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

There is a river about five or six miles away from the original site of Nashiping.

The river is not very wide, only about twenty feet wide, and is called "Tujingtou Creek". The water is clear and transparent like ice, and when the mountain moon shines on it, it sparkles like flowing silver.

It originates deep in the Wanwei Mountains, flowing from south to north, gathering streams and springs, meandering among the peaks. When it reaches the mouth of the valley, the terrain drops sharply, the water becomes turbulent and roars like thunder.

In ancient times, the Yue people built stone weirs here to store water and form ponds. Over the years, these weirs were destroyed. During the reign of King Yunchang, a large-scale project was undertaken to carve out canals from the mountains and build dams to block the flow of water, thus facilitating production.

What we see now is a mountain pond dam that stretches across the valley entrance. The dam has sloping sides and a flat top. It is about 200 zhang long, 40 zhang wide, and more than 10 zhang high, and is shaped like a ladder.

The dam core is made of bluish-gray silt, wrapped with clay, and the outermost layer is made of huge stones, with lead and tin filling the gaps between the stones, making it extremely strong.

A row of catalpa trees is planted on each side of the dam crest. The branches and leaves are lush, and the roots are deeply embedded in the crevices of the rocks, which can both stabilize the soil and provide shade.

At the eastern end, there is a canal, three zhang wide and two zhang deep, with a gate made of fine steel and a copper hinge. When it is opened and closed, it makes a sound like a bull's roar.

Beside the canal, there are three culverts. When the water is high, the culverts are opened to release floodwater, and when the water is low, the culverts are closed to store water. The design is very ingenious.

Below the culvert, the waterfall cascades down, a white ribbon hanging in the air, water mist rising and swirling, and when the moonlight shines on it, it appears as if it were a mirage.

The sound of the waterfall is deep and resonant, harmonizing with the sound of the stream, never ceasing day and night.

The dam filled with water to form a lake, which was about five or six miles in circumference.

The lake's surface is clear and blue, reflecting the surrounding mountains. In the morning, mist floats on its surface, while in the evening, the stars and moon sink to its bottom. Wild rice, red knotweed, and sweet flag grow abundantly along the lake shore, and white storks often stand alone in the shallows, undisturbed by people.

On the west bank, there are three or five wooden boats, all with black awnings, about six or seven zhang long, which are used to carry firewood, bamboo, tung oil and the like. They travel downstream from the upper reaches of the river and can reach the outskirts of Kuaiji City in a few days.

"In the three months of spring, one should not use axes in the mountains and forests, so that the grass and trees can grow." It is not the right season to cut firewood now, and goods are not transported very frequently.

Along the route, which stretches for over 800 li, there are more than ten dikes of varying sizes, connected one after another, storing and releasing water in layers, allowing boats to pass through.

At each dam, laborers would use winches to pull the boats downhill, using the water flow to open the sluice gates. Even when fully loaded with tens of thousands of kilograms of weight, it was effortless.

Along the side of the canal, seven horseshoe-shaped stone wells extend out, arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper. The well walls are carved with fine runes, engraved and filled with cinnabar, faintly revealing a dark blue glow, and are called "Ji Sha Wells".

Its opening is only large enough to hold a bushel, gradually widening as it descends, reaching several feet in width at the bottom.

Although the streams in Gaishan are clear, they meander among the mountains, with mausoleums and tombs piled up one after another. The remnants of thousands of ancestors, the gloomy burial grounds, and the deathly aura of the mausoleum area seep into the earth's veins day and night with the water and soil, dispersing among the rocks and streams.

Ordinary mountains and rivers flow, and the Yin energy is scattered and invisible, making it difficult for cultivators to use or completely eliminate.

The divine shaman, without any prior investigation, surveyed the land and set up a well here to filter the water. The well meanders nine times, locking in the flow of water and gathering its energy, condensing negative energy into harmonious flow and transforming impurities into positive energy. All those who cultivate Yin Xuan and gather hidden energy can come here to examine and refine their Qi, supplementing their practice and honing their foundation for the Dao.

It was the time when the waning moon was setting in the west and dawn was not yet breaking in the east; the night was still dark, and the wind chilled the skin. Yet, a man stood on the dam, dressed in a thin white robe, his hands behind his back overlooking the abyss, his expression indifferent, as if the massive construction project around him was nothing more than an ordinary matter.

He appeared to be in his early twenties, tall and slender, dressed plainly without any brocade or embellishment. At first glance, he seemed rather simple and unassuming, like a hermit in the mountains or a poor scholar from the countryside.

One can observe his aura, which is extremely contradictory, yet naturally exudes a lofty and ethereal air, so that people feel awe and dare not look down on him as an ordinary commoner.

This person was Yang Ziju, who had come from afar from the Wei region of the Jin state.

Over the past twenty years, he has witnessed far more magnificent scenes than those of this place: the buildings in Xintian, the capital of Jin, often exceeded a hundred feet in height, with eaves reaching the clouds and soaring roofs touching the sky; cloud bridges spanned thousands of miles, connecting the sky and traversing mountains and rivers, with the foundation of the sky and floating islands as their bones, overlooking the land.

When nobles travel, they board their carriages from their mansions and ride all the way through the clouds, passing through the celestial corridors to reach the palaces. They tread on celestial terraces and lie in celestial chambers, never setting foot on the mortal world, and needing no taint in the mire of the mundane world.

Furthermore, the art of taming spirits and monsters became popular.

Pens, inkstones, paperweights, lamp stands, screens, mat weights, and even chamber pots, spittoons, and whisks can all be infused with the spirit of the supernatural, giving them both the practicality of objects and the wondrous abilities of spirits.

Such a "cloud screen" may contain a mist spirit that can change patterns such as landscapes, flowers and birds, and calligraphy according to the owner's wishes, making it warm in winter and cool in summer.

A pen monster that has lived for three hundred years contains the legacy of brushwork passed down through generations. The moment a new owner holds it, it is as if they have received personal instruction from several generations of sages. Moreover, it can not only predict handwriting to save effort, but there are also types that can dictate articles and have the pen write them out like dragons and snakes.

The palace walls, pavilions, and pillars of the capital city are adorned with countless innate spiritual objects and divine and demonic landscapes, each a secret realm at every turn, brimming with mystery. These are sets of colossal combined magical treasures, engraved with trillions upon trillions of runes, constantly flowing, ever-changing, and perishing.

If mortals stare at it for too long, they will feel as if the decorations in front of them have come to life, with countless mountains, rivers, stars, gods, demons, and strange beasts flowing and changing before their eyes, and the pressure is as if the sky is about to collapse and the earth is about to fall.

Those with weaker mental states would faint on the spot.

Yang Ziju entered the local school at the age of five, and within half a year, he was promoted to the prefectural level.

His teachers wanted to postpone his studies because he was too young and it was not appropriate for him to learn martial arts and internal energy too early. So he only studied literature. After only three years, there was no one left in the lecture hall to teach him anything new.

The elders of the town all thought it was extraordinary, and the county magistrate personally wrote a letter of recommendation, granting him permission to graduate despite the unusual circumstances. He left his classmates, who were five or six years older than him, or even more than ten years older, far behind.

He began cultivating at the age of nine. While ordinary children at this age were merely beginning to understand the pathways of meridians and testing the depth of their breathing techniques, he broke through four realms within a month. When this news spread, it caused a sensation throughout the counties and the Wei region.

That autumn, he entered Anyi Mugong, a university institution established by the Wei clan to train their direct descendants and top retainers, ranking first in the local school. His qualifications far surpassed those of the most powerful sect in the area.

Yang Ziju had only been in the palace for a year, yet he had already read through its entire collection, devouring tens of millions of volumes of cultivation techniques, formation diagrams, elixir formulas, weapon manuals, historical records, and geographical gazetteers. Furthermore, in the year-end grand competition, he defeated several renowned instructors from the Mu Palace, earning the admiration of grandmasters who humbly submitted to him.

At that opportune moment, the Xintian County Examination was held, attracting outstanding talents from all over the country to compete in the palace. He was recommended by Anyi County and passed all three examinations in a row, ranking first in the essay, military, and policy tests.

Afterwards, Yang Ziju left a letter of resignation, left the capital of Jin alone, changed his name and clothes, and went west to the Zhou capital. He then used his essay "On the Origin of the Way" to open the door to the Imperial Academy of the Emperor.

Biyong was no ordinary academy. It was located in the royal city of Luoyi during the Zhou Dynasty, where the emperor personally lectured and the feudal lords paid homage and observed ceremonies. The richness of its collection of books and the abundance of its gathering of virtuous scholars were unparalleled in the nine provinces.

He stayed there for several more years.

At the age of fourteen, Yang Ziju resolutely left Kaiyong and went to Chu. When others asked him where he was going, he simply said, "To find someone."

That person was Lao Dan.

From Chen to Cai, from Cai to Chu, from Yingdu to Yunmeng, from Yunmeng to Jiuyi, we traced the route, visiting historical sites, consulting elders, discerning legends, and analyzing doubts. We trekked through remote mountains and treacherous waters for five years, covering millions of miles.

Finally, they found the hermitage where the other party lived at the foot of Zhurong Peak in Hengshan. They were so moved by his sincerity that they were allowed to become his disciples.

At that time, he was only nineteen years old, yet he had already spent fourteen years on the path of seeking knowledge and learning from wise men. His diligence, eagerness to improve, and tireless pursuit of knowledge seemed to have reached a point of no return!
However, after following Laozi for several years, it was precisely because of this persistent nature that Yang Ziju was disappointed and expelled from his master's school.

What happened next need not be detailed.

Although he was already aware that he still had a great difficulty on his path to enlightenment and many shortcomings, his cultivation level, knowledge, experience, and profound thinking had already reached a level that his peers could hardly match.

His vision was also far broader than most people could imagine.

In comparison, the dams, sluice gates, and Yinsha wells in the mountains and fields of Kuaiji, though exquisite, were nothing more than "trinkets" in Yangziju's eyes.

Their regulations on weather, techniques, and craftsmanship are far inferior to those of the people of Jin in the Central Plains!

Like a pebble, no matter how smoothly it's polished, it's still just a pebble. And what he had seen before was Mount Huotai, the foremost of the four towns.

It is that majestic, towering, profound, and vast mountain, towering ten thousand feet high.

……

The evening breeze swept through the gorge, rippling across the lake.

Yang Ziju suddenly raised his head, his gaze drifting lightly towards the northwest horizon, piercing through the heavy night fog.

A barely perceptible black shadow streaked through the air and disappeared, its aura concealed. It was none other than Zhu Jiyang, who had just been chatting with Zhao Qing.

He could traverse peaks and valleys in the blink of an eye, yet he remained completely unaware that a stranger was watching him silently.

“Shi Qi, this ‘Sword Murderer’ has already crossed the Xia Lu River with Chen Yin,” he said softly to himself. “His intentions are not good.”

Looking up at the universe and observing the star trails at night, one can discern the essence, color, shape, and texture of the stars by observing their celestial energy. One can only see a dim red light shining between the constellations of Ox and Luoyan, flickering and intermittently.

"...The starlight points eastward, its color is red and flickering, its manifestation is in the wilderness—this is the omen of Shi Qi's sword intent. Those who have successfully cultivated the Yin and Yang and the six Qi of Heaven, though they have created the primordial chaos and incorporated the universe into their hearts, still retain the residual Qi attached to the Heavenly Net, moving and communicating with each other, pressing into one, and in their movements, the celestial movements will naturally correspond."

"This is the opportunity for the interaction of the Dao and the phenomena, where sincerity manifests within, and the Qi moves in the heavens. It is difficult to conceal itself, but when it comes close, it becomes subtle and pervasive!" The appearance of auspicious omens in the world is precisely due to this.

Of course, the "red light" here is not a real color, but a description of the Daoist phenomenon, which can only be seen by those who have mastered the profound realm of the eight directions.

Zhu Jiyang's fighting prowess was considered top-notch in the Yue Kingdom.

But Shi Qi was the number one master in the entire world! A legendary figure who had truly entered the realm of the Upper Six Qi! He surpassed his father, Chu Sibai Shi She, in cultivation and swordsmanship. He roamed the world for over a hundred years, his killing prowess awe-inspiring and his reputation renowned.

Even if all the generals of Ji and Ying were to personally arrive, they would still find it difficult to have a complete guarantee of victory.

Not to mention Zhu Yang, who was almost an entire realm behind.

"...Indeed, he had a deep connection with Donggao Gong, the disciple of Bian Que and senior brother of Qin Yueren, and they were almost like master and disciple; but this slight reluctance to offend his senior at most made Shi Qi not to kill him, but it was far from enough to make him stop and give up."

"...It is said that Zhu Yang and the 'Hidden Saint' Danxian Que Wenzi also met once, but unfortunately, it was only once."

"By borrowing external forces and feigning the Heaven-Sealing Realm, Que Wenzi may not actually be much stronger than someone who has reached the Great Perfection of the Six Qi. He may even need to hide from the world for many years. Such a weak relationship is not enough to deter that sword fiend!"

Yang Ziju slowly analyzed the situation, his mind penetrating all things, without the slightest error: "If Chen Yin is unwilling to intervene, Zhu Jiyang will have to bear the consequences alone, suffer a great loss, and inevitably suffer a crushing defeat! His injuries are so severe that he will need to recuperate for a full six months to fully recover."

Chen Yin and Shi Qi only met by chance on the road. Both were "unaffiliated cultivators" who had been expelled from the Chu state by the nobles. So they got together to scold the corrupt court and the tyrannical officials, and to vent their frustrations. In reality, the two had no deep friendship.

His secret journey into Vietnam was originally intended to investigate his son Zonghua's situation in Kuaiji, to see what kind of treatment he received and what his son's choices were, whether this place was suitable for living, and whether the family business could be continued.

Therefore, when Chen Yin later saw that Zong Hua was treated with great respect in the martial arts academy, was highly regarded by his teachers, made good friends, and was full of vigor, she must have been moved and felt a growing sense of guilt, realizing that she owed him a favor.

This will forge a deep bond, and will surely bring great reward in the future.

Although Zhu Jiyang was injured this time, he could now bring this master archer, a direct descendant of Yang Youji, into the network of connections of the Yue Kingdom.

This deal was definitely worthwhile.

"...He could have played his trump card, or he could have called on his father to help him in advance. But he didn't." Yang Ziju shook his head slightly. "He used injury to gain favor, retreated to advance, and won Chen Yin's remorse, turning an enemy into an ally. Such a choice is quite shrewd."

"However, everything has its gains and losses. Now that this plan has been completed, Zhu Jiyang is afflicted with injuries and will need half a year to recuperate. He will miss the great opportunity to witness the last appearance of King Mu's Treasure City and the full display of its treasures!"

His words seemed to be a judgment on events that had not yet occurred, an analysis of the prediction, yet he spoke with great insight.

"Every drink and every bite, every gain and every loss, is all a matter of fate."

"This must be the intention of the mastermind behind it all!" "Lord of the Void Path, Sun Star," Yang Ziju murmured the title, "...What is your true objective?"

The divine corpse suppressed beneath Mount Tu? The remnants of the Crimson Emperor's Palace? The secret scroll of Zhenze from the Yu Dynasty treasured in the Yue Chamber?

Or perhaps it involves the great being who made King Mu and King Yan successful in the past, and who caused them to fight and perish together, passing away before the third step of the Heavenly Sealing.
In that instant, a whole host of thoughts came to mind.

Despite anticipating the impending clash, Yang Ziju smiled and showed no intention of intervening.

"...Shi Qi's cultivation method, 'All Things Are Encompassed,' and his attained path, 'Defeat and Calamity,' are not particularly profound. He is old even though he is already strong!"

"This person's talent and foundation were limited to begin with, and he has almost exhausted the six qi after breaking through to the next realm. He himself is well aware that there will be no further progress. Since there is no Dao fruit to look forward to, he has turned to seeking fame and fortune... His sword heart has become dull, and his sharpness has been diminished. He will never have the chance to surpass Zifei!"

Therefore, Yang Ziju was confident that he could fight across vast distances.

However, he was entrusted by Wenzi to protect Zhao Qing, but he had no obligation to meddle in other people's business. What did the life or death of Zhu Jiyang have to do with him?

He only needed to ensure Zhao Qing's safety to fulfill his entrustment. The rest were not in positions of authority and had no say in matters of state.

There are too many chess games in the world.

Since the fall of Haojing and the relocation of the capital to the east by King Ping, the Zhou dynasty has declined, the feudal lords have seized power, the states have vied for supremacy on the battlefield, strategists have lobbied in the court, assassins have left their corpses in the dark alleys, and shamans have offered prayers in the main hall—a scene of utter chaos.

Behind every alliance, dozens of pieces are quietly moved; in every battle, dozens of hidden threads are silently interwoven.

The players are those hidden behind the scenes—there are wise rulers of feudal lords, powerful ministers of noble families, giants of the martial arts world, and even mysterious and unpredictable beings like the Void Path.

Although he considered himself to have the insight to observe the game, he had no intention of entering the game himself.

If you're going to place a piece, place it only on the key points.

Thinking this, he found himself holding a mouse.

It was an enormous rat, with grayish fur, over three feet long, and a tail like a withered whip. He was holding it upside down by the tail, suspending it in mid-air.

Strangely, it was wearing an official hat on its head, the style of which was exactly the same as the Zhangfu hat of the lower-ranking official of the Jin state. Although it was filthy and damaged, traces of embroidery could still be discerned.

Ordinary mice, when lifted like this, would have already been squeaking and struggling desperately. But this mouse remained quiet, its two front paws neatly folded in front of its chest, its small, black bean-like eyes darting around, revealing a shrewdness that seemed to be assessing the situation.

"Sixteen years have passed," Yang Ziju murmured to himself. "I never thought I'd see him again. I was a witness to the chaos caused by the 'Big Rat'."

At that time, he was a ten-year-old child who had just entered Anyi Mu Palace and spent his days buried in the mountains of bamboo slips and silk books.

The origin of that epidemic remains a mystery to this day.

Some say it was the last curse planted by the Zhonghang clan before their defeat and demise, but this has never been confirmed by the official Jin state.

Countless officials, both high and low, transformed overnight into these enormous rats. They huddled on the beams, lay beneath desks, or gathered in the granaries, gnawing on the millet paid by the people and sipping the sweet wine stored in the warehouses. The government offices became rat dens, the bamboo slips were gnawed to pieces, and the imperial seals were dragged into the ground.

When they first learned of this, the vast majority of people were not terrified; on the contrary, they applauded and rejoiced, marveling at the blatant justice.

The tax collectors were gone, the grain-collecting bailiffs were gone, the officials who withheld salaries were gone, and along with them, those clerks who used to prey on the villagers and extort money were all turned into rats, without exception.

The few that never took human form were undoubtedly pure and untainted.

In the streets and alleys, newly composed folk songs such as "Big rat, big rat, do not eat my millet... I will leave you and go to that happy land" rose and fell. Poor households in the neighborhood secretly killed chickens, prepared wine, burned incense and celebrated, believing that Heaven had eyes and the gods had shown their power, finally avenging their anger.

But gradually, the laughter caught in his throat.

With officials gone, thieves proliferated, and gangs openly occupied the markets, committing crimes in broad daylight without any intervention from the authorities.

Merchants fled in fear of disaster, markets declined, and even the supply of salt and iron was cut off.

Once order collapses, the first to suffer are always the people at the bottom of society. They soon discover that instead of finding a "paradise," they have fallen into an even deeper quagmire.

There were no officials, no laws, and no order.

Neighbors steal from each other, and clansmen kill each other. People will kill for a bag of millet, and slaughter an entire family for half an acre of land. One moment a lazy man is singing "The departed woman" in the street, and the next he is hacked down by bandits in a ditch, his blood flowing down half the alley, and no one collects his body.

But that's not even the worst part.

The most terrifying thing is those giant rats—they are impossible to kill.

It cannot be split by a knife, nor harmed by an axe; water and fire cannot penetrate its body, nor can talismans bind its soul.

Even if you burn it with real fire, cut it with sword energy, or refine it with array formations, the tattered official hat will still re-form from the ashes, and new rats will grow under the hat, squeaking as if mocking the incompetence and futility of the spellcaster.

They roamed, multiplied, and kept infecting, spreading to almost half of the Jin state. The Wei region suffered greatly, while the Zhao region had a tripod of punishment hanging in the sky, deterring all evils, and the administration was peaceful and the situation was much better.

In the end, it was the general Wei Chi who devoted himself to killing the evil spirits and eliminating the source of the trouble that finally put an end to this bizarre rat infestation.

"...There are many types of Dao plagues. To create such a Dao plague, one must follow the rules, standards, and principles of balance, go against the harmony of heaven and earth, and disregard the fundamental principles of the creation of all things. Only those who have mastered the Six Qi can do it, and it is a strange art that is strictly forbidden throughout the world. Who on earth dares to act in such a disgraceful manner?"

Yang Ziju had this question that had been buried in his mind for many years: "I never thought that after so many years, I would actually meet it again in the border area. The giant rat has been hiding at the bottom of the Yin Sha Well and breeding in secret for quite some time!"

He slowly put the mouse down.

"It seems your presence here is no accident."

Suddenly, a serene light emanated from Yangzi's heart, vaguely coalescing into a human shape. With a casual wave of his hand, he severed the lifeless corpse.

Since it takes nothingness as its form, it cannot be seen or heard, and can be called the dark and mysterious. It cannot be exerted by force, but rather diminishes and clings to the one.

The corpse vanished in an instant, and its whereabouts remain unknown.

……

A moment later, more people arrived at the dam.

And so, accompanied by a light blue magical glow, a winged boat formed from flowing water, with waves still rippling inside, carrying Zhao Qing, Ape Master, and another person, began to fly out.

Shi Yuanluo was "picked up" and "dropped off" when she arrived, and naturally, she was also in charge of her return trip to Kuaiji City, ensuring a smooth start and finish.

Before leaving, Zhu Jiyang completed the handover between the two parties.

"Hold on tight? We're about to go very fast!" she said with a smile.

After all, it was no ordinary boat. There was no need to slowly pole and row. When it encountered the stone dam ahead, it gently pushed and flicked the stern, and it was already soaring into the air for hundreds of feet, overcoming all kinds of obstacles along the way.

Although these are merely magical constructs, it can be inferred that real warships such as large-winged, medium-winged, and small-winged ships do indeed possess the ability to leap long distances like flying fish, making them completely different from ordinary merchant ships.

"...Did you feel it? This series of 'connected ponds and weirs' and the design of the mountains and rivers?" Shi Yuanluo stood at the head of the wing boat, her eyes carrying a hint of examination, and introduced, "There are benefits to washing inside."

Zhao Qing had already sensed this.

"Water storage, purification, and filtering are not only manifested outwardly but also reflected inwardly. They can accumulate momentum to overcome obstacles and purify the mind. The flowing water never stops day and night, and its principle lies not in stagnation but in its flow. The opening and closing of the weir is like the breathing and rising of a person. As the breath passes through the twelve-story tower, impurities gradually disappear, and true essence becomes more concentrated."

"Isn't the power of mountains and rivers also the body of heaven and earth?" she exclaimed in admiration. "The set of techniques contained within them is truly profound and mysterious!"

A strange light flashed in Shi Yuanluo's eyes, and she smiled and said, "That's exactly what I mean. When others first see this Liantang Weir, they only see its water conservancy, the convenience of water transport, and the benefits of irrigation, but they don't know that its true wonder lies in nurturing the flow of energy. You saw through this as soon as you arrived here, and you truly live up to your reputation."

"...Without this superb skill of sailing like the wind, merely sailing slowly, unable to rush through the entire journey to the end, one would find it difficult to grasp the essence of the 'Twelve-Story Azure Pavilion' and fully benefit from it!" Zhao Qing praised her, saying, "The difference in speed is like heaven and earth."

"Miss Yuanluo's skill in manipulating water and flying is truly admirable."

Shi Yuanlu smiled, without any modesty, and continued to increase her speed.

The ape squatted in the middle of the boat, trying to steady himself by holding onto the gunwale, but as soon as his fingertips touched the water-soaked boat wall, he felt it was incredibly smooth and slippery, and his five fingers sank in, all the way up to his wrist.

It was startled and hurriedly withdrew its hand, only to find that the water wall suddenly closed, leaving not even a trace of moisture.

It was as if that exploration just now was just an illusion.

"This..." It tried to grab it from another spot, but it still sank in as soon as it touched it, as if grasping quicksand or probing through thin mist.

The entire wing-shaped boat was clearly tangible and substantial, carrying them as they sped across the waves, yet there was nowhere for them to find leverage or support.

It tensed its entire body and tried to change positions seven or eight times, sometimes bracing itself against the bottom, sometimes grabbing the crossbar in the boat, but all to no avail. The whole ape was shaken from side to side, its white fur standing on end, and its face filled with panic.

"Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!" If one cannot calm their mind, they can't even sit still on a boat. How can they use the twelve layers of weirs to refine their cultivation?

With this in mind, Master Yuan finally focused his mind and quickly grasped the changes in relaxation, softness, and internal and external strength, and overcame the difficulties by relying on the stance training method.

Shi Yuanluo glanced back and said, "This ape does have some understanding."

Monkeys are inherently restless, their hearts pounding like boiling water; it is truly remarkable that they can overcome their impulsiveness in a moment of urgency.

Maintaining stillness amidst movement and gentleness, and keeping one's strength constant despite its ever-changing nature—if one can achieve this, the pinnacle of Gang Jin (罡劲) is within reach.

However, compared to the wondrous state of effortless clarity and ethereal emptiness, it is undoubtedly far inferior. The latter requires mastery of the Dharma of Emptiness to comprehend, where the spirit merges with emptiness, the mind follows the void, and gradually progresses to the annihilation of existence and non-existence.

An even better approach is to remain in a state of "powerlessness" that is not used, just as Zhao Qing's cultivation level is naturally revealed at this moment.

The difference between "emptiness" and "vacuum" is so small, yet it has stumped countless heroes and trapped many treacherous creatures on the shore.

"Thank you for the compliment," the ape replied calmly.

However, it was unaware that Zhao Qing's cultivation level had far surpassed its own, from being somewhat inferior when it first emerged from the mountains to now being worlds apart. It was also unaware that Zhao Qing had devised a series of grueling training plans, aimed at enabling it to catch up with her in a short period of time.

What was just a minor setback will become the norm from now on.

……

Half an hour later, the winged boat cut through the waves and sped on, reaching the Jishan Gate in the southeast corner. Shi Yuanluo showed a black lacquered token, which the guards on the city wall verified. Then, the sound of a mechanism was heard, and the heavy gate slowly rose, allowing the boat to rush in.

Before the boat could take him back to his lodgings, the ape could no longer hold on. He rolled to the side and leaped out, landing with a "thud" on the dock beside the road, his limbs outstretched, lying on his back in a "big" shape.

It must have been utterly exhausted during that short journey. (End of Chapter)