Chen Jianghe looked down at his hands. The light blue Gang Qi in his palms was already restrained, but the surging power in his body was a bit more solid than yesterday.
Three days have passed since I entered Gangjin.
In the past three days, he was not in a hurry to go out. He just stayed in this small courtyard and became familiar with this brand new body over and over again.
Chen Jianghe raised his left hand and slowly made a fist with his five fingers.
This punch did not use any force, it was just a simple clenched fist.
But he could clearly feel that the moment he clenched his fist, the Gang Qi in his body naturally flowed towards the fist, as if ready to break out of his body at any time.
This is the biggest difference between Gang Jin and Hua Jin.
When the energy is transformed, although the energy can penetrate the body for ten steps, it is ultimately "jin", which is the release of the energy of qi and blood after it has been condensed to the extreme.
"Gang Jin" is Qi, a higher-level power produced by the fusion of Qi, blood and mind.
Jin is tangible, Qi is invisible.
The strength can be blocked, but the energy is hard to guard against.
Gang Jin and Hua Jin are really different from each other.
Chen Jianghe recovered his thoughts, walked to the corner of the courtyard, and lifted the pole Abyss Settler Spear.
He was slightly startled when he took the gun body into his hands.
This Abyss Settler Spear, held in my hand at this moment, has an indescribable lightness.
It's not that it's light in weight, but that feeling of "man and gun become one", which is clearer and more natural than before.
It was as if the gun had truly become an extension of his arm.
Chen Jianghe lowered his waist and lowered his hips, pointing the tip of his spear diagonally at the ground.
He injected a wisp of Gang Qi into the gun body.
No moves were used, just a simple straight thrust.
"Boom-!!!"
The gun light pierced the air and the scream was ear-piercing!
The gun's glow skyrocketed three feet, the gun's body trembled violently, and wherever the gun tip crossed, the air seemed to be torn apart!
Five feet away, a green brick directly shattered into powder, and even the courtyard wall behind it was plowed out with a deep furrow by the force of the gun!
Chen Jianghe looked at the groove mark, his eyes slightly condensed.
The power of this spear is more than twice as strong as when Huajin was at its peak?
"Good marksmanship."
A cheerful female voice came from outside the courtyard door.
Chen Jianghe is played in a loop.
Liu Shuling was dressed in dark black clothes, with his arms folded across his chest, leaning against the fence, looking at him with a half-smile.
I don't know how long she has been here.
Chen Jianghe put away the gun, cupped his fists and saluted. "Senior sister."
Liu Shuling didn't move, still leaning against the door, her eyes swept around him, and finally landed on his face.
"Breakthrough?"
"Yes."
"When did it happen?"
"Three days ago."
Liu Shuling nodded and suddenly smiled.
That smile was hearty, with a bit of ridicule, a bit of appreciation, and a hint of indescribable complexity.
"One and a half years." She spoke, her voice low but her words clear, "When you entered Soaring Wood Court, it was Minor Completion of Transforming Force. Now, it's Initiation of Gang Force."
She paused and stared at Chen Jianghe: "Jianghe, do you know how long it took me to go from Minor Completion of Transforming Force to Initiation of Gang Force?"
Chen Jianghe shook his head.
"Three years." Liu Shuling held out three fingers, "Three years, practicing eight hours a day without stopping.
In this way, I am still one of the fastest disciples of Soaring Wood Court in the past hundred years.
She took back her hand and looked at Chen Jianghe with a hint of real emotion in her eyes. "It's good for you. In one and a half years, you've caught up with me on the path I took in the first three years."
Chen Jianghe was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "Senior sister, I am ridiculous. This disciple is just----"
"Come on." Liu Shuling interrupted him and waved his hand, "In front of me, there is no need to say those polite words. Fast is fast, slow is slow. It is a fact that you have broken your strength in a year and a half. There is nothing to be modest about."
She walked up to Chen Jianghe, raised her hand and patted him on the shoulder.
The force of that palm was not light, with the powerful force that only Grandmastery of Gang Force can possess.
Chen Jianghe is not moving at all.
A trace of surprise flashed in Liu Shuling's eyes, and then his smile became deeper, "The foundation is solid, the qi and blood are strong, Gang Qi is solid----"
She paused, then suddenly moved closer and lowered her voice. "Chen Jianghe, are you planning to compete with me, the senior sister, for the position of Chief Disciple in the courtyard in a few years?"
Chen Jianghe was startled for a moment, then shook his head. "Senior sister is joking. This disciple is new to Gang Jin and has a very shallow foundation. How dare he compete with his senior sister? Senior sister has shown support and protection to his disciples. I will keep this in mind and never have the intention to overstep my bounds."
Liu Shuling looked at him, with a bit of scrutiny, a bit of smile, and a bit of satisfaction in his eyes.
"Okay, don't be nervous, I'm just teasing you." She took back her hand and clapped her palms, "I have seen clearly who you are over the past year. You can't compete for power and gain."
She paused and suddenly said seriously, "But you have to be well aware of Gang Jin."
Chen Jianghe raised his eyes. "Sister, please give me some advice."
"Five Courts of Xingyi Sect, there are countless Gang Jin disciples in each academy. Golden Pivot Court is the most numerous, with fifteen people. Cangming Court is the second, followed by eleven people. Flame Chen Court is ten people, and Thick Earth Court is eight. We Soaring Wood Court""
She paused and looked at Chen Jianghe: "With you, there are now five people."
Chen Jianghe understands clearly.
Soaring Wood Court has hundreds of disciples, but only five are powerful.
This proportion shows how precious Gang Jin is.
Liu Shuling continued, "I am Grandmastery of Gang Force, and the other two juniors are Minor Mastery of Gang Force, who have been practicing for more than ten years. There is also a junior sister who just broke through Gangjin last year and is now in retreat at the medicine field to the east of Hundred Herb Peak to stabilize her realm."
Chen Jianghe Listen quietly.
Liu Shuling looked at him with a bit more solemnity in his eyes. "Jianghe, do you know what Gang Jin means in the Xingyi Sect?"
Chen Jianghe thought for a while and said slowly, "It means----entering the hall?"
Liu Shuling nodded, then shook his head. "It's true to enter the hall, but it's more than that. The treatment that Gang Jin disciples can enjoy in the sect is completely different from that of Hua Jin."
She counted on her fingers. "First, resources are tilted. The monthly quota will be tripled, and the fees for elixirs, medicinal bath materials, and exercises will all be halved."
"Second, you can apply for an independent courtyard. The upper house you live in now is actually outside Disciple Peak. The real residence of Gangjin disciples is deep in the bamboo forest on the east side of Hundred Herb Peak."
"Third, you can serve as a deacon. Every Hunting Grounds, medicine field, and mine in the sect needs people to take care of it. Gang Jin disciples can apply to serve as deputy deacons or even deacons, and they will receive extra monthly salary."
She paused and looked at Chen Jianghe: "With your character, it shouldn't be difficult to become a deacon. Hunting Grounds, I remember there are several vacancies, the salary is not low, and it won't delay your cultivation."
Chen Jianghe nodded and wrote these down one by one.
Liu Shuling stood up and patted his robe. "Okay, we'll talk about these things later. Let's go and take you to meet someone."
Chen Jianghe was startled. "Who?"
Liu Shuling has already walked towards the courtyard gate without looking back. "Court Master."
Chen Jianghe was silent for a moment, then stepped up to follow.
Hundred Herb Peak deep, Han Shuitian residence.
This is a very simple courtyard, but it is filled with various medicinal herbs. The medicinal fragrance is rich and mixed with the sandalwood, which is refreshing.
Liu Shuling pushed open the ajar gate, led Chen Jianghe through the path, and stopped in front of the main hall door.
The hall door is open.
The light in the room was dim, only a green lamp on the long table reflected the old figure sitting cross-legged on the futon.
--
Han Shuitian is wearing a moon-white Daoist robe, with white beard and hair, and a pale face. At this moment, he is sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, breathing long and long.
Liu Shuling stepped into the hall, cupped his fists and saluted. "Court Master."
Chen Jianghe followed and clasped his fists. "Disciple Chen Jianghe, I have seen Court Master."
Han Shuitian slowly opened his eyes.
Those experienced eyes fell on Chen Jianghe, scanning slowly from top to bottom, and then from bottom to top.
After a long while, he spoke. His voice was not high, but it was clear and could be heard. "Come here."
Chen Jianghe took three steps forward and stood still in front of the case.
Han Shuitian stretched out his hand and touched his wrist vein with three fingers.
A warm force quietly penetrated and explored carefully.
The whole process lasted about a hundred breaths.
Han Shuitian took back his hand, and a rare hint of surprise flashed through his cloudy old eyes.
He said slowly, "Initiation of Gang Force. The foundation is solid, the qi and blood are thick, and the strength is solid... it's not like the power of stacking pills."
He paused and looked at Chen Jianghe, his eyes a little more scrutinizing. "Five Forms Root Bone, more than a year, from Minor Completion of Transforming Force to Initiation of Gang Force. This advancement is a genius of seven or eight shapes, but nothing more than that."
Chen Jianghe lowered his eyes. "Disciples just practice diligently and don't dare to slack off."
Han Shuitian looked at him and suddenly smiled.
There was a bit of relief, a bit of emotion, and a hint of indescribable relief in that smile.
Han Shuitian shook his head slightly.
"There is no need to be self-effacing." He said, "Xingyi Sect has been a sect for hundreds of years, and there are countless geniuses. But I have never seen anyone who can break through the power in more than a year with Five Forms Root Bone. I have lived for seventy-three years, and I have never seen it."
He looked at Chen Jianghe, his cloudy old eyes were full of scrutiny at the moment, with a hint of curiosity.
"Li Chengyue...--." He muttered the name in a low voice, "He did find a good idea."
He paused, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and gave a very faint smile with some emotion, "When the boy left Xingyi Sect, the old man went to see him off. He stood at the gate of the mountain, looked back at the mountain, and looked at it for a long time. Then he said to the old man: Uncle Han, the disciple's life will probably be like this. But the disciple will accept a disciple, teach him well, and let him finish the journey for the disciple."
Han Shuitian shook his head and said, "Li Chengyue I'm asking you to make up for your regrets."
Chen Jianghe was shocked.
Make up for regrets?
He remembered his master lying unconscious on the couch, his hands that once held a gun, and his focused eyes when he taught him how to stand.
What is Master's regret?
Is it because I can't continue to practice? Is it because I can't return to Gang Jin? Or... those fellow disciples who died under random swords twenty years ago?
Chen Jianghe was silent for a moment, then suddenly took a step forward, knelt on his knees, and kowtowed heavily towards Han Shuitian.
"Court Master, disciple is brave and wants to ask for something."
Han Shuitian frowned slightly. "Get up and talk."
Chen Jianghe did not stand up, but still knelt on the ground, looking up at Han Shuitian: "Disciple, please Court Master, tell me how to save my master."
His voice was not high, but every word was sincere, revealing the anxiety that had been suppressed for a long time.
Han Shuitian Silence.
He looked at the young man kneeling in front of him, with complex emotions surging in his cloudy old eyes.
After a long time, he slowly said, "Get up. I will say it even if you kneel, and if you don't kneel, I will say it too."
Chen Jianghe stood up as instructed, but still stood with his body bent, staring closely at Han Shuitian.
Han Shuitian slowly closed his eyes.
After a long time, he opened his eyes, and a complicated light flashed in his old eyes.
"Li Chengyue..." he whispered, "I have been looking for a way to rescue these years."
He raised his hand and gently flicked the wick of the green lantern on the table.
"Bone-Eroding Poison, when it enters the body, it adheres to the bone marrow and integrates with the qi and blood. Ordinary detoxification methods will only damage the poisoned person's own foundation. I have studied for twenty years and read countless ancient books, and finally came to the conclusion:"
He paused and said in a low voice, "The poison can be cured, but the person cannot be saved."
Chen Jianghe pupils shrink.
Han Shuitian looked at him and said slowly, "The elixir prepared by me, supplemented by medicinal bath and acupuncture, can wake Li Chengyue out of coma. His life can be saved for the time being."
"But one-"
He said word by word, "Bone-Eroding Poison has been entrenched in his body for twenty years and has already eroded the foundation. Even if he wakes up, his lifespan will not be too long."
Chen Jianghe Clenched his fists.
"How long?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
Han Shuitian was silent for a moment. "It can take as long as five years, or as long as three years."
Chen Jianghe's heart sank.
He remembered the appearance of his master when he taught him how to practice boxing, the back of his master when he saved him and his senior brother, and the still calm eyes before his master was seriously injured and fell into coma.
He opened his mouth to say something, but no word came out.
Han Shuitian looked at him, with a trace of unbearability flashing in his cloudy old eyes.
"Boy, don't blame me for speaking directly." He said slowly, "Your master's injury is inherently difficult. Reviving him is the result of my best efforts. As for detoxification----"
He paused and his voice lowered a bit. "I suspect that this poison is related to Sun-Moon Divine Cult."
Chen Jianghe's pupils suddenly shrank.
Sun-Moon Divine Cult.
It's Sun-Moon Divine Cult again.
Black Wolf's red pupils with the blood moon flowing through them appeared in his mind.
Han Shuitian continued, "When your master was ambushed, the sect conducted an investigation. But at the end of the investigation, the clues were broken. All we know is that the other party sent out True Essence Realm and five Gang Force Peak. It was carefully arranged and it was clearly a sure-fire situation."
"As for who is behind the scenes and why he wanted to kill your master - there is no conclusion yet."
He looked at Chen Jianghe with a deep gaze. "But I can tell you that there is another hidden story behind this matter."
Chen Jianghe took a deep breath. "May I ask Court Master, what is the secret?"
Han Shuitian shook his head. "I can't break the rules and tell you."
He paused and looked at Chen Jianghe with a hint of meaning in his eyes. "Boy, if you want to find out about this matter and find the antidote, you must step into the true core of the sect.
"Core?" Chen Jianghe frowned slightly.
"Yes." Han Shuitian nodded, "Xingyi Sect has established the sect for hundreds of years, and its ability to be passed down to this day depends not only on the superficial things. There are a group of real core disciples and core elders in the sect, who hold the sect's deepest secrets, the strongest inheritance, and the most precious resources."
"Those people are the foundation of the Xingyi Sect."
He looked at Chen Jianghe and said word by word, "You are now Initiation of Gang Force, and you are pretty good among the disciples. But in the eyes of those people, you are not good enough."
"If you want to step into the core and get access to those secrets, you must at least---- step into True Essence."
Chen Jianghe was silent for a long time and slowly clasped his fists. "Disciple, please remember Court Master's teachings."
Han Shuitian nodded, took out a bottle of sapphire jar and pushed it in front of him.
"Take it," he said, "Here are the prepared elixirs. If you use them for seven days, your master should be able to wake up."
Han Shuitian took out a piece of plain paper from under the case, which was densely covered with words. It was the recipe he had researched for many years.
Chen Jianghe took it with both hands and put it into his arms solemnly.
Then, he knelt down again and kowtowed heavily.
"Court Master is a great kindness, I will remember it in my heart. If I succeed in the future, I will definitely repay you generously!"
Han Shuitian waved his hand.
"Get up." He said, "There is no need to thank the old man. The old man saved him, neither for you nor for him."
He paused, looked out the window, and said in a very low voice, "I just want to know what happened back then."
Chen Jianghe raised his head and looked at the old face illuminated by the green light.
There was only something heavy in those cloudy old eyes.
It seems to be the unwillingness of an old man who has lived for seventy-three years.
"Thank you Court Master for your advice."
Han Shuitian nodded and said no more.
Chen Jianghe held the sapphire jar, bowed deeply to Han Shuitian, turned around and exited the hall.