Chapter 16

"Starting now, you can begin to observe and comprehend the secret map; after one hour, I will come to take it back," Liang Jingtang handed the jade box to Xia Daoming, gave instructions, turned and left, and closed the door of the secret room.

Xia Daoming sat cross-legged, took a deep breath, calmed his expectant and nervous mood, and then opened the jade box.

Inside the jade box lay an ancient painting scroll made of some unknown animal skin.

As the scroll unfolded, an indescribable atmosphere of vicissitudes of time radiated from the scroll.

The scene contained a dark abyss and lakes and rivers, with the rivers connected to a vast ocean.

Beneath the abyss and the lakes and rivers, a huge alien beast was lurking.

This beast looked like a python, but it had four feet under its body, with protruding meat bumps crossing between its eyes, and its body was covered with scales; it was the legendary Jiao.

The Jiao is sometimes called a Jiao Dragon, but it is not a dragon; it is the intermediate stage of a snake evolving into a dragon.

The lurking Jiaos beneath the abyss and lakes and rivers had different postures, but without exception, they all faced the vast ocean.

A Jiao lurks for a thousand years, then enters the sea and transforms into a dragon!

However, there was no real dragon appearing in the vast ocean of this painting scroll.

"If there were a real dragon appearing, it should be the Transforming Dragon Divine Charm Secret Map," Xia Daoming's thought flashed, and he quickly focused his eyes to observe the secret map.

As soon as he focused his eyes to observe, Xia Daoming felt a majestic momentum rushing straight to his brain.

"Boom!"

It was as if some huge sound had erupted in his brain.

Then the abyss, lakes, rivers, and even the lurking Jiao dragons beneath them seemed to have come alive.

An indescribable and mysterious realization surged in Xia Daoming's heart, and gradually he immersed himself in it, completely forgetting his own existence.

The abyss and lakes seemed to turn into acupuncture points, the rivers turned into meridians, and the Jiao dragons turned into the blood and dark energy quietly running between them.

The changes became more and more numerous; the dense acupuncture points were like stars, and the meridians were winding and twisting, connected and intertwined one by one.

Unconsciously, Xia Daoming felt his brain aching, as if it were about to explode.

All changes seemed to gradually become distant and blurred.

Xia Daoming woke up suddenly.

The painting scroll was still the original painting scroll, quietly spread out in front of him, and the abyss, lakes, rivers, Jiao dragons, and the vast ocean connected to the rivers inside were motionless, without the slightest change.

"Strange, didn't Master say that the first time one watches, one can at most feel the brain receiving a strong impact, and one can vaguely feel the painting scroll changing; even for a martial arts genius, the first time one can at most see one meridian and the circulation of blood and internal force within it?

Why could I see four meridians and the circulation of blood within them all at once, even though the last two were a bit blurry; the fifth to eighth ranks correspond exactly to four meridians.

Could it be that I glimpsed the mystery of the entire Great Wu Shi realm cultivation technique all at once? It's just that the seventh and eighth ranks are not very clear yet, and I need to observe them one more time?"

Looking at the motionless painting scroll, Xia Daoming felt very shocked and surprised.

Just at this moment, the door was pushed open.

Liang Jingtang walked in from outside the door.

Seeing Xia Daoming's face pale and cold sweat soaking through his clothes, making the fabric stick to his body, he couldn't help but furrow his brows, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

In this situation, there were only two possibilities.

One was that he had truly glimpsed the mystery of the Qianjiao realm during his first observation, so much so that his brain received a great impact and reacted violently.

Such people are genius-level figures with hope of becoming Martial Arts Grandmasters, and they are extremely rare.

Liang Jingtang naturally would not think that Xia Daoming was this kind of person.

The other possibility was that his martial arts talent was average; he glimpsed a trace of the Qianjiao divine charm change, and it was as if he had received a great impact, his heart trembling, unable to control his fear.

In Liang Jingtang's view, Xia Daoming was obviously the second case.

However, the disappointment in Liang Jingtang's eyes flashed away quickly, replaced by relief, and he even shook his head secretly, thinking: "I am really a bit old and confused; could I really expect him to have more martial arts talent than Yuchi Xiao and the others?"

"Master!" Seeing Liang Jingtang stand up, Xia Daoming hurriedly stood up and saluted.

"Don't be in a hurry; you will adapt quite a bit during the second observation, and you will be able to glimpse more mysteries of the strange phenomena," Liang Jingtang said casually while carefully putting away the painting scroll, putting it back into the jade box, and sealing it.

Upon hearing this, a subtle and surprised expression appeared on Xia Daoming's face; his lips opened, but in the end, the words reached his lips, and he changed them: "Yes, Master."

"Alright, you must be tired; go back, and come over tomorrow," Liang Jingtang waved his hand, his expression indifferent.

Regardless, he was still a bit disappointed in his heart.

"Then this disciple takes his leave!" Xia Daoming bowed slightly and left.

Leaving Qianjiao Martial Arts Hall, Xia Daoming kept replaying the Qianjiao strange phenomena he glimpsed in the secret room along the way.

"It seems I really glimpsed all the mysteries of dark energy cultivation and operation from the fifth to the eighth rank, but the seventh to eighth ranks are not very clear yet, and I need to wait until half a year later to observe them clearly." When he was almost at his front door, Xia Daoming suddenly clenched his fist tightly, a hint of excitement appearing in his eyes, and he quickened his pace.

The new house was located in Pear Blossom Alley in Taiwu Workshop, two streets away from Thousand-Leg Martial Arts Hall.

From afar, Xia Daoming saw two young girls holding red lanterns standing on both sides of the gate, while Liu Qiaolian, dressed in yellow, stood at the intersection, looking left and right.

Soon, Liu Qiaolian's pretty eyes lit up slightly, her lotus steps moved quickly, welcoming Xia Daoming, and she stopped only when she reached the front, bowed, and saluted: "Welcome Master home!"

"It's so late, why are you waiting for me at the intersection? You could have just stayed at home," Xia Daoming laughed, feeling a bit warm in his heart, and also feeling a bit more of a sense of belonging to this world he had traveled to and lived in for more than a year.

"This is what I should do," Liu Qiaolian said.

"In the future, cancel this; no matter when I come back, just wait inside the house. You are so beautiful, standing outside in the middle of the night, it's inevitable to attract some lecherous scoundrels," Xia Daoming said.

Liu Qiaolian's red lips parted slightly at first, just about to speak, but hearing Xia Daoming's later words, her pretty face couldn't help but flush slightly, revealing a shy and moving expression, and she bowed: "I will listen to Master."

"That's right," Xia Daoming laughed.

Returning home, two other young girls had already served hot meals.

These days, Liu Qiaolian not only helped Xia Daoming purchase a larger two-courtyard house but also bought four young girls who looked clever and lovely.

They were named Xia He, Yue Gui, Yu Lan, and Qiang Wei.

Xia Daoming liked quietness, so he used the backyard and the house as his living and martial arts training ground.

The front yard and the house were used for entertaining guests, dining, and the servants' living quarters.

Xia Daoming sat eating, Liu Qiaolian stood by, and if there was any need, she would instruct the four maids to do it.

Xia Daoming was not used to eating at home with a beauty standing by like in a high-end club, but he did not open his mouth to persuade Liu Qiaolian to take a seat.

Because he had already said it several times, and saying it again would just be a waste of breath; he could only slowly adapt to this corrupt life of a master.

After eating, sitting and leaning on the rattan chair in the backyard, drinking the Snow Silk Grass tea brewed by Yue Gui, enjoying the gentle kneading of Liu Qiaolian's delicate hands, and smelling the faint fragrance wafting from her body, Xia Daoming felt for a moment that it would be quite nice to spend a lifetime in this world slowly like this.

After all, in the other world, he was tortured by the 996 work schedule all year round, unable to get it up even with a beauty lying beside him, and every night he just wanted to close his eyes and sleep properly; he didn't even dare to dream of such a luxurious, corrupt, and evil life of a master.

And now, he was enjoying all of this; what more could he ask for in this life?

However, this thought disappeared in Xia Daoming's heart in the blink of an eye.

Because he knew that this was a chaotic world, a world that was much more nakedly survival-of-the-fittest than the other world.

Without the protection of powerful martial force, all of this was just a mirage, a fleeting cloud; it would be gone if he said it was gone.

Therefore, he must become powerful.

Only in this way could he slowly enjoy all this beautiful and corrupt life.

Thinking this, Xia Daoming drank the tea in his cup in one gulp, patted Liu Qiaolian's delicate hand gently, and said: "Lian'er, I am going to practice."

"Yes, Master. Today, according to Master's instructions, I went to Eternal Spring Hall and bought two pills that have the effect of strengthening blood and have a mild medicinal nature. This pill is called the Silver Deer Pill, and it is said to be refined from silver deer antlers and a variety of rare medicinal herbs; please take it, Master," Liu Qiaolian turned to Xia Daoming, offering a small brocade box with both hands.

"I bought this for you; you take it and take it, I don't need it," Xia Daoming smiled.

"Ah!" Liu Qiaolian's delicate body couldn't help but tremble slightly, her red lips parted slightly, and she looked at Xia Daoming with a face full of surprise, but soon said: "Master, this absolutely must not be. Master has finally managed to become a disciple of Hall Master Liang, so you should go all out to supplement and strengthen your blood and internal force, so that you can become a fifth-rank Great Wu Shi sooner. How can you waste a large sum of silver on me?

Moreover, I am a woman, and I am getting old, and my martial arts talent is average; even if I supplement more, the progress will be limited. I am satisfied just to follow Master and serve you while I still have some youth and beauty, so that Master doesn't have to worry about trivial matters; I don't think about martial arts anymore."

"Nonsense? What's wrong with being a woman? Haven't you heard that women are no less than men? Besides, where are you old? You are only twenty-three years old, even a year younger than me.

If you hadn't encountered misfortune and thought of yourself as a woman, placing your hope in Liu Zhong and spending all your money on him, you would be more than a third-rank realm now.

Now, catching up and supplementing vigorously is not too late; if you have such self-deprecating thoughts again, it will really be too late.

Besides, this money was earned by your hard work; what's wrong with buying some pills for yourself?" Xia Daoming said.

"Everything I have belongs to Master; I only want to repay Master's kindness in this life, hoping that Master will become a Great Wu Shi soon," Liu Qiaolian knelt on the ground suddenly while speaking, lowering her head and saying.

While speaking, two crystal clear tears quietly crossed her cheeks and dripped onto the ground.

"Feudal ideology is harmful!"

Looking at Liu Qiaolian's curvaceous and alluring body kneeling in front of him, revealing an indescribable stubbornness and firmness, Xia Daoming felt both pity and speechlessness.

However, his expression gradually became majestic.