Sevenfold

Chapter 40: Sevenfold

The Sword Washing Art and the Meridian Washing Art were very similar. Both used special circulation routes to alter the True Qi of the Greater Violet Sun Technique, adding unique properties to it.

Then, by drawing upon Void Power and fusing the two, the True Qi underwent a qualitative transformation.

At that point, the True Qi was utterly different from the Greater Violet Sun Technique's True Qi. It could either expand and toughen the Meridians, or excel at condensing Sword Light or blade light.

The circulation routes of the Sword Washing Art and Meridian Washing Art were similarly complex. What they shared was the need for that thread of Void Power to turn stone into gold.

On a bed in the rear courtyard of the residence beside Earthly Soil Hall, Chu Zhiyuan sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, circulating the Sword Washing Art.

A quarter-hour later, his eyes slowly opened. He raised his right palm before his eyes, where a hazy halo rested in his palm like a bright moon reflected in water.

He leaped through the window and landed beside the stone table in the middle of the courtyard. He lightly pressed his right palm against it, and before Zou Fang's astonished gaze, a palm print appeared on the tabletop—a full inch deep.

Zou Fang's gaze sharpened.

"Zou Fang, give it a try."

"Yes."

Zou Fang drifted to the stone table and pressed down with his fair palm, leaving behind a palm print with smooth, distinct edges, an inch deep.

"You didn't use your full strength, did you?" Chu Zhiyuan asked with a smile.

"This servant's palm force is yin and soft. This is what I excel at most."

Chu Zhiyuan pondered. "It seems my palm force can only crush Xiantian Realm cultivators. Against a Grandmaster, I have no chance of winning."

Zou Fang thought for a moment. "If Young Master uses a sword, it may not be impossible to defeat a Grandmaster."

He had personally watched the Great Avalanche Sword Art grow stronger and faster. By now, it was already twice as fast as before.

Clearly, it was not merely its speed that had increased, but its power as well.

With the two stacked together, how could its might have increased by merely four or five times?

It was the difference between clouds and mud, a complete rebirth.

At the Grandmaster Realm, True Qi transformed into Gang Qi. Its power naturally crushed True Qi.

Internal energy was like mist, True Qi like water, Gang Qi like ice, and a Great Grandmaster's Spiritual Qi like blades and swords.

Grandmasters were stronger and faster, but Chu Zhiyuan's speed far surpassed that of Xiantian Realm experts. He might not be much inferior to a Grandmaster.

If the True Qi driving the Great Avalanche Sword Art were as pure and nearly as close to Gang Qi as his palm force, it might not be unable to break a Grandmaster's protective Gang Qi.

Of course, he would still fall a little short in a true prolonged battle against a Grandmaster, especially one with a high cultivation level.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded. "I still need to keep raising my realm."

As his realm rose, his True Qi would become deeper, more abundant, and purer. The Sword Washing Art would then be able to unleash even greater power.

He still had nine Marrow Cleansing Pills. Perhaps he could advance another step.

At that thought, his fighting spirit surged once more. He drew his sword, and the courtyard instantly filled with flickering sword shadows and darting human figures.

It was as though he had split into a dozen people, each darting through the courtyard and swinging a sword. Clear, shimmering sword shadows overflowed through the entire courtyard.

When his Meridians began to ache faintly, he circulated the Meridian Washing Art. Milky-white True Qi flowed through his Meridians, which rapidly grew tougher and stronger.

But after reaching a certain point, their strengthening slowed. No matter how he cultivated, it no longer worked.

He had reached his limit.

It was like watering parched earth. Once it had absorbed enough water, no more could seep in.

It was also like rubber stretched to its limit, unable to stretch any further.

After some thought, he switched to the Dragon Transformation Technique.

As his mastery deepened, the Dragon Transformation Technique's True Qi had already turned golden. Compared to the milky-white True Qi, it was far gentler, and his Meridians began absorbing it.

Adding a Marrow Cleansing Pill doubled the Dragon Transformation Technique's effects.

But after cultivating for a while, the first layer of the Dragon Transformation Technique was nearly complete and could no longer strengthen his Meridians further.

So he stopped.

This was the time to cultivate the Jade Lock Golden Pass Technique: first the Sword Washing Art, then the Dragon Binding Rope.

After six Dragon Binding Ropes, he sensed his limit. Adding any more would endanger his life.

So he added one more.

With the Imperial Heaven Earthly Soil Scripture, he was bolder.

The instant the seventh Dragon Binding Rope condensed, warning signs kept flashing in his heart. Every hair on his body stood on end, as though he were standing beside a barrel of explosives.

He gritted his teeth, ignored the warnings issued by his Super Sensation, and pushed forward with single-minded determination.

All seven Dragon Binding Ropes released at once. Seven streams of incomparably pure True Qi poured into the Ren and Du Meridians simultaneously, converging like rivers and surging downward as they crashed into the sixth layer of the Jade Tower.

A thunderous BOOM rang in his ears, like a bolt of startling thunder.

At the same time, tearing agony tore through his Meridians.

The Ren and Du Meridians were already thicker and sturdier than his other Meridians, yet even they could not withstand the impact of seven Dragon Binding Ropes.

The Meridians seemed formless, yet they had form. Under his Super Sensation, the transparent Meridians split with one crack after another, the fissures multiplying as the seven Dragon Binding Ropes continued to advance.

He paid it no heed, merely bowing his head and driving the seven Dragon Binding Ropes against the remaining seven layers of the Jade Tower.

Rumble...

The thunder grew louder.

Bang...

Amid that distant impact, the sixth layer of the Jade Tower erupted with dazzling radiance, instantly spreading throughout his body. Within that radiance, an invisible force merged into the seven Dragon Binding Ropes.

The seven Dragon Binding Ropes poured straight down into his dantian.

His dantian felt as though it were about to burst, expanding by another fraction.

The power of the seven Dragon Binding Ropes fused with the True Qi within his dantian, becoming wholly one. At that moment, his True Qi had changed.

It was purer and more abundant.

He had stepped into the Seventh Floor Realm!

Grinning through the intense pain, he formed hand seals and began cultivating the Imperial Heaven Earthly Soil Scripture.

The Earth Venerable Statue swiftly shot out four clusters of golden light. Driven by the first-layer circulation of the Dragon Transformation Technique, they rapidly healed his injured Meridians.

He had been studying and judging whether the Imperial Heaven Earthly Soil Scripture was an Incense Fire Method, yet he still had no answer. After all, he had never truly encountered an Incense Fire Method.

--

After roll call the next day, he sat behind his desk and reviewed the case files, intending to finish them quickly before heading to Tongtian Pavilion to investigate the Incense Fire Method thoroughly.

Gao Lingfeng hurried in. After clasping his fists in salute, he remained silent, not disturbing Chu Zhiyuan as he read the case files.

Chu Zhiyuan set down the file and glanced at him. "Lord Gao, you have been waiting for me. Is there something?"

"My lord," Gao Lingfeng said, clasping his fists awkwardly before turning solemn, "Elder Lu of the Flying Flower Sword Sect requests an audience."

"Where is she?"

"She is waiting at the yamen."

"Bring her in."

"Yes."

A moment later, Lu Wan entered calmly in a loose azure robe that concealed her graceful, enchanting figure. A longsword hung at her slender waist, while her seductive face was entirely solemn.

Chu Zhiyuan rose behind his desk and clasped his fists. "Elder Lu, forgive me for not coming out to welcome you."

Lu Wan forced a faint smile and returned the salute. "Greetings, Assistant Director."

Chu Zhiyuan gestured with one hand.

A minor clerk quietly brought over a chair.

After clasping her fists in thanks, Lu Wan sat down and said calmly, "My lord, this little woman has something to say."

"Is it about the incident two nights ago? That severely injured disciple of your sect is all right, I hope?" Chu Zhiyuan asked as he sat down, looking gravely at Lu Wan.

"His arm has been reattached. It is nothing serious." Lu Wan's face darkened as she slowly said, "Does my lord know the cause of this matter?"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head. "Not in great detail."

If there were no hidden circumstances, then regardless of who was right or wrong, they had fought and caused serious injury. The outcome would be fifty strokes for each.

Elsewhere and under different circumstances, the matter would not be handled in such a simple, crude manner.

But they had been fighting over jealousy, and it had happened in a library.

"The disciples of the Thick Earth Sect provoked us first. Our sect's disciples could not endure the humiliation and had no choice but to rise up and strike back, only to be crippled by them in the end... This was a conspiracy, planned in advance by the Thick Earth Sect!"

Chu Zhiyuan's sword-like brows lifted as he stared into her seductive eyes.

Lu Wan shook her head. "I initially thought it was merely a simple case of fighting over jealousy, and I was furious. Only after questioning them carefully did I learn it was a conspiracy—a plot by the Thick Earth Sect against our Flying Flower Sword Sect!"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Why would the Thick Earth Sect plot against the Flying Flower Sword Sect?"

Lu Wan hesitated.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "The Thick Earth Sect has an excellent reputation. Its believers have always endured humiliation and borne heavy burdens, and its disciples have always behaved themselves."

Naturally, that was the overall atmosphere, but people differed from one another. There were always good and bad among them; the Thick Earth Sect could not possibly be full of honest people.

Lu Wan's curved brows knit gently.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. "Elder Lu, shall we speak in private?"

He could tell that Lu Wan was not speaking the whole truth. There had to be hidden circumstances.

Lu Wan hesitated.

"Lord Gao." Chu Zhiyuan looked toward Gao Lingfeng and gave him a meaningful glance.

Gao Lingfeng nodded and led the two minor clerks serving nearby out of the room.

Only Zou Fang remained, standing in the shadows.

"What is the reason?" Chu Zhiyuan said. "If Elder Lu does not wish to say, then all this official can do is give fifty strokes to each side."

Matters of jealousy and rivalry had always been handled this way. Since there was precedent to follow, there was no need to break it unless there were special circumstances, nor was there any need to strike out on one's own.

The most important thing in officialdom was to blend one's light with the dust and drift with the current. Standing out and showing off would only invite stumbling blocks and traps from every direction.

Even a Prince's Heir Apparent could not act willfully in officialdom. When officials plotted against others, they usually did so invisibly; one would not even know one had been plotted against.

"The Thick Earth Sect says our sect once stole one of their treasures."

"What treasure?"

"...The Earth Dragon Pearl." Lu Wan bit her red lip and finally uttered those three words.