Dongyi City.

The wretched yellow thatched cottage outside the city, nestled beneath the hills, remained as quiet as ever. No sword light, no wind from the blade, no sound of steel cutting through the air – only silence. It was late spring, almost summer, and the scorching sun beat down on the eastern ocean of the continent, raising countless vapors that plunged Dongyi City into a humid heat. Fortunately, the sea breeze blew constantly, offering some respite from the stifling air.

Since the battle of Great Dong Mountain three years prior, the Sword Sanctum's disciples had moved their practice outside. No one dared disturb the Sword Saint's recovery deep within the courtyard, hence the profound silence. The invisible moisture in the air grew cold as the sun sank, settling towards the ground, slowly clinging to the scraps of broken swords, congealing into droplets of water.

The setting sun cast a faint red glow deep into the Sword Sanctum, illuminating the large pit. Countless swords reflected the light, and the water droplets upon them appeared crimson, like blood.

A few blowflies appeared from nowhere, buzzing annoyingly as they curiously circled the pit of swords. These creatures had no comprehension of the pit's significance, the status and reputation the swords held in the world. Instinctively, they focused on the red droplets upon the blades, puzzled as to why the "blood" lacked the slightest trace of a savory smell.

The weather was hot, so the natural ice-cold aura within the sword graveyard had faded considerably, allowing the blowflies to muster the courage to fly there. However, within the dim room beside the graveyard, an icy chill starkly contrasted the outside environment. Perhaps it was because the room had been deprived of sunlight for years, or perhaps it was the icy cold emanating from the Grandmaster lying on the bed, gradually succumbing to death, a cold that chilled the very soul.

The room was devoid of blowflies, spiders, webs, and even mosquitoes dared not bite the person wrapped in thick quilts. Yet, in a corner of the snow-white wall, a long-legged mosquito, about the size of a small fingernail, stared intently at the person beneath the covers.

The long-legged mosquito trembled, its transparent wings occasionally stroking its increasingly desiccated body, reminding itself that it was still alive. Its long legs seemed particularly weak, and its entire body was tinged with an unhealthy brownish-yellow, appearing drained of all fluids, on the verge of becoming a husk.

It hadn't flown away because it hadn't found a single target to feed on inside the thatched cottage. The people within seemed to possess strange powers, and anyone who approached their bodies was repelled by an invisible barrier, shocked to death.

Only the dying person on the bed seemed to lack that ability, yet the long-legged mosquito still dared not fly down, for it sensed a chill emanating from the dying person, a cold that was almost unbearable in the sweltering heat.

But it persevered, knowing that the person was dying. Even the mightiest would turn into blood and decaying flesh upon death. It needed blood, and its blowfly brethren outside needed carrion.

…

…

Beneath the heavy cotton quilts, Si Gu Jian was freezing and shivering uncontrollably. Each tremor sent a searing pain through the wound on his chest and abdomen. Three years ago, he had been struck by Qing Emperor's domineering punch, and Ye Liuyun had torn off one of his arms. More than a month ago, Shadow had stabbed him twice in the chest. Even though Fei Jie's poisons had already frozen all of his wounds, his life force was extinguished.

Logically, he should have been dead long ago, but he hadn't died. He merely stared blankly at the snow-white wall in the room, at the long-legged mosquito trembling in the corner, watching the mosquito suffer, waiting for the mosquito to give out and fall from the wall.

The Grandmaster's eyes held a detached and serene expression, as if he had long seen through everything in the world, including the final moments of life, the great terror between life and death.

In those eyes, there was no trace of the murderous intent he had displayed when he slaughtered a hundred tiger guards with his sword, no trace of the bloody sword intent from the time he slaughtered the residence, no trace of the indomitable fighting spirit that soared into the sky. There wasn't even a hint of the amusement he felt watching ants move house under the Great Qing Tree many years ago. There was only tranquility, and the shadow of the desiccated, brownish-yellow, trembling long-legged mosquito.

The dying Si Gu Jian refused to die because he was waiting for someone.

The door was gently pushed open, allowing a shaft of slightly warmer twilight to enter, casting the young man's long shadow on the ground.

Si Gu Jian didn't waste his last breath to glance at him, nor did he say anything. He knew that since the other party had rushed back, he would naturally tell him what he wanted to hear.

…

…

Fan Xian left the capital, detoured to Weizhou, and then stealthily traveled to Shi Family Village. After days of arduous travel, he finally rendezvoused with the Overwatch Council team outside Dongyi City. Without wasting a moment, he rushed to the Sword Sanctum, and under Yun Zhilan's somewhat indifferent gaze, he pushed open the door, pushed it open again, and then pushed it open once more, passing through three layers of doors accompanied by hurried footsteps, and arrived at Si Gu Jian's side.

He looked at Si Gu Jian's head protruding from the thick cotton quilts and realized that the Sword Saint Grandmaster's body was indeed extremely frail. Even with three quilts covering him, it was still just a small lump, which made his head appear particularly large.

Having reached this state, Si Gu Jian still hadn't died. This fact alarmed Fan Xian. He looked at the aged and indifferent face and said, "If you don't cleanse the Hua Chi, its form will be destroyed. You should draw the Heavenly Spring to nourish your body…"

Without mentioning the Qing Emperor's intentions, without discussing the future of Dongyi City, without divulging any hidden secrets, Fan Xian immediately recited the nameless cultivation technique he had practiced since childhood, word by word, clearly and generously.

The nameless technique was divided into two volumes, and Fan Xian had only cultivated the first volume in his twenty-odd years of life. Although he had memorized the second volume perfectly, it had provided him with no benefits. These words were as if they were etched into his mind, impossible to forget. Now, reciting them before Si Gu Jian's bed took only a few breaths.

He didn't need to consider whether Si Gu Jian could understand or remember them, because even if he was dying, he was still a Grandmaster.

As Fan Xian spoke, Si Gu Jian's gaze gradually shifted from the mosquito in the corner, focusing on some unknown point in the space before him. His indifferent eyes sharpened, condensing into a sword, the blade gradually glowing, shining, and becoming incredibly hot.

Fan Xian stopped speaking and waited silently and quietly by the side.

Without him having to explain, Si Gu Jian would naturally be able to discern from the exquisite sentences, the inconceivable, and exceptionally brutal method of circulating Qi, that the cultivation technique he was reciting was none other than the Qing Emperor's domineering true technique.

Si Gu Jian's eyes grew brighter and brighter as Fan Xian recited, and then dimmed as Fan Xian stopped.

"How to cultivate the second half?" Fan Xian asked respectfully, lowering his head.

"Impossible." Si Gu Jian's voice was extremely weak and hoarse, but his answer was extremely resolute.

Fan Xian wasn't particularly disappointed and continued calmly, "But His Majesty cultivated the second half, and it became the Kingly Way."

"The ultimate in domineering is the Kingly Way?" Perhaps it was because he finally understood the secret of the Qing Emperor's technique before dying, but Si Gu Jian's spirit was much better than before, and his voice gradually became smoother. He said with a hint of mockery, "Domineering is still domineering even at the peak. Does your Emperor really think there can be any substantial change?"

"But the facts have already proven this point." Fan Xian said, lowering his head, "His Majesty cultivated the second half, and I want to know how he did it, and whether it will have any impact on him."

Si Gu Jian fell silent, his faint gaze gradually revealing a slight hint of doubt, which then quickly transformed into a knowing smile after comprehending everything. He said softly, "The meridians of the physical body always have a limit, even for a little monster like you, there is always a limit."

"So under the Great Qing Tree, in the City Lord's mansion, you taught me that I should prioritize intention. The human body always has a limit, but the mind and will have no boundaries." Fan Xian replied.

"Domineering, ah…" Si Gu Jian coughed twice, his icy body trembling beneath the quilts. No one understood better than this Grandmaster that no matter how extraordinary and holy a person could become, once their life force was broken and their body was destroyed, they were actually no different from an ordinary person.

"If one can truly transcend the limits of the human body," Si Gu Jian slowly closed his eyes, beginning to replay the scenes from the battle on Great Dong Mountain in his mind.

Rain fell on the mountaintop, and that finger pierced through the rain, striking K苦荷's brow, instantly transferring half a lake's worth of energy into him, forcibly rupturing the氣海肉囊(Qi Sea and flesh sack) of the Northern Qi Grandmaster.

It was that finger!

Si Gu Jian suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils shrinking sharply, eventually shrinking into a small black dot like the tip of a sword. He said with an extremely slow pace, "One finger transmits half a lake. No one can transmit true energy at such a speed, because even if the meridians of the human body are cultivated to the ultimate level, no matter how broad and grand they become, they are still limited."

Fan Xian wasn't on the mountain at the time, nor did he know what Si Gu Jian was thinking, so he didn't quite understand what he meant. He thought that everyone who practiced martial arts and improved their realm was rotating around the two words "essence" and "technique". "Technique" was what was called skill, and now he had to add the word "intention" that Si Gu Jian taught him. But the word "essence" was the actual personal cultivation, whether it was the氣海丹田(Qi Sea and dantian) of an ordinary cultivator or his own two Zhou Tians and the snow mountain behind his waist, there always had to be a foundation, and then follow the meridians.

The human body has meridians, so naturally it is limited by the meridians. He thought that Si Gu Jian's words were nonsense… However, Fan Xian gradually realized what Si Gu Jian was saying, and his expression changed slightly.

Extremely complicated emotions seeped from Si Gu Jian's deep eyes, like cold rays of light. In the end, these emotions turned into an incredibly thick sense of mockery, coupled with the slight curl of his lips that he struggled to squeeze out, making him seem very mean and contemptuous.

A low and strange laughter rang from Si Gu Jian's withered lips, sounding particularly grating. It was unclear whether he was laughing at the Qing Emperor, or laughing at himself, or laughing at Fan Xian for being so presumptuous as to want to learn the second half of the Nameless Technique.

He looked at Fan Xian calmly and said, word by word, "The Qing Emperor's body has no meridians."

…

…

Although he had already guessed a little from Si Gu Jian's words earlier, upon hearing this, Fan Xian's mind was still struck by lightning, ringing with a buzzing sound. In addition to being shocked, he was filled with incomprehension. The Emperor's body has no meridians? How can a person without meridians survive!

"The second half still follows the domineering path. If you continue to practice it, your only outcome is to explode your meridians and die. Even if you are lucky, you can only become a lifelong cripple." Si Gu Jian looked at Fan Xian and said coldly, "But if you don't break your meridians, you simply cannot do the Qi circulation methods in the second half. Those paths are not normal ones at all. Even if you practice for another fifty years, it will be useless."

Fan Xian took a deep breath several times, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart. He certainly knew that Si Gu Jian's analysis was correct. As early as several years ago, he had already cultivated the Domineering True Qi to the peak. At that time, he had stepped into the threshold of the ninth rank and was in high spirits. Outside the Kyoto government office, he broke Xie Bi'an's sword with one punch, but who knew that it would cause the true Qi in his body to surge and explode, shaking his meridians to seven injuries and eight damages.

After painstakingly healing his injuries, a chase after the Suspended Temple, and a passionate killing with Shadow, the hidden danger in his body broke out again, and he was finally seriously injured by Shadow's accidental stab.

Fan Xian had encountered the great hidden danger of practicing the Domineering Technique to the end twice. More precisely, when he was still a child, Teacher Fei Jie had already noticed the great danger he would inevitably encounter in the future, so he left him that big red pill.

That big red pill was eventually sent into the Empress Dowager's lips, but Fan Xian knew that this was just his good luck, so he was able to survive after two times of breaking the limit of true Qi and greatly damaging his meridians.

He relied on Haitang Duoduo's life-saving grace, relied on the secret and unspread natural technique of Northern Qi's Heavenly One Way. In Jiangnan, he used the natural True Qi of Heavenly One Way to repair for a long time before he healed the damage to his meridians. Until finally, two completely different natures of True Qi were simultaneously cultivated to great success, running in two Zhou Tians in his body, complementing each other, he truly stayed away from the great danger of true Qi exploding his body, and left this shadow that had been with him since childhood.

However, today, getting confirmation from Si Gu Jian's mouth that if he wants to cultivate the second half, he must let the True Qi explode, and shatter all the meridians in his body, Fan Xian's face turned pale when he thought of this. Lying stiffly on the bed, unable to eat or speak, this kind of day is simply not for humans, and how can people survive with all the meridians in their body broken?

"After all the meridians are broken, you can still survive, then it depends on fate." Si Gu Jian said coldly, "The Qing Emperor is undoubtedly a very lucky person."

Even if he was about to die, Si Gu Jian refused to admit that the Qing Emperor was a man destined by heaven.

Fan Xian was silent for a long time, then shook his head, "Luck can't solve the problem, my luck is also considered good, I didn't die the first time my meridians were damaged. But I know that if the meridians are completely broken, it is only possible to become a useless person, and the kind of ubiquitous pain in the body is simply not something that people can endure."

"But the Qing Emperor endured it and survived." Si Gu Jian lowered his eyes slightly and sighed almost imperceptibly.

Fan Xian fell into a state of dementia. He had many dreams or ideals in his life. Not to mention the secular problems of his wife, children and money, only talking about the Nameless Cultivation Technique that had accompanied him for his entire second life had vaguely become a part of his life. Although he had never explicitly stated it, he was very eager to be able to practice this Cultivation Technique to the second volume in his heart.

It has nothing to do with breaking through the realm and becoming a Grandmaster, purely a kind of desire. However, this desire has now become a distant luxury. He can still survive after all his meridians are broken, and he must endure that inhuman pain, forcibly gathering the scattered, starlight-like dots of True Qi in his body, enduring the boredom of being stiff all over, firmly guarding his mind, and remaking…

Fan Xian suddenly remembered that Chen Pingping and his father had both mentioned to him that the first northern expedition of Southern Qing against Great Wei was a complete defeat for the Emperor, the old man above, at the hands of Marshal Zhan Qingfeng, and that he himself was seriously injured, his whole body was stiff and unable to move, and he almost died.

It seems that His Majesty's breakthrough in his skills was on the ever-changing and extremely dangerous battlefield!

Fan Xian couldn't help but sigh. Regardless of his feelings about the old Emperor, when he thought of the scene on the battlefield that year, and the torture that the middle-aged man had suffered in his body, and those wonderful changes, he still felt a sense of respect.

"Besides fate, what else is needed?" Fan Xian asked to himself.

"Perseverance, extraordinary perseverance, otherwise it is impossible to survive that kind of pain, that kind of torment between life and death, that kind of fear of being trapped in darkness, struggling with the unknown."

Si Gu Jian said indifferently, although he had never practiced the Nameless Cultivation Technique, he only needed an idea, and he knew what kind of training the Qing Emperor had undergone if he wanted to cultivate the second half.

"The Qing Emperor must have been very painful that year, very painful… This is exactly why I was happy just now." Without waiting for Fan Xian to answer, Si Gu Jian continued to laugh hoarsely, "However, I admire the will and perseverance of those who can overcome this difficulty."

"I can't do it, and neither can you." Si Gu Jian said, "There is probably only him in the world who can have such a will and be so ruthless to himself. You should give up on this idea."

Fan Xian lowered his head and didn't know what to say, only hearing Si Gu Jian's angry voice ringing in his ears, "This damn thing… is simply not something that a human can practice!"

…

…

(Recommend a book:)