Chapter 53: Vein-Severing Dragon Catch

After clearing the table, Shen Yi saw the little old lady about to bring up the matter of introducing a Miss again.

He decisively found an excuse, turned around, and went back to his room.

As the saying goes, one must first establish a family and then a career, but right now he hadn't even found his footing, and the work he did was a matter of life and death—when would he have the leisure for such thoughts?

He closed the door and sat down by the bed.

Shen Yi placed three Meridian-Opening Pills into his mouth; an intense bitterness immediately spread across his tongue, as if he had bitten into a piece of goldthread.

Fortunately, having once swallowed a stinking beast essence raw, this wasn't much.

Shen Yi's gaze was calm as he summoned the panel.

【Jade Liquid · Vein-Severing Dragon Catch (Not Yet Initiated)】

【Remaining Demon-Yao Lifespan: Three Hundred Years】

This lifespan had originally been kept in reserve for emergencies.

If it were all used up, and he then encountered a powerful demon-yao, with his current foundation, casting Heavenly Gang Blood Malice just once would cause him to collapse from exhaustion.

Moreover, now that he had joined the Zhen Mo Si, the inner cultivation method for breaking through to the Jade Liquid Realm was also settled; once he familiarized himself with the environment a bit, acquiring it shouldn't be difficult—presumably, this would also be a major consumer of lifespan.

Under such circumstances, holding a full three hundred years of demon-yao lifespan in hand, he now actually felt somewhat strapped.

Shen Yi shook his head, cast aside the distracting thoughts, and began channeling the demon-yao lifespan into Vein-Severing Dragon Catch in batches.

No matter what, being able to improve even a little meant one more chance of surviving danger—stay alive first, then talk about everything else.

……

【First year, you thoroughly read the contents of the book, and by the way refined the medicinal power within your body. Having never tasted a precious elixir before, you were extremely stingy, unwilling to waste even a wisp of medicinal power.】

【Third year, you consumed the second pill, your meridians and acupoints were widened once again. You had long since memorized the contents of the book by heart; countless information about the meridian network surged into your mind, and your eyes revealed a clarity that had never been disturbed by knowledge.】

【Ninth year, the efficacy of the final pill was also absorbed by you completely clean. Your great apertures were widened by tenfold. You felt a slight sense of relief; although you still didn't quite understand what meridian networks were, you continued to diligently observe all things.】

……

No wonder the Commander only passed down a single ultimate technique to each disciple.

If Four Harmony True Gang was the application of Qi, then Vein-Severing Dragon Catch was the ultimate technique of the physical body—two entirely unrelated domains.

Each one required exhausting vast amounts of time to immerse oneself in; being able to master even one was already extremely difficult.

Mastering a single technique could suppress those of the same realm, because those who could learn it were extraordinary to begin with.

If one were of ordinary talent, one would probably never grasp its true wonders in an entire lifetime.

"I want it all."

Shen Yi took out several decades' worth of demon-yao lifespan and threw it in again.

……

【Twenty-sixth year, you stretched out your palm, gently stroking the rough bark, your fingertips leaping across the tree trunk. You pressed your ear to it, as if hearing the tree's "heartbeat."】

【Forty-eighth year, you picked up a massive boulder; it seemed like a stone egg, with vitality gestating within. A crazed smile appeared on your face! Yi! You've comprehended!】

Sixty-ninth year, you sat slumped on the ground in dejection, comprehending nothing—you had simply gone mad. You propped yourself up and, in a fit of rage, struck the wind- and rain-eroded boulder. A moment later, you stared blankly and muttered, "This stone seems to have died, huh."

【Vein-Severing Dragon Catch Initiated】

【Seventy-first year, the efficacy of your mastery of fist and palm arts came into play; the movements of your palms grew increasingly practiced. Vein-Severing Dragon Catch: Minor Accomplishment.】

【Seventy-third year, after finally understanding what the meridians of all things were, what remained was merely the grasp of timing in striking. Vein-Severing Dragon Catch: Major Accomplishment.】

【Seventy-fifth year, Vein-Severing Dragon Catch: Perfection.】

……

Once enlightened.

The rapid progress that followed made Shen Yi suddenly recall that he was still a fist-and-palm prodigy; the years spent on Cloud-Pushing Long Fist back then didn't seem entirely useless after all.

Five years to take a Jade Liquid Realm fist-and-palm art from initiation to perfection.

This was the experience of having exceptional talent.

Indeed, as long as it didn't involve that inexplicable thing called comprehension, he was actually still quite capable.

He closed the panel.

Shen Yi closed his eyes and savored the gains.

The most obvious feeling was the surging Qi within his great apertures, far more abundant than moments ago.

For others, such an improvement might merely amount to a doubling of physical strength.

But for Shen Yi, he could finally unleash a more powerful Heavenly Gang Blood Malice, rather than the "low-power" version caused by insufficient foundation.

Moreover, his Qi-refining speed had doubled, and it still only took five years of demon-yao lifespan to replenish the deficit.

"The so-called Vein-Severing Dragon Catch is, in fact, a method of imposing a prohibition."

Shen Yi spread open his Bai Xi, well-defined palm.

Without harming the skin, the palm became like a blade, severing the meridian network.

Sealing the apertures, cutting off vitality.

He still remembered how Lin Baiwei had been struck by a similar demonic art back then, and she was at the Jade Liquid Perfection realm; for a demon-yao to make her so miserable, it was most likely at the Nascent Core Realm.

A Jade Liquid Realm martial art could reach into the methods of a higher level.

These seventy-five years were well spent.

……

The days that followed could be considered comfortable.

In Bai Yun County, one had to be constantly vigilant against having one's head taken by demon-yaos.

But in this quiet courtyard, one could enjoy a moment of peace.

After all, outside the walls lay the Zhen Mo Si government office, occupying two thousand eight hundred mu of land; everyone wore cloud-patterned black shirts, and the convergence of countless auras was like blades piercing straight into the clouds.

This was the safest place in all of Outside Qingzhou.

It made Shen Yi let his guard down for a few days, giving his long-tensed nerves a little holiday.

The martial arts were already in hand, and the agreement with Lin Baiwei could be considered concluded.

But the old lady's skill at pickling vegetables was truly something — paired with rice porridge, it didn't fill the belly, yet it was extremely appetizing.

The other party didn't mind, and Shen Yi was willing to stay a few more days.

Of course, it would have been even better if that Lord Fang, when demonstrating Meridian-Severing Dragon Catch for him, didn't always have a faint trace of contempt hidden on his face.

Shen Yi wasn't quite sure where he had offended the man.

Nor did he have the leisure to think on it further.

Bootlicking wasn't his forte, nor did it interest him — otherwise, in his past life, he wouldn't have ended up in such a state.

"Tell me your insights."

Fang Heng withdrew his fists, his eyes gazing indifferently into the distance.

Shen Yi stood at his side and slightly behind, hands at his sides, thought for a moment, and said: "Very impressive."

The man's Meridian-Severing Dragon Catch must have only just stepped into Minor Accomplishment not long ago — there was already some real skill between fist and palm. Considering Fang Heng's age, and comparing it to himself, who had needed a full seventy years of deduction before grasping the mysteries within.

Though still a bit rough, it really was already very impressive — at least Shen Yi admitted to himself he was far inferior to the man.

"Heh."

Hearing the other party utterly miss the point, insisting on using such perfunctory words to cover it up, the corner of Fang Heng's mouth lifted in a barely perceptible mockery.

He said nothing more, merely finished dressing, then turned and walked back toward the house.

Suddenly, a burst of noisy footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

"Brother Shen, come out quick."

Liu Xiujie poked his head in from outside the courtyard and whispered: "Get ready, it's time to get to work."

"Alright, give me a moment."

Hearing this, Shen Yi rubbed his wrist — he'd rested about enough. He couldn't really let that bit of sharpness in his heart get ground away entirely.

No matter how comfortable this place was, it had nothing to do with him, and it couldn't protect him for a lifetime.

He strode back to his room to get his blade.

At that moment, the sturdy figure slowly turned his head.

Fang Heng regarded him coldly, raised an eyebrow, and in a calm voice carrying a touch of chill said: "Who gave you permission to agree?"

"..."

At these words, Shen Yi's figure paused slightly.

He turned his gaze back to meet the other's eyes.

A moment later, on Shen Yi's handsome face, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

A faint, dangerous aura welled up in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)