Chapter 568: Come On, Hit Me!

The Qi Infant was crawling around on the lotus seat, its large eyes wide with innocent curiosity as it surveyed everything around it.

“Hmm, it seems my Qi is too strong, prematurely catalyzing the Qi Infant.”

Zhang Jie was initially bewildered, but after a moment’s thought, he understood.

Although the Qi Infant appeared to be an infant, it could not possibly be an ignorant one.

According to the information Zhang Jie had gathered during his time as a High Wei observer,

the Qi Infant generated by the Qi Body Source Flow should be identical to the cultivator,

possessing the same consciousness—essentially another cultivator.

But other people’s Qi Infants are cultivated gradually, step by step,

during which their consciousness slowly synchronizes with the Qi Infant, naturally becoming a conscious “Nascent Soul” once formed.

His true Qi, however, was too overwhelming, causing the Qi Seed to be directly ripened,

birthing the perfected product of the Qi Body Source Flow—the Qi Infant—before it could synchronize with his consciousness,

which is why his Qi Infant, like Emperor Hui of Jin, remained pristine and childlike.

“That’s easily fixed.”

Zhang Jie focused his mind, and a divine thought shot forth from his Niwan Palace, striking the Qi Infant’s third eye.

The Qi Infant’s eyes first flickered with confusion, then were instantly drowned in the glow of wisdom.

“I am the Qi Infant born of the Qi Body Source Flow. I am… Zhang Jie!”

…

Inside the villa, Zhang Jie slowly opened his eyes.

“Jie Ge, have you already attained enlightenment?”

Zhang Chulan, who had been watching him closely, was startled.

He himself had taken days to plant the Old Farmer’s Art into his dantian after receiving it.

“I’ve gained a little insight,” Zhang Jie smiled faintly.

“Come on, hit me!”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chulan’s face twisted in terror, his hands flailing like helicopter rotors as he protested:

“Jie Ge, I’m no match for you.”

Him fight Zhang Jie?

He didn’t even have the capacity to know what that meant.

He had no doubt that even if Zhang Jie let him use only both feet and one hand,

he’d still end up kneeling before Jie Ge’s jeans, singing “Conquest.”

This battle, with zero chance of victory, was just asking for punishment.

He wasn’t one of those guys who got itchy all over if they didn’t get beaten for three days.

“I think you’ve misunderstood me—I mean, hit me, and I won’t fight back.”

Seeing Zhang Chulan treat him like a tiger, Zhang Jie smiled and explained.

“Really?”

Zhang Chulan was skeptical.

He suspected this might be Zhang Jie’s fishing tactic, waiting for a chance to give him a good beating.

Having Feng Baobao as his punching bag was already enough.

If he got another Zhang Jie, he’d have to learn from that popular TV drama,

and say, “Your humble servant cannot do it!” (The timeline of this world begins after 2013,

while the hit drama “Empresses in the Palace” premiered in 2011;

as a parallel alternate timeline of the real world, “Empresses in the Palace” also exists here.)

“Of course it’s real. When have I ever lied to you, Jie Ge?”

“In that case…”

Zhang Chulan’s expression slowly turned gleeful.

Even if Zhang Jie used only one hand, he still couldn’t beat him—but what if Zhang Jie only took hits and didn’t fight back?

This was a rare, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime chance to openly beat up Jie Ge.

Touching his forehead and buttocks, still faintly aching, Zhang Chulan felt that the time for revenge had come!

Victory and defeat in war are unpredictable; a true man endures shame and humiliation.

The sons of Jiangdong are all talented; who knows if they might rise again?

…

“Jie Ge, you’re not testing me for some kind of counter-damage ability, are you?”

Still, Zhang Chulan, having been tricked by Zhang Jie several times, chose to play it safe.

Although he had only recently entered the Yiren world—actually, just a few days ago,

from the staff of Nandatong and from Baobao Jie, he had learned a great deal about the Yiren world,

at least knowing nine out of ten common truths about it.

Among them was one ability he remembered vividly: not all Yiren pursued violence,

since the primary goal of cultivation is self-cultivation and longevity.

But being in the Yiren world meant you couldn’t avoid conflict, since not everyone was kind-hearted,

there were always those who sought to harm others for personal gain—or even harmed others even if it brought them no benefit.

Upholding the principle of self-preservation and resistance without bloodshed or entanglement, ancient sages created a type of art.

The defining feature of this art is defense-only: no offensive capability,

but if you strike it with one unit of force, it returns one unit of force—using your own method against you.

The harder you hit, the greater the force returned.

If you strike with intent to kill, you might end up dying from your own technique and power.

The most famous example is Shaolin Temple’s “Diamond Unbreakable Divine Art.”

Those who cultivate it are said to possess a “Diamond Unbreakable Body,” inherently invincible.

Although the brother who shared this information with him told him such abilities were rare,

because aside from Shaolin’s bald monks, few were willing to be passive iron turtles who could only defend without retaliation,

as a novice who couldn’t gauge Zhang Jie’s depth, he had to consider the possibility that Zhang Jie had also cultivated this ability.

After all, Zhang Jie was the kind of ruthless person who could manifest divine thought division and external incarnations.

He didn’t want to end up in a scene where he hit himself and became everyone’s laughingstock.

“Huh? You actually know I have this ability?”

Now it was Zhang Jie’s turn to be startled.

His family’s inherited art was just an ordinary Qi refining technique,

and the Celestial Master’s Mansion he later studied at was famous for Golden Light Spell and Thunder Art,

his ability came from sharing the perfected “Diamond Unbreakable Divine Art *Wuxia Version” from Tianlong Zhang Jie—how did Zhang Chulan know?

Could this kid also be a transmigrator?

But that didn’t seem right!

“Hehe, I guessed. Better to believe it exists than to ignore it.”

Zhang Chulan scratched the back of his head and grinned.

He was inwardly relieved—Jie Ge was still the same cunning, devious Jie Ge.

If he’d stupidly swung first, he’d have surely gotten a brutal beating.

[‘This kid just got lucky.’]

Zhang Jie was somewhat speechless at Zhang Chulan’s habit of casting two nets, whether or not there were fish,

yet somehow still catching one.

“Alright, I promise I won’t fight back or use my counter-damage ability.”

To dispel Zhang Chulan’s doubts, Zhang Jie made a pledge.

“In that case… hehe…”

Zhang Chulan’s smile turned gleeful again.

Where else could he find such an opportunity?

Miss this chance, and there won’t be another!

Today, Zhang Chulan would settle every grudge and repay every insult!

Gazing at Zhang Jie’s smooth, plump forehead, Zhang Chulan felt his fist had never been harder.

“Jie Ge, watch out!”

Zhang Chulan warned, clenched his right fist, golden light gathering, then slammed it down at Zhang Jie.

He used one-third of his strength—he guaranteed that even Zhang Jie, if he didn’t resist, would end up with a swollen head.

Zhang Chulan reminded him, clenched his right fist, and golden specks gathered before slamming down at Zhang Jie.

He used only three-tenths of his strength—he guaranteed that even Zhang Jie, if he didn’t resist, would end up with a lump on his head.