Physical enlightenment begins with Xingyi Quan

Chapter 80 The Job (Please subscribe!)

On the west side of Dizi Peak, there is a small courtyard in the upper room.

Inside the quiet room, Chen Jianghe sat cross-legged.

After this period of arduous cultivation, the first level of the "Return to Origin" technique of the "Dead Tree Rejuvenates" has reached its final stage.

He could clearly feel that the internal energy within him, refined by the "Return to Origin" mental technique, was becoming increasingly pure and solid, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, slowly converging towards a certain critical point.

[Current Skill: Withered Tree Rejuvenates (Return to Origin 99%)]

"Just a hair's breadth away—"

Chen Jianghe discarded his last distracting thoughts and completely immersed himself in the circulation of Qi throughout his body.

The "Return to Origin" mental technique circulates repeatedly in the meridians. With each rotation, the Qi and blood become more refined, and the strength becomes more complete.

I don't know how much time passed.

"Bomb One" 6

It felt as if some barrier within my body had been quietly broken through.

Chen Jianghe's blood and qi surged throughout his body, his muscles and bones resonated, and his internal organs echoed!

Mastery of Transformation Technique!

Chen Jianghe slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them before he regained his composure.

"It's done."

Chen Jianghe took a deep breath, feeling the completely different power within his body.

The difference between the Great Perfection of Transformation and the Lesser Perfection of Transformation may seem to be only one level, but in reality, they are worlds apart.

If the minor stage of mastering the Transformation of Force is described as "the force is perfectly integrated and can penetrate ten steps through the body," then the major stage of mastering the Transformation of Force is described as "the Qi and blood are in harmony, and the force flows smoothly."

It is not only more powerful, but more importantly, the control over power has reached a whole new level.

Next, one can begin cultivating the second level, "No Leakage," and move towards the perfection of Transformation Force.

[Current Skill: Withered Tree Rejuvenates (1% Flawless)]

[Effects: Unifies Qi and blood, promotes unimpeded energy flow]

He walked into the courtyard and assumed the stance of the Twelve Forms Fist.

Dragon-like claws reaching out, tiger-like predators pouncing, monkey-like leaping, horse-like galloping—

Now that he has mastered the Transformation Realm, his guidance of Qi and blood is smoother when practicing the Twelve Forms Fist. With each form he strikes, the corresponding internal organs feel warm and comfortable, as if they are being soaked in warm water.

Current skill: Twelve Forms Fist (Beginner Level 89%)

Today he plans to visit the sect's mission hall.

Cultivation requires resources, and within the Xingyi Sect, disciples mainly obtain resources through two means: one is the monthly allowance distributed by the sect, and the other is by taking on sect missions to earn rewards.

As a newly recruited disciple of Lingmu Academy, the meager allowance was truly insufficient.

Chen Jianghe put his identity token, willow-leaf dart pouch, and the well-worn "Illustrated Compendium of Herbs" into his pocket, locked the courtyard gate, and headed towards the mission hall halfway up Disciple Peak.

The Mission Hall is located on a hillside platform, with green tiles and white walls, and two lifelike stone lions holding pearls in front of the door.

Although it was only 3:45 AM, the hall was already bustling with people.

The Xingyi Sect has over ten thousand disciples. Apart from those prodigies who have been accepted as true disciples by the sect leader and elders, most inner disciples need to take on missions to maintain their cultivation.

Chen Jianghe stepped into the main hall.

The hall was spacious, with wooden plaques hanging on all four walls. Each plaque listed the task details, reward, and requirements for accepting the task.

In the very center was a long counter, with three deacons sitting behind it, responsible for registering and distributing task cards.

Chen Jianghe's gaze swept over the wooden sign on the wall.

The tasks were varied: some went to the medicinal herb fields of Baicao Peak to tend the herbs, some went to the Chuan Gong Pavilion to organize the classics, some went to Changxi Prefecture at the foot of the mountain to purchase supplies, and some went to patrol and guard various parts of the sect.

The remuneration also varied, ranging from tens of taels of silver to hundreds of taels.

Chen Jianghe examined it carefully for a moment, and finally the light fell on a dark brown wooden plaque.

"Patrol the perimeter of Hunting Ground No. 7 (Category C), two hours daily. Requirements: Core Formation cultivation level, familiarity with the mountain and forest terrain. Reward: One hundred taels of silver and twenty catties of exotic beast meat."

The hunting grounds are a training area designated by the Xingyi School in the Qingyan Mountains. Within the area, exotic beasts are raised for disciples to hone their skills in combat and supplement their diet.

The outer patrol mission was not dangerous, the pay was reasonable, and it didn't take long, which was perfect for a disciple like him who needed time to cultivate diligently.

Chen Jianghe walked to the counter and handed over his identity card: "Disciple accepts mission number seven of type C."

The steward behind the counter was a thin man in his forties. He took the wooden plaque, examined it, and glanced up at Chen Jianghe: "A new disciple of Lingmu Academy?"

"Yes."

The steward nodded, picked up his pen to register the task, took off the task card and handed it to Chen Jianghe, then suddenly lowered his voice: "The steward on duty at Hunting Ground No. 7 of Class C today is Sun Hongyao from the Golden Pivot Academy. This person—has a rather bad temper."

He paused, then added, "Since you are a disciple of Lingmu Academy, listen to instructions and speak less when you go there."

Chen Jianghe's heart stirred, and he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Deacon."

The deacon waved his hand and said no more.

Chen Jianghe put away his mission token, turned around and left the mission hall, heading down the mountain.

Hunting Ground No. 7 of the Bingzi series is located on the southeast side of the Qingyan Mountains, about 20 li away from Dizi Peak.

Chen Jianghe used the Shadow Step technique, his figure moving swiftly along the rugged mountain path, and arrived at his destination in less than half an hour.

This is the entrance to a valley, with steep cliffs on both sides. A wooden fence is set up at the entrance of the valley, and a simple wooden house is built next to the fence.

At this moment, three people, one woman and two men, were standing in front of the wooden house.

The woman was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old. She was dressed in the Jinshu Academy's tight-fitting clothes, which were extremely close-fitting and accentuated her full and proud breasts and firm and slender legs.

Behind her stood two young disciples, both dressed in the Golden Pivot Academy attire. One was sturdy, and the other was tall and thin. They were both keeping their heads down, not daring to breathe.

"Useless! He can't even lead the way properly!"

The woman snapped, her voice shrill: "I sent you to the East Third District to count the number of beasts, and what did you do? You came back after all that and told me 'about thirty'? About? I need an exact number! Precisely, down to each and every one!"

The sturdy disciple turned pale and stammered, "Manager Sun, that...that forest is too dense, and the strange beasts are always moving—"

"Shut up!" Sun Hongyao interrupted him, her eyes full of disdain. "How did the Golden Privy Academy produce such trash? You can't even count properly. When you go to the battlefield, will you be unable to even count the enemies?"

The tall, thin disciple couldn't help but defend himself: "Senior Sister Sun, we really did our best, that area was indeed—"

"Snapped!"

A crisp slap across the face.

The tall, thin disciple staggered backward after being slapped, his left cheek instantly swelling up.

"How dare you call me 'Senior Sister'?" Sun Hongyao withdrew her hand, her voice icy. "Here, I'm in charge! Who are you?! If you dare say another word, your entire month's allowance will be deducted!"

The two disciples covered their faces and dared not speak again.

Upon seeing this, Chen Jianghe immediately understood that this was the "not-so-good-tempered" Steward Sun.

He stepped forward and stopped five steps in front of the three people, clasped his hands and said, "Chen Jianghe, a disciple of Lingmu Academy, has come to report for duty to patrol the outer perimeter of Hunting Ground No. 7, Class C."

Sun Hongyao turned her head and looked Chen Jianghe up and down.

When she saw the "Lingmu" wooden plaque on Chen Jianghe's waist, her eyes flashed with undisguised contempt.

"Lingmu Academy?" Sun Hongyao scoffed. "Another one here just loafing around and collecting their share?"

Chen Jianghe's expression remained unchanged: "This disciple has come on orders. Please arrange the patrol area, steward."

"Arrangements?" Sun Hongyao's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Sure. Since you're here, don't just sit around."

She turned and pointed into the depths of the valley: "See that fork in the road? Left is the East District, right is the West District. Originally, we only needed to patrol the outer three miles of the East District today, but since you're here—"

She paused, her voice suddenly turning cold: "Patrol both the eastern and western districts, covering an area of ​​five li in radius. Report back before sunset. If any strange beasts cross the border or the fence is damaged, mark and report it immediately. For each place missed, ten taels of your reward will be deducted."

Chen Jianghe frowned slightly.

The task board clearly states that the task is to patrol the perimeter of Hunting Ground No. 7 (C1), and each day only requires patrolling a fixed area for two hours.

The area is more than three times larger than the five-mile perimeter of the east and west districts. Moreover, the terrain is complex, so even if you travel at full speed, it will take most of a day.

Not to mention the need to carefully examine the tracks of strange beasts and the condition of the fences.

"Manager Sun," Chen Jianghe began, his voice calm, "the patrol area listed on the mission board is only three miles outside the eastern district. The western district is not within the mission area."

Sun Hongyao's face darkened: "What, does my word not carry weight?"

"As a disciple, I accept a mission according to the sect's rules and shall carry it out accordingly." Chen Jianghe said neither humbly nor arrogantly. "If the manager wishes to change the scope of the mission, he must report to the Mission Hall, change the mission card, and adjust the remuneration. This is stipulated in Article 327 of the sect rules."

Sun Hongyao was taken aback.

She never expected that this new disciple of Lingmu Academy would dare to talk back to her face and even invoke the sect rules.

"Very well, very well indeed." Sun Hongyao laughed in exasperation. "Lingmu Academy has truly made something of itself; every disciple they've trained is sharp-tongued. Fine, we'll follow the rules then, shall we?"

She turned to the two disciples of the Golden Pivot Academy: "Xu Tian, ​​Liu Yu, you two take him to the East District. Just as the mission board says, three li. Don't go even a step more!"

The sturdy disciple named Xu Tian quickly replied, "Yes, Steward Sun."

Sun Hongyao then looked at Chen Jianghe, her eyes turning cold: "But listen to me carefully. If anything goes wrong in the Eastern District during the patrol—whether it's a beast injuring someone, a fence being breached, or even just a single missing stake—the responsibility will fall entirely on you. Losing your entire reward will be the least of your worries; I will report this to the sect and have you punished for dereliction of duty!"

This is a blatant threat.

Chen Jianghe simply nodded: "This disciple understands."

Having said that, he stopped looking at Sun Hongyao and turned to Xu Tian and Liu Yu: "Senior brothers, please lead the way."

The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with helplessness.

The eastern perimeter is a dense forest of cedar trees.

The trees are tall, their branches and leaves blocking out the sun, making the forest dimly lit.

Xu Tian walked ahead and whispered to Chen Jianghe, "Junior Brother Chen, that's just how Steward Sun is, don't take it to heart. She's always looked down on us ordinary disciples, let alone those from Lingmu Academy."

Chen Jianghe nodded: "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother Xu."

Liu Yu covered his face and said in a muffled voice, "You're lucky today, you brought up the sect rules. Last month, a disciple from the Hou Tu Academy was forcibly sent by Sun Hongyao to the depths of the western district to count the exotic beasts, and he encountered a crazed Ironback Leopard," and almost lost his life there.

When he returned, Sun Hongyao blamed him for disturbing the strange beast and deducted three months' worth of his allowance.

Chen Jianghe understood.

-

This Sun Hongyao is clearly taking advantage of her position as a manager to bully ordinary disciples, especially those who are not from the Golden Pivot Academy.

The three of them continued on their way, inspecting the fence along the way.

The fence was made of hardwood as thick as a bowl driven into the ground and tied with vines, about ten feet high, separating the hunting ground from the outside.

Most of the fence is intact, with only a few sections slightly loosened due to wind and rain.

Chen Jianghe took out a charcoal pencil and a notebook from his pocket and marked the loosened positions one by one.

After walking for more than an hour, we had gone three miles into the forest.

A stream appeared ahead, its waters babbling, and the fence on the opposite bank extended into the dense forest.

"This is about enough." Xu Tian stopped. "Ahead is the inner perimeter of the hunting grounds, where strange beasts often appear. Our cultivation level is not high enough, and it would be too dangerous for us to go in."

Chen Jianghe nodded and was about to turn back.

At that very moment—

"laugh!"

A very faint whooshing sound came from the dense forest on the left!

Chen Jianghe's pupils contracted sharply, and almost the instant the sound rang out, he darted to the right!

"puff!"

A handful of white powder fell across his left shoulder, most of it missing its mark, with only a small amount sticking to his clothes.

Lime powder!

Chen Jianghe felt a chill run down his spine, and with a sudden stomp of his foot, his body shot backward like an arrow!

Almost simultaneously, two more whooshing sounds pierced the air!

This time it wasn't lime powder, but two jet-black spears, whistling sharply, aimed straight at his chest and throat!

The angle was tricky, and the timing was ruthless!

A cold glint flashed in Chen Jianghe's eyes. Without dodging or avoiding, he reached for his waist with his right hand and three willow-leaf darts were already between his fingers!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three streaks of azure light shot out from his hand, arriving first despite being launched later!

"Ding! Ding!"

Two willow-leaf darts struck the spear precisely, deflecting it.

The third dart flew in an arc and into the dense forest on the left!

"ah"

A short, painful scream came from the woods.

Without stopping, Chen Jianghe used his Shadow Step technique to pounce into the forest like a ghost!

Xu Tian and Liu Yu then realized what was happening, their faces turning pale with horror: "An enemy attack!"

The two hurriedly drew their weapons and followed closely behind.

Deep in the dense forest, two dark figures were about to flee.

One of them was hit in the right shoulder by a dart, bleeding profusely and moving slowly.

Upon seeing this, the other person did not hesitate at all and turned to flee alone!

"Trying to leave?"

Chen Jianghe snorted coldly, his figure leaping out like a cheetah, his five fingers forming claws, aiming straight for the wounded man's back!

The man turned around in horror, raised his left hand, and threw out another handful of lime powder!

Chen Jianghe already knew how to use lime. He held his breath, twisted his body to avoid the lime powder, and continued to strike with his right claw, which landed hard on Chen Jianghe's shoulder blade!

The power of a fully-developed Transformation Realm expert erupted with a thunderous roar!

"Snap!"

Fragmented scapula!

The man let out a miserable cry and collapsed to the ground.

The other man had already escaped three zhang away. When he turned around and saw his companion captured, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced, raising his hands repeatedly, and six or seven iron caltrops shot out like a rainstorm!

Chen Jianghe remained expressionless, and with a flick of his left hand at his waist, he obtained five more willow-leaf darts.

With a slight flick of the wrist, a series of blue lights flashed!

"Ding ding ding ding"

Five darts accurately struck five caltrops, knocking them down.

The remaining two caltrops were already at his face!

Chen Jianghe neither dodged nor avoided, but raised his right hand and gently plucked the strings of a pipa with his five fingers.

The two barbed wire spikes seemed to hit an invisible wall, their trajectories deflected, and they pierced the tree trunk beside them with two "thud" sounds.

The man was terrified and turned to flee again.

But Chen Jianghe will not give him another chance.

With a burst of speed, he moved like an arrow released from a bow, catching up to him in three breaths and throwing out his right fist!

"Bang!"

The man was punched in the back, and his whole body flew forward like a broken sack, crashing into a cedar tree. He spat out blood and collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

From the moment they were attacked to the moment they were subdued, it took only ten breaths.

Xu Tian and Liu Yu arrived just then. Looking at the two men in black who were unable to move on the ground, and then at Chen Jianghe who had a calm expression, their eyes were filled with horror.

This junior brother from Lingmu Academy—his skills are truly remarkable?

Chen Jianghe walked up to the first person who had been captured, squatted down, and pulled off his mask.

He was a man in his forties with a sharp, muscular face, but at that moment, his face was deathly pale from the pain of his fractured shoulder.

"Who are you people?" Chen Jianghe asked.

The man gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Without wasting words, Chen Jianghe gripped Chen Jianghe's left shoulder with his right hand and subtly released his energy.

"Ah—" The man screamed again, feeling as if steel needles were piercing the tendons in his left arm, the pain reaching his very bones.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" He couldn't hold back any longer. "We are—the fourth and fifth of the Black Mountain Five Bandits—we've come to scout out the area today, to find out the weak points in the hunting ground's fence so we can sneak in at night to poach exotic beasts—"

"The Five Bandits of Black Mountain?" Xu Tian's expression changed. "The same bandits wanted by Changxi Prefecture? I heard that all five are at the Transformation Realm cultivation level, specializing in targeting the hunting grounds and medicinal fields of various sects, committing more than ten crimes, and taking no fewer than twenty lives!"

Chen Jianghe's eyes turned cold.

He got up and walked to the other person.

The man's injuries were slightly less severe, but Chen Jianghe's punch had still punctured his lungs and internal organs. He was currently curled up on the ground, coughing up blood incessantly.

Just as Chen Jianghe was about to interrogate him, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him.

Sun Hongyao arrived in haste with four disciples from the Golden Pivot Academy.

She had clearly heard the sounds of fighting.

"What's going on?!" Sun Hongyao demanded sharply, her gaze sweeping over the two people on the ground before turning to Chen Jianghe, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Xu Tian quickly stepped forward and recounted what had happened.

Upon hearing this, Sun Hongyao's expression changed, and she quickly walked to the two bandits to examine them carefully.

When she saw a black iron token protruding from the waist of one of the men, her eyes suddenly lit up.

She reached out and tore off the token, turning it over to see a ferocious wolf's head engraved on the back.

"Black Mountain Order—" Sun Hongyao muttered to herself, a glint of greed in her eyes, "It really is the Black Mountain Five Bandits! These two are the fourth and fifth, and the other three—"

She looked up abruptly at Chen Jianghe: "Did they say where the lair is?"

Chen Jianghe shook his head: "I haven't had time to ask in detail yet."

Sun Hongyao ignored him, squatted down, grabbed the fourth man by the collar, and shouted, "Speak! Where is your hideout? Are the other three here?"

The fourth brother's face contorted in pain, but he gritted his teeth and remained silent.

A fierce glint flashed in Sun Hongyao's eyes, and she gripped his throat with her right hand: "Won't talk? I'll crush your throat right now!"

The fourth brother's eyes rolled back as she pinched him, and he finally managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth: "West—west—thirty li—Black Wind Cave—"

"Black Wind Cave—" Sun Hongyao released her grip, stood up, and showed excitement on her face. "Good! Very good!"

She turned to the four disciples of the Golden Pivot Academy behind her: "You two, take these two bandits back to the sect and hand them over to the Enforcement Hall."

"You two, come with me to Black Wind Cave!"

The four disciples looked at each other in bewilderment.

One of them hesitated and said, "Manager Sun, the Black Mountain Five Bandits are notorious, and their leader, Black Wolf, is at the peak of the Transformation Realm. We few—we're afraid we're not up to the task. Perhaps we should return to the sect and report to the Enforcement Hall, requesting that they send an expert—"

"Useless!" Sun Hongyao scolded. "By the time the people from the Enforcement Hall arrive, the bandits will have already fled! The Black Mountain Five Bandits have committed countless atrocities; wiping them out would be a tremendous achievement! Besides, their lair must contain treasures and valuables plundered over the years! If we don't go now, when will we?"

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Chen Jianghe, then suddenly sneered, "What, scared? My Golden Pivot Academy is the most ruthless in the sect! Giving in like this?"

The two disciples blushed and dared not speak further.

Sun Hongyao then looked at Chen Jianghe, her tone mocking: "As for you, from Lingmu Academy, aren't you supposed to follow the rules? Fine, I'm ordering you now, as the manager, to scout ahead and lead us to Black Wind Cave!"

Chen Jianghe frowned: "Steward Sun, my task is to patrol the perimeter, not to suppress bandits. The Black Mountain Five Bandits are dangerous; it would be best to report this to the sect."

"If you're afraid of death, just say so!" Sun Hongyao sneered. "Ling Muyuan is so timid and cowardly, does he even deserve to be called a disciple of Xingyi Sect? Xu Tian and Liu Yu, you two take him under your wing! If he dares to back down, treat him as disobeying orders and send him back to the sect for punishment!"

Xu Tian and Liu Yu looked bitter, but dared not disobey. They could only look at Chen Jianghe with their eyes full of apology.

Chen Jianghe remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Is Steward Sun determined to go?"

"Enough with the nonsense!" Sun Hongyao said impatiently. "If you utter another word, I'll cripple your cultivation right now as an example to others!"

Chen Jianghe said no more, turned to Xu Tian and Liu Yu: "Senior brothers, let's go."

Seeing that he had given in, Sun Hongyao smiled smugly and waved her hand, saying, "Let's go! Black Wind Cave!"

A group of six people, escorting Chen Jianghe in front, headed west into the depths of the dense forest.

Chen Jianghe walked at the front, his face calm, but his heart was as cold as ice.

Sun Hongyao was greedy for merit and reckless. For the sake of credit and wealth, he even wanted to lead a few ordinary disciples to raid the bandit's den.

The leader of the Black Mountain Five Bandits was at the peak of the Transformation Realm, and the other two must not be weak either.

This journey is more likely to bring misfortune than good fortune.

However, Sun Hongyao, as the person in charge, was forcibly suppressing him. If he were to turn against her now, it would be a violation of the rules of the sect, giving her an excuse to make trouble.

"That's enough—"