pertwk Chapter 8 The Night Before the Storm
Chapter 8 The Night Before the Storm
The flame in the oil lamp burned, casting a thin beam of light.
When Yang Jin couldn't wait for Shi Gong to arrive, he began practicing his superpowers, his senses extending outwards like a spider web.
Vibration sensing!
This time, he not only sensed the vibration of the surrounding soil and rocks, but he could also clearly "hear" the steady and powerful heartbeat of his own heart, the soft gurgling sound of blood flowing in his veins, and even feel the strands of new blood and energy under his skin, slowly moving along a specific trajectory like underground currents.
The Qi and blood stagnate and take root within his flesh and blood, constantly nourishing and strengthening his body. The feeling is like a highly skilled masseuse giving you a massage—her technique is superb, and the pressure is just right...
Just as Yang Jin was completely absorbed in the moment, a faint but very clear tremor came from his mental connection with Atu.
"Chirp chirp chirp!!!"
That wasn't an emotion, nor was it information; it was more like... a kind of elation at the level of life itself.
Yang Jin's heart stirred, and he immediately turned his attention to it.
Through the mental link, he "saw" Atu faithfully lurking at the cave entrance, still looking as ugly as ever.
However, if you observe Atu closely, you will soon find that it is significantly different from before.
Its dark brown mucus became clearer, faintly revealing a metallic sheen resembling rock texture, as if a special effect filter had been applied.
The dark red file-like jaw teeth around the mouthparts opened and closed more smoothly and powerfully, and their sharpness was also slightly improved.
Most noticeably, the protective intent it conveyed to Yang Jin was more solid and clear, less of its initial naivety, and more spiritual.
"A-Tu...you didn't spend money on in-game purchases, did you...? No, you're getting stronger too?!"
Yang Jin was pleasantly surprised.
Who would have thought that an ugly earthworm could become as strong as a human?
He thought that only by spending 100 ley line essences could Atu evolve like Pikachu.
As it turned out, A-Tu only took a bath and didn't even train, yet he became stronger... This talent and mechanism made Yang Jin wonder who the real mastermind was.
Looking at Atu's appearance and condition after becoming stronger.
He quickly contacted Shan Ding to check A Tu's connection.
Sure enough, the mountain cauldron trembled slightly, and a more detailed information stream returned:
【Commander of Mountain Beasts: Rock-Carving Earthworm (A-Tu)】
[Status: Healthy, Active, Slightly Evolving]
[Abilities: High-efficiency rock drilling, detection and conversion of earth vein essence, basic rock skin, vibration sensing (weak)]
[Evolutionary path: Rock-boring earthworm → Mountain-diving earthworm]
[Evolution Requirement: Ley Line Essence (Currently requires 93/100)]
[Note: The mountain beast and the cauldron master are linked and symbiotic. As the cauldron master grows, executes commands, and absorbs the essence of the earth's veins, the mountain beast's life essence is also nourished and purified, and its evolutionary needs change dynamically accordingly.]
The evolution requirement has been reduced! From the initial 100 points, it has been reduced to 93 points!
This means that as Atu helped him mine, explore, and absorb the spiritual spring, it was also constantly being nourished and strengthened by the essence of the earth veins, and its life essence was slowly improving!
Therefore, the total amount of ley line essence required for its evolution has decreased!
Moreover, Atu also possessed vibration perception and rock skin abilities, and his rudimentary rock skin was even more advanced than his weak rock skin.
"So that's how it is!" Yang Jin understood. "No wonder the amount of earth vein essence you brought back kept decreasing; it turns out you were taking kickbacks!!!"
However, let him eat it. A-Tu is his pet, and it's a good thing for him if A-Tu can become stronger.
Yang Jin pondered whether, if he continued to let A Tu receive kickbacks from the earth vein essence, his evolution threshold might be lowered to fifty or sixty, twenty or thirty points... or even below ten...
At that time, Atu will be able to complete its evolution and become a Pangolin...
Earthworms are actually just that—earthworms—but with the word "mountain-piercing" added, they're definitely different.
This discovery made him feel a little better about the kickbacks he had received.
Atu is not just his tool, but also a comrade-in-arms with whom he can grow.
In the future, as it continues to grow stronger and even evolve, it will certainly be able to provide even more help.
"A-Tu, work hard, keep it up! Once we've wiped out Sun Yaozu's whole family, I promise you'll get to marry off several beautiful sisters-in-law..."
Yang Jin patted A Tu on the shoulder.
A cheerful mood emanated from Atu.
Just then—
Creak...thump.
Familiar sounds came from above the cellar.
The stone axle rubbed against the wooden door, and footsteps landed.
It's Shi Gong who's back!
Yang Jin immediately calmed his mind, ended his meditation, lit the oil lamp, and tidied up the cellar, mainly pushing the broken soil and stones that A Tu had brought back to the corner.
Not long after.
As the dim light fell, Shi Jian's hunched figure appeared. He carried a bulging coarse cloth bundle in his hand, his face showing the weariness of a long journey, but his cloudy eyes shone with solemnity and worry.
"Stone Master".
Yang Jin quickly went to meet him.
Shi Jian nodded and placed the bundle on the wooden box before untying it.
Inside were several packets of coarse salt wrapped in oiled paper, a small jar of black plaster, ten stiff, coarse naan breads, and several packets of dried herbs tied with straw rope, emitting a faint medicinal smell.
"Use your medicine and food sparingly; they'll last you a while."
Shi Jian's voice was a little hoarse. He paused, then took out a small, flat oilcloth bag from his pocket and handed it to Yang Jin. "Keep this safe."
Yang Jin took it; it felt slightly heavy in his hand, like... a book.
He opened the oilcloth, and inside was indeed a thin, handwritten booklet with three powerful characters written on the cover: "Splitting the Mountain Style".
"This is... a martial arts technique!?" Yang Jin was astonished. Shi Gong had actually managed to obtain a martial arts technique.
It's like your roommate is always posting erotic pictures of cute anime girls, and then one day he pulls out a guide to becoming a muscular man.
Shi Gong was a hunter his whole life, so theoretically he couldn't have acquired martial arts skills.
"There was a down-on-his-luck old martial arts master at the blacksmith's shop in the market."
Shi Jian took a breath and continued:
"I had him make arrows for me before, and I saw that he sells martial arts techniques in his shop, although it's just the 'Three Axe Techniques,' and only the first one, 'Mountain Splitting,' is complete. But I see that you can't just practice blindly with an axe. According to that old martial arts master, the 'Three Mountain Splitting Techniques' are a real fighting style that emphasizes the generation and application of force, and it's straightforward, which would suit you. I traded two of the best fox pelts for it. How far you can progress depends on your own destiny."
Tactics!
Yang Jin's heart skipped a beat!
This is exactly what he lacks right now!
In summary, the Twelve Forms of the Demonic Ape is a powerful body-refining method that can strengthen one's foundation and stimulate one's blood and qi, but it is completely blank in terms of how to fight enemies and combat techniques.
Although the "Mountain Splitting Style" only has three moves, it is a real fighting method that teaches people how to fight and kill enemies.
For Yang Jin, this martial arts manual was like a long-awaited rain after a drought, or a condom delivered in a flash!
"Thank you, Master Shi!"
Yang Jin sincerely thanked Master Shi for his great kindness.
This was not just about axe technique, but also about Shi Gongran's own help.
"Don't thank me yet." Shi Jian waved his hand, his expression becoming even more serious. "The news I've heard... isn't good."
Yang Jin's heart sank; what was bound to happen had finally happened: "My secret has been exposed..."
"It's already spread." Shi Jian's tone was heavy. "Just after noon, the villagers who went up the cliff came running back, saying that your stone coffin was broken and empty! The news spread very quickly, and within half an hour it had reached the whole village. Now the villagers are in a panic, saying that you are a 'corpse turned into a zombie,' that you broke out of the coffin and came back to take our lives."
Yang Jin sneered.
They were right; he had indeed returned to claim lives.
It wasn't that he wanted to fight Sun Yaozu to the death, but rather that if Sun Yaozu's entire family didn't die, he would die. Only by killing Sun Yaozu and his son could he have any chance of survival.
This has been an unsolvable problem since he transmigrated here.
Moreover, Sun Yaozu wouldn't let him live.
The fact that news of his "resurrection" spread so quickly must be because Sun Yaozu was stirring things up, trying to label him a zombie monster.
"Master Shi, what's the Sun family up to?"
This is the key.
"Sun Mancang stepped forward immediately," Shi Jian said. "He publicly stated that this matter was suspicious and must be caused by evil spirits. To ensure the peace of Black Mountain Valley, the Sun family had an unshirkable duty. They had already sent people on horseback to the 'Iron Bone Martial Arts School' in town to request that the school send experts to oversee the situation. They also planned to organize able-bodied men to seal off the mountain and search for any potential threat!"
"Such fast movements!"
Yang Jin's eyes were cold.
Sun Mancang was indeed shrewd; he instantly seized the initiative, repackaging the "personal grudge" as "eliminating a scourge for the people," and even invoking the martial arts school's reputation.
Iron Bone Martial Arts School... It seems the Sun family is determined to use this "power" to completely crush him.
"Iron Bone Martial Arts School... is very strong!"
Yang Jin had it in his memory.
The number one martial arts school in Qing Shi Town is headed by Liu Zhenwei, a master who has reached the Great Perfection of the Bone Refining Realm and is said to have touched the threshold of the Blood Refining Realm.
He has three instructors under his command, all of whom are experts in the Body Refinement Realm.
Zhao Kun, the instructor whom the Sun family fawned over, was one of them. He had a bad temper and was quite powerful even among those in the Body Refining Realm.
The person sent to Heishan'ao this time is very likely this Instructor Zhao, Zhao Kun.
Shi Jian's tone was filled with deep worry, "If it really is Zhao Kun who brings people here personally... then we'll be in big trouble. The people from the martial arts school are not like these farmers in the village; they have actually practiced fighting techniques and seen blood! If you hide in this cellar, you probably won't be able to escape the scrutiny of martial artists."
Musha!
Tactics!
Yang Jin clenched his fist.
He is physically strong and powerful, but he doesn't know the techniques of generating and channeling force, nor does he know the footwork for dodging and weaving. In front of a true martial artist, he is just a solid human punching bag.
In particular, Zhao Kun is a martial artist at the Body Refining Realm...
The martial arts realms are divided into apprentice, skin refinement, flesh refinement, bone refinement, blood refinement... there are definitely more after that, but I only remember this many.
He's barely an apprentice now, so how could he possibly fight Zhao Kun, who's at the Body Refining Realm? There's no way he could fight him; Zhao Kun would take him down in just a few moves...
Yang Jin's mind raced.
"Martial arts school... By the way, Master Shi, besides the Iron Bone Martial Arts School, are there any other martial arts schools in town where I can learn martial arts?"
Yang Jin was truly unwilling to accept this.
He had the Mountain Cauldron, A-Tu, and the Earth-Walking Marmoset, and was on the verge of embarking on the path of Qi and Blood Martial Arts. Everything was developing in a positive direction, but suddenly he had to face a martial artist in the Flesh Refining Realm.
How is this any different from Spider-Man Peter Parker getting bitten on the first day and then running into a fully-powered Captain America on the second day?
They really will beat the shit out of them.
He urgently needs to systematically learn martial arts, including fighting techniques, training methods, qi and blood circulation, and practical combat... especially against other martial artists.
Shi Jian glanced at him, understood his thoughts, and shook his head: "There are only three on the surface. Iron Bone Martial Arts School is the largest and strongest. There are also two smaller martial arts schools, 'Rock Martial Arts School' and 'Swift Wind Martial Arts School.' The masters of both schools are at the Body Refining Realm, and they are more lenient in accepting disciples, but the tuition fees are still quite high. However, each disciple has to pay fifty taels of silver per month, and... they may not dare to offend the Sun family, let alone get involved in such 'evil' matters."
The path of seeking protection and learning martial arts by joining other martial arts schools is not feasible.
Yang Jin could only train on his own.
Fortunately, he still has the Mountain Cauldron, the Twelve Forms of the Demonic Ape, and the newly acquired Mountain Splitting Form.
More importantly, he also has Atu, the essence of the earth veins, the terrain spirit, and a unique path of growth that belongs to him.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. First, solidify what you have gained now, and then figure out how to deal with the actual combat tactics.
"Master Shi, when will the search of the mountain organized by the Sun family begin?" Yang Jin asked the most urgent question.
"The earliest is tomorrow, the latest is the day after tomorrow," Shi Jian said. "Sun Mancang said he wants to wait for the martial arts school people to arrive before taking action, just to be on the safe side. But some people in the village who want to curry favor or have been incited by the Sun family might spontaneously search the nearby mountains first. My old house, although remote, may not be safe either."
Tomorrow or the day after... he really doesn't have much time left.
"I understand, Master Shi." Yang Jin nodded, his expression calming down. "You should go upstairs and rest first, let me think about it carefully."
Looking into Yang Jin's calm eyes, Shi Jian hesitated, then finally sighed, "Be careful. I'll bring the food on time, but I might have to go out and make a show of it during the day to avoid arousing suspicion."
After saying that, he dragged his tired body slowly up the stone steps.
The cellar entrance was sealed again.
In the dim light, Yang Jin's eyes were sharp as knives; a person's eyes cannot be hidden.
By the light of the oil lamp, he quickly flipped through "The Mountain-Splitting Style".
The booklet is thin, but it is full of pictures and text. As Shi Gong said, only the first move is complete, while the latter two moves seem to be just there to make up the numbers.
For such lousy martial arts skills, he actually demanded two fine fox pelts from Master Shi. How heartless must that old martial arts master at the blacksmith shop be?
Profiteer!
There are always unscrupulous merchants in every world.
However, this first move is indeed quite good.
The explanations cover everything from gripping the axe, stance, breathing, power generation from the waist and legs, arm exertion, and the point of impact of the axe blade. They even include three simple variations and countermeasures.
For a true martial artist, it may seem very basic, but it has a complete structure and is indeed a proper fighting method!
"With training methods, combat strategies, and the essence of the earth veins and Atu... my combat power can be greatly enhanced."
Yang Jin carefully put the booklet away and looked at the 5.3 points of earth vein essence stored in the mountain cauldron.
He must absorb and refine these essences as soon as possible, and transform them into real combat power!
Then, Atu needs to find more ores and extract the essence of the earth veins from them.
Yang Jin ordered Atu to find ore, and he resumed his training.
"Consuming the essence of the earth's veins to solidify the first technique, 'Rooting'... At the same time, practicing the 'Mountain Splitting Stance' will allow the increased power to be transformed into deadly combat moves!"
His plan was very clear.
It's really just a simple matter; just follow the instructions and you'll be fine.
By the light of the oil lamp, he began to study the diagrams of the "Splitting the Mountain" style.
Tonight, I am destined to be sleepless.
Outside the cellar, the mountain wind picked up, and dark clouds quietly obscured the stars and moon.
In Heishan'ao Village, fear and rumors permeate the air.
The Sun family mansion was brightly lit, with many people moving about.
On the mountain road leading to Qingshi Town, the fast horses kicked up dust.
The storm is at the door.