Chapter 277: The fearful branch tracking technique

Translator: G.o.dBrandy Editor: Kurisu

After opening their four apertures, a cultivator of the First Stage would surely obtain an innate skill; those that were lucky could obtain even two.

Song Shuhang obtained an innate skill when he opened his Eye Aperture, but he got nothing after opening his Nose Aperture.

Would he be lucky enough to obtain another innate skill after opening his Ear or Mouth Apertures?

"It has been more than a month since I started cultivating. Without even knowing, I’m about to open my Ear Aperture… recalling everything that happened, it almost seems as though it was a dream…" Song Shuhang sighed with emotion.

All the seniors in the group said that a loose cultivator would encounter many hards.h.i.+ps on their path. But when he started cultivating, he met Soft Feather, Medicine Master, Su Clan’s Sixteen, Senior White… as a consequence, his life as a cultivator had been very smooth, and there was basically no difference between him and those elite disciples from big sects.

In his pocket, Lady Onion cried till she pa.s.sed out… he was already about to open his Ear Aperture after practicing for a little more than a month?

On the other hand, she had to suffer for 300 years to open three apertures… and there was still a long way for her to open her Ear Aperture!

As if that wasn’t enough, the reason Song Shuhang almost filled his Ear Aperture with qi and blood after opening the Nose Aperture was her green onion sprout! Lady Onion was even more aggrieved after recalling this fact.

She had directly helped her enemy!

Such a horrible fate; what could she do besides crying?

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July 13th, Sat.u.r.day. Light rain.

Song Shuhang was standing in the middle of a mountain forest. He gently raised his hands and closed his eyes, trying to listen to the sound of the small water drops falling on the palms of his hands...

The sound of the raindrops falling on tree leaves...

The pleasant chirping of birds...

The sound of insects crawling in the forest...

The sound of small animals running back and forth amidst the bushes...

Even the sound of creatures moving below the surface...

All these sounds mixed in Song Shuhang’s ear, becoming a beautiful symphony of nature. Without even knowing, he was lost within this marvelous melody.

Song Shuhang could hear all these sounds because he had opened his Ear Aperture.

Just as Song Shuhang predicted, the quant.i.ty of qi and blood in his Ear Aperture had reached the limit after today’s practice, breaking through the bottleneck of the Ear Aperture. In the next instant, he felt like a deaf person that had suddenly regained his hearing. Now, he could hear various sounds he couldn’t hear before.

Opening the Ear Aperture wouldn’t just strengthen your hearing.

For example, when someone was speaking, Song Shuhang wouldn’t feel any difference from before and the sound wouldn’t be deafening, but only a little clearer. However, opening the Ear Aperture could let one hear many sounds that the average person couldn’t, and that included even particular sound waves!

The symphony of nature was so wonderful that he wished he could listen to it forever.

The only regretful thing was that he didn’t obtain any innate skill related to his Ear Aperture.

However, he still had the chance to obtain one after opening his Mouth Aperture.

Song Shuhang felt that his luck was pretty good!

Moreover, even if he didn’t obtain an innate skill after opening his Mouth Aperture, he had already obtained a decent one when opening his Eye Aperture. Therefore, he didn’t need to be in a sulk.

After a long time...

Song Shuhang’s clothes were completely drenched when he reluctantly exited this wonderful state.

Shuhang didn't know that listening to the sound of nature was extremely beneficial to cultivators. Both state of the mind and mental energy would greatly improve under its effects.

This place he had casually chosen to break through had been a very good choice.

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"My Ear Aperture is finally open. Tomorrow, I’ll set out toward the East China Sea for that trip on the island." While speaking, Song Shuhang took his phone and checked it. Just as before, there was still no news from Venerable White. "Does it mean that even Senior White can’t find Doudou in such a short amount of time?"

Did Doudou and Guoguo hide so well this time?

"If Senior White can’t bring them back by tonight, I’ll have to go on the island alone and wait for them to reach me later," Song Shuhang said as put the mobile phone back in his pocket.

Then, he took out the enlightenment stone from his pocket and looked at Lady Onion.

Lady Onion’s tender shoots were now of the size of a fingernail.

"After opening the Ear Aperture comes the Mouth Aperture. I wonder if eating this sprout will quickly fill with qi and blood my Mouth Aperture…" Song Shuhang muttered.

However, without a senior by his side, it was very dangerous to eat Lady Onion’s sprout— Ah? Wait!

Was I seriously thinking of eating Lady Onion?

I’m getting rather dangerous ideas...

At this time, Lady Onion, who was still attached to the enlightenment stone, s.h.i.+vered.

"Please… don’t eat me, please!" Lady Onion said. It had been very painful when she was cut into pieces by that saber.

Song Shuhang said somewhat surprised, "Eh? You can speak?"

"Yes, yes! I can speak now!" Lady Onion said. "Don’t eat me, okay? As long as you don’t eat me, I can give you a volume of the Buddhist Roaring Lion’s Technique! You’re about to open your Mouth Aperture, right? The Roaring Lion’s Technique just happens to be related to the Mouth Aperture! If you learn this technique, it will help you open your Mouth Aperture!"

"Oh?" Song Shuhang smiled and didn’t speak.

"Let’s make a deal. If you promise not to eat my sprout, I’ll immediately hand over the Buddhist Roaring Lion’s Technique, okay?" Lady Onion said expectantly.

"Sure," Song Shuhang said with a smile—he had no intention of eating her sprout. Whenever he thought that the opposite party could transform into a cute onion spirit girl, he felt that eating her sprout was a rather sinful action.

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In the meantime, Venerable White was still chasing after Doudou and the small monk.

Senior White was flying in a fixed direction without any deviation. He seemed confident in finding them.

The reason for this was the fearful tracking skill in his possession!

After flying for a while, Venerable White descended from the sky.

Then, he casually looked for a bifurcated branch of a tree and threw it toward the sky.

After spinning sixteen times, the branch fell to the ground and its bifurcated part pointed toward southwest.

"Oh, southwest, is it?" Venerable White nodded and turned his sword into a layer of light and headed southwest without hesitation.

This was a powerful tracking technique that belonged solely to Venerable White.

No matter how good one was at evading pursuers, it was all useless against Venerable White’s ‘branch tracking technique’! Even if they were to erase all their traces, they wouldn’t be able to escape from Venerable White.

The limitation was that Venerable White was the only one that could make use of this tracking technique.

Moreover… there were other flaws too.

For example, if Venerable White was flying in the direction pointed by the branch and the pursued were to suddenly change their direction, he would unknowingly go in the wrong direction and wouldn’t realize until the next use of the tracking technique. At that point, Venerable White could fix the direction only with the next use of the technique, and even in that case, he would still waste some time.

But with such a fearful tracking skill at his disposal, finding Doudou and the small monk was just a question of time!

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July 14th, Sunday. Clear weather.

Venerable White, Doudou, and the small monk have all yet to return...

And I received no news from Soft Feather either after she went to her friend’s place to help her.

Song Shuhang took off his sports wrist guard, and if one were to look closely, they would see the 3D tattoo of a Calabash Brother and a girly bracelet.

After uncovering it, he silently covered it again. He was too embarra.s.sed to let his friends see these things.

However, as long as he had both items with him, Venerable White and Soft Feather could easily find his position. Therefore, even if he were to go to that island in the East China Sea, Senior White and Soft Feather could find him at any time.

The only problem was... he had to turn off this phone on the plane.

What if Soft Feather or Venerable White were to contact him and he wasn’t available? And if Senior White were to casually launch one of his disposable flying swords and send Doudou and the small monk over there…?

The plane would explode, right?

Soft Feather was also as dangerous as Senior White. If she were to use her ‘Ten Thousand Mile Flying Escape Technique’, she would b.u.mp into the plane, creating a huge hole in it. Good luck surviving then.

‘If I don’t receive any message, I’ll call them before boarding the plane. I’d better avoid those fearful scenarios…’ Song Shuhang thought to himself.

Just as he was fantasizing, his phone rang.

It was Gao Moumou.

"Shuhang, are you still home? Zhuge Zhongyang already sent someone to your place to pick you up. You should get ready," Gao Moumou said.

"I’m ready. I’m waiting for you guys to come over and pick me up," Song Shuhang said with a smile.

Other than the invisible Broken Tyrant, Song Shuhang only had a small backpack with him. The backpack contained tens of thousands in cash.

Then, he was wearing the ancient bronze ring on his finger, and the ‘Green Breeze Speed Boost’ pendant was hanging around his neck. Inside his pocket were also a sword talisman, eight evil-warding talismans, qi and blood pills, body tempering liquid, and fasting pills.

He was ready for all eventualities.

"Wait for us downstairs, we’ll be there soon." After finis.h.i.+ng his sentence, Gao Moumou ridiculed, "Moreover, didn’t you say that you had several friends that wanted to come with us? How come you’re the only one left now? Isn’t it rather embarra.s.sing? Or did you forget to tell them the trip was free?"

"Hehe, they had something to take care of. However, they might still reach us later on the island," Song Shuhang said with a laugh.

After regretting saying those lines, Gao Moumou also hung up.

I didn’t think that I would have to set out alone in the end...

Song Shuhang put on his backpack and went out of the room. Then, he said to Mama Song who was watching TV in the living room, "Ma, I’m going."

"Be careful on the road, and if Yu Rouzi is there, be sure to bring her here for a few days after you enjoy yourself on the island!" Mama Song said.

"Got it." Song Shuhang waved his hand and smiled.

Speaking of Soft Feather… the day before yesterday, when she mailed herself over, Song Shuhang felt as if someone was blowing cold air behind his neck, and he also felt as if someone was continuously staring at him... Song Shuhang was still wondering if it was only a misconception...