Chapter 26: "Tiangong Heavenly Book"

  Wu Xin took a look and was shocked. It was a person's skeleton, wearing an ancient costume, with an ancient sword hanging from his chest, and holding a wooden box in his hand. Wu Xin looked at the clothes and thought they were very old, vaguely like the uniform of an ancient general. Wu Xin leaned in to take a closer look, pinched the fabric, smelled it, tore it open and examined it for a long time, determining that it was silk from around 200 AD to 300 AD. Wu Xin thought, isn't this someone from the Three Kingdoms period? The Three Kingdoms period? Zhuge Liang? The Art of War?!

  Wu Xin's heart was filled with wild joy, could it be that this box contained the Escaping Heaven Book? He couldn't wait to open the box. The box was very old, the wood had long since rotted, and it crumbled at a light touch. Wu Xin brushed aside the rotten wood, and pulled out a scroll of books with four ancient characters written on it: Escaping Heaven Book!

  There really is a "Tian Xuan Zhen Jing"! Wu Xin felt strange, why didn't his master tell him before? Wu Xin didn't think much and opened the book. The first chapter was about the origin of Tian Xuan Zhen Jing, which was a historical story from the Three Kingdoms period.

  According to the book, during the Three Kingdoms period, the world was in chaos and the martial arts world was also in turmoil. Many top masters of various sects joined local warlords in search of a great cause. The chaotic times produced many heroes, and the number of talented individuals in the martial arts world reached an all-time high. Among them, the most famous sects were the Wudang Sect, the Wuji Sect, and the Beggars' Sect. The Wudang Sect was skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, with Zhou Yu being the most outstanding master; the Wuji Sect excelled in the Five Elements Formation, with Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong being the most prominent figures; while the Beggars' Sect produced many fierce generals, each with a strong and bold personality. Zhou Yu served under Sun Quan, who occupied Jiangnan, while Zhuge Liang was invited by Liu Bei to join him in Longzhong, followed by Pang Tong. As a result, the struggle between the Wudang Sect and the Wuji Sect extended to the kingdoms of Wu and Shu. Zhuge Liang's death at the hands of Zhou Yu gave the Wuji Sect an advantage. Later, when Lu Xun, a rising star of the Wudang Sect, emerged and cleverly killed Guan Yu of Shu, they finally gained some prestige.

  Here is the translation:

  Who would have thought that Zhuge Liang, in a fit of anger, shut himself away for three months and further refined his mastery of the Five Elements Formation. He created an extraordinary new art, which he compiled into a book called "The Heavenly Book of Concealment". With it, he could summon wind and rain, and no one under heaven could rival him.

  Zhuge Liang was already a renowned figure, celebrated for his intelligence and wisdom. His humility and kindness only added to his reputation. This new creation of his was something even he himself took great pride in, and it naturally inspired envy among the people of the Jianghu world.

  Originally, Zhuge Liang's health had not been good, and this period of intense study had taken a toll on him. His spirit was exhausted, and his body was no longer robust. After emerging from his retreat, he gradually declined until he could no longer cope.

  Later, when Zhuge Liang met Jiang Wei, he recognized the latter's exceptional talent and decided to pass on "The Heavenly Book of Concealment" to him. Jiang Wei was deeply grateful and used the book's extraordinary techniques to prop up the kingdom of Shu with all his might.

  After the ruler of Shu surrendered later on, Jiang Wei realized that human strength could not overcome heaven's will. He cleverly employed the art of concealment to create a diversion, then slipped away unnoticed. From then on, he hid his identity and lived in obscurity, never again asking about the affairs of the Jianghu world.

  Eventually, he arrived at this place, which although lacking famous mountains or scenic waters, was still quite unusual. He chose to hide here, and from then on, no longer concerned himself with the outside world. Not wanting to be disturbed by others, he set up a subtle dust formation to prevent outsiders from entering.

  Wu Xin looked at the historical allusion, and his heart was filled with a hundred emotions. He realized that what he had learned about history every day was not entirely true. And unexpectedly, these dry bones were actually Jiang Wei! Thinking of his reputation covering the world, his wisdom surpassing others, yet unexpectedly ending up with no one to bury his remains, Wu Xin couldn't help but feel somewhat disheartened and depressed.

  Wu Xinzhen was pondering when he suddenly felt a burning sensation in his lower abdomen, which then rose to his middle abdomen and slowly ascended further. His body couldn't tolerate it and became violently hot. Wu Xinzhen didn't know what had happened, but he felt his internal energy suddenly surge like a flood, churning and boiling over. He knew it was an emergency and suspected it was related to the white pearl he had swallowed earlier, so he sat down cross-legged and began to regulate his internal energy.

  But Ah Li hid his figure in a hidden place outside the cave, quietly waiting for Wu Xin to come out. However, no matter how long he waited, there was no sign of Wu Xin's shadow, and he couldn't help but secretly worry about what had happened.

  After a long time, Ah Li felt somewhat tired and his eyelids were heavy, just as he was about to fall asleep. Suddenly, he heard a noise. When he looked up, he saw a person. The man was around 40 years old, with an appearance similar to what Wu Xin had described. Ah Li knew that this must be Ren Tianqi. He remembered Wu Xin's words and decided not to make any noise, but instead observe quietly.

  Ren Tianqi's figure rose like a crane, and it was clear that his internal injuries had healed. When he arrived at the entrance of the cave, he looked around to the left and right, then let out a cold laugh before entering the cave.

  After a while, Ren Tianqi rushed out, holding a scroll in his hand. As soon as he came out of the cave, he burst into a fit of maniacal laughter, waving the scroll in his hand and shouting: "Master brother! Master brother! You've been keeping this secret for so long, but I've finally figured it out! Your little tricks are no match for me! How can you stop my great dream? Hahahaha...!" His voice was already hoarse, his throat parched, and tears of laughter streaming from his eyes.

  A Li listened and felt that this person had just been elegant and composed, but now became frantic and unbridled, half-crazy and half-foolish, truly inexplicable! Although she felt strange in her heart, she couldn't help but think secretly, wondering if the object in his hand was the Escaping Heaven Book? What about Wu Xin then? Had he encountered an accident? What should I do now?

  Just as he was hesitating, Ren Tianqi finished speaking and quickly gathered the withered branches and fallen leaves from the surrounding woods into his arms and placed them at the entrance of the cave. Ah Li felt puzzled and could only watch quietly. After a long time, she saw that the leaves and branches at the entrance of the cave were getting more and more, and then she reacted, could it be that he wanted to seal the cave with smoke? But how would Wu Xin come out then?

  A Li thought of this, his heart suddenly urgent, he had an idea in mind, and was about to stand up and fight a decisive battle with Ren Tian Qi, also to avenge his master. At this moment, only a loud noise was heard from inside, like a loud thunderclap in the air, echoing far away. A Li listened and felt a sudden shock in his heart! The voice was extremely familiar, seemingly Wu Xin's, but the thick inner strength revealed in that voice was much higher than Wu Xin's. That cry also seemed to be the kind of sound that a martial artist would naturally make when breaking through the bottleneck and reaching a higher level, could it be Wu Xin?

  That's Wu Xin indeed!

  Wu Xin had been meditating with his legs crossed since the true energy in his body went berserk. Only then did he realize that the source of this true energy was the white pearls he had swallowed earlier, and he felt a wave of gratitude towards Long Sheng. With a clear mind, he began to absorb these energies into his body. The effects of those few white pearls were truly remarkable! As soon as Wu Xin started absorbing them, his internal energy surged like a small stream turning into a river, increasing in power by several times, and almost becoming uncontrollable. When the internal energy flowed through the eight extraordinary meridians, he felt his muscles and veins swelling to the point of bursting, but he dared not neglect it, focusing his mind intently, instantly forgetting the pain.

  Not long after, Wu Xin suddenly discovered someone had entered the cave.

  That man was indeed Ren Tianqi, he arrived near Wu Xing and saw that the dragon was exhausted and powerless, seemingly already dead, his heart felt a thrill of excitement; also seeing Wu Xing's appearance, he was slightly surprised; when he saw a book placed on the ground, he immediately became overjoyed! That must be the Tuo Jia Tian Shu! He wanted to snatch it, but when he saw the four strange beasts on Wu Xing's shoulders with cold glints in their eyes, Ren Tianqi didn't dare to be careless and slowly approached. Suddenly, a green shadow flashed by, and one of the strange beasts instantly charged towards him. Ren Tianqi's martial arts were extremely high, so he wasn't afraid, his body flashed once, and with a surge of internal energy, he condensed a palm strike towards the beast. The beast dodged quickly but was still swept by the palm wind, its body immediately falling backwards. Wu Xing saw this and felt anxious in his heart, his body unable to move, his internal breath suddenly unstable, spitting out a mouthful of blood, knowing that rushing would be useless, he closed his eyes and ignored everything around him.

  Ren Tianqi smiled and said, "Wu Xin, Wu Xin! You didn't think so, did you? This cave entrance was opened by me for you. I didn't come in because I didn't want to take unnecessary risks, but I knew you would have to come and investigate. Today, you blocked the dead dragon's attack for me, which is not a small feat. In the future, I will surely thank you properly, whenever I remember you, I will burn incense for you! Don't waste your energy anymore, this dragon's strength is rare, but what's even more terrifying is its strange and sinister nature. Even if you can heal your internal injuries, you will still suffer from qi stagnation and tendon rupture. Don't be delusional!"

  Wu Xin simply ignored him, but in his heart he felt more at ease, knowing that the other thought he had been injured by the dragon and wouldn't bother him for a while. He treated what was said as nothing more than a gentle breeze on a mountain or a stream flowing into a river, not putting it in his heart at all.

  Wu Xin's three strange beasts on his shoulder saw the green beast was injured, and suddenly transformed into three flashes of light, one black, one white, and one red, rushing towards Ren Tianqi. Ren Tianqi saw that it was these three strange beasts, and he wasn't particularly afraid, but when they flew quickly, their shadows were especially eye-catching, and in a flash, they split into three again. For a moment, his eyes were dizzy, and he couldn't see where the three of them were rushing to, so he could only dodge to one side. When Ren Tianqi dodged, the green beast also jumped up from behind and attacked. The four strange beasts were equally fast and had the same idea. Each occupied one corner of Ren Tianqi's body and started tearing at him. Ren Tianqi couldn't take care of that many, so he suddenly shook his body violently, saw several strange beasts fall off, and then tightly grasped the Xuan Ya Heaven Book, quickly rushing towards the cave entrance.

  Those four monsters didn't chase him either and returned to Wu Xing's shoulders.

  Wu Xin had just entered a state of complete relaxation, where the boundaries between himself and the external world were forgotten. The true power of the white pearl was gradually being absorbed into his body. Suddenly, his true energy increased several times over and began to accumulate in every part of his body, including even the smallest blood vessels and meridians. As a result, his muscles swelled up immediately, causing his body to expand significantly compared to before, and his strength increased by several times over. Wu Xin felt the changes happening within himself, quietly and imperceptibly, as both his body and mind were undergoing intense accumulation, awaiting a further qualitative breakthrough.

  That giant dragon has now reached its last gasp, struggling hard to preserve its final breath.

  After Ren Tianqi came out of the cave, he was still shaken and quickly covered the stone gate at the entrance. He then gathered materials to set fire and burn these monsters to death, in order to eliminate future troubles. When he had been busy for a long time, Wu Xing's breakthrough began. At this moment, hundreds of true energies were circulating inside his body, seemingly scattered but actually following the sequence of the eight extraordinary meridians. The eight extraordinary meridians are Yin Wei, Yang Wei, Yin Qiao, Yang Qiao, Chong, Ren, Du and Dai. Once the true energy was dispersed, it immediately converged again in various places, sometimes gathering and sometimes dispersing, not only without losing its power but also able to unblock the collateral branches, absorb the remaining energy, and increase its power. When this principle became clear, the subtleties of the tiger and dragon rising and falling were suddenly understood. When all the large and small meridians throughout the body were connected like a single entity, Wu Xing let out a long sigh, and a kind of comfort that was etched in his bones and heart arose. Suddenly, a heroic spirit surged up in his heart, and his body became restless and eager to move.

  Wu Xin stood up, and suddenly the cave seemed to become brighter and more spacious. His body felt more agile. Looking at the dying old dragon's gaze, Wu Xin was moved, as if he could understand its mind. The old dragon also looked at Wu Xin, its eyes gradually weakening, as if telling Wu Xin to take good care of the four small beasts. Wu Xin thought about this and nodded his head in response. The old dragon saw this and slowly closed its eyes. The four strange beasts watched as tears flowed from their eyes.

  At that instant, the old dragon's body suddenly split open, and a group of things emitting bright white light emerged from its torso. They shone like pearls but had the shape of mice, numbering in the hundreds or thousands, and quickly pounced on Wu Xing like a swarm.

  Wu Xin didn't panic at all, his palms exerted force, and the true energy that was about to burst out of his body surged into his palms. With a wave of his hands, a wall of flames instantly appeared, blocking the ferocious bug-like creatures that were charging towards him. Those bugs were strange, they would fall down when they encountered fire, and once on the ground, they would dissolve into water, leaving behind only a faint stain. In no time at all, the ground was filled with flowing water, and the dragon's body slowly softened. Wu Xin had used this palm technique, which originally consumed a lot of internal energy, but now it was just right, as his internal energy was too abundant, and when he exerted force, his palms could sustain it for a long time, and the more he persisted, the more comfortable he felt.

  As Ren Tianqi heard Wu Xin's natural cry outside the cave, his heart was also shocked, and he immediately became afraid. What kind of internal strength is this? I'm afraid there are no more enemies in the world! Just now, he saw him spit blood, thinking that he was injured by the dragon, but how did he become so powerful in an instant? Could it be that he wasn't injured at all, and was just practicing his skills? This doesn't make sense. Why would he come to this dangerous place to practice his skills? As he thought about it, Ren Tianqi secretly regretted not killing him earlier, leaving behind a disaster. He also congratulated himself on obtaining the extraordinary book, thinking that Wu Xin's internal strength was strong, but his martial arts were ordinary. When the time comes, as long as he successfully cultivates his skills, it's still too early to say who will win or lose! Thinking this way, he immediately continued to pile up hay. Waiting for the right moment, he released a fierce flame from his palm, burning the hay. This way, even if Wu Xin could break through the stone door, he might not be able to pull out that long black cave, and maybe he could even trap him inside!

  Ren Tianqi was thinking this way, just about to launch a burning palm attack, when he suddenly felt a strong and powerful palm force coming from behind him. He was shocked! There's actually such a master on this mountain?! Without thinking, without turning his head, Ren Tianqi's body leaped forward, avoiding the powerful palm by a hair's breadth. Only then did he turn around, to see an incredibly beautiful girl staring at him with anger in her eyes, another palm already pressing down on him. Her every move had a captivating charm that could take one's breath away.

  Chapter 26