Fu Xiaoxiao left with great flair, even humming an unknown little tune in a good mood before she departed. She was very satisfied with Gu Chengming's performance. For this Hehuan Sect elder, tonight's visit from a 'home-wrecking cat' had reached a successful conclusion.
Gu Chengming stood at the courtyard gate, watching her figure fade into the distance until the faint scent of powder was completely scattered by the night wind. Only then did he turn back and close the gate.
However, just as he was preparing to head inside and clean up the aftermath—
Creak—
The gate he had just closed was suddenly pushed open a crack from the outside, very gently.
A familiar eye peered through the gap, sneakily scanning the courtyard.
After confirming that only Gu Chengming was present and that the aura of the strange cultivator had indeed vanished, the gate finally swung wide open.
Yu Wenqiu slipped in like a thief, tip-toeing through the entrance. She swiftly closed the door behind her and even added a sound-insulating spiritual restriction for good measure.
Only after completing these precautions did she lean against the door panel, looking at Gu Chengming. "Did that person just now... leave?"
Gu Chengming looked at his own elder, who was clearly the owner of this place but was acting like she was committing a home invasion. He couldn't help but feel a bit amused.
"She's gone. She left about fifteen minutes ago."
He pointed at the empty teacup on the stone table that he hadn't had time to clear away.
"I say, Elder Yu, this is our own home. Why are you being so restrained in your own house?"
Yu Wenqiu shot him a glare. "It's only because you kept bringing strangers back for no reason."
Gu Chengming thought to himself that he hadn't brought her back; she had found her own way to his door. Despite his thoughts, he didn't argue.
Yu Wenqiu sighed. "Tell me, how did you get acquainted with someone from the Hehuan Sect again?" Last time it was the manager of the Elegant Garden, Yun Wan, and this time it was an influential elder like Fu Xiaoxiao. Was Little Gu's social circle becoming a bit too unconventional?
Gu Chengming had no choice but to briefly explain how he had happened to learn the Yin Yang Creation Strategy.
"The Yin Yang Creation Strategy?!"
After listening to his explanation, Yu Wenqiu was quite surprised. She had originally thought Gu Chengming had just learned some minor techniques from the Hehuan Sect for maintaining his appearance, regulating his breathing, or charming souls. She never expected that Little Gu had actually learned one of their core manuals!
She almost instinctively took half a step back, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive posture. Her eyes were full of suspicion. "Wait, what do you plan to do with that technique? Use it for dual cultivation... or theft?"
Seeing Elder Yu looking as if she were facing a great enemy, Gu Chengming said helplessly, "Don't worry, Elder Yu, I won't use this Hehuan Sect technique on you."
【Yin Yang Creation Strategy: ?】
【Yin Yang Creation Strategy: No, no, no! That's not right!】
—'Shut up, I have my own rhythm.'
Gu Chengming couldn't help but complain in his heart as he looked at the Yin Yang Creation Strategy questioning his statement.
Hearing this guarantee, the vigilance on Yu Wenqiu's face faded, but it was replaced by a more subtle and strangely annoyed emotion.
She lowered her arms, suddenly feeling a bit stifled in her chest.
What did he mean by 'Don't worry, I won't use it on you'? Why did that sound so awkward?
Did he mean that using the technique on her was a losing deal or something to be resisted? Or did Little Gu think she wasn't charming enough?
Even though she knew this line of thought was dangerous and unfitting for an elder, Yu Wenqiu couldn't help but turn her head away, pretending to look at the osmanthus tree. She muttered, "I didn't say you couldn't use it."
As the words fell, a deathly silence descended upon the small courtyard.
The night wind blew past, swirling a few fallen leaves with a rustling sound.
Gu Chengming: "?"
He looked at Yu Wenqiu's profile, a giant question mark slowly appearing over his head.
—'What does that mean? Does it mean what I think it means?'
【Yin Yang Creation Strategy: ?!】
【Yin Yang Creation Strategy: Oh, yes, yes, yes!】
【So it was a retreat to advance! Big Brother Gu is amazing!】
Meanwhile, the moment Yu Wenqiu said those words, she regretted them.
What did she mean by 'didn't say you couldn't use it'? Didn't that sound like a blatant hint of 'please use it on me'?
Her face instantly turned bright red, the heat reaching her ears. Her eyes darted around frantically, searching for a way to fix this! Immediately! Now!
"Uh, that..."
Yu Wenqiu suddenly turned back, her gaze wandering and her speech rapid as she explained:
"What I meant was that even if you wanted to use it, you couldn't use it on me! Yes! That's what I meant!"
"After all... after all, I'm a third realm sword cultivator. My dao heart is firm. With your meager cultivation, even if you used it, it would be useless! That's why I said whatever, since it won't have any effect anyway!"
After saying this, she stole a glance at Gu Chengming, only to find he still had a very subtle expression.
It's over, the more I explain, the worse it gets.
Yu Wenqiu wailed in her heart, sweat starting to bead on her forehead. She quickly spoke again, trying to salvage her crumbling image:
"No, no, no, what I meant was! Even if you really had some disrespectful thoughts toward your elder, I could easily suppress you. So, I doubt you'd have the guts anyway!"
After finishing this sentence, Yu Wenqiu felt she had finally made the logic work. She grabbed the teapot from the table, not caring if it was cold, poured herself a cup, and gulped it down to hide her fluster.
Then, as if to completely change the awkward subject, her gaze fell on the two Dongdong Bells hanging from Gu Chengming's waist.
"Cough... you put the bells on?"
"Yes, I did," Gu Chengming nodded.
"Good."
She stood up, picking up the orange cat at her feet that was already sleeping with its eyes rolled back. Her voice came out a bit muffled:
"Next time that Elder Fu comes looking for you, remember to let me know in advance."
"I should prepare some good tea to entertain the guest, lest people say our Wenjian Sect doesn't know etiquette."
Without waiting for Gu Chengming's reply, she fled into her room, closing the door with a loud thud.
The small courtyard returned to silence, with only the tightly shut door carrying a lingering sense of panic.
Gu Chengming looked at the door and shook his head with a laugh.
The noise of the night eventually faded with the first light of dawn.
Gu Chengming didn't forget his priorities. Every upgrade to his sword array resonance provided a significant boost to his strength. Now that he had high-quality materials, he naturally wanted to convert them into combat power as soon as possible.
Thus, early the next morning, he carried the Jiao core and headed straight for the Night Guard Division's smithy.
He had fully expected to trade his achievement of slaying the Jiao for a fine sword, but he was met with a bucket of cold water.
Night Guard Division, Smithy.
Gu Chengming stood before several experienced old master smiths, holding the third realm Jiao core in his hand. Usually, these smiths would scramble for high-level materials, but now they all acted as if they had seen a ghost, their heads shaking like rattles.
"It's not that I don't know what's good for me," a white-haired old smith said with a bitter face, waving his hands repeatedly and even instinctively taking two steps back.
"This thing is simply too hot to handle."
"This is the inner core of Lord Fubai's offspring. You have the Director protecting you and your sect backing you, so you could kill it and that's that. But we are just a bunch of craftsmen eating imperial grain and collecting a salary. If we help you forge a sword, and the East Sea comes to settle the score one day, that old dragon might not dare move against you, but would he hesitate to move against us blacksmiths?"
The other smiths chimed in agreement. Gu Chengming looked at the smiths with whom he usually had some rapport; seeing them avoid him like the plague, he felt helpless but understood their predicament.
After all, there was no need for these smiths to risk their lives just for a bit of extra pay.
He asked at several other places, but the answers were largely the same.
Gu Chengming put away the Jiao core with some dejection. Just as he stepped out of the smithy's entrance, the patrol token at his waist vibrated.
Vice Commander Liu sent a message saying the Director wanted to see him.
Inside the Director's office, incense smoke curled from the Boshan censer.
As soon as Gu Chengming entered, he felt a gaze fall upon him.
Zhou Qingmu was still in her official robes, but today she wasn't buried in paperwork. Instead, she stood by the window with her hands behind her back.
"You're here?"
Hearing his footsteps, she turned around. Her usually cold and stern face actually carried a rare hint of a smile.
Zhou Qingmu pointed to the chair opposite her, gesturing for Gu Chengming to sit, her tone full of praise.
"That strike at the East Sea was well executed."
"The Night Guard Division has been quiet for too long. We need young people like you to set the rules for those who have forgotten what pain feels like. Auspicious beast or not, before the laws of the Great Qian, if you eat a person, you pay with your life."
Gu Chengming cupped his hands. "I was simply acting according to the law. It's all thanks to your guidance, Director."
"Enough of that."
Zhou Qingmu waved it off, her gaze suddenly becoming eager as she leaned forward slightly and stared at Gu Chengming. "You went to the Heart Sutra Hall at the Imperial Academy, right? I assume you've read the notes and insights I left there."
"What did you think of my ideas? How was the writing?"
Gu Chengming felt a subtle shift in his heart, the memory of those strange books surfacing in his mind. On the surface, however, he remained impassive as he cupped his hands.
"The Director's concepts are bold and direct, hitting the heart. They are indeed quite ahead of their time. After studying them, I felt enlightened, and I've gained new insights into the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art that I cultivate."
He wasn't lying about that part.
Zhou Qingmu nodded with satisfaction upon hearing this.
Indeed, someone finally understands me!
However, before she could finish being happy, Gu Chengming shifted the topic.
"However, while studying your chapters on 'legal practice,' I came up with some new lines of thought."
"Oh?" Zhou Qingmu's eyes lit up, her interest piqued. "Let's hear them."
"In your books, you often say that when encountering injustice, one should use force to convince others, making them learn etiquette through fists and kicks. Though this method is satisfying, I believe it has a slight flaw."
"So-called reasoning doesn't necessarily mean displaying force first and then talking. On the contrary, if you talk first and then display force, the effect might be even better."
Zhou Qingmu frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled.
Gu Chengming explained, "If you use force first and then reason, the other party might be beaten into submission, but in their heart, they'll feel it was a forced confession and won't be truly convinced."
"But if we treat them with 'courtesy' first and explain the reason, if they don't listen, then they are the ones being rude first."
"Since they are rude, we then display sufficient force. That isn't violence; it's education. This actually shares the same logic as the theory in your book about 'hitting a female cultivator with a copper kettle filled with hot water.'"
"The water is warm, symbolizing the warmth and goodwill of our initial reasoning; while the copper kettle is hard, representing the justice and strength of our subsequent force."
"We first attempt to move them with the warmth of the hot water. If they do not realize their error, we then use the hardness of the copper kettle to correct their behavior. Only this can be considered truly comprehensive etiquette."
A brief silence fell over the office.
Zhou Qingmu sat there, her brow furrowing and relaxing as her fingers lightly tapped on the desk.
After a long while, she sighed with emotion. "Courtesy before force, convincing people with virtue... Gu Chengming, you truly are a good candidate for cultivating the Zhou Rites!"
Seeing this, Gu Chengming took the opportunity to ask about the situation in the East Sea.
Turning to official business, Zhou Qingmu's smile faded.
"You don't need to worry about that. It's currently busy competing for a spot in the Dragon Transformation Pool, which is a major opportunity concerning whether it can truly become a dragon. So, in the short term, it shouldn't personally come to trouble you. Even if it really goes mad and dares to shamelessly run wild in the capital, I will stop it for you."
"However..."
Zhou Qingmu sighed, rubbing her brow with some annoyance.
"Open attacks are easy to dodge, but hidden arrows are hard to defend against. Though that old Jiao cannot come, those useless cowards at the Honglu Temple who only know how to fight amongst themselves are quite bothersome."
"These people are best at tripping you up within the rules. Our Night Guard Division is, after all, a martial office; there are few places where we can help you with that. You'll need to be more careful in your future dealings."
Gu Chengming understood and cupped his hands. "I understand."
"Right."
Gu Chengming remembered his still-unsettled Dharma Sword and spoke up.
"I have one more request. From this Jiao-slaying, I obtained a Jiao core. I wanted to refine it into a Dharma Sword to complete my sword array. But this Jiao core is too famous. The masters in the division's smithy... all seem to have reservations and are unwilling to take the job."
"Refining?"
This actually stumped Zhou Qingmu.
This Director, who proved her dao through sheer force, was an expert at fighting but knew absolutely nothing about delicate work like refining.
"That is a bit of a problem."
Zhou Qingmu frowned. "The staff at our division's smithy are mostly seconded from the Ministry of Works; they aren't our direct subordinates. Their fear of offending the East Sea is only human nature; I can't exactly force them to do it."
She thought for a moment, her finger unconsciously drawing circles on the desk.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, her eyes lit up.
"Oh, right. I know a refiner with a decent reputation. I'll introduce you when the time comes."
When she said the words 'decent reputation,' Zhou Qingmu's expression seemed to flicker with a subtle nuance for a moment, but it was quickly masked.
"Thank you for the guidance, Director!"
With Zhou Qingmu's promise, Gu Chengming felt much more at ease.
Though that refiner hadn't appeared yet, since the Director recommended them, they surely had some skill.
He didn't stay idle while waiting. Every day, besides cultivating, he ran to the Imperial Academy to seek further training in the Red Dust Technique from Fu Xiaoxiao.
His days were quite fulfilling.
In the quiet garden behind a side hall of the Imperial Academy, the setting sun cast flecks of gold through the mottled leaves. Fu Xiaoxiao casually dispersed the strand of Red Dust Qi tangled at her fingertips and stretched lazily without any concern for her image. Her wide elder's red robe slipped with her movement, revealing half of her porcelain wrist.
Her mood was clearly excellent today. Looking at the increasingly reserved and deep aura of Gu Chengming before her, the smug smile at the corner of her mouth couldn't be suppressed.
"Alright, that's enough for today's lesson."
Fu Xiaoxiao walked around Gu Chengming twice with her hands behind her back, critiquing him with an air of importance.
"Although you're still a tiny bit short of the heat I had back in the day, for a second realm cultivator, your Red Dust Technique is barely adequate."
Gu Chengming restrained his aura and smiled. "It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Senior Sister."
Fu Xiaoxiao nodded with satisfaction, then waved her sleeve. "Alright, alright, hurry up and go."
Gu Chengming bowed once more and turned to leave.
"Hey, wait!"
Fu Xiaoxiao's shout came from behind him.
Gu Chengming turned back to see this elder, who looked only sixteen or seventeen, puffing out her cheeks. She awkwardly took an exquisite box of pastries from her sleeve and tossed it over.
"That... that girl Li Suizhuang just sent this. It's too sweet; I don't like it. Take it back and feed it to your cat so it doesn't go to waste."
Gu Chengming caught the pastry box. It felt a bit heavy, and it bore the seal of 'Suxiangzhai,' the most expensive shop in the capital.
She didn't like sweet things? Last time in the courtyard, she had drunk every last drop of that honey-sweetened tea.
Gu Chengming saw through her but didn't say it. His eyes were full of smiles. "Thank you for the reward, Senior Sister. My cat will surely love it."
"Hmph, get lost!"
Embarrassed and angry from his gaze, Fu Xiaoxiao turned away and ignored him, but her ears seemed even redder than usual under the glow of the setting sun.
Gu Chengming laughed, carrying the box as he walked out of the Imperial Academy in the twilight.
The vermilion gates of the academy slowly closed, separating the scholarly air within from that fuming Hehuan Sect senior sister.
Having finished his Red Dust Technique lesson, Gu Chengming was in quite a good mood.
As the sun dipped low in the west, the bustle of the streets began to fade.
Gu Chengming was planning what food to bring back for Elder Yu when he was forced to stop at a quiet corner.
The path ahead was blocked by someone.
It was a woman who looked to be in her thirties, wearing a loose, lotus-colored dress. Her hair wasn't meticulously styled like the noble ladies of the capital; instead, it was casually gathered in a falling horse bun, held by a pin that looked like wood but wasn't.
She was leaning against the wall, exuding an indescribable laziness.
But when she lifted her eyelids to look over, Gu Chengming's heart skipped a beat.
"You must be Gu Chengming?"
The woman's voice was quiet, carrying a casual certainty.
Gu Chengming didn't immediately answer. His hand hung unobtrusively at his side, just an inch from his sword hilt, as he asked back:
"And you are...?"
The woman didn't take offense. She just chuckled and casually waved her hand.
Hum—
In that instant, Gu Chengming felt the surrounding air become heavy.
The dry leaves falling at the mouth of the alley hung suspended in mid-air. The footsteps of distant pedestrians became sluggish and remote, and even the light of the setting sun seemed to be stretched thin.
This wasn't a simple spiritual pressure, but a more profound method, something akin to a 'domain.'
She was likely at least in the fourth realm.
Gu Chengming's heart tightened. Such a method was not something a third realm cultivator could achieve.
Then, the woman spoke calmly, identifying herself: "Qin Qing of the Long-Life Sect."
The Long-Life Sect?
The moment those three words entered his ears, the string in Gu Chengming's mind snapped tight.
First, there was the Longevity Sect setting up arrays to refine people on the Drunk Dream Boat, and now a 'Long-Life Sect' had popped up?
These two names were so similar. Coupled with this woman setting up a restriction and locking down the surroundings the moment they met—a method both strange and overbearing—she looked like trouble no matter how he saw it. She was likely a remnant of that evil cult or an expert seeking revenge!
Without any hesitation, before she even finished her sentence, Gu Chengming's fingers hidden in his sleeve crushed the patrol token he had been holding in his palm.
Opposite him, Qin Qing looked at Gu Chengming's defensive posture and the subtle spiritual fluctuation in his sleeve. The sophisticated speech she had prepared suddenly got stuck in her throat.
She raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You..."
Before she could finish her sentence—
BOOM—!!!
A loud explosion suddenly erupted.
The sluggish restriction she had just set up, before it could even fully stabilize, was like a thin sheet of paper, brutally shattered from the outside by a violent and overbearing force.
A wild wind carrying gravel shot inward as a burly figure wrapped in a chilling blade light descended like an enraged black bear, crashing down heavily between the two of them.
"What kind of demon is this?! How dare you attack a Night Guard in the heart of the capital?!"
Vice Commander Liu held his long saber, his body radiating a murderous aura. His roar made the roof tiles of the entire alley rattle.
"Little Gu, don't panic! I'm here to save you—"
However, his grand entrance line was cut short, ending abruptly like a duck being strangled.
The dust cleared.
Vice Commander Liu maintained his posture, ready to strike, his eyes bulging as he stared at the lazy woman who was still leaning against the wall, looking at him with a faint smile.
The murderous aura he had just radiated vanished the moment he recognized her face, replaced by cold sweat that trickled down from his temples.
His Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty. His hand holding the saber began to tremble uncontrollably, and his voice shifted from a thunderous roar to a cautious, tiny whisper.
"Senior... Senior Qin?"
Gu Chengming's hand on his sword hilt froze. He looked at the speechless Qin Qing, then at his own vice commander who had turned from an angry deity into a shivering quail in a second. He almost couldn't keep a straight face.
—'Senior?'
Night Guard Division, Vice Commander's Office.
Vice Commander Liu sat very properly on the edge of a chair, his hands placed neatly on his knees. He didn't even dare to breathe too loudly, having completely lost his usual imposing aura as a commander.
Meanwhile, Qin Qing, sitting in the main seat, was holding a teacup with a look of irritation, her resentful gaze sweeping back and forth between Gu Chengming and Vice Commander Liu.
She was truly annoyed.
As an old friend of Zhou Qingmu and a great cultivator at the peak of the fourth realm, she had intended to show off her superior demeanor before this junior who had been praised to the heavens by Zhou Qingmu.
To that end, she had specially designed that entrance. Who would have thought this handsome-looking kid would have so many schemes?
They hadn't even spoken two sentences before he called for backup?
Her 'superior entrance,' which she had spent so long thinking about, was cut short by that blockhead Liu Batian before she could even strike the pose. She was almost hacked down as an evil cultist. If word got out, what would happen to her reputation?
"Liu Batian."
Qin Qing put down her teacup, letting out a laugh that didn't reach her eyes.
"It's been so long, yet your saber technique hasn't improved much, though your courage has certainly grown. You even dare to slash through my restriction now?"
Vice Commander Liu shuddered and offered a compensatory smile. "Senior Qin, please calm your anger... I was just anxious to save him. Besides, you didn't give any prior notice..."
He felt wronged too. He thought to himself: Why would a grand figure like you go out of your way to block a second realm disciple and open a restriction immediately? Who wouldn't be confused?
Gu Chengming sat to the side, also looking helpless.
Truly, he couldn't be blamed for this.
"Senior Qin, I must also apologize for being overly cautious."
Gu Chengming bowed and sighed. "It's just that the name 'Long-Life Sect'... is only one character away from that wicked Longevity Sect. Coupled with your restriction, I thought an evil cultist had come for revenge."
"..."
Qin Qing's mouth twitched. She wanted to argue, but found that she really didn't have much of a leg to stand on.
The misunderstanding was finally cleared up through Vice Commander Liu's interruptions and a detailed introduction.
This Senior Qin Qing had quite a background.
She was once an influential inner sect elder of the Hunyuan Sect, her external martial arts having reached a state of perfection. Later, for unknown reasons, she had a disagreement with the sect's philosophy and coolly left to establish her own sect, the 'Long-Life Sect.'
At the same time, she was a renowned grandmaster refiner in Great Qian. The long saber and Dharma artifacts Zhou Qingmu carried were mostly maintained and repaired by this Senior Qin.
As for the so-called Long-Life Sect, it was named after a technique she had realized called the Long-Life Art; it had nothing to do with the evil Longevity Sect.
Gu Chengming thought that since she could leave a major sect like the Hunyuan Sect and start her own, the Long-Life Sect must be very formidable.
Why had he never heard of it before?
As if seeing through Gu Chengming's thoughts, Vice Commander Liu whispered from the side, "The Long-Life Sect... is actually just Senior Qin by herself."
Qin Qing slapped the table in dissatisfaction. "Hey, I'm sitting right here!"
After some conversation, the atmosphere eased considerably.
But Gu Chengming felt a bit awkward.
A Peak Fourth Realm refining master who could forge fifth-tier Dharma artifacts was going to forge a third-tier one for him?
—'Director Zhou, the person you found is way too high-level. Can I really afford the refining fee?'
"Alright, enough idle chatter. Since Zhou Qingmu has spoken, I will naturally help."
Saying this, she paused, her gaze sweeping over Gu Chengming's subtle expression. She waved her hand grandly.
"And don't worry about money. Since I've taken this job, I won't take your spirit stones."
No money?
Gu Chengming didn't just fail to feel relieved; he became even more alert. Free things were often the most expensive.
Sure enough, Qin Qing immediately held up one finger.
"However, you must learn one move of body techniques from me. Only when you have mastered it and gained my approval will I open the forge for your sword. After all, I don't want the artifacts I refine to fall into the hands of someone with a wicked heart."
Gu Chengming was stunned by this requirement.
"You don't want the artifacts to fall into the hands of someone with a wicked heart? Shouldn't you be testing my character then?"
"Character?" Qin Qing rolled her eyes. "You cultivate the Zhou Rites; why would I bother testing your character?"
"I'm testing your talent and strength to ensure you aren't killed later, causing my artifact to fall into the hands of the Jiao clan."
Gu Chengming was silent for a moment after hearing this, then he realized the logic.
It made sense. And on second thought, the personal guidance of a Peak Fourth Realm body cultivator from the Hunyuan Sect was a treatment money couldn't buy.
He had been worrying that although Hundred Bones Resonating gave him a powerful physique and essence blood, he lacked corresponding combat moves to utilize it. This was like being offered a pillow just as he was getting sleepy.
"I understand, Senior."
The misunderstanding was cleared, and the terms were settled.
Though Qin Qing had a somewhat unrestrained personality, she was a person of action.
Seeing Gu Chengming agree so readily, she didn't delay and immediately led him to the training ground on the back mountain.
Night Guard Division Back Mountain, Training Ground.
The autumn wind was cold, swirling a few fallen leaves.
Qin Qing didn't use a shred of spiritual energy. She just stood casually in the center of the field, her loose lotus-colored dress swaying in the wind.
She didn't rush to teach him moves but instead posed a question.
"Gu Chengming, since you are a sword cultivator, do you know what is form and what is intent?"
Gu Chengming thought for a moment and replied, "Form is the move, and intent is the spirit."
"Well said. That is the path of you sword cultivators."
Qin Qing nodded, then shook her head. "But body cultivation is different. Or rather, at the level of my Myriad Phenomena Transformation Fist, form and intent are no longer a relationship of dependency, but one of borrowing."
"Borrowing?" Gu Chengming was slightly taken aback.
"Indeed."
Qin Qing slowly raised her right hand. Her five fingers were white and slender, looking weak and boneless.
"Most body techniques in the world mimic the forms of beasts, mountains, or rivers to temper the physical body and polish internal strength. Tiger Style trains the bones, Crane Style trains the essence; this is using form to guide qi. But this kind of training has a limit locked by the form. No matter how fierce a tiger is, it is only the king of beasts; no matter how high a mountain is, it will eventually crumble."
"My Myriad Phenomena Transformation Fist, however, does the opposite."
Before she finished speaking, Qin Qing's aura suddenly changed.
She didn't take any stance; she just simply threw out a punch.
This punch was extremely slow, so slow that Gu Chengming could clearly see every ripple of her arm muscles and the arc of her sleeve billowing in the wind.
But in Gu Chengming's spiritual sense, what was striking out wasn't a fist at all, but a towering, snowy mountain that was collapsing and overturning!
The suffocating sense of pressure instantly filled his vision.
BOOM—
The fist wind stopped just an inch from Gu Chengming's nose. The resulting gust scattered his hair and made his clothes snap.
Qin Qing retracted her fist and stood still. That terrifying imagery vanished instantly as if it had never existed.
"Did you see it?"
Qin Qing said calmly, "My punch has no fixed moves. If I want it to be a mountain, it is a landslide; if I want it to be water, it is a tsunami. The so-called form follows intent, and qi is born from form. All things return to origin."
"This fist technique has no fixed form. Whatever you can put into it is what it will strike out."
At this point, Qin Qing looked at Gu Chengming and smiled.
"Of course, I am still perfecting this fist technique. Although I've drawn the frame, the flesh and blood still need to be filled in."
She put her hands behind her back and walked around Gu Chengming twice, her tone holding a bit of candor.
"I'm not charging you money because of Zhou Qingmu, but also because I want to see what kind of things a genius like you—whom she praises so much—can put into that empty shell."
"Every person who cultivates the Myriad Phenomena Transformation Fist ends up with something different. The more people I see, the stronger the inclusiveness of this technique will be. I can also learn from those different perspectives to perfect my Long-Life Art."
As Gu Chengming listened, his expression became somewhat subtle.
—'So, this is an open-source technique? Crowdfunded enlightenment?'
"What? Think you're getting a bad deal?"
Qin Qing seemed to see through his thoughts and let out a light snort. "This is my most precious skill. If I didn't find you agreeable, I wouldn't teach it even if someone begged me. Only that person Zhou Qingmu spends all day slashing people with her saber and doesn't care to learn my delicate work; otherwise, I would have used her for... exchange long ago."
After hearing this, Gu Chengming felt much more secure.
This kind of mutually beneficial relationship made him more at ease than simple charity.
Since it was a 'crowdfunded' body technique, he just had to contribute his own creativity to repay the favor.
For the next four hours, Qin Qing began to teach Gu Chengming the qi-guiding methods of this fist technique step by step.
Just as Qin Qing had said, the beginning of the Myriad Phenomena Transformation Fist was completely different from ordinary body techniques. It was both difficult and easy.
The difficulty lay in breaking through fixed thinking patterns, completely dispersing the true essence and essence blood in the body, no longer being restricted by meridian routes, and instead changing instantaneously with a thought. The ease lay in the fact that it had no fixed moves; as long as one mastered the core principle of 'transformation,' every movement was the fist technique.
Gu Chengming's comprehension was extremely high, and with Hundred Bones Resonating as a foundation, his control over his physical body far exceeded ordinary people.
By the time the sun set, he could already barely throw a straight punch carrying a hint of intent.
"Not bad."
Qin Qing nodded with satisfaction and threw a jade slip containing her insights to Gu Chengming.
"The beginning is considered complete. How far you can go from here depends on what 'imagery' you can realize. Remember, don't be greedy; specialize in one first. Choose the thing that suits you best and resonates most with your spirit, and brand it into the fist technique."
"When you can strike with that imagery naturally, come find me again. At that time, I will open the forge for your sword."
With that, the lazy leader of the Long-Life Sect waved her hand and vanished into the dusk, leaving Gu Chengming alone in the training ground, holding the jade slip in deep thought.
Returning to his courtyard in the Jishan Neighborhood, the night was deep.
Gu Chengming sat cross-legged under the osmanthus tree, his mind constantly replaying the fist formulas Qin Qing had taught him.
"Myriad phenomena transform, intent before form..."
He understood the theory, but when it came to practice, he was stumped.
What imagery should he visualize?
Gu Chengming pondered for half an hour, trying several different images, but he always felt they were lacking something and couldn't perfectly mesh with his own spiritual energy.
Just as he was at a loss—
【Hundred Bones Resonating stares at the content of the Myriad Phenomena Transformation Fist, deep in thought.】
【It thinks: In this world of myriad phenomena—be it mountains, rivers, plants, or divine beasts—what can compare to one's own great power?】
【Since it must mimic, it naturally must mimic the strongest existence!】
【Hundred Bones Resonating enters a state of enlightenment.】
"What the...?"
Gu Chengming couldn't help but be stunned.
Emperor Bai? Could it be...?
A flash of light appeared in his sea of consciousness, and a new prompt arrived as expected.
【Enlightenment successful!】
【CG: Emperor Bai, Help Me!】
The image of the CG slowly unfolded. Although the silver-haired figure's face couldn't be seen, that aura of supreme dominance that suppressed the ages... who else could it be but Emperor Bai?
【Hundred Bones Resonating CG: Emperor Bai, Help Me! (Obtained by Hundred Bones Resonating through the Myriad Phenomena Transformation Fist. It can mimic the Overlord imagery of the Primal Boundless Sovereign of Myriad Daos, Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, Supreme of the Universe Emperor Art, striking out a supreme punch by exhausting all physical strength.)】
【Note: Emperor Gu, I shall assist you!】
Holy crap, Emperor Bai! You are freaking amazing!
Rate on N.U.
