[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t":3,"chapter-living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-chapter-216":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Living Among All Heavens, Achieving Immortality Through Merit",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2323784,4545,"Chapter 216: We Don","living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-chapter-216",216,"\u003Cp>Ding Chunqiu lay on the bed, drenched in sweat, writhing in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elderly people often suffer lasting damage to their essence, qi, and spirit after a serious illness; originally, Ding Chunqiu had maintained himself impeccably, with white hair and a ruddy complexion, exuding an almost immortal grace—but after Gu Qing’s Jade Orchid Palm tormented him, wrinkles surfaced on his face, and a pervasive aura of decay clung to his entire being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, he appeared to have aged decades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing silently pondered the Xiao Xiang Gong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In bygone days, Xiao Yaozi had retrieved the secret manual from the Evergreen Valley, founded the Xiao Yao Sect, and taken three disciples: the Tianshan Tonglao practiced the Heaven-Long Earth-Enduring Evergreen Art, Wu Yashu practiced the Northern Dark Divine Art, and Li Qiushui practiced the Xiao Xiang Gong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The internal energies of the Northern Dark Divine Art and the Xiao Xiang Gong are interchangeable; Xuzhu had absorbed much Xiao Xiang Gong energy from Wu Yashu, and it was precisely this Xiao Xiang Gong energy that enabled Xuzhu to learn swiftly from the Tianshan Tonglao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heaven-Long Earth-Enduring Evergreen Art practiced by the Tianshan Tonglao requires supreme internal energy as its foundation, while the Xiao Xiang Gong is said to be the initial stage of advanced Daoist internal arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fusion of these three should be: the Northern Dark Divine Art as the foundation, the Xiao Xiang Gong as the pillars, and the Heaven-Long Earth-Enduring Evergreen Art as the roof tiles—to form the complete picture of Xiao Yao Sect internal energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing had already asked about the Xiao Xiang Gong repeatedly, deciphered all its coded phrases, confirmed its authenticity, and now stepped out of Ding Chunqiu’s “ward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How is my father?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Wang asked anxiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He obeys with his mouth but not his heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing said: “Once he recovers, he’ll surely seek to reclaim his dignity from me—so I didn’t take a single tael of gold from him. When your father’s body mends, we’ll fight again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Chunqiu still deserves a beating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who asked you that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Wang said: “I’m asking about my father’s meridians.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing turned back, gazed into the room, and said: “He’s greatly improved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Wang and Wang Yuyan turned toward the room, saw Ding Chunqiu’s withered face, the loss of youth, the fading vitality—and were startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Quickly arrange some venomous creatures for him, or he’ll die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Chunqiu’s Meridian-Dissolving Art is a poison technique; it requires periodic toxin infusion to suppress old poison with new poison. In the novel, Xuzhu gave Ding Chunqiu the Life-Death Mark and cast him into Shaolin Temple—seemingly merciful, but for Ding Chunqiu, it was the cruelest punishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Chunqiu once had a disciple who, after practicing the Meridian-Dissolving Art, was locked away without poison to sustain him; the man tore off his own muscles and screamed for over forty days before dying. Ding Chunqiu, now imprisoned, faces the same fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing’s Jade Orchid Palm damaged Ding Chunqiu’s meridians, causing massive depletion of his vital energy; the Meridian-Dissolving Art now requires prolonged replenishment to avoid backlash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Lady Wang immediately ordered her maids to collect centipedes, toads, and other venomous creatures to deliver to Ding Chunqiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the application of venomous substances, Ding Chunqiu seemed to improve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Wang, watching Ding Chunqiu’s withered, poison-practicing appearance, felt a pang of sorrow, turned to Gu Qing, and said—regardless of who was present: “I want to practice the Mingyu Gong!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the revised edition of The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, the Mingyu Gong’s youth-preserving ability was removed; Ding Chunqiu’s youth preservation came from Li Qiushui, Li Qiushui’s from Wu Yashu, and Wu Yashu’s from the Tianshan Tonglao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In those days, the Tianshan Tonglao and Wu Yashu were lovers; she passed on the youth-preserving portion of the Heaven-Long Earth-Enduring Evergreen Art to Wu Yashu, who then transmitted it sexually to Ding Chunqiu, who maintained his youth through toxins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to such a youth-preserving art, the Mingyu Gong practiced by Wang Yuyan and Mu Wanqing is not only immensely powerful but carries no side effects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing studied Lady Wang and said: “Your martial talent is truly insufficient. Even if you practice the Mingyu Gong, you’ll never achieve much in your lifetime, and its youth-preserving effect will remain unattainable.” Gu Qing spoke the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Wang had the highest possible starting point for martial cultivation, yet to this day, she has achieved nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think you should practice the Xiao Xiang Gong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xiao Xiang Gong is a Daoist martial art; practicing it not only enables one to activate any martial technique but also aids learning. When the Tianshan Tonglao taught Xuzhu, she noticed him reciting scriptures forwards and backwards, sensed something amiss with his internal energy, investigated, and immediately detected traces of Xiao Xiang Gong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I will naturally learn the Xiao Xiang Gong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Wang said: “But I also want to learn the Mingyu Gong—I know you can use fingertip techniques to directly propel someone into the eighth level of Mingyu Gong, granting eternal youth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuyan immediately stopped her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Gu Qing to open Lady Wang’s meridians and thrust her into the Yin-Yang Balance, Eighth Level of Mingyu Gong—how could that be proper?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing also stared sharply at Lady Wang’s front, thinking she had no sense at all—how could she broadcast such a thing in public? She should have privately approached Wang Yuyan, appealed to her emotions, reasoned with her—especially since this concerns eternal youth and extended lifespan; Wang Yuyan must mediate between familial love and romantic love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuyan and Mu Wanqing led Gu Qing into the bedroom, shutting Lady Wang and Qin Hongmian outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This disobedient daughter!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Wang angrily smashed her teacup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps you should first practice the Xiao Xiang Gong, then the Mingyu Gong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Hongmian, having heard the traits of both arts, now tried to comfort Lady Wang; her own martial skills were earned through relentless training, and though she revered divine arts, she never sought shortcuts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Gu Qing not been her son-in-law, Qin Hongmian wouldn’t have even met him, let alone sought shortcuts from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s the point of life if you must train for thirty or fifty years?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Wang had never considered hard training; she turned to Qin Hongmian, about to speak—when sounds of soft, tender, affectionate whispers drifted from the bedroom, oblivious to whether anyone stood outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was another way the two daughters were driving them away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Hongmian’s face flushed crimson and immediately rose to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Wang also stood, and the two walked out, instructing the maids not to approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qingluo…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Hongmian, already walking far, turned back toward the bedroom and said: “Do you think… if we hadn’t been caught up in so much strife, would we have…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Hongmian, the Sword of the Demon, appeared violent but was deeply sentimental; in the original The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu were both deceived by Old Duan and nearly taken back to Dali together. Now, hearing those sounds, Qin Hongmian thought of herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Wang snorted: “We don’t have the conditions for that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Hongmian fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1203,"2026-06-20T17:04:27.745Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","cae4fe4b402a29ae332a56c298e7f038acb810627327dd03f7e7f61dbef0dbb2","living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-chapter-217","living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-chapter-215",449,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fliving-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-cover.jpg"]