Exchange

Meng Qi felt quite resistant inside, but reason forced him to admit that Jiang Zhiwei's words made a lot of sense. If he exchanged for lightness skill, external hardening kung fu, and saber techniques, then tempered them over some time, he would definitely be reborn—not ending up like this time, only able to pick off Cheng Yong cheaply, and even then barely escaping danger.

"Junior Sister Jiang is very right." At some point, Zhang Yuanshan had walked over, with Qi Xia and Qi Zhengyan following behind him.

"Senior Brother Zhang, have you finished your exchange?" Jiang Zhiwei asked with slight surprise, as she hadn't seen him go to the central pillar of light.

Zhang Yuanshan smiled slightly. "Not yet. I was thinking that the 'Lord of Six Paths Samsara' specifically mentioned two different terms—companions and same-faction members—at the very start. I guessed that perhaps our next mission would still be together. So, I took the liberty of inviting Junior Sister Qi and Junior Brother Zhengyan over, hoping we could all plan before exchanging, pool our wisdom, and ensure each companion's strength is enhanced to the best degree. That way, our chances of successfully completing the next mission increase, and we won't have another incident like Junior Brother Qing Jing or Chieftain Yan."

As he spoke, his expression dimmed slightly.

Meng Qi nodded lightly, forced to admit that Zhang Yuanshan indeed had a talent for leading a small team. He considered all aspects thoroughly and was also able to attend to others' feelings.

Zhang Yuanshan looked at Meng Qi and said, "Lightness skill and external hardening kung fu—these are your current priorities, Junior Brother Zhending. Especially the Iron Cloth Shirt; it's not just an external hardening technique but also contains a basic internal energy method that allows you to initially condense your dantian. Moreover, it will lay a solid foundation for you to later practice Shaolin's supreme arts like the 'Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill' and 'Golden Bell Shield.'"

"Mm, thank you, Senior Brother Zhang and Miss Jiang, for your guidance. I'll do as you say." Meng Qi gritted his teeth in reply. Although being dashing and elegant while defeating an opponent was appealing and something he aspired to, his life came first for now.

Zhang Yuanshan nodded, then looked at Jiang Zhiwei. "Junior Sister Jiang, are you still twenty merit points short? Are you planning to exchange for the Heavenly Wisdom Pill?"

Upon hearing "Heavenly Wisdom Pill," Qi Xia looked as if she had expected it, while Qi Zhengyan appeared excited, as if he had longed for this pill for a long time.

"Mm, the Heavenly Wisdom Pill, one hundred and ten merit points." Jiang Zhiwei wasn't surprised that Zhang Yuanshan's guess was so accurate, because she knew he would also choose this first. "I've already condensed all nine acupoints related to my ear apertures. I'm only half a step away from opening both ear apertures. Originally, I planned to open them through my own tempering, but now time waits for no one. I can only improve as quickly as possible, hoping that the interval between missions will be long enough for me to make up for it."

At this moment, the voice of the Lord of Six Paths Samsara suddenly rang out: "Mission intervals range from as short as one month to as long as three to five years."

"And our next mission?" Zhang Yuanshan asked loudly.

"Five hundred merit points for this information." The Lord of Six Paths Samsara was as cold as ever.

Jiang Zhiwei exhaled. Seeing Meng Qi's bewildered expression, she kindly explained to him, "When opening apertures, you can use specific spirit pills and miraculous medicines to assist. But each type of pill only works once. The next time, you'll need a better pill. For example, if I use the 'Heavenly Wisdom Pill' to open my ear apertures, then when opening my nasal aperture, I can't use the 'Heavenly Wisdom Pill' again. At the very least, I'd need a pill of the 'Heavenly Sight Earthly Hearing Pill' grade, which costs at least two hundred and sixty merit points."

"And even my Sword Washing Pavilion isn't wealthy in such pills. If I want one, I'd need to make corresponding contributions, or my master would have to use his personal stash."

"However, unless it's urgent, it's best not to rely on pills to break through. This will more or less leave some hidden problems that require hard work to fix. Otherwise, when crossing major realms later, it will be much more difficult. Of course, the lower the realm, the easier it is to make up for it."

Qi Zhengyan suddenly sighed. "For someone of ordinary talent like me, the hope of opening apertures might only rest on these pills. If I hadn't entered this reincarnation world, how could I ever deserve a single Heavenly Wisdom Pill..."

Of course, many martial artists like him, through the baptism of time, might also have a chance to open apertures. But by then, they'd probably be thirty or forty, leaving little time for further advancement.

Hearing Qi Zhengyan's words, Meng Qi suddenly felt a kindred spirit. It seemed that, like himself, Qi Zhengyan was at the bottom of his sect, with no hope of advancement. This reincarnation world was both danger and opportunity!

"Heh heh, the miscellaneous items list clearly states that the 'Lord of Six Paths Samsara' can directly boost your internal energy, condense your acupoints, open your apertures, and help you break through realms—though the price is even higher than the corresponding pills." Qi Xia said with a smile. "Do you need him to handle everything for you?"

Jiang Zhiwei said seriously, "What others give you can easily be taken away. Only what belongs to yourself can be relied upon to the end."

Qi Zhengyan nodded, his expression calm, though it was unclear if he had taken it to heart.

Zhang Yuanshan pondered for a moment, then said, "Junior Sister Jiang, how about I lend you twenty merit points so you can exchange for the Heavenly Wisdom Pill?"

He pressed his right hand down, stopping Jiang Zhiwei from speaking, and continued, "I still have two of the nine acupoints related to my ear apertures left to condense. If I rely on pills or the Lord of Six Paths Samsara to improve continuously, there might be hidden dangers that can't be fixed later. So, I plan to stabilize first. Besides, your strength surpasses mine. If you improve, it will help us more than if I did. Heh, I never expected you to have learned 'Sword Comes Without Self.' Back then, Uncle Su could only use it after opening four apertures!"

"'Sword Comes Without Self' is one of the nine killing moves of the Supreme Sword Scripture, a Dharma Body-level supreme art. It's my master's signature technique. I've only grasped a fraction of it. Even my master wouldn't dare claim to have mastered it." Jiang Zhiwei knew Meng Qi was "shallow in knowledge," so she deliberately explained in detail.

Meng Qi's gaze dropped, and the jade scroll flipped with her words, stopping at "Sword Comes Without Self":

"Sword Comes Without Self, one of the nine killing moves of the Supreme Sword Scripture. Exchange price: eighteen thousand seven hundred merit points."

This made Meng Qi inwardly gasp. Without even the general outline, just the move itself was worth this much! Heirs of major sects truly had a natural advantage!

"Regardless, once you open your ear apertures, Junior Sister Jiang, you won't be completely drained after a single move." Zhang Yuanshan said generously and openly.

Jiang Zhiwei frowned. "And you, Senior Brother Zhang? What are you planning to exchange for?"

Seeing Zhang Yuanshan act this way, Meng Qi felt not only admiration but also a bit of relief: "Good thing I didn't refuse to lend merit points earlier. Otherwise, in everyone's eyes, I'd be completely overshadowed by Zhang Yuanshan's shining image—a stingy and miserly monk..."

Suddenly, Meng Qi heard Jiang Zhiwei's voice enter his ear, as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "For us disciples of major sects, various resources aren't too scarce, so we can be so casual with merit points. It's like a suffering person having a wealthy friend who lends one tael of silver, versus a poor friend who lends five maces. Though the kindness is the same, the latter's character and friendship are clearly more worthy of my respect."

Haha, Meng Qi suddenly felt delighted. Without realizing it, he had somehow earned a reputation for high moral character!

Just as he was getting happy, Meng Qi was startled. Jiang Zhiwei had spoken—why hadn't anyone else reacted?

Jiang Zhiwei chuckled lightly. "The technique of transmitting sound into the ear—even though I haven't opened my mouth aperture yet, I can still forcibly use it with internal energy. But since I was injured earlier, my energy flow was obstructed, so I could only focus on my sword."

Zhang Yuanshan naturally couldn't hear what Jiang Zhiwei said to Meng Qi. He smiled and replied, "As Junior Sister Jiang said earlier, I excel at the defensive posture of Taiji but can't unleash its offensive power. The True Martial Seven Sections Scripture is profound and unfathomable at the entry level, and I can't break through in a short time. So, I've sought out a sword technique strong in offense. Of course, for now, I can only exchange for one of its moves to study."

"Mm, which sect's sword technique?" Hearing about sword techniques, Jiang Zhiwei's entire face seemed to glow, beautiful to the point of being dazzling.

"The 'Darkness of Heaven and Earth' from Hidden Sword Tower's 'Heaven's Wound Earth's Defect One Hundred Eight Swords.' Heh, to be honest, when it comes to offense, your Sword Washing Pavilion's sword techniques are considered the best. But with Junior Sister Jiang here, I really can't be shameless enough to exchange for and study them." Zhang Yuanshan said with a smile.

Hidden Sword Tower was a sect of Northern Zhou, one of the Six Sword Schools, and had always been mentioned alongside Sword Washing Pavilion.

Jiang Zhiwei's gaze shifted. "'Heaven's Wound Earth's Defect One Hundred Eight Swords' was derived from Hidden Sword Tower's foundational sword technique, the Lifeless Thirteen Swords. It's truly a life-staking sword art. If the opportunity arises, I'll have to ask Senior Brother Zhang for pointers. Ah, and regarding the merit points, thank you, Senior Brother Zhang."

Meng Qi quietly glanced at the jade scroll and found that this set of "Heaven's Wound Earth's Defect One Hundred Eight Swords" was an Outer Scenery-level sword technique worth six thousand merit points. But if broken down into a general outline and individual moves, the outline cost one thousand merit points, and the other moves ranged from forty to sixty merit points. The move Zhang Yuanshan had chosen cost fifty merit points, using up all his merit points exactly.

"Junior Sister Jiang is willing to accept my merit points—I'm honored to the extreme." Zhang Yuanshan said cheerfully. "So, I definitely won't charge 'nine in, thirteen out.' Just return the same amount to me after the next mission."

Pfft, Jiang Zhiwei and Qi Xia both burst out laughing. Meng Qi awkwardly looked up, his old face slightly red, staring at the drifting white clouds in the sky.

"And if I die in the next mission?" Jiang Zhiwei asked with a smile.

Zhang Yuanshan shook his head and smiled. "Then I'll consider it a failure of my judgment."

Jiang Zhiwei didn't say anything more. She turned to Meng Qi and asked, "Little Monk, have you picked the martial arts you need to exchange for?"

Meng Qi had been selecting while listening. He nodded and pointed at the jade scroll. "Following Senior Brother Zhang and Miss Jiang's advice, I've decided to exchange for the Shaolin Iron Cloth Shirt manual, the Eight Steps of Divine Travel manual, and the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber manual. They cost thirty, twenty, and thirty merit points respectively. Actually, I wanted to exchange for the first three levels of 'Golden Bell Shield' directly, but that would cost a total of one hundred and twenty merit points, so I'll have to wait until next time."

He was referring to his temple's ultimate technique, "Golden Bell Shield." The first four levels belonged to the Qi Accumulation stage, costing twenty, forty, sixty, and one hundred merit points respectively. Other types of "Golden Bell Shield" were cheaper, but each level's effect was inferior to this one. After all, if this Golden Bell Shield reached the full twelve levels, one could attain the "Vajra Dharma Body," impervious to all techniques!

And this Iron Cloth Shirt from the main world was a quick-success method derived from "Golden Bell Shield," roughly equivalent to the effect of completing the first three levels—Shaolin martial arts had a solid foundation, progressing step by step. Only after completing the first three levels could one, like this Iron Cloth Shirt at minor success, be impervious to ordinary weapons.

Therefore, Meng Qi, needing to improve himself in a short time, ultimately chose Iron Cloth Shirt rather than exchanging only for the first level of Golden Bell Shield. However, this Iron Cloth Shirt could evolve into Golden Bell Shield, and Meng Qi planned to retrain in "Golden Bell Shield" later to make up for the flaws of the rushed cultivation.

After careful selection, Meng Qi just used up all his Merit Points. In truth, he had originally wanted to exchange for that "Hundred Changes of Divine Travel" technique Wei Xiaobao had learned, but for a technique that could let a weak martial artist escape danger repeatedly, it was naturally extraordinary. Even though it belonged to the martial arts of a declining era, it was classified as one of the strongest few in the Qi Accumulation stage, worth a hundred Merit Points. So, he could only reluctantly give up.

Fortunately, Meng Qi later discovered "Eight Steps of Divine Travel." According to the detailed description, it was a simplified version of "Hundred Changes of Divine Travel." If one had astonishing martial talent, directly comprehending "Hundred Changes of Divine Travel" from it was not impossible.

"Exchange for a manual? Do you have time to train?" Qi Xia suddenly spoke up.

Meng Qi frowned and shook his head: "If I had a year, it wouldn't be a problem. However, 'Eight Steps of Divine Travel' is easy to pick up if one has enough insight. Maybe I can grasp the basics in a month. As for Basic Blade Art, I only need to reach the entry level, so a month should be enough."

Wei Xiaobao was the example.

Jiang Zhiwei thought for a moment and said: "Then just exchange for 'Iron Cloth Shirt' and train it directly. Once you master this Iron Body Skill, you'll count as a passable low-tier expert. As for blade techniques, I'll look around my sect to see if there are any ordinary blade technique manuals that fellow disciples picked up casually."

Picked up casually... Meng Qi felt a bit embarrassed.

Training "Iron Cloth Shirt" directly required double the Merit Points, and what remained was just enough to exchange for "Eight Steps of Divine Travel."

"Sister Zhiwei, once you return to Sword Washing Pavilion, will you still have a chance to come to Shaolin? Besides, going back and forth wastes time." Qi Xia said with a smile. "Fortunately, I'm quite fond of reading and have a good memory. The Great River Gang has also collected quite a few ordinary manuals and miscellaneous knowledge. How about I write down a blade technique manual for Junior Brother Zhending?"

Saying this, she chuckled: "I know Senior Brother Zhang and Sister Zhiwei only focus on your own sect's martial arts and have only a passing understanding of ordinary manuals and miscellaneous knowledge, so you can't reproduce them."

"That's right, I've only heard explanations of other martial arts from Master during actual combat practice." Zhang Yuanshan nodded honestly.

"So, little sister, who remembers many useless manuals and miscellaneous knowledge, has an advantage." She said to Zhang Yuanshan with a smile. "Just now, I sorted out some manuals and miscellaneous knowledge and exchanged them with 'Lord of Six Paths Samsara,' gaining an extra fifty Merit Points. Uh, as long as I concentrate and recall, the manuals will form on their own."

"Hehe, luckily there are still some manuals left, and among them is the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber Technique. According to 'Lord of Six Paths Samsara,' martial arts exchanged to him cannot be taught to others, but manuals not exchanged to him—if taught to someone—halve the Merit Points that can be exchanged for each person taught. Those not personally taught by me don't fall under this rule."

Jiang Zhiwei and Zhang Yuanshan nodded lightly and said nothing more. For now, they couldn't go against their conscience and exchange their sect's martial arts with "Lord of Six Paths Samsara," even though it was indicated that these techniques existed here as well. Qi Zhengyan, however, looked thoughtfully at the long sword in his hand.

"With Sister Qi providing the blade technique manual, the Little Monk's exchange is settled." Jiang Zhiwei paused in thought. "How about we watch the Little Monk's exchange first? It'll give us more experience."

"Alright." The others had no objections, and Meng Qi was even a little excited.

In the center of the White Jade Plaza, a beam of light descended from the sky, hazy and ethereal, filled with an immortal aura.

Meng Qi stepped into it and first selected "Directly Train Iron Cloth Shirt" on the exchange list that appeared within.