The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

About half an hour ago, the night in Baiyangdong deepened, but the mountain wind carried some fine snowflakes, which slanted against the wooden planks of the thatched eaves of the cottage, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, monotonous and uninteresting.

In the secret chamber left by Zhao Qing deep in the mountain wall, under the faint red and blue light, Ding Ning gently pressed his hands on the two white crystal pillars on the left and right, and precisely controlled the semi-transparent crystal screen in the middle with the output of spiritual pressure. He stared at the mysterious characters displayed on it, his mind filled with many thoughts.

"The Great Void is formless, the essence of Qi, containing the nature of floating and sinking, rising and falling, movement and stillness interacting, and is the origin of the generation of mist, mutual influence, victory and defeat, and yielding and stretching."

"...On earth, the meridians run; in the heavens, the veins follow; they are intricately intertwined and all-encompassing, yet none are unfazed by them. All this is the movement of Qi. Its gatherings vary in distance and density, appearance and concealment; they are merely ever-changing forms..."

"Following the vital energy, one reveals the path; treading on the void, one treads on shadows to determine one's location; pressing down, one gains momentum; gathering spiritual energy, one's form rises to form clouds; cutting and transforming, one carries a long blade..."

This is a chapter in the "General Theory of the True Image of Heaven and Earth" that is similar in theme to the "Geography of Primordial Qi" that Zhao Qing described at Tianliang Ancestral Mountain, but emphasizes practical application. It can be called "Heavenly Vein Sword". Compared with the more conventional "Earthly Vein Sword", its artistic conception is many times more profound.

It abandons the direct means of connecting the inner and outer worlds, which mainly involves mobilizing the laws of primordial energy and drawing symbolic lines, and instead uses a kind of almost cold and precise deduction to achieve indirect empowerment.

By viewing the energy circulation channels as a disassembled and calculable massive system, driven by spiritual pressure gradients and guided by the free vortex of the celestial vein nodes, a completely new type of sword-fighting technique has been created, possessing a unique advantage in positional warfare and large-scale destruction.

Simply put, it means that you can generate a spiritual pressure vortex system that is beneficial to your side beforehand or during battle, and release the absorbed energy from time to time. This can create a direct energy channel to your allies and a small heavenly tribulation to your enemies to cause interference.

“If I were to use this method to break someone out of prison… targeting the Great Floating Water Prison… my True Essence cultivation is still three major realms short, and even if I were to take a shortcut, I would need at least a sixth-realm Nascent Soul to execute it. However,” Ding Ning thought to himself, “it would be fine to simply condense guiding runes so that Changsun Qianxue could use them to exert her power.”

One side constructs the techniques, the other provides the power; using the consciousness of the fourth realm to carry the true essence of the peak of the seventh realm—such a "wonderful idea" would be regarded as nonsense by anyone in the world.

However, the characteristics of the Nine-Death Silkworm can make it a reality, summoning heavenly tribulation from hundreds of miles away to destroy countless magic arrays.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the day the Heavenly Vein Sword is completed will be the day Lin Zhujiu is rescued and the Bashan brothers are reunited.

Having finally broken free from his immersion in the scriptures and no longer lost in his own thoughts, he smiled happily a few times, stopped his desire to continue reading, and removed his hands from the text in an instant.

The crystal screen gradually dimmed, and the incredibly complex Qi circulation diagrams and light trail demonstrations also disappeared.

When that person was young, he certainly wouldn't have interrupted his immersive cultivation because of any other trivial matters or mundane affairs.

Every superior sword manual is exceptionally brilliant, a magnificent spectacle beyond words. While witnessing a completely new world, one often forgets the passage of time.

But Ding Ning was different. Many important things happened today: the debate between Su Qin and Jian Ping, the first encounter with Jin Yuan Suo, Liang Lian's attack being repelled, and Zheng Bai Niao's death in the forest. These things cannot be explained in a few words.

Therefore, I must return to the wine shop in Wutong Lane on time, keep my promise, and share the wine with others in its entirety.

"Time is almost up. Although we've switched to faster horses, the added protective carriages still don't allow us to go very fast..."

He murmured to himself, "But even if I don't have time to memorize them all, just by relying on the known concept and framework of the 'Heavenly Vein,' I can master many of the techniques of a seventh-level grandmaster as soon as I reach the sixth realm of destiny."

The same basic Grandmaster abilities, when used by Ding Ning, are naturally enough to make most of the Seventh Realm cultivators pale in comparison.

Therefore, whether or not it can be used represents a new sign of a breakthrough in combat power, and can be regarded as an initial announcement of the return of the Bashan Sword Master.

This is a complete suppression in terms of talent, vision, and foundation.

However, when faced with this seemingly unremarkable skill manual left behind by Zhao Qing, Ding Ning felt an indescribable grandeur and transcendence the more he studied it.

The understanding of the primordial energy of heaven and earth felt as if one were standing on a cloud overlooking the mountains and rivers, with clear patterns and obvious laws.

Her way of thinking is completely different from any of the great masters described in classical texts. It has strong personal characteristics that are difficult to describe, yet its essence and origin are impossible to explain.

Like clouds painted out of thin air on the horizon, every color is something never seen before, yet they are in perfect harmony and naturalness.

Even the former Nether Emperor, who seemed equally unfathomable and created countless supreme inheritances, was still rooted in past cultivation developments and exuded more of the domineering power of ancient barbarism.

Overall, it should be the result of the combined strength of humanity and the alien beasts over countless years erupting in one fell swoop; there are traces of it in the shadows.

"why?"

Why did you come up with this change? How did you come up with it? How did the underlying thinking come about and take shape?

"If I were you, would I think the same way? Could I have done it more perfectly? And how would you have responded?"

For many years, that person relied on this simple yet effective method of repeatedly "conversing" with the creators of the imagined martial arts techniques to understand countless people, both ancient and modern, and to reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

But now, in front of these huge walls erected by Zhao Qing, the same methods often fail to work.

"Perhaps... she is not from this world?" A thought suddenly flashed through Ding Ning's mind, startling even himself.

But this idea has been around for a long time: did it originate from distant extraterrestrial life-bearing planets? Or perhaps from a lost branch of history?
Just as space can be divided into small worlds, or shrunk from thousands of miles to a mere foot, does time... also possess similar characteristics? Can it be cut, folded, and created?
Legend has it that great beings beyond the Nine Realms can not only shatter the void, but also shatter the past and the future? Could this be true?

"Deeper..." Ding Ning shook his head, unable to think of anything for the time being.

It is unknown when Zhao Qing will return after this mysterious disappearance, or whether he will ever return at all.
A strong sense of unease and urgency gripped his heart, making Ding Ning gasp for breath.

We cannot have any regrets! Absolutely not!
He closed his eyes, his mind racing through the revenge path he had meticulously planned for years.

Blood feuds run deep, enemies are as strong as the sky.

The original plan was to proceed cautiously, step by step, as if walking on thin ice.

It takes time, a long period of dormancy and accumulation; it takes luck, finding a glimmer of hope amidst countless variables; and it takes bearing an unpredictable and enormous price—it could be one's own life, or the safety of those who remain by one's side, or old friends.

More importantly, on this path, he is destined to be unable to hide; every step will be exposed to the cold scrutiny of Yuan Wu, who has already reached the eighth realm, and to all the forces around him. Danger lurks on all sides, and thorns lie everywhere!
Efficiency? Speed? Trying to balance too much is just wishful thinking.

In any case, it is impossible to accumulate strength and develop without any hidden dangers as we are now, in a relatively safe shadow.

Therefore... we must repay the debt.

In terms of cultivation, although that person eventually glimpsed the scenery of the Eighth Realm and his battle record was close to that of some known Eighth Realm cultivators in history, he ultimately did not have time to truly take that step and could not provide his "master" with any useful guidance or substantial help.

Knowing the sword, practicing the sword, comprehending the sword, creating the sword... Now, it seems that what he can do is no longer beyond his own past limits.

Past lives and present lives, fragments of memories surge forth.

Perhaps... only the "Nine Deaths Silkworm," which is suspected to be hidden in the jade talisman left behind by the Crown Prince of the You Dynasty, and the precious books from the You Dynasty's heyday, looted in the past and remaining in some ruins of the Sword Tomb—those catalogs recording magical artifacts and formations, along with their accompanying forbidden secret techniques...

These are perhaps the only things I can offer that can barely be considered "valuable." I will repay kindness with kindness and avenge wrongs with avenge wrongs.

This is an ironclad rule etched into his bones, and one of the most fundamental tenets of the Bashan Sword School, which he has never violated.

But if someone suddenly disappears without a trace, how can this debt of gratitude be repaid?

My mind is made up!

Ding Ning's eyes suddenly hardened. He slowly raised his right hand, palm facing upwards, and the dormant true essence within his body suddenly awakened, surging along the unique and unpredictable path of the "Nine Deaths Silkworm Divine Art".

Beneath the skin, a faint light flowed, and the aura became obscure and ancient, as if communicating with some slumbering source.

Immediately afterwards, strands of extremely fine, almost transparent silk, yet bearing a strange, mottled halo, began to seep out from his fingertips, the Laogong acupoints in his palms, and even from the tiny pores all over his body, as if they possessed life, stretching and elongating further and further.

They floated lightly in mid-air, intertwining with each other, carrying an indescribable spirituality, before gently falling and touching the cool jade ground beneath them.

A strange scene happened.

The moment the silkworm silk touched the stone surface, it did not pile up or scatter, but silently penetrated and merged into the jade that was harder than steel! Immediately afterwards, the interior of the jade around the point of contact began to glow with a faint blue fluorescence, which quickly spread, branched, grew and expanded.

Eventually, a strange "fungal carpet" naturally formed, covering an area about ten feet square and emitting a faint fragrance of grass and trees.

It appears ordinary, but inside there are countless tiny runes, like dust particles, frantically being born, dying, and recombining within the Yin-Yang entanglement—that is the genetic rune chain operating according to the principles of the "Tai Xu Zhong Yu Jue".

As his focus deepened, he issued the "Five Gods' Decree," fully activating the Qi vortex in the life core of the fungal strain. It rapidly inscribed the six Qi lines, and the complete "Nine Deaths Silkworm" profound meaning, along with one after another of the Netherworld Secret Manuals, were transformed into hexadecimal codes, incorporating the growth and death of each fungal strain.

Having accomplished all this, the silk threads at Ding Ning's fingertips snapped instantly.

His face was slightly pale, clearly indicating that the action had taken a great toll.

Using the Nine Deaths Silkworm to drive the Jade Seed Technique of the Void to perform such intricate layout and "carving" of runes and instructions numbering in the tens of millions was a tremendous burden even for someone with mental strength comparable to the seventh realm.

He looked down at the slowly expanding fungal carpet at his feet, emitting a faint, dim light. His eyes were complex and unreadable, revealing a sense of relief and anticipation. He knew in his heart that at the microscopic level, in places unseen by anyone, countless extremely tiny fluorescent spores were being released quietly.

These spores are so light that they will soon leave the sealed chamber on their own, merging into the frigid air of Baiyang Cave. They will then disperse under the north wind, attaching themselves to birds, beasts, insects, soil, rocks, and vegetation, where they will lie dormant, grow, and reproduce, forming tiny, inconspicuous colony nodes.

In the long years to come, they will, like the most patient messengers, be scattered to the ends of the earth.

Its very existence represents a message.

Only Zhao Qing, with her profound understanding of the "Tai Xu Zhong Yu Jue" and her keen insight into the laws of primordial energy, could possibly "see" and "understand" this information by chance.

Ding Ning set a time limit—two hundred years.

Two hundred years later, regardless of whether Zhao Qing discovers these spores or where she is, the pre-programmed memory program inside these spores will initiate the final "self-decoding" stage.

Since then, each fungal seed has randomly infected nearby plants, revealing clearly legible seal script on leaves and other surfaces, giving everyone the opportunity to collect and piece together the complete text.

He silently pondered: If he could successfully avenge his blood feud, clear his name of past injustices, and proactively lead this era, which was already showing signs of popularizing spiritual practice, to develop rapidly in peace and tranquility...

So, two hundred years later, the most advanced and mysterious royal lineage of the You Dynasty might not be considered particularly precious or rare then. It wouldn't matter much if it were to circulate.

It is more like... a gift to future practitioners, a possible opportunity, a puzzle from the past.

If I were to perish and Zhao Qing were to never return... then perhaps these spores, by chance, would undergo some unexpected changes over the long course of time, leaving behind an indelible mark of our existence.

After doing all this, Ding Ning let out a long, silent sigh, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her heart.

Then, he turned around and walked steadily toward the exit of the secret room.

It's time to go back to Wutong Lane.

……

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away at the Zushan Stone Palace, Zhao Qing raised his hand and gently touched the magnificent "sky screen" model.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what I am showing you today is not just a rice paddy that yields thirty catties of spirit stones per mu, but a whole system of new farming that treats all things in heaven and earth as ridges and the radiance of the sun and moon as seeds."

After further explaining the two extremely high-level energy zones, the Heavenly Profound Yin Wind Layer and the Shattered Star Layer, Zhao Qing's mind stirred slightly, and the entire model on the light screen slowly shrank, quickly transforming into a fist-sized, slowly rotating phantom of a Xuanhuang star core, hovering in her palm:
"The teaching has now come to an end."

"What I have discussed today concerns the fundamental principles of the operation of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, and the laws governing the movement of stars and the universe. There is a great deal of information involved. Therefore, there is no need to rush to digest it all at once. You can go back and ponder it carefully."

"Remember, the key to spiritual practice lies in understanding the principles; when the principles are understood, the methods will follow."

Just as Professor Zhao Qing was giving a preliminary summary of the "Geography of Vitality" that had lasted for quite some time, she noticed Ding Ning's unusual behavior—she could naturally access surveillance footage from Baiyangdong and other locations at any time—such as the quiet appearance and spread of the fungal carpet.

While it's impossible to instantly analyze what the bacteria are hiding from such a distance, or to peek into the other party's thoughts, there are only a few possibilities. It's easy to filter and eliminate them to get a close answer: "This sincere gratitude... indeed did not disappoint me, much earlier than expected."

By examining Ding Ning's fatigue after completing his practice, we can glean a great deal of crucial information.

Zhao Qing understood and was secretly satisfied.

She knew the specific value of the Nine Deaths Silkworm even better than Ding Ning himself: In the original work, this method could devour and assimilate the "Essence of Immortality", which proved that it was at least on par with the position of half-step ninth realm.
Furthermore, now that the Nether Emperor has come knocking, it has been confirmed that he has officially entered the Ninth Realm of Longevity. It is estimated that this is inseparable from the Nine Deaths Silkworm. It may have become a shortcut to the Ninth Realm, or an excellent model.

Logically speaking, those who attempted to cultivate the Nine Deaths Silkworm in history should have been true eighth-level cultivators, whose talent and comprehension were not necessarily inferior to Wang Jingmeng's, and whose cultivation and vision were even a notch higher, yet there has never been a case of one succeeding.

There is a reason for this, of course.

It's actually quite simple: Wang Jingmeng was able to master it in one go because he was prepared to die before going to the Battle of Changling, which met his mental requirements. At the same time, more importantly, his life essence was preserved in the Nine Netherworld Jade Sword of the Nether Emperor. When the two met, they triggered a special reaction.

It was accomplished by chance, and it was a real achievement.

From then on, Ding Ning had taken the first step toward the Longevity Realm, surpassing countless Eighth Realm Enlightenment Realm masters throughout history. As for those Seventh Realm Grandmasters who were stuck at the level of obsession, they could only look up at him and sigh helplessly from behind.

Zhao Qing analyzed the situation in his mind and realized that he was very optimistic about the prospects of the protagonist of the Sword Dynasty, and planned to give him another push:
Since he gave me such a "generous gift," I should reciprocate by teaching him a few real "tricks"!

...(End of chapter)