"I... the cultivation technique I practiced was called the Huanri Technique. Before I joined the Blood Wolf Gang, I stumbled upon it by chance in a great tomb."
"It is an Ultimate Art. I have the Body Tempering Realm chapter of this technique on me. If you can spare my life, I can write out the Zhuqi Realm portion of the Huanri Technique from memory and give it to you."
Ma Wen panted heavily, trembling as he reached into his robes with his left hand and pulled out a thin booklet, holding it above his head.
"An Ultimate Art?"
Chen Xuan's heart stirred.
He took the booklet and flipped it open for a quick look.
The booklet was very thin, with only a dozen or so pages.
The first page contained the general outline. It roughly stated that this technique had been created by a Martial High Grandmaster, drawing inspiration from a Wuxiang Divine Technique.
The Body Tempering Realm Chapter of the Huanri Technique had no great offensive power. It specialized solely in controlling one's aura. Once mastered, it could completely conceal one's aura, making one seem like a dead object. If the Body Tempering Realm Chapter was cultivated to perfection, it could even deceive the spiritual detection of experts in the Seventh Layer of Qi Casting, Tuotai Realm.
Upon reaching the Zhuqi Realm Chapter, its aura-concealing ability would improve even further. It could also alter one's appearance and imitate the true qi of other cultivation techniques. As long as one had fought a martial artist before, one could imitate and transform their true qi.
If cultivated to great mastery, one would not even need to have fought them. So long as one knew the cultivation technique, the Huanri True Qi within one's body could imitate and transform accordingly.
That was how the name Huanri came to be.
Ma Wen had only cultivated the Body Tempering Realm Chapter, yet its formidable aura-concealing ability had allowed him, with merely Seventh Stage of Body Tempering cultivation, to lurk in the shadows and monitor Chen Xuan for so long without being discovered. The value of this technique was self-evident.
The Zhuqi Realm Chapter's aura concealment was even more powerful, and it could also imitate the true qi and martial techniques of other cultivation methods.
What did that mean?
It meant that anyone who cultivated the Huanri Technique could disguise themselves as a disciple of any sect.
The altered appearance produced by the Huanri Technique differed from ordinary disguise arts. There were no human-skin masks or other means of camouflage; it was a change in one's own muscles and bones. Coupled with imitated aura and true qi, there would basically be no flaws to detect.
Today, one could be a disciple of the Guiyuan Sect. Tomorrow, a disciple of Ten Thousand Sword Villa. The day after tomorrow, a disciple of the Blood Fiend Devil Sect.
The value of this technique went far beyond combat.
Framing others, infiltrating and penetrating, gathering intelligence...
In combat, the Huanri Technique was not weak either.
Once the Huanri Technique was cultivated to great mastery, it was equivalent to mastering every Ultimate Art. As long as one had come into contact with an opponent's true qi or obtained another Ultimate Art technique, one could directly imitate the corresponding true qi. Even martial technique moves could be imitated.
When fighting others to the death, its transformations were countless and ever-changing.
"Do you truly have the Zhuqi Realm and Grandmaster Realm Chapters?"
Chen Xuan asked.
If the Huanri Technique only had the Body Tempering Realm Chapter, it would not mean much. But if it had the Zhuqi Realm Chapter, or even the Grandmaster Chapter, its value would be completely different.
"Yes, I do." Ma Wen hurriedly said, "Before I joined the Blood Wolf Gang, I made my living robbing tombs. I obtained this technique from a hidden place within a great tomb before joining the Blood Wolf Gang."
"A dried skeleton was buried within that tomb. It should have been the remains of some senior expert. The Huanri Technique was beside the remains, but my innate talent is too poor. I cultivated for more than twenty years before reaching the Seventh Stage of Body Tempering. I could only cultivate the Body Tempering Realm portion, and even then, only its surface..."
"I know the saying: a common man is innocent, but possessing jade becomes his crime. So I told everyone that I had always cultivated the Breath Concealment Technique. I have never shown anyone the complete Huanri Technique."
"You memorized the entire Huanri Technique?"
Chen Xuan asked.
"Yes..." Ma Wen nodded. "I memorized the Qi Casting Chapter and the Grandmaster Chapter word for word. I was afraid someone would snatch the manual away, so I never dared write it down on paper. As long as you spare my life, I can write out the Huanri Technique in its entirety and give it to you."
"Fine." Chen Xuan nodded. "As long as there is no problem with the technique you write, I will not kill you."
With that, Chen Xuan grabbed Ma Wen and returned to the branch hall.
In the courtyard.
Zhao Yuanshan was leading several gang members in cleaning up the flesh and blood Lei Hu had left behind in the inner courtyard. Most of the bloody muck on the ground had already been shoveled away, and the Bluestone slabs had been rinsed with clear water, yet a thick stench of blood still lingered in the air.
Seeing Chen Xuan return, Zhao Yuanshan straightened up. His gaze fell upon Ma Wen, whom Chen Xuan held in his hand, and his brows furrowed slightly. "Junior Brother Chen, is this an accomplice of the intruder?"
"He has something I want." Chen Xuan said. "Senior Brother Zhao, trouble someone to prepare brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, then send them to the study."
Zhao Yuanshan glanced at Ma Wen, then at Chen Xuan. He did not ask further questions and turned to instruct the gang members beside him. "Go. Bring brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."
One gang member quickly ran off.
Before long,
that gang member arrived at the study carrying a tray. On it were brush, ink, paper, an inkstone, and an oil lamp.
"Write!"
Chen Xuan spread out the paper, dipped the brush in ink, and handed it to Ma Wen's left hand.
Ma Wen took the brush with his left hand, which would not stop trembling.
His right hand had already been crushed beneath Chen Xuan's foot. The bones were shattered, and the whole hand was swollen like a steamed bun. He could not exert any strength at all.
Though his left hand was not his dominant one, a martial artist could still barely manage to write with it.
Ma Wen took a deep breath and tried hard to calm himself before lowering the brush tip to the paper.
Soon, the first sheet was filled with words.
Though the writing was crooked and uneven, it could still be read.
An hour passed.
Only then did Ma Wen finish writing out the Huanri Technique manual from memory.
Chen Xuan gathered all the sheets, arranged them in order, and read through them from beginning to end.
The Huanri Technique Ma Wen had written was extremely detailed. It included the Zhuqi Realm Chapter as well as the Grandmaster Realm Chapter. From the general outline to the mental method, from the routes of true qi circulation to the key points of cultivation, from the aura-concealing formula to altering one's aura, from imitating true qi to imitating martial techniques—nothing was omitted. It was exceptionally comprehensive.
Huanri Technique / Not Initiated
After Chen Xuan carefully read through the technique, it appeared on the panel as well. This showed that there was no problem with the technique Ma Wen had written from memory and that it could be accelerated with Zhaoxi Value.
"Can I go now?"
Ma Wen's weak voice sounded.
"I said that as long as there was no problem with the technique, I would not kill you." Chen Xuan called to Zhao Yuanshan outside the room, "Senior Brother Zhao, see him out."
Zhao Yuanshan entered the study, glanced at Ma Wen slumped in the chair, then looked at Chen Xuan.
Chen Xuan gave a faint nod. His gaze met Zhao Yuanshan's for an instant before shifting away.
That look had been light, almost indifferent, but Zhao Yuanshan understood it.
"Let's go!"
Zhao Yuanshan stepped forward. One hand supported Ma Wen while the other held his waist, lifting him out of the chair.
Ma Wen's lumbar spine had already broken. His lower body was completely unresponsive, and he hung from Zhao Yuanshan like a puddle of mud.
"Th... thank you..."
Ma Wen's voice was so weak it was nearly inaudible, but his eyes were filled with the relief of surviving a disaster. He thought Chen Xuan would truly spare him. He thought his life had been saved.
Zhao Yuanshan said nothing. Supporting him, he walked out of the study, crossed the courtyard, and headed toward the branch hall entrance.
Moonlight spilled across the Bluestone path, stretching their shadows long.
When they reached the branch hall entrance, Zhao Yuanshan stopped.
"Master Zhao..." Ma Wen raised his head and looked at Zhao Yuanshan, confusion flashing through his eyes. "Why... why have we stopped?"
Zhao Yuanshan lowered his head and looked at him.
"Junior Brother Chen promised not to kill you." Zhao Yuanshan's voice was calm. "But I never said I would let you leave."
Ma Wen's pupils abruptly contracted. His mouth opened as he tried to say something.
Zhao Yuanshan's right hand had already clamped around his neck.
Crack—
A crisp sound of breaking bone echoed through the night sky, brief and dull.
Ma Wen's eyes bulged wide. His mouth hung open, but he could no longer make a sound. His body twitched once, then went completely limp.
Zhao Yuanshan released his hand. Ma Wen's corpse slid to the ground and sprawled across the steps outside the branch hall entrance.
"Take him away." Zhao Yuanshan ordered the guards at the entrance. "Throw him outside town and bury him. Do not let anyone see."
"Yes!"
At once, two guards stepped forward, lifted Ma Wen's corpse, and quickly vanished into the night.
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