Chapter 1: The Nujiang Gang

  "entrust"

  "entrust", "entrust"

  ……

  The scorching sun was like a fire, fiercely blazing in the sky. On the banks of the raging river, at the foot of a mountain peak, there was a vast expanse of green stone pavers. A group of young men, each holding wooden swords, were engaged in fierce combat, their sweat dripping non-stop, yet every one of them had an unyielding spirit, fighting with all their might.

  "Everyone, cheer up! If you want to join our Nujiang gang, you must have the spirit of hardship and struggle!"

  In the bluestone-paved martial arts arena, a burly, bald-headed man with a rugged face and a resolute stride stepped onto the stone floor, his footsteps echoing like muffled drums. His piercing eyes scanned the scene as he moved swiftly and agilely, observing the group of young men dancing and clashing wooden swords within the arena.

  "Too", "too-too-too", "too-too"!

  A slender youth, wielding a wooden sword in his hand, effortlessly parried the opponent's wave of attacks. The sound of the wooden swords clashing together merged into a string of pleasant notes, sometimes like thunder bursting forth, sometimes like pearls on a string...

  As a 21st-century surgical intern, Luo Zhen had been living for over a month and had confirmed that he had crossed into a world where knights roamed the land.

  However, Luo Zhuo, who loves martial arts novels, has mixed feelings about the current world that values martial arts. This is because "riding horses and traveling through Jianghu, living a carefree life" - this kind of heroic spirit may be tempting, but the dangers of life and death hidden behind the glint of swords and shadows are not to be taken lightly.

  The Great Zhou Dynasty was founded by military power, and the people valued martial arts. Large and small schools of thought flourished throughout the land, but royal authority suppressed them, except for the area within the imperial city of Zhongzhou.

  In the streets, there are many warriors who fight at the slightest disagreement, and some even die on the spot with blood splattered everywhere. It's not uncommon to hear about such incidents. As for Luo Zhan, who has been reborn through spiritual transmigration, he has witnessed numerous such cases over the past month or so.

  "Alright! Take a rest for now, someone will bring you white flower-shaped rice balls later!"

  Before he knew it, the bald man who had been drinking tea under the pavilion until the scorching sun began to set, strolled over to the edge of the martial arts training ground and let out a loud roar with his eyes wide open.

  "Oh no!"

  "I'm exhausted to death!"

  As the bald-headed man shouted, a group of sweaty young men stopped their movements, their voices filled with exhaustion buzzing in the air, yet few sat down on the spot, otherwise they would inevitably receive special attention from the bald-headed man.

  "Ah!"

  "Sigh..."

  Luò Zhàn, who also put down his wooden sword, did not shout loudly, but instead took three deep and two short breaths, with a special rhythm, silently cultivating his own Qi feeling, waiting for it to form internal energy.

  The first pass of martial arts training is to cultivate qi awareness; the second pass is to condense and refine the perceived qi, promoting it into internal power, also known as inner strength; the third pass is the cultivation and accumulation of internal power.

  And Luo Zhen's current method is the basic mantra given by "Nujiang Sect", and Guangtou Dahanjiao Ling once said that if he can successfully "feel the air" within seven days, he will have the air feeling and can directly become a disciple of the sect.

  It's already the tenth day, and most of the people left in the training grounds are obviously inferior in terms of their innate talent. Even Luo Zhan, whose determination surpasses that of other youngsters, only managed to achieve his first "qi sensation" on the eighth night after diligent and bitter practice.

  "The rice is here!"

  "Can eat till full..."

  Suddenly, bursts of cheers and shouts entered Luo Zhan's ears, interrupting his shortness of breath, it was clear that the past month or so of hunger had made Luo Zhan extremely sensitive to food.

  Reborn as "Nujiang City"'s Luo Zhan, his previous life was that of a fallen family's street beggar, only eleven years old, he blended into the streets and alleys of "Nujiang City".

  Almost two months ago, the twelve-year-old Luo Zhuanshen was beaten to death by other beggars over food, which led to Luo Zhuans successful possession and transmigration, as well as more than a month of begging for food without getting enough to eat.

  The only fortunate thing is that Luo Zhan, who has merged the memories of his predecessor and has a solid foundation in ancient literature from his previous life, will not end up as an illiterate person. This is also one of the reasons why Luo Zhan was able to "sense the aura" successfully ahead of other young people with lower roots.

  "Don't starve yourself!"

  Immediately, Luo Zhan, who had withdrawn his aura and was moving stealthily like a mouse in the dan tian of his abdomen, muttered to himself before joining the queue to receive food.

  Luozhen, who had lived a long life, deeply understood that only by eating enough food could he convert sufficient energy, and the way of martial arts was even more in need of large fish and meat to supply the needs of "refining essence and transforming energy", which is also the reason why "the rich study martial arts, the poor study literature".

  "Alright! Tomorrow is the day of the sword trial. You all should rest well this afternoon, whether you stay or leave, it will be decided tomorrow morning!"

  After the crowd of young people finished eating, the bald big man's oily head reappeared under the sun, slowly scanning around for a moment, and with bright eyes, loudly shouted to the crowd of young people who were full of soup and rice, forcing them to tighten their belts.

  Then, after the bald man announced, he didn't stay much longer. Amidst the chorus of cheers from the young men, he turned around with a flourish and strode away from the martial arts arena.

  "Ah!"

  "Sigh..."

  Having just eaten, it's not suitable to engage in intense exercise. Luo Zhen found a quiet corner, amidst the noise of the young people, and focused his mind, stored his intention in his lower abdomen, exhaled and inhaled, cultivating the internal energy within his body.

  As for the sword technique comprehension test tomorrow, Luo Zhan is not worried at all. After entering university, Luo Zhan had followed his uncle to learn Taiji Swordsmanship and has confidence in relying on his basic sword skills that have already reached the "initial understanding of the gateway" realm to pass smoothly.

  After all, although Luo Zhan's physical body is not good and only has a lower quality foundation, his comprehension is top-notch. It must be known that during high school, Luo Zhan spent most of his time reading and was still able to get into a second-tier university, which in itself can explain Luo Zhan's comprehension and memory.

  To know, "Gama, radical, calculus" and other logical thinking are rigorous and obscure, theorems are complex, and the opposite is true. This kind of "mental arithmetic" is a rare skill, if not with superior intuition, how can one "calculate" it?

  Moreover, at this time, Luo Zhuo, who had crossed over and merged with the spiritual energy of his previous body, not only had a memory that was even more extraordinary, almost reaching the point of being able to remember everything he saw, but also had a greatly enhanced understanding, perhaps this was an improvement in the origin of his soul.

  Basic swordsmanship, Luo Zhan can be said to be a quick learner, the only difference being the mastery of sword styles and the intuitive grasp of subtlety, it seems that as long as one practices diligently without interruption, they will eventually reach the realm of "reaching the pinnacle".

  "My lord, I fear we won't be able to take the pass tomorrow!"

  Suddenly, a somewhat weak cry for help came from beside Luo Zhan's body. It was the young man who had previously clashed swords with Luo Zhan. From his tone, it seemed that he had a hint of respect for Luo Zhan.

  "Ah, Luo Tong!"

  After slowly inhaling the aura of Dan Tian, Luo Zhan opened his closed eyes and saw a slightly robust young man in front of him. He couldn't help but reveal a smile, and responded with a soft voice.

  Lu Tong was the follower of Luo Zhan's previous incarnation. After becoming a beggar, if not for Lu Tong's care, Luo Zhan's previous incarnation would have starved to death on the streets long ago. Even though Luo Zhan was able to seize the soul in the end, it was thanks to Lu Tong's protection that he avoided being beaten and injured by the crowd.

  Lu Zhancheng was quite satisfied with Luo Tong, this attendant. However, the "Nujiang Gang" emphasized swordsmanship, and in this final test of entering the sect, it was a test of understanding of swordsmanship, but it conflicted with Luo Tong's open and straightforward personality.

  "I once said that under the heavens, all martial arts are invincible, only speed is unbreakable! At that time, you only need to launch a fierce attack and you will surely succeed!"

  Then, Luo Zhen responded with a sound in his mouth, and after pausing for a moment, he said a classic phrase of the "Huo Yun Evil God" from his previous life, without blushing or showing embarrassment. Seeing that Luo Tong's face was wooden, Luo Zhen thought for a moment before lowering his voice to comfort him.

  "Moreover, you still have a final trump card, but there's no need to worry!"

  For ten days, Luo Zhan had been paying close attention to the strength of all the young people in the arena. He was quite clear about Luo Tong's strength and only needed Luo Tong to act according to his words at that time, and he would easily win two games.

  After all, in these days, Luo Zhuang, who has a slight understanding of swordsmanship, not only practices hard himself to break through the bottleneck, but also personally instructs his followers, including Luo Tong. With Luo Tong's brute strength, if he can normally exert it, he can indeed sweep away many young people on the scene.

  Furthermore, Luo Tong had another secret that he shared with the two of them. On the third day of practicing the "Basic Qi Breathing Technique", Luo Tong successfully sensed the qi and possessed it, which was a natural talent belonging to those with superior roots and bones.

  Just this one item, as long as Luo Tong's state bursts out in a muddled manner, there is no reason why it won't go smoothly. It must be known that warriors with top-notch roots and qualifications are often the foundation of a sect's pillars.