The First Sword of the Universe

Chapter 322 Zhou Botong: I'll Give You the Nine Yin Manual
The sun rises in the east, casting a magnificent glow.

Peach Blossom Island on the sea has ushered in a new day.

In the peach blossom forest that spreads out like a pink ocean, the damp sea breeze blows through, carrying away the excess fragrance and preventing the formation of an extremely dangerous peach blossom barrier.

In a peach grove near the coast, Xu Xingchen stared dumbfounded at the bizarre scene before her, feeling an intense itch on the back of her head.

Three old men, dressed in perfect clothes and one in tattered trousers, were fighting fiercely against each other.

In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen moves had already been exchanged.

A series of violent gusts of wind churned and roared around the four of them before rushing wildly in all directions.

Many peach trees nearby snapped with a crackling sound, then shattered into countless tiny branches and wood chips in the swirling, hurricane-like force.

Xu Xingchen discovered that although these four Zhou Botongs had returned to their normal size, their individual martial arts skills and strength were only slightly weaker than his own transformation after breaking through three realms.
It's obvious.
Even in his fourth breakthrough power form, though he only appears in normal physical form, his body still harbors unparalleled and astonishing power.

He couldn't help but marvel: "Truly worthy of being the highest realm for martial arts practitioners in this world!"

"Not only does he possess incredible abilities, but his combat prowess is also unparalleled."

He retreated several feet further back to avoid being affected by the powerful gusts of wind from the battle between the four Zhou Botongs.

Xu Xingchen was also carefully observing the fighting style of the "four" people, while putting himself in their shoes and contemplating what it would be like to face four Zhou Botongs alone.
His mind raced with ideas, and he quickly came up with several ways to fight.

However, he found that no matter which method he used, the end result was that he would be surrounded and beaten by four Zhou Botongs, with no chance of winning whatsoever.
After much thought, it seems that running away is the best option!

He couldn't help but gasp, muttering to himself, "So, my battles with Hong Qigong and Ouyang Feng were truly somewhat lucky."

"Without breaking through to the fourth level of the Breakthrough Realm, one cannot compete with the Four Greats. Ah, no! Now, with the addition of Zhou Botong, that old rascal, it should be the Five Greats."

"This is really a bit of a dilemma."

Thinking of this, Xu Xingchen felt the urge to scratch the back of her head again.

When Zhou Botong broke through, although he also caught a glimpse of that mysterious aura, he still had no clue about the path to his breakthrough.

He didn't know how to activate the obscure and mysterious aura hidden between heaven and earth, so naturally he couldn't achieve a breakthrough.

As Xu Xingchen was lamenting, a sudden change occurred on the other side.

Three of the four Zhou Botongs in the midst of their fierce battle suddenly let out strange "Ooh-hoo-hoo" cries, and then one by one they vanished into thin air with the popping sounds of bubbles bursting, leaving only Zhou Botong, wearing only his underwear, lying back on the ground, looking around blankly.

After a moment, finally understanding what had happened, he said with some annoyance, "What a pity, what a pity! Why did you all disappear? Why couldn't we play a little longer? This power from breaking through to the fourth realm is too short-lived."

A glint flashed in Xu Xingchen's eyes as he thought to himself, "I was right after all. Those three extra Zhou Botongs were all formed from the Old Urchin's internal energy."

"I don't know why the power from breaking through to the fourth realm is so miraculous, allowing one to transform qi into form, it's just like those gods and immortals in myths and legends."

With a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, he slowly walked over and said with a smile, "Zhou Botong, don't worry about the length of time. After all, you've only just broken through! Oh, by the way, I'd like to congratulate you on finally breaking through to the fourth realm, becoming a top-tier master comparable to the Four Great Masters of the World."

Upon hearing the last word of congratulations, Zhou Botong immediately cast aside his frustration, put his hands on his hips, and laughed loudly: "Hahahaha, not bad! I am now a top expert who has broken through four realms. I am no longer afraid of Huang Yaoshi, and this Peach Blossom Formation can no longer trap me! Hahahaha!"

Once Zhou Botong had expressed his joy, Xu Xingchen clasped his hands and asked, "Zhou Botong, how did you break through to the next level? Could you tell me about it?"

Zhou Botong turned his head and grinned, winking, "All of this is thanks to the Great Shift of the Universe technique you passed on to me."

Although Xu Xingchen had already anticipated this, he was still somewhat puzzled by the answer: "Why is that? Although my Qiankun Great Shift technique is also a rare and powerful martial art, why couldn't I break through when I practiced it, while you were able to? Is there some unknown secret behind this?"

Zhou Botong chuckled and said, "Of course there's a secret here; my senior brother once told me that the three breakthroughs we martial artists make are all traceable."

"As long as you have superior martial arts skills or outstanding talent, you have a high chance of breaking through to the third breakthrough level through diligent training."

"But breaking through to the fourth realm is different; it involves natural laws such as the operation of heaven and earth, the changes of the sun and moon, the growth of all things, and the cycle of the four seasons."

Hearing this, Xu Xingchen frowned: "I've spent ten years trying to comprehend the mysteries of nature, but I've still been completely clueless."

Zhou Botong blinked: "That's why my senior brother said it requires a stroke of luck, a catalyst." Xu Xingchen said: "The so-called stroke of luck, the so-called catalyst, is that mysterious aura that appeared between heaven and earth when you broke through earlier?"

Zhou Botong nodded his head: "That's right, it's that wisp of aura."

That aura was hidden within the changes of heaven and earth, rarely revealing itself and undetectable to others.

"It cannot be found, it cannot be sought."

This time, without Xu Xingchen asking, Zhou Botong directly revealed the rest: "My senior brother said that wisp of mysterious energy cannot be found using conventional methods; it will only appear and enter our bodies when your opportunity arrives, helping us break through."

"I have been practicing martial arts for decades, but I have never found my own opportunity; that's why, after my senior brother left, I was bullied by that old Huang Yaoshi and imprisoned on Peach Blossom Island, unable to leave."

"Now that I've finally broken through, let's see how that old Huang Yaoshi will bully me now!"

"Hmph, I'll definitely find a chance to beat him so badly he'll be pissing his pants and have a black eye and swollen face."

As Zhou Botong gestured and vividly described his wonderful vision, Xu Xingchen's mind had already gone through several rounds of thought before he concluded, "So, the Great Shift of the Universe technique wasn't an opportunity for me, but it was an opportunity for you?!"

"Hehe, that's exactly right!" Zhou Botong crossed his left arm over his right elbow, stroked his chin with his right hand, and smiled smugly with narrowed eyes: "My senior brother said that although this opportunity comes from the universe and all things, you may not be able to find it in the ethereal realm of the changing world and the revolving sun and moon."

"It might just be a flower, a blade of grass, a tree, or a leaf; or it might be the sound of a shepherd's flute, the wide grin of an ordinary person, the soft singing of a courtesan, or the ordinary martial arts of a traveling performer; or it might be a fish in a river, a bird in the sky, a beast in the mountains, or a snake or insect in the forest."

"Vague and elusive, leaving no trace, one may encounter it, but not seek it!"

"My breakthrough today is all thanks to you, young brother; oh, by the way, young brother, I still don't know your name?"

Xu Xingchen replied, "My surname is Xu, and my given name is Xingchen!"

"So it's Brother Xu." Zhou Botong said with great enthusiasm, "Brother Xu, you've done me such a great favor, I, Zhou Botong, am deeply grateful; how about this, let's become sworn brothers, sharing both good times and bad, playing together, and even peeing and making mud together."

Upon hearing the old rascal's condition of "familiarity," and his subsequent childish ideas, Xu Xingchen quickly shook his head and said, "Forget it, forget it. If you really want to repay me, then tell me all the other chapters of the Nine Yin Manual!"

Zhou Botong glared at him, displeased: "Wang Chongyang is willing to be my senior brother, why are you unwilling to become sworn brothers with me? Do you look down on me, Zhou Botong?"

Xu Xingchen smiled wryly and said, "Your ideas are too unconventional, and your personality is too playful; you should find someone who is compatible with you to become sworn brothers; I am a very boring person, I spend my days reading or doing research, I am not interesting at all, and I can't play with you, so what's the point of becoming sworn brothers?"

Zhou Botong tilted his head and thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "You're right. If you can't play with me, it doesn't matter whether we become sworn brothers or not."

"Alright, I'll teach you the other chapters of the Nine Yin Manual now."

At this point, he suddenly remembered something, left a sentence, and turned to rush into the depths of the peach grove.

"You wait here, I'll go get something."

Watching Zhou Botong disappear in a flash, Xu Xingchen was somewhat surprised, thinking to himself, "Could it be that this old rascal is unwilling to teach me any more chapters of the Nine Yin Manual and has simply run away?"

Fortunately, his worries did not come true.

A short while later, Zhou Botong's figure reappeared in front of him.

Zhou Botong had already changed into another tattered outfit, pulled a book from his pocket and tossed it over, shouting, "Here, this is the first part of the Nine Yin Manual. You can read it yourself if you have time; now, I'll start teaching you the martial arts in the second part."

Xu Xingchen snatched the blue book, and looking at the four large characters "Nine Yin Manual" on the cover, and the circled "Shang" below them, he felt a surge of joy: "I've finally seen this martial arts manual!"

Upon randomly opening the cover, one sees the first page filled with dense, winding Sanskrit characters.

After flipping through a few pages, I finally saw the text written in Chinese characters, which indeed contained the "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian" and "Dian Xue Jie Xue Pian" that Zhou Botong had mentioned before.
"Therefore, these Sanskrit texts are the general outline of the Nine Yin Manual."

Xu Xingchen was secretly pleased and said to Zhou Botong, who was about to pull him aside to explain the lower part of the Nine Yin Manual, "Wait! Wait! Let me see the contents of this homepage."

Zhou Botong's eyes lit up: "Huh, you actually recognize those scribbles?"

(End of this chapter)