Subduing the Dragon, Merit and Virtue Sage

After emitting that burst of Dao Qi, Yu Danxia's aura gradually stabilized.

"Don't open your eyes."

Chu Tianshu said gently, "Now is the best time to consolidate your foundation. You can circulate your internal energy as many times as you can, and keep doing so."

"Until your mind is in a state between dreaming and waking, and your internal energy no longer needs to be forced but circulates on its own, then stop."

Yu Danxia closed her eyelids and nodded slightly.

Chu Tianshu smiled, stood up and walked to Sun Liang's side, flicking a finger on the silver needle on his forehead.

Sun Liang trembled, and all the silver needles on his body shot out.

More than a hundred silver needles, like nimble snakes, were tucked into Chu Tianshu's right sleeve.

"You two come out with me."

Chu Tianshu led Sun Liang and the Diba Deng to a courtyard.

A square pond was dug in the courtyard, filled entirely with blue mud.

Sun Liang was already familiar with the place. Once he arrived, he took off his clothes, leaving only a pair of shorts, and jumped into the muddy pond.

"You consumed a highly nourishing substance, causing your power to surge dramatically, but you lost control of it, resulting in abnormal changes in your meridians and the onset of fire toxins."

Chu Tianshu, with one hand behind his back, slowly paced along the edge of the muddy pond and said, "The fastest way to cure your ailment is to cripple your martial arts and then dispel the fire poison."

"But that's too wasteful. The best way is to use silver needles to regulate your Yin and Yang meridians, and then use earth to extinguish fire."

"Now that you're halfway through the treatment, how are you feeling?"

Sun Liang was submerged in the mud, with only his neck and above visible. He remained silent for a long time, asking a question instead of answering.

"Why are you so kind to me, senior? Although you have white hair, you never seem old or frail in your daily speech. I don't believe you're really doing this to accumulate good karma!"

The Diba Deng quickly kicked a pebble, which grazed past his ear. "Hey kid, how dare you talk to your senior like that?"

Chu Tianshu smiled, then stopped talking about treating the illness and brought up another matter.

"A while ago, the city gate was blasted open with an incredibly powerful palm strike, and a large section of the city wall collapsed. Who did it?"

Upon hearing this, the Diba Deng soldier chuckled and scratched his head.

Chu Tianshu smiled at him, "Indeed, you're the one who breached the city wall."

"But according to my investigation, on that day, when the government soldiers and constables were driving away the refugees and killing people with their knives, one person couldn't hold back and killed some soldiers in return."

"Only after that did the scene of you smashing down the city wall occur."

Diba Deng nodded and said, "Yes, it was Brother Sun who made the first move that day. When I saw that he, with such a sick face, cough cough, even he, who was seriously ill, had made a move, how could I, a man who is healthy and free from all ailments, hold back any longer?"

Chu Tianshu simply smiled and remained silent.

One of these two young men is being hunted down by the martial arts world of Liaodong, while the other is being investigated by members of the Beggars' Sect' Sect.

Even in this situation, you still want to help that group of refugees.

So what's so strange about Chu Tianshu helping the two of them?

The Diba Deng understood his meaning, immediately puffed out his chest and raised his head, quite proud.

Sun Liang slowly lowered his head.

That day—

He said in a muffled voice, "That day, I was driven mad by anger. When I saw them driving the crowd away like cattle and sheep, their ugly laughter reminded me of my enemies, which is why I took action."

"If it weren't for the poisoning, given my past practices in Liaodong, I would probably be too cautious and wouldn't have come to the rescue in such a situation."

Sun Liang's father was the leader of the Liaodong Ginseng Sect, which was originally a gang formed by ginseng harvesters.

Although his father was skilled in martial arts, he was instilled with Confucian values from a young age, emphasizing loyalty to the emperor, benevolence, and filial piety, and considering officialdom as the highest virtue. He also urged Sun Liang to study from childhood.

However, the Yuan Dynasty stipulated that all Mongols and Semu people taking the imperial examinations only needed to take two exams.

For Han Chinese, the exams consisted of three sessions, and the questions were even more difficult.

Even if one passes the exam, obtaining an official position is extremely difficult.

His father often associated with the gentry and often heard people say that the Semu people only had one less exam because of their poor Hanwen proficiency. In reality, the difficulty of the exams for both sides was about the same.

However, after Sun Liang Liangzhen went to conduct the imperial examinations, he discovered that the number of Han Chinese participating in the examinations was dozens of times greater than that of the Mongols and Semu people.

However, the final number of entries allowed on the list was the same.

Sun Liang took the exam several times but could not compete with others, which displeased his father. As a result, he read more widely and acted more cautiously and humbly.

After listening to his self-narration, Chu Tianshu's eyebrows twitched involuntarily.

"Did your father become the Ginseng Sect of the Ginseng Gang purely through hereditary succession?"

Sun Liang asked doubtfully, "Of course not. My father was chosen as the gang leader because he was skilled at finding and cultivating ginseng and had his own set of techniques for consuming ginseng and practicing martial arts."

Chu Tianshu gave a thumbs up.

Those Ginseng Sect back then were truly simple and honest.

A person with such brains should be a high-ranking official or a professional, comfortably researching technology, instead of sitting in such a complicated position as the leader.

"Pity."

Sun Liang sighed, "My father was killed by the martial arts world of Liaodong because he found the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Emperor."

His gaze fell on the edge of the muddy pond.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Emperor was hidden among his clothes, tightly bound with tattered strips of cloth.

Sun Liang had taken a bite, intending to swallow it and master the divine skill to take revenge. However, that one bite nearly killed him, leaving him with fire poison and a serious illness that was difficult to cure.

He thought that Chu Tianshu would also try to seize this item, and after Chu Tianshu cured his illness, he even considered whether he should offer it to him voluntarily.

But he took this item out a couple of days ago.

Chu Tianshu stared at the teeth marks on the ginseng for a while, then tossed it back to him.

It wasn't because there were teeth marks on the ginseng, or what appeared to be bloodstains from the gums.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Emperor is indeed a rare treasure.

However, the medicinal effects of this treasure are almost entirely applied to the meridians and internal energy.

For Chu Tianshu, who had already mastered the "Leakless Mystic Art," this stuff was basically useless if consumed in small amounts. It was better to rely on his own breathing exercises and the assistance of the Great Void Heavenly Eye in his practice.

However, if one were to consume it all at once, one would likely have to hastily attempt to break through to the Returning Light realm using the method of Single Flawlessness.

Not to mention that he aspires to achieve "Triple Leakless" and is smoothly progressing towards that goal.

Even if Single Flawlessness were to rely on the power of external medicine to Returning Light that hurdle, it would certainly not be a good choice.

Returning Light and Rebirth involve adjusting oneself to compensate for innate deficiencies, transcend limitations, and expand potential—a delicate process.

Relying on the power of medicine to break through the threshold, how can one be meticulous? Even if one succeeds by chance, it will inevitably leave hidden dangers and stubborn problems, thus deviating from the true meaning of Returning Light and Rebirth.

"Apart from ginseng cultivation and ginseng hunting, everything else your father taught you can be treated as free-range; don't worry too much about it."

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "In my eyes, you are very talented. Not only do you have martial arts skills and empathy, but since you have taken the imperial examinations several times, you should know how to deal with scholars, right?"

Sun Liang nodded.

"Very good, there will be times when I need you."

The refugees, merchants, and martial arts practitioners were all relatively easy to infiltrate, and the anti-Yuan sentiment had already been brewing for quite some time.

Give Chu Tianshu a fulcrum, and he can make all sorts of things amazing.

Then, it'll be those guys who Xuewen.

Chu Tianshu was too lazy to analyze it carefully, but this aspect was still very necessary.

Sun Liang is experienced and can be in charge of this aspect. Afterwards, let him find out where people like Zhu Sheng, Li Shanchang, and Liu Bowen are now.

These people are all quite old. Even though it's only been sixty years since the founding of the Great Yuan Dynasty, they should, perhaps, be adults by now?

"He's been soaking in the pond for quite a while now. Di Ba, come on, let's exchange a few moves."

Chu Tianshu beckoned to the Diba Deng.

The two people before me are both promising talents, but if we're talking about what they possess...

The Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Emperor is not applicable, and the concept of the Six Harmonies Heart Method may not be as good as the Great Void True Explanation, let alone worth Chu Tianshu changing his internal energy foundation for.

The only thing that's interesting is the Dragon-Subduing Divine Palms.

This palm technique, originally an external style, is known for its moves. After being improved, it is even more in line with the true meaning of the I Ching, making it exquisite and unparalleled.

Chu Tianshu needs to learn to use the "Mountain Collapse Combat Calculation" to predict others' moves and improve his own training.

This Dragon-Subduing Divine Palms is a highly promising and excellent target, well worth mastering.

Practicing with someone at the Diba Deng is even more beneficial than directly learning this palm technique manual.

Even the Diba Deng man's expression turned serious when he heard that he needed to practice martial arts.

Although he refused to shave his full beard and couldn't tell how serious he was, his aura suddenly hardened, and he turned his arms outward.

He pushed his hands forward with his palms facing outward and his fingertips pointing downward.

A powerful gust of wind swept across the land.

The rammed earth and gravel on the ground did not crack when the strong wind swept by, but they showed signs of twisting and shaking silently.

It was as if the road between Chu Tianshu and the Diba Deng had transformed into a restless giant dragon, writhing and twisting.

Chu Tianshu felt as if a dragon's body was rising and falling beneath his feet. It didn't explode, but it carried an unavoidable pushing force that was about to push him away.

The Dragon-Subduing Divine Palms: The Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use!

Chu Tianshu stepped forward with his right foot, causing a ripple to spread out, and the ground instantly leveled off.

The Diba Deng didn't let the ripples reach his feet; he had already lunged forward.

He knew that Chu Tianshu's martial arts were unfathomable, and that he had seen through many of the secrets of the Dragon-Subduing Divine Palms by sparring with him.

However, he realized even more deeply that he had not suffered any losses in the process.

Every time Chu Tianshu struck him with a finger or knocked him back with a palm strike, he felt as if his whole body had been forged.

Both my muscles and meridians feel increasingly firm and full of strength.

The Diba Deng had spent too little time with his mentor and, apart from his parents who died young, had never met anyone else who treated him so well.

Sensing that Chu Tianshu was better at close-quarters combat, he took the initiative to pounce on him.

Seeing this, Chu Tianshu smiled, flipped his right palm outward with his fingertips pointing downward, and pushed forward as well.

The Diba Deng saw an invisible wind in the air twist and take shape, eventually forming a dragon head that looked like transparent crystal.

He quickly reached out to block, but the dragon's head struck his forearm. The dragon's body twisted, unleashing tremendous force that pushed him back to his original position.

"Sun Liang reads a lot but thinks little, while you read little but think too much."

Chu Tianshu was two zhang away from him. As he spoke, he snapped his fingers with his right hand.

The Diba Deng felt a sudden buzzing in the bones of his right arm, as if it had been triggered by that snap of his fingers.

"I am learning the secrets of the Divine Palm technique, and I am also tempering my physical body. But even without internal energy, I can still transmit force from a distance."

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "You just need to do your best."

The Diba Deng, without further delay, instantly filled the courtyard with flying palm shadows.

His palm shadows could actually move through the air, the air passing through the gaps between his palms with a long, tearing sound. Each palm shadow was like a living dragon.

"So there's this kind of fighting style: sending a palm strike from a distance, with the intention of a swimming dragon, without having to construct a complete dragon shape."

Chu Tianshu swung his arm, casually shattering the palm shadows, and occasionally flicking out a finger.

The force of his fingers struck the air like a bell, unleashing his true form at the Diba Deng and blocking his path of attack.

After the two had been cultivating for a long time, Chu Tianshu's ears twitched slightly as he heard someone approaching from outside.

Let's stop here for now.

Chu Tianshu struck again, this time with a jade-like light emanating from his palm.

The palm shadows in the air were all swept away by an invisible ripple, slowed down, gradually faded, and collapsed.

The gatekeeper entered the courtyard and respectfully presented a gift.

"Hero Chu, this invitation says it was sent by a prince, inviting you to a banquet."

Chu Tianshu took it and looked at it.

Prince Gusi, the second son of the current emperor and a disciple of Yan Tiemu'er.

When he came of age, five hundred Tibetan monks congratulated him, performing Buddhist chants and offerings of yak butter and fragrant flowers to cleanse his bones and marrow for six hours. He endured the entire ordeal, and thus received a Sanskrit name, "Merit and Virtue Sage").

This Merit and Virtue Sage prince set off from Dadu several months ago, saying he was coming to Suzhou and Hangzhou to participate in the grand event of the Meteor Gods and Devils choosing a time.

But he had been inspecting various places along the way, eliminating corruption and selecting officials, entering and leaving military camps and reorganizing military officers, and it was not until today that he arrived in Suzhou and Hangzhou.

"Now that Xiao Wang has arrived in Suzhou and Hangzhou, tonight is a grand occasion, Gods and Devils will surely appear. I also invite you, sir, to attend the banquet."

Chu Tianshu chuckled softly.

There are still nine days until October 15th.

This prince seems quite confident.