Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 25 Iron Teeth and Bronze Teeth
Lu Chenyuan sat cross-legged on the Sumeru pedestal, with the Thunder Hammer placed horizontally in front of his knees.

The golden lion curled up behind him, its belly pressed against his back, its huge body encircling him, yawning somewhat boredly and occasionally flicking its tail.

Lu Chenyuan held his breath and focused his mind, extending his right hand to press lightly on the hammer's surface.

As soon as the power was applied, the hammer vibrated with a "hum," and the cloud and thunder patterns on the octagonal copper pillar shimmered with a dark purple light, with faint sounds of wind and thunder.

After absorbing the cold iron spearhead, the golden energy in his body became even more intense, and the suction power increased greatly. He was no longer limited to holding the golden energy in his mouth. Fortunately, he didn't have to eat it anymore, otherwise he wouldn't be able to hold the hammer in his mouth and would have to "gnaw" on it.

Just thinking about that scene makes me a little nervous.

Lu Chenyuan secretly rejoiced. He would have to tell the princess next time that he appreciated her kindness, but he also had to consider the edibility of the food. It was too big for her to handle. However, although he didn't need to swallow it, he still needed to place it close to his palm and make the most of the three acupoints on the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin on his hand: Yuji, Shaoshang, and Taiyuan, to release the golden energy and thus connect with and devour the golden essence in the hammer.

Lu Chenyuan channeled his energy again.

The purplish-copper luster of the hammerhead began to peel away like flowing water, transforming into a wisp of solidified Geng metal energy, which flowed into the lung palace from acupoints such as Shaoshang, Yuji, Taiyuan, and Jingqu!

boom!
The moment the golden energy entered his body, Lu Chenyuan's pores suddenly burst open with silver light.

Unlike the previous chilling aura of cold iron, the Geng metal aura transformed from the Thunder Hammer was imbued with the afterglow of thunder. Once it entered the meridians, it surged and crashed along the Taiyin Lung Meridian of Hand like a raging dragon. Wherever it passed, the meridian walls were scorched with fine thunder patterns.

"Such domineering golden energy..."

Lu Chenyuan was secretly alarmed, but made up his mind: "This is perfect for breaking through acupoints!"

The second stage of cultivation mainly involves opening up the meridians throughout the body to achieve an innate physique.

In the late stage of the second realm, Lu Chenyuan had already opened up all twelve regular meridians and six extraordinary meridians, except for the Ren and Du meridians. However, these two meridians were the most difficult to open, and were known as the "gateway between life and death".

The Ren meridian governs blood and is connected to all Yin meridians, hence it is called the "Sea of ​​Yin Meridians" or the "Sea of ​​Yin Qi".

The Governing Vessel governs Qi and is connected to all Yang vessels, hence it is called the "Sea of ​​Yang Vessels" or "Sea of ​​Yang Qi".

The Ren and Du meridians are the main meridians of the human body. If these two meridians are unblocked, then the eight extraordinary meridians will be unblocked; if the eight extraordinary meridians are unblocked, then all meridians will be unblocked, thus achieving the innate body, connecting the two bridges of heaven and earth, and enabling the spirit to communicate with heaven and earth.

Only then can one absorb the primordial energy of heaven and earth into true energy through the human body, thus achieving faster cultivation.

The Thunder Hammer possessed abundant metal energy, but it was not enough to penetrate all fifty-three major acupoints of the Ren and Du meridians in one go. After a brief consideration, Lu Chenyuan decided to break through the Ren meridian first.

He took a deep breath, his pores opening up to continuously draw in the golden energy.

As the absorption continued, the bronze luster on the surface of the Thunder Hammer began to dim at a visible speed, and the cloud and thunder patterns on the hammer gradually became blurred. In contrast, the silver light in Lu Chenyuan's dantian became brighter and brighter—the golden energy surged endlessly in his sea of ​​qi, like refined iron being forged, constantly bursting out tiny sparks.

His pale complexion gradually regained its color, his parched veins became fuller again, and even the pores all over his body exuded a faint metallic luster.

Wait until you're in peak condition.

Lu Chenyuan's eyes snapped open, a flash of lightning seeming to pass through his pupils—

It's now.

When the metal energy reached the Tanzhong acupoint again, his hand gestures suddenly changed!
The metal energy that should have flowed into the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian through the mental method of the "Golden Palace Classic" was forcibly reversed by his will and rushed towards the Yutang acupoint of the Ren Meridian like a flood breaking through a dam!

moment!

Purple lightning and silver light exploded within the acupoints, and countless strands of golden energy, as fine as cow hair, pierced the meridians like a rain of pear blossom needles.

Lu Chenyuan trembled violently, a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but he still clenched his teeth tightly.

Silver light suddenly shone from the twenty-four acupoints of his Ren meridian, like a galaxy hanging upside down. The golden energy rose from below, unstoppable, and smashed through the Zi Gong and Hua Gai acupoints with overwhelming force. It made a "clang" sound at the Tian Tu acupoint in his throat, and then rose to the Cheng Jiang acupoint in his lower jaw.

A blinding spark suddenly burst from between their teeth!
—The Golden Palace Scripture is the first chapter of the Treasure Book of Swallowing Gold, which is about eating gold. Besides the method of absorbing gold to refine the body, there is only one special method, which is "Iron Teeth and Copper Teeth".

The key to forging teeth capable of chewing metal, even divine weapons, lies in the Ren and Du meridians.

The Governing Vessel (Du Mai) originates in the lower abdomen, ascends along the back of the body, passes behind the neck to the Fengfu acupoint, enters the brain, then ascends along the midline of the head to the Baihui acupoint at the top of the head, descends through the forehead to the Suliao acupoint at the tip of the nose, passes the philtrum, and finally reaches the Yinjiao acupoint in the center of the upper palate.

The Ren meridian also originates in the lower abdomen, ascends along the midline of the abdomen, passes through acupoints such as Guanyuan, reaches the Tiantu acupoint in the throat, then ascends to the inside of the lower lip, encircles the lips, and ends at the Chengjiang acupoint on the lower jaw.

Under the influence of the golden energy.

The Du Meridian is used to refine sixteen teeth on the upper jaw, and the Ren Meridian is used to refine sixteen teeth on the lower jaw. The stronger the metal energy, the deeper the refinement, and the stronger the teeth!

The moment the last acupoint on the Ren meridian, Chengjiang, opened, Lu Chenyuan simultaneously exhaled a three-foot-long silver-purple aura from his mouth and nose. The aura was as solid as a substance, condensed and did not dissipate. It swirled in the hall for several breaths before dissipating. His skin shone with a coppery luster, and under the tempering of lightning, it gradually turned into a deep and restrained texture of black iron. His whole person was like a divine weapon that had been drawn from its sheath!

The most amazing change happens in the blink of an eye—

With each breath, a loud hum resounded from his lungs, drawing in the free-floating golden energy in the air to form tiny specks of light around him, flickering with the rhythm of his breathing, like a galaxy encircling him.

With his Ren meridian open, Lu Chenyuan felt refreshed and invigorated!
However, he did not stop cultivating. Instead, he used the remaining metal energy to temper his teeth.

"Crack!"

A molar in the lower jaw suddenly broke off, but in an instant, it was reshaped by the flow of golden energy, and the new tooth gleamed with the cold light of iron!

"Crack! Click!"

A series of crisp sounds echoed in the Lingni Palace, and Lu Chenyuan's jaw trembled violently.

With each tooth that chipped, an even brighter golden light burst forth from the depths of his gums. By the time his sixteenth lower molar was fully reshaped, his mouth was filled with a chilling light, and the sound of metal clashing could be heard between his teeth.

"Ow?"

Startled by the commotion, the golden lion pricked up its ears and turned to look at Lu Chenyuan. Seeing that Lu Chenyuan was surrounded by a surge of golden energy and making crisp sounds from his mouth, the golden lion was filled with a playful urge. It also gathered its energy, opened its mouth wide, revealing its two rows of neat golden teeth, and bit down hard.

Click click click...

Click click click...

The entire Lingni Palace was like it had been infested with a bunch of gnawing rats.

That strange noise made one's teeth ache.

"..."

As the only listener, Zen Master Yunhe felt both helpless and amused—these two really did cultivate the same kind of internal energy, even managing to have fun together!
It seems I don't need to worry about it anymore.

After laughing, Zen Master Yunhe breathed a sigh of relief. Lu Chenyuan's innate talent was average, but his comprehension and temperament were exceptional.

Metal governs killing and warfare, and the energy of Geng metal is the sharpest. It is not difficult to temper the body and open the meridians with metal energy, but it is difficult to endure the pain of thousands of needles when forcibly opening the acupoints. This energy can harm both others and oneself. If one is slightly distracted, one may go astray and become possessed.

Fortunately, Lu Chenyuan withstood it all and even improved, beginning to grasp the threshold of being a master of words.

From now on, all kinds of iron can be easily crushed and absorbed...

Lu Chenyuan opened his eyes. The Thunder Hammer on his lap had turned to dust. He waved his hand to disperse the dust, but he still felt a metallic taste in his mouth. He frowned and spat several times.

"Bah bah bah..."

Jin Ni, standing nearby, wanted to learn as well.

Lu Chenyuan glared at it, and the golden lion shut its mouth sullenly, snorted, and said, "Don't worry about it."

Zen Master Yunhe walked over with two cups of hot tea, handed one of them to Lu Chenyuan, and said with a smile, "Teeth that have been tempered are full of golden energy, so it's inevitable that you'll feel strange for a day or two. You'll be fine after a day or two."

Lu Chenyuan accepted the book with both hands, thanked it, and asked curiously, "Master seems to know a lot about the 'Gold-Swallowing Treasure Book'?"

"When I was young, I traveled around the world and was fortunate enough to see General Yuchi use his skills."

Zen Master Yunhe stroked his teacup, a look of reminiscence on his face: "In the nineteenth year of the Zhenguan era, Emperor Taizong personally led an expedition against Goguryeo. When he arrived at Mount Zhubi, Goguryeo's foremost archer, Jeon Gaesomun, ambushed him on the mountaintop with the national treasure, the 'Falling Moon Bow.' The arrow came suddenly, piercing through the clouds and scattering the rain. It reached General Yuchi, but he neither dodged nor avoided it. Instead, he laughed loudly, his voice shaking the heavens. Then... he bit the arrowhead, chewing up the divine arrow that everyone in the world feared, and swallowed it whole. Not only was he unharmed, but his momentum also increased. He led his army to a great victory over 150,000 elite Goguryeo troops. Goguryeo's famous general, Gao Yanshou, was terrified in this battle and surrendered to our dynasty with 36,000 men... Even now, thinking back on that scene, I am still awestruck. He truly deserves to be called an unparalleled divine general!"

Zen Master Yunhe praised it highly.

Lu Chenyuan imagined the scene and thought to himself, what kind of teeth and what kind of strength would be needed to intercept the divine bow's flying arrow with just bite force! Indeed, if one could reach that level, destroying divine weapons would be as easy as playing around. Not only would they not pose a threat, but they would also be excellent nourishment.

but……

Childhood travels?

Shouldn't it be teenagers or young adults?

Lu Chenyuan looked at him with some curiosity, leaned back lazily against the golden lion's back, and asked, "How old were you back then, Master?"

"Six years old."

“How big?!”

Lu Chenyuan suddenly looked up, as if he had just heard an incredible number.

Zen Master Yunhe smiled slightly and took a leisurely sip of tea: "Why are you so surprised, benefactor? In ancient times, Xiang Tuo became Confucius's teacher at the age of seven, and Cao Chong astonished the world by weighing an elephant at the age of six. In our Tang Dynasty, Wang Bo was able to compose poems at the age of six, his pen flowing effortlessly. This old monk merely traveled far to observe the battle; what is so remarkable about that?"

"..."

Lu Chenyuan narrowed his eyes and looked him up and down.

Zen Master Yunhe remained calm and composed, leisurely drinking tea.

Lu Chenyuan clasped his hands and said, "Master, you speak with a Jiangnan accent, and at the age of six you knew to travel thousands of miles to Zhubi Mountain to witness the earth-shattering battle. I admire you... May I ask, what else have you noticed?"

Master Yunhe ignored the strangeness in his tone and said directly, "The 'Gold-Swallowing Treasure Manual' is the ultimate skill of our time. Eating gold is just the foundation. Even chewing on divine weapons is merely storing energy and tempering the body. The essence of this skill lies after consuming gold. General Yuchi charged into battle with overwhelming momentum, yet the enemy struggled to even draw their bows and thrust their spears. Do you know why?"

Lu Chenyuan said solemnly, "Please enlighten me."

Zen Master Yunhe said softly, "A hundred refinements of dust and sand forge golden bones, a thousand hammer blows forge the body of the Way. A single point of sharpness is hidden in the lungs, and ten thousand soldiers bow down to the True Lord. Do you understand?"

"?!"

Lu Chenyuan was shocked and even more surprised. He suddenly asked, "When did you shave your head, Master?"

Zen Master Yunhe shook his head: "I can't remember."

When will the master arrive at the residence?

About five or six years ago.

"Does the master harbor any deep-seated hatred?"

"All that is past, not worth mentioning."

Lu Chenyuan asked a question, and Zen Master Yunhe answered it. The more Lu Chenyuan asked, the more serious he became, while the more Zen Master Yunhe answered, the more relaxed he became.

Jin Ni sensed the change in atmosphere, turned to look at the two of them, but didn't feel any murderous intent, so he lazily lay back down.

Lu Chenyuan said, "Master said today that you have the intention to discuss the Dao with me?"

Zen Master Yunhe smiled and said, "That's right."

Lu Chenyuan sighed deeply, his face contorted with worry, and said, "I'm starting to feel a little hesitant to learn it."

"Hahahahaha!"

Zen Master Yunhe suddenly burst into laughter, a wild and unrestrained laugh that showed no trace of a high monk's demeanor. After laughing, he stared intently at Lu Chenyuan, his gaze as fervent as if he were looking at a rare and beautiful jade, and said, "This old monk is even more eager to teach you!"

Lu Chenyuan sighed and glanced at him: "Let's make this clear first, learning is no problem, but I don't care about anything else."

Zen Master Yunhe's smile faded, and he sighed, "That's enough..."

Lu Chenyuan nodded: "That's good. Do we need to become disciples?"

Zen Master Yunhe shook his head: "No need. A free spirit should be unburdened by worldly concerns. Besides, aren't you afraid?"

"Sneaking around, of course."

Lu Chenyuan scratched his head and said, "I never accept favors from others for nothing. You are selfless and have no desires, which makes me feel uneasy."

Zen Master Yunhe smiled: "In the past, Gu Yunsheng held a Dharma assembly by Qujiang Pool, benefiting people all over the world, yet he did not charge a single penny. Although I do not possess the talent of a reclusive immortal, I still have the heart to impart the Dharma and resolve doubts. You need not worry about it. Besides, my techniques are not meant to be used too often, and they might even cause you trouble in the future. I just don't want them to be lost, after all, they represent a lifetime of effort..."

He was no longer just talking about piano skills, but also about the derived sonic techniques.

Lu Chenyuan understood, of course. Seeing his dejected expression, he comforted him, "It's all in the past now. Actually, it's not a big deal... I'm willing to learn and apply what I've learned. Please enlighten me, Master!"

He solemnly clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

It's normal to use the word "master" when addressing a monk. Lu Chenyuan didn't want to cause trouble, but he also didn't want to get something for nothing, so he compromised and used these two words to address him. In fact, in his opinion, it wasn't a big problem, at most a minor inconvenience. After all, it was the rich woman who brought this big shot into the mansion, so if there were any problems, she would be the one to take the blame first.

Zen Master Yunhe could sense his sincerity and felt comforted and even more satisfied. He reached out to help him up and said kindly, "It is enough that you have this intention. From now on, you can just call me 'Master Yun'. Those two words are easy to misunderstand, but I don't care. For you, it's better to avoid trouble."

Lu Chenyuan said politely, "I'm so sorry... Master Yun, you know so much about the 'Gold-Swallowing Treasure Book,' is there a second and third chapter? Since you're so kind, why don't you teach me?"

"..."

Zen Master Yunhe looked at him with a strange expression.

Lu Chenyuan, thick-skinned and full of anticipation, waited for him to continue.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you..."

Zen Master Yunhe said, “It’s not that I’m hiding anything, but I really don’t know it. This skill is of great importance. Even Yuchi Jingde didn’t pass it on to his descendants. There was only one original copy, which is now kept in Yingxian Palace in Ziwei City. There is also only one copy, which is in Xuanji Pavilion in Princess’s Mansion. You should start with the princess. Otherwise, if you learn it without permission, it will only bring disaster.”

Lu Chenyuan raised an eyebrow and said, "Master Yun, are you asking me to seduce the princess?"

Zen Master Yunhe leisurely sipped his tea: "Aren't you already doing it? It's just like my style back in the day!"

Lu Chenyuan: "..."

Master Yunhe smiled and took a book from his robes, placing it on his seat. "Read this 'Rhapsody on the Qin' first. After you understand it, I will teach you techniques and martial arts. Learn slowly." With that, he turned and strolled leisurely out of the Lingni Hall.

(End of this chapter)