Cultivating for Immorality: I Evolved Martial Arts into the Immortal Path – Chapter 131

Chapter 131: Inner Cultivation of a Single Breath

“Taking a master…”

This matter came so suddenly that Qi Xiuliang was stunned for a moment.

What virtue or ability did he possess to actually have a Skin Tempering Realm expert take him as a disciple?

Before he could react, the old man said, “Not taking me as your master, but taking my master as your master. He doesn’t look at talent when accepting disciples, only character. Your character is sufficient. He cannot come here now. If you are willing, I will accept you as a disciple on his behalf, making you my master’s ninth disciple!”

These words shocked everyone in the hall once again.

This old man actually had a master?

He was a Skin Tempering Realm expert. What realm would his master be?

Tendon Tempering? Or Bone Tempering?

“My talent is extremely poor and I am simply not suitable for the path of martial arts. I was originally just a farmer in a mountain village, destined to live an ordinary life until I reached the age of forty.” The old man spoke again, recounting his past.

“What?”

Hearing this, Luo Hong and the others widened their eyes in disbelief.

The age of forty!

To have extremely poor talent and not have practiced martial arts by the age of forty meant that one’s life was basically unrelated to the path of martial arts.

What kind of immortal was his master to be able to train him into a Skin Tempering Realm expert?

“Qi Xiuliang, your talent far surpasses mine. If you are willing to become a disciple, you will surely go further than me in the future.”

The old man looked at Qi Xiuliang, his gaze aged and his face full of vicissitudes.

The others couldn’t help but feel envious.

As long as he could become a disciple, Qi Xiuliang would at least be a Skin Tempering Realm expert in the future.

Even Chu Liang was surprised. This was a great opportunity. Qi Xiuliang had to seize it!

He turned his gaze and found that Qi Xiuliang was still in a daze. He immediately stepped forward and kicked the back of Qi Xiuliang’s knee.

“Bang!”

This kick was both fast and accurate!

Qi Xiuliang’s expression changed. He couldn’t react in time and was kicked to his knees, falling to the ground with a thud in front of the old man.

He opened his mouth, “I…”

The old man nodded slightly, “Very good. It seems you have made your choice. From today on, you are my master’s ninth disciple!”

As he spoke, he glanced at Chu Liang, a hint of appreciation in his eyes.

Only then did Qi Xiuliang finally come to his senses.

He looked anxious and hurriedly asked, “Senior, Chu Big Brother’s talent is even better than mine, and his character is equally upright. Can you also accept him as a disciple?”

“No,” the old man shook his head.

“Why is that?” Qi Xiuliang became even more anxious. With Chu Liang’s talent, if he had a good teacher to guide him, he might even become a Grandmaster in the future.

The others in the hall were also curious. In terms of character and temperament, Chu Liang was no worse.

Why was he not accepted?

“I asked my master, but he did not reply. Therefore, I do not know either,” the old man said slowly. This was a question he himself wanted to know the answer to.

Hearing this, everyone turned to look at Chu Liang, their eyes filled with a sense of inquiry.

Clearly, Chu Liang was hiding a big secret.

But even Chu Liang himself was a little stunned. Why wouldn’t that senior accept him? Could it be that he knew the secret of the Evolutionary Appraisal Mirror?

Qi Xiuliang was also curious, but more than that, he felt regret. He sighed, “Chu Big Brother, it would have been great if we could have become fellow disciples.”

Chu Liang smiled freely, “We are both apprentices in the Autumn Blade Martial Arts Hall. We are already considered fellow disciples.”

His calm attitude earned the admiration of everyone present.

In terms of composure, there were probably few in the entire county town who could compare to Chu Liang.

“Chu Liang, you have many mysteries about you. Your future achievements will not be small. If not for my master’s refusal, I would have wanted to take you as my disciple and form a master-disciple bond with you,” the old man said to Chu Liang.

His words directly confirmed the speculation of many people in the county town—he had indeed considered taking Chu Liang as a disciple.

Chu Liang cupped his hands, “Thank you for your high regard, Senior.”

“It’s nothing.”

Qi Cang’s voice was aged. He looked at Qi Xiuliang again and said, “Qi Xiuliang, I am also surnamed Qi. My name is Qi Cang. From now on, I will be your Eighth Senior Martial Brother. Since you have become a disciple, I should naturally give you a welcoming gift. My master and your other seven Senior Martial Brothers and Sisters will also each give you a gift. However, they are far away in various parts of the Great Liang and can only send them through an escort agency. You will have to wait.”

With that, he turned and walked towards the outside of the hall.

As he walked, he said, “Come with me. I have three things here that are suitable for you. You can choose one.”

“Yes, Eighth Senior Martial Brother.”

◈◈◈

Qi Xiuliang didn’t dare to delay and immediately got up, hurrying after Qi Cang.

As Qi Cang walked out of the hall, he said one last sentence, “As for that 《Pine and Bamboo Sword Technique》, you can discuss it with Chu Liang. Now that Qi Xiuliang is my Junior Martial Brother, he will not lack martial arts resources.”

“Yes, we will follow Alliance Leader’s orders.”

In the hall, Luo Hong and the others responded.

A few breaths later, Qi Cang and Qi Xiuliang disappeared from everyone’s sight.

Luo Hong and the others withdrew their gazes and sat down again.

“Chu Liang, is there anything you want?” Luo Hong asked Chu Liang.

“There is, but the county town’s Martial Alliance probably doesn’t have it,” Chu Liang replied with a casual expression.

“What is it?”

Hearing this, everyone else became interested and looked at Chu Liang.

Luo Hong said, “Just tell us. If we can get it, we will definitely find a way to get it for you.”

Yan Gong also said, “This 《Pine and Bamboo Sword Technique》 is extremely valuable. As long as you are willing to exchange it, I can even give you my position as Hall Master.”

“No thanks, I’m not interested in holding a position at the moment.”

Chu Liang smiled and refused. He didn’t want to be any Hall Master.

Such a position sounded like a lot of trouble, and he would be tied down all day.

He looked at everyone and said slowly, “Have you ever heard of the path of Internal Martial Arts?”

“Internal Cultivation?”

Luo Hong and the others looked at each other. Naturally, they had heard of it.

In this hall, everyone practiced external martial arts, focusing on the path of body tempering, striving to achieve a state impervious to swords and spears.

This was “external cultivation of tendons, bones, and skin.”

Corresponding to this was “inner cultivation of a single breath.”

The path of Internal Cultivation focused on cultivating “Qi.” At a high level, one could control objects with Qi. Legend has it that the Sword Sect of Mount Shu had a technique to “control swords with Qi.”

According to records, among the nine Grandmasters who intercepted the Blood Demon on Heavenly Mountain a hundred years ago, three were Qi Grandmasters.

“Chu Liang, are you perhaps looking for an internal cultivation technique?” Luo Hong asked him.

“That’s right,” Chu Liang nodded. “Can you get one?”

“We can’t!”

Everyone shook their heads in unison, saying that it was absolutely impossible to obtain.

Internal cultivation techniques were far more valuable than Third-Rate Martial Skills. They were extremely rare and tightly controlled by powerful factions. There were none circulating in the outside world.

Chu Liang frowned and asked, “Even if it’s just a fragment of a page or half a page? I just want to understand it a little.”

“It’s absolutely impossible to get,” Luo Hong said with a serious expression. “Those great clans and sects will not allow this to be leaked. Once it is leaked, it will cause a great bloodbath!”

“That’s right, Chu Liang, do you know about the Jinhua Prefecture clan extermination case twenty years ago?” Yan Gong asked.

“I’ve heard a little about it.”

Chu Liang remembered seeing it in a volume of books in the library.

Jinhua Prefecture was also a large prefectural city, similar in size to Wenhai Prefectural City, located in the southeastern part of Yangzhou Province.

Twenty years ago, on a stormy night, the number one clan in Jinhua Prefecture, the Chen family, was completely exterminated. Thousands of people in the clan, without exception, were killed, their blood flowing like rivers. The head of the clan’s Tendon Tempering Realm expert was hung above the gate, his eyes wide open in death.

This case was an unsolved mystery. To this day, no one knows who did it.