivates the Hegemon Body Three Elixir Technique, making his abilities truly exceptional. My knowledge is limited, and I was unaware that a Hegemon Body exists in this world. These past few days, I hoped to consult you on this..."

"Hegemon Body!"

The Village Chief and the Apothecary exchanged glances, then suddenly burst out laughing. Both old men, despite their age, laughed so hard their mouths gaped, tears and snot streamed down their faces, and they struggled to breathe.

"Hegemon Body... Hahahahaha!"

The Village Chief stumbled with laughter and rolled off his recliner. The Apothecary also fell from his recliner with laughter, pounding the ground with his hands, unable to get up.

The Young Patriarch and the Enforcement Elder were bewildered by their laughter. The Enforcement Elder felt a chill run down his spine: "How bored must these two be normally? There's nothing particularly funny, yet they're laughing so hard they're losing their breath. If the Patriarch and I stay here for long, will we also become this insane?"

The Village Chief calmed down for a moment, lying on the ground, panting heavily. The Apothecary pointed at the Young Patriarch and laughed, "We even fooled the Demon Cult Patriarch! Hahahahaha!"

The Village Chief burst into wild laughter again, and the Apothecary resumed pounding the ground.

After a long time, the Village Chief floated up and settled back into his recliner, using his vital qi to comb his messy hair with the comb. The Apothecary walked a bit further away, dusted himself off, then washed his face. He then pulled another small comb from his pocket, tidied himself up, and only then returned, sitting down properly. He said apologetically, "Fellow Daoists, it's just the two of us left in the village, and we're bored to death every day. Even the Hensaurus ran off and hooked up with a male, then hatched a bunch of little Hensauruses. It's rare for someone to tell us a joke, so we couldn't help but lose our composure."

The Young Patriarch looked behind them and saw a Hensaurus, taller than a man, strolling through the village with a group of young Hensauruses. The female Hensaurus flapped its wings, stirring up a strong gust of wind.

"What exactly is this Hegemon Body?"

The Young Patriarch humbly asked, "Please, do not hesitate to enlighten me. My knowledge is indeed a bit limited..."

"Say no more."

The Village Chief suppressed his laughter and said, "I'll tell you then."

A moment later, upon learning the truth, the Young Patriarch and the Enforcement Elder were stunned, as if struck by divine lightning a hundred times and trampled by a herd of savage bulls a hundred times. It took them a long time to recover.

The most powerful Hegemon Body turned out to be just an ordinary human body, and the most powerful Hegemon Body Three Elixir Technique turned out to be a common physical exercise technique used by everyone to strengthen their bodies!

Yet, Qin Mu actually cultivated this technique, believing himself to possess a Hegemon Body.

That wasn't even the crucial part. The crucial point was that Qin Mu, with his unwavering belief, used his ordinary body and a common exercise technique to utterly defeat other talented individuals and geniuses, making him appear every bit like a true Hegemon Body!

The Village Chief and the Apothecary exchanged triumphant glances. The Village Chief whispered, "Look at their expressions; they're exactly as I imagined."

The Young Patriarch exhaled a murky breath, his expression peculiar. "So that's how it is, so that's how it is... But the Hegemon Body Three Elixir Technique truly is unusual, quite extraordinary."

"Although the Hegemon Body Three Elixir Technique is a common exercise technique, it certainly has its peculiarities. However, very few people, practically only Mu'er, have been able to cultivate this technique to his level."

The Village Chief said earnestly, "I haven't seen anyone else cultivate it to that extent. I suspect this technique dates from before the Great Ruins became the Great Ruins. It should be quite profound; somehow, it was passed down and became the most common exercise technique, but I can't be certain. No one would have imagined that this technique would ever be mastered."

The Young Patriarch's eyes flickered. "Perhaps it can be said that before the Great Ruins became the Great Ruins, ordinary people could also cultivate, and this Hegemon Body Three Elixir Technique was the cultivation method for ordinary people back then. But due to a major upheaval, ordinary people lost the ability to cultivate, and the Four Spirit Bodies appeared afterward, becoming the current mainstream."

The Apothecary's heart stirred slightly. "If ordinary people cannot cultivate, how was Mu'er able to? Simply saying he worked a hundred times harder than others isn't enough; there must be people in the world who work even harder than him. And merely saying he expended a hundred times more resources than other ordinary people isn't enough either; someone might be willing to spend such vast resources to stimulate a mortal body. Therefore, he must have something different about him compared to ordinary people."

The Village Chief's heart skipped a beat. "Perhaps he was an ordinary person from before the Great Ruins became the Great Ruins."

The three exchanged glances, each acknowledging the idea. The Young Patriarch asked, "So, where did this ordinary person from before the catastrophe come from?"

The Village Chief and the Apothecary exclaimed in unison, "Carefree Village!" After saying this, their gazes met, and both felt a tremor in their hearts.

Only the Guardian Elder's mind wasn't as quick as theirs; he was in a fog and couldn't interject.

"I feel like my thoughts can't keep up with theirs..." The Guardian Elder felt naturally excluded.

"Carefree Village?"

The Young Patriarch's heart stirred slightly. "May I ask where this Carefree Village is located?"

The Village Chief smiled faintly. "I don't know. However, if you are interested, fellow Daoist, we can leave the village tonight and search for it."

"Leave the village?"

The Young Patriarch turned his head, gazing at the vast and boundless Great Ruins. A sudden tension mixed with anticipation filled his heart.

*I came to the right place,* he thought to himself.

He hadn't felt this kind of thrilling excitement in a long time. The old rascals of Disabled Elders Village had rekindled his youthful spirit for adventure and impulsiveness.

Two old men with one foot already in the grave, an even older man, and an aging Apothecary—the thought of them venturing into the mysterious depths of the Great Ruins, especially in the darkness, was indeed thrilling.

At Sacred Arrival Mountain, Qin Mu instructed, "Ling'er, although this mountain is a sacred place of my Heavenly Saint Cult, it's my first time here, and I don't know what dangers it might hold. Don't wander off. Once I master the teleportation array on this wall, I'll take you out."

Hu Ling'er acknowledged him and turned, running out of the palace.

Qin Mu sat down before the wall, carefully examining the teleportation array on it.

The teleportation array on this wall was a method for refining treasures. Its various runes, formations, and divine arts could not be used individually; they had to be refined into a treasure to activate the teleportation effect.

Many high-ranking members of the Demonic Cult had refined teleportation banners and teleportation robes based on this principle.

A teleportation banner, when unfurled, could instantly transport anything it covered, allowing multiple people to be moved. A teleportation robe, when worn, could transport the wearer themselves.

Qin Mu meticulously comprehended the mysteries of the teleportation array. After a day, he finally fully grasped the array on the wall, but his mind began to ponder.

The Demonic Cult's teleportation method relied on runes to activate formations, and formations to drive divine arts. Because it was too complex, it was difficult to directly cast the divine art, necessitating its refinement into a treasure for teleportation to occur.

If the divine art could be cast directly to achieve a teleportation effect, it would certainly be much more flexible than treasures like teleportation banners or robes.

Moreover, after comprehending for so long, Qin Mu discovered that this teleportation method actually required advanced computational skills. Higher proficiency in algorithms would lead to faster mastery of teleportation divine arts.

"I need more advanced arithmetic texts!"