Chapter 875: [Just Awakened from a Dream] (Part 2)

Hu Xiaotian suddenly felt as if he were about to suffocate; he drew a deep breath. Li Yuncong had long known the secret of the underground cavern, so how could he not know about one of the passages leading to Zilan Palace where Princess Anping was held? If what Ji Feihua said was true—that Long Xi Yue's visit to the Ethereal Mountain's Numinous Cloud Palace to see Long Xuan'en was meant to pass him a warning—then what was his own existence for? He dared not think further.

Ji Feihua gave him a meaningful look and said, "Is the martial art Li Yuncong taught you the Seamless Technique?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head. "No! He said it's the introductory heart method of the Formless Divine Skill."

Ji Feihua frowned and said, "As I said, the Seamless Technique can only be cultivated by eunuchs." The implication being that since you're not a eunuch, you obviously can't practice it.

Hu Xiaotian said, "He told me the Formless Divine Skill was originally the treasure of Heavenly Dragon Temple. When the Dakang Court besieged the temple, they confiscated many Buddhist scriptures from the Sutra Pavilion, sending some to the palace for storage. A eunuch accidentally discovered this Formless Divine Skill and began to cultivate it, only to find that, though miraculous, it was unsuitable for eunuchs. So he based it on the Formless Divine Skill and created the Seamless Technique."

Ji Feihua nodded. "That's correct. The martial art I cultivate is the Seamless Technique."

Hu Xiaotian said, "He also told me that cultivating the Formless Divine Skill requires enduring nine tribulations."

Ji Feihua said, "Nine tribulations? I've never heard of that!"

Upon hearing Ji Feihua say that, Hu Xiaotian finally relaxed; it seemed Li Yuncong was merely trying to scare him with alarmist talk.

Ji Feihua said, "Give me your hand!"

Hu Xiaotian extended his right hand; Ji Feihua pressed her left hand against his right, palms touching. His skin was icy, yet his palm was extraordinarily soft. Had he not known Ji Feihua was a eunuch, Hu Xiaotian would have doubted he was touching a woman's hand.

Ji Feihua said, "I've suffered serious injuries and must not recklessly exert my true power. Send some of your internal energy over."

Following his instructions, Hu Xiaotian sent a thread of internal energy into his meridians, but Ji Feihua's expression changed instantly. She withdrew her hand, frowned, and said, "This is absolutely not the Formless Divine Skill!"

Hu Xiaotian felt his head as if struck by a series of muffled thunderclaps; he was a bit dazed. He had practiced his internal energy method for so long, always believing it was the Formless Divine Skill, yet Ji Feihua bluntly declared it wasn't. Then what had he actually cultivated? He had never doubted it before, but now, reflecting on it, Li Yuncong had no reason to casually pass on a martial art regarded as a supreme treasure by the martial world.

Ji Feihua said, "In such a short time your internal energy has reached this level—impossible even for the Formless Divine Skill. Heavenly Dragon Temple's Formless Divine Skill emphasizes internal foundations, best cultivated from childhood, stressing harmony between heaven and man. Your internal energy is thick but not pure, mixed with several different kinds. Tell me the truth: besides the ten years of power Quan De'an poured into you, have you absorbed anyone else's internal energy?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I absorbed a strange man called Heishi. He first tried to suck my internal energy; when he felt mine almost drained, it suddenly flowed back—not just my own, but also all of Heishi's internal energy, which I didn't want. Yet I couldn't control it at all."

Ji Feihua said, "That explains it. What you're cultivating is the Void Grand Method."

Hu Xiaotian exclaimed, "The Void Grand Method?"

Ji Feihua nodded. "It is the most overbearing and evil martial art under heaven, the opposite of the Formless Divine Skill. Because it absorbs opponents' internal energy to boost power quickly, orthodox sects cannot tolerate it. You might not expect it, but its creator was also a Buddhist, likewise from Heavenly Dragon Temple—his name was Shanjuan. To increase his power he slaughtered many fellow disciples, was expelled from the temple, and became a dreaded demon whose martial art, at its peak, could claim to be number one in the world."

Hu Xiaotian thought to himself, "The Void Grand Method isn't bad either."

Ji Feihua said, "Shanjuan believed he could fully control this art, absorbing others' internal energy for his own use. But as he absorbed more and more, the internal energy of various martial masters turned against him, causing him to deviate and die. His death was gruesome, suffering inhuman torment and pain—his just deserts."

Hu Xiaotian felt fear rising in his heart; what Ji Feihua described is, in medical terms, an immune rejection reaction.

Ji Feihua said, "After Shanjuan's death, his Void Grand Method was obtained by the senior monks of Heavenly Dragon Temple. They originally wanted to destroy it, but when the time came to burn it, they hesitated and instead sealed the art inside the Sutra Pavilion. Later the Dakang Court sent troops to wipe out the temple, and the Void Grand Method vanished. Decades later someone appeared practicing the Whale Swallowing Grand Method, likewise absorbing others' internal energy to bolster their own, yet its power is far inferior to the Void Grand Method. The Whale Swallowing Grand Method works only against ordinary fighters; against anyone with notable martial skill it fails, whereas the Void Grand Method has the might of an ant swallowing an elephant—even against an opponent many times stronger, if an opening is found, it can still swallow all of that person's internal energy."

By now Hu Xiaotian was about eighty percent convinced; his initial absorption of Heishi's internal energy was exactly for this reason. Judging purely by martial cultivation, Heishi was several times stronger than him, so perhaps what he practiced was the Whale Swallowing Grand Method. Hu Xiaotian whispered, "Will this heretical art harm the body?"

Ji Feihua said, "Of course it's harmful! Anyone who cultivates the Void Grand Method will inevitably deviate and die with ruptured meridians."

Hu Xiaotian sucked in a cold breath. "I've only just begun cultivating it—surely there's still hope?"

Ji Feihua said, "However, you already possess heterodox true qi in your body, so practicing the Void Grand Method isn't especially harmful for you; you'll eventually deviate anyway, it's just a matter of when the heterodox qi clashes with your own true qi."

Hu Xiaotian said, "You're so capable—you must know a way to resolve this."

Ji Feihua said, "There is a way—the simplest is to cultivate the Seamless Technique, but its requirements are extremely strict; a male body simply cannot practice it."

Hu Xiaotian gave a wry smile. "I'd rather die deviating than become a eunuch." After saying that he realized he had offended Ji Feihua, and apologetically added, "Please don't take offense—I meant nothing else."

Ji Feihua said, "What's there to mind? Being a man is surely fine, right?"

Hu Xiaotian thought that being a man or a woman each had its own advantages, but being a eunuch was wholly bad. Worried that saying so would anger Ji Feihua, he kept silent. Remembering Li Yuncong's commission, he whispered, "When you left the palace, did you go to the Sutra Pavilion and take away a copy of the Banruo Boluomiduo Xin Jing?"

Ji Feihua said, "You mean the one personally hand‑copied by Emperor Taizong?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded. "Exactly. Li Yuncong suspects you're hiding in Heavenly Dragon Temple and claims you took that book to trade with a heavenly master there for healing."

Ji Feihua smiled faintly. "If anyone in the world could heal my internal injury, it would be me myself. The Banruo Boluomiduo Xin Jing is no ordinary text—how could he just leave it in the Sutra Pavilion? When I was ambushed by three masters and seriously wounded, my first thought was escaping the palace; I certainly had no leisure for a Buddhist sutra."

Hu Xiaotian said, "What exactly is so special about that sutra that he values it so highly?"

Ji Feihua said, "I've also heard of that sutra; it's said that when Emperor Taizong hand‑copied it he left many secrets inside, but these are merely rumors. After hundreds of years, the sutra has passed through many hands, yet no one has discovered the secret." He frowned and asked, "Why are you interested in that sutra?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "One reason is Li Yuncong; another is that I met Master Yuanmu of Heavenly Dragon Temple at the Spirit Sound Temple in Grizzly Bear Valley, Da Yong. He once helped me and asked me to petition the Dakang Court for the sutra's return to the temple."

Ji Feihua said, "Is Master Yuanmu not at Heavenly Dragon Temple?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I suppose he hasn't come back."

Ji Feihua said, "To eliminate the hidden danger of your Void Grand Method, Master Yuanmu should be able to help you."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Is Master Yuanmu the heavenly master Li Yuncong spoke of?"

Ji Feihua shook her head. "He probably hasn't reached the heavenly stage. If there truly is a heavenly master in Heavenly Dragon Temple, it would only be the monk Kongjian who has faced the wall for three years. Can you imagine someone going three years without food or water?"

Hu Xiaotian exclaimed, "He didn't starve to death?"

Ji Feihua said, "He is the highest‑ranking monk in Heavenly Dragon Temple; even Yuanmu must address him as uncle‑master."

Hu Xiaotian thought to himself, "Heavenly Dragon Temple truly hides tigers and dragons—no wonder the Dakang emperors have always valued it so highly. I still need to find that sutra; if I give it to Master Yuanmu, he'll feel indebted to me and surely won't refuse my request to resolve the Void Grand Method's hidden danger."

Ji Feihua said, "You'd better leave here quickly, and don't let anyone hear anything about my situation."

Hu Xiaotian nodded. "Heavenly Dragon Temple isn't a place to linger; since Li Yuncong suspects you're hiding here, he may soon try to infiltrate and search the temple."

Ji Feihua said, "Don't worry about my affairs; think instead about how to resolve the trouble with the Gold Hill Xu family in Jinling."

Hu Xiaotian recalled something and handed over the bottle of Return Origin Pill he carried, saying, "This is a Return Origin Pill; it might help your internal injury."

Ji Feihua looked at Hu Xiaotian, her eyes showing a hint of emotion, but she did not reach out to take it: "I appreciate the thought, but this pill does nothing for my wound; you'd better keep it for emergencies." (To be continued…~^~)