Chapter 122: Self-Created Technique: Great Freedom, Great Ease

"Insight unlocked!"

Since hearing of Li Rui's deeds, Ge Hong's smile never left his face.

I've long despised those Zhang family bastards—Old Li has finally avenged me.

Last time, his men all received low ratings due to the Zhang family.

It dragged him down too.

As a Platoon Leader, he earned one minor merit each month if he passed the evaluation, but one requirement was training his subordinates—so he lost one minor merit.

Losing one minor merit was trivial, but among dozens of Platoon Leaders in the Anning Guard, competition was fierce; starting off at a disadvantage inevitably invited disdain.

He'd been holding in that anger for a long time.

Now Li Rui had avenged him too.

Li Rui smiled lightly: "Just luck."

Ge Hong had already heard the full account of the fight from others, and with his years as a martial arts academy head.

Though Li Rui had used clever tactics, it was his genuine skill that mattered—he knew exactly what Zhang Yi was capable of.

He was nearly certain.

He himself couldn't defeat Li Rui, and even the Fleet Master Dao Xiong might not win against him.

"Could someone truly achieve greatness late in life?"

Ge Hong had never believed it before, but now with Li Rui as living proof, he had no choice but to accept it.

Others achieved greatness at forty or fifty.

Li Rui, however, had raised the upper limit to seventy.

Ge Hong warned: "The Zhang family is powerful, backed by Cao Wei and Feng Yu. Even though we have Jiang Lin on our side, we must still be cautious for now."

Li Rui nodded.

He understood this well.

When he was a stable boy for the Zhu family, the previous stable master often said:

"Leave a little room."

The meaning was simple: if you've struck someone but not killed them, you must lay low for a while.

Otherwise, forcing someone into utter humiliation—rabbits will bite when cornered—and if they fight to the death, you won't come out ahead.

Better to keep a low profile.

One month passed.

Li Rui mostly moved between the Armory and his quarters.

Life was quiet.

Yet his name gradually spread through the Anning Guard.

There was no helping it.

A seventy-year-old man challenging a martial arts school—this topic was too captivating; his fame surged overnight.

Li Rui found it frustrating: the public's gossip machine was always terrifyingly efficient.

In the Armory.

Daily duties were handled by Liang He and three soldiers—he was more of a supervisor for grain storage.

Most of the time,

Li Rui read books in his private room in the Armory.

"Hmm. No wonder they're the Annan Army."

If anyone held the most ancient texts, it was surely the imperial court.

Many of the miscellaneous books here were copies, but not just any faction could find them.

In terms of depth, only the court could match it.

These books might be useless to others, but to Li Rui, they were treasures.

He gradually realized that studying classics greatly aided martial cultivation.

Of course, this was mainly because his insight far surpassed ordinary people—if not, every elderly scholar in the Hanlin Academy would have become a true immortal.

"All things under heaven arise from Qi; thus, Qi resides within man, and man dwells within Qi. When Qi gathers, life is born; when Qi departs, death follows. One who masters Qi cultivates life within and wards off harm without."

Li Rui turned the pages of the Daoist scripture.

What did a seventy-year-old man like him seek in martial arts?

Surely not to fight—only to live longer. Who would ever want to die early?

Martial techniques were secondary; prolonging life and seeking the Dao were the true goals.

He was never particularly skilled at fighting.

His previous ninth and eighth ranks were merely mundane methods of strengthening the body; only at seventh rank did he truly glimpse the path.

True Qi had boundless applications.

Just consider this: a seventh-rank martial artist, if free of illness and disaster, could live to one hundred and fifty.

In his past life, that was true immortality.

But was it enough?

Li Rui felt it wasn't. Only those who had truly experienced aging understood the value of life.

When young, one could die heroically—but nearing death, one clings desperately to life.

"Ancient texts speak of Peng Zu, said to have lived a thousand years, his skin like a child's, walking over five hundred li per day, able to fast for a full year—or eat nine times in one day."

Gazing at the ancient record of Peng Zu—"a thousand years."

Li Rui yearned for it deeply.

Dusk.

After work, Li Rui ate, then returned to his room.

He sat cross-legged on the mat, True Qi flowing once more.

At the Liu Jin stage, strengthening the body was vital, but cultivating and circulating Qi was equally essential.

"Sixth-rank Dragon Gate hinges on cultivating Qi."

"Only when True Qi takes form does one leap through the Dragon Gate—then the sea and sky stretch boundless."

His current Dragon and Immortal forms were still mere prototypes; he had a long way to go before true form, and he could not slack off.

Just as the Xuanqing Qi completed its ninth cycle—

Suddenly, a cool sensation descended from the crown of his head.

=9+book_8

Li Rui felt his mind clearer than ever before.

"Sudden enlightenment!"

"Another awakening!"

He widened his eyes, unable to believe it—he'd entered awakening again while cultivating.

Time cannot be reclaimed.

Li Rui quickly closed his eyes, mentally refining the White Ape's Cloak Sword technique.

In a haze,

He saw an old ape sitting alone beneath a colossal tree.

The ape sat cross-legged like a Daoist priest, absorbing the essence of heaven, earth, sun, and moon.

"Da Chun."

These two characters surfaced in Li Rui's mind.

"In ancient times, there was Da Chun, taking eight thousand years as spring, eight thousand years as autumn."

The tree the ape leaned against was none other than the legendary divine tree, Da Chun.

In ancient myths, the divine tree Da Chun had always symbolized longevity—the ultimate aspiration of countless cultivators.

"Long life."

"Evergreen?"

"Da Chun!"

Li Rui snapped his eyes open, a brilliant light flashing in them.

"It's done!"

He looked again at the panel.

【Name: Li Rui】

【Age: 70】

【Talent: Martial Bone, Exceptional Insight, Spirit Eye】

【Technique: Da Chun Gong, Nine Mystical Celestial Map】

【Achievement: 70/100】

This was a self-created technique!

Li Rui stared at the panel—the White Ape's Cloak Sword had quietly transformed into Da Chun Gong. He was now certain: during his awakening, he had fully absorbed, completely altered, and forged the technique into his own.

"Da Chun Gong."

He whispered it softly, his excitement impossible to suppress.

Self-created technique—this was almost exclusively the domain of Grand Masters.

Yet he had only reached the seventh rank, and still accomplished such a feat.

Without a cheat system, it would be unbelievable.

"The Changchun Art aims for longevity, absorbing the essence of the white ape's slashing technique, with emphasis on nurturing qi."

Li Rui's lips curled slightly:

"So this is how one seeks longevity, and attains it?"

He was nearly certain that practicing the Changchun Art would grant him a far longer lifespan than an ordinary martial artist.

When mastered to a profound level,

he might even live a thousand years, like Peng Zu—or perhaps achieve true immortality.

Then, as time flows on, I shall remain unmoved.

That is true ultimate freedom, true ultimate ease!

His fantasy ended.

Li Rui shook his head; these thoughts were still too distant for him. Right now, the most important thing was steady, solid progress.

Only with a firm foundation could his martial path proceed smoothly.

Thinking this, he cast aside distractions and resumed circulating his true qi.

After reviewing some readers' feedback, I've changed to posting three chapters at a time; since these are pre-written drafts, this batch is 442 words. Later, I'll gradually adjust, still aiming for ten thousand words daily, striving to avoid filler—I'm a reader too, and I have some aspirations for this book, so I'll do my best to write. Thank you all for your support!

(End of chapter)