After learning about Lingshan, Yi Lin, and his relationship in the martial arts world, he encountered such temptations more than once on his way to Mount Hua.
But only Ren Yingying and Lan Fenghuang succeeded.
It wasn't that these women who came to him weren't beautiful enough, nor that Li Lin disliked their personalities.
Even if you take the requirements for a partner to the extreme, being extremely picky and having impeccable appearance and temperament, the number is still close to infinite.
Even if Li Lin could monopolize all the good things and not feel any effort or boredom from it, he would still ultimately have some limitations on this endless desire.
For each of Li Lin and Basil, only the characters in novels, movies, TV series, and other media that moved them when they were still mortals have the opportunity to touch their hearts.
However, these three Songshan girls, who weren't even extras, were naturally not included.
Li Lin's attitude put Lingshan and Yi Lin at ease.
Even the hairs on Yue Buqun seemed to relax at the sight.
The three girls simply smiled even sweeter and obediently returned to Lu Bai's side, as if they were just saying hello.
Lu Bai dared not show any displeasure.
After a few pleasantries, the three members of the Sword Sect returned to the sect, and he led them down Jade Maiden Peak.
"How?"
With a gentle breeze, the sinister-looking man appeared out of thin air in front of the four.
"Sect Leader."
The four people's unanimous words revealed that this person was none other than Zuo Lengchan.
Lu Bai didn't mention the failure of his plan to send his sister away, which was already quite obvious.
Instead, he mentioned in detail the details he had observed and the information he had uncovered.
"Feng Qingyang's breathing was long and uninterrupted, and his qigong was unfathomable."
"His grandson, using the alias Linghu Chong, joined Mount Hua at a young age and became Yue Buqun's eldest disciple."
"Oh?" Zuo Lengchan narrowed his eyes. "Then it seems that Feng Qingyang has already let go of his inner turmoil and has obtained the profound Qi Sect Techniques of the Chuanqi Sect. Yue Buqun is truly generous."
In his view, Yue Buqun must have given up the Purple Haze Manual and the position of the next sect leader.
Little did people know that this was because Feng Qingyang had seen the stone carving. Although he was originally reserved and his eyes were filled with hidden Divine Aura, and he had considerable internal strength, his face was ashen and he was surrounded by gloom. His internal strength could only be considered profound, far from being unfathomable.
Where is Immortal Li?
How is he, the old man?
He had intended to be a little more impolite in his words, but then, believing that the person might be a true deity, he immediately changed his tune.
It must be said that Lao De Nuo's role as a spy was put to the maximum effect.
Without Lao De Nuo, Songshan would have offended Li Lin and been wiped out one by one.
"I can't tell. And I don't dare to look," Lu Bai said.
The Shaolin Temple, also located on Mount Song, is completely different.
The Great Buddha Hall.
An old monk tore a piece of paper off a carrier pigeon's leg and then let it peck at the millet in his palm.
"Li Chunqiu actually forced Dongfang Bubai to flee in panic, it seems he truly has the ability to rebuild a great sect for another thousand years."
He seemed to value it highly, but his words, comparing Li Lin to Ding Chunqiu, inadvertently revealed a hint of contempt.
"Abbot, even the Sunflower Manual couldn't defeat that person? Could it be that Dongfang Bubai's manual is less powerful due to flaws in its transmission?"
"Not to the point. Although the Sun Moon Sect is not as well-established as our Shaolin or Wudang, it should not be underestimated. The emergence of the Star Absorbing Great Method is the consequence of our underestimation of them."
This statement clearly implies that the "Great Skill of Chemicalization" and even the "Bei Ming Fragment" were deliberately revealed by Shaolin to the Demonic Sect.
Moreover, these words were spoken by Fang Zheng of Shaolin Temple and the first person of the "Fang" generation.
If this matter were to become known among those in the martial arts world, it would surely cause a great uproar.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, Xu Zhuzi, the leader of the mysterious Xiaoyao School and son of the abbot of Shaolin Temple, handed Ding Chunqiu over to Shaolin after he subdued Ding Chunqiu.
He naturally left his martial arts skills to Shaolin, and also learned of the existence of the mysterious Xiaoyao School's martial arts.
This matter is not a secret to sects whose traditions have not been broken and who have a habit of recording history.
However, the reason why the "Star Absorbing Great Method" is not associated with Shaolin is...
This is entirely because too much time has passed, and the [Bei Ming Divine Skill] is more likely to have originated from the Xiaoyao School.
Little did they know that Ding Chunqiu's martial arts skills were abandoned because the appearance of the Sweeper Monk had dampened the temple's emphasis on martial arts, and the Great Skill of Chemicalization was a poisonous art.
Because of this lack of emphasis on martial arts skills, by the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, martial arts talents also began to be neglected.
The Huogong Toutuo and Zhang Sanfeng fled one after the other.
This led to the creation of the Vajra Sect and the Wudang Sect, a major sect comparable to Shaolin.
At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, he was tricked by Zhao Min and Cheng Kun, and his family was almost wiped out twice.
From then on, the atmosphere within the temple had to be changed again.
A vast search was conducted for martial arts techniques from all over the world, and Buddhism was once again abandoned.
However, in Dali, Shaolin only found the fragments of Duan Yu's version (Duan Yu himself did not practice the whole thing, he only practiced the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian and the Ren Meridian, and only practiced two of the thirty-six pictures).
The former site of the Tianshan Lingjiu Palace is now just ruins, with no trace of martial arts left behind.
Ultimately, the result is that Shaolin's martial arts arsenal is more complete, broader, and purer.
Many advanced qigong practices, including the Yi Jin Scripture, have broken down the high barriers to entry, and some have even corrected the 'flaw' of being able to absorb internal energy (in the original timeline, Ren Woxing tried to absorb Fang Zheng's internal energy but found that he couldn't).
After discovering that the Sun Moon Sect's Sunflower Manual was too terrifying, they deliberately allowed the already deciphered Bei Ming Fragment and the Great Skill of Chemicalization to be obtained.
The result was good.
Although it didn't cause the then-leader to go mad from internal energy, it did cause the [Sunflower Manual] to lose its lineage, until Dongfang Bubai picked it up again.
And what's more, it turned out to be a clever mistake.
To compensate for the shortcomings of the newly created "Star Absorbing Great Method," the Sun Moon Sect attacked Wudang, causing their old rival and friend to lose the "Tai Chi Boxing Manual" and the "True Martial Sword."
This also led the Wudang Daoists to shift their focus away from martial arts skills that could be taken away and towards gunpowder, a future solution.
As Fang Zheng's junior brother, Fang Sheng naturally knew these inside stories as well.
Naturally, they wouldn't be as shocked as outsiders.
He remained silent for a moment, then said, "Should we send someone to Mount Hua to test the waters?"
If Songshan is recruiting a group of underworld figures for his own use.
Shaolin Temple is the lower branch, and its outer sect influence is spread throughout the entire martial arts world.
There is light and darkness, black and white.
There are martial arts masters as well as country bumpkins.
Even those used to test the martial arts level of Yang Guo, the former Madman of the West, were sometimes 'clean' people.
However, Fang Zheng, who had just dismissed Li Lin with disdain, hesitated.
"Mount Hua is not only home to Li Chunqiu. Senior Feng's divine sword technique, inherited from the Sword Demon Dugu, is also sufficient to deal with our probing."
"And."
"Senior brother, you mean...?"
"And we also have our old friend Wudang. Although they don't make moves everywhere like we do, they secretly help us. They don't mind kicking us when we lose power."
"How could that be? The imperial court will not allow either Wudang or us to become dominant."
"What if we just want to kick them while they're down? Right now, with Li Chunqiu's Huashan and Qingcheng, they can replace us."
Fang Zheng sighed.
"Then what should we do?" Fang Sheng asked.
"Saint Aunt." Fang Zheng, who had just been looking worried, suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
"Senior brother, do you mean to send the Sun Moon Sect?"
"They can move Huang Zhonggong now."
"That's right, it's time for Sect Leader Ren to come out and get some fresh air."
Bottom of West Lake.
This is truly a perfect prison.
Firstly, the door has four panels in total:
A stone gate weighing over a thousand pounds that can only be raised and lowered using a mechanism;
A steel gate forged through countless hammer blows;
A four-in-one gate specifically designed to counter powerful Internal Energy, consisting of an iron gate, a wooden door studded with cotton, an iron gate, and a board door studded with cotton.
Unable to observe the outside world, and only used for passing food, the chamber pot had only a small, square iron door.
And there are four keys in total.
Each one is wielded by a different expert.
Secondly, the location is perfect.
Located at the bottom of West Lake, if the wall were to be breached, the lake water would immediately flood in.
Thirdly, the cells were made of high-quality steel, resembling a large iron box.
Furthermore, the prisoners' limbs were also bound with fine steel chains.
Combined with the pitch-black, damp environment, barely a few feet in size, it was enough to drive anyone to despair.
If we add the additional condition of ten years, simply surviving is an act of courage.
However, Ren Woxing remained calm and composed.
He sat cross-legged, circulating his internal energy on his own.
He did not waste these ten years.
If the [Bei Ming Divine Skill] absorbs energy because its energy path is opposite to that of other schools of internal energy cultivation, it absorbs energy by using the method of [drawing positive energy from negative poles].
The "Star Absorbing Great Method" aims to keep the dantian "always like an empty box, constantly like a deep valley," absorbing energy in a "hollow" manner.
Although the latter has a stronger suction, once mastered, it grants the ability to capture Dragon Capturing Crane Controlling Technique.
However, the former is transformed into [Bei Ming True Qi] and stored in the dantian, without the risk of backlash.
The latter disperses Internal Energy throughout the body's meridians and acupoints, without any method of merging internal energy. Instead, it uses one's own energy to control various mixed energies. If one absorbs too much internal energy and loses focus, one will suffer a backlash.
The backlash is like the monarch's power falling into the hands of his ministers, a situation where the ruler is weak and the ministers are strong, which in turn endangers the change of the state's power and the monarch's life.
However, in the past ten years, he has created a method for integrating skills.
The chaotic and disorderly atmosphere was like the rise of numerous feudal lords, so he ruled with the air of a monarch—first dividing the court into two classes according to yin and yang:
The Yin meridians belong to the category of cold, while the Yang meridians belong to the category of heat-expelling.
Then, the energy in the dantian was activated like the sound of a morning bell, just like a king striking the drum to appeal to the emperor. Instantly, all the energy followed the method of Yin-Yang grinding and returned to pay homage.
As the Qi circulates throughout the body, the major acupoints transform into thirty-six border passes, guarding and filtering out any discordant elements as if capturing a rebel.
Once only one Qi remains dominant among all the meridians, those restless remnants are enfeoffed to the frontiers of the meridians: some are imprisoned at Quchi as if exiled to the northern frontier, while others are suppressed at Yongquan as if banished to the southern mountains.
At this moment, the king's aura has encompassed all rivers. Even if the remnants of the "Discordant" forces are hiding in the passes, they are nothing more than minor officials on the frontier, and can only bow their heads and become his subjects.
However, this method is not without its flaws.
He was not just a king, but the state itself.
Manipulating power and dividing into factions to balance the court is merely a treacherous tactic.
The struggle between the two factions, the "hot" and the "cold," to maintain a balance of power will inevitably harm the state itself.
The idea that partisan strife can lead to the downfall of a nation is not a myth.
Storing corresponding miscellaneous qi in yang and yin meridians will only cause yin and yang to clash.
If not for the dantian being empty, then the major acupoints should be used to intercept it.
It will certainly endanger lives.
If he were the newly enthroned emperor with full power, the harm would still be confined to the court.
Unfortunately, he had almost lost all power, and the entire court Wind and Rain.
Even though power has now been regained and the country has been restored.
However, it has already caused enormous losses.
Those meridians scorched by power struggles and acupoints Lash by cruel officials (and their malpractices) still need to be nurtured and educated daily with the Way of the King.
Therefore, he spent half of those ten years regulating his breathing and cultivating his inner energy.
The same is true now.
For this reason, he even neglected the Heibaizi for a while.
It should be noted that although this person had wild ideas and attempted to learn the "Star Absorbing Great Method," it was still a rare source of amusement in the desolate prison.
They would also send extra meat dishes in addition to radishes and tofu, and sometimes even wine.
"Mr. Ren, for the past twelve years, I have risked coming to ask you this question every two months. Today, the first day of the fifth lunar month, I am asking the same question again: will you grant my request or not?"
Heibaizi asked the same question he had asked many times before, his words filled with utmost respect.
This time, Ren Woxing wanted to talk to him more and tease him a bit.
"Heibaizi, I can agree to it."
"But this divine skill has two major hurdles. If you fail to practice it and die from qi deviation, then I've wasted my breath."
"It might even attract the attention of Dongfang Bubai, and I'm afraid I won't be able to save my life."
"Really!" Heibaizi seemed to have never imagined he would fail, and kowtowed three times in succession, "Please, Elder Ren, pass on your skills."
"You should listen to this first before deciding," Ren Woxing said with a smile. "The first hurdle is dispersing your internal energy. It must be done completely, leaving nothing in your dantian."
"If the qi is not dispersed completely, or if the wrong acupoints are targeted, one will immediately suffer from qi deviation and become paralyzed, becoming a cripple. In severe cases, the meridians will reverse, and one will bleed from all seven orifices and die."
"I'm not afraid!" Heibaizi without the slightest hesitation. "What's the next challenge?"
"The second challenge is absorbing internal energy." Ren Woxing's smile deepened. "You must understand that after dissipating internal energy, one's own Internal Energy is completely dissipated. If one wants to absorb the true energy of others, store it in one's dantian, and then use it to drive it into the eight extraordinary meridians for one's own use, it is like throwing an egg against a rock."
"It was just a pointless death."
What he said was nine parts true and one part false.
Dispersing one's energy truly requires emptying the dantian.
However, its principle differs from that of the [Bei Ming Divine Skill], as it does not aim to completely abolish one's own Internal Energy.
However, once the dantian is exhausted, the internal energy is stored in the eight extraordinary meridians and major acupoints throughout the body.
This way, the suction force will be sufficient during the inhalation process, preventing it from being like throwing an egg against a rock.
However, Heibaizi believed it all.
He simply attributed it to the fact that his sincerity over the past twelve years had finally moved even the most obdurate heart.
"I'm not afraid of losing my life."
His answer was firm and resolute.
"I have loved martial arts all my life. To have learned such divine skills is enough. Even if I die, it would be worth it!"
"But if you die, what will become of your promise to let me out?" Ren Woxing asked seriously, as if he really wanted to pass on the [Star Absorbing Great Method].
"Once I obtain the divine skill, I will open the gate," Heibaizi said. "I will give you a steel wire so that you can break the chains, sir."
"I will take this opportunity to escape."
"Go to a place where no one can find you, and study divine skills."
You're dreaming.
"Oh?" Ren Woxing suppressed the urge to laugh. "Aren't you afraid I'll kill Huang Zhonggong and the other two? They're your sworn brothers."
Heibaizi shook his head. "After being released from prison, Mr. Ren will definitely reclaim his position as leader. My three sworn brothers are highly skilled in martial arts and are indispensable assistants."
"With your magnanimity, Mr. Ren, you will surely make them atone for their crimes through meritorious service."