Chapter 40: Sunflower True Qi, Floating Life Sword

The three looked at each other in alarm, and Zhao Ti said coolly, “You three don’t dare run. My sword technique is only half-trained—I’ll go back, finish learning the rest, then come out and take your three dog heads!”

Hearing this, the three exchanged glances. South Sea Crocodile God snarled, “Whoever runs is a coward—unless it’s you sneaking off yourself!”

Zhao Ti smirked. “Yue San, when I’ve mastered this sword art, one strike will end your life.”

South Sea Crocodile God growled, “Boy, don’t brag! I’ve got my Crocodile Tail Whip Technique—I’ll finish training it and crush you!”

Zhao Ti let out a light cold laugh. “Empty boasts!” Then he turned and walked away.

Mu Wanhqing hesitated slightly, then followed. Her heart pounded wildly—since childhood, apart from her master, she had feared nothing. Yet now, for some reason, she felt a strange pang of guilt.

Watching Zhao Ti stride into the inner courtyard without looking back, Ye Sanniang muttered darkly, “I think this brat’s internal energy is depleted—he’s going back to rest and recover!”

Yunzhonghe said, “Second sister, even if his energy is low, if he fights to the death, we three might suffer casualties.”

Ye Sanniang said nothing. South Sea Crocodile God asked, “Has the boss arrived yet? If the boss steps in, this brat is finished—but I fear he’ll slip away.”

Ye Sanniang replied, “No rush. The boss will be here soon. I’ve already summoned men from Wanchou Valley—they should arrive shortly. We’ve laid ambushes all around; if he tries to flee, he’ll make noise. We’ll hold him until the boss comes.”

Yunzhonghe, bandaging his wounds, worriedly asked, “Can we hold him?”

Ye Sanniang said, “Don’t forget—he’s not alone!”

South Sea Crocodile God slapped his forehead. “Right! There’s still that girl—I came for revenge for my disciple’s death, but then I ran into this brat, whose sword skill is absurdly high…”

Zhao Ti entered the inner courtyard and headed straight for the east kitchen. Mu Wanhqing followed. He didn’t even glance at the corpses of Ping Po and the others, but opened the pot to search for food.

Inside the pot were steamed buns. He grabbed a basin, shoved it into Mu Wanhqing’s arms, and said, “Go back to the main hall.”

Mu Wanhqing, annoyed by his commanding tone, snorted—but didn’t drop the buns. She followed him back to the main hall, shared the buns with the maidservants, and ate. Only then did Zhao Ti speak: “Miss, may I ask your name?”

Mu Wanhqing replied, “You tell me yours first.”

Zhao Ti smiled. “I’m Zhao. Single character: Ti.”

Mu Wanhqing looked puzzled. “Which Ti?”

Zhao Ti said, “The one from ‘fengliu tita’—elegant and carefree.”

Mu Wanhqing sneered. “What a fine name—no wonder you lie through your teeth. I’m Mu Wanhqing.”

Zhao Ti’s lips curled slightly. “‘Mu’ and ‘Qing’—clear as water and wood, graceful and bright. Your name is lovely too. Please guard me while I restore my internal energy.”

Mu Wanhqing said, “You saved my life—I’ll guard you with all my heart. Don’t worry, Young Master Zhao.”

Zhao Ti nodded. To the west of the main hall was a small side room—small, but perfect for cultivation.

He entered, closed the door, sat cross-legged, and silently activated the Illusion Yin Qi. He felt the Taiyin meridian thrumming with a continuous, dense flow—internal energy sprouting endlessly, as if one gave birth to two, two to three, three to ten thousand things. Soon, he completed a small heavenly cycle, restoring eighty percent of his energy.

He continued cultivating, now aiming for a great heavenly cycle. The Taiyin meridian felt like an endless ocean; the rest of his meridians were mere streams.

The Qi within the Taiyin meridian transformed everything it passed through—even the Yang meridians and the Eight Extraordinary Vessels were soaked in its Yin essence.

Then, the Qi surged from the Ren Meridian straight toward the Du Meridian. The Ren was the Sea of Yin; the Du, the Sea of Yang. Once they connected, the Bridge Between Heaven and Earth would open, allowing internal energy to project outward, injuring foes with Qi—and the Illusion Yin Finger would surely advance to the fourth level.

Zhao Ti felt his internal energy flowing freely throughout his body—no obstruction at all. But when it reached the entrance of the Du Meridian, it stalled. His energy simply wasn’t strong enough; by this point, it was nearly spent.

He had no choice but to continue cultivating, restoring all his previous energy and adding even more—but still not enough to bridge Heaven and Earth. He exhaled slowly and stood up.

He had trained too briefly. Though the Illusion Yin Qi was refined, his cultivation time was too short to meet the condition for opening the Ren and Du meridians.

Yet he noticed something: after fighting the three South Sea Evildoers, his energy replenished several times faster than before. Clearly, combat aided the cyclic generation of Illusion Yin Qi.

He opened the door and saw Mu Wanhqing sitting nearby, chin propped on her hand, staring at him in thought.

“Miss Mu,” Zhao Ti said, “Has anything happened outside?”

Mu Wanhqing sat upright. “No one’s come yet. But I just remembered—if three of the Four Evildoers are here, their leader, Duan Yanqing, the ‘Evil to the Brink,’ is probably nearby. His martial skill far surpasses the other three. You should leave quickly, or you’ll lose your life when he arrives.”

“Duan Yanqing.” Zhao Ti nodded, but internally he reflected: his martial arts were still too limited. Aside from Illusion Yin Finger, he had no other supreme techniques.

His Fast Sword was a hodgepodge—forged over years of accumulated experience. Lingbo Microstep was a footwork technique. Beiming Divine Art wasn’t purely offensive.

He had no other palm, leg, or fist techniques. The only one he held now was the Sunflower Manual.

Originally, after learning Illusion Yin Finger, he’d thought the Sunflower Manual unnecessary. But now, it seemed otherwise.

His Fast Sword was powerful, but unsystematic, lacking a matching internal energy foundation. He forced it with Illusion Yin Qi alone—its power was limited, and had reached its ceiling.

It might instantly kill Zuo Zimu or Ping Po, but against opponents like South Sea Crocodile God or Ye Erniang, it could no longer guarantee victory with one or two strikes. Against stronger masters, it would lose all advantage. The Fast Sword’s limit was clear—no further progress possible.

But the Sunflower Manual was different—it was a supreme martial art… though its reputation was… questionable.

Li Xian used it to battle Li Qiushui. Though he ultimately lost, he had the support of Xiao Xiang Xiang Gong, White Rainbow Palm, and Lingbo Microstep. Li Qiushui was older, her internal energy far superior. Even in defeat, his use of the Sunflower Manual proved its strength.

In the Laughing in the Wind era, the Sunflower Manual and Absorbing Star Great Art were both supreme techniques—but both were incomplete. And the incomplete Beiming Divine Art—Absorbing Star Great Art—could not overcome the incomplete Sunflower Manual.

As for its questionable reputation—he didn’t need to castrate himself. The martial world didn’t even know this art existed. It didn’t matter. Most importantly, it could be mastered quickly.

If he wanted to investigate the One Yang Finger at Tianlong Temple, his current skills weren’t enough. The temple was filled with masters—several old monks could wield half-step Six Meridians Sword Technique, a devastating art.

Thinking this, Zhao Ti looked at Mu Wanhqing. “Miss Mu, I must cultivate again. Please guard me once more.”

Mu Wanhqing frowned. “Didn’t you just finish?”

Zhao Ti said, “I… just remembered another profound technique. I plan to practice it.”

Mu Wanhqing nodded. Zhao Ti re-entered the side room.

After a long while, Zhao Ti stepped out and said to Mu Wanhqing, “Miss Mu, do you notice any difference in me now?”

Mu Wanhqing studied him from head to toe, then shook her head. “No difference. I can’t see any.”

Zhao Ti smiled. “Good!” He drew his sword and began practicing a sword form.

He had just used Illusion Yin Qi to conceal his Yang, transform his meridians, align with Heaven’s One Water, and refine his body with Yin—now he had cultivated Sunflower Qi. He practiced the Sunflower Manual’s Turning Sun Needle and Phantom Step.

As he wielded the technique, shadows vanished within the hall. Only silver-threaded swordlight flashed and wove—his figure nearly invisible.

Mu Wanhqing exclaimed, “What martial art is this? So astonishing!”

Zhao Ti sheathed his sword. Using the Sunflower Manual with a sword reduced its power by thirty percent—but he could never wield flying needles as weapons.

Combined with the footwork, he gave this sword art a side name: Floating Life Sword, to distinguish it from the Manual.

“This is the Floating Life Sword Art,” Zhao Ti said, walking to the door and pushing it open. “I’ll go face those three evildoers again.”

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