Chapter 11: Blooming and bearing fruit, shocking! It turns out to be this

Gu Jin Nian didn't expect this thing to still be controlled by thought.

Let it fall, it will fall.

When the fruit fell, strands of red light spread and finally turned into a talisman that appeared in Gu Jin Nian's mind.

Correct.

It is a talisman.

A pale yellow ancient talisman, with two words written on it.

【Courage】

Gu Jin Nian: "."

Good fellow, I waited half a day, offended so many people, and you give me a talisman?

And what the hell is this thing? Courage?

Courage talisman? What use does this thing have?

Gu Jin Nian couldn't hold back; to be honest, he thought the fruit was something that could enhance cultivation.

But he didn't expect it to be a talisman paper? The way of talismans, Gu Jin Nian knows a bit; it's exclusive to arts practitioners, there are arts practitioners on the Divine State Continent who refine weapons, refine pills, draw talismans, catch ghosts, and tame beasts—these are what arts practitioners do.

But most talismans are things like Vajra talismans, Strength talismans, specially made for the court.

After ordinary people use them, their bodies become like vajra, briefly impervious to blades and spears, the effect is obvious; however, crafting such talismans is troublesome, and not everyone can have them.

Counting them, they are still controlled items; the court needs large quantities each year, and once war breaks out, these things are valuable.

And ordinary people have no use for this.

But no matter how you say it, what is this Courage Talisman? Does it increase courage?

What use is this thing? When robbing a bank lacks courage, use a Courage Talisman?

Damn it.

Gu Jin Nian was genuinely dazed.

He even felt his defenses broken.

It's not that he can't accept it; it's that he was full of expectation, and the result is just this? "Jinian."

"Why aren't you eating at all?"

Just as Gu Jin Nian was dazed, Wu An beside him spoke up, shouting.

To wake Gu Jin Nian up.

"Oh, no appetite, fine, you eat first, I'll go practice."

Gu Jin Nian rose; his mind was a bit messy, so he didn't plan to continue eating.

As Gu Jin Nian left, everyone was somewhat curious but didn't say much, just attributing it to aftereffects of his serious illness.

After leaving the dining hall.

Gu Jin Nian came to a quiet place.

Then he began to continue studying the ancient tree.

The Courage Talisman hovered before the tree.

Gu Jin Nian experimentally shouted.

At that moment, the ancient talisman appeared in his palm.

The paper felt in hand, a bit thicker than xuan paper, slightly rough, with nothing exquisite about it.

At a glance, it seemed useless.

"How could it be this thing?"

"Could it be that I didn't absorb enough resentment and picked it prematurely?"

Gu Jin Nian frowned.

The ancient tree in his mind is definitely not mundane.

It is related to the white rainbow piercing the sun that day.

Following this logic, the fruit the ancient tree bears should be all kinds of good things.

But a genuine Courage Talisman left Gu Jin Nian dumbfounded.

Thus after thinking, the only possibility is that not enough resentment was absorbed, and he picked the fruit prematurely.

"En, that should be it."

"Otherwise it makes no sense."

Gu Jin Nian thought more and more that this possibility was large.

"No matter what, next time can't pick it so quickly; gather more resentment first."

"And also need to find the right person to harvest from."

"Ordinary people's resentment is useless, and it must be an enemy; otherwise it's pointless."

Gu Jin Nian silently thought.

He roughly figured out that resentment varies by person; for example, Zhou Ning, just having a conflict, the resentment given almost surpasses that of everyone in the school combined.

It's likely that Zhou Ning's realm is different; he is a scholar at the Qi Cultivation realm, second level.

And in the school just now, the teacher didn't generate much resentment toward him.

Higher realm has influence, and whether the resentment is genuine also matters; compared to Wu An, Li Ping, etc., Zhang Yun provides more resentment.

It's obvious that Zhang Yun truly hates him.

Before, he should rely more on him; best if Zhang Yun succeeds in condensing qi early, then he can gather more resentment.

Thinking this, the earlier gloom gradually dissipated.

However, the ancient tree has nine branches; resentment entered the leftmost first branch, so what are the remaining eight branches? Or rather, what do the remaining eight branches represent? Greed? Taboo? Seven deadly sins? "Probably not."

"Is it a system?"

"Resentful qi, plus immortal, martial, Buddhist, demonic, Confucian, and technique."

"No, still missing two."

Gu Jin Nian felt somewhat doubtful.

The sword dao shouldn't count, after all sword dao is a variant system based on the immortal dao, not a unique system.

Therefore, for the ancient tree, it can only be counted as six.

"Anyway, let's give it a try first."

After thinking for a while, he really couldn't figure out the reason, so Gu Jin Nian decided to try it himself.

He must figure out the function of this ancient tree.

At that moment, Gu Jin Nian rose, bathed in sunlight, and began practicing his fists.

Born into a military family, Gu Jin Nian naturally understood martial arts; from childhood he began training, consuming medicinal meals, tempering beast blood, and cultivating his physique.

At ten he trained his tendons and bones, at fourteen he shaped his physique, and at sixteen he began practicing martial dao.

This is the most perfect state.

Before age ten it was about nourishing the body; from ten onward one begins to refine the tendons and bones, at fourteen shaping the physique, and only after everything is perfected can one start cultivating martial dao at sixteen.

In the previous sixteen years, the original self never fell behind.

After all, literature is for the poor, martial arts for the rich; the Gu family is not poor, arrangements were made clear and clear, and precisely because of this, Gu Jin Nian felt that drowning to death was suspicious.

Although he had not formally entered martial dao, his physique was strong; it was impossible for him to die just from drowning.

Not even half an hour had passed in total.

But these were set aside for now; he focused on cultivating martial dao.

Bang bang bang. Gu Jin Nian swung his fist, and in an instant an explosive sound appeared.

The blood inside his body also circulated rapidly, making Gu Jin Nian feel hot all over.

Martial dao has seven realms, each divided into four minor stages: early, middle, late, and great completion.

The first realm is the fleshly body realm.

Early stage: copper skin; middle stage: iron bones; late stage: fortified organs; great completion: rebirth through shedding the mortal form.

Upon entering the early stage, internal martial qi condenses within the body, thereafter improving physique so that the skin becomes like copper or iron, making blades and spears unable to cut it.

Upon reaching the middle stage, bones are tempered; even if blades or spears strike, at most they injure the bones, unable to harm the organs.

Upon reaching the late stage, the five viscera and six bowels are strengthened; even falling from dozens of meters high will not shock the internal organs.

When the fleshly body reaches great completion, one undergoes a rebirth through shedding the mortal form, and overall strength greatly increases.

Strength surpasses that of a tiger, speed exceeds that of a leopard; standing jumps of four or five meters, scaling walls and leaping across roofs, plucking leaves to wound others—all are easy feats.

Wu An is someone who has achieved great completion of the fleshly body.

In the early stage of martial dao, reliance is on resources—medicinal diets, meat, and beast blood to match.

In the later stage, it is resources plus talent.

As the saying goes, literature is for the poor, martial arts for the rich.

After an hour.

Gu Jin Nian lowered his fist posture; his qi and blood surged within, and his whole body drenched in sweat.

At that moment, Gu Jin Nian sat cross-legged and circulated the Yang Absorption Technique.

At that moment, the surging qi and blood within his body also transformed into strands of internal qi, nourishing his flesh; after condensing into copper skin, it was considered a breakthrough into the early stage.

However, before Gu Jin Nian could nourish his flesh, in an instant the newly born strands of internal qi all surged into the second branch of the ancient tree.

A date‑pit‑sized fruit hung from the second branch.

It remained orange‑red, just as before.

Only its growth position differed.

"Really is that so?"

In an instant, Gu Jin Nian felt somewhat excited; the second branch indeed represented martial dao.

Does that mean the other branches represent immortal, Buddhist, Confucian, etc.? If so, then the corresponding branches would bear corresponding treasures—wouldn't that make him an almighty king? He felt both excited and happy.

It wasn't that Gu Jin Nian lacked ambition; mainly, he held a high position, being young and small, and no one could predict what would happen in the future. Speaking bluntly, even a crown prince might not secure the throne safely, let alone the grandson of a duke. That day the Gu family truly fell—only personal strength is the true way.

At worst, bring the whole family away from the court.

Of course, it's best if such a thing doesn't happen.

Having studied history thoroughly, Gu Jin Nian clearly understands one thing: one is born in adversity and dies in comfort.

But there is one matter that makes Gu Jin Nian feel uneasy.

He had painstakingly absorbed a bit of internal qi through martial cultivation, but now it has all been sucked away by the ancient tree.

Then how can he improve himself?

If the fruit that forms brings something good, that's fine to say; but if not, wouldn't that be a blood loss? It feels somewhat unpleasant.

After thinking it over, since there was no way to resolve it, he didn't dwell on it further.

Let's see first and then talk.

"Since the second branch is related to martial dao, the remaining ones correspond to immortal, Buddhist, Confucian, demonic—what are the other two branches?"

Gu Jin Nian couldn't help but ponder another question.

Until the noon class bell rang, Gu Jin Nian still hadn't thought of anything.

He simply stopped thinking about it further.

The afternoon's coursework was nothing; it was just pure calligraphy practice.

Gu Jin Nian came a little early; he had some things to do.

After the afternoon class began, he also earnestly practiced writing for an afternoon.

Although he is a transmigrator, his mind holds many poems and verses; whatever he says casually can become a classic.

But practicing calligraphy is basic skill.

Gu Jin Nian did not want that, one day, after truly becoming a scholar, he would write a bunch of characters like chicken scratch.

So during the afternoon class, he was very conscientious; the characters he wrote were so-so, but also neat; given time, he could also write a good hand.

It's merely a matter of time.

It lasted until the hour of the Rooster.

Only then did the study hall dismiss.

Gu Jin Nian, who had intended to go home, was directly pulled back by Wu An.

"Jin Nian."

"Why rush home? There's a nice place; want to go?"

As Wu An's voice sounded.

In an instant, three or five people gathered, each with a mischievous smile.

"What place? I won't go to a proper one; I am an upright gentleman."

Gu Jin Nian looked at the few people, somewhat curious, and asked.

Everyone: "."

They were somewhat speechless, but Wu An did not heed Gu Jin Nian's nonsense; instead, he said with a full-face smile.

"Clear Moon Pavilion."

"Do you have the guts to go?"

"Clear Moon Pavilion?" Memories surged.

It is a relatively famous place in the capital; it cannot be called a brothel, but rather a high-class brothel, generally a place for drinking and chatting.

Of course there are also ladies, each with fine looks, and a few top courtesans who hold down the scene; it is a place frequented by the capital's nobles and officials.

In such a place, if you want to have a story with a lady, either you must have great power and influence, or you must be very talented, winning these women's favor.

Otherwise, money alone is useless.

Of course, if you insist on arguing, even if you throw down a hundred thousand taels, she may not accompany you.

In theory, no one would fall out over silver.

At that moment, Gu Jin Nian thought it over.

Then he shook his head.

"Forget it, you guys go have fun; I'll just go along to take a look."

Gu Jin Nian said helplessly.

As soon as he said that, everyone fell silent again.

"Damn it, are you going or not?"

"How come it seems like you're feeling wronged?" Everyone was speechless, but thinking of the ladies at Clear Moon Pavilion, they ultimately didn't dwell on it.

Seven or eight people, high-spirited, left the study hall.

But after everyone left, Zhang Yun's gaze, however, became somewhat strange.

(End of chapter)