Chapter 251: Longevity Secret

Feng Yi slowly opened his eyes, looking around in doubt, only to see moonlight like water, silently pouring down, the hazy, dim surroundings gradually becoming bright and clear.

Past events vivid as yesterday, Feng Yi immersed in memory, his somewhat unfocused, cloudy eyes grew clear with the recollection, emitting a bright, piercing light.

He suddenly felt an unprecedented ease, hurriedly sat cross-legged, and circulated the true qi within his body.

In an instant, he felt his true qi flow unobstructed and its speed more than double what it had been; as it circulated, he clearly sensed a slow increase, quickly realizing his situation and leaping to his feet.

Feng Yi knew this was no longer the Tianlong world of Jin Yong; after all, the principle of any internal cultivation method relies on breathing to generate a sense of qi in the body, which is refined into true qi, and nothing is more essential than air—not the method or any medicine.

Without air as a basis, no matter how exquisite the internal cultivation method or how precious a thousand‑year heavenly treasure, it is all in vain.

In the Tianlong world he practiced daily, yet never felt any growth of inner strength; now, having this reaction in this world shows that the essence of primordial qi in the air here far exceeds that of the Jin Yong world.

As the saying goes, "Shallow waters cannot raise a dragon; when the sky is high, birds may fly!"

Although Feng Yi felt a tinge of sorrow at suddenly parting from the women, he had long anticipated this; having come this far, he had once advised others to accept the world's impermanence and sudden changes—and he himself possessed that mindset.

Of course, this is both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness.

Suddenly, Feng Yi's eyes brightened as the sound of sleeves cutting through the air came from far away.

Feng Yi's hearing was exceptionally sharp; if he paid attention, even the faintest sounds within several li would not escape his ears, so he ordinarily paid no mind to ordinary noises,

but this sound was someone exercising lightness skill, and their technique was not weak; he instantly became alert, realizing that the primordial qi of heaven and earth here was so rich and the cultivation environment so excellent that masters must be as numerous as clouds.

Though he had once been invincible under heaven, here he might not be, so his actions must be cautious and steady.

But no matter what, he first needed to determine which world this was and whether he was familiar with it.

Observing the techniques of martial arts masters is the most direct way.

Having made up his mind, Feng Yi hesitated no longer, unfolded his movement technique, and rushed toward the sound.

His lightness skill was superb—needless to say—but he found it had more than doubled compared to before; previously a leap of five zhang was his limit, now a light bound of ten zhang was easy, and he had not yet exerted his full strength.

This made Feng Yi click his tongue in wonder, and he immediately felt this was the normal state of affairs.

What he had learned was the crystallization of countless sages' wisdom; the power of martial arts is limited by human strength, and can also be said to be limited by heaven and earth.

Now things are naturally different.

One who cultivates internal energy can also be called a qi refiner; as the primordial qi of heaven and earth upgrades, so too does the power of qi refinement.

This is like Bodhidharma, Zhang Sanfeng, and their ilk—no matter which world they enter, they exist as the ceiling, a mutually reinforcing state.

As Feng Yi pondered, he leapt without pause, running several li; the terrain grew ever steeper, when suddenly he heard a woman on the summit say, "Yuwen Huaji, you've come alone—do you not fear my sword?"

Feng Yi found the woman's voice extraordinarily melodious, floating and delicate like pearls falling on a jade plate, and the Yuwen Huaji she mentioned was indeed a historical figure.

Emperor Yang of Sui, Yang Guang, was the one this person killed.

But Feng Yi also did not know whether this was that Yuwen Huaji.

Feng Yi, unaware of the situation and not wishing to reveal himself rashly, climbed the summit, silently landed behind a rock, and peered out—on the high mountain he saw two figures, a man and a woman, facing each other from afar.

He focused his gaze; the woman wore a pure white martial outfit that showed her lithe, curvaceous figure, well‑proportioned, she was rather tall, her head full of black‑silk‑like hair flowing freely, she stood gripping her sword, possessing peerless beauty like a fairy descending to the mortal realm.

Opposite her, a man stood on a large rock, his robes fluttering, hands clasped behind his back, laughing loudly: "Miss, your sword may be fierce, but its weight—we both know—if you wish to slay me, Yuwen Huaji, you must strike now; otherwise, if my men come after you, you'll lose your chance."

He was tall and slender, with long limbs, a cold expression, deep eyes, and an imposing presence.

The woman's face was solemn and calm; she said softly, "Yuwen Huaji, since you so eagerly seek death, I shall grant your wish."

"Clang!"

The woman drew her sword; a blade of light flashed across the sky like a meteor's tail, a strange yet fierce attack aimed at Yuwen Huaji.

Feng Yi saw her delicate frame burst forth with a fierce aura, and thought to himself, "She's not only beautiful, her swordsmanship is not bad either!"

But Yuwen Huaji stood still, clapped his hands, palm meeting sword, followed by the continuous clash of qi forces.

Feng Yi, over ten zhang away, felt a chill spreading and thought, "Could this cold be the Ice Profound Force of the Yuwen clan from the Great Tang Twin Dragons world? Is this woman the dry‑mother Fu Jun'e adopted by the Twin Dragons? If so, that would be troublesome."

The Great Tang Twin Dragons world has many characters and a complex plot, so Feng Yi lacked the patience to follow it; he therefore knew only a few martial‑arts names and those closely tied to the protagonist.

As for how the plot develops, he knows nothing at all.

Hmm, he knows a little.

Li Shimin became Emperor Taizong!

But for him, this foreknowledge is utterly useless.

Feng Yi has no desire to curry favor with Li Shimin, to network, or to gain advantage.

This is the sort of ruthless person who could stab his own brothers, imprison his father!

Of course, dealing with them may be unavoidable; killing their children is also to eradicate the root. Even as emperor, he cannot be judged by ordinary standards.

But after succeeding, he would still have to sleep with their women, which he sees as a matter of character!

As the saying goes, "Do not defile a friend's wife, and certainly not a brother's wife!"

Feng Yi wants nothing to do with such people.

Otherwise he might set his sights on your woman, and if you were eliminated, it would be all the more convenient for him.

Feng Yi would dare ask Xiao Feng to look after his woman, but he would never dare to do so with Li Shimin.

Just thinking about it makes him tremble!

Of course, not wanting to associate with Li Shimin also means that in the Great Tang Twin Dragons world he would have no foreknowledge advantage.

As he pondered, the white‑clad woman spun, attacking Yuwen Huaji from all directions with swift, ruthless strikes; her long sword flew, scattering cold light, sword shadows gathering and dispersing like falling snow, seemingly endless and unceasing.

Around Yuwen Huaji, sword shadows had thickened into a curtain; though he flickered within the blade light, seeming doomed, he blocked with palms, fists, grabs, or kicks, utterly neutralizing her frenzied onslaught.

Like a small boat on angry waves, though it rises and falls with the surge, it remains afloat.

Feng Yi's keen eyes spotted countless flaws in her swordsmanship, great and small; he felt that a single strike of his could take her life, while Yuwen Huaji merely defended, waiting for an opportunity.

Waiting for a killing strike!

Feng Yi merely knew the two were far inferior to him, yet he was unsure what level of master they were in this world.

First‑rate master?

How substantial is that first‑rate rating?

Furthermore, whether what I think is right or wrong hasn't been verified yet!

Suddenly, Yuwen Huaji let out a loud roar; in the blink of an eye, the woman leapt into the air, scattering thousands of sword blossoms, yet let out a muffled groan and flipped a somersault several zhang away.

Feng Yi saw clearly that in that instant, Yuwen Huaji was stabbed in the waist, and the woman took a punch to the chest.

All that was seen was her white silhouette flickering; she seized the two within a stone crack and flew off.

Yuwen Huaji's waist and abdomen bled, drops falling; he said nothing, turned with big strides, and went down the mountain.

Feng Yi thought, then his body floated out like light smoke, as if weightless, a light turn in midair, and in an instant he vanished without a trace.

The descending Yuwen Huaji seemed to sense something, looked back, but saw nothing.

Feng Yi's speed was truly too fast; even with Yuwen Huaji's eyesight, one could not catch his afterimage.

The white-clad woman held the two, walking toward the wilderness as if riding clouds and wind, feet not touching the ground, posture extremely graceful; this lightness technique, utterly free of mortal air, made Feng Yi, following behind, feel somewhat dizzy and entranced.

Despite her injury, the woman ran surprisingly far, all the way until dawn, reaching a valley where she set the two down; she then felt as if her bones had been pulled out, collapsing softly to the ground.

Feng Yi also didn't know if his guess was right; if correct, this truly is the Tang world, and he wondered how great the gap was between these two and the top experts he knew—Ning Daoqi, Heavenly Blade Song Que, Fu Cai Lin—so prudently, he first wanted to clarify.

He leapt up and landed on the large tree above the woman's head, looking down at the few people.

He saw the woman's beauty like jade, a tiny ink-black mole at the corner of her mouth adding to her mysterious allure, but her face was paper-white, clearly not long for this world; he silently sighed, 'What a pity!'

The two scrambled up, flung themselves to the woman's side, and cried sadly, 'Mother, you're injured.'

Their voices still childlike, they looked about sixteen or seventeen; Feng Yi thought, 'They call her mother, so they're likely the Twin Dragons.'

Suddenly a breeze blew; the woman frowned tightly and said lightly, 'Which exalted one, since you've come, why hide your head and show your tail?'

Feng Yi couldn't help but have doubts: though he'd arrived in this world with his original martial arts, his power had increased manifold; this woman's skill was far inferior to his, yet even gravely wounded she could sense him? The two lads saw their mother look up at the tree and together raised their heads; in the east, dawn light faintly showed, rosy clouds filled the sky, and a pale blue figure drifted like distant mountain mist atop the tall tree.

In the morning light, that person's sleeves fluttered like a wisp of smoke, as if about to ride the wind away.

Another gust of wind swirled by, and the two felt the sky suddenly darken.

As the sky brightened, only one person stood before them with hands behind his back.

The two youths widened their eyes; they simply couldn't make out where this person came from.

They thought this person was very good-looking and also wealthy.

Because he wore a brocade robe, a jade belt around his waist, and a headdress inlaid with a piece of crystal-clear white jade, resplendent and magnificent, radiating light; just this outfit was something these petty thugs who couldn't even get three meals a day could never afford in a lifetime.

The woman's insight far surpassed theirs, so she naturally wouldn't notice his attire; but seeing him land, he seemed like a towering mountain piercing the clouds, bringing a destructive severity that pressed down. Yet upon landing, not a speck of dust stirred—his martial arts had already transcended to the sage level.

Examining him closely, his sword-like brows flew into his temples, the forelock of his hair already white, his eyes deep as a pool, his bearing graceful and elegant, with an air of transcending the mundane.

She sensed that this was a person who had long stood at the pinnacle of martial arts, able to take and give life, looking down on all beings, an outstanding figure worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with her master.

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No, he even surpasses his master.

Because he's too young!

Someone like him is, to ordinary people and even to those in the martial world, an existence like a deity!

The two youths also felt bewildered between their brows, as if they wanted to kneel and worship; they clearly sensed that the other needed not expend a shred of effort to crush them to powder.

Even though the two roamed the markets, they felt he was a notable figure, and instantly held their breath, not daring to breathe loudly, while in their hearts they shouted, 'Heavenly Father, what kind of person is this? He seems even more terrifying than Yuwen Huagu, and we Yangzhou Twin Dragons will turn into worms!'

Feng Yi's eyes were like an eagle's, light flashing, as he fixed his gaze on the woman's face, furrowed his brows, and said, 'I never expected you, mortally wounded, to still detect my hiding place—amazing!'

The white-clad woman's lips curled with an indescribably charming smile, and she said softly, 'I dare not conceal it; I caught a few feminine scents on the wind, not that your martial arts are lacking!'

Feng Yi suddenly realized, saying, 'So that's how it is! I had thought……' As he spoke, he felt both embarrassed and sad.

He was constantly with A Zi, Huang Wan'er, and Mei Lan Zhu Ju; having suddenly crossed over, perhaps less than a day had passed, how could he not carry their scents?

A spring-water-like smile flickered in the white-clad woman's eyes, as if her single word could move and make proud even an expert like Feng Yi.

Feng Yi, broad-minded, quickly set aside this annoying emotion, sat comfortably on a stone beneath the tree, gave a light cough, and said gently, 'Miss, you must be Fu Junyu, right?'

The woman said, 'What exactly do you intend?'

Feng Yi again said, 'Miss Fu Junyu, you study under the Goryeo "Sword Chess Grand Master" Fu Cai Lin? Are they Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling?'

The woman's gaze suddenly turned icy, cold as frozen ice, and she said, 'I am Fu Junyu; what advice do you have?'

One of them, who looked a bit older and had dark skin, found it strange and said, 'How do you know me and Ling Shao? Who are you?'

That Ling Shao was Xu Ziling, who said, 'Are you sent by Yuwen Huaji?'

Fu Junyu said, 'No!'

'Oh?' Feng Yi raised his brows, saying, 'You're so sure of that?'

'Yeah!' Kou Zhong said, 'Mother, that old scoundrel Yuwen Huagu, with all those men, chased us all the way, nearly turning us Yangzhou Twin Dragons into……'

Fu Junyu turned her head to look at Kou Zhong, then, like ice melting into water, she smiled and said, 'Yuwen Huaji still can't dispatch him!'

A gleam flashed in Feng Yi's eyes as he said lightly, 'Watching a person like Miss Fu Junyu wither away is truly regrettable.'

He had confirmed it: this truly was the Great Tang Twin Dragons World, and Fu Junyu was about to die, becoming a sacrifice to spur the Twin Dragons' growth.

'What?'

'You're full of shit! You're the one who's going to die!'

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were both shocked, jumping up as if struck by electricity; Kou Zhong even pointed at Feng Yi's nose and cursed.

They had already taken Fu Junyu as their mother, and she had passed on the introductory heart method of the Nine Mystic Grand Method to them; they were close, and hearing this, they didn't care whether Feng Yi was formidable or not.

Feng Yi let out a light snort, which to the two sounded like a heavy hammer striking their hearts, instantly making them dizzy and vision blurred.

The two suddenly recalled that this person was like a ghost; their mother dared draw sword against Yuwen Huaji, and now it seemed this person was even harder to deal with than Yuwen Huaji, so what he said……

Suddenly Fu Junyu's voice came: 'Two good children, he's not wrong!' Her tone was gentle and refined.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling shouted in unison, 'Mother, hurry up and heal your wounds!'

Fu Junyu shook her head and said sorrowfully, 'Mother has always hated the Han people, yet upon seeing you she completely forgot her national and family grudges, and willingly accepted you as her children.'

Mother just now risked her life to stab Yuwen Huaji with a sword; he will surely find a place to heal his wounds and not pursue, but I too was struck by his full-force punch—his Ice Mystic Vigorous Energy is indeed renowned, and my vitality is utterly exhausted; even if my master came in person, he could not save me.

After Mother's death, you may bury me here; Mother liked solitude, so you need not come to pay respects in the future.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling suddenly flung themselves into her embrace, tears streaming nonstop, soaking Fu Junyu's clothes.

Fu Junyu let out a soft sigh, stroked their hair, and said, "Ah, mother had many things to tell you, but she can't hold on any longer." At this, her eyes suddenly brightened, she pushed the two away with both hands and rose to her feet.

Feng Yi gave a light smile and said, "You want to kill me?"

Fu Junyu said slowly, "You came for the Longevity Secret, right? It's on them—if you take it, can you spare their lives?"

The Longevity Secret, passed down through the ages, comes from the ancient Yellow Emperor's teacher Guang Chengzi, written in oracle bone script, profound and obscure. Though many sages have read it, none have ever fully comprehended or decoded the entire text. The work contains seven thousand four hundred character forms, but only over three thousand have been deciphered.

A few years ago this treasure was obtained by Yang Prefecture's top expert Shi Long; Fu Junyu came all the way from High Beauty intending to assassinate Yang Guang, so that he could no longer launch campaigns against High Beauty—little knowing his palace was filled with experts, both assassination attempts failed, and she escaped only by her lightness skill.

She learned from her informants at Yuwen Huaji's that Yang Guang had sent him to find Shi Long, so she also rushed over to investigate. Unexpectedly, although Yuwen Huaji defeated Shi Long, the Longevity Secret ended up being stolen by Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling from Shi Long's close friend Tian Wen.

Yet Yuwen Huaji, powerful and mighty, quickly identified the two thieves as Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling and pursued them relentlessly. In order to protect them, she had already suffered a mortal wound, and she feared Feng Yi would seize the Longevity Secret and silence them.

After all, this book is something the Sui Emperor Yang Guang demanded; anyone who knows of it invites endless trouble.

"Why is that?" Feng Yi chuckled. "Although I'm somewhat interested in the Longevity Secret, your words make me out to be a villain—am I just born looking like one?"

Seeing him smile, his brows relaxed, his bearing refined and transcendent, utterly unlike a villain, Fu Junyu murmured, "I've examined the Longevity Secret—it is indeed a Daoist treasure, but it has nothing to do with martial arts; immortality is nothing but a deception."

Feng Yi gave a slight nod: "That's true, but I still want it—what should I do?"

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling turned ashen, their legs going weak.

Fu Junchuo's face froze with frost, and she said coldly, "To encounter an expert like you and not exchange a single move—even death would be a great regret!"

With a swish, the long sword left its sheath, its light flashing like lightning and flying stars as it lunged at Feng Yi.

Feng Yi sat unmoving, his left hand making a grasping motion; Fu Junyu felt a current wrap the sword blade, her arm's meridians trembling, half her body numb, with a whoosh the sword flew from her hand toward Feng Yi.

Feng Yi flicked a finger to tap the sword's spine; the long sword circled him once, its force undiminished, humming like a dragon, with a clang it slipped back into Fu Junyu's scabbard.

Feng Yi knew Fu Junyu was spent, that a single casual strike could kill her so utterly even her master wouldn't recognize her corpse, so he merely revealed a hint of his dragon‑capturing, crane‑controlling divine technique.

This had already left the "Yangzhou Twin Dragons" staring dumbfounded.

Isn't this the peerless divine skill they've dreamed of?

Fu Junyu's face had been deathly pale; now it was utterly ashen, the muscles on her cheeks twitching involuntarily, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she whispered, "Excellent… technique, I admire you—may I ask your honored name?"

Feng Yi laughed and said, "Feng Yi!"

Fu Junyu smiled faintly, swayed, and with a thump fell to the ground.

This woman of peerless beauty and unmatched martial prowess, in the prime of her youth, breathed her last on an early morning one day.

"Mother!"

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling shouted in unison. (End of chapter)