Chapter 2627: Only this path remains to quit

Ye Chen drove out and, at the fork in the road, saw Hong Changqing, whom he had been eagerly awaiting for a long time, driving this BMW from afar.

Thus Hong Changqing quickly stood up, jogged all the way to the roadside, and forced a few smiles onto his face, waiting for Ye Chen to arrive.

Ye Chen also spotted Hong Changqing from afar.

In fact, Ye Chen had long guessed that he would surely come and would be waiting here for him.

So when he drove up, he deliberately slowed down, then stopped beside Hong Changqing, rolled down the window, and said with a smile: "Yo, Heavenly Master Hong, what brings you here? Want to soak in a hot spring?"

Hong Changqing hurriedly bowed and scraped, saying: "Master Ye... subordinate... subordinate has been waiting for you here..."

"Waiting for me?" Ye Chen asked with an amused expression: "You shouldn't be hurrying to prepare to return to America; why are you waiting for me here?"

Hong Changqing hurriedly pleaded: "Master Ye, subordinate truly knows his mistake, please give subordinate one chance."

Saying this, he hurriedly pulled out several sheets of paper covered in writing and handed them to Ye Chen, respectfully saying: "Master Ye, this is the heart method of our Zhengzhen Dao; subordinate has copied it down word for word, please review it!"

Ye Chen curiously asked: "Heavenly Master Hong, how did you suddenly make this decision that goes against ancestral teachings?"

Hong Changqing embarrassedly said: "Master Ye, please don't tease subordinate like this..."

Ye Chen laughed: "Heavenly Master Hong, speaking frankly, how could I let you disappoint your ancestors? In my view, you should hurry and take back this paper!"

Hong Changqing gritted his teeth and firmly said: "Master Ye, from now on, subordinate will no longer be the sect master of Zhengzhen Dao! Subordinate has already decided to pass the position of sect master to my closed-door disciple, and will henceforth wholeheartedly serve you like a dog or horse!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen raised his eyebrows: "Sect master not doing it anymore?"

"Not doing it!" Hong Changqing resolutely said: "Master Ye, your criticism is correct—I cannot serve two masters, so the only way out is to quit the sect."

Ye Chen gave a faint smile and asked: "Decided?"

Hong Changqing nodded repeatedly: "Decided! Today I will pass the sect master position to my closed-door disciple! Please rest assured, Master Ye, from now on subordinate will obey only your orders and will certainly devote himself wholeheartedly to you!"

Ye Chen smiled, unlocked the central lock, and said to Hong Changqing: "Get in, let's talk."

Hong Changqing, as if grasping a lifeline, flung open the car door and hurriedly tried to get in.

But as his buttocks were about to touch the seat, he jerked back like he'd been electrocuted, and with a cautious expression asked Ye Chen: "Master Ye... you... is this car still... human?"

Seeing his flustered, still-frightened look, Ye Chen gave a slight smile and said: "As long as you don't pull all those tricky tricks and demonic nonsense, my car won't mess with you."

Hong Changqing blurted out without hesitation: "Master Ye, rest assured, subordinate dares not meddle with any more tricky tricks..."

Ye Chen nodded slightly and said lightly: "Then get in."

Only then did Hong Changqing open the car door and get in.

As soon as he got in, Ye Chen took the paper from his hand, looked at the title, frowned, and said: "Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao? Is this your Zhengzhen Dao's heart method?"

"Exactly!" Hong Changqing blurted out without thinking: "The founding ancestor of Zhengzhen Dao obtained this 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》 by chance, and thus established Zhengzhen Dao..."

Ye Chen was startled in his heart; this 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》 is also recorded in the 《Jixuan Tian Jing》, and among the many heart methods recorded therein, it is the longest in length.

The complete 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》 consists of three volumes and twenty-seven chapters, totaling nearly fifty thousand characters, whereas what Hong Changqing wrote on paper amounts to only over one thousand characters—likely just the first chapter of the first volume.

In the 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》, the first chapter is a complete introductory heart method, mainly teaching how to begin cultivating martial arts from scratch, how to sense one's dantian and meridians, how to gradually transform true qi through breathing exercises, and how to progressively clear each meridian.

Although Ye Chen had previously given Qin Aoxue the 《Four Symbols Fist》, an internal martial art, that art only enhances a martial artist's combat power—it is a fighting technique, not a heart method that enhances cultivation.

Since Ye Chen mastered spiritual energy, he has never properly organized the various martial arts heart methods recorded in the 《Jixuan Tian Jing»; now, relying on his memory of the 《Jixuan Tian Jing》, after pondering for a long time, he realized that this 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》 is actually the true and complete martial arts heart method.

This martial arts heart method begins with how to breathe and transform true qi, teaches one to step by step enhance one's strength, then continually break through, ultimately reaching the level of Grand Master.

Once one reaches the perfected level of Grand Master, one can enter the final stage of the martial arts path.

When a martial artist completes the final stage of the martial arts path, what awaits him is the beginning of spiritual energy.

Only then can he begin to master spiritual energy.

If the Zhengzhen Dao ancestor had obtained the complete 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》, then even if Zhengzhen Dao could not produce top-tier masters who master spiritual energy, it could at least produce several masters of the Hidden Realm, Transformation Realm, or even Grand Master level.

But the tragedy lies in that what he obtained was merely the introductory first chapter of the 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》.

Ye Chen couldn't help but think: "If I were to give the second chapter of the 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》 to Hong Changqing, his cultivation would surely advance rapidly, and relying on his own strength he could enter the Hidden Realm in no time—too bad this Hong Changqing has too many thoughts; otherwise, he might already be practicing the second chapter of the 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》 at the Xiangshanli Hot Springs."

Nevertheless, this solidified Ye Chen's intention to bring Hong Changqing under his command.

This is because Hong Changqing has practiced the first chapter of the 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》 for so many years that he has mastered it thoroughly; having him transmit this heart method to others, he would surely, based on his years of experience, summarize the fastest way for people to master the 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》.

If it weren't for him, and I merely gave the heart method of the 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》 to the He family and the Wanslong Palace martial artists, they would likely need at least several years to gradually familiarize themselves with this heart method before achieving anything.

By comparison, with Hong Changqing bridging the gap, much time would be saved.

And as long as Hong Changqing can serve me sincerely, I will not treat him poorly; at that time he will not only receive the subsequent chapters of the 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》, but also be able to cultivate for me a large number of martial arts masters proficient in the 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》.

However, Ye Chen did not tell these thoughts to Hong Changqing; he merely threw back the few sheets of paper Hong Changqing had written, and casually asked: "In this desolate wilderness, where did you get the paper and pen?"

Hong Changqing hurriedly replied: "Reporting to Master Ye, it was that young guy by the roadside who helped me order a courier online..."

Ye Chen snorted and laughed, his expression gradually turning serious, and said: "Your 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》 is fundamentally incomplete—it's just an introduction."

"How could it be..." Hong Changqing blurted out instinctively: "In Zhengzhen Dao, there are also some collected martial arts heart methods, but without exception they are all fragments; only this 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》 is a complete heart method with beginning and end!"

Ye Chen gave a contemptuous smile and countered: "What is the essence of the 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》?"

Hong Changqing blurted out: "Naturally, it is the martial arts heart method!"

Ye Chen curled his lip and said disdainfully: "Let me tell you, the essence of the 《Zhengzhen Hunyuan Dao》 is hunyuan—do you know what hunyuan is?"

Hong Changqing furrowed his brow, thought for a long while, then said: "It seems to be just a rather vague saying in Daoism, with no particularly clear meaning..."

Ye Chen shook his head and said lightly: "Hunyuan is the chaotic qi when heaven and earth were not yet divided—this is the origin of primordial qi! Its ultimate goal is to let people enter the Dao through martial arts, ultimately mastering that hunyuan power."

After saying this, he pointed to the paper in Hong Changqing's hand, teasingly said: "You've written all about how to breathe and how to break through meridians, not a single word related to hunyuan—this is like you having a book titled 《Principles of Electricity Generation in Thermal Power Plants》, but in your hand you only have the content on how to dig coal; do you think this thing could be the complete work?"