Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

After drinking and eating his fill, Zhou Yi was about to leave, but he felt that it was a pity that he had not learned any secret techniques.

“I’m about to die!” Wei Chang suddenly said.

There were still more than ten days until the execution.

“Then I wish you a pleasant journey, Hero. Before I leave, I’ll definitely find a bottle of century-old wine!”

Zhou Yi spoke slowly. “This is all I can do.”

After delivering wine for more than half a month, Zhou Yi’s relationship with Wei Chang had improved a lot. He knew that Wei Chang had been circulating his energy to remove the poison. However, the poison that the Uniformed Guards fed him was as poisonous as leeches. In the end, it was futile.

“This is enough!”

Wei Chang said, “I never owe anyone a favor. If I could manage to escape, I would return the good wine to you a hundredfold. Now that the execution is imminent, I can only teach you martial arts to repay the debt.”

Zhou Yi did not pretend to be polite. He cupped his hands and said, “Please guide me!”

“I was born a lowly hunter in the countryside. I practiced martial arts at the age of 15. At the age of 20, I dominated the world. At the age of 30, I was almost invincible in Yuzhou. Everyone says that the Flying Rainbow Swordsman is talented, but that’s not the case!”

Wei Chang said, “The real reason is that I was lucky enough to enter the cave abode of my predecessors while hunting and obtained a Nameless Mantra.”

Zhou Yi was pleasantly surprised and secretly guessed that this was some kind of unbeatable cultivation technique.

“This mantra is quite mysterious. After I got married and established my family, I tried to pass it on to my children, but none of them succeeded. Later on, I passed it on to my clansmen, and it was more of the same.”

Wei Chang went on, “I’ll teach you this technique today. If you can’t sense the profundity within, I’ll teach you another cultivation technique.”

“Thank you, sir!”

Zhou Yi said, “Even if I can’t cultivate it, I’ll still teach it to the heroes I meet in the future.”

“Hmph! You’re smart. I hate those who do harm to others.”

As Wei Chang said this, he was actually relieved. He had originally planned to teach ordinary martial arts techniques, but when he heard this, he decided to impart superior-class cultivation techniques.

“Listen to me carefully!”

“Heaven and Earth, give birth to yin and yang, transform into all things..”

There were more than 300 words in the entirety of the Nameless Mantra. Zhou Yi memorized it after listening to it carefully a few times. He silently recited it to Wei Chang twice as he sat cross-legged in the cell.

“..calm your heart, breathe slowly, gather the divine light, reach the heavens..”

Zhou Yi followed the Nameless Mantra’s instructions and meditated to comprehend the world. However, there was no reaction. He could not sense the clear qi that Wei Chang mentioned at all.

An hour passed. Zhou Yi’s legs were sore from sitting cross-legged, so he had to get up and move around.

Seeing Zhou Yi’s expression, Wei Chang naturally knew what was going on. “There’s no need to be discouraged. Not a single one of my hundred clansmen was able to cultivate it.”

Zhou Yi was feeling down, but not because the cultivation technique had not been successful. He had other thoughts that lay heavy in his heart.

“Have you investigated the origins of the Nameless Mantra?”

“I can’t find any traces of the origins of that cave abode, but..”

Wei Chang hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Perhaps it’s related to the legendary immortals. However, Dao Seeking cultivation is illusory. I gave up after investigating for a few years.”

“Immortals!”

Zhou Yi muttered to himself. He was sure that there were immortals in this world.

This Nameless Mantra’s cultivation method was to sense the clear spirit qi in the world. Martial arts cultivation techniques such as body tempering and inner qi were from the human body.

A completely different cultivation method. It was most likely an immortal cultivation technique.

From this, he deduced that cultivation might require some kind of talent, such as Innate Ability, Spiritual Roots, or Spiritual Heritage.

On the other hand, those who could not complete the immortal cultivation techniques did not have the talent for cultivation.

..

Zhou Yi shrugged helplessly. Indeed, there were gains and losses in this world. Although he was a little disheartened, he was not completely let down.

The Dao Fruit of Eternal Life gave him an endless lifespan.

This represented endless hope. Since immortal cultivation techniques required special talent, he would create cultivation techniques that did not require talent.

With the power of the Dao, all things have a chance of survival!

“Moreover, Nameless Mantra might not be an immortal cultivation technique after all. It might be a martial arts secret technique that requires a special physique.”

Zhou Yi was not the type of person to get stuck in a rut. In the blink of an eye, he regained his vigor. “Sir, I have no fate with the Nameless Mantra. But I still need to consult you about an ordinary cultivation technique.”

Wei Chang asked, “Martial cultivation is divided into Body Tempering and Internal Qi. Which do you want to learn?”

Zhou Yi said decisively, “The Inner Qi cultivation technique!”

Wei Chang said, “Young man, don’t be greedy. Do you know why internal energy cultivation techniques are rare?”

Zhou Yi guessed, “Because they are precious?”

“Not at all.”

Wei Chang shook his head and said, “The body tempering external cultivation method has low requirements for talent and rapid cultivation progress. If you temper your skin for three to five years, you will still be a third-rate expert. If you temper your muscles and bones for seven to eight years, you will be nothing but a second-rate expert.”

“If your talent is not too bad, you can reach the highest realm of bodily refinement in twenty to thirty years!”

“Even compared to this, cultivating inner Qi requires high aptitude and comprehension. Ordinary people cultivate for 20 to 30 years, and their martial arts combat strength remains roughly the same as it was when they were born.”

“50 years to reach second-rate, 100 years first-rate, and 200 years to reach true mastery!”

“Two hundred years? Who can live two hundred years?”

Zhou Yi was stunned. He had thought that internal energy cultivation techniques were precious and rare, but it turned out that they were practically useless.

“This is for an ordinary person! Those disciples of large sects are talented. They have been nourishing their bodies with medicinal baths since they were young and using True Qi to cleanse their muscles and bones. Their Internal Qi cultivation speed is three to five times faster than ordinary people.”

Wei Chang said, “With the profoundness of the cultivation technique and various pills, you can achieve 200 years of cultivation in 20 to 30 years!”

“So, the requirements for Body Tempering are low, and my strength grows quickly. Then why do I still have to waste my energy cultivating True Qi?”

Zhou Yi was puzzled. He did not care that it would take hundreds of years. There must be a reason why the disciples of large sects consumed huge resources to perfect their inner Qi.

“Body tempering and inner qi belong to the Postnatal Realm. Above that is the Connate Grandmaster Realm. Cultivating Inner Qi is easier than refining the body by traditional means and makes it easier to break through to the Connate Realm!”

Wei Chang pondered for a moment and said, “I once participated in the Jianghu Alliance Meeting and listened to a grandmaster’s lecture on martial arts. Some of the essence of cultivation he spoke of is similar to that of the Nameless Mantra.”

Zhou Yi blurted out, “Sir, please teach me your internal energy cultivation technique!”

“You’re sure?”

Wei Chang reminded him, “I’ll only teach you the first chapter of the mantra. That’s enough to repay you for delivering the wine!”

Zhou Yi nodded and said, “Everyone has to dream. What if I can break through to the Connate Realm?”

“If you can actually break through to the Connate Realm one day, please go to the northern border and take care of my wife and children.”

Wei Chang suddenly thought of his family being exiled to that cold place. “Apologize for me. I did this to them!”

Zhou Yi said solemnly, “I won’t disappoint you!”

“The Internal Qi cultivation technique I cultivate is called the Origin Returning Technique. Its nature is neutral and peaceful. It’s the true inheritance of the Qing City Daoist..”

Wei Chang recited the Origin Returning Mantra word by word. The entire chapter was actually several times longer than the Nameless Mantra.

There were more than 2,000 words in the entire chapter. It took Zhou Yi two hours to memorize them.

Zhou Yi asked, “Sir, can one cultivate both Body Tempering and Internal Qi?”

Body refinement can strengthen the bones, tendons, and internal organs. After greater mastery, the bones will be reinforced with steel, making it difficult for weapons to injure them. Internal qi refinement can nourish the internal organs. It can be used to treat illnesses and remove poison.

If one cultivated to a level of mastery both internally and externally, in the mortal world, Zhou Yi’s life would not be in danger!

Body-refinement could effectively reduce external injuries, while True Qi could nourish the internal organs, and the internal organs could be cultivated to Greater Mastery.

“Yes!” responded Wei Chang. “I cultivate both internally and externally. I cultivate inner Qi to nourish my internal organs, which can speed up Body Tempering. Most true experts in the world of martial arts do this!”

Wei Chang reminded him, “But there’s always a limit to one’s strength. When one is old and weak, one’s martial arts cultivation will regress, so one has to make a choice when cultivating.”

“Thank you for your guidance!”

Zhou Yi cupped his hands in thanks. He had the Dao Fruit of Eternal Life. No matter how slow his cultivation was, if he trained for hundreds of years, he could probably kill a Connate Grandmaster with a single blow!