Chapter 119: The “Warm-up”
An aurora broke out of the night and reddened clouds of tens of thousands of leagues. It dawned into the ditation room and poured brightness inside.
Perceiving the grand sun rise and switch between day and night, ng Qi opened his eyes from ditation in Dhyana. Shining dense golden rays, his eyes saw an assortnt of colors, as well as billowing purple gas. Into his ears clearly entered the chirping and crawling of insects and the yell and whisper of winds. The quietude of night was replaced by the pulsation of life.
After days of hard practice, not only his Ear Aperture was solidified, but also the defects of his Eye Aperture, caused when he forced them to open with elixir without ti to stabilize, were removed, and brought him onto a new stage.
This only was well deserved for the spending of Samsara Ticket!
ng Qi spun the string of beads in his left hand unconsciously. Except for the expected slow progression of Golden Bell Shield and Transformation Strategy, he had achieved his goal in all other aspects. The only pity was that he had not found other relics of Master Yuan ng and failed to acquire any valuable news after even dozen days of stay in Changhua Temple. The only clue was still the letter saying Where to find Spirit Mountain.
“Doo! Doo! Doo!” Soone was knocking on the door.
“Donor Che, Donor Xiang, you may open the door and enter.” After having opened Ear Aperture, ng Qi could easily identify the sounds of others’ footsteps.
With a rusty sound of the door, Che Wanxiu walked in with her husband, smiling deferentially.
“Master, Mr. Leisure told us you were leaving soon, are you?” Che Wanxiu asked softly.
Spinning the Prayer Beads, ng Qi transford himself into the status of a “High Monk”. “Amitabha. The secular association is about to end. I have already prayed for the one for whom fate had destined, and should have no lingering over the mortal world.”
Che Wanxiu said regretfully, “Master’s bladesmanship could connect to the Heaven. It has been a great learning opportunity for . It’s a pity we’re only destined to be together for forty days or so.”
She paused and continued, “I happened to know that Mr. Leisure has been collecting normal martial scriptures for you, especially the ones about sealing acupoints. I have brought a book from my ho for you to give it a try. It is “Snowlt Acupinning Hand”.
Much obliged to ng Qi’s “reconstructing” of her, she wanted to show her appreciation, so she alluded to Duan Xiangfei and managed to know what the Senior Monk wanted. Duan Xiangfei knew her thoughts before she even finished her words, so he ntioned to her his need of the scriptures of sealing acupoints. Actually, Snowlt Acupinning Hand of Che Family was as famous as its “Snow Falling Bladesmanship”.
“Donor Che is very kind. I am deeply honored.” ng Qi knew her intention and accepted tacitly. He needed exactly a decent kungfu on sealing acupoints.
Che Wanxiu was relieved as she had been afraid of being declined. If she could not reciprocate with sothing for such a great grace, she worried that she would be afflicted by her conscience and consequently lose concentration on martial practice.
ng Qi browsed through the script with a blue cover, and realized that though it was not a top-shelf sealing acupoints kungfu, it was still of Enlightennt level, better than the sealing acupoints and disacupinning arts appended to Golden Bell Shield anyway, and it will suffice for a short term.
“Maester, this is a copied version. You may keep it and read slowly.” Che Wanxiu and Mr. Xiang were afraid of disturbing his practice, so they left the script and went on their way.
Sealing acupoints was a practical art. ng Qi had a rather deep inner qi kungfu as well as so basic knowledge and martial foundation, so it was not hard for him to get started. While he was engaged in reading, a sound of knockings on the door ca again.
“Donor Luo, please co in.” ng Qi smiled and shook his head.
Still dressed in white, Luo Qing was grim without emotion in his face. “Maester, these are so of my sword scripts and experiences of practice. They could serve as advisors while you practice sword arts.”
How many white clothes does this guy own… ng Qi thought sothing bizarre. He did not decline but accepted with pleasure. For his hesitation would make Luo Qing embarrassed and would show little tact.
Luo Qing was not a talkative person, so he just left after having presented his gifts. ng Qi resud his reading of Snowlt Acupinning Hand. Before long ca another knocking on the door.
“Old Duan, co in. Why don’t you co together?” ng Qi said helplessly.
Duan Xiangfei ca into the ditation room, smiling, his left hand holding a long sword sheathed in a dark golden scabbard. “Giving presents should be an act done discreetly. When done if front of them I would worry that my gift would seem either too good or too bad.”
Appreciation of gifts calls for reciprocation of presents, but if one’s present was not as precious as others’, it would be awkward. Yet if one’s gift was too much better, one may make other present-givers embarrassed and cause unnecessary rancor. So it was better to send respectively and do not know what other people gave.
“You are reasonable anyway you put it.” ng Qi smiled and shook his head. The old fox was indeed sophisticated. “It seems that this long sword is a gift you will give ?”
Duan Xiangfei laughed. “Aye. I see that you have a good blade but not a good sword, so I dared to present you with this.”
He paused and said, “This sword was a treasure which I had belonged to Snow God Palace for generations, and it’s the very sword I was wearing before my five fingers of right hand slashed off. It’s called “Ice Portal Sword”. I once passed it to Mingcheng, but he had not practiced enough swords but preferred palmstrikes, leaving the sword an dust-covered useless ornant. If he wants to practice so day I can still find many good ones at ho for him.”
As an old fox, he certainly knew the sword was too precious to be accepted without hesitation, so he explained exhaustively.
ng Qi nodded, accepting this “Ice Portal Sword”, and had it unsheathed slowly.
During the drawing out, the sword and the scabbard harmonized lodiously. Even by tis sound one could tell how sharp it was.
The size and thickness were normal, but the material seed transparent. It was as if forged by Frigid Crystal, covered by a layer of frigid Qi.
Sharp with its own frigid Qi, it might yield freezing side-effect while cutting the enemy… ng Qi estimated the sword generally through his perception. Then he sheathed it and laid it aside.
After Duan Xiangfei left, ng Qi finally gained quietness. He resud reading the sealing acupoints art.
About dusk and supper ti, a reception monk ca in with a letter. “Junior Brother Zhen Ding, soone sent you a letter.”
The reception monk and ng Qi now were quite familiar with each other and called each other brothers.
ng Qi took the letter in confusion. He had acquainted himself with only a few people in this world. Who would have sent this letter? Cui Jinxiu? Zhang Zongxian and his wife? The Four ritocrats in the South of the Yangtze River?
Upon the envelop he saw a seal, which was a figure of swarthy palm. The palm stretched its five fingers and showed a sense of evil.
“This is the symbol of Gai Yuan.” Duan Xiangfei recognized it imdiately. “He had gone missing in Jianghu for two years. Now he actually ca back for the sake of you.”
“The Reincarnated Skyscraping Devil, Gai Yuan?” ng Qi nodded, and checked the envelop circumspectly. Then he unsealed and withdrew the letter.
“Having heard your bladestrike that connects the heaven and breaks the Man-God limit, I was much elated, for finally there is soone worthy of suffering my power. I have opened all three Secret Chambers. Tomorrow noon I will co by and battle with you. Please await and do not escape. Gai Yuan.”
“Had he opened the Secret Chamber of Spirit?” Che Wanxiu was consternated while ng Qi was reading the letter. Gai Yuan was at about the sa level as her, with the Secret Chambers of Qi and Energy opened. Though they had their own specialized moves, they were both weaker than Cui Xu, and other grandmasters who had opened the Secret Chamber of Spirit. But now that he had secretly opened the Secret Chamber of spirit, he had beco the first ever the master who opened all the Secret Chambers!
This must be the most astounding news besides the advent of Master Zhen Ding!
Duan Xiangfei froze for a while, then he sighed deeply. “Ti and tide wait for no man. I’m indeed lacking in vigor compared to Gai Yuan. He hasn’t shown up in Jianghu, probably because of his concentration on the opening of Secret Chamber of Spirit.”
Gai Yuan was a dozen years younger than him and was in his pri.
Luo Qing said nothing and touched the long sword by his waist.
ng Qi smiled and put down the letter. “Then I should await Gai Yuan to co.”
As the Reincarnated Skyscraping Devil, Gai Yuan had hands of butchers and had committed lots of cris. ng Qi needed not to reserve his strength.
“Maester, you must be careful. Though Gai Yuan has not concentrated his Aperture acupoints and opened the Nine Innate Apertures, having three Secret Chambers opened is still formidable,” Che Wanxiu said with concern.
Duan Xiangfei also nodded. “Three opened Secret Chamber will be united as one. His strength is at least above mine.”
Snow God Palace had recorded much this kind of knowledge, so Duan Xiangfei understood a lot.
ng Qi said emotionlessly, “I understands. I will not belittle him.”
At such a fine mont! Soone is going to be experinted under my sword before my departure! I will try to wield my whole power with one bladestrike, without using the Sacrifice Formula!
For when facing An Guoxie, he had to end him as quickly as possible. As long as he found it out and regained his attention, An Guoxie would still be able to escape even after he was deeply wounded. Then ng Qi would worry about future danger!
Therefore, this combat would be a “warm-up” before the battle against An Guoxie!
The second day, the sky was cloudy and somber at around noon.
Gai Yuan had deliberately dispersed the news of this challenge, drawing all the martial pros around who aspired to seeing the Three-Secret-Chamber-opened versus A Bladestrike Connecting Heaven.
How could they miss this grand martial tourney? All the heroes in Jianghu, devils and swordsman who could co in ti, assembled inside Changhua Temple, cramming into every corner on the roof, on the tree, and around the square.
“Swordsman Nie, what do you think? Will the Reincarnated Skyscraping Devil be able to defeat Master Zhen Ding?” A curious guy asked a swordsman who was modestly famous.
Swordsman Nie sneered. “Even if Gai Yuan has opened three Secret Chambers, he rely touched the Man-God Border. How can he rival with Master Zhen Ding, whose one bladestrike could connect with God and break space. Gai Yuan will definitely lose.”
“I don’t think so. If Gai Yuan knows he will lose, why would he still co? He should be confident enough to win.”
“Master Zhen Ding defeated Master Che, the ‘Snow Falling Blade’, even without moving his body and feet. He was clearly much stronger than grandmasters.” Swordsman Nie said assertively.
“Possibly. Gai Yuan might only want to challenge Master Zhen Ding and improve himself, and make the breakthrough into Man-God Border. Hey, let’s wager on how many moves he could take before he loses.”
“Ten moves at least, I guess?”
“If he uses the Heaven-connecting bladesmanship, ten moves are too many.”
“Yes, with that bladesmanship, even Gai Yuan has opened three Secret Chambers, Gai Yuan could resist no more than three moves.”
“Should be around five.”
“You wanna a bet?”
Soon there were many gambling pools set up among those heroes. This situation was quite common.
Suddenly soone exclaid lowly, “The Devil arrived.”
On the stair up to the square, a man in black dress and shoes paced over. He was about 40-year-old, a face without beard. Though he looked normal, everyone knew he was an atrocious guy. He had crashed dead a baby, whose father was a swordsman of a righteous path and unwilling to yield to him. And this was only a minor one of many cris committed by this Skyscraping Devil.
Gai Yuan was on the square. He stood aside and waited. The cloud was dark and thick. The sky was even gloomier.
“Master Zhen Ding is coming!” Roars of acclaims undulated.
Of the Great Buddha’s Hall paced out a young monk in white frock, his face handso with hidden solemnity, his garb, shoes and stockings immaculate, a dark red Commandnt Blade suspended to the right of his waist, and a long sword in a golden scabbard to the left. He seed to be coming out of mortal world placidly.
“Truly really stylish!” Nurous people praised silently.
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