Surging Waves, Flowing Clouds; Autumn Waters, Startled Goose

Chen Yuan first opened the "Surging Waves, Flowing Clouds Formula."

As a top-grade Profound Tier internal cultivation method, the core of the "Surging Waves, Flowing Clouds Formula" was to pierce the acupoints throughout the body, allowing each acupoint to generate a portion of internal energy.

When the internal energy circulated, the traces of internal energy within the acupoints flowed into the meridians, becoming tiny streams. These stream-like currents of internal energy then converged through the meridians into the dantian.

The internal energy in a single acupoint was not much, nor was the energy flowing into the meridians particularly abundant.

But once all the internal energy in the meridians gathered within the dantian, it became like surging waves and flowing clouds—vast and majestic, with astonishing power.

Overall, this internal cultivation method followed the orthodox path as well. From acupoints to meridians, then to the dantian, internal energy accumulated bit by bit. Once mastered, its explosive force would be incredibly terrifying.

Moreover, the attributes of this kind of internal cultivation, which began from the foundation, were balanced and peaceful. It was most suitable for laying a martial foundation.

Of course, it had its drawbacks as well: it placed certain demands on one's talent.

According to the "Surging Waves, Flowing Clouds Formula," the human body possessed three hundred and sixty-five acupoints, corresponding to the number of stars in the heavens.

One had to open every acupoint and store internal energy within all three hundred and sixty-five of them before one could be considered an initiate.

People of ordinary talent could not even sense their acupoints. They might need months, or even one or two years, to open a single one. Such people would never even enter the gate before they died.

But this was nothing to Chen Yuan.

His talent was outstanding. With only a slight closing of his eyes to sense within, he could detect the existence of acupoints amid the flow of internal energy. With a single thought, he could force them open.

However, the internal energy cultivated through the Azure Wood Method was thin. After Chen Yuan opened more than a dozen acupoints, he had to sit in meditation and recover his internal energy before continuing.

It could be said that as long as Chen Yuan had enough internal energy, he could open all three hundred and sixty-five acupoints in a single day and complete the initiation.

Setting down the "Surging Waves, Flowing Clouds Formula," Chen Yuan flipped through the "Autumn Water, Startling Swan Saber Art."

This saber art was Lower-Grade Earth Tier. The manual was very thin, and its core Blade Intent had only one word: fast!

As swift as a startled swan—utterly fierce and blindingly fast.

With a single slash, the blade passed through autumn waters without leaving a trace. That was the true meaning of the Autumn Water Startled Swan Saber.

But to attain such speed, one's understanding of Blade Intent was important, and one's own strength was even more important.

Without strength as a foundation, one could not become fast no matter how much one wanted to. Thus, this saber art and the explosively powerful "Surging Waves, Flowing Clouds Formula" complemented each other perfectly.

Cultivation methods and strength were the foundation. Chen Yuan first cultivated the "Surging Waves, Flowing Clouds Formula." After exhausting his internal energy, he recovered it while visualizing the Blade Intent of the "Autumn Water, Startling Swan Saber Art," wasting not a moment.

Time waited for no one. By the time Jiang Kaitai began the blood sacrifice of the Seven Kill Stele, he had to possess the strength to enter the game rather than remain a spectator.

In five days, Chen Yuan had completely opened all three hundred and sixty-five acupoints. Drops of internal energy gathered together, and the Surging Waves, Flowing Clouds Formula had fully entered the beginner stage.

At the instant he opened the final acupoint, Chen Yuan gathered his internal energy. The traces of internal energy accumulated in his acupoints began to flow and converge through his meridians.

The internal energy in those meridians swept along his qi and blood, surging without end. Chen Yuan's body temperature rose slightly, his face turned red, and faint white true qi seemed to emerge above his head.

A moment later, his internal energy was completely exhausted. His surging qi and blood calmed, and Chen Yuan's complexion returned to normal.

Letting out a long breath, Chen Yuan's eyes revealed a flicker of delight.

As the Surging Waves, Flowing Clouds Formula entered the beginner stage, his internal energy rose to another level, and he finally stepped into the Blood-Shifting Realm.

Of the Nine Martial Realms, the first three were all the ultimate tempering of the physical body.

Body Tempering was for muscles and flesh, Meridian Opening was for meridians, and Blood Shifting was for qi and blood.

Using powerful internal energy to stir the qi and blood throughout the body, thoroughly shifting out the impurities within the blood—this was the Blood-Shifting Realm.

The more one cultivated this realm, the stronger one's qi and blood became. When one's blood essence became as viscous as silver and mercury, pure and flawless, one had reached the great completion of the Blood-Shifting Realm.

After recovering some internal energy, Chen Yuan went to take a bath. The bathwater was now faintly black.

After Blood Shifting, the heat of one's qi and blood rose and expelled impurities from the body. This was normal.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by Zhang Xiaoyi's voice from outside.

"Young Master, have you finished cultivating? The gang leader has called everyone to discuss matters."

"Got it. I'm going now."

Chen Yuan had a rough idea of what Jiang Kaitai had called everyone together to discuss.

Chu Ziping's disappearance had probably been discovered.

As the head of the Punishment Hall, Chu Ziping spent most of his time handling affairs within the gang. If he disappeared for a day, it would be easy to notice.

But later, because the Blackwater Gang had been pressing them step by step, the Punishment Hall under Chu Ziping had also been sent out to fight fierce battles against the Blackwater Gang.

After that, Chu Ziping was often absent from the gang. He would visit other halls or go elsewhere to gather information about the Blackwater Gang.

But no matter where he was, five days without any news was far too strange.

Chen Yuan changed into a fresh set of clothes and entered the Council Hall.

Eldest Brother Qin Yuancheng and the many hall masters of the Heavenly Wolf Gang were all there.

Jiang Kaitai rubbed his head, a trace of worry on his face.

Of course, he was not worried about whether Chu Ziping was dead or alive. He did not think much of this adopted son he had picked up cheaply.

Rather, at this crucial point in the blood sacrifice of the divine artifact, Jiang Kaitai truly did not want to divide his attention to deal with this mess.

But Chu Ziping was the head of the Punishment Hall and also his adopted son. Now that Chu Ziping had vanished, Jiang Kaitai could not simply ignore it. Otherwise, the other hall masters in the gang would sense that something was wrong.

"Chu Ziping has been missing for five days. Eldest, Third, did either of you see Second five days ago? Did he seem unusual in any way?"

Jiang Kaitai looked at Qin Yuancheng and Chen Yuan.

Qin Yuancheng shook his head. "Adoptive Father, you know that Second and I have never gotten along. If something happened to him, he certainly would not tell me."

Chen Yuan also said, "Adoptive Father, you know my temperament as well. I've never had much contact with Second Brother. I've been cultivating these past few days, and I don't think I saw him either."

"Where are Second's confidants? When was the last time you saw your hall master? What was he going to do?"

Chu Ziping's confidant subconsciously glanced at Chen Yuan. After hesitating for a moment, he shook his head. "I don't know either. The hall master only gave us orders. We never dared to ask what he was going to do."

He had been the one to report to Chu Ziping that Chen Yuan had left the Heavenly Wolf Gang, but he did not dare reveal that before everyone now.

Chen Yuan was the gang leader's adopted son and a hall master of the Heavenly Wolf Gang. What did it mean for members of the Punishment Hall to monitor and follow one of their own?

If nothing had happened to Chu Ziping, saying this would amount to smearing the hall master's name. Once Chu Ziping returned, he definitely would not spare him.

If Chu Ziping had truly met with misfortune, then those words would offend Chen Yuan. Without anyone to rely on, he would suffer just the same.

Besides, after Chu Ziping heard the report, he had merely nodded and said he understood. He had not said what he intended to do afterward.

After thinking it over, Chu Ziping's confidant decided that silence was best.

"Useless trash! What use are you?"

Jiang Kaitai snorted coldly and said in a deep voice, "Second is missing. For now, Eldest and Third will jointly oversee the Punishment Hall. The other hall masters are to keep an eye out for Second's whereabouts during this time."

A hint of delight appeared on Qin Yuancheng's face.

Even if Second was not dead this time, Qin Yuancheng would take advantage of his absence to hollow out the Punishment Hall.

Chen Yuan, however, stood and said, "Adoptive Father, I've never handled the gang's affairs before. Rashly interfering would only make things worse. It would be better to leave it to Eldest Brother."

Qin Yuancheng had just been considering how to sideline Chen Yuan.

He had not expected Chen Yuan to reject the real authority Jiang Kaitai offered him once again.

The way he looked at Chen Yuan softened somewhat this time.

Third Brother really seemed a little stupid. Had cultivation damaged his brain?

But that was fine. Once Qin Yuancheng took control of the Heavenly Wolf Gang, he would not need to get rid of Third Brother. Keeping him as a thug would not be bad.

When Jiang Kaitai saw Chen Yuan refuse real authority once more, his guard against Chen Yuan eased another degree.

Compared to the other two, Third's thoughts were much simpler.

But if he handed the Punishment Hall to Eldest as well, the power in Eldest's hands would seem a little too great.

Yet after giving it careful thought, Jiang Kaitai realized that once he fused with the divine artifact, what would a mere Heavenly Wolf Gang amount to? Would he still need to guard against Eldest?

By then, Eldest might not even be worthy of remaining his adopted son. Those lofty members of the Murong Clan might even beg to become his adopted sons!

Having figured this out, Jiang Kaitai nodded lightly. "Fine. Eldest, the Punishment Hall will be entirely under your control."

Ecstasy appeared on Qin Yuancheng's face. He hurriedly cupped his hands in salute. "Thank you, Adoptive Father!"

The crowd dispersed. Just as Chen Yuan was about to return and seize the time to cultivate, Qin Yuancheng suddenly called out to him and pulled him into an empty corner.

"Third, you did well this time. I'm very satisfied."

Chen Yuan looked at Qin Yuancheng in bafflement. What did I do? Satisfied my ass.

Qin Yuancheng patted Chen Yuan on the shoulder. "You yielded the Punishment Hall to me this time. I'll remember this favor, little brother.

"Don't worry. I'm not a scheming man like Second, nor will I guard against you like Adoptive Father does.

"When I take control of the Heavenly Wolf Gang in the future, forget one Punishment Hall—even ten halls would be worth giving to you. You and I, brothers, will rule the Heavenly Wolf Gang together!"

Qin Yuancheng spoke with fervent righteousness, believing he had painted Chen Yuan an irresistible grand vision.

Chen Yuan looked at Qin Yuancheng with a half-smile. "Eldest Brother truly is generous. Then I really should thank you."

"We're brothers. Saying thanks makes us strangers."

Qin Yuancheng believed he had won Chen Yuan over. He patted Chen Yuan on the shoulder again and left with great satisfaction.

Watching Qin Yuancheng's departing figure, Chen Yuan softly spat out two words.

"Idiot."

Compared with Chu Ziping, Qin Yuancheng's brain truly was not up to par.

Chu Ziping at least knew how to use the gang's resources to invest in merchant caravans, amass wealth outside the Heavenly Wolf Gang, win people over within the gang, and collect other cultivation methods to strengthen himself.

Qin Yuancheng, on the other hand, only knew how to fixate on that tiny patch of territory within the Heavenly Wolf Gang.

Even without Chen Yuan's transmigration and without Jiang Kaitai's blood sacrifice of the divine artifact, the Heavenly Wolf Gang would never have fallen into Qin Yuancheng's hands in the end.

Still, being a little foolish was good.

Chu Ziping had been too curious, so now he had lost his life.