True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique

Cool moonlight filtered through the black-gray window lattice, spilling into the simply furnished room and carrying threads of chill.

Zhao Zhi held a black booklet in his hands, casually flipping through its contents.

Brief Guide to the Profound Nether Platform

It recorded some basic information about the Profound Nether Platform, including its origins, duties, authority, ranks...

With this booklet, coupled with what Fan Youlin, the Fan Family's second master, had said earlier, Zhao Zhi already understood that Yan Qing of the Profound Nether Platform intended to recruit him. Otherwise, she would not have produced a booklet that could only be obtained after joining the Profound Nether Platform.

"What is this?"

Zhao Zhi discovered a handwritten page within the booklet. The writing upon it was elegant and clear.

"True Martial swept demons and suppressed the northern heavens; within the mystic gate, inner qi transformed into mountain peaks. Qi sank into the abyssal sea, weighing a thousand jun; intent guarded the spirit dais, and all arts were complete..."

Light gathered in Zhao Zhi's eyes as he examined it carefully.

It seemed to be a method for cultivating inner qi, and the lofty intent behind it far surpassed the Innate Unity Qi Technique and Iron Horse Grounding Stance Zhao Zhi cultivated.

However.

This inner qi cultivation method was incomplete, with portions missing.

Why was there a handwritten copy of this page here?

Zhao Zhi's thoughts churned as he considered it in secret.

Perhaps this was Yan Qing of the Profound Nether Platform's means of recruitment.

Or perhaps it was Yan Qing's test.

Only by understanding, cultivating, and mastering this inner qi cultivation method would one be qualified to become a member of the Profound Nether Platform.

With that thought, Zhao Zhi did not stand on ceremony and committed all the contents of the handwritten page to memory.

With a thought, the Merit Panel appeared.

[Martial Arts: Incomplete True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique (Not Initiated)]

[Merit: 2374]

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Zhao Zhi's lips. With the Merit Panel, even if his talent for martial arts was not particularly high, he could swiftly master a martial art.

The information from the panel made Zhao Zhi frown.

Another huge consumer of Merit.

According to the Merit Panel's feedback, the Incomplete True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique was on the same level as the Incomplete Little Netherworld Sword. Simply reaching initiation would require 300 Merit.

Fortunately, Zhao Zhi currently had no small amount of Merit.

Zhao Zhi had no intention of holding back for the moment. He directly poured Merit fiercely into the True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique.

[300 Merit consumed. Incomplete True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique initiated.]

[300 Merit consumed. Incomplete True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique reached minor mastery.]

[600 Merit consumed. Incomplete True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique reached major mastery.]

[600 Merit consumed. Incomplete True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique reached perfection.]

Several consecutive upgrades raised this incomplete True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique to the realm of perfection.

In an instant.

A great many memories of cultivating the True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique suddenly appeared in Zhao Zhi's mind: training through the bitter cold of the ninth days of winter, training through the blazing heat of the dog days of summer, tempering day after day and month after month, until the technique was completed after nine transformations.

At the same time.

A vast and mighty mysterious energy surged forth from somewhere within his body. Following the circulation route of the Incomplete True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique, it ran through one Greater Celestial Circuit after another, gradually transforming that mysterious and profound power into wondrous inner qi that guarded balance and concealed abyssal depths.

The instant the True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique's inner qi emerged, it transformed into an immense force capable of suppressing all things. It pressed down the two streams of inner qi from the Innate Unity Qi Technique and Iron Horse Grounding Stance, forcing them to cower in a corner of his meridians.

As Zhao Zhi sensed the state of the inner qi within his body, he could clearly feel the gap between them.

The quality and quantity of the True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique's inner qi far surpassed those of the Innate Unity Qi Technique and Iron Horse Grounding Stance.

What an excellent True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique.

Now, when he used the Little Netherworld Sword, he would no longer need to worry about having too little inner qi to sustain it.

Perhaps he could raise the Little Netherworld Sword to perfection as well.

The moment the thought arose, he swiftly suppressed it.

Leaving aside the fact that the Little Netherworld Sword's drawbacks were not limited to its massive consumption of inner qi, it also placed a burden on the meridians. Zhao Zhi had raised the Incomplete True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique to perfection, and though its inner qi was vast and mighty, it had not affected his meridians or flesh. Only sufficiently powerful meridians could withstand the Little Netherworld Sword's might, and that required the Meridian Opening Realm. Moreover, upgrading the Little Netherworld Sword required a great deal of Merit, and he did not have nearly enough for now.

The Incomplete True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique had consumed 1,800 Merit, leaving Zhao Zhi with only 574. He could not even raise the Incomplete Little Netherworld Sword to major mastery, much less bring it to perfection.

Zhao Zhi gently exhaled, returned the handwritten page to the Brief Guide to the Profound Nether Platform, then put it away and turned his gaze to another martial art.

The Fan Family's inner qi cultivation martial art, Wind-Riding Technique.

With the Incomplete True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique as a pearl before him, the Wind-Riding Technique seemed exceedingly simple. Zhao Zhi could now understand seven or eight parts out of ten. With his own ability, cultivating it to perfection would not be difficult; it would merely take some time.

He still had Merit, and there was nothing else he needed to upgrade. Rather than spend that time, he might as well skip it and increase the amount of inner qi he possessed.

With that thought.

Zhao Zhi poured Merit into the Wind-Riding Technique.

[50 Merit consumed. Wind-Riding Technique initiated.]

[50 Merit consumed. Wind-Riding Technique reached minor mastery.]

[100 Merit consumed. Wind-Riding Technique reached major mastery.]

[100 Merit consumed. Wind-Riding Technique reached perfection.]

The Wind-Riding Technique entered the realm of perfection, and another stream of inner qi was born within his body.

The inner qi circulated like a flowing wind, containing a wondrous force of extreme speed.

Yet not long after the Wind-Riding Technique's inner qi appeared, it was suppressed by the True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique's inner qi. Like the Innate Unity Qi Technique and Iron Horse Grounding Stance before it, it shrank back fearfully and tremblingly into a corner of his meridians.

Weak and pitiful.

After a round of probing, Zhao Zhi's original four-digit total of 2,374 Merit had been reduced to only 274, a drastic decrease.

But Zhao Zhi's gains were immense. He possessed four streams of inner qi within his body, surpassing most martial artists. In particular, the True Martial Mountain-Suppressing Technique's inner qi was far beyond comparison with the others.

A smile could not help appearing at the corner of Zhao Zhi's lips.

He slowly closed his eyes, carefully sensing the state of his inner qi and familiarizing himself with the surging power in his body.

If he faced Xianyu Tu from the daytime again, this power could completely blast the other man with one punch until his tendons snapped, his bones shattered, and his life vanished.

For years, Flying Cloud Stronghold had been a great stone weighing upon Qingfeng County. Whether common folk or local gentry and powerful forces, all had been troubled by its existence.

However.

Qingfeng County's repeated military campaigns and the several arrangements made by the commandery city had all failed to completely eliminate Flying Cloud Stronghold.

But yesterday.

The punitive army had thoroughly wiped out Flying Cloud Stronghold. This evil force that had threatened Qingfeng County at every moment was resolved just like that.

The news spread throughout Qingfeng County at an astonishing speed. Within less than half a day, everyone from scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants to the three teachings and nine streams had learned of it, and they also knew of Zhao Zhi's performance in this affair.

For a time.

Zhao Zhi's fame soared, spreading through Qingfeng County and expanding outward. This fame was even greater than when he had publicly taught the Fan Family a lesson in the street.

At first.

No one believed Zhao Zhi could truly resolve difficulties for common folk and save the people from hanging upside down, but now it seemed that Zhao Zhi truly could accomplish such things.

As a result, more and more common folk came looking for Zhao Zhi.