Chapter 156 Refining True Skill with Worldly Fire

Lu Zizai, dressed in coarse linen, retorted, “What’s the use of clinging to outward appearances of status?”

The lush bamboo forest and the shimmering firelight seemed to illuminate his handsome young face, making him appear to glow and exude exceptional charm. His expression was calm as he said, “I am now Lu Zizai, a new recruit of the Six Imperial Guards, eighteen years old, and ready to run away at any time.”

Qin Ming’s suspicions about him hadn’t lessened, and he felt somewhat wary, but since he himself had said so, it really wasn’t wise to delve deeper. “Then how should I address you, Senior Brother Lu?”

The boy in hemp clothing himself said that he was not attached to appearances, so Qin Ming naturally had to let go as well. Therefore, he cautiously probed.

“Okay, that’s a good name.” Lu Zizai nodded and smiled.

Qin Ming immediately realized that the boy in hemp clothing didn’t like being called old, so this way of addressing him suited his taste perfectly.

“Senior brother, how did you master the Three Defenses? I feel that during the freshman stage, no one could stop you.” Qin Ming humbly asked for guidance.

Lu Zizai shook his head and said, “That’s not how it works. The Jade Purity Book, the Tathagata Dharma, and others are no weaker than the Six Imperial Heart Sutra, not to mention the vanished Heaven-Slaying Strategy.”

Then he countered with a question: “How do you think my first three imperial titles evolved?” This was clearly a test.

After thinking for a moment, Qin Ming said, “The Yin and Yang energies can transform heaven and earth. A wisp of purple energy comes from beyond the world and has the potential to give rise to all things.”

Lu Zizai said, “There’s some trick to it, but you don’t have to stick to the methods of your predecessors. What you’re saying sounds quite like the approach of a lost tradition.”

Throughout, Qin Ming’s eyes were filled with eagerness, indicating that he wanted to learn law from him.

Lu Zizai said, “The path I took in the past had some problems, and I have nothing to teach you now. I am re-examining and reviewing the past. True gold is not afraid of being tested by fire, and true skill should be tested in the same way.”

“Senior Brother Lu has a far-sighted vision, which I, your junior brother, am far inferior to.”

Lu Zizai shook his head and said, “Are you and I just flattering each other?” “I want to learn real skills!” Qin Ming said without any tact.

Lu Zizai’s expression was serious. He said, “Like you, I’m still on the journey, still being refined in the fire. I’m trying to forget the past and learn everything from scratch.” Qin Mingyi felt that he wasn’t just being perfunctory. If he really did that, his demands on himself would be ridiculously high—was he really willing to abandon all his old skills?

“Isn’t the Six Emperors’ Path strong enough?” he couldn’t help but ask. Lu Zizai sighed, “That depends on who you’re comparing yourself to. In the early stages, you…”

I’m very strong. But when you’ve endured years of hardship and reached the pinnacle, the most glorious moment, you discover that you can only compete with others, not defeat all the heroes of the world. At that moment, you’ll have a realization, and ask yourself, “Was this path right? Was it strong? Is it true skill that can withstand the test of time?”

Qin Ming felt a certain resonance now, because he had also been moved in a similar way.

In his daily life, he strictly demands of himself, diligently cultivates his strength, and imagines his opponents in their strongest state, because he is comparing himself to esoteric sects and otherworldly realms.

He asked, “Senior Brother Lu, are you comparing yourself to other paths?”

Lu Zizai nodded, his expression serious, and said, “Yes, if you have talent, you should go far. Later on, you’ll realize how difficult this path is.”

He then asked, “How strong is the Six Imperial Ancestors?” Qin Ming immediately replied, “Naturally, extremely powerful.”

Lu Zizai said calmly, “Do you know that even someone as powerful as the patriarch was once tried to make him a strongman?” “What?!” Qin Ming was stunned.

Although we know that the Six Emperors Ancestors ultimately succeeded in stopping it and did not become someone else’s strongman, it is enough to illustrate the severity of the situation back then.

Lu Zizai said, “Don’t be complacent. We are naturally looking at other opponents on the road. There are quite a few, in fact, too many.”

Qin Ming nodded. He naturally listened to these words, as he had already thought of them before.

Lu Zizai said, “Since you and I have such innate talent, we should take more steps forward and work hard to pave our own path. Otherwise, without the protection of our ancestor, our final outcome won’t be good. Even someone as strong as our young ancestor had to become a strongman.”

“Is the difference really that big?” Qin Ming frowned deeply.

“There are two main issues. One is time; we need to be patient and let time accumulate and refine us before we can slowly rise to prominence.”

First, we are still working on the frontier. Second, in the most cutting-edge fields, we are making great strides, progressing too slowly, and we can already see the end of the road ahead. Meanwhile, other paths are still being explored, far from their destination.

Lu Zizai appears carefree and has an otherworldly air, but he is filled with anxiety about this path. The further he looks, the more boundless pressure he feels.

“Is the Six Imperial Patriarch really going to have a problem?” Qin Ming asked.

“Don’t worry, he pulled through again, but everyone grows old and dies eventually. What about the next life?” Lu Zi sighed. Qin Ming was stunned; this was a lot to take in!

“Senior Brother Lu, is there really nothing you can teach me?” He was so eager to improve himself. With the arrival of this great era, all paths were expanding forward, and he naturally hoped to become stronger and move forward quickly.

“How many extraordinary skills and techniques have you practiced?” Lu Zizai asked. Qin Ming thought for a moment and then told him the truth.

“Hiss, what kind of combination is this? It seems so familiar. Could it be another method that will lead you to your doom?” Lu Zizai asked solemnly.

He then asked, “Did you try to combine all of these yourself?” “Yes!” Qin Ming nodded.

“You’re trying to extort money from me using my ticket revenue!” Lu Zizai said.

“Is there a problem?” Qin Ming was a little uneasy. He didn’t regard the person in front of him as a real teenager, but as an extraordinary “master teacher”.

“Historically, there have been two or three similar approaches, all of which eventually failed,” Lu Zizai said.

Qin Ming felt uncertain; it sounded like they were talking about the laws described in the silk scroll. He asked, “Is there a solution?”

“Either we grit our teeth and persevere until the dawn breaks, and then we transform like butterflies. Or we prepare in advance, constantly refining ourselves and eliminating the dross,” Lu Zizai said.

Qin Ming pondered that his Great Light Force had been undergoing qualitative changes without any apparent abnormalities.

When I was tracing my path forward, I realized that the Sixfold Heart Sutra also had problems, causing blockages and making it difficult to advance into the most cutting-edge new fields.

Expanding on this, I’ve devised a method I call “Worldly Fire,” which allows me to refine true skill through fire and discern whether the techniques I’ve practiced are compatible with my own.

According to Zizai, everyone’s constitution is different, and the problems they face are naturally different as well. If a practitioner feels any discomfort with the practice, they should not continue, otherwise the problems will continue to grow in the future.

Moreover, he frankly admitted that the world’s fire refines true skills, and it is extremely difficult to comprehend them thoroughly. He has not yet fully mastered them, and Qin Ming probably has not yet succeeded.

“This is what I’ve prepared for the future fresh blood of the Six Kingdoms. I’ve figured it out myself, but the approach isn’t mature enough to teach others yet.”

Qin Ming’s spirits lifted, and he said, “Senior Brother Lu, please pass on the true technique to me. I should be able to learn it!”

Lu Zizai said, “Judging from your Heavenly Light Force, it seems you’ve been recklessly trained all along, which means your physical attributes are indeed ridiculously strong. However, your comprehension still needs to be tested. Otherwise, I’m afraid I might harm you. If you practice it incorrectly, you might go insane.” Qin Ming, however, was full of confidence. Having encountered a master, he didn’t want to miss out on the “World Flame.”

Lu Zizai shook his head and said, “That’s hard to say. There’s an old guy who’s incredibly strong, his hands practically could lift the sky. He relied entirely on his unparalleled physical talent to develop brute strength and forge his own path, but his comprehension is really lacking.” Qin Ming suspected he was referring to the patriarch of the Qingda lineage. Legend has it that when that patriarch practiced the “Destiny-Changing Scripture,” he was very down-to-earth, cursing and almost tearing the book up.

“You’re here to practice the River Meridian Classic, right? That’s a good opportunity to test your comprehension,” Lu Zizai said with a smile.

The boy was eighteen years old, and his whole body exuded a natural and refreshing aura. Under Qin Ming’s calm gaze, the silvery-white color at the roots of Lu Zizai’s hair completely disappeared.

“Well, after a brief exchange with you, I’ve also gained some insights. My new realm has reached perfection.” Lu Zizai’s life force seemed to have grown even stronger.

In the Shishan area, not only Zhou Shize and Zhou Tao stood at a distance, but many other elders who had received the news also came and silently guarded the area.

There are no young disciples left in this area; they’ve all been sent away.

Then, an old man appeared. He was thin and bony, with no hair on his head and almost all his teeth missing.

A group of elders immediately stepped forward and bowed.

He was the eldest son of the young patriarch, skin and bones, and looked very old. He looked at the group of elders and said, “Get up, all of you.”

“Inside…” someone started to say something.

“Don’t worry about it, just pretend you didn’t see anything, don’t have any thoughts, let nature take its course,” the eldest disciple of the young patriarch said solemnly.

“I’m always quick at understanding scriptures!” Qin Ming was very confident in himself.

Lu Zizai said, “Back then, I also studied the ‘Heluo Jing’ and it seems that it took me five or six days to fully grasp the basics and develop the Heluo Jin.”

“So fast?” Qin Ming exclaimed in admiration.

“Yes, my comprehension is stronger than my physical constitution.” Lu Zizai nodded, displaying a youthful and spirited demeanor. Qin Ming said, “Then I’ll see how long it takes me to fully grasp the basics and develop the River Flow Strength!”

Lu Zizai nodded and said, “Yes, in terms of comprehension, as long as you get even slightly closer to my level, you’ll be able to fully comprehend this not-yet-mature World Flame.”

Inside the rocky mountain, in the carved-out quiet chamber, there is a spring flowing from the ground, and a stream flowing through the cave. In the lower space, there is an underground lake.

This environment was prepared for practicing the “He Luo Jing” (River Collaterals Classic). On the stone table, there was a book that smelled of ink; it was clearly a handwritten copy.

Both the original manuscript and earlier handwritten copies contain annotations from predecessors, who have written down many insights.

The elders of the Six Emperors sent out extraordinary skills, also wanting to test the four extraordinary individuals and see their comprehension; naturally, they wouldn’t send out annotated manuals.

Qin Ming sat on the stone chair, turning page after page of the River Path Classic. Every now and then he would get up and perform a ritual by the earth spring, creating layers of mist.

He sighed inwardly, “This truly deserves to be called a top-tier extraordinary skill; its uses are boundless. Its power would be amplified dramatically if used on the banks of rivers and seas.”

Moreover, as he comprehended it, his entire demeanor changed, becoming gentle and full of vitality, his whole body enveloped in water mist. Truly worthy of being a miraculous scripture! Qin Ming exclaimed in admiration.

If this technique is used during a torrential downpour, all the raindrops in the world can be transformed into weapons.

Furthermore, who doesn’t have water in their body? Qin Ming diligently studied and practiced the technique, gaining immense benefits, and finally, on the fourth day, fully entered 【the state of enlightenment/mastery】.

He entered the gate and practiced the River Network Strength.

As he cast his spell, endless water vapor surged and expanded outwards from the quiet room, merging with the night mist. His spiritual senses seemed to extend into the distance as well.

Qin Ming felt a little tired, so he lay down on the stone table for a short rest, but in his half-awake state, the water vapor continued to spread outwards.

He vaguely heard some kind of sound and saw blurry images.

In the distance, a young man, slightly indistinct in appearance, looking no more than thirty, spoke: “Zizai, why aren’t you leaving yet?”

This person was extraordinary, seemingly traversing the vast void by controlling the six elements. Behind him was a thick, boundless black fog, within which stood a colossal figure, resembling him in appearance, stained with blood, exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression.

“Almost there, let’s go now, there’s still a karmic connection to be severed.” Lu Zizai’s figure appeared. The young man was eighteen, his demeanor was extraordinary, and he exuded an ethereal aura.

Behind him, thick night fog enveloped a colossal figure, though shorter than the giant opposite him. This figure exuded a terrifying aura and radiated golden light.

“What’s going on?” Qin Ming felt his mind and consciousness trembling even in his half-awake state.

(There’s more to come!