Chapter 10, First

He originally intended to have the most skilled martial artist, Jiang Zhiwei, accompany him in action. However, considering the low likelihood of success in sending the somewhat inexperienced Qingjing and Qi Xia to the west side to rescue people, where they might not be able to save anyone at all, he ultimately decided to split up and rescue people with Jiang Zhiwei. Of course, while leaving the burdens to them, he also needed to correspondingly "lighten" their tasks.

It turns out that some of the stone walls are hollow

It is a common understanding that disciples in the enlightenment stage of major sects, who have mastered numerous profound skills, are often able to defeat ordinary martial artists who have opened two to four additional meridians compared to themselves

In that moment, Meng Qi still thought that this sword strike had missed and failed to pierce the ghost.

It is still better to be cautious. Zhang Yuanshan pondered for a moment and said, after all, this is the first reincarnation task, and he is still unclear about the temperament of the "Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation" in assigning tasks

The man in black was drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through, and in a hoarse voice, he detailed the specific layout of the Hidden Emperor Fortress and the situation of its lord

Then I ask Junior Brother Qi to accompany me and Junior Brother Qingjing to the east side, striving to rescue the great heroes Ma Lianghan and Tan Wenbo as soon as possible. Zhang Yuanshan expressed his opinion, saying, "As for Junior Sister Jiang and Junior Sister Qi, please take care of Junior Brother Zhen Ding and Master Yan Xiang. If you can rescue the remaining two great heroes on the west side, that would be excellent. However, if it proves too difficult, do not linger; try to rescue one and then head directly to the center to meet us. I have estimated that having three great heroes coordinating and restraining will be sufficient.

Oh? Was I misled by a ghost, causing a deviation in my sword technique

Haha. Meng Qi let out a dry laugh, feeling somewhat ashamed of his poor eyesight for being startled by such an ordinary mechanism

Qi Xia gently exhaled, squatted down again, and clicked five times: "Go ahead, I need to hear if what you say is the same as what we know."

At this point, she smiled brightly, like a hundred flowers in full bloom: "After all, you and I are not related, and if I were to die here, I wouldn't be too sad."

Jiang Zhiwei swiftly drew her right hand, and with a sword, she unleashed a dragon's roar, encircling the three shadowy figures around her. With a few swift strokes of her sword, she cut the throat of one of them.

Qi Zhengyan's swordsmanship is quite rigorous, and occasionally he employs some marvelous techniques. Despite being besieged by three men in black, he still managed to severely injure one of them. It seems that if he were given more time, it would not be difficult for him to defeat his opponents.

"Then are we not going to rescue the Four Great Masters?" Qingjing immediately asked. However, after a moment of hesitation, he continued, "According to his words, it seems that the Lord of the Hidden Emperor Fortress has already opened his six senses..."

It seems to be correct. Zhang Yuanshan looked at the complete map and said in a low voice, "This Hidden Emperor's Fortress is built in underground caves, extremely vast, and has many mechanisms. Our time is not ample."

What Meng Qi could not comprehend was how ordinary martial arts could develop into "Heavenly Eye".

Meng Qi saw blood gushing out, staining a section of the ground and walls, and suddenly felt a sense of unreality, as if he were watching a movie in a cinema, with everything unrelated to himself

Zhang Yuanshan lunged forward, his right hand forming a sword with his fingers, and the shadow immediately ceased to move.

Meng Qi's face instantly turned dark and awkward, and he hurriedly quickened his pace to follow Jiang Zhiwei.

Indeed, many disciples from prominent sects have encountered setbacks due to insufficient experience in the martial world. Consequently, all sects now provide their disciples with various forms of practical training in real-world scenarios. For instance, as mentioned by Xuanxin and known by Mengqi, before outstanding disciples of Shaolin venture out into the world, they undergo a six-month period within the temple where they may be poisoned at any moment or ambushed unexpectedly. Except for the assailants who possess exceptionally high martial skills and are accompanied by an antidote to prevent fatalities, all other situations are genuine. This training is designed to help the disciples learn to discern and respond to various circumstances before they leave the temple.

Hehe, hehe, the figure in black let out a sound resembling a beast's roar from his throat, followed by a series of agonizing screams. Although the sound was not loud under the control of "And the Book of Soul Searching Thirteen Hands," only those nearby could hear it, it was chilling and horrifying, causing Meng Qi to break out in goosebumps.

"What kind of hero is it to boast without substance? If you have the ability, why not challenge me to another match?" Jiang Zhi smiled gently as she spoke, showing no concern for Qing Jing's subtle sarcasm

Meng Qi then noticed that there were inconspicuous guide rails installed on the stone wall above, with a rope hanging down, swaying unsteadily, leaving only half of it.

Meanwhile, Qi Xia moved gracefully among the flowers and trees, making few strikes, yet each time she unleashed her water-splitting technique, a figure in black would fall. The momentum of her blade was imposing, imbued with a sense of grandeur. Each slash appeared unremarkable, but the black-clad opponents seemed to be momentarily stunned, their movements slowed by half a beat, leading them to be directly struck down.

Then she seemed to be pushed away by something and stood up, drenched in cold sweat

The first ... ...

Could it be the "Soul Searching Thirteen Techniques" of the Dajiang Gang?" Jiang Zhiwei thought for a moment and immediately recalled the martial arts that Qi Xia intended to use

Qingjing's face turned pale, and he moved his lips: "If, if I also opened my eyes..."

Ah... stop, please, I beg you... Ah... I... I said... The man in black could no longer endure it, crying out in despair and pleading for mercy

Meng Qi nodded gently, having a general understanding of the "Enlightenment Period". His enthusiasm for the martial arts cultivation of this world grew even stronger. As for the methods of interrogating captives, although Meng Qi had learned about many torturous techniques out of curiosity, they were either unsuitable for this environment or not appropriate for short-term interrogation. Therefore, he looked towards Jiang Zhiwei, Qi Xia, and others, imitating Zhang Yuanshan.

He was very precise in his acupoint strikes, and his timing was impeccable, preventing the man in black from biting down on the poison in his mouth

At this moment, shadows rushed in from the fork in the road ahead, some wielding swords, some carrying axes, and others holding pitchforks

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. Meng Qi instinctively turned around and happened to see the timid Yan Wujing being pierced in the back by a long sword that had emerged from a crevice in the stone and from among the books, blood gushing out, clearly on the verge of death

Zhang Yuanshan squatted on the ground and began to draw a map based on his description. Generally speaking, if one were to fabricate a story out of thin air without prior planning, the map drawn from the provided layout would, to some extent, contain contradictions, unless it is exceedingly simple

The eye openings, the heavenly eye... At this moment, Meng Qi finally understood what the "opening period" truly referred to, and he subconsciously asked, "But what does this have to do with martial arts?"

In fact, it is not necessary at all. We can act together and rescue just two of them. How can an ordinary expert in the 'enlightenment period' compare to those with the legacy of a major sect?" Qingjing said with a hint of pride.

Having experienced the trials of time travel, the scenes of slaughter seemed trivial in comparison. He quickly regained his composure and hid behind Jiang Zhiwei, maintaining a distance within the reach of her long sword.

Yan Wujing cast a disdainful glance at the young novice monk and continued to mutter very softly, "They have yet to open their ears; what am I afraid of..."

"Engaging in sorcery and trickery." Jiang Zhiwei sheathed her long sword and let out a soft snort

Just as Meng Qi found himself unable to advance or retreat, his legs feeling as heavy as lead, a brilliant flash of sword light cut through the air, directly striking the void above this "evil spirit".

At this point, he was unable to continue speaking, for he was like Jiang Zhiwei, just over sixteen years old, yet the other party had already opened their spiritual eyes while he had not, clearly indicating that he had already lost

The man in black was naturally unaware of the specific cultivation level of the lord of the fortress, but some details he recounted led Qingjing and others to speculate, such as piercing mosquitoes and flies with an embroidery needle in the dark, and several instances of being poisoned by traitors but recognizing the poison before consumption

Zhang Yuanshan did not show off; he devoted himself fully. The long sword traced a semicircle, pulling several long knives away towards the outer circle. Then, with a thrust of his long sword, he split the flowers and brushed the willows, and in an instant, three men in black lay on the ground.

He furrowed his brows in dissatisfaction and walked towards the fork in the road, saying: "Brother Zhang, do not waste any more time.

Qi Xia said with a bitter smile, "What they call soul searching is merely a form of acupoint torture."

Zhang Yuanshan called out to Qi Zhengyan to keep up, while Jiang Zhiwei turned to Meng Qi and said: "Little monk, remember to stay close to me. If you fall too far behind, I won't have time to save you"

"I am ashamed; it has been five years since I mastered the art of breath control, yet I have still been unable to gain insight." The taciturn Qi Zhengyan replied with a cupped fist salute.

The eyes are the orifices of the liver. After accumulating energy until the meridians are fully open and the physical body has been initially tempered, the practice of martial arts shifts to the internal organs and acupoints. Zhang Yuanshan pulled out an object from the mouth of a man in black, straightened his body while casually explaining, and then looked at the crowd, saying, "He is still alive and has not committed suicide by poison. What means do you all have to extract the specific layout and situation of the Hidden Emperor's Fortress from him?"

Meng Qi cast a sidelong glance at him, saying nothing. Is he not afraid of being abandoned?

Meng Qi saw Yan Wujing's face contorted in extreme pain as he collapsed, feeling an overwhelming chill throughout his body

She is usually a pampered young lady, but at this moment, trapped in the "Cycle World," she is unable to calm her emotions and feels somewhat dazed, to the extent that even her polite smile appears burdened with worries. This has allowed Meng Qi, a very young servant monk, to take advantage of her in terms of address.

If the major sects do not understand how to compensate for their own weaknesses and do not conduct specialized training against assassination and poisoning techniques, they would have long been submerged in the river of history, becoming subjects of nostalgia during casual conversations, rather than still standing at the pinnacle of the universe

Ah

"Oh, isn't Miss Jiang the most skilled in martial arts? The other three have each killed at least three men in black, so why hasn't she dealt with the remaining two yet?" Amidst the flashes of blades and swords, Meng Qi did not feel a heavy heart over the deaths of the men in black.

Hmph, the yellow-haired boy pretends to be a renowned hero. As the script says, a great villain often appears as a loyal subject..." Yan Wujing, standing beside Meng Qi, murmured softly, clearly disapproving of Zhang Yuanshan, who could dominate any situation regardless of the environment.

Qi He stepped forward and smiled somewhat reluctantly, saying: "My younger sister does have a method of acupoint sealing that can be tried; I hope you all will not think my sister cruel."

Qingjing pursed her lips, finding it inappropriate to say anything further. She looked at Jiang Zhiwei and said, "Don't keep us waiting too long, or we will take matters into our own hands."

Jiang Zhiwei looked ahead and smiled, saying: "I and Senior Brother Zhang have already opened our spiritual eyes, akin to the 'Heavenly Eye' of your Buddhist teachings. Although the lights here are dim and the tracks and ropes are concealed by the environment, they cannot escape our sight."

What should be done about this

Hmm, we cannot be careless. From the map, the traps that have ensnared the four great masters are located on the east and west sides. Considering the time needed to disable the traps and break through the guards, we must act separately. " Zhang Yuanshan stood up and said calmly, " Junior Brother Qi, you should have fully gathered your energy by now, right? "

Zhang Yuanshan nodded gently and clasped his hands, saying: "I kindly ask Junior Sister Qi to take action, allowing us to enjoy the fruits of your labor."

Meng Qi glanced at Qing Jing, realizing that this fellow was not entirely obstinate and self-willed, nor completely stubborn in his opinions

Meng Qi felt all the hair on his body stand on end, wondering if he had entered a world filled with ghosts and spirits. Although the concepts of golden body, dharma body, and dao body sounded grand and impressive, surely capable of annihilating evil spirits, he and his companions were still at the level of ordinary martial arts, seemingly lacking any means to combat the ghosts.

Just as the words were spoken, with a loud clap, the dark figure fell straight to the ground, flailing its limbs but unable to stand up for a moment

Tsk, one must be cautious to navigate safely for a lifetime. Meng Qi smiled without speaking, watching as Qi Xia crouched down in front of the man in black, her right hand forming a sword with her index and middle fingers together. After regulating her breath for a few moments, she swiftly tapped the man in black seven times.

Do not take the sarcasm of defeated opponents to heart

Jiang Zhiwei's sword danced gracefully, elegant and refined, forcing the remaining two men in black to support themselves back to back. Meng Qi watched the scenes of their confrontation intently, constantly pondering how he would deal with them using Luohan Fist if he were in their place