Chapter 39: Dual Cultivation of Immortal and Martial Arts (Please Vote)
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“What’s happened? Why all this commotion?”
“I hear the young master of the Salt Gang’s branch has gone missing. Branch Leader Shi is offering a huge reward. A thousand taels of silver for anyone who can provide a clue about the culprit, and ten thousand taels for anyone who captures him!”
“Ten thousand taels? Wouldn’t that make someone rich?”
“Do you really think the culprit will be easy to catch? The Salt Gang’s entire branch hasn’t been able to find him. Even if he stood right in front of you, you wouldn’t have what it takes to seize him!”
…
Qinghe City was in an uproar over Shi Baoyu’s disappearance.
Countless commoners secretly rejoiced, feeling that Heaven had finally opened its eyes.
They had suffered under Shi Baoyu for far too long.
“The young master of the Salt Gang’s branch has gone missing?”
When Qin Hongyu received the news, she was stunned. Only yesterday, she had nearly been trampled to death by Shi Baoyu’s horse, and today he had vanished.
She could not help glancing at Zhou Chen.
Could he have done it?
In her sleep, she seemed to have sensed Zhou Chen leaving, but she had been too exhausted to wake.
“Brother Chen…”
“Shi Baoyu committed every evil under the sun. This is simply a case of retribution. It was bound to happen sooner or later.”
Zhou Chen smiled and said no more.
He was not worried that the Salt Gang would come after him. Unless Shi Lei could find someone with extraordinary divine powers, it would be very difficult to trace the matter back to him.
As for Qin Hongyu’s injury from Shi Baoyu’s reckless horsemanship, no one else would care. Too many people were injured every day.
And although Qin Hongyu was Zhou Chen’s wife, few people paid her any attention.
In the eyes of others, Qin Hongyu was no different from Zhou Chen’s maid.
“Brother Chen, thank you!”
Qin Hongyu wrapped her arms around Zhou Chen, her heart filled with emotion. Although he had not said so directly, she knew that he had been the one to do it.
“Hongyu, you’ve seen it yourself—the world is far from peaceful. I found a martial art for you. Starting today, you’ll cultivate with me. I’m not asking you to become especially powerful, but at the very least, you should have the ability to protect yourself.”
Zhou Chen took out a manual titled Phantom Sword.
He had found it in the storage pouch of Lu Xia, the second-in-command of Wolong Mountain. It was an intermediate martial art centered on lightness and versatility, making it quite suitable for women.
“Brother Chen, you’re so good to me!”
Qin Hongyu’s fair, lotus-white arms encircled Zhou Chen’s neck. Her eyes grew misty as she raised her head and offered him a fragrant kiss.
In the past, she had never dared imagine that she might one day learn martial arts.
For ordinary people at the bottom of society, learning martial arts was exceedingly difficult—just as difficult as it had once been for commoners in a feudal society to learn to read and write.
And there was no point speaking of “poor scholarly families.” In ancient times, such families were merely fallen aristocrats; they had nothing in common with ordinary people.
Zhou Chen explored every inch of her.
After quite some time, he remembered that he still had to teach Qin Hongyu martial arts. Reluctantly, he released her and withdrew his hand.
“All right. Get ready to learn martial arts from me.”
Looking at Qin Hongyu’s burning, crimson cheeks and hazy eyes, Zhou Chen adopted a solemn expression and spoke gravely.
“Mm.”
Qin Hongyu gave a soft hum and slowly rose to her feet, only to stagger and nearly fall.
Zhou Chen wiped his hand, then spent three hundred Romance Points to enhance Phantom Sword.
Phantom Sword, Third Tier: 0/400.
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In an instant, Zhou Chen felt as though he had cultivated Phantom Sword for ten years. His swordsmanship reached the peak of mastery, while he completed another round of skin and flesh tempering.
His physical body grew stronger once again. Most notably, he felt much lighter and more agile. His strength had not increased by much, but his speed had improved considerably.
Phantom Sword had reached the Great Mastery stage.
Zhou Chen took out a light, slender sword and looked at Qin Hongyu with a serious expression.
“Watch closely.”
Qin Hongyu suppressed her lingering thoughts of intimacy and stared at Zhou Chen with burning concentration.
Swish, swish, swish!
The long sword moved in Zhou Chen’s hand, and Phantom Sword was unleashed. It was both a sword technique and a method of body tempering.
Boom!
Zhou Chen suddenly thrust forward. Six sword images appeared in the air.
This was the power of a sword technique at the Great Mastery stage. A perfected sword technique could produce nine sword images.
If one reached the Transformation stage, twelve sword images could be produced.
“How amazing!”
Qin Hongyu praised him, though she had not remembered a single move.
Zhou Chen was not surprised. He had only been giving her an overall demonstration. Now came the real instruction, teaching her each move by hand, one at a time.
After all, not everyone was a martial arts prodigy like Zhang Wuji, who could master a technique after seeing it only once.
Zhou Chen had secretly examined Qin Hongyu with his Thunderlight Wishful Hand. She possessed neither a spiritual root nor a special constitution.
Unlike the women surrounding other protagonists—who were either of astonishing origin or gifted with extraordinary talent—Qin Hongyu was simply an ordinary person.
Zhou Chen was not discouraged. Those with spiritual roots or special constitutions were geniuses seen only once in ten thousand people. How could they be encountered so easily?
Was there not more satisfaction in nurturing an ordinary person into greatness than in having some heroine who started out absurdly overpowered?
Qin Hongyu treasured the opportunity to learn martial arts. She studied earnestly and practiced diligently.
Zhou Chen taught her only one move that day.
After learning it, Qin Hongyu practiced it repeatedly.
Zhou Chen corrected her from the side. Once she had grasped it fairly well, he let her practice on her own.
“I gained quite a few Romance Points from Liu Ruyi last night. I have more than eight thousand now. It’s time to begin cultivating immortality.”
Remembering the strange phenomena he had encountered before, Zhou Chen felt that immortal cultivation would be even more effective against such entities. Immortal cultivation also offered a greater variety of methods. With both immortal cultivation and martial arts at his command, he would surely become unstoppable.
“Springeverlasting Art—add points!”
Zhou Chen no longer hesitated.
Like Qi You, Lu Xia was merely a wandering cultivator who had failed to make a place for himself in the immortal cultivation world. He possessed no remarkable techniques.
Still, although the Springeverlasting Art was commonplace, it was balanced and gentle, and possessed some healing effects. It was a decent foundational cultivation method.
One thousand Romance Points were consumed.
Zhou Chen’s consciousness seemed to enter another space. He sat cross-legged, sensed the spiritual energy, guided it into his body, and refined it into magical power…
In that instant, it felt as though he had cultivated for several decades. Streams of magical power were born within his dantian.
The first level of Energy Refinement was complete.
Zhou Chen stepped into the second level of Energy Refinement.
“Continue!”
Two thousand Romance Points were consumed. The magical power within Zhou Chen’s body grew substantially, and he advanced to the third level of Energy Refinement.
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Magical power surged through Zhou Chen’s body, washing over his flesh. He felt as though he had been cleansed once more from within, his entire body refreshed and utterly invigorated.
“So this is what immortal cultivation feels like?”
Zhou Chen sensed the changes within himself. It was entirely different from practicing martial arts, yet just as exhilarating.
It was the feeling of becoming stronger.
It was the transformation of life itself.
Zhou Chen took out a low-grade magical flying sword, refined it, and manipulated it into the air. At first, it wobbled unsteadily as it rose.
Qin Hongyu, who had been practicing her sword nearby, widened her eyes.
What in the world was this?
Wasn’t Zhou Chen a martial artist?
Wasn’t controlling a flying sword the legendary divine ability of immortals?
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Before long, Zhou Chen’s control grew increasingly adept. The flying sword darted back and forth through the air, circling Zhou Chen and transforming into streaks of sword light.
[Romance Mirror]
[Master: Zhou Chen]
[Techniques: Springeverlasting Art, Third Level (0/4000); Yi Archery, Fourth Tier (5118/8000); Threefold Unity Saber, Third Tier (0/400); Phantom Sword, Third Tier (0/400); …]
[Realm: Body Tempering, Fourth Tier—Bone Tempering / Energy Refinement, Third Level]
[Divine Ability: Thunderlight Wishful Hand]
[Spells: Breath Concealment Art, Seventh Level (0/640); Ghost Command Art, First Level (10/1000)]
[Skills: Threefold Unity Saber—Great Mastery (69/160); Phantom Sword—Great Mastery (9/160); Yi Shooting Through the Heavens—Arrow Intent (65/1000); Tracking—Great Mastery (40/160); Throwing—Great Mastery (8/160); …]
[Prescription: Yang Dingtian]
[Romance Points: 5025]
“With my current strength, I am invincible in Qinghe City!”
Zhou Chen recalled the flying sword, his spirit soaring.
“Brother Chen, have you become an immortal?”
Qin Hongyu ran over excitedly, her face alight with enthusiasm.
Zhou Chen was speechless.
“In your dreams. It’s nothing but a minor trick.”
He rubbed Qin Hongyu’s head and rose to his feet.
“Practice your sword properly at home. I’m going out for a stroll. Don’t wait for me to eat.”
“All right!”
Qin Hongyu nodded vigorously. Watching Zhou Chen leave, she continued her painstaking practice.
Zhou Chen walked along the street and, without realizing it, arrived outside Yang Dingtian’s shop. Quite a few people were entering and leaving in succession, a clear sign that business was thriving.
He glanced up at the resplendent Snowmoon House beside it, and an idea stirred in his mind.
Qin Hongyu was already suffering enough practicing her sword at home. He would not trouble her any further.
He might as well go to Snowmoon House to read the newspapers and earn a little money—or rather, a few more Romance Points.
With that thought, Zhou Chen strode into Snowmoon House.
“Nothing to do today. I’ll listen to music at the pleasure quarter!”
…