Becoming an immortal from a canal worker

Chapter 167: The Feeding is Complete, and the Swordsmanship is About to Transform

The private room fell silent for a few moments.

As soon as Zhao Shuyan finished speaking, Zhang Tingwan, Zhou Ji, and Zhai Jing all turned their gazes to Chen Ping.

Fu Ci leaned back in his chair, the gun barrel against his shoulder, his eyelids half-closed, not looking at anyone.

Chen Ping did not immediately agree or refuse.

He glanced at Zhao Shuyan, reached out and took away the glass of wine in front of him, replacing it with a cup of tea and pushing it towards him.

"If you can't hold your liquor, don't force yourself. Try to suppress the blush on your face first."

Zhao Shuyan was stunned for a moment, then looked down at the back of his hand, which was flushed red from the alcohol.

He gave a somewhat awkward, bitter laugh, no longer trying to maintain the facade of a scholar. He picked up the bowl of warm tea, took a big gulp, and straightened his posture again.

Chen Ping wasn't in a hurry to express his opinion, and casually poured himself a full bowl of strong liquor.

He tilted his head back, took a sip, placed the rough porcelain wine bowl on the table, and then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Tell me in detail what the current state of the Qinglin Society is like." Zhao Shuyan gently placed the teacup on the table, crossed his hands on his knees, and paused for a moment to gather his thoughts.

"The outlook is not optimistic."

He made no attempt to conceal his feelings; his voice was calm, but every word was heavy.

"The mutual aid societies spontaneously formed by poor students in Cangwu Village numbered more than a dozen at their peak, of varying sizes. The four largest were Qingxuan Society, Juxian Hall, Panshi Society, and our Qinglin Society."

He stretched out his right hand, raising four long, slender fingers.

Then, as he narrated, he slowly withdrew the hairs one by one.

"The foundation of Qingxuan Society was the first to fall apart. It was the Xue family who secretly did this. Once, when they went out to carry out a bounty mission, several core members of Qingxuan Society had a so-called 'friction' with several students from the Xue family in the deep mountains. When they returned to Tianyan City, two members of Qingxuan Society were beaten into permanent disabilities, and another was injured in the foundation of martial arts by a dirty trick, so he could never go to the battlefield again in his life."

He withdrew his first finger, his tone tinged with sorrow.

"Although Cangwu strictly forbids its students from fighting each other, if a 'friction' results in death or injury during a mission, then there is another story that cannot be proven. Without two core members to lead the way, the remaining lower-level students of Qingxuan Society were intimidated by the Xue family and scattered like birds and beasts in less than half a month."

Retract the second finger.

"When the Lu family took action against Juxian Hall, they first cut off their source of missions. Whenever someone from Juxian Hall accepted a mission, students from aristocratic families would always beat them to it, forcing them to run out of merit points. Later, they spread rumors that someone in Juxian Hall was colluding with the Demonic Sect. Although it was false, they didn't even investigate, and people's hearts were already scattered."

Retract the third finger. "The Rock Society was the toughest and lasted the longest, but its leader had both legs broken while hunting demons in the Southern Ridge. After returning, he became despondent, and the society was leaderless. It just disbanded last month."

Take one back.

"Of the remaining smaller ones, some were recruited, some were scared away, and some simply disappeared on their own."

He pulled all four fingers back and clenched them into a fist.

"Now, in the entire Cangwu region, the Qinglin Society is the only remaining organization for students from poor families."

He looked at Chen Ping with a calm gaze.

"There are still forty-three people in the guild, mostly students from the outer academy, and most of them are below the Transformation Realm. I am at the peak of the Transformation Realm, and I am already the strongest in the guild."

The private room fell silent for a moment.

Zhou Ji gripped the wine bowl, his knuckles turning white, and said in a muffled voice, "Would you really do such a thing?"

Zhang Tingwan shook her head, her voice unusually deep: "I've heard about these things, but I didn't expect them to be this ruthless."

Zhai Jing remained silent, holding her wine bowl, her gaze fixed on Zhao Shuyan, a hint of something in her eyes.

Zhao Shuyan ignored their reactions, his gaze remaining fixed on Chen Ping. "Brother Chen, I originally only wanted to ask you to take the lead, to help us, and also to help all the poor families, so that those powerful families would have something to fear."

He paused.

"But now, I've changed my mind."

He stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Chen Ping, and bowed very low.

"I, Zhao Shuyan, am willing to relinquish the position of acting president of the Qinglin Association."

He straightened up, looked at Chen Ping, and spoke in a steady voice.

"The Green Forest Society doesn't need a collaborator, it needs someone who can lead everyone forward. I'm not that person, but you are."

The private room fell completely silent.

Zhang Tingwan opened her mouth slightly, but didn't make a sound.

Zhou Ji looked at Zhao Shuyan, then at Chen Ping, and gripped the wine bowl in his hand even tighter.

Fu Ci remained leaning back in his chair, his eyelids half-closed, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly at some point.

Chen Ping looked at Zhao Shuyan and remained silent for a moment. "You can continue to sit comfortably in your position as president of the Qinglin Association."

Zhao Shuyan was clearly stunned, a look of confusion and disappointment flashing across his flushed face.

Chen Ping picked up the wine bowl, took a sip, and put it down.

"You and Zhang Tingwan can discuss the daily affairs of the Qinglin Society. He has a wider network of connections in Cangwu than I do. He knows who needs what and who can help with what."

He glanced at Zhang Tingwan.

Zhang Tingwan snapped out of her daze, sat up straight instinctively, nodded, and didn't refuse.

Zhao Shuyan still didn't sit down. He looked at Chen Ping and added anxiously, "Brother Chen, my words about yielding the position just now were not a test, nor were they mere empty politeness. I meant it sincerely..."

"I'm serious."

Chen Ping looked at him, his voice calm.

"I won't be moving around freely until the upcoming competition at the Foreign Languages ​​Department."

He picked up the wine bowl and twirled it in his hand.

"For this mission to Bali County, the Lu family sent two retainers to take my life. One is at the peak of the Transformation Realm, and the other has just broken through to the Yuan Gang Realm." Upon hearing this, Zhou Ji and Zhang Tingwan's expressions changed simultaneously.

Zhao Shuyan paused slightly in his teacup.

Chen Ping's tone was flat, as if he were talking about something insignificant.

"The one at the peak of the Transformation Realm was dealt with within a breath."

He paused.

"But that elder who had just entered the Yuan Gang realm, although I killed him, the process was not exactly clean and efficient."

He put down the wine bowl, his fingers lingering on the rim for a moment.

"That person's foundation is actually terrible. The quality of the internal energy he condenses is not as good as mine, the transformation of his internal energy is not as exquisite as mine, the strength of his physical body is not as good as mine, his movement speed is not as good as mine, and even his martial arts skills are far inferior to mine. It can be said that I completely crushed him."

"But it still took me quite a bit of effort to kill him."

He raised his head and his gaze swept over the people present.

"You know what this means."

No one spoke in the private room. Chen Ping's voice trailed off.

"It means my foundation isn't solid enough."

He looked at Zhao Shuyan.

"Now that I have the merits and the techniques, and a bunch of martial arts to practice, I don't have time to be distracted by other things. Before the outer academy competition, there is only one thing I need to do."

He placed the wine bowl on the table, the bottom of the bowl hitting the table with a crisp sound.

"Strengthen the foundation."

Zhao Shuyan looked at Chen Ping and remained silent for a long time.

He was a smart man and understood what Chen Ping meant.

He didn't accept any positions or take on any daily duties, but he didn't refuse the Qinglin Association either.

His decision to let Zhao Shuyan continue to manage affairs and to involve Zhang Tingwan in decision-making was itself a statement.

It's not that he's unwilling to take on this responsibility, it's that he doesn't have the energy to do so right now.

But then he thought again, the flag was already on him. The stronger he became, the bigger the flag would be, and the safer the poor students in Cangwu would be.

Zhao Shuyan took a deep breath and nodded.

"I understand, Brother Chen. I will keep your meaning in mind."

He picked up the teacup.

"As for the Qinglin Society matter, Brother Zhang and I will discuss it together. We won't bother Brother Chen with trivial matters."

He paused, looking at Chen Ping.

"But if something serious happens, I will come to you."

Chen Ping nodded: "Okay."

Zhang Tingwan listened for a while before finally interjecting with a chuckle: "Alright, I'll take this job. It'll be a good opportunity to put my personal network to use."

Zhou Ji slammed his hand on the table and said in a deep voice, "Count me in. Call me anytime if you want to fight."

Zhai Jing didn't speak. She picked up her wine bowl, raised it slightly towards Chen Ping, took a sip, and put it down.

Fu Ci remained leaning back in his chair the entire time, without uttering a word. But he picked up his wine bowl, clinked it with the others, and drank it.

Zhao Shuyan stood up, picked up the wine pot, and poured wine for everyone present in turn.

When it came to his turn, he hesitated for a moment, but still poured the wine.

She picked it up, the redness on her face still lingering.

"Everyone."

He raised his wine bowl.

"Enough with the small talk, let's drink."

The six bowls clinked together, spilling a few drops of wine onto the table.

Outside the window, dusk settled over Tianyan City, and streetlights lit up one by one, casting long and short shadows on the window paper of the restaurant.

......

After several rounds of drinks, it got dark.

The group dispersed. Zhao Shuyan and Zhang Tingwan stayed at Zuixianlou to continue their conversation, Zhou Ji and Zhai Jing returned to Cangwu together, and Fu Ci, carrying his gun, walked steadily towards the training ground. Chen Ping didn't go to Cangwu; instead, he turned and headed east of the city.

The lights were already on in the Bai family mansion. Bai Chongshan and Bai Ming had returned sometime earlier, and the food was laid out in the courtyard, still steaming.

When Bai Ming saw Chen Ping enter, he smiled and said, "Brother Chen, you're finally back! This table of dishes has been reheated twice, just waiting for us to take our seats."

The three of them took their seats as host and guest, and without paying any attention to formalities, they started eating right away.

Bai Chongshan didn't mention Bali County, only saying that all the grain had been counted and not a single bag was missing, and that the people from the caravan who had been rescued had all been settled.

Chen Ping listened, grunted in response, and buried his head in his food.

He ate five bowls.

Bai Ming watched him eat like that, his lips twitched, but he didn't say anything.

After finishing his meal, Chen Ping didn't linger. He stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Master Bai, the food was very much to my liking. I have some important matters to attend to in seclusion, so please excuse me for leaving now."

Bai Chongshan waved his hand: "Go ahead."

As Chen Ping left the Bai family mansion, the night wind blew in his face, and the streets were already deserted. He walked along the bluestone road toward Cangwu, passed through the east gate, and headed toward the fourth-floor armory.

The armory was dimly lit, with bookshelves standing quietly, various items displayed on eight stone slabs, and illustrated books hanging on the walls gleaming softly in the lamplight. At the far end of the armory, the old man still sat in the same chair, his eyes closed, as if dozing.

Chen Ping walked closer quietly and respectfully clasped his hands in a salute.

"Junior Chen Ping greets senior."

The old man lifted his eyelids slightly, his cloudy gaze falling on Chen Ping, scanning him up and down, and then blinking.

"Hey, you've improved so fast!"

Chen Ping smiled, cupped his hands, and said, "Senior, I would like to borrow the training ground for a while."

The old man held up one finger and said slowly, "The rules remain the same. Five hundred merit points a day. Just put your waist token on the table and go find a place to practice."

Chen Ping took off his waist token and placed it on the table, then turned and walked deeper into the armory.

The training ground was located at the very back of the armory. Pushing open the heavy stone door, a somber atmosphere immediately enveloped the area.

The site was spacious, with stone walls on all four sides and a ground paved with bluestone. Over the years, it had been bombarded by various forces, leaving pits and countless marks of varying depths on the stone surface.

The stone door closed behind him, cutting off all outside sounds. He was left alone in the empty training ground, his breathing clearly audible.

He stood in the center of the arena, closed his eyes, and examined himself. The Vast Ocean Knife Technique, perfected 1959/2000.

Dragon Python True Qi, second level of Qi movement forming a snake, minor success 120/500.

Guiyuan Jue, beginner level 1/100.

The true scripture of the blazing sun and burning sea has not yet been mastered.

I haven't practiced Baguazhang.

None of these are urgent.

He opened his eyes and his gaze fell on another line of numbers.

[Eating (Da Cheng)]

Current progress: 1488/1500

[Efficacy: It provides sustenance from all things, refines and restores the original essence, and nourishes the body's vital energy and blood.]

It's almost twelve o'clock.

Chen Ping took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket, uncorked it, and poured out a few pills into his palm. These were miscellaneous pills he had found in Bali County before returning. They were of average quality, used to replenish qi and nourish blood, and were better than nothing under normal circumstances.

He threw all the pills into his mouth, chewed them twice, and swallowed them.

Feeding and digestion.

The pill entered the stomach and was instantly broken down. The essence sank to the bottom, while the impurities were peeled off and adhered to the skin and flesh. A slight burning sensation spread from the stomach and then dissipated.

The numbers jumped a few times in front of my retina.

1489.

1491.

1496.

……

1500!

The numbers stopped, and then the entire line of text shattered and reformed.

New words appeared before my retina: 【Eating (Complete)】

Current progress: 1/2000

[Efficacy: Food itself is a form of cultivation, qi and blood flow like a deep pool, one meal provides a hundred kinds of nourishment, and flesh and blood are forged from within.]

Chen Ping knelt on one knee, his chest heaving a few times, before slowly standing up.

Food is a form of refinement.

Eating itself is a form of spiritual practice.

Qi and blood are as deep as an abyss.

It is no longer a trickle, but an abyss.

One meal can provide a hundred benefits.

The same food was extracted from his body far more efficiently than what an average person could.

Flesh and blood are forged from within.

Every bite of rice, every piece of meat, was forging his body. Chen Ping stood in the center of the training ground, feeling the new life spring within his body, and exhaled a breath of stale air.

He reached out and took Jingye off his back.

The blade gleamed with a deep blue light in the dimly lit training ground, its edge reflecting the lamplight on the stone wall. A chill seeped from the blade and into the palm of the hand.

The line of numbers hung silently in front of my retina.

【Vast Ocean Sword Technique】

[Current Progress: Complete (1959/2000)]

Chen Ping gripped the knife and stared at the line of numbers for a while.

When the Crushing Stone Force was transformed, an ordinary martial art was reborn and directly entered the superior realm.

If the already superior martial art, the Vast Ocean Blade Technique, were to undergo a transformation, what would it become?

Yuan Gang Ultimate Technique?

He suppressed the thought in his mind.

The Dragon Python Force is a martial art he created himself. It reaches perfection upon its first transformation, but he has been unable to transform it again until now. He has pondered the reason for this for a long time but still cannot figure it out, unsure of which direction to break through in. He had been anxious about this before.

But the Dragon Python True Qi gave him the answer.

True meaning.

The secret techniques, fragments of diagrams, and albums in the four-story armory all point to the same thing.

If one can comprehend the true meaning of the Dragon Python True Qi and use that meaning as a guide, the Dragon Python Force may undergo another transformation.

What about the Vast Ocean Sword Technique?

If it is a transformation, can one directly comprehend the true meaning of a teaching?

Chen Ping gripped the knife handle tightly, his knuckles turning white.

With that thought in mind, he stopped daydreaming.

Thinking too much is no substitute for taking a decisive strike.

Sink your Qi to your Dantian and lower your center of gravity.

The first strike was delivered.