"Is Brother Yan practicing his punches again?"
In the afternoon, amidst a light rain, Long Feicheng stood in the bamboo grove holding an umbrella and asked Luo Ning and Zhao Yiyao.
Zhao Yiyao snorted, "I remember he's been practicing for seven days now. How come there's no change at all in the bamboo in front of him?"
Luo Ning chuckled. Zhao Yiyao had been in seclusion cultivating the "Shen Nei Jing" for the past seven days and didn't know what Yan Shouyi had been practicing.
Long Feicheng observed for a moment and realized Yan Shouyi's fists weren't actually hitting the bamboo in front of him. He wondered if Yan Shouyi was punching the air or the raindrops.
He took a bite of the apple in his hand and asked, "Why are you two here?"
"There's a part missing from the 'Shen Nei Jing' that he gave me. I came to ask him for clarification," Zhao Yiyao replied.
Luo Ning crossed her arms and leaned against a bamboo, saying, "I'm here to keep an eye on Yan Shouyi and Zhao Yiyao, to see if they're getting too close."
Long Feicheng: "..."
Zhao Yiyao glared at Luo Ning with a look of disdain.
In reality, she understood that Luo Ning's stated reason of monitoring Yan Shouyi was actually a veiled way of monitoring her, Zhao Yiyao.
After all, Zhao Yiyao had only recently joined Yan Shouyi's team, and previously, Yan Shouyi and the Zhao family had been on opposing sides. Therefore, Zhao Yiyao hadn't yet earned everyone's trust. This was why Luo Ning was keeping watch.
However, Zhao Yiyao didn't say anything. She had no intention of opposing Yan Shouyi anymore. As for trust, that was something that needed to be built gradually.
As the three chatted, Yan Shouyi unleashed a punch. A few raindrops landed on his fist without any discernible effect. But ten meters away from him, the raindrops suddenly exploded with a booming sound!
Zhao Yiyao and Long Feicheng flinched, startled.
Only Luo Ning knew what Yan Shouyi had been practicing these past few days, so she was not at all surprised.
Yan Shouyi's face lit up with excitement. He immediately threw his second punch at the bamboo in front of him!
As the punch landed, the bamboo merely swayed gently, shedding a few withered yellow leaves from its top.
But the three bamboos behind this one shattered with a crash!
As the bamboos fell, Yan Shouyi let out a sigh of relief and looked back at the three Dragons behind him with a hint of pride.
The three Dragons' eyes were also full of approval. He said:
"In just seven days, you not only mastered Tong Jin (透劲), but you've also achieved San Tong Jin (三透劲). If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it!"
Yan Shouyi suppressed his pride and replied humbly, "It is all due to Uncle Sanlong's excellent guidance."
"You don't need to be modest. It took me three years to achieve Yi Tong Jin back then, which was already unprecedented. And you've achieved San Tong Jin in just seven days..." Sanlong waved his hand. "Shouyi, I know you are a humble person, but you must recognize your immense talent and strive to maximize it. I am afraid that any slight discouragement might cause you to underestimate your talent, thus affecting your future heights."
It was easy to imagine how powerful Yan Shouyi would become in ten years. Sanlong was not worried about Yan Shouyi lacking strength, but rather about him not utilizing his talent to its fullest potential.
Therefore, Sanlong would not feign dissatisfaction to motivate Yan Shouyi. Instead, he cherished it immensely, hoping that Yan Shouyi would realize just how powerful his talent was.
Sanlong smiled:
"As the saying goes, the master leads the disciple into the gate, but cultivation is up to the individual. I was initially worried that seven days wouldn't be enough for you to grasp Yi Tong Jin, and I was planning to borrow three days from Uncle Pang. But now it seems unnecessary. My guidance to you ends here! Uncle Pang is waiting for you at the Liu family's ancient mansion. Go find him now and begin your second phase of secluded cultivation."
Yan Shouyi did not leave immediately. Instead, he knelt before Sanlong and performed a kowtow.
Although Sanlong was his uncle, their relationship had become more like that of a master and disciple during this time, and Sanlong was worthy of Yan Shouyi's bow.
After offering his thanks, Yan Shouyi stood up and ran towards the Liu family's ancient mansion. Sanlong watched his retreating figure with eyes full of anticipation.
"Let's go, we should head back too," Luo Ning said to Zhao Yiyao.
Long Feicheng blinked in surprise, "Going back already? I just walked for half an hour on the mountain path to get here..."
Luo Ning and Zhao Yiyao ignored Long Feicheng. They moved as lightly as swallows and disappeared into the bamboo grove in the blink of an eye, leaving Long Feicheng utterly bewildered.
His stamina was nowhere near that of Luo Ning and Zhao Yiyao. After walking for half an hour up the mountain, his waist was sore and his legs were cramped. And all before he even finished his apple, he had to walk back.
Long Feicheng looked back again, only to find that Sanlong had also vanished, completely crushing his hope of getting a ride back.
"Alas! What a plight!"
Long Feicheng sighed, threw away the apple core, and was about to turn back when he heard rustling in the nearby bamboo grove, as if some wild beast was approaching.
Long Feicheng immediately became alert. He silently put down his umbrella, drew his Caiwei sword, and revealed a rare seriousness as he faced the direction of the sound.
Suddenly, a dark shadow shot out from the bamboo grove, instantly engulfing Long Feicheng!
...
At the Liu family's ancient mansion, Agong was busy making paper figures when he saw Yan Shouyi rush in frantically. Without waiting for Agong to speak, he asked, "Where is Uncle Pang?"
"In the backyard..."
"Thanks!"
Yan Shouyi vanished from Agong's sight again.
Agong scratched the back of his head, finding it all rather peculiar, but he didn't overthink it and continued making paper figures.
In the backyard, the bald man was hunched over the Liu family's ancient well, studying something.
Yan Shouyi ran in and exclaimed excitedly, "Uncle Pang, I've mastered San Tong Jin! It's your turn now!"
The bald man was startled, nearly falling into the ancient well.
Once he regained his composure, the bald man also smiled at Yan Shouyi, "Good lad, you've mastered San Tong Jin so quickly. Your Uncle Sanlong must be questioning his own life, eh?"
"Well... cough cough, I wouldn't know." Yan Shouyi said sheepishly.
"Alright, come here. Let me tell you what I'm going to teach you."
Yan Shouyi stood in front of the bald man. The bald man snapped his fingers, and behind him appeared a white fox, the size of a Tibetan Mastiff!
Seeing the Fox Immortal with the bald man for the second time, Yan Shouyi was still slightly taken aback.
Compared to this Fox Immortal, Zhao Yiyao's Huang Si Pi was nothing. This Fox Immortal possessed an incredibly proud demeanor, and the scar on its face made it look even more formidable than a tiger. As it licked its paw, its claws, inadvertently revealed, gleamed with a silvery light, as if several steel blades were hidden within its fleshy paw.
"We 'Chu Ma Xian' (出马仙) are actually quite similar to the Shikigami of Neon Japan. Animals that have cultivated to become demons, in order to achieve immortality, most commonly practice good deeds. But they are not humans, and it is extremely difficult for them to integrate into human society. Therefore, they must choose a human with a strong destiny to serve as a vessel, using their physical form to move within human society. Some rough demons directly possess human bodies, but most demons do not do so, as it harms their merit. Instead, like us, they sign a contract to become Chu Ma Xian. A few Chu Ma Xian, like Shen Tian Ichirou whom you encountered, can achieve a reversal, controlling the immortal. But such individuals are very rare."
"From what I've said, you should be able to tell that the conditions for becoming a Chu Ma Xian are not harsh. All you need is an immortal willing to sign a contract with you. Therefore—what I'm going to teach you is how to acquire an immortal yourself!"
Yan Shouyi was stunned, "You want me to become a Chu Ma Xian too?"
"No, Chu Ma Xian exist to help the immortal achieve their goal. What I want you to become is a Chu Ma Xian who complements and achieves goals together. Your relationship with your immortal will be equal, with no master-servant distinction. When you accumulate enough merit, the immortal will ascend, and you will also benefit immensely!"
Yan Shouyi seemed to understand what the bald man meant, but he still frowned and said,
"But even so... where am I supposed to find an immortal willing to sign a contract with me?"
These things aren't like cabbage by the roadside, sold by the pound. Is it possible Uncle Pang can just give me one?
The bald man was about to reply when he heard a voice shout from outside, "I am willing to be your immortal!"