Which Family is Best at Hugging Thighs

After coming down from the mountain, Ren Ze traveled while asking for directions and taking in the sights, eventually arriving in Dali.

Why Dali? First, it was the nearest town. Second, staying in a city was always safer than wandering through the wilderness.

Dali City was not particularly large, but it was quite prosperous.

By the time he entered the city, it was already noon. Every street was bustling with voices, and the marketplace was packed with people.

All kinds of shops lined the streets, merchants and laborers hurried back and forth, and from time to time, one could spot wandering martial artists with sabers at their waists and swords on their backs. It was a scene of flourishing prosperity.

After wandering around for a while, he bought and changed into a scholar's robe, then found a reasonably clean and bright inn. He rented a fine room and instructed the waiter to bring his meal upstairs. Ren Ze quietly pondered how he could gain a foothold in this martial world.

Speaking of which, this transmigration had landed him in one of the better eras of ancient times.

Though the martial world was full of people who killed entire families at the slightest disagreement, compared with chaotic times like the late Han and Three Kingdoms period, or the late Tang and Five Dynasties era, these martial disputes were practically child's play.

What was more, he had met the protagonist, Duan Yu, the moment he arrived and learned Lingbo Micro-steps. In this martial world, he already possessed the foundation needed to survive.

Ren Ze decided that until he had gained an initial grasp of Lingbo Micro-steps, he would not set foot in the martial world.

Unfortunately, that foolish Duan Yu did not understand the value of the Northern Dark Divine Skill. He had only learned two diagrams himself, and had only taught Ren Ze the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian and Ren Meridian corresponding to those two diagrams.

Ren Ze did not dare practice recklessly on his own for fear of suffering qi deviation. Thus, every morning and evening, he found secluded places away from people to secretly practice Lingbo Micro-steps.

And so, he left the city morning and night to train. In his spare time, he toured the authentic ancient charm and local customs of Dali, occasionally listening to music or drinking tea. With the silver Duan Yu had sponsored him with, his days were rather carefree.

Several days later, Ren Ze felt a stream of heat surge from the soles of his feet. He sensed the existence of true qi, and it was as though the wind had risen beneath his feet. His speed had more than doubled, and he nearly fell flat on his face.

At that moment, Ren Ze was utterly thrilled!

More than ten days passed, and Ren Ze finally felt that he could initially control this footwork, nimbly dodging all kinds of obstacles before, behind, left, and right.

Though he was still far from the great mastery realm where the footwork moved as his heart desired, he could no longer bear the loneliness. After all, what man did not have a dream of the martial world in his heart...

He still needed to find himself a master. It was good to have a big tree to shelter beneath. But Wudang did not yet exist, and Zhang Sanfeng had not even been born. The two great leaders of the martial world were Shaolin and the Beggar Sect. Just thinking about joining either made his heart ache with frustration. The other second-rate sects were not much more interesting; he might as well shut himself away and figure things out alone.

Eh, how had he forgotten him! The Carefree Sect! Leigu Mountain! Wu Yazi!

If he could cling to that man's thigh, not only could he study the complete Northern Dark Divine Skill, but Wu Yazi's seventy years of cultivation would be waiting for him as well!

Before long, Wu Yazi would set up the Zhenlong Chess Game to take in a disciple. Ren Ze did not know how to play Go, but he had his own advantages. First, the Northern Dark Divine Skill and Lingbo Micro-steps were secret arts never passed down by the Carefree Sect. Possessing these two techniques already made him half a successor of the Carefree Sect. Second, compared with Xu Zhu, at least he would better satisfy Wu Yazi's preference for good looks, right?

The moment he thought of it, he acted. There was not much to pack, so Ren Ze immediately went downstairs, called for the innkeeper to settle the bill, bought a horse, and set out toward the Central Plains.

Heaven did not disappoint the determined. Though Clever Debater Su Xinghe had long secluded himself on Leigu Mountain, Ren Ze spent more than ten days traveling there, then carefully investigated the area around Leigu Mountain for over a month. In the end, he finally found Su Xinghe in a secluded spot on the mountain.

"This junior member of the Carefree Sect, Ren Ze, pays respects to Elder Su. I have come specifically to seek out Senior Wu Yazi and take him as my master!"

Without any fancy nonsense, Ren Ze went straight to the point.

"You! You! You!"

Good heavens, he had directly broken Clever Debater's decades-long act of being deaf and mute, leaving the old gentleman stammering.

"How did I not know that the Carefree Sect had a young man like you? How do you know that my master is living in seclusion here?"

Su Xinghe pointed at Ren Ze in astonishment as he questioned him.

Ren Ze smiled without saying much, then seriously performed a full set of Lingbo Micro-steps before Su Xinghe.

"Lingbo Micro-steps!?"

Though Su Xinghe did not know this footwork, he had the eye for it. After pondering briefly, he said, "Come with me. My master will decide the details himself."

Ren Ze followed Su Xinghe into a mountain cave. The cave twisted and turned, with countless branching paths. After several twists and turns, they arrived outside a stone chamber. Elder Su told Ren Ze to wait, then went inside to report.

"Master has told you to enter."

After only a few minutes, Su Xinghe emerged from the stone chamber and instructed Ren Ze.

Upon entering the stone chamber, Ren Ze discovered that it was extremely plain. A small hole had been carved into the upper side of the mountain wall, and the light filtering in was insufficient to dispel the darkness within. An elderly man with white hair and a youthful face sat cross-legged upon a stone bed. It was Wu Yazi, who was sizing Ren Ze up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.

"This junior, Ren Ze, pays respects to Senior Wu Yazi."

Ren Ze respectfully bowed.

"Mm. You are fairly handsome. Not bad, not bad."

After looking him over for quite some time, Wu Yazi nodded slightly.

Good heavens, he really was obsessed with looks. He did not care about anything else and evaluated Ren Ze's appearance first.

"Young man, judging by your age, I had already been living in seclusion here before you were born. How did you learn of my name and find this place? And where did you learn the Lingbo Micro-steps you possess?"

Wu Yazi's expression turned serious as he finally got to the point.

Then Ren Ze began his vivid performance, recounting how a scholar had accidentally fallen off a cliff, "fortuitously" discovered Langhuan Blessed Land, and obtained the two peerless arts of the Northern Dark Divine Skill and Lingbo Micro-steps.

Afterward, in order to return to the sect, he had begun making inquiries everywhere for news of his sect. At last, he learned that a member of the Carefree Sect, Clever Debater Su Xinghe, had once secluded himself on Leigu Mountain. He guessed that Senior Wu Yazi of the Carefree Sect might be here as well. That was why he had traveled thousands of miles to this place and ultimately been able to meet Senior Wu Yazi.

"You... were actually able to reach Langhuan Blessed Land. Could it be that Qiushui sent you?"

Wu Yazi's words carried complicated emotions—nostalgia, anger, regret...

"Senior, Langhuan Blessed Land has long been deserted. There is only a jade statue there. I had no chance to meet Senior Li Qiushui."

Ren Ze clarified. After thinking about it, he decided not to mention that Li Qiushui had already gone to Western Xia to become its princess consort. There was no need to upset him further.

Wu Yazi immediately threw back his head and laughed. "Hahaha, good, good, good! Since you were able to enter Langhuan Blessed Land, it means we share a fated bond as master and disciple. Today, I shall grant your wish and take you as my final disciple."

"Greetings, Master!"

Overjoyed, Ren Ze dropped heavily to his knees and solemnly kowtowed to Wu Yazi nine times.

Ren Ze's earlier considerations had indeed been correct. With Senior Wu Yazi teaching him one-on-one, he finally understood the circulation principles of the Northern Dark Divine Skill.

After all, this concerned his future and his life, so Ren Ze studied with utmost diligence.

Were the 362 acupoints across the twelve primary meridians and eight extraordinary meridians hard to memorize?

Could they possibly be more annoying than the several thousand English words required for CET-4 and CET-6?

To Ren Ze, could something mastered through rote memorization even be called difficult? Where would that leave advanced calculus?

The greatest danger in cultivating the Northern Dark Divine Skill lay in the fact that it ran contrary to the internal arts of every other school and sect. Therefore, anyone who had previously cultivated internal energy had to completely forget everything they had learned and devote themselves wholly to this new art. If there was even the slightest confusion or overlap, the two arts would clash, causing immediate madness and vomiting of blood, crippling all the meridians. Nothing could be more dangerous.

As it happened, Ren Ze had never learned any cultivation art at all. He had not even dared to practice the incomplete version Duan Yu had taught him.

At last, the true energy generated by each use of Lingbo Micro-steps no longer went to waste. Under his master's guidance, he circulated it through the twelve primary meridians and eight extraordinary meridians for a full cycle before gathering it in his dantian. Cultivating the two arts was like turning on an accelerator; his progress advanced at astonishing speed.

He also learned several moves of the Tianshan Six Yang Palm and Tianshan Zhemei Hand. Ren Ze immersed himself in cultivation every day, occasionally sparring with his senior brother Su Xinghe to test and verify what he had learned. Even though he remained in the mountains every day, living on plain tea and simple meals, he enjoyed it immensely.

"Disciple, you have already gained an initial grasp of these arts. It is time for you to go down the mountain and see the world."

Nearly a month later, Wu Yazi said this to Ren Ze.

"Master?"

Ren Ze did not react at once. Over the past month, he had felt his internal energy growing stronger by the day, and he was having a great time training.

"The Northern Dark Divine Skill embraces all rivers and seas. It can seize the internal energy of others and make it your own. Do you think this art is too vicious, so you intend to keep accumulating internal energy on your own?"

Wu Yazi could naturally tell that Ren Ze had never drained anyone else's internal energy.

"That is not the reason."

Ren Ze had his own concerns. "I believe that on the path of martial arts, one should build a solid foundation and not rely too heavily on external things. Only then can one steadily climb to greater heights in martial arts later on."

"Hahaha..."

Wu Yazi smiled approvingly. "You truly have your own ideas. As your master, I am pleased. But you have overthought this matter."

"Listen carefully."

Wu Yazi stroked his beard, his expression turning solemn.

"The martial arts of our school regard the accumulation of internal energy as their foremost principle. Once one's internal energy is sufficiently profound, all martial arts under heaven may be used at one's command. It is like the Northern Dark Sea: it bears both great vessels and small boats, accommodates both great fish and small fish. A hundred rivers flow into the sea, and the sea gains its waters by accommodating all rivers."

"All martial arts under heaven may be used at one's command—vast, profound, and compatible with every martial art. That is the true essence of the Northern Dark."

Wu Yazi spoke slowly, then paused. His tone became stern as he repeatedly cautioned him.

"Remember this: if your enemy's internal energy surpasses your own, then it will be like seawater flowing backward into the rivers. There is no greater danger."

"This disciple shall remember Master's teachings."

Having a master's guidance truly was wonderful. Especially with Wu Yazi's understanding of the Northern Dark Divine Skill, Ren Ze avoided many unnecessary detours. These words suddenly enlightened him. No wonder Duan Yu had gone mad after absorbing too much internal energy and needed to seek treatment at Tianlong Temple...

"Master, how is this disciple's aptitude for martial arts?"

Although Ren Ze had spent two and a half years proving that his martial arts talent in the Swallowed Star World was quite ordinary, he still held onto a sliver of hope.

"Your comprehension and natural physique are both excellent. The only pity is that you missed the best age for martial arts training. Your tendons and meridians have already solidified, so your future achievements will be limited. Surpassing your master will be difficult..."

Wu Yazi spoke frankly.

"Ah?"

Ren Ze was briefly stunned by his master's casually boastful words. Sure enough, these were two entirely different systems. In the Devouring World, one could only join a martial arts dojo as a trainee at sixteen. After thinking it over, he asked, "Master, is there any way to remedy this?"

"Shaolin's Yijin Jing can turn decay into wonder, transforming the tendons and cleansing the marrow. Unfortunately, although I gathered martial arts from across the world back then, I still failed to obtain the Yijin Jing."

There was a trace of regret in Wu Yazi's voice.

"Master, please do not worry. This disciple will find a way to obtain the Yijin Jing. Your legs have been paralyzed for many years—could the Yijin Jing possibly cure them?"

"My leg injury?"

Wu Yazi's expression shifted, then he sighed softly. "Disciple, I accept this filial devotion of yours. Had I obtained the Yijin Jing in my earlier years, there might have been hope. But several decades have now passed. Even immortals would find it difficult to save me."

"Perhaps there is still some hope? Master, please wait for me for now. Once I obtain the Yijin Jing, this disciple will return."

"Whether or not you obtain the Yijin Jing, you must return within half a year. My body... can no longer hold on for much longer."

Wu Yazi sighed. His words made Ren Ze's heart ache, and he nearly could not hold back his tears.

After spending day and night together these past days, Wu Yazi had become both master and father to Ren Ze. Although he had long known that Wu Yazi would not last much longer, hearing it said aloud still left a painful tightness in his chest.

Ren Ze nodded and strode out of the cave.

"I've been so immersed in training that I have no idea how far the Tianlong plot has progressed in the martial world. To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools. If I want to obtain the Yijin Jing, I'll have to make use of Doctor Xue, that fine martial nephew."

Ren Ze did not hurry down the mountain. He first went to find his senior brother, Su Xinghe.