I have Taoism and can understand other worlds

Chapter 686 Xuanwu Battle Technique
Jiang Wen looked at the elder, not surprised by what he said. After all, this blessed land was located within the body of a fallen immortal, far beyond the reach of ordinary mortals. Being able to absorb spiritual energy for cultivation was already difficult enough, and cultivating bloodline techniques was a last resort.

Furthermore, after enduring countless hardships, the battle techniques passed down by the various tribes of Baixi have long been incomplete and incomplete, so it would be strange if they could still cultivate them.

It's understandable that the elders of the Azure Sky Tower objected.

However, Jiang Wen was not afraid, after all, he was familiar with the battle techniques of various races. In fact, he had even helped to compile some of the battle techniques of the myriad races of Taicang, so there was no need to worry about incompleteness.

Although this blessed land has sparse spiritual energy, it is not devoid of it. Since he recreated the holy land, the spiritual energy emanating from the heart of the Heavenly King of Growth has quietly spread throughout the area. Unlike the cultivation methods of immortal sects, battle techniques do not require a large amount of spiritual energy. They are methods for tempering the physical body and blood energy, and can be practiced with only a small amount of spiritual energy.

Therefore, he was confident.

"How about I select some young members from one of the tribes and personally instruct them in the Four Symbols Battle Technique, allowing them to compete against their peers who specialize in bloodline cultivation? It will only take three months, after which they can have a contest. If the Battle Technique is indeed inferior to the bloodline cultivation method, I will not mention this matter again. If they can win, then I urge the elders to carefully consider gradually promoting it, leaving Baixi with a way out that is not bound by the Divine Blessed Land."

The stone hall was completely silent, and the elders had different expressions.

The old man in hemp robes slowly spoke: "What you say makes sense. However, the bloodline method concerns the foundation of the vast majority of our clansmen and cannot be touched lightly. Since you have made a bet, then... let's give it a try. But the scope is limited to the clans you can persuade. If it is as you say in three months, then we can discuss it again."

"Thank you." Jiang Wen cupped his hands in thanks. He knew that this was the best outcome he could achieve at the moment.

Leaving the Sky Tower, Jiang Wen went straight to the settlement of the Rock People. He didn't go anywhere else, but went alone to visit the elder of the tribe. The elder lived in a simple stone house, and was playing chess alone in front of a stone chessboard.

Upon hearing that Jiang Wen had come to visit, the elder did not get up, but simply pointed to the stone bench opposite him.

Jiang Wen sat down and told the elders about the debate at the elders' meeting, his own proposal, and the bet.

After listening, the elder held a pebble in his hand, not dropping it for a long time. His wrinkled face was expressionless as he slowly said, "The Tai Cang Battle Technique, when I was young, I heard the oldest member of the clan mention it in a few words, saying that it was related to the glory of our ancestors. Alas. Bloodline techniques are convenient, but I always feel that something is missing, like... a wild beast that has been tethered."

He raised his eyes, his gaze cloudy yet profound as he looked at Jiang Wen: "You want to try your luck among my Rock People?"

“Yes. The Rock People brothers are simple-minded and physically strong, perhaps more suited to learning combat techniques,” Jiang Wen said frankly.

The elder was silent for a moment, then slammed the pebble in his hand onto the chessboard: "Alright. I trust you. Go and choose any young people in the clan. Just say it's my idea to have you guide them in their cultivation. There's no need to go into the details yet."

"Thank you very much, elder." Jiang Wen was somewhat moved and bowed respectfully.

Soon, at the elder's instruction, dozens of young rock warriors were summoned to the tribal square. Most of them looked bewildered, wondering why this esteemed thirteenth elder would suddenly want to instruct them in cultivation.

Yanming was among them, and he looked excited, showing blind trust in Jiang Wen.

Jiang Wen stood on a high rock, looking down at the young and confused faces below, and said in a deep voice: "I have gathered you all here today with the permission of the elders, and I will temporarily guide you in your cultivation for a period of time. It may be different from what you usually practice, but it may benefit you and the future of the tribe. Those who are willing to stay, take a step forward."

The young rock warriors exchanged hesitant glances. Yan Ming was the first to step forward, his voice booming, "I'll listen to Elder Jiang!"

With one of them taking the lead, another twenty or thirty young people came out one after another, their faces showing a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty.

Jiang Wen was quite satisfied with the thirty-odd young Rock People who had volunteered to stay. The Rock People were naturally strong and robust, making them excellent candidates for cultivating the "Mysterious Martial Battle Technique."

In the days that followed, Jiang Wen found a secluded valley near the Rock People's settlement and began teaching the thirty-odd young Rock People the "Black Tortoise Battle Technique".

It didn't go smoothly at first. These young rock people had been cultivating their bloodline using the flesh fungus allocated by their tribe since childhood, and were accustomed to the intense heat of their bloodline power.

Now, asking them to calmly feel the so-called flow of qi and blood, and to draw upon a meager amount of spiritual energy from heaven and earth through repeated, tedious posture adjustments and breathing coordination, is truly unbearable.

Within three to five days, some people began to show signs of anxiety, muttering privately, "Why not go back and work on your physical strength?"

Jiang Wen observed this but did not criticize him; instead, he explained the key points of cultivation in detail.

Regarding talent, he valued character more, and after several rounds of training and observation, he ultimately only kept four people.

Yan Ming was among them. Although he wasn't the most intelligent, he possessed a tenacity that others lacked. Once he set his mind on something, he would focus intently, and his progress was the most solid. Even Jiang Wen couldn't help but sigh, thinking that he truly deserved the title of the Yan Clan's prodigy.

After their cultivation progressed smoothly, Jiang Wen did not stay by their side to oversee their practice. He frequently traveled between the newly demarcated border area between Baixi and Baiman.

Of the four holy maidens of Baiman, the Heavenly Serpent Holy Maiden is aloof and clear-headed when discussing serious matters, but rarely smiles. The Red Water Holy Maiden, on the other hand, is much more enthusiastic and finds everything about Baixi quite novel. She often discusses trivial matters such as the construction of stone houses and the transplantation of spiritual plants with Jiang Wen.

The Holy Maiden of Tuoyun was taciturn, but whenever she spoke, she possessed profound insights into all matters. The Holy Maiden of Youyue was the most perceptive, and she was often the one to mediate and soothe the minor conflicts between the two tribes.

On this day, Jiang Wenzheng and the Holy Maiden of Chishui were inspecting a newly opened medicinal garden at the border. They discussed how the two tribes mostly traded goods by bartering, which was quite inconvenient.

“Yes,” the Holy Maiden of Chishui sighed, fiddling with a medicinal herb. “When our tribes want to exchange the cloth we weave for other things from Baixi, we often have to negotiate for a long time, and we often feel it’s unfair. There are many frictions, which is quite troublesome.”

Jiang Wen already had a plan in mind, and upon hearing this, he said, "Perhaps we can agree on a common material as a medium of exchange. I observe that the bluestone produced outside the capital contains a trace of spiritual energy. Although it cannot compare to immortal herbs, its texture is uniform and it is easy to cut and polish. Perhaps it can be made into stone coins of a uniform size for use in exchange. As for the value of each stone coin, we can decide it together between the two clans. The exchange will be based on this value during transactions, which will save a lot of trouble."

Jiang Wen had long considered establishing a currency for the various tribes of Baixi. Initially, the immortal herbs used for exchange were hard to come by. However, the lack of suitable substitutes for these herbs troubled him. Later, the sacred land underwent a transformation, and the world changed. A type of stone appeared in the mountains outside the capital.

Although those stones cannot compare to immortal herbs, they still contain a faint spiritual energy. Given time, after ten thousand years of weathering, these stones could transform into low-grade spirit stones. However, they are not bad for use now, not only because there is a large quantity available, but also because they can replace some or even a fraction of the immortal herbs.

Therefore, Jiang Wen proposed this plan.

Upon hearing this, the Holy Maiden of Chishui's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands and laughed, "This method is excellent. I will go and discuss it with my sisters right away."

The matter progressed more smoothly than expected. The Rock People mined bluestone, polished it into round coins, and then the elders from both tribes jointly determined its value.

Within a month, the first batch of stone coins began to circulate in the border market. At first, people found it novel and even a little doubtful, but they soon experienced its convenience, and the cries of bartering with stone coins gradually replaced the tedious bargaining of the past.

Trade began to emerge between the two tribes. There were even merchants who specialized in this business.

The details of what happened are too fascinating to recount here.

Upon returning to his residence, Jiang Wen immediately saw the lively baby girl.

In just two months, she had grown to look like a two- or three-year-old child. Not only could she walk steadily, but she could even run towards him. As soon as he entered the door, a small figure rushed over, hugged his leg, looked up at him with her little face, and called out in a childish voice, "Daddy!"

Helpless, Jiang Wen bent down and picked her up, correcting her, "Wen'er, call him Master or Teacher."

The baby girl blinked her big, dark eyes, seemingly understanding but not quite, and rubbed her soft cheek against his neck, still mumbling, "Daddy..."

Zhen, who was tidying up the animal skin swaddling clothes, covered her mouth and chuckled: "Master, she recognizes you."

Jiang Wen shook his head, feeling helpless as he looked at the lovely baby in his arms. The baby girl and Jiang Wenji had an unusual relationship, and the thought of Jiang Wenji calling him "father" made him feel uneasy.

Although he wanted to stop her, the baby girl was too stubborn. He reached out and carried her to the table, taking out a warm, smooth jade pendant to let her play with.

Before it could be handed over, Xiao Wen'er stretched out her fair little hand and tentatively grabbed a bright red fruit from a table a few steps away.

The fruit wobbled off the table and floated lightly into her hand.

Zhen stared in disbelief, while Jiang Wen was slightly surprised.

However, he remained expressionless and said calmly, "You must not do this in front of outsiders in the future."

The baby girl was too busy eating the fruit to listen to anything.

As she played happily, giggling, a pure gold light suddenly flashed in her clear eyes. Though it was only for a moment, the powerful aura caused Liang Yuan in the quiet room to stop his cultivation and go out to look at the baby girl.

Jiang Wen and Jiang Su exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.

He pondered for a moment, then said gently to the baby girl in his arms, "Be good, Wen'er."

Wen'er was the baby girl's nickname. Jiang Wen gave her a name not long after bringing her home. Since it was related to Jiang Wenji, they simply called the baby girl Jiang Ji. They usually called her by her nickname Wen'er to show affection.

"Wen'er..." the little guy mimicked, seemingly liking the pronunciation, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

And so, the three-month period is approaching.

Jiang Wen led Yan Ming and the other three away from the valley where they usually cultivated, and deep into the vast mountains outside the capital.

After traveling for half a day, a rumbling sound like muffled thunder came to our ears.

Passing through a grove of ancient trees, a breathtaking view suddenly unfolds before you. A colossal ribbon of water crashes down from a thousand-foot cliff shrouded in mist, plunging into a deep pool below, creating a mist that shimmers and glistens in the sunlight. Its imposing grandeur is truly awe-inspiring.

Jiang Wen set up an array beside the waterfall, drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy. He had Yan Ming and the other three stand beneath the waterfall to withstand the impact of the massive water flow.

"Calm your mind and focus, and carefully experience it." Jiang Wen's voice rang out directly in the minds of the four people.

The next moment, Yanming felt his senses being extended infinitely.

He saw the solid veins of the earth beneath his feet, heard the murmuring of spiritual energy flowing deep within the earth's veins, and was enveloped by a vast, primordial aura that encompassed all things. This was the true essence of the "Mysterious Tortoise Battle Manual"—immovable as a mountain, the Mysterious Tortoise descends upon the world.

After the four had gained some understanding, Jiang Wen had them practice their battle techniques under the impact of the waterfall, drawing upon the gathered spiritual energy to fight against the endless torrents. This was considered the basic cultivation method of the "Mysterious Martial Battle Technique," which was quite effective in tempering the physical body.

The sun rose and set, and I don't know how much time passed.

As Iwaaki and his companions walked steadily out from beneath the thousand-foot waterfall, their demeanor was completely different.

The restless energy that had been released outwards was completely contained, transforming into a powerful and profound force flowing through the body.

His skin had a warm, stone-like sheen, and his steps resonated subtly with the mountains and rivers.

The four stood there silently, motionless, yet they possessed an unshakeable aura, like four Xuanwu (mythical tortoises) descending upon the world.

They approached Jiang Wen, who was sitting cross-legged on a blue stone by the pool, bowed in unison, clasped their hands in greeting, and said in deep, firm voices, "Thank you, Elder!"

Jiang Wen glanced at the four people and nodded slightly.

"Come with me."

Without saying a word, he turned and left. Yanming and the other three followed silently, leaving the mountains behind and heading towards the inner ring of the capital, towards the majestic Azure Sky Tower.

Stepping into the solemn inner ring of the Azure Sky Tower, every member of the clan who came and went turned their heads.

These four young rock people were quite different from their fellow tribesmen; they lacked the frenzy of blood surging within them, possessing only a calm and steadfast demeanor like a rock.

News of Jiang Wendao's arrival spread rapidly, and the inner circle of the Holy Maiden's servants were all discussing the competition.

After all, the agreement between the Thirteenth Elder and the elders of the Azure Sky Tower was already common knowledge, and everyone was looking forward to this day. They all wanted to see if the legendary battle technique was truly as powerful as the bloodline method.

When Jiang Wen led the four to the square in front of the circular stone hall, the heavy hall doors were already open.

The elders, led by the old man in hemp robes, stood before the hall gate. Their gazes passed over Jiang Wen and landed on the four composed young rock men behind him, their faces filled with surprise and scrutiny.

Jiang Wen stopped in his tracks.

The old man in hemp clothing slowly withdrew his gaze from Yan Ming and the other three, and met Jiang Wen's eyes.

Behind him, four young rock people who practiced the "Mysterious Martial Battle Technique" stood silently like mountains.

(End of this chapter)