Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

"Senior Brother Zhang...you...you're all better now?" Wang Ai's voice was a little unsteady.

"Alright." Zhang Zhiwei clapped his hands, looking relaxed and carefree. "The nails have been driven in, and the roots are firmly planted. As long as this Qi formation doesn't collapse, no matter how many people there are, they won't be able to set foot here."

Wang Ai was thrilled, and her admiration for Zhang Zhiwei had reached an unparalleled peak. This ability to change the world and manipulate fate could only be described as a miracle.

"Senior Brother Zhang, your skills are truly admirable! I, Wang Ai, am completely in awe!" Wang Ai exclaimed sincerely.

"Alright, stop flattering me." Zhang Zhiwei waved his hand and said, "Even so, it's not completely impregnable. If the Japanese pirates use any means necessary and disregard gains and losses to forcibly plow the entire diocese with a large amount of artillery fire, thus destroying this closed structure, then this Qi formation will collapse on its own."

This is a common problem for all Qi formations. Just like in the original novel, the mysterious Twenty-Four Heavenly Valley was ultimately destroyed by Mei Jinfeng using the simplest and most brutal explosives.

“This is Shanghai after all, and the Tiantong Cathedral is located in the International Settlement, which is dominated by the United States and Britain. No matter how arrogant the Japanese pirates are, they shouldn’t dare to start a major war here now, at least not with cannons!” Wang Ai analyzed with a confident expression.

That's the case. At least for the next few years, they wouldn't dare.

Zhang Zhiwei nodded, thinking to himself, but after the outbreak of the Pacific War, it's hard to say. However... by then, there will be enough time.

"By the way, how are things going with those factories lately?" Zhang Zhiwei asked.

Wang Ai immediately reported to his superior: "I have found several buyers for those light industrial factories. They are all local Chinese businessmen with some influence in Shanghai who have distanced themselves from foreigners and Japanese pirates. However, they have all offered very low prices. They probably know that we are disposing of assets and want to take advantage of our situation."

“Merchants are profit-driven, and it’s inevitable that they’ll take advantage of a crisis.” Zhang Zhiwei was not surprised by this. “Our goal is not to make money, but to cut our losses. As long as the other party is a legitimate businessman and the price isn’t too outrageous, we can get rid of the stock as soon as possible. You have full authority to make the decisions in this regard.”

"I understand, I'll take care of this as soon as possible." Wang Ai nodded in agreement, then rubbed her hands together and said expectantly, "Senior Brother Zhang, now that things here are settled, why don't you... go check on Ah Xing?"

"So soon?" Zhang Zhiwei asked with a smile.

“That’s an exceptionally talented young man! I’m just worried about holding him back, so I wanted you to mentor him!” Wang Ai quickly said.

“Okay, let’s go take a look.” Zhang Zhiwei also became interested.

The two talked as they walked out of the church’s backyard and strolled along the streets of the Tian Tong Parish.

The morning exercise rush has passed, and the streets are bustling with people, full of vibrant life.

Children chased and played in the alley, their laughter ringing out; adults hurried to work; breakfast stalls along the roadside steamed with heat, the vendors' calls rising and falling, showing no sign of the impending storm outside.

Of course, not everyone is so relaxed. For those who truly aspire to become stronger, the intensity of morning exercise is far from sufficient. In a vegetable garden at the church school, Ah Xing was still sweating profusely.

He was wearing a coarse cloth short jacket that had turned slightly yellow from washing, and carrying a worn-out hoe, turning over the soil with each stroke.

His movements were not fast, nor did they appear very powerful, but each rise and fall carried a unique, soothing, and continuous rhythm.

This is a completely different feeling from Lü Ci's hoeing skills. Lü Ci's hoeing skills have long been integrated into his own style; while Ah Xing's is the purest and most original version, the one passed down by Zhang Zhiwei.

As for whether these two are good or bad, there is no definitive answer; it all depends on who you are referring to.

For Zhang Zhiwei, the original version he created was definitely the best; for Lü Ci, the version he improved was naturally more suitable for him.

Just as no two leaves in the world are exactly alike, no two people are exactly alike. On the path of spiritual practice, appropriate modifications and the incorporation of one's own understanding are undoubtedly a good thing.

Of course, that requires a certain level of attainment. Before reaching a certain level, it's best not to make any arbitrary changes or alterations. The right path is to cultivate diligently and methodically.

At this moment, Ah Xing had not yet experienced the life-or-death test of the Fire Cloud Evil God, nor had he comprehended the mysteries between life and death. He was just a naive young man who had just obtained Qi, and his realm was naturally insufficient.

Even now, all he can think about is how to get ahead and make money. So it's already quite remarkable that he's been able to master Zhang Zhiwei's version of the "hoeing technique" so meticulously.

Wang Ai noticed that Zhang Zhiwei was watching Ah Xing practice with great interest, so she asked, "Senior Brother Zhang, what do you think of him?"

"His talent is indeed remarkable; he has already grasped three-tenths of the essence of the hoeing technique," Zhang Zhiwei commented.

"Only three points?" Wang Ai was somewhat surprised, then asked, "Then... between him and Hedgehog, who has better talent?"

“Is that even a question? Ah Xing’s innate talent is definitely much stronger than Hedgehog’s,” Zhang Zhiwei said. “But his ability to comprehend things later on is another story.”

Wang Ai pressed further, "Why is it difficult to say?"

"Seriously speaking, Erbi definitely has a stronger ability to comprehend. After all, he comes from a prestigious family and has been exposed to the world since childhood. His knowledge and temperament are incomparable to ordinary people."

Zhang Zhiwei explained, "But between life and death lies both great terror and great opportunity. If one can overcome a life-or-death situation, one will gain something, more or less. For ordinary people, experiencing it once is already a near-death experience. But Ah Xing is different; his unique talent gives him a much higher margin for error than ordinary people. If he can overcome a few more life-or-death situations, he might surpass Erbi."

Wang Ai pondered: "So, we need to create opportunities for him to frequently experience life-or-death crises?"

“Wrong!” Zhang Zhiwei immediately shook his head. “When you deliberately seek this matter, you have already fallen into a low level and become obsessed. Doing the impossible, not wanting to die but having to face life and death, is the only way to see the great terror between life and death. If you actively seek to die in order to break through the barrier of life and death, then you are truly courting death. You and I know this, so don’t tell him.”

Wang Ai seemed to understand but not quite, but she still nodded emphatically.

They continued watching Ah Xing practice his skills. After practicing the hoeing technique for a while, Ah Xing put away the hoe, wiped his sweat, and his aura suddenly changed.

He clasped his hands together, then formed a Buddhist hand seal and began practicing the Tathagata Palm technique he had learned from a tattered manual.

The first move is "Buddha's Light Appears," the second move is "Golden Top Buddha Lamp," the third move is "Buddha Moves Mountains and Rivers," and so on up to the ninth move, "Ten Thousand Buddhas Pay Homage."

Ah Xing executed the nine palm techniques meticulously. However, strictly speaking, only the first technique could truly unleash its power.

He straightened his back, gathered his energy in his dantian, formed a mudra with his right hand, and thrust his left hand forward with a powerful palm strike! "Buddha's Light Appears!" he roared!
A visible, pale golden palm print burst forth from his palm, pushing a vegetable patch several meters in front of him into a ditch several meters long, with soil flying everywhere, creating a rather astonishing spectacle.

But then, when he practiced the second move, "Golden Buddha Lamp," although he had a very impressive stance and his hand seals were quite accurate, all he managed to strike was a whooshing palm wind, and the golden palm seal was nowhere to be seen.

As for the later moves such as "Buddha Moves Mountains and Rivers" and "Buddha Asks the Monastery," they were merely empty forms. Apart from their attractive postures and the ability to unleash a few intimidating palm strikes, they had no real power whatsoever. Zhang Zhiwei and Wang Ai watched his demonstration in silence.

Wang Ai commented, "The first move of his palm technique looks very powerful! However, it seems he can only use one of the moves. I wonder what the other moves are like?"

Zhang Zhiwei said, "The strength of a method depends on who wields it. A-Xing's Qi is connected to the outside world, and his power is almost inexhaustible. Any method in his hands will be amplified in power."

Judging from the demonstration just now, the Tathagata Palm is definitely a unique skill, much better than the One Finger Divine Skill that Tian Jinzhong bought before. However, it is no longer effective against Zhang Zhiwei now.

He has long since transcended the stage of relying on ultimate techniques. Now, a casual slap from him is the pinnacle of skill. We are no longer on the same level; no matter what kind of divine palm technique it is, no matter how exquisite the ultimate technique or how superb the skill, it has lost its meaning.

Having said that, Zhang Zhiwei stopped watching and walked over to Ah Xing.

Ah Xing had just finished a set of palm techniques and was feeling quite pleased with himself when suddenly a figure appeared before him like a ghost, startling him. He hadn't sensed any aura from the other person, nor had he seen how they had gotten there!
"Big brother, who are you?" Ah Xing quickly stopped his move, spread his legs, and struck what he thought was a cool pose.

"Come here and attack me," Zhang Zhiwei said succinctly.

"Huh?" Ah Xing was stunned. "I've never heard of such a request in my life. But... can you withstand my fist, which is as big as a sandbag?"

That's the taste. Zhang Zhiwei found it amusing inwardly, but his face remained calm: "Make your move."

Ah Xing stared at Zhang Zhiwei. If it were anyone else, he would have already delivered that unreasonable slap.

But the guy in front of him was too tall, and he couldn't sense any Qi at all.

Ever since he practiced the "hoeing technique" and gained Qi, he could vaguely sense the strength of other people's auras, but he couldn't sense anything from this tall man in front of him. Even though the other person was standing right in front of him, in his perception, it was as if there was no one there.

Moreover, he had a vague feeling that the person in front of him looked very familiar, extremely familiar, but he racked his brains but couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

"Tch! You think I'd just hit you because you tell me to? I'd lose face! I won't!"

Ah Xing played a trick. After saying that, he turned around and left. First, he walked quickly, then he jogged, and finally he swung his legs like a windmill, leaving a huge cloud of dust on the ground. He disappeared in a flash.

"Senior Brother Zhang, this kid..." Wang Ai ran over, looking at Ah Xing who had already disappeared, speechless.

"I'll go and call him back," Wang Ai said.

“No need,” Zhang Zhiwei smiled, “I have other methods.”

He had no intention of taking Ah Xing back to Longhu Mountain to become a Taoist priest, but since he had encountered him, it wouldn't hurt to teach him a few skills.

Since that's the case... Zhang Zhiwei looked into the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Ah Xing, who was running wildly with both legs swinging, suddenly felt as if someone had gently tapped the back of his head. His vision went black, his body went limp, and he fainted on the spot.

……

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a boundless, dark space.

Before him stood a colossal statue that seemed to hold up the heavens and the earth. He recognized the face of the statue; it was the one he prayed to every day—the leader of the Tiantong Sect.

"What's going on? Wasn't I on the run?"

As Ah Xing was filled with doubt and uncertainty, suddenly, the colossal statue that stood tall and imposing moved!

The statue slowly lowered its head and gazed at him. Then, the statue's appearance began to change, eventually transforming into the face of the tall man he had just seen!

Only then did Ah Xing realize why the person looked familiar! Because that person looked exactly like the statue of the Heavenly Tong Sect Master!
"What do you mean? I... I just encountered the cult leader himself?" Ah Xing's mind was in complete chaos.

Just as he was in shock, the enormous statue spoke, its voice booming like a great bell, echoing throughout the entire space:

"Young man, I see you have extraordinary talent, a martial arts prodigy unlike any other. The responsibility of maintaining world peace is entrusted to you!"

Ah Xing shuddered, and long-buried memories instantly resurfaced in his mind. Years ago, he had heard the same words, only they came from the mouth of a ragged old beggar who sold martial arts manuals.

At that time, he spent all his savings to buy the book "Buddha's Palm Technique," only to find that he couldn't learn anything from it.

It wasn't until later, when he practiced the "hoeing the ground" technique and gained Qi, that he suddenly discovered that this secret manual, which he had previously thought was useless, suddenly became useful.

"Again?"

Ah Xing looked at the statue in front of him with a look of surprise and uncertainty.

He was swindled out of all his money by that old beggar and was unable to afford to study. He was only able to continue his studies after entering the Tiantong Church School.

He wouldn't say he was particularly devout to the Heavenly Master, but he was certainly filled with gratitude. He wanted to see what was going on.

Then, he saw that the statue of the Heavenly Tong Sect Master, who had just finished speaking, moved!

The statue took ten steps in each of the four cardinal directions, each step accompanied by a deafening roar. Then, it proclaimed in a loud voice:
"I am the only one in heaven and on earth!"

These are the words spoken by the Buddha at the time of his birth.

As soon as he finished speaking, he actually formed a Buddha hand mudra! Ah Xing saw it clearly; it was the mudra for the first move of the Tathagata Palm!

Immediately afterwards, the statue thrust out with its palm!
In that instant, Ah Xing's world was filled only with light—that golden Buddhist light that seemed capable of purifying everything! (End of Chapter)