Chapter 313 Fourth Rank! (Seeking monthly votes)
These past two days, Xiao Jinghong has been hiding in Shuzhou Prefecture, so Chen Yi has not been able to cultivate the Four Symbols Technique.
However, the Xuanwu Concealing Breath Technique he had been using allowed him to continuously absorb the profound mysteries of [Martial Arts - Body].
Integrate and master these techniques to enhance your understanding of the three major skills: Four Symbols Skill, Xuanwu Breath Convergence Technique, and Great Spear Stance Skill.
In particular, the Xuanwu Breath Concealing Technique and the Four Symbols Technique have reached the pinnacle of perfection.
Concealing one's cultivation level is even more effective.
Although Chen Yi was unsure whether he could withstand the prying eyes of people like Bai Daxian, he should be able to deceive ordinary high-ranking martial artists.
Secondly, there is the Four Symbols Technique.
As Chen Yi had predicted, the cultivation speed of the perfect Four Symbols Technique was more than twice as fast as before.
Even now, as he cultivates, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth flows into his body, and the rapidly filling Qi Sea True Essence makes him vaguely aware of his own breakthrough opportunity.
Once again, the spear stance training.
Even though Chen Yi hadn't cultivated for several days, his body was still growing. Not only had his strength reached the Six Symbols Force, but his defensive power was also astonishing.
Judging from his physical strength alone, he could withstand a blow from a mid-level third-grade martial artist.
Of course, this is on the premise that the opponent's skill level is not higher than the minor mastery level and that they do not have the blessing of the spiritual essence of heaven and earth.
Besides the most direct improvement from the three major cultivation techniques.
The effects of the Xuanwu Breath-Concealing Technique on nourishing the body and cultivating vital energy have also improved considerably.
The Dragon-Falling Spear, empowered by the Golden Spirit, is 20% sharper and more powerful than before.
The improvement in techniques such as Bengyue Fist, Embroidered Spring Knife Technique, Hundred Flowers Palm, and Playful Dragon and Phoenix is roughly the same.
The only difference is in the power of spiritual energy.
While cultivating, Chen Yi took advantage of the opportunity to circulate true essence through his dantian, meridians, and divine position to sort out his gains.
Time passed by unnoticed.
About an hour and a half later.
Chen Yi suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharpening, and the "spirit" within his Yintang acupoint connected with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
In an instant, the room he was in changed its appearance—
The beds, tables, chairs, and bricks on the ground expanded and changed, transforming into continuous mountains and forests.
The turbulent river rushes down the mountains and valleys.
Immediately afterwards, a huge chessboard rotated and rose up, blotting out the sky and covering everything.
And on the chessboard.
Chen Yi sat upright on a cloud, overlooking the situation on the chessboard, with a chess piece in each hand.
One black, one white.
It was like a holy being looking down upon all living beings.
Chen Yi glanced around and then threw out the chess piece in his hand, which landed on the two star positions diagonally opposite each other.
Then, smoke rose from the chessboard, like mist and smoke, spreading across the mountains and rivers.
A moment later, even Chen Yi's figure disappeared.
—This is the power of perfecting the Way of Go.
Before this, Chen Yi already knew that the way of chess cultivates the spirit, not the divine position mentioned in the Four Symbols Technique, but his own "divine will".
It is also the "spirit" in the concept of essence, energy, and spirit in traditional Chinese medicine.
In fact, each of the four arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—when mastered to its highest level, possesses its own unique power.
In calligraphy, the "character" is transformed into "meaning," directly pointing to the calligrapher's true heart.
The art of painting, known as "painting to life," can make the objects in a painting indistinguishable from the real thing, capable of bewildering, evoking emotions, recalling memories, and even intimidating the viewer...
Chen Yi has not cultivated the art of the zither for long; he has only achieved minor mastery so far, and no divine power or ability can be discerned yet.
Perhaps they could kill people with music, just like the evil sects such as the Illusionary Sound Sect.
The power of Go lies in cultivating "spirit".
Originally, Chen Yi only used the way of chess for deduction, at most expanding the scope to the prefecture city, Shuzhou, and the whole world.
However, after encountering Du Cang and falling into his black magic, Chen Yi extracted this application from the profound mysteries of chess.
It can "divinely" transform the chessboard of heaven and earth, using the pieces on the board to create momentum and energy, concealing and harming the enemy.
Under the cover of the chessboard, he is the "god" here, controlling everything and isolating everything.
Magnificent, upright, and grand.
It is far more domineering than the so-called "Jackal" Du Cang's so-called secret technique of casting spells.
"We should thank him..."
Chen Yi smiled and looked around. Feeling that he no longer needed to worry about being spied on, he released the concealment of the Xuanwu Concealing Breath Technique.
The true essence within the three dantian and twelve meridians surged and flowed like the river below.
His cultivation level was fully revealed, yet no one outside noticed.
Xiao Wuge and Xiao Die, who were closer in distance, were not strong enough.
Although Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang, whose cultivation levels were sufficient, sensed a slight disturbance in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, they found nothing upon closer inspection.
Unbeknownst to them, right under their noses, Chen Yi was making every effort to break through to the next level.
"The Four Symbols, the Azure Dragon..."
It draws the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body, transforming it into true essence through the two energy centers, the dantian and the chest.
However, the Qi Sea in the Yintang acupoint is not simply about refining the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and improving one's true essence cultivation.
There is also the practice of refining the spirit and transforming it into form.
That is, the four divine positions of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird.
Each divine intent corresponds to a different spiritual element, used to enhance various techniques, such as the sharpness of the Falling Dragon Spear and the violent power of the Mountain Collapse Fist.
Therefore, in addition to improving one's true essence cultivation, the most important thing for those in the middle three-grade realm is to refine their "divine position" and bring it into shape.
Once Chen Yi understood these things, his breakthrough came naturally.
As the true essence within the three dantian surged and circulated, it gradually solidified, becoming as thick and heavy as molten mercury.
The images of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise on the four divine positions are faintly visible, and details such as their beards and hair can already be seen.
[Cultivation successful. Cultivation level: Lower fourth rank.]
[The Four Symbols Technique (Earth Rank) has significantly improved the spiritual energy of the divine position, doubling the power of the wood, water, fire, and metal spiritual energy.]
In the blink of an eye, Chen Yi's strength had increased dramatically.
Not only did his true essence cultivation double, but his spiritual essence, blessed by the divine position, also made significant progress.
This more than doubled the power and effectiveness of techniques such as the Four Symbols Skill, the Falling Dragon Spear, and the Collapsing Mountain Fist.
To put it bluntly...
If Chen Yi were to face Du Cang at this moment, he could break through Du Cang's true form's curse technique using only the spear technique, even without the chess method.
Without the secret technique of black magic, Du Cang wouldn't have been able to withstand a single spear thrust from him!
Chen Yi felt the surging true essence within his body, consolidated it for a moment, and then slowly withdrew his cultivation, using the Xuanwu Concealing Breath Technique to restrain his power.
However, improving one's cultivation level is not all beneficial.
Even if his Four Symbols Technique could be doubled, it would still be impossible for him to break through a minor realm in four days like someone in the fifth rank.
I'm guessing... it's hard to estimate.
It depends on how much time he can dedicate to cultivation.
Chen Yi stood up and casually deactivated the mountains and rivers conjured by the chessboard. Looking at the room, which was still clearly visible in the dim light, a smile appeared on his face.
Now that his cultivation has reached the fourth rank, with the help of the power of various techniques, he is able to contend with martial artists at the third rank.
In other words, he has achieved his initial goal when he came into this world and possesses a certain ability to protect himself.
As long as he doesn't provoke the likes of Master Bai, he can go anywhere in the world.
But...
Now, Chen Yi didn't want to go anywhere.
"Staying here in Shu Prefecture is quite nice."
"Beautiful mountains and clear waters, stunning scenery, and a beautiful woman by my side... mainly because the emperor is far away, and it's rare to have such a leisurely time."
Looking at the full moon outside the window, Chen Yi felt a sense of peace in his heart.
He had grown accustomed to everything here and had people and things he couldn't bear to part with, making it difficult for him to travel far away again.
Besides, someone as lazy as him, without Xiao Die's care, Xiao Wan'er's concern, and Madam Xiao Jinghong's constant encouragement, would just hide away in some corner outside.
It's better to stay in this lotus garden.
Just then, a golden light flashed before my eyes—
[Daily Intelligence - Yellow-Rank Superior: 9 PM, Kangle Lane, Yuan Liuer is diagnosing and treating her younger brother. A small amount of good fortune may be obtained.]
After reading it, Chen Yi couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation: "This girl Liu'er has only been learning medicine for a few days, and she already dares to treat patients?"
"Or is it her brother?"
Chen Yi thought for a moment, silently noted down the time, and planned to go and check it out the next night.
Yuan Liuer was a disciple he valued highly, with exceptional talent, so he always had to give her some care.
Moreover, medicine is different from other disciplines; rashly administering medication may have the opposite effect.
"It's good to go and take a look; it's my duty as a teacher..."
Chen Yi couldn't help but think of his good-for-nothing eldest disciple, Ma Liangcai, and couldn't help but curl his lip.
"You've been learning from me for so long, but you're still only at the beginner level of medicine. You're hopeless."
"But... never mind."
Ma Liangcai, who started out as a mediocre doctor, has now managed to sit in the Jishi Pharmacy with a respectable air, which is quite an achievement.
In addition, he has commendable character and is efficient in his work, so he can be considered a close associate.
Chen Yi glanced at the sky outside the window, then took out his bag from under the bed, changed into black clothes, put on a mask, and left Chunhe Garden silently.
He first went to the house on Chuanxi Street, but seeing no movement inside, he went straight to Baicaotang.
The night was hazy.
A cool breeze was blowing.
There weren't many pedestrians on the street; most were江湖人士 (jianghu figures, people of the martial arts world) sleeping under the open sky.
Every now and then there were sounds of laughter and chatter, as they talked about interesting things that had happened recently.
In the dimly lit alley, there were even fewer people.
Fortunately, the alleys between the east and west markets are mostly inhabited by people of some status and position, so shady things rarely happen there.
Chen Yi made his way through the house, avoiding the servants guarding the inside and outside, as well as the patrolling city guards and the chief criminal officer, until he arrived at Baicaotang.
As soon as they got close.
He then heard Liu Lang and the others' slightly suppressed voices coming from inside.
It must have come from a quiet room.
"...That's roughly what happened."
"General Jinghong truly deserves to be called a top expert in Shu Prefecture. When I went to find her, before I even got close, a sword intent was already pressed against my neck."
"Wow, that's amazing?"
"Of course not."
"You think I'm joking? If he weren't so capable, how could I possibly obey her so readily?"
"Da Bao, you're one to talk! Back then in the pit, you didn't dare utter a single fart either!"
"Hehe... With Brother Liu leading the way, how can I possibly step forward..."
During a moment of conversation between the two, Wang Ji asked from the side, "Now that you've returned to the prefectural city, what's next?"
Liu Lang replied that he would go to Linzhuang to sell the remaining grain.
Zhang Dabao thought for a moment and said, "Since you have not given any further instructions, I will take the elder brothers and sisters of the Tianshan Sect and hide for a while."
Liu Lang nodded in agreement: "That's true."
"You've really done something big this time, kid. I thought the boss was sending you out to steal things, but it turns out he's going to..."
Before he could finish speaking, Chen Yi pushed the door open and entered. "What do you want?"
"boss?"
Liu Lang realized what was happening and quickly stood up, smiling, "I've taken care of everything you asked me to do."
After nearly dying in his last fight with Chen Yi, no matter how arrogant he was, he dared not be so tactless.
Wang Ji and Zhang Dabao bowed in succession and greeted him as "Your Excellency".
Chen Yi closed the door, sat in the seat of honor, and waved for them to sit down and talk.
"Da Bao, you did a great job this time."
A hint of embarrassment appeared on Zhang Dabao's youthful face. "It's all thanks to your guidance, sir."
"Actually, there were some mishaps in the middle, but fortunately, the senior members of the Tianshan Sect were quick-witted and rectified the situation in time, so that no one escaped."
Chen Yi smiled and nodded, "As long as the result is satisfactory."
It was a very successful outcome.
Zhang Dabao and his accomplices impersonated bandits and barbarian scouts from the Kingdom of Vaishsa, causing Lin Zhenghong and his group's grain purchase costs to skyrocket, and also unexpectedly capturing Li Sanyuan of the Jizhou Merchant Guild.
"Tell me, what does Li Sanyuan want to do?"
Despite his speculations, Chen Yi wanted to hear what the Jizhou Merchant Guild was really up to.
Zhang Dabao quickly recounted the whole story.
“That man is very cunning. Even when Brother Liu interrogated him, he only revealed part of his plan.”
"If General Jinghong hadn't arrived later and forced me to reveal another plan, I wouldn't have known that he had actually sent someone to find incriminating evidence against Liu Taofang."
"Liu Taofang..."
Chen Yi lowered his head slightly, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the back of the chair.
Things were roughly as he had deduced—Li Sanyuan wanted to take a risk and make a deal with King Lando in order to keep the money he had earned from the grain.
But he didn't expect, or rather, he underestimated, Li Sanyuan's decisiveness.
After realizing that he couldn't drag Liu Hong down with him, the first person that came to mind was Liu Taofang.
"If things really go as he planned, then Liu Hong's side has a major flaw."
As Chen Yi pondered, his gaze fell to the north. No wonder the lady was in such a hurry to go to Guangyuan.
Li Sanyuan only had evidence of Zhu Hao's crimes in trading with the King of Landu through the Jizhou Merchant Guild, which did not implicate Liu Hong.
At most, these are just guesses.
Under these circumstances, Xiao Jinghong had no choice but to go to Guangyuan County to avoid being discovered by Liu Hong in the prefectural city.
"In that case, Madam probably won't take down Zhu Hao immediately."
Chen Yi wouldn't have done the same.
The best course of action is to keep a close eye on Zhu Hao and see if he can get involved with Liu Hong.
"Then my brother will also have a chance to claim this credit..."
However, upon thinking of this, Chen Yi frowned inwardly.
"We shouldn't have killed Lü Jiunan."
"Judging from the old master and his wife's cautious treatment of Liu Hong, Liu Hong must be hiding some secrets, or rather, a powerful backer."
"So much so that they cannot act rashly before they are fully prepared."
“If Lü Jiunan were still alive, the outcome would be different.”
“He can act as a witness and pin the blame for Asutai’s escape from Shuzhou on Liu Hong.”
After a moment's thought, Chen Yi made up his mind.
He then explained things to Liu Lang and Zhang Dabao one by one.
After hearing this, Zhang Dabao opened his mouth wide and pointed at himself: "Sir, you want me to impersonate Li Sanyuan?"
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow and asked, "What, you can't do it?"
"I can do it, but... I'm afraid I'll mess it up and delay the adults' business, after all, there's that grain..."
A million bushels of grain!
Zhang Dabao's heart trembled at the thought of that number.
Even disregarding the current situation, it would be worth a million taels of silver even at prices before the grain price increase.
If he messes it up, he'll probably never be able to pay it back in his lifetime.
Chen Yi chuckled and said, "It would be best if it succeeded, but even if it didn't, it would still allow them to transport the grain out of the city."
"By that time..."
Liu Lang looked excited, gripped the hilt of his knife and chuckled, "That's my job now."
When he was in the northern desert, he had engaged in robbery and plunder several times through Mingyue Tower.
They are very skilled at it.
This time it's just that there's more stuff and more manpower needed; essentially, it's still about killing everyone, stealing the stuff, and storing it away.
It's very simple.
Chen Yi nodded. "Remember to hide the grain well. If all else fails, go to Tonglin Town."
"Tonglin? The Xiao family's fiefdom?"
"The boss is very thoughtful."
Seeing that Liu Lang and Zhang Dabao understood, Chen Yi then looked at Wang Ji and instructed him:
"Can you do me a favor too?"
"Please give your orders, sir."
"Go to the Xiao family tomorrow. The Baicaotang Clinic in Guangyuan County is about to open, and we need the Xiao family's help..."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com