Chapter 12: Surging Waves and Flowing Clouds, Autumn Water Swift Hong

Chen Yuan first flipped open the “Surging Waves and Flowing Clouds Technique”.

As a High Grade Mystic-Grade Internal Skill Mind-Cultivation Technique, the core of the “Surging Waves and Flowing Clouds Technique” was to stimulate the Acupoints throughout the body, allowing a portion of Internal Energy to be born in each Acupoint.

When the Internal Energy circulated, the bits of Internal Energy in the Acupoints flowed into the Meridians, turning into trickling streams, which then merged from the Meridians into the Dantian.

The Internal Energy in a single Acupoint was not much, and the Internal Energy flowing into the Meridians was not very thick either.

But when all the Internal Energy in the Meridians gathered in the Dantian, this Internal Energy would be like surging waves and flowing clouds, vast and majestic, with astonishing power.

Overall, this Internal Skill Mind-Cultivation Technique followed an orthodox path, moving from Acupoints to Meridians and then to the Dantian; the Internal Energy accumulated little by little, and once mastered, its explosive power was extremely shocking.

Moreover, an Internal Skill that Cultivate from the Foundation had a balanced and peaceful attribute, making it most suitable for martial arts Foundation Establishment.

If there were any drawbacks, it was that it had certain requirements for talent.

According to the “Surging Waves and Flowing Clouds Technique”, the human body has a total of three hundred and sixty-five Acupoints, corresponding to the number of stars in the heavens.

One must open all the Acupoints and store Internal Energy in all three hundred and sixty-five of them to be considered to have reached the entry level.

A person with ordinary talent might not even be able to sense the Acupoints, taking months or even a year or two just to open one; such a person would never reach the entry level until they died.

However, this was nothing to Chen Yuan.

He had outstanding talent; with a slight closure of his eyes to sense, he could detect the existence of Acupoints within the flow of Internal Energy, and with a thought, he could burst them open.

It was just that the Internal Energy Cultivate from the Azure Wood Heart Method was thin; after Chen Yuan burst open a dozen or so Acupoints, he had to sit in meditation to Cultivate and recover his Internal Energy before he could continue.

It could be said that as long as Chen Yuan had enough Internal Energy, he could burst open all three hundred and sixty-five Acupoints in a single day and complete the entry level.

Putting down the “Surging Waves and Flowing Clouds Technique”, Chen Yuan flipped through the “Qiu Shui Jinghong Sword Technique”.

This Sword Technique was ranked Low Grade Earth-Grade; the technique manual was very thin, and its core Saber Intent was only one thing: speed!

Like a swift swan, an extremely fierce speed.

With one strike of the saber, the blade passes and the autumn water leaves no trace; this is the true meaning of the Autumn Water Swift Hong Blade.

However, to achieve this kind of speed, understanding the Saber Intent was important, but one’s own strength was even more important.

Without strength as a Foundation, you couldn’t be fast even if you wanted to, so this Sword Technique and the “Surging Waves and Flowing Clouds Technique”, with its powerful explosive power, complemented each other.

The power of the Cultivation Technique was the Foundation; Chen Yuan first Cultivate the “Surging Waves and Flowing Clouds Technique”, and after his Internal Energy was exhausted, he would visualize the Saber Intent of the “Qiu Shui Jinghong Sword Technique” while recovering his Internal Energy, making sure not to waste a single moment.

Time waits for no one; when Jiang Kaitai began the Blood Sacrifice of the seven killing stele, he had to have the ability to enter the fray, rather than being a mere spectator.

In five days, Chen Yuan completely burst open all three hundred and sixty-five Acupoints, his Internal Energy gathered bit by bit, and the Surging Waves and Flowing Clouds Technique reached the entry level.

At the moment he burst open the last Acupoint, Chen Yuan gathered his Internal Energy, and the bits of Internal Energy collected in the Acupoints began to surge and gather along the Meridians.

The Internal Energy in these Meridians began to carry his own blood and Qi, surging violently, causing the temperature around Chen Yuan’s body to rise slightly, his face to turn red, and a faint white True Qi to appear above his head.

After a moment, the Internal Energy was completely exhausted, the surging blood and Qi calmed down, and Chen Yuan’s complexion returned to normal.

Letting out a long breath, a flash of joy appeared in Chen Yuan’s eyes.

Along with reaching the entry level of the “Surging Waves and Flowing Clouds Technique”, his Internal Energy had reached a new level, and he had finally stepped into the Blood Moving Realm.

Of the Nine Realms of Martial Dao, the first three realms were all about the ultimate Tempering of the Physical Body.

Body Tempering was for muscle and bone, Pulse Opening was for Meridians, and Blood Transference was for blood and Qi.

Using powerful Internal Energy to surge the blood and Qi throughout the body, completely moving the Impurities out of the blood and Qi—this was the Blood Moving Realm.

The more one Cultivate in this realm, the stronger their blood and Qi became; when the blood and Qi became as thick as silver mercury, pure and flawless, it would be considered the Major Achievement of the Blood Moving Realm.

After recovering his Internal Energy, Chen Yuan went to take a bath, and the bathwater was slightly black at this time.

After Blood Transference, the heat of the blood and Qi rises, expelling Impurities from the body; this was a normal phenomenon.

Suddenly, a knock came from outside the door, and Zhang Xiaoyi’s voice drifted in.

“Young Master, have you finished your secluded meditation? The Gang Leader has called everyone to the Council Hall to discuss matters.”

“I know, I’m coming.”

Chen Yuan had an idea and roughly guessed why Jiang Kaitai was calling everyone for a meeting.

It was likely that Chu Ziping’s disappearance had been discovered.

As the head of the Punishment Hall, Chu Ziping spent most of his time working within the gang, so a one-day disappearance was actually quite easy to notice.

But later, because the Blackwater Gang was pressing hard, Chu Ziping’s Punishment Hall was also sent out to fight fiercely with the Blackwater Gang.

Since then, Chu Ziping was often not in the gang, but would go to other branches or scout for news of the Blackwater Gang elsewhere.

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

Chen Yuan changed his clothes and stepped into the Council Hall.

The eldest, Qin Yuancheng, as well as many Hall Masters of the Heaven Wolf Gang, were also there.

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

Of course, he wasn’t worried about Chu Ziping’s life or death; he didn’t value this cheap adopted son much.

It was just that at the critical moment of the Blood Sacrifice of the Divine Artifact, Jiang Kaitai really didn’t want to be distracted by these messy affairs.

But as the head of the Punishment Hall and his adopted son, he couldn’t just ignore his disappearance, or the other Hall Masters in the gang would sense something unusual.

“Chu Ziping has been missing for five days. Eldest, Third, did you see Second five days ago? Was there anything unusual about him?”

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; he wouldn’t tell me anything.”

Chen Yuan also said: “Adoptive Father, you know my personality; I’ve never had much interaction with Second Brother. I’ve been Cultivate these past few days and don’t seem to have seen him.”

“Where is Second’s confidant? When was the last time you saw your Hall Master, and what was he going to do?”

That confidant of Chu Ziping subconsciously glanced at Chen Yuan, hesitated for a moment, and shook his head: “I don’t know either. The Hall Master would only order us to do things; we never dared to ask what he was going to do.”

Originally, he was the one who reported to Chu Ziping that Chen Yuan had left the Heaven Wolf Gang, but right now he didn’t dare say such a thing in public.

Chen Yuan was the Gang Leader’s adopted son and a Hall Master of the Heaven Wolf Gang. What did it mean for people from the Punishment Hall to monitor and track their own?

If Chu Ziping was fine, saying this would be blackening the Hall Master’s name, and the Hall Master would certainly not let him off when he returned.

If something really happened to Chu Ziping, these words would also offend Chen Yuan, and he would suffer just the same without a backer.

Moreover, after Chu Ziping heard this back then, he only nodded and said he knew, without saying what he planned to do next.

So, after thinking it over, Chu Ziping’s confidant decided it was better not to say anything.

“Useless! What use are you all?”

Jiang Kaitai snorted coldly and said in a heavy voice: “With Second missing, the Punishment Hall will be temporarily managed by Eldest and Third together. Other Hall Masters, keep an eye out for Second’s whereabouts during this time.”

A flash of joy appeared on Qin Yuancheng’s face.

Even if Second didn’t die this time, he would take advantage of his absence to hollow out his Punishment Hall!

Chen Yuan, however, stood up and said: “Adoptive Father, I have never handled these gang affairs. Recklessly intervening might make things worse. It’s better to leave it to Big Brother.”

Qin Yuancheng had been considering how to sideline Chen Yuan.

He didn’t expect Chen Yuan to once again refuse the actual power given by Jiang Kaitai.

This time, his gaze toward Chen Yuan softened a bit.

Third seems a bit foolish; has he really damaged his brain from Cultivate?

But this is good; when he takes control of the Heaven Wolf Gang, he won’t need to get rid of Third, and using him as an enforcer wouldn’t be bad either.

Seeing Chen Yuan refuse actual power once again, Jiang Kaitai’s wariness toward him lessened another degree.

Compared to those two, Third’s mind was much simpler.

But if he gave the Punishment Hall to Eldest as well, Eldest’s power would seem a bit too heavy.

However, Jiang Kaitai thought carefully; once he fused with the Divine Artifact, what would a mere Heaven Wolf Gang matter? Would he still need to be wary of Eldest?

By then, he wouldn’t even be worthy of being his adopted son. Those high-and-mighty people from the Murong Clan might even beg to be his adopted sons!

Having thought this through, Jiang Kaitai nodded slightly: “Very well, the Punishment Hall will be entirely handed over to you, Eldest.”

A look of wild joy appeared on Qin Yuancheng’s face, and he hurriedly bowed: “Thank you, Adoptive Father!”

As everyone dispersed, Chen Yuan was about to go back and make the most of his time to Cultivate, but Qin Yuancheng suddenly called out to him and pulled him into a deserted corner.

“Third, you did well this time. I am very satisfied.”

Chen Yuan looked at Qin Yuancheng with a look of inexplicable confusion. What did I do? Satisfied with what?

Qin Yuancheng patted Chen Yuan on the shoulder and said: “This time you gave the Punishment Hall to me; I’ll remember this favor.

Don’t worry, I’m not a sinister fellow like Second, and I certainly won’t be as wary of you as our Adoptive Father.

In the future, when I take charge of the Heaven Wolf Gang, let alone one Punishment Hall, I’d be willing to give you ten; we two brothers will rule this Heaven Wolf Gang together!”

Qin Yuancheng spoke with great passion, believing he had painted a grand vision that Chen Yuan could not refuse.

Chen Yuan looked at Qin Yuancheng with a half-smile: “Big Brother is truly generous; I really must thank you then.”

“We are brothers; saying thanks makes us sound like strangers.”

Qin Yuancheng, thinking he had won Chen Yuan over, patted his shoulder again and left with great self-satisfaction.

Watching Qin Yuancheng’s departing back, Chen Yuan softly uttered two words: “Idiot.”

Compared to Chu Ziping, Qin Yuancheng’s brain really wasn’t up to the task.

Chu Ziping at least knew how to use the gang’s resources to invest in merchant caravans, amass wealth outside the Heaven Wolf Gang, win people’s hearts within the gang, and collect other Cultivation Techniques to increase his strength.

Whereas Qin Yuancheng only knew how to stare at the small patch of land within the Heaven Wolf Gang.

Even without Chen Yuan’s Transmigration and Jiang Kaitai’s Blood Sacrifice of the Divine Artifact, the Heaven Wolf Gang wouldn’t have ended up in his hands.

But being a bit stupid is also good.

Chu Ziping was just too curious, and so he has now lost his life.