Practicing martial arts, in the eyes of the disciples cultivating immortality, is considered the lowest of the low. As long as one practices Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment, there will naturally be endless spiritual power to nourish the body, which is a hundred times more effective than tempering the body with external martial arts. Moreover, practicing martial arts is purely a waste of cultivation time; with that time, it would be more worthwhile to refine a batch of pills or dig up a few taels of spirit stones.

James Carter is not foolish. With ten thousand years of cultivation experience, he knows better than anyone how vast the difference is between cultivating with a strong body and with a weak one. Perhaps in just a few hundred years, the difference isn’t obvious, but when it comes time to ascend, the terror of that gap becomes clear.

The foundation of cultivation is the most important, and aside from the fundamental spiritual roots, it is reflected in having a stronger body. A solid foundation means stronger development.

Effectively tempering the body is the first step. Even on the path of cultivation, it’s not just about practicing various techniques and neglecting the body. Of course, once one’s cultivation reaches a certain level, spiritual power can strengthen the body. However, strengthening a frail scholar’s body and strengthening a robust one are still not the same.

Likewise, even in battles between cultivators, there is a significant difference between someone trained in martial arts and someone who spends all day meditating without any other focus. Before James Carter began his cultivation, he used external martial arts to temper his muscles and bones for this very reason.

There is another reason for only practicing external skills and not internal ones: Edward Clark’s demonic technique for enhancing spiritual roots can only be cultivated before starting any cultivation. The restrictions of the technique simply cannot be overcome.

Besides martial arts, there’s also running, jumping, and a series of other methods to increase the body’s flexibility and speed. On the way back to the village, James Carter was either running or jumping, and all his food was hunted in the mountains with a machete.

Over a dozen days, James Carter’s memories became increasingly clear, and everything from his youth returned to his mind. While tempering himself and running, James Carter soon arrived at an ordinary mountain.

This mountain was not far from a small county town, but few people ever entered it. The mountain was barren, with almost no trace of spiritual energy. There was a small mountain god temple, already dilapidated, with half of its walls collapsed.

James Carter stood in front of this mountain god temple, carefully confirmed that it was the one from his memory, then smiled, pushed open the mostly rotten temple door, and walked inside.

There were once murals on the walls, but they had long been eroded by wind and rain. After entering, James Carter didn’t care that the statue on the altar was unrecognizable, just a pile of clay, but first bowed to the original altar. Though the mountain god was minor and the temple was broken, there was still someone in the heavenly court holding the post.

After bowing, James Carter moved behind the altar. He paced between the altar and an old locust tree behind it, calculated the spot in between, and began to dig. After digging down more than six feet, he finally hit something hard.

James Carter was overjoyed and carefully dug around the object, revealing a square metal box. The box had been buried for years, yet showed no sign of rust, just a dull black, unremarkable appearance.

Lifting the box, it weighed at least a hundred pounds. If James Carter hadn’t been training diligently lately, and hadn’t been strong since childhood, he really wouldn’t have been able to lift it.

This box was left by Mr. Carter Sr., that is, William Carter’s grandfather, when he was young, as a reserve for his descendants in case of disaster, to help them rise again. However, now this reserve belonged to James Carter.

Next, James Carter would take this reserve, return to fetch his parents, and leave Yang Village. Back then, when William Carter framed James Carter, he even took James Carter’s parents as hostages, forcing James Carter to accept those things against his will. In this life, James Carter no longer intended to give William Carter any chance.

At this time, Mr. Carter Sr. probably hadn’t told William Carter about these things yet, which worked out perfectly for James Carter. After filling in the dug-up earth, James Carter transplanted a small tree from nearby to the spot, then carried the box down to the woods by the roadside at the foot of the mountain, found a place, and reburied it. Making sure there were no traces left, James Carter then followed the main road back toward his hometown.

Running all the way, James Carter’s speed was no slower than those traveling in groups, and when they returned to Yang Village, James Carter arrived at almost the same time.

A month of effective training had made James Carter look sturdier than when he left. Though only sixteen, his build was no less than that of an adult.

The news that William Carter and Sarah Carter, the direct grandson and granddaughter of Mr. Carter Sr., had been chosen by Tai Tian Sect, immediately caused a huge stir in Yang Village. Nearly the entire county was shaken, and even the county magistrate came to offer congratulations. For a time, Yang Village was bustling with noise, as if celebrating a grand festival.

Amid the lively celebration of Mr. Carter Sr.’s whole family, the dejected departure of James Carter’s family, who had been eliminated, seemed utterly insignificant.

Chapter 4: As the Executioner (Part 2)