Chapter 10: The First One

All the hairs on Meng Qi’s body stood on end. Could it be that they had entered a world of ghosts and spirits? Although the terms “Golden Body,” “Dharma Body,” and “Dao Body” sounded lofty and powerful—capable of reducing evil spirits to dust—Meng Qi and the others were still at the level of ordinary martial artists, seemingly without any means to confront ghosts!

What should they do?

Just as Meng Qi felt as if his legs were filled with lead, unable to advance or retreat, a brilliant flash of sword light cut through the air, directly striking the empty space above the “evil spirit.”

Huh? Had the sword strike gone astray because of the ghost’s illusion?

For an instant, Meng Qi thought the sword strike had missed its target and failed to hit the ghost.

Before he could finish that thought, a loud crack echoed, and the black figure plummeted straight to the ground, flailing its limbs but unable to rise.

Zhang Yuanshan darted forward, his right hand forming a sword finger that struck downward, instantly rendering the black figure motionless.

“Pretending to be ghosts,” Jiang Zhiwei scoffed lightly, sheathing her sword.

Only then did Meng Qi notice the unobtrusive rail embedded in the stone wall above, with a rope dangling from it, swaying and broken off halfway.

“Hehe,” Meng Qi gave a dry laugh, slightly embarrassed that he had been frightened by such a simple mechanism due to his poor eyesight.

Jiang Zhiwei smiled as she gazed ahead and said, “Senior Brother Zhang and I have already opened our eye apertures, similar to the ‘Divine Eye Insight’ of the Buddhist sect. Although the lighting here is dim and the rails and ropes are well concealed, they cannot escape our sight.”

The eye orifice, Divine Eye Insight… Only then did Meng Qi understand what was meant by the term “Orifice Opening Stage.” Instinctively, he asked, “But how does this relate to martial cultivation?”

What puzzled Meng Qi was why ordinary martial cultivation could lead to something like the “Divine Eye Insight.”

“The eyes are the orifice of the liver. Once one’s qi is cultivated to a high level and the meridians are fully opened, and the physical body has been tempered, martial cultivation transitions to focusing on internal organs and orifices,” Zhang Yuanshan explained casually as he retrieved something from the black-clad figure before standing up. He then turned to the group and asked, “He’s still alive and failed to bite down on the poison capsule. Does anyone have a way to force him to reveal the layout and details of the Hidden Emperor Fortress?”

His pressure point strike had been precise and timely, preventing the black-clad figure from biting down on the poison in his mouth.

Meng Qi nodded slightly, finally gaining a rough understanding of the “Orifice Opening Stage.” His interest in martial cultivation in this world grew even more. As for methods of interrogation, although Meng Qi had learned about many brutal tortures out of curiosity, most were either unsuitable for this environment or not effective for quick results. He thus looked toward Jiang Zhiwei, Qi Xia, and others like Zhang Yuanshan.

Qi Xia stepped forward, forcing a slightly strained smile as she said, “I do have a pressure point technique I could try. Please don’t mind if it seems too cruel.”

Normally a pampered young lady, Qi Xia was still struggling to adjust to being trapped in the “Cycle World,” her mind slightly dazed and her polite smile tinged with worry. Even her manner of address gave Meng Qi, a young novice monk, an advantage in terms of seniority.

“Could it be the ‘Thirteen Soul-Searching Hands’ of the Great River Gang?” Jiang Zhiwei mused for a moment before guessing the martial technique Qi Xia intended to use.

Qi Xia gave a bitter smile. “It’s not really soul searching; it’s just torturing through pressure points.”

Zhang Yuanshan nodded slightly and clasped his hands. “Please, Senior Disciple Qi, do us the honor of taking the lead so we may reap the benefits.”

“Hmph, a yellow-haired child pretending to be a renowned swordsman, playing the part of a loyal and upright hero…” Yan Wujian, standing beside Meng Qi, muttered very softly. The cowardly and sleazy Yan clearly resented someone like Zhang Yuanshan who could always take control of any situation.

Meng Qi glanced sideways at him without saying a word. Didn’t this guy fear being abandoned?

Yan Wujian sneered at the young monk and muttered again, “They haven’t even opened their ear orifices yet. What do I have to fear?”

Tsk, better safe than sorry. Meng Qi smiled silently and watched as Qi Xia walked over and squatted beside the black-clad figure. Her right hand, index and middle fingers together like a sword, adjusted her breathing for several breaths before swiftly striking seven points on the black-clad figure.

Then, as if pushed away by something, she stood up abruptly, drenched in cold sweat.

Guttural, beast-like growls came from the black-clad figure’s throat, followed by wave after wave of agonized screams. Although the sounds were kept low under the control of the “Thirteen Soul-Searching Hands,” only audible to those nearby, they were still chilling and spine-chilling enough to make Meng Qi’s skin crawl.

“Ahhh… stop, please… I’ll talk… I’ll talk…” The black-clad figure finally begged for mercy through his screams.

Qi Xia exhaled softly, squatted again, and struck five more pressure points. “Talk now. Let me hear if what you say matches what we already know.”

The black-clad figure sweated profusely, his clothes soaked through. In a hoarse voice, he revealed the exact layout of the Hidden Emperor Fortress and details about its lord.

Zhang Yuanshan squatted on the ground and began drawing a map based on the description. Generally speaking, if someone was lying without prior preparation, the resulting map would inevitably contain contradictions unless it was extremely simple.

“It seems accurate,” Zhang Yuanshan murmured, looking at the completed map. “The Hidden Emperor Fortress is built within an underground cave system, vast and filled with many traps. Our time is limited.”

“Then we won’t rescue the four great experts?” Qing Jing asked immediately, hesitating slightly before continuing, “According to his words, the fortress lord seems to have already opened the eye, ear, and nose orifices…”

The black-clad figure naturally didn’t know the exact cultivation level of the fortress lord, but some details he mentioned led Qing Jing and others to speculate. For example, the fortress lord could pierce mosquitoes and flies with embroidery needles in the dark, and had detected poison in his food several times before consuming it.

Meng Qi glanced at Qing Jing. So this guy wasn’t completely stubborn and self-righteous after all.

“Yes, we must be cautious. According to the map, the traps holding the four experts are located on the east and west sides. Considering the time required to disable the traps and break through the guards, we must split up,” Zhang Yuanshan stood up and said steadily. “Senior Disciple Qi, you should have already completed the Qi Accumulation stage, right?”

“Regretfully, I completed Qi Accumulation five years ago but have yet to open any orifices,” Qi Zhengyan, the quiet one, replied with a bow.

“Then please, Senior Disciple Qi, accompany me and Junior Disciple Qing Jing to the east side to rescue Grandmaster Ma Lianghan and Grandmaster Tan Wenbo as soon as possible,” Zhang Yuanshan proposed. “As for Senior Disciple Jiang, Senior Disciple Qi, you should take care of Zhen Ding and Yan Xiangzhu. If you can rescue the remaining two experts on the west side, that would be ideal. If not, prioritize rescuing at least one and then head directly to the center to regroup with us. I estimate that with three grandmasters assisting, it should be sufficient.”

Originally, he had intended to have Jiang Zhiwei, the most skilled among them, accompany him. However, considering that sending Qing Jing and Qi Xia, who were only at the edge of opening orifices, to the west side might result in failure—perhaps not rescuing anyone—he decided it was safer to split up and personally handle the rescue missions. Of course, while assigning the burden to them, he also adjusted their task accordingly.

“There’s no need for that. We can all go together and just rescue two of them. How could ordinary ‘Orifice Opening Stage’ experts compare to those with major sect inheritances?” Qing Jing said proudly.

It was a commonly accepted belief that disciples from major sects, who had mastered numerous supreme techniques, could often defeat ordinary martial experts with two to four more orifices opened.

Of course, many sect disciples, due to lack of real-world experience, sometimes suffered humiliating defeats despite their superior skills. Therefore, all sects now provided various forms of real-world training for their disciples. For example, as Xuan Xin had told Meng Qi, before leaving the Shaolin Temple, outstanding disciples would spend six months inside the temple constantly facing poisonings and ambushes. Except for the fact that the attackers were extremely skilled and antidotes were always nearby to prevent death, everything else was real, allowing the disciples to learn how to judge and handle various situations.

If major sects failed to address their weaknesses and provide specialized training against assassination and poisoning techniques, they would have long been forgotten, becoming nothing more than nostalgic topics of conversation, rather than remaining at the pinnacle of the universe.

“Still, better to be cautious,” Zhang Yuanshan said after a moment’s thought. After all, this was their first Cycle Task, and he couldn’t yet grasp the temperament of the “Six Cycle Sovereign” who assigned these tasks.

Qing Jing pursed his lips, not saying anything further, but looking at Jiang Zhiwei and saying, “Don’t keep us waiting too long, or we’ll just take matters into our own hands.”

“What kind of hero brags with words? If you have the guts, why don’t you challenge me to another match?” Jiang Zhiwei smiled sweetly, completely unbothered by Qing Jing’s veiled sarcasm.

Insults from a defeated opponent weren’t worth taking seriously!

Qing Jing’s face turned dark red, his lips trembling. “If, if I had also opened my eye orifice…”

He couldn’t continue. At around sixteen years old, just like Jiang Zhiwei, he had not yet opened his eye orifice while she had, clearly indicating his defeat.

Frustrated with himself, he furrowed his brow and walked toward the upcoming fork in the road. “Senior Brother Zhang, don’t waste time.”

Zhang Yuanshan called for Qi Zhengyan to follow him, while Jiang Zhiwei turned to Meng Qi and said, “Little monk, remember to stay close to me. If you fall too far behind, I might not have time to save you.”

With that, she smiled, as if a hundred flowers were blooming. “After all, you and I have no relation. If you die here, I won’t be too upset.”

Meng Qi’s face immediately turned dark and awkward. He hurriedly quickened his pace to follow Jiang Zhiwei.

At that moment, several dark figures rushed from the fork ahead, some wielding swords, others axes, and some steel forks.

Jiang Zhiwei drew her sword with a single motion, its sharp cry like a dragon’s roar. She swiftly surrounded three of the dark figures, slicing the throat of one with a few quick strikes.

Meng Qi watched as blood sprayed, staining the ground and walls red, giving him an unreal sensation—as if he were watching a movie in a cinema, none of it related to him.

Fortunately, he had already experienced the sensation of being transported to another world. Compared to that, this scene of slaughter seemed trivial. He quickly regained his composure and took shelter behind Jiang Zhiwei, staying within the range of her sword.

Jiang Zhiwei’s sword danced like a graceful performance, elegant and refined, forcing the remaining two black-clothed figures to back against each other for support. Meng Qi watched the battle intently, constantly thinking about how he would use the Arhat Fist to deal with them.

At the same time, Qi Xia moved like a flower weaving through trees, her strikes few but precise. Each time her blade flashed, a black-clothed figure fell. Qing Jing’s blade exuded a solemn and mighty aura; each strike seemed ordinary, yet the black-clothed figures opposite him appeared to have their minds shaken, their movements slowing by half a beat before being cut down.

Zhang Yuanshan didn’t show off. He gave it his all, his sword tracing a half-circle that deflected several blades outward. Then, with a swift thrust, he cut through the figures like parting flowers and willows, instantly laying three black-clothed figures on the ground.

Qi Zhengyan’s sword techniques were extremely rigorous, occasionally displaying brilliant moves. Even while surrounded by three black-clothed figures, he still managed to severely wound one. It seemed that, given more time, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to defeat the remaining opponents.

“Huh? Isn’t Jiang the most skilled? The other three have already taken down at least three black-clothed figures each. Why can’t she finish off the remaining two?” Meng Qi thought to himself amidst the flashing blades, unmoved by the deaths of the black-clothed figures.

Ah!

Suddenly, a scream rang out. Meng Qi instinctively turned his head and just in time saw the cowardly Yan Wujian pierced through the back by a sword that had extended from a crack in the stone wall. Blood gushed out, and he was clearly beyond saving.

“So there are hollow spaces behind some of the stone walls…”

“The first one…”

As Meng Qi watched Yan Wujian’s face twist in extreme agony while collapsing to the ground, a chill ran through his entire body.