Break Through in a Single Breath

Chen Hao pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands. "Sorry, Brother Zhou. I can't produce ten books. Could we change the requirement?"

Zhou Ming's eyes rolled as he was about to speak.

Then he heard—

"Ten books it is, provided you let Lu Hao examine you!" Jiang Jiang said through gritted teeth.

Well, well.

The fish had finally taken the bait!

"Good!" Zhou Ming said calmly.

"Jiang Jiang, you..."

Lu Hao had barely opened his mouth when a force suddenly struck his back. He staggered two steps forward, and his words came to an abrupt stop.

Jiang Jiang said impatiently, "We're Zhou Yuxi's friends, and we've already agreed. Why are you dawdling? Go!"

Lu Hao cupped his hands. "Forgive my offense, Brother Zhou."

Then he raised his hand and felt around Zhou Ming's face.

Zhou Ming felt Lu Hao pinch, grab, pat, and tug at his face. With every movement, a wisp of blood qi traveled through the spot where Lu Hao's hand landed, carrying a faint sting.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Luckily, he hadn't used some Asian dark art.

Otherwise, after this round of probing, he would have been exposed in his true form on the spot!

A moment later, Lu Hao withdrew his hand, turned to Jiang Jiang, and shook his head.

Jiang Jiang's pupils contracted. She stepped forward and shoved Lu Hao aside. "Move. I'll do it!"

Just as her fingertips were about to touch Zhou Ming's cheek—

Smack!

Zhou Ming smiled. "Miss Jiang Jiang, please conduct yourself with dignity."

Jiang Jiang rubbed the reddened, swollen back of her hand and glared viciously at Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming returned to his seat and said cheerfully, "Miss Jiang Jiang, where's the cultivation technique?"

Jiang Jiang pulled a cultivation technique from her robes and tossed it onto the table.

"Meridian Opening. One book is enough. I don't have a Sixth-Rank one on me; I'll have my family send it over. Just wait for a while."

Zhou Ming ignored her. The instant the cultivation technique landed on the table, he had already picked it up and begun carefully reading through it.

As he flipped through the cultivation technique, Zhou Ming's nose twitched slightly.

Watching that little movement of his, a rosy flush instantly spread across Jiang Jiang's delicate face.

She still refused to give up. She was convinced that the Zhou Yuxi before her was Zhou Ming.

After finishing the cultivation technique, Zhou Ming held it in his hand, his brows tightly furrowed.

How strange!

Bone Tempering required several cultivation techniques.

Why did Meridian Opening lay everything out so clearly in just one cultivation technique?

What, then, was the difference between different Seventh-Rank Cultivation Techniques?

Seeing Zhou Ming's tightly furrowed brows, Lu Hao's heart jolted.

He immediately took out another cultivation technique and handed it over. "Brother Zhou Yuxi, I have another one here. Take it first. I'll make up the remaining eight later."

Zhou Ming glanced at him. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Brother Lu, you're quite the good man, aren't you?"

Lu Hao smiled but said nothing.

For a time, the only sound in the private room was Zhou Ming turning the pages of the cultivation techniques.

After finishing the cultivation technique Lu Hao had handed him, Zhou Ming placed it on the table.

The doubts in his heart were also resolved.

Both cultivation techniques explained how to open the meridians and break through the channels.

Both taught how to open the Twelve Regular Meridians and connect the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

Only their points of emphasis differed.

The cultivation technique Jiang Jiang had given him began with opening the Three Yin Channels of the Hand.

Lu Hao's cultivation technique, meanwhile, began with the Three Yang Channels of the Foot.

There was no distinction between better and worse; the order of cultivation was simply slightly different.

With her arms crossed before her chest, Jiang Jiang said irritably, "Believe it now? I wasn't lying to you."

Lu Hao, standing beside her, shot her a glare. "Jiang Jiang! Don't be rude!"

Zhou Ming smiled, picked up the cultivation techniques on the table, and pushed them before the two of them. "Returning things to their rightful owners."

Chen Hao froze, then said, "Brother Zhou, there's no need for this. You can keep them with you and study them carefully."

Jiang Jiang did not hesitate. She directly put the cultivation techniques away.

"It's nothing. I merely suffered from having no cultivation method and not knowing how to proceed. Now that I have obtained the method of breakthrough, these cultivation techniques should naturally be returned to their rightful owners."

Jiang Jiang muttered under her breath, "Who can't brag?"

The private room was not large, and her muttering went straight into both men's ears.

Lu Hao hurriedly picked up the wine jug from the table and poured two cups of wine.

Then he raised his cup. "Brother Zhou, although our first meeting was somewhat unpleasant, the outcome is good. Let me congratulate you in advance on entering the Seventh Rank."

"Wait. Congratulate me in a moment."

Zhou Ming's words—wait, congratulate me in a moment—left him standing there in a daze.

The next instant, his eyes bulged like a bull's, and his mouth fell open.

Zhou Ming sat calmly beside him as the spiritual energy drifting between heaven and earth surged wildly toward him.

His aura gradually climbed, while his blood qi grew ever more vast and surging.

Then, a five-colored glazed radiance burst into view.

First came the Three Yin Channels of the Hand!

The five-colored glazed radiance first emerged from his chest.

The glazed radiance split in two from his chest, coursing along the insides of both arms before vanishing into his fingers.

Next came the Three Yang Channels of the Hand!

The glazed radiance rose from his fingertips, shot across the outer sides of both arms in an instant, and vanished into his head.

The Three Yin Channels of the Foot and Three Yang Channels of the Foot followed in succession.

The eight meridians did not reveal themselves, yet the feat was already complete!

Zhou Ming picked up his wine cup and lightly clinked it against the one in Lu Hao's hand!

Clink!

"Brother Lu, drink! Drink!"

With that, Zhou Ming tilted his head back slightly and drained the cup in one gulp. Then he turned a little and raised his brows at Jiang Jiang.

After Lu Hao drained his own cup, he exclaimed, "What Brother Zhou has done is something unheard of, truly beyond all comprehension."

After a brief pause, he asked hesitantly, "Have you connected the Eight Extraordinary Meridians?"

Zhou Ming did not hide it and gave a slight nod.

After receiving his answer, Lu Hao poured another cup of wine. "To witness such a miracle—I am truly fortunate!"

Jiang Jiang was so shocked that she could not say a word.

A breakthrough in a single breath.

Perfect completion in three breaths.

It was simply too absurd.

Jiang Jiang drew a deep breath and slowly let it out, using it to calm the towering waves in her heart.

After standing still for a moment, Jiang Jiang took the wine jug and poured herself a cup.

Then she walked to Zhou Ming's side and bowed slightly. "Brother Zhou, I offended you greatly before."

Zhou Ming looked at her in surprise.

Oh?!

Had this little Jiang changed her nature?!

He quickly helped her up.

"We're all friends. No need for this."

Watching their exchange, Lu Hao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

His family and Jiang Jiang's family were longtime friends.

Because of that friendship, the two families visited each other often.

They had also joined the County Guard together and both served under Guan Zhou.

Therefore, he knew Jiang Jiang's temperament like the back of his hand.

She seemed eccentric and mischievous, always stirring up trouble, but once her stubbornness flared, no one could pull her back.

More importantly, as Jiang Jiang's brother-in-law, he absolutely could not let anything happen to Jiang Jiang in front of him.

Now Jiang Jiang had apologized, and Brother Zhou had accepted openly. Everyone was happy.

After clinking cups and drinking with Jiang Jiang, Zhou Ming asked, "When do you two plan to depart for the provincial capital to take part in the Martial Examination?"

Chen Hao froze, then smiled. "Jiang Jiang and I won't be taking part in the Martial Examination."

Hearing that, Zhou Ming, still seated, was startled inwardly.

What?!

You're not going?!

If you weren't going, where was he supposed to find someone to lead the way?

He immediately pressed a hand to his forehead, lowered his head slightly, and said regretfully, "What a pity. I had hoped to invite you two to go together."

Chen Hao smiled. "It's fine. Though we won't participate in the Martial Examination, it is a grand event held once every ten years. Jiang Jiang and I still want to go and witness the bearing of prodigies from every corner."

Jiang Jiang, who had originally felt certain that she had mistaken him for someone else, now found everything increasingly strange.

This monstrous genius who had popped out of nowhere.

First, he claimed to be Zhou Ming's friend and came to befriend her and her brother-in-law.

Then he used the opportunity to demand cultivation techniques, and now he wanted to set out with them.

Everything about it was strange.

The two had equal strength.

It was understandable that Zhou Ming did not dare show himself.

But this Zhou Yuxi before her possessed such talent. Why not simply go to the Martial Academy? What cultivation technique could he possibly lack?

A strange glimmer appeared in Jiang Jiang's eyes.

After a long while.

Lu Hao and Jiang Jiang departed.

They agreed to gather at the eastern gate tomorrow morning and set out together.