Chapter 93: New “Teammates”

“That’s what I meant by sword techniques,” Jiang Zhimei said matter-of-factly.

Meng Qi felt she was teasing him and replied with a bitter smile, “I don’t know any sword techniques, and besides, sword techniques are difficult to learn and master.”

“You can’t redeem good life-risking blade techniques anyway. It won’t be a waste of time if you learn some sword techniques from me during the World of Martial Arts task,” Jiang Zhimei smiled sweetly, looking especially charming. “Most importantly, I want to see what flaws my sword technique might reveal when practiced by a beginner, so I can correct them. Besides, you already have a solid martial arts foundation, so learning sword techniques won’t be too hard for you.”

Meng Qi vaguely realized that Jiang Zhimei’s latter statement was meant to ease his embarrassment, but he still couldn’t help asking, “Correct? Did you create this sword move yourself?”

Zhang Yuanshan, Qi Zhengyan, and Fu Zhenzhen all looked at Jiang Zhimei in astonishment. She had actually created her own sword move already?

Even calling her a natural swordsman would be an understatement!

Meng Qi had experience creating techniques himself, but they were mostly derived from variations of “Severing Purity.” His original contributions were practically nonexistent. He never expected that Jiang Zhimei had already begun integrating her knowledge to create new sword techniques.

“Yes. I thought the ‘Sword of Selflessness’ was difficult to use, so I’ve always wanted to simplify it into a life-risking sword technique suitable for daily use at the Qi-opening stage. However, I couldn’t figure out a way until I fully integrated the emotional and emotionless aspects of the Sacred Spirit Sword Technique. Then I suddenly came up with something new, combining elements from both to create a new sword move,” Jiang Zhimei explained calmly.

Then, for once, she blushed slightly, like morning light breaking through clouds, radiant and incomparable: “In my opinion, within the Qi-opening stage, it’s among the most outstanding life-risking sword techniques, so I named it ‘Yama’s Note.'”

Such self-praise made her feel a bit shy.

“But wouldn’t this be considered secretly transmitting the sect’s secret techniques? Moreover, secretly teaching the Sacred Spirit Sword Technique could result in being erased by the Master of the Six Dao Reincarnation,” Meng Qi said, quite tempted. He had a deep-rooted obsession with sword techniques, and Jiang Zhimei was right—he couldn’t redeem new life-risking techniques now. When he returned, he would either have to pay a high price for direct infusion or spend good deeds to redeem time for training. Therefore, practicing sword techniques during the World of Martial Arts task would be a productive use of time.

Jiang Zhimei’s expression returned to normal, and she smiled sweetly: “It’s a new move I created, merely subtly drawing on a bit of the principles from both techniques. It doesn’t count as a sect’s secret technique, nor will it lead to being erased by the Master of the Six Dao Reincarnation—I quietly asked about it earlier.”

“Oh, but it’s probably still somewhat similar to ‘Sword of Selflessness.’ Won’t your sect, the Sword Washing Pavilion, misunderstand?” Meng Qi asked, quite tempted.

“The ‘A-nan’s Broken Precept Blade Technique’ true intent transmission requires either painstaking effort or special opportunities to understand new techniques and blade intent.”

Jiang Zhimei lifted her head, deliberately putting on an arrogant expression: “If you use this move in front of Sword Washing Pavilion disciples and they misunderstand you, I’ll personally intervene and chase you to the ends of the earth to kill you, you bald-faced thief who stole our Sword Washing Pavilion’s secret techniques.”

“Thief…” Meng Qi’s expression turned awkward, but he was deeply moved inside. Jiang Zhimei was clearly bending the rules. Strictly speaking, a new sword technique derived from insights gained through practicing the ‘Sword of Selflessness’ and the Sacred Spirit Sword Technique should belong to the Sword Washing Pavilion’s repertoire. However, since the Master of the Six Paths of Samsara did not consider it a derivative of the Sacred Spirit Sword Technique, it could—barely—be deemed not a sect-exclusive technique, depending on Jiang Zhimei’s interpretation.

Thinking about this, Meng Qi clasped his hands together and sincerely bowed. Regardless of whether he could learn the sword technique and master ‘Yama’s Note’ during the World of Martial Arts task, at least this gesture was worth being grateful and remembered.

Jiang Zhimei didn’t feign modesty and gracefully accepted Meng Qi’s bow before smiling and saying, “There’s one more thing. Since you’ve already opened your Eye Aperture, you should begin training in the fifth level of the Golden Bell Shield. This will provide a substantial boost to your abilities.”

“That’s right,” Meng Qi lightly slapped his bald head, almost forgetting such an important matter. He had already opened his apertures, yet hadn’t thought about training the fifth level of the Golden Bell Shield.

The reason was that he had been thinking of returning to Shaolin without spending good deeds to review the Golden Bell Shield manual, so he subconsciously forgot that he could redeem it here with the Master of the Six Dao Reincarnation. However, now the journey was long and arduous, and there were powerful enemies nearby, making it impossible to wait until returning to Shaolin to train.

If he redeemed it now, during the World of Martial Arts task, he might very well enter the fifth level, significantly reducing damage from ordinary weapons and attacks from general Qi-opening experts, making it harder to break his technique. As for reaching perfection, that would require painstaking effort.

From the fifth level onward, each level of the Golden Bell Shield had a concept called “sealing the level,” which depended on each person’s talent, effort, and depth of understanding. The highest could be sealed to the first rank, with power nearly twice that of the ninth rank.

Thus, every practitioner of the Golden Bell Shield would not have the same strength after perfecting each level. Only those who sealed each level to the top three ranks would have the hope of eventually achieving the Diamond Dharma Body.

This was also the common martial arts principle: even with the same cultivation technique and the same level of perfection, most people would still have differences in strength.

Prompted by Jiang Zhimei, Meng Qi swiftly retrieved the jade volume and began flipping through its pages. The break before the mission wouldn’t last long, and any further delay would mean he’d soon be entering the task.

“Uh, the fifth level manual requires two hundred good deeds,” Meng Qi, with a clear goal, quickly found the list of the Golden Bell Shield’s fifth to eighth levels for the Qi-opening stage. They respectively required two hundred, four hundred, six hundred, and eight hundred good deeds.

Meng Qi thought about what he had besides the Red Sun Exorcising Blade and the Storm Pear Blossom Needles, and there wasn’t much else worth redeeming. So, suppressing his embarrassment and reluctance, he grinned at Jiang Zhimei and others: “Dear comrades-in-arms, look at me, asking for your help so soon. Just borrow me fifty good deeds. Hehe, I’m just that shameless.”

Jiang Zhimei couldn’t help but smile. This little monk was indeed quite cheerful: “You have one hundred and fifty good deeds. I should have enough to exchange for a Hundred Grass Pill, which would leave you owing me sixty good deeds.”

The Hundred Grass Pill was a Qi-opening stage healing medicine, worth one hundred good deeds per pill. When exchanged with the Master of the Six Dao Reincarnation, it wouldn’t depreciate like manuals, fetching about sixty to seventy good deeds.

Qi Zhengyan suddenly spoke up: “Miss Jiang, there’s no need to exchange for the Hundred Grass Pill. We should be able to pool enough good deeds among us. I have thirty good deeds set aside.”

The Hundred Grass Pill was a healing medicine. Each person present might rely on it to save their lives at some point, so it was unnecessary to waste it like this. After all, a bottle would contain at most three or four pills.

“That’s enough. I still have ten good deeds, and Jiang Shimei should have ten left as well,” Zhang Yuanshan clapped his hands together.

Pooling their good deeds, Meng Qi successfully redeemed the manual for the fifth level of the Golden Bell Shield. Then, with a cheeky grin, he looked at Qi Zhengyan, Jiang Zhimei, and others: “Dear comrades-in-arms, you’ll have to protect me well. If I die, you won’t get your good deeds back. Haha, the one who owes the most is the biggest.”

This guy was too playful. Jiang Zhimei looked up at the sky wordlessly, white mist swirling like a heavenly palace, like a fairyland.

The group chatted about each other’s experiences over the past six months. After a while, three columns of milky white light appeared.

“Newbies?” Zhang Yuanshan held Fu Zhenzhen’s hand, signaling her not to be nervous.

The columns of light dissipated, revealing three strangers—two men and a woman. The woman was tall and striking. Her features individually weren’t great—narrow eyes, small nose, thick lips—but together they formed a harmonious whole, making her a beauty with a unique charm. She was in her mid-twenties, wearing dark purple martial attire, black riding boots, and carrying a pair of uneven twin swords at her waist.

The two men were also quite young, both in their early twenties. One had thick eyebrows and big eyes, a robust and muscular build that made his clothes taut, exuding a bold and awe-inspiring aura. He had no weapon on him, giving an impression of cleanliness and ease. The other had a shifty gaze and a sly smile, eyeing Meng Qi and the others with amusement.

None of them showed the fear or confusion typical of newcomers to the Reincarnation World.

“You must be our teammates for this mission. Allow me to introduce myself—I’m Luo Shengyi,” the muscular man smiled and bowed, his presence commanding. “These are my companions, Xia Chulin and Xia Dandan. They’re siblings.”

Siblings? The difference in their appearances was too great—one a charming beauty, the other a sly-eyed man… This was Meng Qi’s first thought. Then he realized: “Companions?”

Jiang Zhimei and the others looked at them in confusion as well.

Luo Shengyi smiled calmly: “In the Reincarnation World, different teams are often assigned to collaborate on missions, and sometimes they even merge afterward.”

“So, this mission is either very difficult, requiring our two teams to work together, or it’s a factional battle mission. Either way, it will be dangerous and definitely deadly.”

It seems there are many teams in the Reincarnation World… Meng Qi and Jiang Zhimei exchanged glances with Zhang Yuanshan, sharing similar thoughts. Then Zhang Yuanshan stepped forward and roughly introduced their group of five, though he spoke vaguely without mentioning their martial sects, as they had no idea whether the other team might become future enemies.

“I believe we should be more transparent with each other. At least, we should share our martial arts skills to coordinate better during the mission. I’ve already unlocked seven apertures and specialize in boxing techniques, with some minor reputation,” Luo Shengyi naturally didn’t disclose his hidden strengths or martial arts, only briefly stating his cultivation level.

“Minor renown… Are you ‘Invincible Iron Fist’ Luo Shengyi?” Zhang Yuanshan immediately recognized him.

“Indeed,” Luo Shengyi replied modestly without arrogance.

Seeing Meng Qi’s confused expression, Jiang Zhimei whispered in his ear: “He accomplished several feats that should have been impossible at his cultivation level, earning great fame. He’s currently ranked 30th on the Human List.”

This ranking was even higher than ‘White-Headed Vulture’ An Guo Xie, so he couldn’t be underestimated! Meng Qi nodded slightly, secretly resolving to stop focusing solely on fleeing and cultivating, and instead seek out the Heaven, Earth, and Human Lists for reference in the future.

Just as Zhang Yuanshan was about to speak, everyone’s vision suddenly went dark, and the cold, indifferent voice of the Master of the Six Dao Reincarnation echoed in their ears: “The Demon’s Grave is about to open. The four major sects are preparing a joint attack on the Demon Sect’s headquarters at Sacred Volcano Mountain, aiming to eliminate their main forces and reseal the Demon’s Grave.”

“Main Task One: Proceed to Fengyun Manor, join the alliance of the four major sects, attack the Demon Sect, breach their headquarters, and seal the Demon’s Grave. Completion reward: 300 good deeds. Failure penalty: corresponding deduction of good deeds.”

Main Task Two: Factional Battle Task—Eliminate members of the Demon Sect faction.

– Killing a **Qi Accumulation** cultivator grants **50 good deeds** to each member of your faction. Failure deducts **50 good deeds** per member.

– Killing a **Six Apertures** cultivator grants **100 good deeds** to each member. Failure deducts **100 good deeds** per member.

– Killing a **Six Apertures+** cultivator grants **200 good deeds** to each member. Failure deducts **200 good deeds** per member.

Those who lack sufficient good deeds by the end will be **erased**.