Apprenticeship at Qingcheng Mountain, Senior Brother Yu Canghai

Chapter 257: Condensation of the Void into Reality
Before I knew it, it was past noon.

The sun was setting in the west and it was already afternoon.

It will be dusk soon.

On the sparkling surface of the canal, a passenger ship is sailing downstream.

The river is surging and flowing continuously.

This ship was the same passenger ship that Chu Yuan and Fu Jun'er were on. Many tourists stood on the deck of the ship, looking at the scenery on both sides of the canal.

Rows of trees that had just sprouted new buds moved continuously behind the passenger ship, and the rolling hills were also slowly moving behind them. Sometimes, the barren fields along the canal could also be seen.

Nowadays, the world is in chaos, and the people working in the fields are sparsely populated. You have to walk a long distance to see a few people.

After a long time, there was nothing worth seeing and everyone was tired of it, but some people had stayed in the cabin for too long and came out to get some fresh air.

The number of tourists and people on the deck of the passenger ship increased and decreased, but always remained a certain number.

Chu Yuan was currently in a small room of Class A, sitting cross-legged on a wooden bed that took up most of the room, closing his eyes and reviewing the gains and losses of the action he had just taken at the Puyang County dock.

"First of all, my 'Eternal Life Secret' has made some progress. Even my 'divine' power has reached the point where it can be condensed into reality."

Chu Yuan recalled the scene when he just killed Yanni, the right protector of the "Iron Cavalry Society". This reminded him again of the concept of the primordial spirit that exists in many immortal cultivation and high martial arts worlds.

The power in his upper dantian and Nigongwan at this moment is undoubtedly his primordial spirit.

When he was killing Yan Ni and releasing his spiritual power, he suddenly had an instinct in his heart that as long as he used the power of his "spiritual spirit" with all his strength, he could kill Yan Ni without doing it himself.

And then he did it!

The next moment, Yan Ni was pierced through the center of her eyebrows and head by the small sword transformed from his spirit, and died in front of him without any power to resist.

"I feel that if I continue to practice the Art of Immortality, it won't be long before I can achieve the state of soul leaving the body."

Chu Yuan had this premonition again.

He was just guessing before, but now he is almost 100% sure.

Although Chu Yuan’s current spiritual power is still a long way from leaving his body.

Now his spiritual power has finally broken through the shackles of the Niwan Palace, and has been able to condense from virtual to solid, forming a small sword the size of a toothpick.

But it has changed from the previous mental suppression to being able to cause direct physical harm, and even kill people like just now.

"I didn't expect that the complete "Eternal Life Secret" can not only cultivate the five qi in the chest, but also cultivate the primordial spirit. It is worthy of being left by Guangchengzi, the teacher of the Yellow Emperor in ancient times."

Chu Yuan said in his heart.

He felt that the five elements of innate true qi condensed in the five internal organs also became much stronger, and he was secretly happy in his heart.

The Five Elements' innate true Qi is enhanced, which is very different from other martial arts. It stores the Five Elements' innate true Qi in the five internal organs, just like he has five Dantian Qi seas at the same time.

Chu Yuan felt that his five internal organs were also getting stronger along with the increase of his innate true qi.

The strengthening of the five internal organs also led to the strengthening of Chu Yuan's vitality.

The lungs belong to the element of metal. Now, the complete process of inhaling and exhaling air into the lungs can last for less than half a quarter of an hour.

The heart belongs to fire, and in an instant, it can quickly supply massive amounts of blood from the heart to the brain and meridians throughout the body, several times faster than before, providing huge explosive power for the body.

The liver belongs to the wood element, and it can excrete all toxins contained in food or liquids, as well as all toxins that are harmful to the body as long as they enter the body in various ways.

The spleen belongs to the earth element, and can quickly break down the nutrients in the food Chu Yuan eats and provide nourishment to the whole body.

The kidneys belong to water, and can continuously produce essence and blood for the body.

Kidney deficiency or something like that doesn't exist for Chu Yuan, as he has amazing recovery ability.

When it comes to matters between men and women, if Chu Yuan is willing, he can do it ten times a night, let alone seven times.

All the functions contained in these five internal organs make Chu Yuan's vital signs much stronger than those of ordinary people. He is heading towards an inhuman path and there is no turning back.

"If I continue to practice like this, I might become a true immortal one day, right?"

Chu Yuan said secretly in his heart.

The main reason is that this "Secret of Immortality" is really too amazing. Practicing the complete version of "Secret of Immortality" is an all-round strengthening of the body and mind.

But this is normal. Even the two dragons who had only mastered one seventh of the "Eternal Life Secret" each eventually became masters.

Not to mention that he has mastered the complete version of "The Secret of Immortality".

"Now that I'm back in Qingcheng Sect, I should start creating my own martial arts."

Chu Yuan said in his heart.

"The Secret of Immortality" is very mysterious, and it secretly conforms to the Taoist principles of ancient times. It contains methods of cultivating the five qi in the chest and possessing the five elements of innate true qi, plus the primordial spirit and the innate true qi of yin and yang, which can be used as a reference.

In addition, the most prosperous era of Taoism was during the Tang Dynasty and after it.

The Tang Dynasty respected Taoism, which made it very prosperous among the people.

After the Tang Dynasty, many Taoist sects and branches flourished.

The Quanzhen Sect, which later became one of the two major branches of Taoism and is as famous as the Zhengyi Sect, was founded by Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Chongyang Sect in the Southern Song Dynasty.

In addition, there are Taiyi Sect, Danding Sect, Beidi Sect and so on.

He could also learn from some of the Taoist concepts of later generations.

By learning from each other and integrating them, maybe he could create a martial art of his own that is as powerful as those in the four great books of the world.

The four great books in the world also have their strengths and weaknesses. If they can't compare to "The Atlas of the God of War" and "The Secret of Immortality", then they can't compare to "The Plan of the Demon" and "The Classic of Cihang Sword"?

Bang bang bang~
Just then, there was a knock on the door of the passenger ship.

"Who?"

Chu Yuan opened his eyes and looked outside the door.

Chu Yuan had not yet cultivated his soul to the point where it could leave his body, so he could not see the person outside the door of the passenger ship.

He could only detect the opponent's footsteps and breathing through their sounds and discovered that although his footsteps were steady, his breathing was intermittent. Not only did his martial arts skills not seem strong, but he also seemed to have a hidden illness.

There were two guards behind him, with heavy steps, steady breathing, and strong martial arts skills, at the second-rate level.

"Master Qingyang, I am Xiang Yushan, the Third Son of Xianggui, and I am from the Baling Gang. I just saw Master Qingyang's heroic figure on the boat. I admire you and would like to ask you to meet me."

A young boy's voice came from outside.

Chu Yuan frowned when he heard this.

But after hesitating for a moment, he decided to meet the other party.

Chu Yuan stroked his right hand lightly and lifted it up. At a distance of less than ten feet, a force emanated from his hand. The revolving door bolt lifted slightly, and after reaching the top, it slid to the left and the door opened.

Baling Gang!
One of the eight gangs and ten associations in the world.

In the entire Sui Dynasty, there are four major clans, the leaders of the white forces, Cihang Jingzhai, Jingnian Zen Temple, and the two sects of the devil, Liudao, and other top forces.

In the martial arts world, the largest gangs are the Eight Gangs and Ten Associations.

The middle-aged nun whom Chu Yuan had just killed at the Puyang County dock, and those masters holding ring-handled swords, were from the "Iron Cavalry Society", which was one of the ten associations among the eight gangs and ten associations.

The Qingcheng Sect founded by Chu Yuan rose to prominence in just two or three years, so it is not among the Eight Gangs and Ten Associations, nor is it in the White Path or the Demonic Sect.

The Baling Gang ranks second among the eight gangs and ten associations. It is a powerful gang with three hundred gambling houses and two hundred brothels across the country. It has rich intelligence and is well connected in both the black and white worlds, but its reputation is extremely bad.

As far as Chu Yuan knew, the Baling Gang was ostensibly engaged in gambling and brothel business, but in reality they were trafficking in human beings for Yang Guang, helping Yang Guang to abduct underage girls and fill the imperial palace.

In addition, they also engage in human trafficking business around the Sui Dynasty.

Including but not limited to kidnapping beautiful girls from the Central Plains and selling them to the grasslands.

Or they would kidnap blonde girls from the grasslands and sell them to the powerful people of the Sui Dynasty in exchange for huge amounts of gold and silver.

It was a chamber pot that obeyed the emperor and did dirty things for him.

Unfortunately, before the emperor could discard the chamber pot, Yang Guang died at the hands of Yu Wenhuaji due to Yu Wenhuaji's rebellion.

After Yang Guang's death, the reins around the necks of the Baling Gang were untied, and the Baling Gang seemed to have the intention and actions to become emperor.

Xiang Yushan and his father Xiang Gui are the core figures of the Baling Gang.

Chu Yuan thought to himself, "This Xiang Yushan came to see me, is he trying to make friends with me?"

At this time, the door of the small room had been opened. A young man, about 23 or 24 years old, with a handsome appearance but an unhealthy pale face, who seemed frail, stood outside the door with a respectful look, followed by two guards holding swords.

Seeing Chu Yuan's door open, he looked happy and walked in from outside.

After entering the small room, he saw Chu Yuan, who was only seventeen or eighteen years old, sitting cross-legged on the wooden bed. He was dressed in a Taoist robe, with his hair tied up and a hairpin, like a Taoist priest. Xiang Yushan thought of what happened at the Puyang County dock before. He couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. He didn't dare to look down on Chu Yuan just because of his young age.

"You two wait at the door."

After giving instructions to the two guards beside him, Xiang Yushan walked into Chu Yuan's room alone.

"My name is Xiang Yushan, and my father is Xiang Gui, who is well-known in the martial arts world. I would like to meet Taoist Qingyang."

After coming in, Xiang Yushan bowed to Chu Yuan.

"What do you want to see me for?"

Chu Yuan looked at Xiangyu Mountain Road.

"Master Qingyang, I am here to remind you that the people I just killed at the Puyang County dock were the Iron Cavalry Society's Right Protector "Yan Ni" and members of the Iron Cavalry Society. By killing their people, you have already offended the Iron Cavalry Society, and the Iron Cavalry Society's influence is spread all over Jiangnan, and they will definitely not let you go!"

Xiang Yushan seemed to have good intentions towards Chu Yuan, and he reminded Chu Yuan.

Chu Yuan asked Xiang Yushan: "Do you think I'm afraid of the Iron Cavalry Society?"

Xiang Yushan was speechless for a moment when he heard this.

Because the Taoist priest Qingyang in front of him had just swept away all the martial arts masters in Shu with his own strength not long ago.

For others, offending the Iron Cavalry might be a trouble.

But for Chu Yuan, it is not necessarily the case.

“Master Qingyang, the Iron Cavalry is extremely powerful and must be guarded against. I know that Master Qingyang is highly skilled in martial arts, but it is easier to dodge an open attack than to defend against an arrow from the dark. Master Qingyang is alone and if he is ambushed, I am afraid that two fists cannot defeat four hands.” “And the leader of the Iron Cavalry is ‘Qing Jiao’ Ren Shaoming. He is highly skilled in martial arts. It is said that since he was born, Ren Shaoming has never met an opponent except for the time when he was defeated by Song Que, the Heavenly Sword of the Song Clan, in a fight for territory. This shows how powerful he is…”

Xiang Yushan looked worried.

"Ren Shaoming is so powerful, if that's the case, just let him come to me."

Chu Yuan said indifferently.

"Master Qingyang, please don't..."

Xiang Yushan continued to pretend to care about Chu Yuan.

"Just tell me straight, you came to me because you are interested in the "Eternal Life Secret" I have, or do you have some other purpose?"

Chu Yuan was too lazy to play along with Xiang Yushan, so he interrupted her directly.

Others may not know the details of the Baling Gang, but he knows it very well.

Therefore, Chu Yuan had no good feelings towards the people of the Baling Gang.

Seeing Chu Yuan speaking so directly, Xiang Yushan was stunned for a moment, and the pressure increased for a moment, and cold sweat broke out all over his body.

He originally thought that although Qingyang Taoist Chu Yuan was a rare martial arts genius, at a young age he had mastered the "Eternal Life Secret", one of the four great books in the world, and mastered the "Eternal Life Secret", becoming a top master in the world.

Although he was a martial arts expert, he was too young and had no experience in the martial arts world, so it was easy for him to make friends with the other person.

Now it seems that he was just wishful thinking.

Although Taoist Qingyang is young, he is extremely intelligent and wary of outsiders. His words directly point out the purpose of his visit.

"Master Qingyang, you are joking. I know my own worth, so how could I dare to have any wishful thinking about the Secret of Immortality? Actually, it's nothing. I, Xiangyushan, love making friends all my life. I came here this time because I admire Master Qingyang's martial arts and want to make friends with him."

Xiangyu Mountain is connected to the road.

Chu Yuan said coldly: "It just so happens that I don't like making friends and I have no interest in making friends. Please go."

Chu Yuan was too lazy to make friends with people he didn't agree with. People's hearts are hidden, so who knows what the other party's real purpose is!
Instead of spending this time, he might as well spend it on practicing the "Secret of Immortality".

Besides, he knew the details of the Baling Gang.

Xiang Yushan is a sinister and cunning person with many tricks. He is a villain with extremely strong will, who can endure humiliation and endure hardships.

Chu Yuan remembered that in the original plot, this man first deceived Shuanglong and became friends with Shuanglong, using Shuanglong and the "Eternal Life Secret" to heal himself, but later he turned against Shuanglong and in order to kill Shuanglong, he became a disciple of the Turkic national teacher "Magic Marshal" Zhao Deyan.

But later, Shuanglong used a counter-espionage strategy to alienate the master-disciple relationship between him and Zhao Deyan, and he was killed by Zhao Deyan.

A flash of inspiration flashed through Chu Yuan's mind, and he suddenly realized, "Could it be that Xiang Yushan wanted to make friends with me for the same purpose as he made friends with Shuanglong, to use me to heal his wounds?"

But it was just a guess after all, and Chu Yuan couldn't be sure what the other party's real purpose was.

Seeing Chu Yuan was indifferent and had an attitude of keeping people at a distance, Xiang Yushan said with some regret: "In that case, I'm sorry to bother you, Taoist priest."

Xiang Yushan was about to leave, and then the next moment Chu Yuan shouted: "Wait."

Xiang Yushan was delighted when he heard this, he stopped and turned around, he thought he had impressed Chu Yuan.

Chu Yuan said: "Please close the door for me when you go out."

Hearing this, Xiang Yushan's originally warm heart instantly turned cold again.

Xiang Yushan forced a smile and said, "Yes, Taoist Priest."

After walking out of Chu Yuan's room, Xiang Yushan turned around and closed the door.

"Son!"

Seeing their young master coming out, the two sword-wielding guards guarding the door shouted.

"Ok!"

Xiang Yushan responded.

When he turned around, his expression immediately became gloomy and he walked quickly towards his cabin.

In fact, he had only one purpose in visiting and making friends with Chu Yuan.

That is, he had internal injuries, the reason being that he practiced an unknown internal skill when he was a child, which eventually led to him going astray and suffering internal injuries, so he could not practice superior martial arts.

From childhood to adulthood, he has tried various methods and visited countless masters, but none of them could cure his internal injuries.

He heard from one of the masters that the only hope of curing his internal injuries was the legendary four great books of the world.

But the four great books in the world...

"Atlas of God of War" is something that exists only in legends and no one has ever seen it.

"The Heavenly Demon Strategy" is the Demon Sect's secret method that is not passed on, and he has no connection with the Demon Sect.

"Cihang Sword Canon" is the sect's treasured book of Cihang Jingzhai, which is the leader of the white world. How could he dare to ask Cihang Jingzhai for treatment when he was born to do dirty work for the tyrant Emperor Yang Guang!
Today, when I was on a boat, I happened to meet Taoist Qingyang, who had mastered the "Eternal Life Secret" and was displaying his magical powers at the Puyang County dock.

He thought of taking this opportunity to befriend Chu Yuan, and perhaps in the future he could find a way to get Chu Yuan to help him heal his wounds.

Unfortunately, Chu Yuan was too lazy to pay attention to him.

"But it doesn't matter, there is still a long way to go..."

Xiang Yushan said in his heart.

He glanced behind him at the room where Chu Yuan was, and the gloom on his face faded away, replaced by a smile.

……

"Xiangyu Mountain..."

After Xiang Yushan left, Chu Yuan looked outside the door with a hint of disapproval in his eyes.

Chu Yuan didn't bother to care about Xiang Yushan's real purpose in approaching him. It would be fine if the other party had no ill intentions towards him.

If the other party came with malicious intentions, then the middle-aged nun at the Puyang County dock would be his fate.

In Chu Yuan's opinion, the threat posed by Xiangyu Mountain is not even as great as that of "Yan Ni".

Because "Yanni"'s martial arts are among the best among the acquired ones.

As for Xiang Yushan, his martial arts skills are barely at the first-rate level.

But because of the internal injuries, his true strength is probably only second-rate, or even third-rate...

The two guards beside him were okay, second-rate.

……

In the following days.

Xiangyushan would appear on time every day and visit Chu Yuan once.

When the passenger ship was docked, fine wine and food were prepared for Chu Yuan and Fu Jun'er and sent to their small room.

Chu Yuan refused all of them.

Two days later, Fu Jun'er knocked on the door and walked into Chu Yuan's room. She said to Chu Yuan, who was sitting cross-legged on the wooden bed and had just finished practicing the "Eternal Life Sutra", "Xiang Yushan just wanted to make friends with you. Why are you so cold?"

Chu Yuan looked at Fu Jun'er and said, "He found you and gave you something?"

Seeing that her every move was under Chu Yuan's control, Fu Jun'er felt a chill in her heart.

But she thought that she lived next door to Chu Yuan. With Chu Yuan's martial arts, he must be well aware of the surrounding movements. Fu Jun'e said, "He did send me something and asked me to say a few good words to you."

As she spoke, Fu Jun'er took out a valuable black wooden box from her sleeve.

Fu Jun'er opened the wooden box and saw a hairpin decorated with agate gems inside.

Look at the dazzling colors on the hairpin, it must be worth a lot of money.

Chu Yuan said: "If someone is being too attentive without any reason, he is either a traitor or a thief. It is up to you whether to accept the gift or not. Don't pay any attention to him."

Fu Jun'er said: "Then I will return the things."

Chu Yuan didn't agree, so she definitely couldn't accept this thing.

What's more, as a disciple of the Goryeo master Fu Cailin, she is not an inexperienced person.

The reason why Xiang Yushan gave her things was not because he wanted to make friends with her, but because he wanted to make friends with Chu Yuan in front of him.

boom!
Just then, there was a loud crash outside the boat, as if it had hit something.

Then the passenger ship shook, and there was a sharp feeling of weightlessness. Outside, there were screams and curses as tourists and people fell down.

Chu Yuan, however, sat cross-legged on the wooden bed steadily, as if he had taken root there. His body swayed with the bed, but there was no sign of falling.

However, Fu Jun'er was caught off guard and stumbled, falling, and her forehead hit the edge of the wooden bed, causing her to be knocked unconscious.

When Fu Jun'er stood up again, there was blood on her fair forehead and a blood mark.

"You really don't know how to be gentle with women. You didn't even help me up when I fell."

After Fu Jun'er stood up, she looked at Chu Yuan, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed as if nothing had happened, and said angrily.

Chu Yuan said nonchalantly, "It's okay. You are a congenital master anyway, with thick skin and flesh. Even if your true qi is sealed, it won't matter if you fall."

Fu Jun'er said angrily: "It wasn't you who fell, so of course you say it's nothing!"

She felt that every time she was with Chu Yuan, she would always be angered by him.

Chu Yuan looked innocent: "I'm a Taoist priest. Being kind to women and girls has nothing to do with me, okay?"

Fu Jun'er was so angry that her face turned blue and she was speechless.

Because what Chu Yuan said was correct and there was nothing wrong with it.

"I am Princess Shan Wanjing of Dongming, and I would like to see Taoist Qingyang."

Just then, a clear girl's voice came from outside the boat.

(End of this chapter)