Severing the Meridian

After lunch, he took a short nap.

Even with the Heavenly Yuan Art keeping his spirit perpetually vigorous, he still maintained the habit of a midday rest, allowing his body, mind, and internal organs to recuperate and be nourished.

Let alone being merely a Xiantian Master now—even as a Grandmaster or a Grandmaster of the highest order, he was still flesh and blood, still bound by the principles of nurturing life.

The body's instinctual power was the power of heaven and earth, nourishing the body more effectively than True Qi; it had to be utilized well.

Among Grandmasters and Grandmasters alike, some lived long lives and some short; innate factors accounted for eighty percent, while postnatal cultivation accounted for twenty.

After his nap, as he prepared to head to the Tongtian Pavilion, Zou Fang delivered a letter—it was an invitation from the Eighteenth Prince, Chu Mingxuan.

Chu Zhichuan glanced at it and nodded.

He spent the entire afternoon in the Tongtian Pavilion flipping through books on writing, imprinting all the ancient characters into his mind.

Though they were etched in, like data carved into a hard drive, fully digesting and integrating them into a cohesive whole required a ruminative thought process.

This process could be left to the subconscious, letting it work while he slept—it needed time to process.

At dusk, he left the Tongtian Pavilion in the lingering glow of the setting sun, first returning to the Prince's residence. When the lanterns began to light up, under the protection of Zou Fang, Feng Xi, and Guo Chi, he arrived at the Eighteenth Prince's mansion.

Chu Mingxuan welcomed him into the front courtyard, where he saw Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan sparring with fists and feet in the open space before the hall.

Chu Zhiting was fierce and overbearing, aggressive as fire; Chu Zhichuan was graceful and agile, advancing and retreating like the wind. For a moment, neither could gain the upper hand.

As soon as Chu Zhichuan appeared, Chu Zhiting attacked fiercely while laughing, "Fourth Brother, come join in!"

Chu Mingxuan chuckled, "Right, right—we've never seen your fistwork, Fourth Son. No bullying them with True Qi, though."

"Is that a good idea?"

Chu Mingxuan laughed, "They're not convinced!"

"Alright then, watch out!"

Chu Zhichuan laughed, then flashed between the two, his palms drifting lightly to strike both their chests.

His movement was astonishingly fast, his palms gentle.

"Bam!"

"Bam!"

Both men flew backward three zhang, crashing into a plum tree.

"Hiss..."

They rubbed their chests, faces flushed red, struggling to inhale but only managing hissing sounds, unable to breathe.

Chu Zhichuan watched with a smile, making no move to help.

Chu Mingxuan also watched the two curiously.

Their faces turned purple, throats hissing, but they seemed unable to catch their breath, suffocating badly.

Chu Zhichuan laughed, "Handstand."

The two immediately kicked their feet upward, supporting themselves on their hands.

"Whoosh!"

Their bodies sagged, they exhaled a breath, then flipped back to their feet, looking at Chu Zhichuan with lingering fear.

Their breathing had returned to normal.

"Fourth Brother, what palm technique is that?" Chu Zhiting touched his chest—no pain, as if it had all been an illusion.

Clearly, it was a clever use of force, so exquisitely precise that it struck the right spot, making it impossible to breathe. No amount of Internal Energy could counter it—very strange.

Chu Zhichuan smiled, "The Pulse Severing Hand."

"The Pulse Severing Hand..."

The two thought for a moment, then nodded, recalling that this martial art was indeed on the martial skill shelf in the West Side Hall.

They hadn't trained in the Pulse Severing Hand—they'd dismissed it.

The Pulse Severing Hand had significant limitations in execution; it required precise strikes on acupoints. Without hitting them accurately, it couldn't unleash its power.

Acupoints existed on everyone, but their positions varied from person to person—almost never identical.

That slight difference rendered the Pulse Severing Hand ineffective.

Thus, few practiced it.

Chu Zhichuan had trained in this art because of Super Sensation, which allowed him to pinpoint an opponent's acupoints precisely, overcoming strength with skill.

Chu Mingxuan marveled, "The Pulse Severing Hand is this formidable?"

Chu Zhichuan said, "Eighteenth Uncle, every martial art stored in our Bright Martial Hall is top-tier. Some are placed on the lower shelves only because they have flaws, not because they lack power."

Chu Mingxuan shook his head, "We still focus on the Lesser Violet Sun Technique as our foundation; we can't neglect its cultivation."

Chu Zhichuan nodded.

For other princes and heirs apparent, the Lesser Violet Sun Technique was the root. Spending more effort on Martial Skills would be putting the cart before the horse—after all, they had Grandmaster guards.

He had Super Sensation, a deep lack of security, and extraordinarily high talent—that was why he could spare the focus to train in some self-defense techniques.

The four of them entered the front hall, and soon the table was laden with fine dishes, along with a jar of excellent wine.

This time, the wine was also Bone Wine brewed from a Demon Beast, but it was far inferior to the last batch.

They drank and chatted idly.

The three asked about his situation in the Ministry of Rites. After hearing Chu Zhiyuan's account, they shook their heads, feeling it was a waste of his talents.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and didn't argue, instead bringing up the matter of King Ying's arrival in the capital.

"The entire Ministry of Rites is busy with this. We want to make Tenth Uncle's visit a grand affair—both to showcase the court's fairness and respect for reputation, and to show that our Chu lineage has worthy successors, so as to win people over."

Chu Zhiting couldn't help but curl his lips, barely containing his pride.

Chu Zhichuan and Chu Mingxuan also couldn't help but feel a surge of longing and admiration.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed. "Eighteenth Uncle, with Tenth Uncle setting such a brilliant precedent, no one who follows could possibly shine."

"...Ah, true enough." Chu Mingxuan sighed helplessly. "Who can match Tenth Brother's divine martial prowess and extraordinary courage?"

As a Prince, his difference from the Heirs Apparent was that he stood closer to the throne—so close, in fact, that it was almost within reach.

Thus, he couldn't focus single-mindedly on earning merits like a Heir Apparent; while building achievements, he also had to cultivate his reputation, especially within the Military.

Although becoming a Grandmaster was a prerequisite for succession, if all candidates were Grandmasters, then it came down to their reputations—and, of course, the Emperor's choice.

"Eighteenth Uncle, then come to the Town Martial Division," Chu Zhichuan said. "The three of us together can take control of it!"

Chu Mingxuan's expression wavered with hesitation.

If he truly entered the Town Martial Division, it would almost mean giving up the throne.

Though he was young and the throne seemed far away, what if—after all, fate was unpredictable—he might actually become a Grandmaster.

If he did become a Grandmaster, he would have a chance at succession.

If none of his elder brothers became Grandmasters, he could inherit the throne.

Chu Zhiting quickly nodded. "Eighteenth Uncle, be our direct superior, and we'll work together to achieve great things!"

"...Let me think it over some more." Chu Mingxuan remained hesitant, unable to make up his mind.

Chu Zhiyuan changed the subject, bringing up the envoys from Great Zhen who had returned with King Ying.

Chu Zhichuan's face tightened as he snorted. "Are we really going to form a marriage alliance with Great Zhen?"

Chu Zhiting frowned.

Chu Mingxuan sighed and said nothing.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "It's still too early to talk about a marriage alliance. It's just an intention for now; there will be many rounds of negotiation."

Too many interests were involved, and the stakes were high. It would inevitably go through multiple rounds of bargaining—it couldn't be settled in one go.

From his casual chats with other colleagues in the Ministry of Rites, he gathered that it might take a year or more before a final decision was reached.

Chu Zhichuan frowned. "If there's a marriage alliance, are we sending a princess out or bringing one in?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Hard to say. It depends on how things unfold. If we have no chance of victory against Great Meng, we'll probably have to send a princess over."

"Frustrating!" Chu Zhichuan gritted his teeth.

Chu Zhiting nodded emphatically.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "If we can defeat Great Meng, then we'll bring a princess in... In short, everything depends on strength."

In this world where martial arts reigned supreme, strength was everything, and the weak were prey. Individuals still observed morality, but between nations, it was pure interest and power.

The real grievance was that Great Jing lacked the strength to take on two enemies at once and sweep all four directions—that was nearly impossible.

Unless there was a reform, the nation's power couldn't change in a short time.

As things stood, neither Great Jing nor Great Zhen could manage it. But Great Meng's new emperor had just ascended, full of ambition, and it was hard to say whether he might push reforms to rapidly boost national strength.

He was assigned to the Department of Martial Affairs, so he had no access to intelligence and information at that level; what he saw was limited to the affairs of Great Jing's various martial sects.

Chu Mingxuan waved his hand. "Forget it, forget it. Matters of state like this aren't for us to worry about. The best thing is to focus on training."

"Exactly, it's not our concern yet," Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile. "Eighteenth Uncle, does this sword's Cave Mansion have anything else in it?"

He patted the long sword at his waist.

"...There might be a broken piece of jade—it crumbled at the slightest touch. Have you discovered the sword's secrets?"

"I want to examine it for reference, to see if I can find any clues."

"Alright."

Chu Mingxuan turned and fetched an exquisite Small Ebony Box, handing it to Chu Zhiyuan. It was only palm-sized, carved with chi-dragon patterns, delicate and lovely.

Chu Zhiyuan took it and opened it. Inside, on a bed of cotton, lay a pile of broken jade fragments.

They were emerald green, already stained with blood hues.

"Thank you, Eighteenth Uncle." Chu Zhiyuan closed the Small Ebony Box and patted the scabbard at his waist. "This sword is indeed remarkable. I want to find out which great figure it belonged to."

"Fourth Son, don't waste your time on it. It's just a sword after all. Focus on your cultivation—don't let us catch up!"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and nodded, putting the Small Ebony Box away.

This was far more than just a sword. If he was lucky, it might be a unique system of power. Even if he couldn't use it, understanding it would greatly advance his knowledge of the mysteries of heaven and earth and the essence of martial arts, helping him gain insight and see the Grandmaster Gate.