Chapter 23

PS: The first update is here, thanks to the strong support of my fellow readers, we managed to secure a spot on the new book chart. The competition is fierce, and the casualties are heavy. Today, I will work hard and update three more chapters to express my gratitude. The plot will become even more engaging later on.

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This cave seemed like a dead end with no back exit, but it was much larger than the small mountain cave where Tan Yu was once attacked while sleeping. The cave ceiling was high and spacious, and there seemed to be a faint sound of a spring trickling. However, the surroundings were filled with strange rocks and obstacles, dividing the entire cave into many small spaces, making it neither overly spacious nor cramped.

"Such a good place to sleep!" Tan Yu stretched lazily, secretly marveling at Shi Huang's discernment for finding such a hidden and excellent cave.

"Kid, how about we make a deal?" Shi Huang seemed to have made up his mind and spoke straightforwardly.

Tan Yu turned around, his eyes gleaming with a hint of confusion as he looked at Shi Huang.

Shi Huang, clearly also having keen eyesight, followed his gaze.

"Hehe, kid, I see that your meridians are stable, and your qi and blood are strong. You have already reached the peak of the Ming Jing stage. Do you want to advance further?" Shi Huang waved his hand, sending a gust of wind that cleared the dust from a large rock, and he sat down with a casual air.

"Commander Shi, what do you mean..." Tan Yu found a flat rock opposite him, cleared it, and slowly sat down.

He had been innocently dragged into this mess and was still confused about what they were fighting over, feeling quite aggrieved. Now that the other party wanted to make a deal, it was a turning point.

Shi Huang touched his ear, "Commander Shi" was a rare and fresh title; no one had ever called him that before.

This kid is indeed peculiar.

"Let me be frank, kid. Actually, I have high hopes for you! At such a young age, you have already reached the peak of the Qi Lian stage, which is truly a rare talent with a bright future." Shi Huang's bloodshot eyes stared at Tan Yu.

You have high hopes for me? Tan Yu glanced sideways, what is this old man thinking? If you want to make a deal, just get to the point; why beat around the bush?

"So, I am willing to lend you a hand! To help you smoothly advance to the Shen Lian stage, which is also known as the An Jing stage. What do you think?" Seeing that Tan Yu remained expressionless, Shi Huang had to state his terms.

The terms Shi Huang mentioned, such as Qi Lian and Shen Lian, refer to the transformation of essence into qi and the return of qi to spirit, respectively. These are alternative names for the stages of cultivation in the southern martial arts system. The Qi Lian, Shen Lian, and Xu Lian stages correspond to the Ming Jing, An Jing, and Hua Jing stages, respectively. Apart from the different names, they are essentially the same.

Tan Yu was taught by the Zhang Sun lineage, whose founder established a school in the southwestern Dongchuan region, but its deeper roots were in the northern Daoist sect. The other lineage he learned from in his childhood, also from a northern family, used the northern terminology for the stages of cultivation.

Shi Huang, however, clearly came from a southern family, with different habits.

"An Jing? I would like to hear more about it." Tan Yu sneered inwardly but maintained a respectful demeanor on the surface.

"Exactly, An Jing! I have the Golden Needle Transcendence Technique, a secret method passed down for ten generations in my family. This technique can help you overcome the barrier of the Ming Jing stage and unlock the mysteries of the An Jing stage." Shi Huang quickly adapted and no longer mentioned the southern system.

Entering the An Jing stage? Tan Yu was quite interested in what he said, "Commander Shi, if you want to do me a favor, do it wholeheartedly. If you want to make a deal, you should offer more value, like a buy-one-get-one-free deal. That's the right way to do business."

Shi Huang was taken aback: "What do you mean, kid? I am indeed sincere in my proposal."

"Commander Shi, do you take me for a fool? With my current foundation, I can break through the bottleneck of the Ming Jing stage within a year by following a gradual path. The An Jing stage should not be an obstacle for me. Why should I risk my potential by accepting your technique to force my growth? If I end up with hidden injuries, won't I be laughed at by my peers? Since you know this, why do you deliberately toy with me?"

Shi Huang reached out and grabbed Tan Yu's wrist, listened for a moment, and his eyes widened slightly, looking a bit embarrassed.

He pondered and said, "I was not thorough enough. I should have realized that a kid with such a foundation must have a renowned master. However, do not underestimate my Golden Needle Technique. It is also effective for An Jing experts."

"That is precisely what I find hard to believe." Tan Yu smiled wryly and shook his head, "Otherwise, why has Commander Shi, who has been at the peak of the An Jing stage for many years, not yet transcended to become a Hua Jing master?"

"That is because you are too young and ignorant!" Shi Huang rebuked him bluntly, then remembered something and sighed, "As for me... I have my own reasons, which are not due to the ineffectiveness of the technique."

Hey, what could be his unmentionable secret? Hmm, it's probably related to Lady Deng. Tan Yu speculated maliciously.

"Actually, Commander Shi, you just need to clearly state what you need me to do." Tan Yu suggested, shaking his head inwardly, "It's not a fair fight, not a fair fight! This man has no business sense; once he gets stuck in a rut, he can't get out. The terms of the deal haven't even been discussed, and he's already in a hurry. I will weigh the pros and cons and do my best if I can."

"My son, Shi A, is fifteen years old, full of vigor. He has been bewitched by a barbarian girl and is in danger. I cannot completely remove the poison, so I cannot avoid being tracked by the Deng couple. Therefore, I want you to help my son break free from this entanglement and escape the pursuit of the Wuling barbarians." When Shi Huang spoke of his son, his face softened, but he also scratched his head and sighed, looking at Tan Yu, "I can teach you the complete Golden Needle Transcendence Technique. Even if you are at the peak of the An Jing stage and want to transcend, with the protection of a high-level expert, it can at least improve your chances by thirty percent."

A thirty percent increase in success rate? That's a huge gap!

Tan Yu was secretly astonished. He knew that advancing from the An Jing stage to the Hua Jing stage was considered a formidable barrier in the cultivation world, with a survival rate of one in ten. Many top An Jing experts died in the process, and even more lacked the courage to attempt it, remaining at the An Jing stage for their entire lives.

One in ten is an understatement; it's more like one in a hundred.

That's why Hua Jing experts are so rare! At least, Tan Yu had never heard his master mention any Hua Jing masters in Jingnan.

Even on a larger scale, across the entire Han territory, with millions of people, the known Hua Jing experts number no more than ten, making them extremely rare.

If Shi Huang is not lying, his family's Golden Needle Transcendence Technique is truly a heaven-defying method, an invaluable technique, perhaps even on par with the three major techniques of the Celestial Master Sect.

However, after much thought, Tan Yu shook his head and sighed, feeling powerless.

"I have heard that the Wuling barbarians have five great shamans, and Deng Qianwan is the weakest among them, yet he is already a formidable An Jing expert that I cannot resist. Declaring war on the Wuling barbarians openly, I must decline. Moreover, barbarian girls often use love potions to ensnare men. Your son has already been bewitched and may not appreciate my help, making it extremely difficult to persuade him. I fear I cannot complete this deal."