Pfft! Pfft!
Zheng Yu collapsed onto the ground, a mouthful of blood spraying from his lips and splattering across the corridor.
The mere rebound from a Qi-Blood Realm warrior's qi membrane had injured his internal organs.
At that moment, Zheng Yu felt utterly weak, cold creeping into his heart. Struggling to his feet, he pressed his back tightly against a pillar and barely managed to remain standing.
"Senior, there must be some misunderstanding. My Zheng Clan could never have provoked you. If my son has offended you in any way, the Zheng Clan is willing to compensate you."
A flicker of panic crossed Zheng Yu's eyes. Clutching his chest, blood stained the corner of his mouth, leaving him in a thoroughly wretched state.
"Whether there is a misunderstanding or not, I will judge for myself."
Seeing that the intruder intended to continue attacking, Zheng Yu hastily said,
"Senior, please wait. My son, Zheng Wu, is currently cultivating at the Prefectural City Martial Academy and has even taken a Martial Academy elder as his master. Any cultivation pills required by Blood-Qi Warriors can be exchanged for."
"I ask Senior to think thrice!"
The visitor snorted coldly. "Are you threatening me?"
Zheng Yu tried several times to straighten his back, but his injuries were too severe, and he failed each time. He could only bend at the waist and say, "This junior would not dare."
Yet deep within his eyes flashed a trace of resentment.
"Enough. Stop thinking of stalling for time." A calm voice came from ahead, its words steeped in killing intent.
Zheng Yu abruptly raised his head. What entered his sight was a fist imprint condensed from qi and blood power.
The fist imprint smashed heavily into Zheng Yu's chest across the corridor, even blasting apart the pillar.
That heavy blow sent Zheng Yu flying. His body went limp and unsupported, no different from a tattered sack.
After hitting the ground, he rolled through the dust several times, each turn tearing at the injuries within his body.
His vision went dark, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.
Before passing out, only one thought had time to flash through his mind.
My life is over.
Just then, the furious shouts of Zheng Clan warriors rang out in the distance. "Patriarch, we're here!"
Several figures also came leaping and darting across the rooftops.
After severely wounding Zheng Yu, the intruder did not deliver the killing blow. He leisurely glanced at the Zheng Clan warriors rushing over, then drifted away.
When the deed was done, he brushed off his sleeves and departed, hiding his merit and fame deep away.
"Patriarch!" An old man leaped down from a rooftop and crossed the distance in a few strides. Reaching Zheng Yu's side, he swiftly checked his injuries.
A moment later, he hurriedly took out a pill that nourished the lungs and internal organs from his robes and fed it to Zheng Yu.
At that moment, two more people arrived belatedly.
"First Elder, how are the Patriarch's injuries?"
"Did you see clearly who attacked him?"
These two were the Zheng Clan's other two Bone Tempering Realm warriors—the Second Elder and Third Elder.
"I did not see him."
The First Elder's face was dark as he shook his head.
Everything had happened too quickly. From Zheng Yu's angry roar to their arrival, only a few breaths had passed, yet Zheng Yu had already been beaten into this state.
They did not know what cultivation the invading powerhouse possessed, but the strength he had displayed alone was enough to leave the three elders powerless.
The Third Elder looked anxiously at the other two. "What should we do? A direct-line descendant died just days ago, and now the Patriarch has been gravely injured as well."
Both the First Elder and Second Elder knew that the direct-line descendant referred to Zheng Yu's son, Zheng Shen.
The Second Elder suddenly said, "Why not write to Zheng Wu?" As soon as he spoke, everyone fell silent.
"Let us send the Patriarch for treatment first. We can discuss the rest afterward."
The First Elder was the first to speak.
Then the three carried the heavily wounded and unconscious Zheng Yu away.
By dawn, Zheng Yu's injuries had finally stabilized.
The three elders did not rest either. They went to the Patriarch's study and sat in a circle.
The First Elder wore a sorrowful expression. "The Patriarch is out of immediate danger, but a sinister force is entangled around his tendons and bones, and it is difficult to expel."
At those words, the Third Elder's eyes shifted slightly. "This seems to match the force that had entered young Zheng Shen's body before his death."
"Could it have been the same person?"
The Second Elder looked at the First Elder and asked, "First Elder, you are widely experienced. Do you know what kind of force this is?"
The First Elder shook his head. "This old man truly does not know. Both this force and that powerhouse's origins are shrouded in mystery."
For a time, no one spoke. Each of them silently calculated how to respond.
"First Elder, Zheng Wu has been cultivating at the Prefectural City Martial Academy for over a year without returning. Now his younger brother is dead and his father is gravely wounded. No matter what, he should come back and take a look."
The Second Elder spoke first.
The Third Elder echoed him. "That is reasonable."
"Zheng Wu is the qilin child of our clan. How can we casually disturb his cultivation?" A hint of shrewdness flashed through the First Elder's clouded eyes as he shook his head in refusal.
"First Elder, Zheng Wu is gifted and possesses excellent bones. As his elders, we ought to support him with all our strength and avoid disturbing him."
After pondering for a moment, the Second Elder said, "But this incident came too suddenly. That powerhouse was able to grievously injure the Patriarch in such a short time..."
"You must know that the Patriarch is at the peak of the Bone Tempering Realm, a powerhouse who has tempered all two hundred and six bones in his body."
The Third Elder interjected, "That person may well be a Qi-Blood Realm warrior."
"Our Zheng Clan cannot withstand a powerhouse like that now." As he said this, the Third Elder could not help letting out a mournful sigh.
"I wonder how the Patriarch managed to provoke such a powerhouse."
The First Elder tapped his fingers against the wooden table, producing a series of thud, thud, thud sounds.
The sudden sounds interrupted the Third Elder's sighing and complaints.
The First Elder lowered his head without speaking, clearly deep in thought. The Second Elder and Third Elder exchanged a glance and fell silent in tacit understanding.
After a long while, the First Elder finally raised his head and slowly said, "The Tao Clan has always advanced and retreated alongside us. Now that we are in trouble, why not seek the Tao Clan's assistance?"
The Second Elder had not expected the First Elder to evade the matter so thoroughly. Frowning, he said,
"First Elder, as the saying goes, relying on yourself is better than relying on others. If we ask the Tao Clan to act, who knows what price we will have to pay?"
"It would be better to have one of our own act, lest the other great clans in the city think our Zheng Clan has no one left."
The Third Elder added, "Zheng Wu has been away for over a year. It is time for him to return to the Zheng Clan. First, because of the Patriarch's situation."
He paused, narrowed his eyes, and continued, "Second, he should spend more time associating with us elders as well."
His words seemed to criticize Zheng Wu for caring only about cultivation and allowing his ties with the clan to grow thin, which had left the two elders somewhat dissatisfied.
Naturally, the two elders could not say such things outright.
But the First Elder was old and shrewd. How could he fail to understand?
Thus, he fell silent.
After some time, the First Elder finally lowered his eyes and nodded. "Since that is the case, write a letter and have Zheng Wu return for a visit."
Without waiting for the other two elders to respond, he tossed out one sentence: "I am tired. I will rest first."
Then he left on his own.
Only then did the two elders nod in satisfaction. Zheng Wu's return to the Zheng Clan would bring them benefits; otherwise, why would they have painstakingly persuaded the First Elder?
The descendants of the two elders would also soon participate in the Hidden Dragon Tournament. They naturally needed to thoroughly inquire about its inner workings from Zheng Wu when he returned from the Prefecture City.
At the Zheng Clan's side gate, several riders galloped out. After leaving the city, they split apart and rushed toward the Prefecture City from different directions.
All of this fell into a pair of deep eyes.
As the morning sun rose, Verdant Grain County brimmed with life. The events at the Zheng Clan the previous night had not affected the common people in the slightest.
However, what had happened at the Zheng Clan had already spread through the circles of the great clans.
People in taverns throughout Verdant Grain County were discussing it heatedly.
"Have you heard? Someone broke into the Zheng Clan yesterday and beat them up."
"Then the Zheng Clan must have suffered considerable losses."
"More than that. I heard even Patriarch Zheng Yu was beaten unconscious."
"Patriarch Zheng is a peak Bone Tempering Realm powerhouse. Even he was severely injured. Could it be... that the attacker was a Qi-Blood Realm senior?"
"Who knows? Either way, the Zheng Clan has really been struck by disaster this time. Their son just died, and it looks like the father might not make it either."
"Brother, watch your words. Be careful lest disaster come from your mouth."
That man realized he had misspoken. With an awkward laugh, he hurriedly paid his bill and slunk out.
Liu Yunche sat on the second floor of a teahouse, sipping tea as he quietly listened to the discussions around him.
"The Zheng Clan is in trouble again?" Liu Yunche rubbed his chin with his fingertips. "A Qi-Blood Realm warrior actually made a move."
He had initially suspected that his father had acted again, but there was no Qi-Blood Realm warrior in their household.
After thinking it over, he decided the Zheng Clan must have made too many enemies. Some enemy must have succeeded in cultivation and returned for revenge.
Liu Yunche set down his teacup and looked at the panel.
[Name: Liu Yunche] [Cultivation: Iron Skin (85/100)] [Martial Arts: Nurturing Origin Stance (Perfected), Gale Swift Saber (Perfected), Thunderclap Saber Art (Minor Mastery: 130/1000), Eight Steps Chasing Cicada (Beginner: 31/100)]
Soon. At this rate, the Iron Skin Realm will reach perfection in another ten days. Liu Yunche mused to himself.
"After Iron Skin comes Silver Skin, and beyond that is Jade Skin. Silver Skin should be easy to break through, but I wonder how one achieves Jade Skin."
Liu Yunche left his tea money behind and slowly made his way back.
He had come out today intending to search for equipment that matched his golden finger, but unfortunately, his wishes had come to nothing.
When he returned to the Liu Household, he happened to run into Liu Wangzhou.
"Yunche, you came at just the right time. Your father has matters to attend to and will be leaving soon."
"Today, I will teach you the Dragon-Imprisoning Stance. Follow me."
Liu Yunche blinked, his gaze clear and filled with just the right amount of confusion.
"Father, doesn't the Dragon-Imprisoning Stance require the Nurturing Origin Stance to be perfected before it can be practiced?"
Unexpectedly, Liu Wangzhou did not answer. He merely stared at Liu Yunche with a faint smile that was not quite a smile.
Liu Yunche's heart began to drum. Could Father have discovered it long ago? He mistook my golden finger for some secret art before. Could it be that he already knew my Nurturing Origin Stance had reached perfection?
Liu Yunche scratched his head with an embarrassed smile. "Father truly sees everything with perfect clarity."
"Come."
Beneath an ancient tree in the courtyard, Liu Wangzhou assumed a strange posture that was neither standing nor sitting.
"The Dragon-Imprisoning Stance locks the body as a prison and tempers the body like a dragon. One's body becomes the cage, and qi and blood become the shackles."
"It forcibly locks the tendons, flesh, and bones throughout the body into an extreme state on the verge of collapse, forcing the body to reorganize and strengthen itself at the brink of disintegration."
Liu Wangzhou paused, his gaze settling on Liu Yunche as he continued.
"This stance has three layers: Skin Lock, Flesh Lock, and Bone Lock. Every layer requires enduring pain that ordinary people cannot bear."
"With the slightest lapse, your tendons and meridians may become misaligned. At worst, your bones may crack and your internal organs may be injured."
"Next, I will demonstrate the Skin Lock method. This method is suited for Skin Tempering warriors."
As he spoke, Liu Wangzhou turned his toes inward into a figure-eight shape, his heels one fist-width apart. His ten toes clawed fiercely into the ground like eagle talons, the arches of his feet suspended in the air, with only his toes and heels bearing weight.
He shifted seventy percent of his center of gravity forward onto the balls of his feet. His rear heels barely touched the ground, and his knees bent slightly but could not bend too far.
Liu Wangzhou shouted, "Remember! Bend too far and you leak force; stand too straight and you break your force!"
Watching Liu Wangzhou's movements, a thought flashed through Liu Yunche's mind.
What a tricky posture. It is no easy task.
Immediately afterward, Liu Wangzhou pushed his lumbar vertebrae backward while slightly protruding his thoracic vertebrae forward, forming a posture of a bowed back and sunken waist.
"This differs from the chest-containing, back-lifting posture of the Nurturing Origin Stance. This is a reverse stretch."
As Liu Wangzhou demonstrated, he explained the cultivation secrets of the Dragon-Imprisoning Stance.
His entire spine resembled a bowstring forcibly bent out of shape, every vertebra giving off a faint crack.
At the same time, Liu Wangzhou spread his elbows outward, held his forearms level before his chest, and faced his ten fingers toward each other, palms down, three inches apart.
"Here, imagine that a thousand-jin boulder is pressing between your hands."
As he spoke, Liu Wangzhou's arms trembled. Veins bulged along them, and his fingertips turned white from exertion, as though his arms truly were supporting a thousand-jin boulder.
"This is the Skin Lock method of the Dragon-Imprisoning Stance. Next, I will teach you the breathing and qi-circulation method."
"Watch carefully! Draw in your abdomen and expand your chest. Let the qi travel through the Jiaji acupoints along both sides of the spine. Sink your qi into the dantian, imagining a cluster of charcoal there—scorching hot and condensed."
"Yunche, your Nurturing Origin Stance has already reached perfection. I need not tell you how to imagine and condense a cluster of charcoal in your dantian."
Liu Wangzhou had finally revealed that he had long known Liu Yunche's Nurturing Origin Stance was perfected.
Liu Yunche had already expected it, so now that his father had pointed it out, it was only natural.
Father and son tacitly avoided the subject. Liu Wangzhou continued explaining the Dragon-Imprisoning Stance's cultivation method.
"This breathing method requires you to deliberately pause three times between each exhalation and inhalation. Each pause lasts roughly three breaths."
"Your tendons and meridians beneath the skin and flesh should feel swollen and suffocated, as though a dragon within your body is struggling to break free but is locked down by your breathing."
"This is the Skin Lock method of the Dragon-Imprisoning Stance. Now you try it."
At his words, Liu Yunche stepped forward and copied Liu Wangzhou's movements, taking up the Dragon-Imprisoning Stance before adjusting his breathing.
Liu Wangzhou watched his movements, his gaze lingering on Liu Yunche's legs.
"Clamp your legs inward with force. Imagine there is an iron rod between them that you must snap. Brace outward while clamping inward, open your hips, and lift your perineum."
"Too loose. Soft and powerless."
"Clamp down harder!"
As he spoke, Liu Wangzhou suddenly struck the outer sides of Liu Yunche's legs with both hands.
Liu Yunche's legs involuntarily clamped inward, his hips forced open, his body leaning back as his perineum lifted.
Maintaining that posture, he adjusted his breathing with the qi-circulation method Liu Wangzhou had taught him.
After standing for a hundred breaths, Liu Yunche's legs trembled violently. His muscles seemed to be gnawing at his bones like ten thousand ants, producing a grinding creak.
Dense beads of sweat emerged across his forehead, and his arms sank slightly. He had to imagine not only the thousand-jin boulder upon his arms, but also the iron rod between his legs and the blazing charcoal in his dantian.
All those visualizations exhausted Liu Yunche's mind, and his posture had already begun to deform somewhat.
Yet he had reached the critical moment and could not relax.
Like an imprisoned dragon ascending to heaven, struggling to break free from its cage, Liu Yunche had to use his will to suppress the trembling prison and could not allow his force to leak.
Otherwise, all his previous effort would go to waste, and he would have to begin again from the start.
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