ca-book Chapter 86 A Monumental Lie
Chapter 86 A Monumental Lie
"Senior, I..."
Ma Cong opened his mouth, but faced with the old master's eyes that seemed to see through people's hearts, his mind was in complete chaos.
How should this be explained?
How could he explain to the old master that he, a mere Core Formation cultivator who had only just touched the threshold of Bone Refining a few days ago, suddenly possessed the power to kill a Heavenly Gang True Immortal, and that after waking up from a three-day coma, his body had undergone such earth-shattering changes?
Should I tell the Celestial Master that I have a system that burned itself to give me a cheat code, allowing a bunch of ancestors to possess me, kill that old demon, and incidentally strengthen my body to the Jade Bone Golden Body?
Regardless of whether the old master believed it or not, Ma Cong himself felt that saying this sounded like he was crazy.
Moreover, the system is his biggest secret, the foundation of his livelihood, and he must never expose it to anyone, not even the old master who saved his life, and whom he had saved in return.
This isn't a matter of trust; it's a matter of principle.
Ma Cong's brain was racing, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
We must come up with a reasonable, or at least seemingly reasonable, explanation.
An explanation that could explain why he was able to unleash that kind of power, and why he was undergoing this change, without arousing the suspicion of the Old Master.
Got it!
Old Chen! The mysterious master who led him into this world!
Old Chen's identity and strength have always been a mystery. Ma Cong can conveniently pin the blame on him.
Anyway, he was elusive and could not be found even when the Celestial Master wanted to confront him.
Having made up his mind, Ma Cong took a deep breath, a bitter and fearful expression on his face, and began the most important "performance" of his life.
"Senior, to be honest..." Ma Cong looked at the old master, his voice weak and hoarse, "That day... that day I used a forbidden life-saving technique that my master passed down to me."
"Forbidden technique?" The old master raised an eyebrow, a look of "I knew it" in his eyes, signaling him to continue.
"Hmm." Ma Cong nodded and continued to fabricate, "My master said that this forbidden technique is called 'Divine Strike' or 'Ancestral Master Possession.' It is a method that, at the critical moment of life and death, uses a special secret technique to burn one's own essence, energy, spirit, and even lifespan to temporarily invoke a wisp of the will of the sect's past ancestral masters and borrow their power."
"Divine intervention?" The old master's expression changed, his eyes filled with shock. "You mean... a divine summoning technique?"
"You know this too, senior?" Ma Cong feigned surprise.
"I know, of course I know!" The old Celestial Master's expression turned extremely solemn. "That's a supreme secret technique from Taoist legends, lost for over a thousand years! It's said that only those with a clear Taoist heart and a connection to the ancestral master's energy can possibly use it! But this kind of magic is extremely harmful to the caster; one wrong move and their soul and spirit are annihilated, their body and soul vanish! Your master... how could he teach you something like this!"
Seeing the old master's reaction, Ma Cong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Become!
He believed it! And he even helped Ma Cong perfect the lie himself!
Ma Cong quickly followed up on his words, his face showing just the right amount of lingering fear: "I don't know either... When my master taught me this technique, he only said that it was a move with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death, and that it should never be used unless absolutely necessary. If you used it, even if you survived by sheer luck, you would fall seriously ill, or even damage your foundation."
Ma Cong sighed and continued, "That day, seeing you injured by that demon, I... I was also driven to desperation, and in a moment of impulsiveness, I used it. After that, I don't know anything. I just felt like I was completely drained, and then I passed out."
He spoke half truthfully and half falsely, especially the sense of despair he felt when he was driven to the brink and had no other choice; it was a completely genuine emotional outpouring.
After listening, the old master fell silent.
He looked at Ma Cong with a complex expression, a mixture of shock, lingering fear, emotion, and a touch of heartache.
He reached out and patted Ma Cong's shoulder heavily: "Good lad... good lad! It's because I, the old Taoist, owe you my life!"
He completely believed Ma Cong's story.
Because this explanation, though bizarre, is the only "reasonable" possibility that can explain the situation at that time.
No matter how talented a young man under twenty is, he cannot possibly fight against the Heavenly Immortal on his own.
But if it's the will of an ancient martial arts patriarch that has descended, then it makes sense!
Only such a being could kill a demon who had been sealed for ten thousand years and whose strength had been greatly diminished with a single finger.
This also explains why Ma Cong fell into a coma afterward.
Burning one's vital energy and lifespan to invite a spirit to possess one's body—how could there be no price to pay?
He considered being in a coma for three days to be a mild punishment!
"How are you feeling now? Has your foundation been damaged?" the old master asked with concern, as this was his biggest worry.
If he were to sacrifice the foundation of such a once-in-a-millennium martial arts prodigy in order to save him, he would become a sinner for all eternity.
Ma Cong "felt" his body for a moment, then shook his head, a hint of doubt and uncertainty on his face.
"It's strange... I feel... I feel like I haven't gotten weaker, but rather... I feel like I've gotten stronger." Ma Cong looked at the old master and said cautiously, "I feel like my bones are different from before."
"It's more than just different!"
Upon hearing this, the old master immediately perked up. He grabbed Ma Cong's wrist, and a surge of pure true energy once again entered his body.
A moment later, he released his grip, looked at Ma Cong as if he were a monster, and clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Young man, you've really turned misfortune into blessing this time, you've had incredible luck!" The old celestial master's tone was full of envy. "When the will of those patriarchs faded away, they left behind a portion of their most primordial power, which was absorbed by your body. This power directly helped you complete the final step of bone refining, allowing you to ascend to the 'Jade Bones and Golden Body' realm in one leap!"
"Jade bones and golden body?" Ma Cong pretended to hear the term for the first time.
"That's right! Jade Bones and Golden Body!" The old Celestial Master excitedly explained the benefits and power of this realm to Ma Cong, speaking with great enthusiasm.
Upon hearing this, Ma Cong's face immediately revealed an expression of shock and ecstasy.
Secretly, he was relieved that he had managed to get away with it.
"However..." The old master's tone shifted, his expression turning serious again. "Kid, you have to promise me that no matter what happens in the future, you absolutely cannot use that 'Divine Strike' again! That thing is too evil. You were lucky this time, protected by the ancestral master, not only did you not die, but you also received tremendous benefits. You won't be so lucky next time! If anything goes wrong, even the gods can't save you!"
His words stemmed from genuine concern.
"I understand, senior." Ma Cong nodded solemnly. "Master also said that it can only be used once in a lifetime. Once it's used this time, it can't be used again."
He had to completely block this path, lest the old master rely on him to "invite the gods" whenever he encountered danger.
"It's good that we can't use it anymore!" The old master breathed a sigh of relief, completely at ease.
A massive upheaval that could have overturned the entire cultivation world's understanding was easily resolved by Ma Cong with a colossal lie.
He looked at the old master, feeling somewhat apologetic, but without regret.
A secret is a secret precisely because it cannot be known by a second person.