Chapter 261

Qi and force unite—

When tendons and bones move, the "blood qi" must reach the target area accurately and in time; after a technique is executed, it must be retracted promptly.

Those who can achieve this are "united"; otherwise, they are not.

Intent and qi unite—

The harmonization of "nerves" and "blood qi," meaning the willful control of "blood qi."

This is already a method gradually shifting from the substantial to the ethereal, manifesting the subtle within the minute.

Once "blood qi" is truly controlled, hardness and softness blend, lifting heavy burdens as if they were light, and destructive power instantly surges!

In combat, as long as the "blood qi" stimulates the corresponding acupoints, the physical body can erupt with even greater ferocity.

Originally requiring one second to deliver a kick, now perhaps one-fifth of a second suffices, or even less.

Heart and intent unite—

The absolute alignment of "brain" and "nerves," where command transmission and feedback require almost no time.

"Blood qi... nerves... brain..."

Jiang Sishui understood even more clearly.

And once the "Inner Three Unions" are achieved, cultivating the "Heavenly Flaw Defying Heaven Force," then all evil spirits will avoid it, and ghosts and gods cannot invade.

Even a century-old vengeful ghost, even without using true qi for defense, would suffer damage to its primordial essence if illuminated by the blazing blood qi.

Once struck solidly by the leg force, the soul and spirit would be annihilated!

This world has no ghosts or monsters, but there are martial artists capable of attacking with spiritual power, and semi-gods can even project their primordial spirit.

And the "Heavenly Flaw Defying Heaven Force" can suppress them!

"Mastering this art, plus the 'Ox Talisman', even though I have only recently entered the Heaven-Man realm, I can sweep through all below the semi-god level invincibly!"

Jiang Sishui's ambition soared.

After great effort, he managed to suppress the urge to cultivate immediately.

But he could no longer calm his mind; he had to do something else to distract himself.

So Jiang Sishui rose and went to find his wives, both big and small.

Only in such matters could he feel greater joy.

"Yingying's cultivation of the 'Soul-Stealing Great Art' is too arduous; I must go help her."

His murmured words vanished into the wind as Jiang Sishui's figure silently merged into the night.

The next day.

When Jiang Sishui emerged from the inn room, Duan Fei and Lu Xiaoyu were surprised to find that the Miss Ren, who had been beside him yesterday and whose beauty made one unable to look away, was gone.

However, they had a clear understanding of their own position and dared not ask too many questions.

Tu Xuehua and Liu Mingluan knew in their hearts that Miss Ren had most likely stayed at Mandala Shanzhuang and did not follow along.

Of course, they did not know the specific reason.

They did not ask, and Jiang Sishui was too lazy to explain.

Seeing Duan Fei and Lu Xiaoyu bidding farewell to Tu Xuehua and Liu Mingluan, Jiang Sishui was inwardly surprised: "You are..."

Tu Xuehua approached and explained: "They are going to learn Wu Gong from my Master and my Master's senior brother."

"Your Master and Master's senior brother?"

"I am a disciple of the Changli Sect; my Master is from North Island, and my Master's senior brother is from East Island..."

Tu Xuehua recounted the story in detail, and Jiang Sishui finally understood the cause and effect.

The Changli Sect is a first-rate power that is not weak, led by a pair of senior and junior brothers—East Island and North Island.

The two have been competing for the position of Sect Leader for decades.

However, despite the competition, the brotherly bond between them remains excellent; they have never used despicable tactics.

Last night, as the two passed through here, they met Tu Xuehua and stayed at the inn.

Seeing the two arguing endlessly, Tu Xuehua proposed—

Since neither has the upper hand, each should take on a disciple and decide the victor through their disciples.

And the two disciples must be chosen simultaneously, taught simultaneously, and their martial arts foundations cannot differ too much.

Thus, Duan Fei and Lu Xiaoyu came into their sights.

East Island and North Island immediately made the decision to do as Tu Xuehua suggested; each would teach one, and whoever's disciple proves stronger in the future will become the Changli Sect Leader.

"Changli Sect... East Island, North Island..."

After Tu Xuehua's explanation, Jiang Sishui also remembered; there was indeed such a power in the drama, and Duan Fei and Lu Xiaoyu did indeed learn their arts from these two.

Among them, East Island's famous ultimate technique is the "Seven Rotations Severing Art," and North Island's famous ultimate technique is the "One Finger Zen."

Now, fate has come full circle, bringing the two back to the Changli Sect.

289 Auspicious Rings of Emerald, Ambush the Joyous King!

East Island and North Island had already departed ahead, waiting at the agreed location, leaving time for Duan Fei and Lu Xiaoyu to bid farewell to their companions.

Seeing Jiang Sishui emerge, Duan Fei and Lu Xiaoyu hurried forward to pay their respects and thanked him again for yesterday's events.

Jiang Sishui responded with a smile and offered his blessings.

Moments later, watching the two depart, Jiang Sishui fell into thought.

This Duan Fei, after just one night apart, feels as if he has become a different person.

It is not that his temperament has changed drastically, but his attitude toward Liu Mingluan is different.

Yesterday, when Duan Fei looked at Liu Mingluan, his eyes were filled with love.

However, when parting just now, although he was still gentle toward Liu Mingluan, that romantic affection between man and woman was missing.

It was like a lover suddenly turning into a sibling.

This left Jiang Sishui a bit baffled.

"Could it be that yesterday was my illusion? Because I was influenced by the original drama, I jumped to conclusions, when in fact they were always purely brother-and-sister affection?"

This was the most reasonable explanation Jiang Sishui could come up with.

"Young Master Jiang."

Liu Mingluan walked over, greeted him softly, then lowered her graceful head slightly, her luminous eyes shimmering with a trace of shy feeling.

Jiang Sishui smiled and said: "Miss Liu, would you follow me from now on?"

Liu Mingluan said softly: "My father has passed away to immortality, my senior brother has gone off to learn his craft from others, I am already all alone. If Young Master is willing to take me in, I would naturally be willing to stay by Young Master's side and repay Young Master's kindness."

Jiang Sishui was somewhat surprised that she agreed so readily.

But what Liu Mingluan said wasn't wrong—she really was all alone now, and going with him seemed to be the best choice.

So Jiang Sishui didn't think much of it, and said to the two women: "Then let's go."

The two women knew what he was about to do, exchanged a glance with each other, and gave a slight nod.

……

Touting Stone Grove—there were many birds roosting in the woods. Come a summer evening, toss in a single pebble at random, and you could startle countless birds into flight, a truly magnificent sight.

Year after year, every generation of children in the town would run here to toss stones and play, so over time this patch of woods came to be named "Touting Stone Grove."

Even the town's original name was changed to "Touting Stone Town."

When Jiang Sishui and his two companions arrived unhurriedly, Bai Jing had long been waiting here.

The moment she saw Jiang Sishui, she immediately came forward to greet him.

"How much longer before Chai Yuguan gets here?" Jiang Sishui got straight to the point, not wanting to waste half a word of nonsense on this woman.

And this happened to suit Bai Jing's wishes perfectly: "About a quarter of an hour."

A quarter of an hour?

Jiang Sishui nodded, then his gaze passed over Bai Jing to the two purple-clad maidens behind her.

As expected, these two were Bai Feifei's personal maids—Ruyi and Huancui.

In the original drama, they were utterly loyal to Bai Feifei, and once, to help Bai Feifei, they didn't hesitate to risk their lives to deceive Bai Jing.

And because the two of them also had quite a few scenes, Jiang Sishui remembered them.

Now that he had run into Bai Jing, he naturally had to ask for them.

Although before long, the entire Phantom Palace would become his, that wasn't the case for now.

The weather is unpredictable; to prevent anything happening to the two of them in the meantime, it was better to bring them to Mantuo Shanzhuang as soon as possible.

He believed Bai Feifei would be very glad to see the two of them.

Though Ruyi and Huancui were maids, their looks were quite fine—no inferior to Liu Mingluan's—both one-in-a-hundred little beauties.