Chapter 26: with translation of chapter title

The chain spear went limp in her hand, and the girl's heart jumped. This chain spear, in her grasp, had long been trained to be both hard and soft—wielded it could be supple like a whip or rigid like a spear—but the moment it struck the opponent's scabbard, an invisible force neutralized it, and it went limp like a dead snake.

"Swish!" The girl's heart fluttered slightly in surprise, but it did not affect her composure; she flicked her wrist slightly, and the limp chain spear swept sideways in an instant, the tip barely grazing the hem of her clothes.

"If you don't draw your sword, you'll be in great danger." The girl's voice carried a chill.

"If it were two days ago, or even one day ago, I might have been interested in drawing my sword against you, but now, I'm sorry." Zhou Shuo dodged the sweeping chain spear, stepped back and planted his feet, his left-hand sword still in its sheath held before him. Although this girl's skill is not bad, it's still a bit inferior to his; as a flesh-and-spirit-united innate martial master of viscera refining, she could have been watched two days ago, but not now, so drawing his sword is unnecessary; if it were the girl skilled in Dao arts beside her, it would be about the same.

"You..." The chill in the girl's voice grew heavier, but before she could swing the chain spear forward, a voice stopped her.

"Yueru, stop!" The clear, icy sound of a mountain spring made Yao Yueru have to check her posture, the chain spear in her hand, trembling and held straight, also went limp, and she looked toward her sister, who had not spoken much.

"Sir, have you already undergone blood exchange?" The cold girl sat upright on the bench, her double pupils fixed intently on Zhou Shuo, with a hint of probing; this sentence made Yao Yueru's complexion change, she slightly twitched her jade nose, and watched Zhou Shuo's complexion begin to shift.

Ordinary people have several smells that cannot be washed away or eliminated; innate masters who have refined their viscera can, by controlling their skin and hair, gather in the odor, but they cannot get rid of these smells; the sweat they exude is foul-smelling; only those who have trained to wash marrow and exchange blood become martial saints, their whole body pure and clear like immortals, the sweat they exude not only has no odor but actually gives off a fresh fragrance; however, a martial saint's vital energy is like beacon smoke, visible to those with cultivation from far away; yet the cold girl cannot see the vital energy on Zhou Shuo's body—only those who have exchanged blood and can restrain their vital energy are martial saints of the flesh-and-spirit-united level.

"I have only taken half a step." Zhou Shuo looked at Yao Yueru's changing complexion and at Yao Yueting's complexion, clear and cold like a moonlit fairy, and with a faint smile said something that was both true and not; these two ladies took him for a martial saint, but he is actually not far off—his blood has been tempered, and by standard it is of martial-saint level, except the marrow hasn't been washed, so impurities keep welling up in his blood, and he must constantly temper those impurities.

"May I ask which school you are a senior disciple of, sir?" Yao Yueting showed a slightly respectful expression, with a hint of inquiry; a flesh-and-spirit-united martial saint could serve as the founding master of a school, or even safeguard a nation's fortune; even though Zhou Shuo has only taken half a step, it is already astonishing, and such a person could only have been taught by a great sect.

"I have studied under many schools, belonging to none; if I had a backing, I wouldn't be hunted with a bounty!" Zhou Shuo looked at the two girls with an envious expression—not only the matter of being hunted, but also the cultivation methods; if he had a good sect as backing, he wouldn't have to trek across thousands of miles seeking that 'miraculous encounter,' and besides, he's had his share of bumps; sometimes, thinking of Hong Yi's soaring luck, he can't help feeling a twinge of jealousy and resentment.

"Wu Sheng and Kong Dao are both heretical paths; I don't know how you became involved with them, sir." Yao Yueru glanced at her twin sister Yao Yueting, saw the same surprise in her eyes, then turned her gaze and asked cautiously, "How can someone with no sect or school cultivate to this level? Is it real or fake?"

"This is a long story to tell, and it's not convenient to explain it to you, so if you have anything to say, just speak plainly!" Zhou Shuo shrugged; discussing the Supreme Dao and the Wu Sheng and Kong Dao paths is complicated, and he doesn't want to go into detail, lest he summon some great power—better to keep a low profile.

"There's nothing more, sir; you are already a half-step martial saint, and we two sisters dare not show off our modest skills before you—please point us a path." Yao Yueting was very careful; even though she is close to becoming a ghost immortal, she cannot be certain that her soul could emerge from her body before a flesh-and-spirit-united half-step martial saint, and even Yao Yueru, as an innate viscera-refining master of the flesh-and-spirit-united level, might not be able to protect herself; the two of us want to find a whetstone, but we don't want to court death.

"Point a path?" Zhou Shuo looked at the cautious cold girl, a strange expression crossing his face; these two girls actually backed down—could the deterrent power of his 'false' martial saint be that great? But it's fine; such pretty sisters, there's no need to fight to the death, and he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"As for pointing a path, there's no need; I am a lone wanderer—if you don't provoke me, I won't provoke you."

"Then we'll be on our way." Seeing that Zhou Shuo didn't pursue the matter and held no grudge, Yao Yueting rose and bade farewell directly; a flesh-and-spirit-united half-step martial saint is not a traceless ghost immortal, and as a lone individual she feels considerable apprehension toward prominent sects.

Visceral Tempering Innate Martial Master

Nine Curves Linked Steps

"No, that's not it; I just want to explore the martial way with you two and exchange martial arts." Zhou Shuo looked at the two wary girls, feeling a bit embarrassed; if he could obtain a marrow-washing technique from them, he wouldn't have to rush out to sea to Giant Whale Island, and he recalled that Hong Yi seemed to have exchanged techniques with Murong Yan.

"Exchange martial arts?" Upon hearing this, Yao Yueru couldn't help but glance at her sister; Yao Yueting's mind instantly turned over a thousand thoughts, and she finally nodded to her sisters; in the jianghu, examples of exchanging techniques are not rare, and most sects encourage this practice; a good martial arts school and its masters must also have this habit—aside from referencing martial arts, one must also understand the various schools' skills, and a flesh-and-spirit-united martial saint's technique is undoubtedly worth sharing.

Flying Spirit Supple Bone Body

"This isn't the place to talk." Zhou Shuo looked at the two girls who had turned from foes to friends, a faint smile rising in his heart—it was settled, but there were still many onlookers here; exchanging martial arts under the gaze of so many people?

"Get out, all of you! Boss, this inn is booked by our Yaochi Sect." Following Zhou Shuo's words, Yao Yueru looked at the people upstairs in the inn, let out a clear shout, and simultaneously tossed a finger‑sized pearl that clinked onto the counter; the innkeeper stared wide‑eyed, then nodded frantically.

Not only the innkeeper, but the guests upstairs also hurried downstairs and left, none daring to speak further; the Yaochi Sect is a major school of southern Yin Province, also linked to the Prince of Harmony in the court, and in the entire southern martial world, aside from the Great Luo Sect, no other powerful clan or small school is a match for them.

Zhou Shuo watched the departing onlookers, and Yao Yueru, arrogant and domineering, raised her right eyebrow; this girl is quite lovely, well, being pretty makes sense—even when she's fierce, she's fiercely cute.

Facing Zhou Shuo's teasing gaze, Yao Yueru's double pupils flickered slightly, a hint of embarrassment rose in her heart, but she showed nothing of it on her face.

Soon the inn was emptied out; even the waiter and the innkeeper were driven out, leaving only Zhou Shuo, Yao Yueting, and Yao Yueru—the three of them—plus a table with prepared paper and brush.

Although I've never exchanged martial arts experience, you don't need to have eaten pork to have seen a pig run! Zhou Shuo simply regarded it as doing business, and doing business naturally starts with inspecting the goods.

First, each side stated what martial arts they knew, then they discussed how to exchange. Yao Yue Ru and Yao Yue Ting, sisters from the Yao Chi Sect, cultivate the martial arts and dao techniques from the《Great Yin Heavenly Born Divine Chapter》; among them, the Nine Curves Linked Steps and the Great Yin Body Forging Technique are the most famous. The Nine Curves Linked Steps combines training of flesh, tendons, skin, and bones into one, while the Great Yin Body Forging Technique also covers training of organs, marrow, and blood exchange in one practice.

The marvel of the martial arts in the Great Yin Heavenly Born Divine Chapter lies in being a self-contained system; as long as one receives complete transmission, it does not require much talent, and with persistent practice one can become a martial saint. Looking at the Nine Curves Linked Steps and the Great Yin Body Forging Technique, then at his own miscellaneous martial arts, Zhou Shuo couldn't help feeling envious—coming from a prestigious sect makes a difference; his little Zhou Tian strength fist, Swift Wind Blade Technique, and Wind Thunder Whip are nothing to show off.

After a round of discussion, Zhou Shuo and the twins agreed to exchange the Flying Spirit Soft Bone Body and the Pine Crane Longevity Fist for the Nine Curves Linked Steps and a Stone-Rolling Qigong not belonging to the Great Yin Heavenly Born Divine Chapter. As a distinguished sect disciple, Yao Yue Ru immediately pointed out that these two arts contain traces of the Supreme Dao Boneless Soft Fist, Embryo Holding Skill, and Little Heavenly Gang Seizing Hand, among others—highly referential. From them, they could also believe that Zhou Shuo indeed does not come from a prestigious sect; his martial arts lack a system and are too mixed.

After exchanging the basic martial arts, Zhou Shuo wanted to trade the Wind Thunder Whip Method and the Five Flames True Qi for the Great Yin Body Forging Technique and part of the dao techniques from the《Great Yin Heavenly Born Divine Chapter》, because the Five Flames True Qi contains the relationship between the body's blood and spirit, its value far surpassing the Great Yin Body Forging Technique; however, this exchange proposal was directly rejected by the two girls.

"The dao is not lightly transmitted, and moreover, Mr. Zhou, as a body-and-spirit-unified martial artist, you should be pursuing the human immortal realm—why distract yourself with dao arts?" Yao Yue Ru furrowed her elegant brows, eyeing the man before her with some suspicion. After further contact, she felt that this guy seemed not wholly devoted to the martial path; how could someone like him achieve body-and-spirit unity?

"Body-and-spirit unity?" Zhou Shuo looked at the frowning double-pupil girl, his eyebrows twitching involuntarily. No wonder these two girls backed down so quickly earlier—they had mistaken him for a body-and-spirit-unified martial saint. It's no surprise: facing such a saint, even a half-step away, all dao arts cannot invade; a single mighty roar can scatter the souls of ghost immortals who haven't passed their tribulation, and he would have to back down as well.

"I am not body-and-spirit united; you've misread me. My essence and qi are inwardly gathered, and my blood is fresh as new—entirely because I cultivate the Five Flames True Qi. This qigong contains the mysterious relationship between the body's blood and spirit, so the mere Great Yin Body Forging Technique for marrow refinement cannot compare in value; one must add some dao techniques." Zhou Shuo honestly pointed out the relevant circumstances, thereby raising the value of his own cultivation method.

"What…?" Upon hearing Zhou Shuo's words, even Yao Yue Ting, whose expression had always been icy, couldn't help but change her face—she had actually misjudged.