Inside the column of light, countless specks of light immediately emerged, resembling a swarm of fireflies, completely enveloping Meng Qi’s body and continuously drilling into and out of it.
Meng Qi felt an excruciating pain, as if his muscles and skin were being torn apart, especially in his dantian. Yet, his body was controlled by an inexplicable force, leaving him unable to move or even speak, forcing him to endure the torment as if undergoing repeated tortures in the eighteen levels of hell.
Just as Meng Qi was about to lose consciousness, darkness appearing before his eyes, warmth emerged from his lower abdomen. The true qi that had filled his acupoints naturally surged forth, flowing like rivers into his newly refined dantian, then dispersing again into his various acupoints along different pathways, leaving only a shallow layer of warmth within the dantian.
This warmth circulated several times along fixed meridians, connecting to certain acupoints, continuously expanding and strengthening while tempering these acupoints, preparing for future refinement.
Thus, the internal cultivation path was deeply imprinted in Meng Qi’s mind.
The lights dissipated, and the pain vanished, but the sensation lingered in Meng Qi’s heart, leaving him unable to forget it for a long time.
“The exchange is complete,” intoned the voice of the “Master of the Sixfold Samsara” without fluctuation.
Meng Qi, still inside the column of light, moved his limbs and found his strength greatly increased. He patted his body and felt as though he were striking thick fabric, with no pain at all.
“Phew,” Meng Qi exhaled in relief. His cultivation of the external martial art seemed to have succeeded. Then, he attempted to circulate the true qi in his dantian along the simple pathway, hoping to internalize it as soon as possible.
“Any problems?” Jiang Zhiwei asked from outside the column of light, her tone a mixture of concern and curiosity.
Meng Qi shook his head. “Fairly successful.”
As he spoke, he flipped to the section labeled “Breath Accumulation Stage Martial Arts” and selected “Shenxing Babu (Eight Steps of Divine Movement).”
A flash of light later, a grayish manual, resembling regular script, inexplicably appeared in Meng Qi’s hands, inscribed with the words “Shenxing Babu.”
After a cursory glance, Meng Qi confirmed it was a manual on light martial arts. Without time to study it thoroughly, he tucked it into his robe and stepped out of the column of light.
“This ‘Master of the Sixfold Samsara’ is indeed honest in dealings,” Meng Qi smiled at Jiang Zhiwei, Zhang Yuanshan, and others.
Jiang Zhiwei nodded, then with a half-smile, she said, “Little monk, don’t be careless. Let me test your Tie Bushan (Iron Shirt) technique.”
“Alright,” Meng Qi naturally refused to be careless about such a life-or-death matter.
Although Tie Bushan was an external martial art already integrated into his skin and muscles, its effectiveness did not require the circulation of qi, Meng Qi still summoned his internal force, hoping to maximize the technique’s effect.
As soon as he summoned his energy, Meng Qi’s vision blurred, and he saw a flash of sword light like a meteor rushing toward him, piercing his left shoulder before he could react.
Puff! The sword emitted a sound like striking rotten leather, with only the tip penetrating slightly, causing Meng Qi a slight sting.
As the sword was withdrawn, only a single drop of blood spilled.
Jiang Zhiwei retrieved her sword, wiped the blade, and nodded slightly. “This Tie Bushan is indeed honest in its claims. Just now, I used four parts of my strength, and my sword, ‘Baihonguanri Jian (White Rainbow Piercing the Sun),’ is of the superior weapon class. Hmm, I probably need to use five parts of my strength to truly penetrate your Tie Bushan.”
“Great! Great!” Although Tie Bushan could only block attacks below half of Jiang Zhiwei’s strength, Meng Qi was already very satisfied. Just moments ago, he couldn’t even match ten percent of her strength!
Zhang Yuanshan, standing nearby, was equally satisfied and smiled. “An ordinary martial artist at the early stage of breath accumulation would struggle to truly injure Brother Zhen Ding if they don’t exert their full strength and wield a good weapon. However, when facing someone at the advanced stage of breath accumulation, Brother Zhen Ding must still be cautious and aim to resolve battles quickly, even at the cost of sustaining injuries.”
“Yes, thank you, Brother Zhang, for your advice,” Meng Qi understood Zhang Yuanshan’s meaning. His newly acquired Tie Bushan might not withstand the full force of an advanced breath accumulator, but it still had a damage reduction effect. Therefore, he should leverage this advantage in combat, trading light injuries for heavy ones.
At this moment, Qi Xia chuckled. “Don’t let the little monk get too proud.”
She turned her gaze to Meng Qi. “Tie Bushan still has many weak points, which you are well aware of. In battle, you must be cautious about these areas. Moreover, different types of weapons have varying effects against Tie Bushan, so you must study this carefully.”
At some point, she had joined Jiang Zhiwei in calling him “little monk.”
Meng Qi solemnly acknowledged her words, knowing that Qi Xia’s words were true. His current weak points included his eyes, temples, and lower abdomen. Moreover, Tie Bushan, being a hard-external martial art developed through pounding, offered excellent defense against blunt weapons like clubs, but was relatively weaker against attacks from swords and knives.
“Here, the ‘Wuhu Duammen Dao (Five Tigers Subduing the Heretic Sect Saber Technique)’ saber technique,” Qi Xia handed Meng Qi a manual. Like the previous one, it was grayish in appearance, but the paper looked quite new.
Meng Qi sincerely thanked her, quickly flipped through it, then put it away. Jiang Zhiwei then approached the column of light and brought up the “Exchange Catalog.”
She did not directly navigate to the “Tiancong Pill” section but instead scrolled from the beginning, her gaze skimming the list, pausing briefly only at techniques like “Jietian Qijian (Seven Swords of Intercepting Heaven),” “Taishang Jianjing (Sword Classic of the Supreme),” “Wusheng Shanshan Jian (Thirteen Swords of Immortality),” “Xianshou Changsheng Jian (Longevity Sword Granted by Immortals),” “Zhige Jianfa (Cessation of War Sword Technique),” “Kanxu Jianfa (Sword Technique of Emptiness Investigation),” and “Dugu Jiujian (Nine Swords of Solitude),” her eyes focused and slightly intense.
“Ai,” she sighed with complex emotions, and the Tiancong Pill entry appeared on the exchange catalog.
“Alright,” she extended her hand into the column of light and retrieved a pill sealed in wax. With a light flick of her finger, she broke the wax seal, releasing a fragrant aroma. She carefully smelled it and slightly nodded. “It’s indeed the Tiancong Pill.”
Zhang Yuanshan smiled and approached her side, exchanging for the “Hundian Heiqi (Heaven and Earth’s Darkness and Confusion)” section of the “Tiancan Di Que 108 Sword Techniques,” then tucking away the thin pages and turning to Qi Zhengyan. “Now it’s Brother Zhengyan’s turn to exchange. Have you decided what to exchange for?”
Qi Zhengyan clasped his hands and sincerely said, “My martial arts skills are mediocre, and my knowledge is shallow. I hope Brother Zhang, Miss Jiang, and Miss Qi can offer your guidance.”
Zhang Yuanshan pondered for a moment and said, “Brother Zhengyan, I observe that your primary sword technique is the ‘Changhe Jianfa (Long River Sword Technique)’?”
“Yes, ‘The solitary smoke of the desert rises straight; the setting sun over the long river is round,'” Qi Zhengyan replied with a faint wry smile on his usually stiff face.
This left Meng Qi momentarily stunned. Were they exchanging secret passwords?
Although Xuan Xin was introducing various sects to the new disciples, he preferred to talk about his own martial arts anecdotes and was rather lazy, often working three days and resting for two. Therefore, he had only briefly mentioned some sects and had not yet covered others, including the Huanhua Sword Sect.
Seeing Meng Qi’s bewildered expression, Jiang Zhiwei smiled and casually explained, “The founding patriarch of the Huanhua Sword Sect was well-read and, during the transition of dynasties, retreated into the mountains. There, he encountered an immortal who transmitted a supreme martial art, thus founding the ‘Huanhua Sword Sect.’ Due to his preferences, each of the sect’s core martial arts techniques is named after one or two lines of ancient poetry, such as the sword technique ‘The solitary smoke of the desert rises straight; the setting sun over the long river is round.’ However, ordinary martial artists, impatient with memorizing poetry, gave these techniques abbreviated names, such as ‘Changhe Jianfa.'”
Qi Zhengyan coughed lightly and did not refute her. He knew his sect’s patriarch was merely an impoverished scholar who named techniques this way, not a well-read scholar as Jiang Zhiwei described. Such slander of the patriarch was something he naturally could not voice, and he silently thanked Jiang Zhiwei for preserving some dignity for him and his sect.
“That’s right,” Zhang Yuanshan also chuckled. “We refer to the Huanhua Sword Sect’s foundational sword manual as ‘Xianshou Changsheng Jian (Longevity Sword Granted by Immortals),’ whose full name is ‘An immortal supports my head, bestowing longevity from youth.'”
“There’s also ‘Mingyue Chaosheng Jian (Moonlight and Tidal Sword Technique).’ Little monk, do you know which line of poetry it comes from?” Qi Xia added with a smiling face.
Ancient poetry… Meng Qi slightly furrowed his brow. Was it a coincidence, or was there another reason?
He casually replied, “The bright moon over the sea rises with the tide.”
“Correct. Seeing how delicate and tender your skin was before, you must not be from an ordinary family,” Qi Xia, a daughter of the riverlands, spoke quite boldly, and Meng Qi’s answer confirmed her previous suspicion.
Meng Qi smirked, realizing he had been subtly tested. How could someone so young have so many schemes!
He quickly put the matter of ancient poetry out of his mind, as he couldn’t investigate it for now. Meanwhile, he thought with slight delight, “In the future, when I’m wearing white robes, carrying a sword at my waist, waving a folding fan, and reciting poetry, no one will doubt me for lacking poetic references…”
After some conversation, Zhang Yuanshan continued the previous topic. “Brother Zhengyan, the ‘Changhe Jianfa’ is known for its rigor and also contains deadly moves. In my opinion, it suits your temperament quite well. However, it ultimately lacks agility and has insufficient variation in combat, being strong in defense but weak in offense. I suggest you first select a sword technique renowned for its unpredictable changes to practice alongside it. Once you’ve refined the nine acupoints related to the eyes, you can accumulate good deeds during the next mission to exchange for the ‘Tiancong Pill.'”
“Even with the ‘Tiancong Pill,’ I’m afraid you won’t be able to break through at your current stage,” Jiang Zhiwei bluntly pointed out.
Qi Zhengyan honestly nodded. “Regarding the nine acupoints related to the eyes, I’ve only refined six so far. There’s still a need for patient effort. I’ll follow Brother Zhang’s suggestion for the exchange.”
After he agreed, everyone took out their jade tablets to help him screen for similarly priced sword techniques. Eventually, Meng Qi, known for his extensive knowledge, found a martial art that greatly satisfied Qi Zhengyan.
Qi Zhengyan clasped his hands in gratitude toward Meng Qi. “Thank you, Brother Zhending. I originally intended to exchange for the move ‘Luoxia yu guwu qifei, qiu shui gong chang tian yi se (The setting sun and solitary wild goose fly together; autumn waters blend with the sky in one hue),’ but it belongs to the sect’s secret sword techniques. If I were to practice it secretly, I might face punishment for stealing techniques in the future. However, this ‘Bai Bian Qian Huan Yun Wu Shi San Shi (One Hundred Transformations, a Thousand Illusions, Thirteen Cloud and Mist Moves)’ is not only agile and unpredictable, excelling in variation, but can also be attributed to a chance encounter.”
“‘Luoxia Qiushui Jian (Setting Sun and Autumn Waters Sword Technique)…'” Jiang Zhiwei quietly told Meng Qi the “common name.”
This was too pretentious! Meng Qi inwardly mocked the Huanhua Sword Sect’s patriarch while smiling and saying, “I, uh, this humble monk also happened to see it. No need to thank me.”
This sword technique was the “Hundred Transformations and Myriad Appearances Cloud-Dancing Thirteen Forms” from *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*, which Meng Qi had once considered exchanging for. Unfortunately, the dashing swordsman was temporarily beyond his reach.
The total cost of this sword technique was 150 good deeds. If exchanged separately, the general principles required 20 good deeds, with each move costing 10 good deeds. Therefore, Qi Zhengyan exchanged for the general principles and four moves, using the remaining 10 good deeds to obtain a bottle of “Lingzhi Buqi Pill (Spiritual Mushroom Replenishing Qi Pill)” to enhance his internal energy and refine the acupoints more quickly.
“Now only Qi Xia remains,” Zhang Yuanshan smiled warmly toward Qi Xia. “You’ve exchanged ordinary manuals and miscellaneous studies with the ‘Master of the Sixfold Samsara’ to accumulate good deeds. I suppose you’ve already set your sights on something?”
Qi Xia smiled and clasped her hands. “Brother Zhang’s eyes are as sharp as torches; my humble thoughts cannot escape your notice. I’ve set my sights on the method of making and using ‘Tang Hua.'”
“Tang Hua?”
“Tang Hua?”
The same words were spoken by everyone, yet the emotions behind them were entirely different. Zhang Yuanshan and the others were filled with curiosity and confusion, while Meng Qi was utterly shocked. Was this the “Tang Hua,” one of the three ultimate secret weapons of the Tang Clan from Shu in “The Legend of the Heroic Land of Shenzhou”? Not unique, not extraordinary, but ultimate!
Qi Xia looked at Meng Qi. “Little monk, did you see the method of making this secret weapon earlier?”
“Yes, I originally thought my martial arts skills were insufficient, so I wanted to find some powerful secret weapons and poisons for self-defense,” Meng Qi could only explain this way.
Qi Xia didn’t say much more. She smiled at Zhang Yuanshan and Jiang Zhiwei. “Since childhood, I’ve been scolded by my father for not focusing on martial arts and being obsessed with miscellaneous studies. Therefore, I still haven’t opened my eye acupoints to this day. Among these miscellaneous studies, I’m particularly fond of mechanisms and secret weapons. Unfortunately, within the Jianghu Gang, these areas of study aren’t particularly prominent. Although my uncles and elders have similar unique studies, they won’t teach me without holding anything back. Today, seeing the method of making ‘Tang Hua,’ I couldn’t help but feel a hunter’s joy at seeing game.”
“Having multiple masters of mechanisms and secret weapons is beneficial for us, enabling us to handle more situations,” Zhang Yuanshan and Jiang Zhiwei both agreed with Qi Xia’s choice.
“Tang Hua” was an ultimate secret weapon of the Tang Clan from Shu. Its exchange price was extremely high. A single completed “Tang Hua” and its corresponding secret weapon technique, even if it became ineffective after use, required 300 good deeds. If one were to be taught by the “Master of the Sixfold Samsara” through direct transmission to master how to make and use it, the initial mastery required 300 good deeds, and complete mastery required 600 good deeds. However, if one directly exchanged for the blueprints detailing the making and usage methods and then gathered the materials oneself, taking various risks to research and develop it, the cost was 150 good deeds.
Qi Xia exchanged some other manuals and miscellaneous studies and finally gathered 150 good deeds, obtaining the method of making and using “Tang Hua.”
“The exchange is complete. Choose the items you need to store and then return to your own world, waiting for the next cycle to begin. You cannot enter or leave this place during this time. If you wish to cultivate here, you must exchange for time now,” the majestic voice of the Master of the Sixfold Samsara rang out.
Since he could not freely enter and leave, Meng Qi naturally carried the manuals with him and roughly checked his “territory.”
Behind the white jade gate was an empty room. To have beds, chairs, and other items, he needed to exchange for them.
A beam of light shone down, enveloping Meng Qi and the others who had returned to the plaza, and then Meng Qi completely lost consciousness.
Darkness was heavy. Meng Qi struggled hard and suddenly sat up, just in time to see moonlight like water, peaceful and serene.
Then, the familiar breathing sounds of Zhen Hui, Zhen Guan, and others sleeping also reached his ears.
“I’m back in the Zen room…” As soon as this thought arose, Meng Qi instinctively summoned his energy. His dantian felt warm, and a warm current slowly rose.
“Ah, the small jade Buddha…” Delighted to discover that everything he had exchanged for still existed, Meng Qi suddenly noticed that the small jade Buddha he had been wearing was split into two pieces, no longer exuding that translucent and warm sense of tranquility.
He was both shocked and bewildered, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He had no idea how much time had passed when the familiar sound of the temple bell suddenly rang out—yet it lacked its usual serene and distant quality. The chimes came rapidly, one after another, as if something momentous were unfolding within the temple!
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