Chapter 73: Teenage Heavenly Pride?
The law is not for public dissemination, and skills are not to be passed on lightly.
According to Chen Shun’an’s understanding, all martial arts in the world are derived from cultivation methods such as Daoism, Alchemy Dao, Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism.
Even the most rudimentary martial arts manuals may contain hidden metaphors for cultivation, such as refining the false into the true, drawing and adding the primeval, and planting in the Yellow Court.
Especially when reaching the first-rate realm, one must combine it with various True Cultivation Manuals, ponder and comprehend a wisp of that profound artistic conception, and use it to temper the ‘divine intent’ to slay the Six Thieves!
The Six Thieves are the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. For ordinary people, they breed desires and lead to indulgence in wealth, alcohol, lust, and vice;
For martial artists, they are the culprits that cause turbid qi and blood, foul internal organs, and dusty thoughts!
Therefore, slaying the Six Thieves is the primary cultivation for first-rate martial artists!
Flint struck, and incense was lit.
Chen Shun’an, with a respectful expression, placed the incense stick before the stone tablet.
The incense smoke curled upwards, and the stone tablet seemed to come alive, shaking off its moss.
A wisp of incense smoke drifted over and, upon touching the stone tablet, vanished abruptly, as if absorbed by it.
Instantly, the once chaotic and mixed patterns on the stone tablet gradually became clear, flowing and combining to form a peculiar image.
Infinite flames burned fiercely, filling Heaven and Earth.
A figure in a cyan robe, amidst the flames, moved and dodged. The flames did not cling, nor did the oppressive aura bother him. He exuded an air of being in a fiery furnace yet completely at ease.
Myriad Blazing True Cultivation Manual!
Chen Shun’an’s heart surged with excitement, his eyes widening.
“Chen Shun’an, the son-in-law of the Zhang family, respectfully requests the Flying Immortal True Cultivation, to stabilize the spirit and calm the mind. Incense is burned and head is bowed!”
Chen Shun’an bowed only once!
Crack!
Whether it was Chen Shun’an’s illusion or not,
The stone tablet vibrated with a hum, the mud softened, and it sank slightly, becoming shorter than Chen Shun’an, who was bowing.
In the Myriad Blazing True Cultivation Manual, the cyan-robed figure plunged into the infinite flames and immediately became still, as if dead.
Finally, even those flames extinguished, the pattern dispersed, forming a character that was neither grass, seal, nor clerical script, entirely different from any human writing, yet seemingly containing the essence of Heaven and Earth—
Body
Pushing aside the surface layer, it represented a kind of ‘essence.’
The moment Chen Shun’an saw this character, he felt as if he were in the midst of a myriad of blazing fires; the rolling waves of heat and the flames licking his feet were incredibly clear.
Chen Shun’an’s intent was tempered, becoming much lighter and more agile, as if an iron bloom being forged in fierce fire, suddenly refined and purified.
Even his movement technique saw rapid progress!
The character ‘Body’ was clearly and directly branded into Chen Shun’an’s mind; he couldn’t forget it even if he wanted to.
“What’s going on? Why is it so easily bowed to?”
Chen Shun’an now only needed to recall slightly to re-enter that state of myriad blazing fires.
He looked at the inscription before him, which had returned to its initial chaotic, scribbled state, with a look of surprise.
Moreover, according to Xu Hong, observing a single True Cultivation Manual would take at least the time of one incense stick.
But now, the incense stick had only burned a distance the size of a fingernail.
“Or is it because of my Water Origin Great Emperor status that this stone tablet dared not let me bow?!”
Noticing the stone tablet’s slight sinking, Chen Shun’an seemed to have an epiphany.
Chen Shun’an then took out another incense stick, only to find that this time, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t light it.
He rubbed the steel of the flint so hard it almost melted, but the incense stick remained motionless, as if some unseen presence was blowing on it frantically, as if terrified it would ignite.
Helpless, Chen Shun’an could only remove the incense stick from before the Myriad Blazing True Cultivation Manual and walk to the ‘Acupoint Golden Light True Cultivation Manual’ before it.
He placed the incense, and the smoke rose.
A beam of golden light shot forth from the bottom of the stone tablet, as if intending to split it open, but upon closer inspection, it was merely a picture.
Chen Shun’an bowed again!
Crack!
The stone tablet seemed as if it were truly about to crack.
An ‘Eye’ character was branded into Chen Shun’an’s mind.
In a daze, Chen Shun’an saw a pair of golden lights before his eyes, shooting towards him with extreme speed, as if to pierce his eyes.
His eyes stung, and tears flowed uncontrollably.
But by merely enduring this blinding golden light, Chen Shun’an’s divine intent condensed at a visible rate.
Even his eyes showed subtle changes, his vision enhanced!
Great Medicine Dragon Tiger True Cultivation Manual…
Acquired One Qi True Cultivation Manual…
Treasure Reservoir Embracing Fluid True Cultivation Manual…
Monkey Mind Horse Will True Cultivation Manual…
In the time it took for less than half an incense stick, Chen Shun’an had memorized all six True Cultivation Manuals.
At this moment, the six characters ‘Eye,’ ‘Ear,’ ‘Nose,’ ‘Tongue,’ ‘Body,’ and ‘Mind’ floated in his mind, forming a rotating diagram.
Sometimes they rotated from left to right, sometimes from right to left.
Each rotation brought forth golden light, blazing fire, dragon and tiger, and monkey mind and horse will.
Causing Chen Shun’an to fall into various visualization scenes!
Although it became increasingly agonizing, the speed at which his intent was tempered and honed was more than ten times that of observing a single True Cultivation Manual!
“I seem to have stumbled upon something incredible…”
After a brief moment of joy,
Chen Shun’an felt a throbbing pain in his forehead and exhaustion in his mind, with a strong sense of being overdrawn.
The three treasures of the human body—essence, qi, and spirit—are not baseless; to temper and strengthen them, one naturally needs various external resources.
The Spirit Nurturing Great Medicine is one such resource.
And the Five-wheel Water from the water station nourishes the five internal organs. When the five organs are strong, the spirit is strong, and it can be considered a Spirit Nurturing Great Medicine.
“I should leave, lest I be discovered and cause trouble for the old lady.”
Chen Shun’an turned and walked out of the academy, avoiding others, and returned to the Quiet Garden.
…
Not long after Chen Shun’an left,
Deep within the Stone Forest, the Flying Immortal Tablet lying on the ground flowed with a green light, emitting a faint radiance, as if recording or inscribing something.
It was drawing from the air all the various strengths, qi, and the ‘divine intent’ of Chen Shun’an’s Six Sceneries Rotation…
Then, at the very bottom of the Flying Immortal Tablet, after forty-two forceful fingers, a forty-third one slowly appeared.
Even Chen Shun’an’s fading vitality, or rather, the lifespan scale brought about by the rotation of years, was intercepted by the Flying Immortal Tablet.
This made his forceful finger not only new in outline and color but also imbued with a sense of vicissitude, carrying Chen Shun’an’s aura.
Suddenly, a strong wind blew through the forest, and withered leaves fell onto this Flying Immortal Tablet.
A blurry voice suddenly rang out.
“His fate is as heavy as a galaxy; I couldn’t withstand a single bow from him! Could he be a reincarnation of a great cultivator, or an old devil possessing a body? It seems he hasn’t broken through the fetal enlightenment…”
“Oh no, am I going to be held accountable by him if I’m secretly inscribing his strength and aura here? But if I stop inscribing, it violates the rules…”
The owner of the voice became somewhat anxious.
The next moment, the voice’s owner seemed to have an idea and exclaimed with joy,
“It wasn’t specified that it had to be a real inscription, right? I’ll think, I’ll guess, I’ll estimate… this should be fine!”
The green light of the Flying Immortal Tablet suddenly brightened intensely for a moment.
And that forceful finger belonging to Chen Shun’an gradually faded its waning vitality, transforming instead with a young and tender life force, somewhat similar to Chen Shun’an but not quite, vague and ambiguous, appearing as a younger version of Chen Shun’an.
“Hehe, this is good…”
The owner of the voice was very satisfied, exuding a clear kind of foolishness.
At this time, young martial artists who had been training in various parts of the Stone Forest also began to arrive in small groups.
Seeing that no one was present and that Xu Juren was nowhere to be found, they each began to observe the True Cultivation Manuals.
By then, the green light of the Flying Immortal Tablet had long since dissipated, and the voice sounded like an illusion, as if it had never existed.
Only on the Flying Immortal Tablet, silently, had a forty-third forceful finger appeared.
…
Xu Hong had just left the Buddhist Hall and walked a few steps when he heard the sounds of gongs and drums. Estate servants ran shouting, gathering a group of horsemen.
“What? Master Zhang has ordered the younger generation to immediately go to the academy for sparring?!”
Upon hearing this news, Xu Hong was startled and hurried towards the academy.
But by the time he arrived, he found a large crowd already gathered at the academy.
A group of guards was already moving weapons and cleaning the training ground.
“This is bad!”
Xu Hong’s face tensed, and he turned to head towards the Quiet Garden again.
He had just reached the Quiet Garden when he saw Chen Shun’an and the doorkeeper walking out of the estate one after the other, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Farewell, brother Shun’an. We shall meet again.”
With outsiders present, Xu Hong couldn’t inquire in detail about Chen Shun’an’s gains from seeking cultivation. He could only clasp his fists and escort him to the back gate of Zhang Village.
At the same time, he returned the Woven Fish Basket Bottle to Chen Shun’an.
“This is…”
Looking at the lively Golden Scaled Perch in the bottle, Chen Shun’an’s eyes showed surprise.
Xu Hong glanced at the doorkeeper and did not hide anything, relaying the old lady’s words to Chen Shun’an and urging him to insist that he had found the Golden Scaled Perch by chance.
The doorkeeper’s eyes were focused on his nose, as if he heard nothing.
Chen Shun’an did not expect there to be so many hidden complexities behind the Golden Scaled Perch and felt even more grateful to the old lady in his heart.
“Alright then, brother Xu, you should go back. I, Chen, will take my leave!”
Chen Shun’an said no more, walked out of the village gate, untied the reins, and carefully placed the Woven Fish Basket Bottle into his saddlebag.
He then mounted his horse and, without stopping, rode through the rolling dust and onto the road, heading for Wuqing County.
Watching Chen Shun’an depart until his horse was no longer visible, Xu Hong then hurried back to the academy.
Inside the academy, both inside and outside the dwelling, there were distinct figures, yet it was enveloped in an eerie silence.
The atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.
Master Zhang sat on a ringed chair outside the training ground, his face ashen.
The old lady’s face was calm, but she sighed and turned her head away, not wanting to look further.
Old Man Zhang sat leisurely to the side.
Below the training ground, there was a scene of widespread suffering; young figures lay with various injuries, and mansion doctors were busy applying medicine and bandaging them.
The girl with a baby-faced roundness stood on the training ground, slowly retracting her fighting stance, completely relaxed, not even having activated her qi and blood.
Seeing this, Xu Hong’s face became solemn.
Had the sparring ended so quickly?
Among the injured and defeated young people were many of Xu Hong’s favored disciples, whom he had diligently taught and considered to be among the best of their peers.
Many had already reached the first-rate realm and even slain two thieves!
Yet, they were defeated so swiftly and decisively?
As the instructor, Xu Hong felt a burning shame.
“Third Master, I’m going to stroll through the Stone Forest and take a look at that Flying Immortal Tablet to admire the demeanor of our ancestors.”
The girl, lacking social graces, didn’t say a perfunctory word and, without looking at her defeated opponents, entered the Stone Forest behind the academy.
Old Man Zhang smiled and said nothing more.
The Zhang family’s Flying Immortal Tablet was a derivative of an Immortal Fate from their ancestral land, a lower-tier stone tablet.
It meticulously recorded the forceful fingers of all the Zhang ancestors who had comprehended the Six Sceneries Rotation True Cultivation Manual over the past few hundred years since the family’s rise.
Moreover, most of them had already reached the first-rate realm or higher before turning back to re-cultivate the True Cultivation Manual.
Each collateral branch that left the main family, like the Zhang family, would take a lower-tier stone tablet with them.
It served as both an encouragement and a hope, albeit a very slim and almost unrealistic one,
that another rising star who could comprehend the Six Sceneries Rotation True Cultivation Manual might emerge.
“Junior Brother Zhang, I apologize. This girl is Zhang Xiangling, the youngest daughter of the Zhang family head. She possesses a naturally ethereal bone, appearing almost ethereal and unworldly. If not for her lack of substance, she would have comprehended four True Cultivation Manuals and reached the first-rate realm several years ago!”
Considering the etiquette between hosts and guests, Old Zhang advised,
“Let alone your Zhang family, even in the Capital City, there are only a few of her peers who can firmly suppress her.”
The guests who had come to observe the martial arts suddenly understood and showed expressions of “it should be so.”
Master Zhang, upon hearing this, although still feeling aggrieved, was able to save face.
It was normal for the Zhang family to be inferior to such a young prodigy.
However…
Is the Zhang family truly heading towards its end?
“Third Master! Quick, come here!”
Suddenly, an astonished voice called out from behind the Stone Forest.
Old Zhang’s expression sharpened, he pushed off with his arms, and his figure moved like lightning, appearing in the Stone Forest.
“Third Master, I recall the Flying Immortal Tablet in our ancestral land only had forty-two forceful fingers, right?”
“That’s right… Hmm, the forty-third forceful finger?!”
Zhang Xiangling and Old Zhang stood before the Flying Immortal Tablet, their expressions varied, their emotions extremely complex.
Zhang Xiangling, in addition to her astonishment, simultaneously felt the rich vitality and youthful essence emanating from this forceful finger.
Could a peer have achieved this?
Zhang Xiangling was both surprised and delighted, her heart pounding like a drum, her eyes burning with intense fighting spirit.
Scenes flashed through her mind.
On the Grand Canal, under the moon, two young prodigies blocked the river with a chain, and a heaven-shaking battle ensued!
It was exactly like the duels between Great Heroes recorded in storybooks!
Who is it, who is this person?!
Zhang Xiangling was filled with emotion.
Old Zhang, beyond the shock, felt gratification and emotion.
Excellent, excellent, the Zhang family has successors!
Not only Zhang Xiangling, but also a young Heavenly Pride, who is not yet twenty years old.
A pair of prodigies in one family, their brilliance complementing each other, perhaps even marrying or becoming sworn siblings in the future…
This could continue the Zhang family’s century of glory!
Old Zhang could not wait to relay this news to the Zhang family.
Meanwhile, Master Zhang, the Old Lady, Xu Hong, and others rushed to the Stone Forest.
At this moment, seeing the fresh and vibrant Forceful Finger on the Flying Immortal Tablet, their expressions were shocked, showing disbelief.
This…
Especially Master Zhang, his eyes welled with tears of emotion, almost believing he was seeing an illusion; he was overcome with both sorrow and joy, laughing repeatedly,
“This aura, under twenty years old? Hahahaha, my Zhang Mansion also has a Heavenly Pride under twenty with the potential of a Martial Saint!”
And on the other side.
Zhang Xiangling and Old Zhang gradually noticed something was amiss.
The two frowned, took a step forward, and bent down to caress the forty-third Forceful Finger.
The other forty-two Forceful Fingers varied in depth and length.
Some were so faint they were barely visible, indicating that the Six Sceneries Rotation Diagram this person comprehended was extremely crude, and they couldn’t even rotate it freely left and right.
After all, although skills are one, people are diverse, and the Six Sceneries Diagrams they comprehend naturally vary.
But this new Forceful Finger, with its golden outline, auspicious clouds at the bottom, and surrounded by various cloud-thunder patterns, taotie patterns, and phoenix patterns…
It was as if a monument was being erected for a great True Skill, with extreme embellishments and flattery.
Zhang Xiangling asked in surprise, “Is the Flying Immortal Tablet broken?”
Old Zhang shook his head, “How could it be? The mother and child tablets share prosperity and decline. How could it be easily damaged? Could these anomalies be the principles comprehended by that young Heavenly Pride?”
Both felt something was not right, but they couldn’t pinpoint it.
Master Zhang’s purplish-red face shone with excitement from his high emotions, and he was already excitedly ordering people to search the Zhang Mansion to find that young Heavenly Pride.
Zhang Xiangling and Old Zhang stood up and exchanged glances.
The old man and the young woman were both somewhat bewildered at this moment.
Although the Forceful Finger was strange, it was real.
But…
Whose Forceful Finger is so exaggerated?
