Eating from Both Sides

The secret chamber...

Candlelight circled the walls, swirling into a ring, flickering slightly, illuminating two figures in the center.

Lu Yan drank a cup of wine, which was unusual. His injuries had not yet healed, and he normally abstained from alcohol.

Qi Yu seized the opportunity to ask, "Uncle Yan, now that I've mastered the foundational stances, can I truly not practice any further techniques...?"

Lu Yan paused for a moment, then remembered he had tricked Qi Yu into practicing the Hunyuan Contending Force. He shook his head, his expression turning solemn, and warned, "You must not practice my subsequent methods, or you will face utter destruction."

Seeing Qi Yu fall silent, Lu Yan softened his tone and comforted him, "There is always a higher heaven, and always someone stronger. But you don't need to belittle yourself. To reach this point is already remarkable."

Qi Yu smiled faintly and then asked, "Since Uncle Yan is unwilling to teach me the subsequent techniques, if I wish to practice several combat techniques and attempt to toughen my skin all over, you can at least offer some guidance, right?"

Currently, "Skill Points" were a major problem for him.

He had almost exhausted the Skill Points from the "foundation stances." Even if he found new stances and practiced them diligently, it was unlikely he would gain Skill Points due to overlap.

Therefore, he set his sights on combat techniques.

However, combat techniques involved toughening the skin into armor. Different techniques would alter the skin to varying degrees. If he practiced them haphazardly, it could easily lead to damage to his bones and muscles, resulting in permanent disability.

"Toughening the skin all over?"

Lu Yan looked at him in astonishment.

Qi Yu asked, "Is that not possible?"

Lu Yan pondered, "Even major Sects do not have a path for toughening the entire body, as it is unnecessary.

Firstly, cultivation emphasizes gradual progression, from skin to flesh, tempering blood and forging bones, all the way to the internal organs. Each layer only needs to be cultivated thoroughly. As for subsequent techniques, they do not necessarily need to be from the same lineage. After consulting an Apothecary and examining the state of one's Blood Essence, there will be other options.

Secondly, the body's Blood Essence and heat have limits, dictating that cultivators must focus on certain areas. Greed for more will lead to achieving nothing.

Thirdly, techniques are static, but people are dynamic. Skilled martial artists can adjust or even modify techniques based on their own circumstances, drawing from various sources, extracting the essence, and discarding the dross to achieve perfection.

If you feel your overall defense is insufficient, you can wear armor for protection. If you still feel armor is not secure enough, you can also practice a body-hardening technique as a supplement. Although body-hardening techniques also toughen the skin, they come at the cost of strength and speed, making them unsuitable for deep, primary cultivation.

As for the different 'skin armor' properties of the two techniques, I am capable of 'stitching' them together for you, treating the issue directly, allowing them to coexist without causing skin tearing or damage to bones and muscles."

Qi Yu nodded and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Uncle Yan."

Lu Yan smiled, "It's not for free. I heard from Changshun that the secret land's spirit field has been secured. The medicinal ingredients I need for my recovery can be cultivated there. However... your second uncle's family will surely not give up. The current conflict has a lot to do with you. The stronger you become, the more stable our situation will be."

The two chatted for a while longer. Then, Lu Yan had Qi Yu lie down on the couch and examined his body to check for any hidden injuries...

Snap.

The rosewood box opened with a sound.

Master Chen's gaze fell upon the secret medicine in the box, and a satisfied expression appeared on his face. He then raised his hand and reluctantly pushed the box towards the person opposite him.

The woman sitting opposite him had a cold face and stiff eyes. She lowered her head slightly, her cheeks immersed in darkness, with only her hard jaw illuminated by the candlelight and a pair of pale, thin lips.

This was a member of "Black Umbrella," named Xiang Nanfeng.

"The reward for asking you to act last time is now settled."

Xiang Nanfeng glanced at the expensive secret medicine but did not reach for it. Instead, she raised her hand and slowly pushed it back.

Under Master Chen's puzzled gaze, she took out a long, narrow transparent jade box from her sleeve, placed it on the table, and pushed it over.

Inside the jade box lay a "hair."

It was extremely long, far beyond what a human could possess, and its color was a murky, light-absorbing dark hue. Merely looking at it evoked an invisible sense of distortion and a chilling aura that emanated from the box.

Master Chen's pupils contracted, his breathing quickened, and his eyes showed fervor and greed.

He clearly recognized the item and knew its preciousness.

"What do you mean?"

"Foreign Affairs Envoy Chen, you were the one who introduced the Qi family's brat into the sect, weren't you? Given his martial arts aptitude, even if his cipher aptitude is poor, many people would vie for him..."

Master Chen suddenly looked up and asked, "You want Qi Yu as a partner too?"

Xiang Nanfeng said, "My previous partner just died, and I'm looking for a promising young man to change my mood and have some fun."

After speaking, she raised her finger and pushed the jade box forward again, saying, "I am very sincere."

Master Chen's gaze was fixed on the strange hair in the jade box, his expression shifting. After a few breaths, he grinned, snatched the jade box, and tucked it into his embrace.

"Good! It seems we will have many opportunities to cooperate in the future."

He was in a great mood and casually took back the rosewood box as well.

To benefit from both sides of a matter was naturally excellent.

Qi Changshun watched his son emerge from the secret room of the study and said kindly, "Go rest early."

Qi Yu stopped and turned back, saying seriously, "Father, I would like to ask you to help me find a top-tier body-hardening technique. In addition, the more cultivation manuals of all kinds, the better."

Qi Changshun nodded without hesitation and agreed, "Alright. The Qi family's financial control and connections are gradually shifting to our branch. These resources should naturally be prioritized for my son."

Only then did Qi Yu leave the study.

Outside, the bright moon hung high in the sky, casting its clear radiance everywhere, illuminating the path ahead...

The next day...

Early in the morning.

Just as dawn was breaking.

Qi Yu was already practicing in the courtyard.

He performed the thirty-two forms of the Hunyuan Contending Force one by one. These peculiar postures not only helped him contend for every last bit of strength within his body but also gave him a profound sense of "seeing through all moves under heaven."

After finishing the thirty-two forms, he still struggled to hold the last four forms for too long...

Once he assumed the stance, after a short while, a certain part of his body would begin to ache.

"As expected, Hunyuan Contending Force is by no means something my level of comprehension can easily grasp."

He sighed inwardly.

Fortunately, he still had Skill Points as a shortcut.

Afterward, he began practicing the Spirit Serpent Pathfinding Step, then repeatedly honed the two forms of the Spirit Serpent Killing Technique, continuing his cultivation.

As he practiced, he felt a peculiar sensation again.

If he hadn't been cultivating Hunyuan Contending Force, he might have found these two killing techniques exquisite and vicious. But now, looking at them again, he only found them too rigid, almost to the point of being predictable, like "you move your hand, and I already know what you're going to do next."

He practiced until the sun was high in the sky.

At lunchtime, several slices of cut red exotic fruit appeared beside his meal tray.

Qi Yu casually picked them up. As the fruit entered his stomach, the fatigue from the morning vanished instantly. A warm, fiery stream rose from his abdomen, surging powerfully through his limbs and bones.

This was to help him accumulate heat energy, aiming for Seventh Rank, even before his Eighth Rank was fully stable.

With just these few pieces of fruit, Qi Yu suspected that an Eighth Rank cultivator without resources would need at least several months to barely reach that level if they relied solely on themselves.

When he finished eating, a carriage had surprisingly stopped outside. Ding Yi was driving it. Seeing him, the guard captain smiled and waved, "Young Master, didn't you say you were going to..."

His words were suggestive.

Qi Yu paused for a moment, then got into the carriage and asked, "What's wrong?"

Ding Yi lowered his voice, "It's about what Master said yesterday at noon. The initiation ceremony has been prepared."

Qi Yu understood and said no more.

The carriage rumbled away.

On the way...

Qi Yu suddenly asked, "Old Ding, you're also a member of the Sect, right?"

Ding Yi replied, "I'm just a follower, not deeply involved."

Qi Yu asked, "What about your partner?"

Ding Yi paused, then lowered his voice, "The Umbrella Sect is a den of female demons. Although there are many powerful men in the Sect, the truly top experts are rumored to all be women. Men who join the Sect mostly have to wait passively to be chosen... and not everyone is qualified."

As they spoke, the carriage entered the outer city and stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary courtyard.

As soon as Qi Yu got out of the carriage, he saw a cargo truck unloading goods across the street. The person directing the operation was none other than his cousin, Qi Zhao.

His gaze swept over the goods on the truck, and he understood—these were undoubtedly the Qi Family's assets, being gifted to the Umbrella Sect free of charge to maintain his cousin's "Internal Affairs Envoy" qualification.

He frowned slightly but said nothing.

Qi Zhao also saw him and said, "Cousin, hurry inside. Many people have already arrived."