Chapter 10

Meng Qi's body hair stood on end. Could it be that he had come to a world with ghosts and spirits? Although the terms like Golden Body, Dharmakaya, and Dao Body sounded grand and powerful, capable of making evil spirits vanish into thin air, he and his companions were still at the level of ordinary martial arts, seemingly without any means to combat ghosts!

What should he do?

Just as Meng Qi's legs felt as heavy as lead, unable to move forward or backward, a bright sword light flashed, directly pointing at the void above the "evil spirit."

Hmm? Was he bewitched by the ghost, causing his sword technique to go off course?

In that instant, Meng Qi thought the sword had missed the ghost.

But in a flash, the black shadow fell straight to the ground, flailing its limbs but unable to stand up.

Zhang Yuanshan leaped forward, his right hand forming a finger sword, and the black shadow immediately stopped moving.

"Playing tricks." Jiang Zhwei sheathed her long sword and huffed lightly.

Only then did Meng Qi see that there was an inconspicuous track on the stone wall above, with a rope hanging down, swaying, and only half remaining.

"Haha." Meng Qi let out a dry laugh, feeling slightly ashamed of his poor eyesight, having been frightened by this simple mechanism.

Jiang Zhwei looked ahead and smiled, saying, "My Senior Brother Zhang and I have opened our Eye Apertures, similar to the 'Heavenly Eye' in your Buddhist sect. Although the lighting here is dim, and the track and rope are hidden in the environment, they cannot escape our eyes."

Eye Apertures, Heavenly Eye... Meng Qi finally understood what the "Aperture Opening Stage" meant and asked, "But what does this have to do with martial arts?"

What Meng Qi couldn't understand was how ordinary martial arts could develop to the level of "Heavenly Eye."

"The eyes are the apertures of the liver. After accumulating qi to the point of free flow and initial formation of the physical body, martial arts cultivation shifts to the internal organs and apertures." Zhang Yuanshan pulled something out of the black-clothed person's mouth, stood up, and explained casually, then looked at everyone, "He's still alive and couldn't poison himself. Do any of you have methods to force him to reveal the specific layout and situation of the Hidden Emperor Fortress?"

His acupoint strike was very accurate and timely, preventing the black-clothed person from biting the poison in his mouth.

Meng Qi nodded slightly, gaining a general understanding of the "Aperture Opening Stage" and becoming even more enthusiastic about the martial arts cultivation in this world. As for the methods of interrogating the captive, although Meng Qi knew many cruel tortures due to his curiosity, they were either unsuitable for this environment or for a short interrogation. So, he followed Zhang Yuanshan's lead and looked at Jiang Zhwei and Qi Xia.

Qi Xia stepped forward, forcing a smile, "I have a point-striking technique that we can try. Please don't think I'm too cruel."

She was usually a pampered young lady, but now, trapped in the "Cycle World," she was still struggling to calm down, her polite smile heavy with worry. Her choice of words even made Meng Qi, a young novice monk, feel a bit awkward.

"Could it be the 'Thirteen Soul-Searching Hands' of the Great River Gang?" Jiang Zhwei thought for a moment and guessed the technique Qi Xia was about to use.

Qi Xia smiled bitterly, "It's just a point-striking torture technique, really."

Zhang Yuanshan nodded slightly and clasped his hands, "Please, Sister Qi, let us benefit from your skills."

"Hmph, a yellow-haired brat pretending to be a famous hero. As the play says, great villains often appear loyal..." Yan Wujang, standing next to Meng Qi, muttered very softly, clearly disliking Zhang Yuanshan, who could dominate the situation in any environment.

Meng Qi glanced at him, saying nothing. Was he not afraid of being abandoned?

Yan Wujang looked at the little monk with disdain and continued to mutter softly, "They haven't opened their Ear Apertures yet, what do I have to fear..."

Tsk, caution is the best policy. Meng Qi smiled without speaking, watching Qi Xia walk to the black-clothed person, crouch down, and form a finger sword with her index and middle fingers. After a few deep breaths, she quickly struck seven points on the black-clothed person.

Then, as if pushed away, she stood up, drenched in cold sweat.

Grr, grr, the black-clothed person's throat emitted a sound like a wild beast's roar, followed by a series of blood-curdling screams. Although the sound was controlled by the "Thirteen Soul-Searching Hands" and not very loud, it was still chilling, making Meng Qi shiver.

"Ah... stop, please... ah... I, I'll talk..." The black-clothed person finally couldn't bear it and begged for mercy.

Qi Xia took a deep breath, crouched down again, and struck five more points, "Speak, I need to hear if what you say matches what we know."

The black-clothed person, drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through, hoarsely revealed the specific layout of the Hidden Emperor Fortress and the situation of the fortress lord.

Zhang Yuanshan crouched on the ground, drawing a map based on his description. Generally, if someone lied without premeditation, the layout they described would have contradictions when drawn as a map, unless it was extremely simple.

"It seems to be correct." Zhang Yuanshan looked at the complete map and said softly, "The Hidden Emperor Fortress is built in underground caves, very extensive, with many mechanisms. Our time is not abundant."

"Then we won't rescue the four great experts?" Qing Jing asked immediately, but after hesitating, he continued, "According to his words, the lord of the Hidden Emperor Fortress seems to have opened the six apertures of the eyes, ears, and nose..."

The black-clothed person naturally didn't know the exact cultivation level of the fortress lord, but some details he mentioned made Qing Jing and others speculate, such as threading a needle in the dark or detecting poison before consuming it.

Meng Qi glanced at Qing Jing, realizing he wasn't entirely stubborn and self-willed.

"Right, we can't be careless. From the map, the mechanisms trapping the four great experts are on the east and west sides. Considering the time needed to break the mechanisms and overcome the guards, we must act separately." Zhang Yuanshan stood up and said calmly, "Junior Brother Qi, you should have completed the qi accumulation, right?"

"Shameful, I've completed qi accumulation for five years but still can't open the apertures," the quiet Qi Zhengyan replied with a bow.

"Then please, Junior Brother Qi, join me and Junior Brother Qing Jing to the east side to rescue Great Heroes Ma Lianghan and Tan Wenbo as soon as possible." Zhang Yuanshan proposed, "Sister Jiang, Sister Qi, please take care of Junior Brother Zhen Ding and Chief Yan. If you can rescue the remaining two great heroes on the west side, that's great. If not, don't linger. Try to rescue one and meet us in the center. I estimate that with three great heroes to distract, it will be enough."

He originally wanted the highest-skilled Jiang Zhwei to join him, but considering that Qing Jing and Qi Xia, who were on the verge of opening apertures, had a low chance of success on the west side, he decided to split up with Jiang Zhwei to ensure success, while also "lightening" their tasks by giving them the burden.

"Actually, there's no need. We can act together and rescue two of them. Ordinary 'Aperture Opening Stage' experts can't compare to those from major sects," Qing Jing said proudly.

Experts from major sects at the Aperture Opening Stage often defeat ordinary martial artists who have opened two to four more apertures, a widely accepted fact.

Of course, many major sects' experts have also failed due to lack of experience, leading all sects to train their successors in various real-world experiences. For example, according to what Xuanxin told Meng Qi, excellent Shaolin disciples must undergo half a year of training before leaving the temple, during which they might be poisoned or ambushed at any time, with only the attacker's high skills and nearby antidotes preventing death, to prepare them for real-world situations.

If major sects didn't address their weaknesses and train specifically for assassination and poisoning, they would have been lost to history, remembered only in stories, not still at the pinnacle of the world!

"Still, caution is best." Zhang Yuanshan pondered, as this was their first cycle mission, and he wasn't sure about the "Master of the Six Realms" who arranged the tasks.

Qing Jing pursed his lips, unable to say more, and looked at Jiang Zhwei, "Don't keep us waiting too long, or we'll act on our own."

"Boasting is not heroism. If you have the skills, let's have another match," Jiang Zhwei said with a smile, completely unfazed by Qing Jing's subtle insult.

Don't take the insults of a defeated opponent to heart!

Qing Jing's face turned green, his lips trembling, "If, if I had opened my Eye Aperture..."

He couldn't continue, as he and Jiang Zhwei were both around sixteen, but she had opened her Eye Aperture while he hadn't, clearly indicating his loss.

He frowned, heading down the path ahead, "Senior Brother Zhang, don't waste time."

Zhang Yuanshan called Qi Zhengyan to follow, and Jiang Zhwei turned to Meng Qi, "Little monk, stay close to me. If you're too far, I won't be able to save you."

She smiled, like a blooming flower, "Anyway, we're not related. If you die here, I won't be too sad."

Meng Qi's face turned black and awkward, quickly speeding up to follow Jiang Zhwei.

At that moment, several black shadows rushed from the path ahead, some wielding swords, some axes, and some steel forks.

Jiang Zhwei drew her sword, the sound like a dragon's roar, circling three black shadows to her side and slashing their throats with a few swift strokes.

Meng Qi saw the blood spurt out, staining the ground and walls red, and felt a sense of unreality, as if he were watching a movie in a cinema, detached from the events.

Fortunately, he had experienced a穿越 (穿越 means "穿越" in Chinese, which can be translated as "transmigration" or "穿越" in English, but in this context, it refers to the protagonist's experience of being transported to a different world or time, so it's better to use "transmigration" for clarity), and the scenes of violence were less shocking. He quickly regained his senses, hiding behind Jiang Zhwei, staying within the range of her sword.

Jiang Zhwei's sword movements were graceful and elegant, overwhelming the remaining two black-clothed men, who could only support each other back-to-back. Meng Qi watched the fight intently, thinking about how he would use the Arhat Fist to deal with them.

Meanwhile, Qi Xia moved like a flower, striking few but effective blows, each causing a black-clothed man to fall. Qing Jing's knife movements were severe, with a sense of grandeur, each strike seemingly unremarkable but terrifying the black-clothed men, slowing their actions and leading to their deaths.

Zhang Yuanshan didn't show off, focusing fully, his sword drawing half-circles to deflect several long knives, then thrusting forward, felling three black-clothed men instantly.

Qi Zhengyan's sword technique was strict, occasionally using miraculous moves, and despite being surrounded by three black-clothed men, he severely injured one, showing that with more time, he could easily defeat them.

"Hmm, isn't Jiang Zhwei the best in martial arts? The other three have each killed at least three black-clothed men, but she can't take down the remaining two?" Meng Qi, amidst the sword and knife flashes, felt no particular weight from the deaths of the black-clothed men.

Suddenly, a scream rang out. Meng Qi instinctively turned around, just in time to see the cowardly Yan Wujang being stabbed in the back by a sword extending from a stone crevice, blood gushing out, clearly dying.

"The walls behind some stones are hollow..."

"The first one..."

Meng Qi saw Yan Wujang's face contorted in extreme pain, feeling a chill run through his body.