Copper Kettle, Silver Furnace

Two days later.

The sky was dim and yellow, with old crows on withered trees, and a few wisps of cooking smoke rose in the distance...

The Jianghu had been in turmoil during this period.

The news that the Five Great Sword Sects ambushed the Demonic Cult at Mount Heng and Damaoling, severing one of Dongfang Bubai's fingers, gradually spread, and the righteous path's momentum surged. The alliance of the Five Great Sword Sects, led by Zuo Lengchan, became the third major force of the righteous path, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Shaolin and Wudang.

Meanwhile, in Pingyang City on the border of Shanxi and Hebei, two mid-tier gangs were engaged in a fierce struggle because of this.

The Wild Wolf Gang had drawn close to the Sun Moon Divine Cult.

The Dragon Scale Society had pledged allegiance to the Mount Song Sect.

Originally, the Wild Wolf Gang had the upper hand, but when the news of the Demonic Cult's defeat at the foot of Mount Heng spread, the Dragon Scale Society's morale soared. They secretly invited seven or eight righteous path experts and launched a decisive attack, breaking through the Wild Wolf Gang's stronghold.

The remnants of the Wild Wolf Gang scattered like fallen stars, guarding the border between the two provinces and wantonly robbing merchant caravans and travelers around Pingyang City.

"Hoo-hoo~"

In these chaotic times, like boiling water, bandits sprang up everywhere, which, however, was good for the escort agencies' business.

On the roads, several escort teams, flying colorful banners, with escorts beaming with smiles, traveled back and forth between Shanxi and Hebei. The sound of iron bells drifted in the wind, and the 'hoo-hoo' sound was incessant.

Occasionally, lone martial artists, carrying swords and knives, would gallop past.

A young man and woman walked by the roadside, looking like a devoted couple from afar.

The young man was eight feet tall, dressed in a semi-worn grey cloth robe, yet it couldn't conceal his handsome features. A long sword hung at his waist, adding a touch of heroic spirit.

"So, this is me saving the damsel in distress, right?"

"No!"

"Am I not a hero? Or are you not a beauty?"

Yue Lingshan raised her hands, still bound by the tough ropes, and glared, "Do you think this is the act of a hero?"

Zhang Yu chuckled, "Setting aside these ropes, I still saved you. You should at least say thank you."

Yue Lingshan snorted lightly. In her heart, she felt that this person wasn't entirely detestable. It was true, as he said, at Guanyin Nunnery, if he hadn't intervened in time, she would have been irredeemably ruined. At least he still had a shred of humanity and conscience.

This young scoundrel, trapped by the Demonic Cult, yet he possesses such handsome features. His phoenix eyes are narrow and deep, with slightly upturned corners like a phoenix spreading its wings. When he speaks, his spirit is high. Such a person... in terms of appearance alone, perhaps only Senior Brother can compare.

She couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.

Back at Guanyin Nunnery, if it were truly unavoidable, I would rather be...

Thinking of this, Yue Lingshan's heart jolted. She shook her head violently, casting the damnable thought aside, and thought to herself, Yue Lingshan, Yue Lingshan, you've truly read the Female Virtues in vain. If Father and Mother knew, how heartbroken they would be...

Zhang Yu, holding the Azure Water Sword, chewed on a blade of grass, "Are you feeling unwell? Your face is turning red and white. In this desolate wilderness, I can't find a doctor."

Yue Lingshan shot him a sideways glance, "None of your business! If it weren't for you, I would have already stabbed those two scoundrels dozens of times."

Zhang Yu shook his head, "If I had known Heroine Yue was so ungrateful, I really should have waited a little longer outside Guanyin Nunnery before going in. Perhaps I could have seen... some other scenery."

Yue Lingshan said in a low voice, "I knew you had no good intentions. You still want me to thank you, you shameless wretch!"

"I have no good intentions? Heaven knows, at Damaoling, Sect Leader Yue almost killed me. After descending Mount Heng, I encountered Heroine Yue and nearly lost my life. Yet, this shameless wretch, not holding a grudge, saved your purity from the hands of two gentlemen of the Mount Song Sect."

Yue Lingshan, knowing she was in the wrong, merely lowered her head and continued walking.

Night fell, and the two found a sheltered spot in the woods and built a fire.

Two hard, dry flatbreads were placed on the fire to roast.

Zhang Yu took out the booklet hidden in his embrace and, by the firelight, studied it repeatedly.

"Clouds gather and disperse, flowing like formless water, soft as water, yet capable of changing into wind and thunder, concealing the secrets of the Qi sea..."

The internal cultivation method of the upper volume of the Flying Cloud Divine Skill had a total of five thousand eight hundred characters. As a university student majoring in Chinese Language and Literature, coupled with the enhancement of his six senses by the Green Jade Thumb Ring, he memorized it in two days and two nights.

"I want to eat the flatbread."

Zhang Yu immediately took down the roasted flatbread and offered it to her mouth.

"That one too!"

He had no choice but to go hungry and hand over the last remaining roasted flatbread.

"I want to drink water."

Zhang Yu opened the water skin. Yue Lingshan deliberately drank half and spilled half, wasting the half-skin of clear water.

Zhang Yu said coldly, "Does Heroine Yue have any other requests?"

"Wipe my mouth, massage my legs, swat mosquitoes."

He could no longer stand it and drew his Azure Water Sword.

Yue Lingshan mumbled, "Who told you to tie my hands."

Zhang Yu held her sleeve, wiped the oil stain from the corner of her mouth, and smiled, "Teacher Yue, can we start the lesson now?"

For the past two days, he had been asking her to explain the acupoints, meridians, and terms from the Flying Cloud Divine Skill one by one.

To Yue Lingshan's surprise, this Demonic Cult scoundrel had excellent comprehension. He remembered everything he heard, and his learning efficiency was extremely high. What she had learned after months of being reprimanded on Mount Hua, he understood in two hours.

"Not a shred of respect for teachers."

Under Yue Buqun's leadership, the Mount Hua Sect had strict rules and a strong emphasis on loyalty, filial piety, and etiquette.

As the Sect Leader's daughter, she was also the youngest disciple, and not a single rule could be bent for her. For example, during meals, she couldn't pick up her chopsticks until all her senior brothers had been served.

If even the Sect Leader's daughter could adhere to this, it was only natural for other disciples to be loyal to their master, Yue Buqun.

Seizing this rare opportunity to play the teacher, Yue Lingshan felt quite pleased.

"When cultivating internal energy, the most important thing is to open the Dantian. The Dantian is divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower..."

"The Jiazi Pavilion Qi Cultivation Record describes the three types of Dantian in simpler terms as 'Copper Kettle,' 'Silver Furnace,' and 'Golden Pool.'"

"In fact, ancient texts also record a top-tier Dantian called the 'Purple Mansion.' However, it has never appeared in the current Jianghu and is generally believed to be a fabrication by the author. You can just listen."

Zhang Yu asked, "Does the quality of the Dantian represent a person's martial arts aptitude?"

Yue Lingshan nodded. "The quality of the Dantian does indeed affect how far one can go on the path of martial arts. But nothing is absolute! Master Fangzheng of Shaolin Temple has a 'Copper Kettle' Dantian."

"There are also heaven-blessed talents who have opened a 'Golden Pool' Dantian, but they either perish midway or become consumed by inner demons due to too much early success and inability to withstand setbacks."

Zhang Yu asked curiously, "What quality Dantian do you have?"

Yue Lingshan's lips curved into a slight smile. "A middle-grade Dantian, a Silver Furnace."

Zhang Yu said, "Silver Furnace? That's quite ordinary."

"Do you think it's a common stove from the street? Not only do the vast majority of people lack the aptitude to cultivate internal energy, but even among those who do, ninety percent are 'Copper Kettles.'"

Yue Lingshan said proudly, "I started cultivating stillness and concentration with the Divine Bodyguard Scripture at the age of eight. It took me seven years of medicinal baths and pills to build a solid foundation. Only six months ago, after accumulating strength, did I finally manage to open a Silver Furnace Dantian."

Zhang Yu laughed. "In that case, your original aptitude wasn't that great; it was all improved through acquired means. Most people in the world don't have your family background, so naturally, they can't cultivate internal energy."

Yue Lingshan, angered to the point of laughing, retorted, "Of course, I can't compare to my Senior Brother's exceptional innate talent, but I'm still a level above someone who has no internal energy at all!"

"Linghu Chong? He should have a Golden Pool Dantian, right?"

"Of course. Among the younger generation in the Central Plains Jianghu under thirty years old, only two are known to have opened a Golden Pool Dantian."

"Besides your Senior Brother with his excellent bone structure, who else?"

"You are truly ignorant. Chen Lingyue, the disciple accepted by Daoist Chongxu on behalf of his late master, the junior uncle of Wudang, the successor of the True Martial Sword. The Jianghu calls him the next Sect Leader who will carry on the Wudang lineage. You haven't even heard of him?"

"There's no such person in 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer'?" Zhang Yu searched his memory, and indeed, he hadn't heard of this person.

But the timeline of 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer' started from the Fuwei Escort Agency, which was three years from now. Perhaps something happened in the interim, and this junior uncle of Wudang perished?

"Smiling, Proud Wanderer? Don't just talk about the Central Plains Jianghu. Whether it's the northern deserts, the Western Regions, or Eastern Japan, you should at least know of the junior uncle of Wudang. Do you think they are an unknown nobody like you?"

Zhang Yu chuckled. "Junior Uncle of Wudang? He certainly has a lot of titles."

Yue Lingshan laughed. "Jealous?"

Zhang Yu touched the Green Jade Thumb Ring on his left hand and smiled. "No one is worth my jealousy yet."

"You just like to brag!"