Chapter 166: The Zen Path of Martial Arts, the Bride's Robe Divine Art

"The Zen Path of Martial Arts, the Bride's Robe Divine Art."

Within the Murong Manor, there were many rare medicines, and with Gu Qing's acupuncture treatment, after several days, Yan Nantian's physical constraints were broken; suddenly, he could lift his hands and feet, and speak—but after years of being bedridden, his muscles had atrophied, and when Yan Nantian spoke, he often needed long moments to summon the strength to move his lips and tongue, his movements weak and feeble.

But this was enough for Gu Qing: Yan Nantian could now transmit the Bride's Robe Divine Art to him.

"In bygone days, the Iron Blood Great Flag Sect dominated the martial world with this art."

Yan Nantian explained to Gu Qing the origins of the Bride's Robe Divine Art.

"At the outset of cultivation, this art gathers all your inner power into one point, burning fiercely yet stubbornly difficult to channel; each time you circulate it, every meridian feels as if pierced by needles and scraped by blades—the more you practice, the greater the pain, yet your internal energy grows ever stronger."

Yan Nantian said: "Moreover, once you cultivate it, if you miss even a single day, your inner power instantly dissipates—so this martial art demands constant cultivation and constant insight... As for the eight characters of the invincible 'Zen Path of Martial Arts, Bride's Robe Divine Art,' perhaps only Tie Zhongtang and the ancestors of the Great Flag Sect truly comprehended them."

The profundity of this martial art made one unwilling to let go upon seeing it, yet Yan Nantian still had not grasped its deepest essence: the Zen Path of Martial Arts.

"Your martial arts have already reached great mastery."

Yan Nantian studied Gu Qing and said: "Why subject yourself to such torment by cultivating the Bride's Robe Divine Art?"

Yan Nantian had just awakened and felt his martial power entirely gone; he had not yet grasped the subtleties of the Bride's Robe Divine Art.

"Martial arts have no limit."

Gu Qing spoke with firm resolve: "As long as there is the faintest possibility of progress, I will press forward."

"Good!"

Hearing this, Yan Nantian laughed and said: "Only such a disposition can cultivate the Bride's Robe Divine Art—it is a path with no return. If one hesitates before even stepping onto it, even if one practices the art, one will achieve little."

"Since you saved me, I entrust you with my divine art and sword techniques."

Yan Nantian now harbored no resentment and believed Gu Qing was worthy of inheriting his martial teachings.

Zhang San niang, standing nearby, heard Yan Nantian's words and sighed softly: "Words should not be spoken to their full extent; fortune should not be enjoyed to its utmost; power should not be pushed to its extreme—when all things are pushed too far, fate inevitably ends prematurely."

Yan Nantian had always been too rigid.

Hearing this, Gu Qing smiled faintly, sat cross-legged, and listened as Yan Nantian began to impart the secrets.

From dawn to dusk, Yan Nantian fully recounted the scripture and his cultivation experiences.

"The Flower Moon Palace holds deep enmity toward me; no few words from you can resolve it. Whatever you intend to do, do it quickly."

Yan Nantian affirmed: "By the time I regain my martial power, it will be too late for you."

Though Yan Nantian's martial power was now gone, he was not discouraged; once his body recovered and his limbs moved again, he would re-cultivate his arts and settle the blood debt owed by Jiang Feng.

Gu Qing rose to his feet and turned to Zhang San niang: "When you said 'words should not be spoken to their full extent,' were you referring to the fact that Zhang Jing's biological father is Yan Nantian?"

In "The Peerless Twins," Zhang Jing's father is implied to be Yan Nantian; in the original novel, after regaining his power, Yan Nantian educated Zhang Jing and Gu Renyu—perhaps in an unconventional way of fatherhood.

"What?"

Yan Nantian snapped his head up and asked Zhang San niang: "When did this happen? How did I not know?"

Zhang San niang's usually cold face slowly flushed, her eyes filled with shy hesitation.

Gu Qing chuckled and took his leave.

Along his journey, Gu Qing learned the Quanzhen Sect's martial arts: the Primordial Qi Art, the Nine Yin Scripture, the Nine Yang Scripture, the Qi Shift Great Art, the Yogic Secret Transmission, the Dragon and Elephant Supreme Wisdom Art, the Muscle/Meridian Change Classic... and more—until he met the Old Man, who transformed his entire qi into the all-encompassing Mixed Primordial Qi Art; now, comparing martial arts in his mind, he contemplated the qi of the Bride's Robe Divine Art and pondered its state of effortless mastery.

... fter one cycle of destruction and rebirth, the Bride's Robe Divine Art would fully fuse with the cultivator's body, becoming impervious to any external force, flowing freely and effortlessly—this nature of qi might allow Gu Qing to now deduce and connect the extra meridians, unifying them into one seamless whole, blending the Jin and Gu systems to achieve the pinnacle of martial arts.

The Bride's Robe Divine Art must be cultivated!

After his comparisons, Gu Qing's resolve hardened further; he stood still for a moment, then heard a commotion and walked toward it. In a pavilion of the Jiuxiu Manor, Tie Xinlan sat silently weeping, Jiang Xiaoyu frowned and turned away, while nearby Zhang Jing watched with amusement and Gu Renyu stood helplessly confused.

"What's going on?"

Gu Qing approached and whispered to Zhang Jing.

These past days, he had trained Zhang Jing daily in yoga, and their relationship had grown much closer.

Zhang Jing smiled sweetly: "Tie Xinlan wants Jiang Xiaoyu to take martial arts seriously, so she used Xiao Mei as an example—Xiaoyu got angry."

Gu Qing chuckled: Jiang Xiaoyu had never taken martial arts seriously at first, nor valued Tie Xinlan—until she stripped naked to save Hua Wuxue, and that shattered Xiaoyu's composure completely.

"Miss Tie, I'm preparing to leave Jiuxiu Manor and head to Mount Emei—would you like to come along?"

Gu Qing intervened directly.

Gu Qing had no interest in Tie Xinlan, but that didn't stop him from stirring things up to tease Xiaoyu.

"Why are you going to Mount Emei?"

!

Jiang Xiaoyu exclaimed in alarm, then quickly calmed himself: "Did Uncle Yan tell you about the treasure?"

Gu Qing smiled: "Yan Nantian has already entrusted me with his divine art and sword techniques—but interestingly, Yan Nantian never hid any treasure on Mount Emei. This whole matter is a conspiracy, so I intend to investigate."

Jiang Biehe was manipulating a scheme to trap a group of martial artists, but his treasure map happened to resemble the Five Supreme Arts closely.

After obtaining the Bride's Robe Divine Art, Gu Qing planned to seek the Five Supreme Arts.

Hearing this, Zhang Jing glanced toward a windowsill, leapt gracefully, and entered the inner chamber, where Murong Jiu sat clad in a blue dress, cold and detached, uninterested in the commotion outside, absorbed in studying a human meridian chart.

Motionless, like a stone statue.

"Gu Qing is taking Tie Xinlan away."

Zhang Jing deliberately provoked.

Recently, Zhang Jing had noticed Murong Jiu's cold exterior hid deep feelings, and she longed to expose it; now that Gu Qing was leaving, Zhang Jing wanted to make Murong Jiu panic.

"What does that have to do with me?"

Murong Jiu's body seemed to tremble slightly, yet her voice remained cool and melodious, as if utterly unaffected.

"Heh..."

Zhang Jing strode forward, seized Murong Jiu's arm, smiled at her, and ripped open her sleeve.

As a close friend, Zhang Jing felt Murong Jiu had long concealed something in this regard—it was boring. She might as well tear open the sleeve and let the vermilion spot speak.

"Huh..."

On Murong Jiu's flawless, icy wrist, the vermilion spot was still clearly visible.

Zhang Jing froze completely.

"What are you doing?"

Murong Jiu covered her wrist, frowning.

Zhang Jing opened her mouth... I'd like to ask what you two have been doing at night—you clearly were so intense.

Zhang Jing couldn't understand it—no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't figure it out.

(End of Chapter)