Controlling the facial muscles and changing the arrangement of the flesh particles may seem simple, but in practice it is not easy; it requires a martial artist to be extremely familiar with the structure of their own body.

After a while, Chu Ming's vital essence within his body rapidly compressed into a fist-sized blood ball, floating above his dantian. Chu Ming's skin quickly dried up, its luster faded, and his body hunched over gradually, his momentum waning.

At this moment, both Chu Ming's physique and appearance were identical to Elder Ku Teng.

"Only the cultivation techniques and secret martial arts are somewhat different."

Chu Ming thought to himself. Elder Ku Teng excelled in the secrets of wood and a palm technique, while he primarily focused on Sword Dao and fist technique. Once engaged in a fight, he would definitely reveal flaws, a situation he wanted to avoid.

Soul power subtly moved, erasing the traces of the surrounding battle, along with Elder Ku Teng's corpse, which he tossed into the spatial rift together. Then, he began organizing all the items obtained from Elder Ku Teng's storage ring.

Mukong Island is considered not wealthy in the North Sea, and spirit stone mines are extremely scarce. Hence, even though Elder Ku Teng was one of the top figures on the island as the Third Elder of the Wood Profound Sect, he only had three to four billion upper grade spirit stones on him, and as for top grade spirit stones, there were even fewer, only seventy to eighty pieces.

Swoosh!

Chu Ming quietly sat at the tower's top; his right hand suddenly flashed with brilliance. Immediately, a yellow book appeared in his hand. Chu Ming gently flipped through, scanning ten lines at a glance. Fifteen minutes later, he closed the book lightly, a strange gleam passing over his face. Unexpectedly, the book recorded some information about the Wood Profound Sect.

The Wood Profound Sect has two Vice Sect Leaders, five Elders, more than twenty combat stewards, and the rest are the disciples, mostly in the Guiyuan Realm like the green-robed youth Chu Ming encountered earlier; those in the Realm of Transcendence occupy about one percent.

Among them, the two Vice Sect Leaders are experts in the Eighth Heaven of the Realm of Transcendence. They've been in the Eighth Heaven of the Realm of Transcendence for over ten years, thus in terms of experience and foundation, they surpass Elder Ku Teng who just stepped into the Eighth Heaven of the Realm of Transcendence.

Among the five Elders, the Grand Elder, Second Elder, and Elder Ku Teng are experts in the Eighth Heaven of the Realm of Transcendence, whereas the Fourth and Fifth Elders are merely peak seventh-layer martial artists in the Realm of Transcendence. According to the book's records, the Grand Elder, Second Elder, and Elder Ku Teng have only recently broken through to the Realm of Transcendence; otherwise, Chu Ming would not have been able to kill Elder Ku Teng so easily.

After placing the yellow-covered book back into the storage ring, a broken black stone fragment in Elder Ku Teng's storage ring caught his attention. The black stone, only the size of a fingernail, emanated a dark glow, seemingly absorbing all surrounding light.

Swoosh!

Chu Ming grabbed the black stone fragment in his hand, instantly feeling a chill spreading from the palm throughout his body. His soul power swept across, and immediately three deep black characters floated on the black stone fragment: Black Wood Palm.

"Is this the secret martial art that Elder Ku Teng cultivated?"

Chu Ming's eyes flashed with joy. Initially, he was worried about revealing flaws during combat, but now, as long as he cultivates the Black Wood Palm to the Great Success Realm, no one would suspect he's not the real Elder Ku Teng.

The Black Wood Palm is merely a low tier secret martial art. In the entire Wood Profound Sect, only two Vice Sect Leaders possess middle tier secret martial arts. Precisely because the Black Wood Palm is a low tier secret martial art, Chu Ming could breathe a sigh of relief; low tier secret martial arts are relatively easier to grasp. With Chu Ming's talent, within ten days, he might be able to cultivate the Black Wood Palm to the Transformation Realm.

Chu Ming withdrew his soul power that enveloped the tower, and the night sky returned to calmness. Silence reigned around, with no one detecting that on this night, the Third Elder of the Wood Profound Sect had already been replaced.

Chu Ming pressed the black stone in his hand, his soul power immersed in it. Instantly, a terrifying giant black palm appeared in his mind. In the presence of this giant black palm, Chu Ming felt his breathing slightly obstructed, as if facing a deity.

The palm's lines were clear, emanating a faint oppressive aura. With a boom, the giant palm transformed into a meteor streaking across the sky, fiercely crashing to the ground, with a deathly aura permeating instantly, severing all of existence, turning everything into past.

"What a domineering palm."

Chu Ming thought to himself. Within the palm power of the Black Wood Palm lied a terrifying deathly force. A martial artist touching it would have their consciousness blurred at best, or be deprived of life at worst.

Time flew by overnight as Chu Ming comprehended the Black Wood Palm. The next day, while Chu Ming was meditating, a middle-aged man in Wood Profound Sect attire soared up from the tower below.

"Third Elder, the Grand Elder is here, saying there's urgent matters to discuss."

The middle-aged man stood before Chu Ming, not detecting any difference in the "Third Elder" before him. He looked respectful, fearing to displease the "Third Elder".

Elder Ku Teng was well-known in the Wood Profound Sect, though not for a good reputation; due to his ruthless and cold-blooded nature, killing was as common as breathing. The middle-aged man had once witnessed Elder Ku Teng turn a defiant disciple into a dried corpse.

"Hmm."

Chu Ming softly nodded. The Grand Elder of the Wood Profound Sect was named Situ Lei, a formidable expert in the middle stage of the Eighth Heaven of the Realm of Transcendence, proficient in the secrets of wood and the secrets of thunder, and had close relations with the deceased Elder Ku Teng. Among the five Elders in the Wood Profound Sect, there were supposed factions, with Elder Ku Teng and Situ Lei in one faction, while the Second Elder Xu He and the Fourth and Fifth Elders were close.

Chu Ming floated from the tower's top, flying toward the central area of the stronghold. Actually, his soul power could easily locate Situ Lei's position.

Generally speaking, Elder Ku Teng would be stationed at Black Moon City. Unless something significant occurred, Situ Lei wouldn't personally come to find Elder Ku Teng, fearing gossip among the Wood Profound Sect members.

Chu Ming had just entered the hall when a burly old man in a green robe, with a dark complexion, greeted him enthusiastically.

"Ku Teng, come in quickly!"

Situ Lei's voice was slightly hurried. He pulled Chu Ming into the hall, placed a barrier around the entire hall to ensure no one could probe inside, then gradually sat down.

Situ Lei's burly body was surrounded by a violent aura of thunder, mixed with the secrets of wood, which felt highly incongruous.

"I wonder what brings Brother Lei to seek me so urgently?"

Chu Ming inquired lightly while sitting on a chair.