Chapter 20

"Wooden fish, carved in the shape of a fish, hollow inside, produces sound when struck... Nowadays, it is used in Buddhist chants and hymns."

— Ming Wang Zhe, "Sancai Tuhui"

The man in the green robe seemed to hear the sound of the wooden fish as well. Shen Lian saw a hint of complexity in his eyes.

This was not because Shen Lian could read any emotion from the man's eyes, but rather the man's eyes naturally conveyed a conflicted feeling.

"Why do you ask? I'll tell you why. It's just that I'm about to fight a decisive battle, so I don't want to waste my life's learning. I originally intended to pass it on to that boy, but unfortunately, he doesn't have the fortune for it." The man in the green robe spoke a lot in one breath, with a strong sense of indifference.

"The person you're going to fight to the death, is the one who is striking the wooden fish?" Shen Lian asked curiously.

Although the wooden fish is often used by Buddhists, it originally came from Daoism. Therefore, Shen Lian couldn't be sure whether the person striking the wooden fish was a Buddhist or a Daoist.

"You can hear the soul-stabilizing sound emitted by 'Taiwei,' which is enough to prove your spiritual wisdom, indeed rare in the world. Others wouldn't be able to hear this sound." When the man in the green robe said this, the corners of his mouth slightly lifted, clearly indicating that Shen Lian had exceeded his expectations.

"Ling Chongxiao, Ling Chongxiao, no matter how capable you are, can you find a talent like Shen Lian?"

When Shen Lian heard 'Ling Chongxiao,' he couldn't help but be curious. Given the man in the green robe's arrogance, it was almost a fairy tale for him to admit someone's capabilities.

Who was Ling Chongxiao? How could he be so unforgettable, could he be the only person the man in the green robe truly cared about, the only one who could make him feel hatred?

Although he had questions in his heart, Shen Lian knew there was an 80% chance it was true.

Then, the man in the green robe's clothes swelled up, like a balloon, undulating like waves. Shen Lian felt a powerful gust of wind surge in the room, almost making him lose his footing.

A series of popping sounds, continuous and unending, lasted for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

This was the deepest part of the prison, dark and deep, so it didn't alarm anyone outside.

The oil lamp, however, was blown to and fro by the surging wind. Fortunately, just as it was about to go out, the wind and noise suddenly stopped. Shen Lian saw the manacles on the man in the green robe's hands and feet break into pieces, scattered on the ground.

The manacles, made of hard iron, were shattered by the man in the green robe.

His martial arts were simply unfathomable, and all of this was almost beyond human capability.

However, the iron hooks through his琵琶骨 (clavicle) were not shaken off or removed by hand. The two large iron hooks, piercing through his shoulder blades, were truly shocking and chilling to behold.

The man in the green robe showed no sign of triumph after breaking free from his restraints. His eyes revealed a coldness, piercing through the distance.

Shen Lian instinctively protected himself. A white light flashed, and a flying dagger appeared on the man in the green robe's shoulder. But he slightly shrugged, and the dagger bounced out of the flesh and fell to the ground.

The man in the green robe stopped in front of Shen Lian, somewhat surprised, and said, "Good boy, there are no more than three types of hidden weapons in the world that can injure me. Your flying dagger is enough to protect you. This way, I can be at ease. But you'd better hope I die today, otherwise, with this one strike, you'll suffer a lot."

After saying this, the man in the green robe laughed loudly, his voice like a dragon's roar. In an instant, he controlled Shen Lian's acupoints and, like a bolt of lightning, carried him out of the prison.

His divine skills had reached a great level in the past month, though he was not yet a true immortal, he had undergone a significant transformation.

In the past, although he was already an extremely powerful expert in the martial world, he was not a level above figures like the Golden Saber King. He relied on the power of the God-Slaying Sword to dominate the martial world.

Now, his internal energy had broken through the critical point, where mountains are no longer mountains, and water is no longer water. He could be considered a person who had entered the Dao, gradually able to abstain from food and avoid the烟火 (worldly affairs).

Otherwise, after a month without eating or drinking, even if he didn't die, his strength wouldn't have increased so significantly.

Since the cultivation of internal energy, one must sequentially open the eight extraordinary meridians, with the most difficult points being the Conception Vessel and the Governor Vessel.

That day, the man in the green robe was surrounded by the imperial army and several top experts, including the Green Bamboo Gang and the Golden Saber King, and was captured alive, unable to protect even the beggar boy.

It was this life-and-death experience, where he lost without defeat, that allowed him to break through the barriers in prison and reach a new realm in martial arts.

He managed to open the crucial Huiyin point, connecting the front and back, and the internal energy flowed from the 'Huiyin point' to the 'Changqiang point'.

Although the 'Huiyin point' and the 'Changqiang point' are close, one belongs to the Conception Vessel and the other to the Governor Vessel, and they are essentially unrelated.

Once connected, the internal energy could form a cycle within the body, endless and continuous.

If not for the iron hooks through his琵琶骨 (clavicle) causing his internal energy to disperse, he could have broken free from the chains and fought his way out that day.

As for the later batches of reckless martial artists who heard the news and wanted to get their hands on his 'God-Slaying Sword,' he dealt with them using the Daoist techniques of the 'God-Slaying Sword.'

These people didn't know that the 'God-Slaying Sword' had nothing to do with internal energy and didn't even know how they died.

Even if they had a chance to reincarnate, they would only be fools.

However, due to these pests' disturbances and the 'God-Slaying Sword' being a technique that 'kills a thousand but harms eight hundred,' he suffered significant damage to his spirit. If not for Ling Chongxiao's soul-stabilizing efforts, striking the 'Taiwei' for half a month, the man in the green robe wouldn't know when he could have escaped.

Ling Chongxiao's wooden fish, also known as 'Taiwei,' was a precious treasure of his sect, with the ability to calm the soul and make up for the shortcomings of the 'God-Slaying Sword.'

However, the 'God-Slaying Sword' attacks the spirit, which is against the natural order. His sect strictly prohibited its cultivation, and even if it was necessary to teach, it could only be to those with a righteous and upright character.

Otherwise, each use of the 'God-Slaying Sword' would damage one's spirit. If used frequently, it would take months or even half a year to recover.

Therefore, although the 'God-Slaying Sword' was famous, the man in the green robe had only used it a few times.

He knew Ling Chongxiao's thoughts. Once this man decided to kill someone, he would ensure the target was in their best state, never taking advantage of their weaknesses.

Shen Lian was lifted by the man in the green robe, feeling the wind in his ears, as if flying through clouds.

In a moment, they were out of the prison. The man in the green robe didn't stop, continuing forward. Shen Lian saw a figure on the roof ahead, which disappeared in a flash.

He no longer heard the sound of the wooden fish, replaced by a series of obscure and ancient words.

The entire passage was only 108 characters. With Shen Lian's memory, it should have been no problem, but after memorizing it, he felt dizzy and lightheaded.

In his mind, it was as if a flying divine sword struck him, making him break out in cold sweat, his forehead icy cold.

At this moment, he realized that the man in the green robe had stopped.

Ahead stood an ancient temple, the evening rain drizzling, enveloping the world in a misty haze.

He knew this place, the highest peak in the southern part of Qingzhou Prefecture, at least twenty miles from the prison.

Shen Lian felt the flow of his internal energy and judged that it had been about a quarter of an hour.

He recognized the ancient temple, the famous Jialan Temple outside Qingzhou Prefecture.

PS: Thank you, Long Ke, for the support.

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