Simultaneous Transmigration: The Re-merging of 99 Selves

Chapter 184 The Secret of Longevity

Kou Zhong's mind worked extremely fast. Seeing that a direct confrontation wouldn't work, he immediately put on a smiling face, got up from the ground, and dusted himself off.

"Brother Zhao wants the Longevity Manual? You should have said so earlier! Brother Zhao saved us brothers from Du Fuwei, we are grateful enough, what is a Longevity Manual to us?"

He said earnestly, "However, when we escaped Yangzhou, we hid the Longevity Manual in the foundation of the Guandi Temple outside the city. We didn't take it with us. If Brother Zhao wants it, we'll take you there to get it right away, as a way of repaying your life-saving grace."

Xu Ziling quickly nodded in agreement.

Zhao Yu couldn't help but laugh as he watched the two of them singing in unison.

These two lads really think they can fool him.

Zhao Yu glanced at the two main characters, a smile playing on his lips: "What about Yang Gong's treasure vault?"

Kou Zhong patted his chest and assured him, "Brother Zhao saved our lives. These are just worldly possessions, what do they matter?"

Besides, the Yang Gong Treasure Vault should rightfully belong to a peerless hero like Brother Zhao. We only ask that if Brother Zhao overthrows the court in the future, he won't forget the contributions we two brothers made.”

"Young Master Zhong is right," Xu Ziling chimed in, "The world is in chaos right now, and we need heroes like Brother Zhao to quell it. It would be a waste for the treasure trove to be in our hands, like a pearl cast before swine. Only in Brother Zhao's hands can it truly be considered the people's choice."

Seeing the two of them exchanging glances and praising themselves so highly, Zhao Yu couldn't help but admire them.

These two are quite adept at changing their tune; they're really good at it.

No wonder he was able to rise from a small-time hoodlum to where he is today.

"Alright, stop talking nonsense." Zhao Yu waved his hand. "The Yang Gong Treasure Vault is located underground in the Daxing Palace in Chang'an City. The entrance is at the Wulou Temple next to the Yuema Bridge. Am I right?"

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling's smiles froze, and they stared at Zhao Yu in horror.

How did he know?

This secret was known to no one but them and Fu Junbi; otherwise, it wouldn't have caused the entire martial arts world to hunt them down.

How could the two not be astonished when Zhao Yu said it so casually?

Zhao Yu didn't stop, and continued, "Your mother, Fu Junchan, is a disciple of Fu Cailin, a master swordsman from Goryeo. You two are Han Chinese, yet you've recognized a Goryeo woman as your mother; you're truly going against the natural order."

His tone was calm, yet tinged with disdain: "Fu Junchan coveted the treasures of our Han people, and for the sake of the Yang Gong Treasury, he killed countless Han people. In the end, he died in the Central Plains, a death he could be considered worthy of. But you two, aren't you ashamed? Aren't you going to reflect on your actions?"

"shut up!"

"You are not allowed to insult my mother!"

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling's eyes instantly turned red. They didn't care how high the other's martial arts skills were, and roared as they pounced on him again.

This time, they were truly enraged.

They were two young men, and while they could be humble, they were also full of passion.

Zhao Yu's eyes turned slightly cold. Without flinching or dodging, he moved swiftly between the two.

After only a few exchanges of fists and feet, he reached out with both hands, precisely grabbed their wrists, and gently pushed them away.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were sent flying backward again, this time with even greater force than before.

But Zhao Yu's fingertips held a yellowed silk scroll.

"Is this the 'Longevity Manual'?" He glanced at it and asked casually.

Kou Zhong was stunned and subconsciously touched his chest, only to find it completely empty.

He was both shocked and furious, and struggled to his feet, shouting, "Give it back to me! That's ours!"

"Noisy." Zhao Yu glanced at him and said casually.

Without him making any move, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling met Zhao Yu's gaze and felt a shiver run through their bodies. They opened their mouths but couldn't utter a sound, and their hands and feet were stiff and unable to move.

The two stood frozen in place, staring anxiously at Zhao Yu.

Having dealt with the two boys, Zhao Yu held the yellowed silk scroll and slowly unfolded it in front of them.

The feel of it upon first touch is enough to make one's heart flutter.

This "Longevity Manual" is not an ordinary piece of paper, nor is it made of animal hide or silk. Instead, it is a special silk book woven from mysterious gold threads mixed with strange silk threads. It is warm to the touch but cool to the touch, like jade but not jade, like gold but not gold, as thin as a cicada's wing but incredibly tough.

Kou Zhong and his companion had just escaped by diving underwater, and the silk scroll had been soaked in the lake water. Yet, when they held it in their hands, there wasn't a single watermark on it, and the writing and images on the surface were perfectly intact, without even a single crease.

"It truly is an ancient wonder," Zhao Yu thought to himself.

He carefully turned the pages, and what came into view was a dense array of ancient seal script characters, shaped like insects and fish, obscure and difficult to decipher.

The silk scroll contains seven colorful human figures depicting the circulation of Qi, in red, blue, yellow, white, and black, plus two figures, one bright and one dark, corresponding to the seven Qi circulation paths of metal, wood, water, fire, earth, yin, and yang.

The lines in the picture flow and move dynamically, with a subtle sense of endless vitality. Just one glance is enough to make people unconsciously focus their attention.

Zhao Yu, who still remembered the plot, knew the details of this unique skill.

According to the original text, the Longevity Manual was passed down from the ancient Guangchengzi, and the conditions for its cultivation were extremely demanding.

Ordinary martial arts believe that the deeper the foundation, the better. However, the Longevity Technique does the opposite. The practitioner must have no martial arts foundation whatsoever and no internal energy whatsoever in order to be in harmony with the origin of the technique.

If someone who already possesses internal energy tries to practice it, at best their internal energy will become mixed and they will suffer from qi deviation; at worst, their meridians will be severed and they will die on the spot.

Moreover, ordinary people practice qigong by concentrating their minds and circulating their qi, deliberately guiding the flow of internal energy.

The Longevity Formula, on the contrary, requires emptying one's mind of distractions and letting things take their natural course. Only when there is no intention to practice can the internal energy circulate on its own.

This principle is similar to that of the Jin-style martial art "Yi Jin Jing," both emphasizing "achieving something intentionally, yet accomplishing it unintentionally."

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These conditions directly exclude 99% of martial artists in the world.

This is why, for thousands of years, countless exceptionally talented masters have fought over it, yet none have been able to master it.

On the contrary, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, two illiterate boys from humble backgrounds, could not understand the tadpole script and had no desire to practice martial arts. However, by chance, they resonated with each other's state of mind and mastered this ancient martial art that no one had ever been able to learn before.

Zhao Yu understood these principles perfectly.

He has integrated the cultivation of several lifetimes, and his internal energy is as vast as the sea. Logically speaking, he should never touch this kind of cultivation technique.

But with unparalleled skills right before their eyes, how many people can truly remain unmoved?

Zhao Yu originally intended to just look at the methods of circulating qi and learn from their artistic conception, without necessarily practicing it himself.

But when his gaze fell on the seven colorful pictures, the surging true energy within his body seemed to be drawn by something, involuntarily flowing along the lines in the pictures.

"not good!"

Zhao Yu was startled and tried to regain his composure, but it was too late.

His internal energy clashed with the energy circulation method of the Longevity Technique, causing a sharp pain in his meridians. He groaned, and a trace of bright red blood seeped from the corner of Zhao Yu's mouth. The turbulent blood and qi in his body were difficult to calm down for a long time.

Not far away, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling stood frozen in place, unable to move, and could only communicate with their eyes.