Reborn Ouyang Ke: From The Condor Heroes to the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 50 The Secret of Longevity

"The Blazing Sun Technique? Bi Xuan?"

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ke was slightly taken aback, but then he realized that Shi Long had misunderstood something.

Then Shi Long's face turned flushed, and his chest heaved, clearly struggling to suppress the rampant yang energy within him. Seeing that Ouyang Ke did not immediately deny it, Shi Long assumed he had guessed correctly.

It should be noted that "Martial Venerable" Bi Xuan is the God of War of the Great Grassland, and is known as one of the three great martial arts masters of the world, along with Ning Daoqi, the "Free Spirit" of the Central Plains, and Fu Cailin, the "Master of Chess and Sword" of Goryeo.

His "Blazing Sun Technique" is recognized throughout the world as the most yang martial art. Bi Xuan relied on it to roam the grasslands and deserts his entire life, never suffering a defeat. Apart from this, there is no other yang martial art in the world worthy of praise.

Of course, if a comparison must be made, the unique skill of the Yuwen Clan, one of the four major clans, "Ice Profound Force," is the representative of the most Yin-based martial arts.

Although Shi Long had lived in Jiangnan for a long time and had never personally gone to the desert grasslands, he had long heard of the fame of "Martial Venerable" Bi Xuan's "Blazing Sun Technique". And the extremely yang true energy that had just invaded his body was incredibly domineering.

It should be noted that the opponent's cultivation level has clearly not yet reached the Innate Realm, yet the Innate True Qi that I have cultivated for more than thirty years cannot completely remove it.

This gives a glimpse into its power.

In addition, news of Ouyang Ke's battle with Ba Feng Han had already spread throughout the martial arts world, and the fact that he came from the Western Regions had also spread far and wide. Ouyang Ke was extremely young, looking no more than twenty years old, but his cultivation was incredibly profound, and his true energy was extremely yang and strong. Given that he came from the Western Regions, Shi Long naturally couldn't help but think of Bi Xuan's "Blazing Sun Technique".

"Could you perhaps be the disciple of Martial Venerable Bi Xuan?"

Shi Long's chest trembled, his blood and qi still not calmed down, but the shock in his heart was even greater than that in his body. This kind of extremely yang and powerful true qi was said to be only achievable by Bi Xuan's Blazing Sun Technique, and Shi Long instinctively believed that Ouyang Ke was using the Blazing Sun Technique.

Ouyang Ke merely glanced at Shi Long. The "Nine Yang Divine Skill" he cultivated was an extremely yang skill. Although he had not yet mastered it, it already possessed an aura that ordinary skills could not match. Therefore, Shi Long naturally thought of Bi Xuan.

Shi Long leaned against the wall, the absurd feeling in his heart growing stronger. Thinking about how he had accidentally obtained the "Longevity Manual," spent years trying to comprehend it but gained nothing, and in the end, he even attracted the disciples of "Martial Venerable" Bi Xuan to come to his door to demand it back. It was truly an undeserved disaster.

Ouyang Ke did not answer, but instead said calmly, "Teacher Shi, even now, you still refuse to hand over the Longevity Manual?"

Shi Long's face was grim as he secretly examined his injuries.

Just now, the two exchanged blows, and he, being more than thirty years older, was no match for his opponent. His body was invaded by that extremely yang energy, and although he had barely managed to suppress it, he still had the strength to fight back.

But thinking of this, Shi Long smiled bitterly to himself: was there any point in continuing the fight now?

Offending Yang Guang might still offer a way out, but offending the three grandmasters of martial arts would truly mean certain death.

Ba Feng Han killed Bi Xuan's eldest disciple, Yan Hui Feng, and was forced to flee into the Central Plains. However, he was still chased into the Central Plains by Bi Xuan's disciples and ended up being seriously injured and forced to escape.

Furthermore, he was more than thirty years older than his opponent, yet in their previous exchange, he not only failed to gain the upper hand but was also knocked back by a single punch, causing his blood and qi to stagnate and resulting in considerable injury.

"It seems this item is truly not meant for me."

Shi Long suddenly laughed, appearing as if he had aged several years in that instant. The next moment, he took out the "Longevity Mantra" from his robes and channeled his energy to send it towards Ouyang Ke from a distance.

Upon seeing this, Ouyang Ke's eyes lit up with surprise. He hadn't expected Shi Long to be so cooperative, not even needing to use the excuse he had prepared earlier.

However, it's all for the best. After all, Shi Long has been famous for many years. Although his martial arts have declined due to forcibly comprehending the "Longevity Manual," if he fights to the death, Ouyang Ke himself will inevitably be injured.

He reached out and gently caught the flying "Longevity Manual". Upon touching it, he felt that the scroll was woven with black gold thread, and it was warm to the touch. It was indeed water-resistant and fire-resistant.

Ouyang Ke only needed a quick inspection to realize that the item was genuine.

In front of Shi Long, Ouyang Ke made no attempt to hide his intentions, and directly took out a piece of white paper that he had prepared beforehand, and began to make a rubbing of the "Longevity Mantra".

"This—" Shi Long looked at this scene and was completely baffled.

Ouyang Ke didn't even look up, and said calmly, "I said that borrowing books is one thing, and I keep my word. I will not take what others like."

Shi Long watched this scene with mixed feelings. The moment he threw out the "Longevity Mantra," he felt a sense of relief, as if a huge mountain that had been weighing on his heart had been removed.

His spiritual awareness was sharper than ever before, and a sense of enlightenment began to emerge, as if the realm he had been trapped in for many years was now beginning to loosen.

But seeing that Ouyang Ke didn't choose to take the "Longevity Manual" directly, he was both surprised and delighted.

About half an hour later, Ouyang Ke had finished making rubbings of all 7,400 characters and the seven human figures in the "Longevity Manual," checking them one by one to ensure nothing was missing. He closed the rubbings and handed the original book back to Shi Long.

Shi Long took the "Longevity Manual" and was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected that this extraordinary book, regarded as a "treasure" by the outside world, would actually return to his hands again.

Ouyang Ke slowly said, "Although this 'Longevity Manual' contains the supreme mysteries of the Heavenly Dao, no one has been able to decipher its secrets for thousands of years. Teacher Shi has possessed this book for several years, yet has gained nothing; clearly, he is not destined to obtain it."

Upon hearing this, Shi Long remained silent for a long time before sighing, "Indeed. The Longevity Scripture is good, but it is ultimately an external thing. It's laughable that since I obtained this Taoist treasure, I've racked my brains trying to figure it out, yet I've gained nothing. Instead, it has dragged my mental state down, even bordering on obsession. All those decades of Taoist cultivation have been for naught; I haven't achieved even a trace of the Taoist principles of tranquility and non-action. How can I expect to make any further progress in the future?"

After saying that, he casually tossed the "Longevity Manual" aside, and only at this moment did he truly let go of his obsession.

Ouyang Ke indeed sensed that Shi Long was different now. The Shi Long of just now, although resolute and extraordinary, had too many distracting thoughts; but now, Shi Long seemed to have been reborn. Having lost the treasure "Longevity Technique", he was calm and composed, with a hint of otherworldly grace.

Ouyang Ke nodded and praised, "It is truly commendable that Teacher Shi has such insights."

Although Shi Long has realized his past mistakes after today's battle and has turned misfortune into blessing, and is expected to break through the realm that has been shackled for many years, he will not have much goodwill towards Ouyang Ke, who took the initiative to come and seize it.

He shook his head, his tone implying that he was being asked to leave: "Since you have already obtained the secret to immortality, I, Shi, will not keep you any longer."

Sensing Shi Long's intention to dismiss him, Ouyang Ke smiled calmly: "Since Teacher Shi has already asked me to leave, it is naturally inconvenient for me to stay here any longer. However, Teacher Tian Wen's acupoints have been sealed, so I have kept him as a guest at Piaoxiang Tower in the city. I would be grateful if Teacher Shi could release his acupoints."

"Teacher Tian?"

Shi Long's expression changed drastically. He suddenly realized that the young man in front of him had made thorough preparations in advance in order to borrow the "Longevity Manual" for a glimpse. He had lived in seclusion in Yangzhou for many years and rarely made friends with anyone. Even his disciples did not know that he had a very deep friendship with his teacher, Tian Wen.

This young man had only been in Yangzhou for a short time, yet he had already found out everything about him.

If they were not disciples of "Martial Venerable" Bi Xuan, how could anyone else possess such abilities?

As the two talked, Shi Long became increasingly convinced that Ouyang Ke was indeed a disciple of "Martial Venerable" Bi Xuan.

Shi Long said with a gloomy face, "In that case, I should thank you for showing mercy."

Sensing the anger in Shi Long's tone, Ouyang Ke remained unperturbed: "Teacher Shi, there's no need to be so angry. I was merely making some preparations beforehand and did not harm Teacher Tian Wen in the slightest. However, before we part, I have a few words to say, which I hope Teacher Shi will not forget."

"What did you say?" Shi Long asked with a stern face.

Ouyang Ke said calmly, "The world is about to descend into chaos, and this place is not a place to linger. If Teacher Shi does not wish to be drawn into it, it would be best to leave as soon as possible."

The fact that Shi Long obtained the "Longevity Manual" was not a secret. Yuwen Huaji was able to find out about it in the original story, and other forces could naturally guess as well. If he continued to stay in Yangzhou City, he would inevitably repeat the same mistake.

Shi Long said with a stern face, "Thank you for your concern."

Seeing that he didn't take it to heart, Ouyang Ke didn't say anything more and turned to leave the secluded courtyard where Shi Long lived.

Night had fallen, and a crescent moon hung high in the sky, its cool light casting long, thin shadows of the white-clad figure on the path outside Yangzhou. Ouyang Ke, crutch under his arm, slowly made his way to a secluded spot outside the city. He stopped, placed two fingers to his lips, and let out a clear, melodious whistle.

-

The whistle pierced the night sky, and moments later, a red light shot out from the direction of the city, as fast as a shooting star.

The firebird flew like an arrow to Ouyang Ke, circled once, and landed steadily on his shoulder. It tilted its head, gently pecked Ouyang Ke's earlobe with its beak, and made a low "coo" sound, as if it were asking for praise.

"Thank you for your hard work." Ouyang Ke reached out and gently stroked the Firebird's little head, a smile playing on his lips. Just now, when he was fighting with Shi Long, he had entrusted the Firebird to keep an eye on Tian Wen for him. After all, his trip was only to borrow books to read, and he didn't want Tian Wen to be harmed because his acupoints had been sealed.

The firebird nuzzled his fingertips before quietly perching on his shoulder, its small, coral-like eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Ouyang Ke used his lightness skill, lightly tapping the ground with his crutches under his arms, his figure as swift as the wind, moving quickly through the night.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he found a secluded and deserted courtyard outside the city. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, clearly uninhabited for a long time. Ouyang Ke didn't mind, found a clean corner, sat down cross-legged, took out the rubbings from his robes, and began to peruse them page by page.

Moonlight streamed in through the dilapidated window, illuminating the densely packed characters. Opening the rubbing of "The Secret of Longevity," the first few pages were written in oracle bone script, interspersed with numerous annotations from readers of various handwritings, clearly left by collectors throughout the ages.

Ouyang Ke glanced at it briefly, and sure enough, it was like a book written in a foreign language, not a single word of which he could understand. He didn't care and turned directly to the pictures on the next few pages.

The seven human figures are all different in posture and guided by various symbols such as red dots and arrows. Each figure represents a complete set of exercises, but the paths are quite different; some begin at the crown of the head, while others start from the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of the foot. The arrows are divided into seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple, each color seemingly describing a completely different set of exercises.

Ouyang Ke's gaze sharpened. In the original story, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling accidentally cultivated the sixth and seventh diagrams, thus becoming the first people in a thousand years to master the true qi of the "Longevity Technique." A slight thought stirred within him. Although he knew that the two dragons had mastered this skill by accident, he still couldn't resist trying it out himself.

"Little guy, cover for me."

Ouyang Ke patted the firebird on his shoulder and whispered his instructions.

The firebird nodded as if it were human, then flapped its wings and took flight, circling in the night sky. Though small in size, it resembled a flowing flame, strikingly conspicuous in the moonlight.

Ouyang Ke closed his eyes and meditated, entering a state of clarity. He visualized the sixth image in his mind. The image resembled a person walking, with meridians and acupoints marked by red dots and dotted lines. A thick, black arrowhead was aligned with the Tianling acupoint on the top of the head. From there, the arrowheads branched into seven colors, each with a different path, and finally returned to the top of the head.

As his meditation deepened, an extremely cold surge of true energy suddenly rushed into his head, then flowed into all his meridians, freezing his entire body stiff. The chill was bone-chilling, as if he had been thrown into an ice cellar.

Ouyang Ke's Nine Yang True Qi circulated instinctively, instantly dispelling the chill. But immediately afterward, wave after wave of bone-chilling coldness poured down his body, relentlessly penetrating his body.

Even with his abundant Nine Yang True Qi, Ouyang Ke endured the chill for about three hours. He knew this was an inevitable pain in cultivating the "Longevity Technique" and tried his best to bear it. But the chill grew stronger and stronger, until finally it felt as if his entire body was frozen solid, and even his thoughts became sluggish. He gritted his teeth, desperately trying to keep his mind clear, but the chill seemed endless, slowly eroding his will.

Finally, Ouyang Ke could no longer maintain a clear mind. In an instant, boundless spiritual energy surged into him from the Tianling acupoint on the top of his head, violently clashing with the Nine Yang True Qi within his body.

"puff-

"6

A mouthful of blood spurted out, and Ouyang Ke's face turned deathly pale. His internal energy was in disarray, backfiring on his meridians, and the excruciating pain was like being stabbed with knives. Seeing this, the firebird immediately swooped down from the sky, landed on his knee, and anxiously chirped, gently pecking at the back of his hand with its beak.

Recalling the danger he had just faced, Ouyang Ke couldn't help but feel lingering fear. If he had held on any longer, the violent energy of heaven and earth might have completely torn his meridians apart.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to die, little guy."

Feeling the firebird cautiously touching him, Ouyang Ke opened his eyes, shook his head, and smiled bitterly.

He closed his eyes and looked inward, discovering that his internal meridians had been severely damaged for the first time.

Fortunately, the Nine Yang Divine Skill was already at a high level and was extremely effective at healing, so he only needed to practice his internal energy for seven days to fully recover. For an ordinary person, it would take at least half a month to recover.

"It seems that not only is Shilong destined to be without this item, but I am as well."

Ouyang Ke shook his head, his gaze falling on the rubbings of the scriptures. He reached out and touched the firebird, whispering, "If we want to unravel the mysteries of the Longevity Scripture, we'll probably have to rely on those two lads."

1

The firebird tilted its head and looked at him, making a "coo" sound as if it understood but not quite.

As night deepened, the moonlight shone like water. Ouyang Ke sat cross-legged in the desolate courtyard, closing his eyes to heal his injuries. The firebird perched on his lap, quiet and still, its small eyes warily watching its surroundings like a loyal guard.

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