Four-Unity True Qi

Baiyun County, West Street.

Shen Yi turned to look at the group. "All of you, disperse and head home to get some rest."

Tonight had been an unmitigated disaster for them.

Especially for Zhang Dahu, who had always run rampant in the county, sailing through life without a hitch. Who would have thought that just as he began to rein himself in, he would nearly be cut down by his own colleagues.

"Take care, Master Shen."

Chen Ji and the others cupped their hands in salute.

Butcher Zhang opened his mouth, wanting to continue the question from earlier.

"I didn't hold back; I simply rarely spar with others, so I had some sudden insights." Shen Yi rubbed his brow, feeling a slight headache.

"That's more like it." Butcher Zhang smacked his lips, finally regaining a shred of confidence.

Shen Yi sent them off before strolling slowly toward his own small cottage.

Now that the dog demon and the old ape had both been executed—despite their mediocre cultivation, they had actually been the greatest threats to Baiyun County—the coming days would surely be much easier for him.

He walked up to his door and reached out to knock, but after glancing at the thick night, he pulled his hand back.

They must be asleep, right?

Lin Baiwei sat at the table, diligently transcribing martial arts techniques.

Only her tightly clenched left hand betrayed a hint of worry.

Initially, she had only wanted to fool that scoundrel of a bailiff to save her own life.

Who could have guessed that after all this time, the man rarely returned home with clean clothes, and her perception of him had gradually shifted.

In this chaotic world, one who dared to slay demons was likely not a bad person.

But the events of last night had stirred a flicker of indignation in her heart.

In the vast expanse of Baiyun County, did the burden of suppressing demons really fall on one man alone? A single oversight and he was met with blades!

Lin Baiwei was the one who personally washed the demon blood from his clothes every day.

How could she not know whether Shen Yi was a lazy man who withheld information?

Moreover, this assignment was inherently unreasonable.

"You're back?"

Hearing the door push open, Lin Baiwei's pretty face flashed with joy as she stood up to look.

Shen Yi paused slightly, nodded, took off his outer robe to place it on the cabinet, and reached out to pick up the pages on the table. "So many?"

"Jade Liquid Realm martial arts involve the meridians, acupoints, and the mobilization of Qi into jade liquid. Naturally, they cannot be compared to ordinary techniques. Don't be in a rush; let me review them a few more times to ensure there are no errors or omissions."

Lin Baiwei explained briefly, and seeing that he was uninjured, she felt a slight sense of relief. "Go wash up, I'll go heat up some food for you."

"No need, I don't have much of an appetite."

Shen Yi appeared to be flipping through the pages aimlessly, but his eyes surged with pleasant surprise.

A brand-new notification had appeared on his panel.

[Jade Liquid Four-Unity True Qi (Not yet initiated)]

A Jade Liquid martial art, one that perhaps couldn't be found anywhere else in all of Baiyun County, was now lying quietly in his hands.

"Even within the Jade Liquid Realm, this is an extremely rare and domineering method. It should not be used lightly by those without a deep foundation; it isn't very suitable for your current situation, but it is all I can provide for now."

Lin Baiwei walked into the kitchen, though she still offered a reminder: "Martial arts must be practiced step by step."

A moment later, she placed a bowl of heated meat stew and a large bowl of rice on the table. "My master once said that no matter how much blood you see or how tragic the sights you witness, you must still eat."

Lin Baiwei, who had always denied having a master, had spoken the word "master" tonight without a second thought.

Shen Yi pursed his lips. He did not refuse her kindness, picking up his chopsticks to mix the tender, stewed meat with the rice, and polished it off in short order.

The warmth of the food dispelled the gloom in his heart.

Shen Yi poured the rest of the meat broth into his stomach and rubbed his belly in satisfaction.

Seeing this, the corners of Lin Baiwei's lips lifted slightly as she cleared the bowls and chopsticks and left the room.

Once the room was silent, Shen Yi climbed onto his bed and opened the panel again.

Four-Unity True Qi was not an internal cultivation method, and it didn't seem to have anything to do with blades or swords.

Where did the "domineering" nature lie?

[Remaining Demon Longevity: 651 years]

Shen Yi did not rush to simulate; instead, he took out three Beast Essences, which had come from the tiger demon and the ape demon.

He held one in his mouth, and the demon longevity rapidly poured into the Four-Unity True Qi.

[First year: You forcibly practice the Jade Liquid Realm method, dismantling the obscure text one by one while absorbing the tiger demon's Beast Essence.]

[Third year: You finally understand this martial art, and the Beast Essence has long been absorbed. All the Qi in your first acupoint has been transformed into jade dew.]

[Twenty-ninth year: You gain a preliminary understanding of the "Four-Unity"—Heaven, Earth, Man, and Self—and successfully achieve the first step: "Qi and Body in Unity." Four-Unity True Qi is initiated.]

[Thirty-second year: Your progress is slow, mainly because the Qi in your body is insufficient to support this technique. Every attempt exhausts all the reserves in your acupoints.]

Shen Yi stopped the infusion and placed the second Beast Essence into his mouth.

[Forty-third year: With the help of the ape demon's Beast Essence, your Qi recovery speed increases. You gain insight into the "Heart Ape" and, after long practice, break through the Four-Unity True Qi to the minor completion stage.]

[Seventy-second year: You once again realize the importance of aptitude and precious medicine. The former makes your progress slow, and the latter prevents you from compensating for your clumsiness with diligence.]

Seeing this, Shen Yi did not hesitate and took the third Beast Essence.

[Ninety-fourth year: Four-Unity True Qi reaches great completion. At this moment, a wave of your hand summons a rain of Qi, like a terrestrial immortal. But only you know that this single wave consumes years of accumulated effort.]

[One hundred and thirtieth year: After years of no progress, you feel pain. Martial arts are no longer about reaping what you sow; if you don't understand, you don't understand. You begin to resent the heavens and blame others...]

[One hundred and ninetieth year: Eroded by time, you lose the desire to complain. You simply, quietly fill your acupoints and refine jade dew, looking forward to the next attempt.]

[Two hundred and sixtieth year: You rise in a daze. There is no sudden enlightenment, only the ten-thousandth identical strike. This time, there is a slight change. Your numb mind does not even know the reason for this change.]

[Four-Unity True Qi, perfected!]

[Remaining Demon Beast Essence: 391 years]

Shen Yi's eyes remained vacant for a moment.

The immense pressure, the feeling of knowing the result without understanding the cause, the confusion that followed success—a multitude of emotions intertwined and flashed through his mind for a mere instant...

It made his stomach cramp, a desire to vomit his very organs rising within him.

Fortunately, he recovered in an instant.

"Hiss."

Shen Yi rubbed his face.

Practicing martial arts seemed no different from working and studying in his past life.

Getting started and memorizing a few formulas wasn't difficult, but "perfection" meant knowing it by heart, mastering it thoroughly, and even digesting the entire book. Anyone who could reach this level was, at the very least, a titan in their field.

Only someone like him, with such powerful assistance, would dare to harbor the thought of bringing every martial art to perfection.

As the useless emotions faded, what remained in his mind was everything regarding this Jade Liquid Realm technique.

[Jade Liquid Four-Unity True Qi (Perfected)]

[Initial Realm Heart Ape: You have a thorough grasp of the habits of ape-like demons. You traverse mountains as if on flat ground, and your progress efficiency in footwork-related martial arts is increased.]