6: Chapter 6 Night Talk

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few. Chen Yuanji performed Zhan Zhuang on the back mountain as usual. The ancient jade in his bosom grew slightly warm, accelerating the circulation of his Qi and blood. In seven days, he had already practiced Bright Force to the Peak, faintly touching the threshold of Hidden Force.

Hidden Force is the second Realm of Internal Family Boxing. Bright Force is the "External Three Harmonies," condensing the strength of muscles and bones into a single point, fierce and direct. Hidden Force is the "Internal Three Harmonies"—Heart and Intent as One, Intent and Qi as One, and Qi and Strength as One. The force shifts from overt to hidden; it can penetrate the body, injuring internal organs without damaging the skin.

In his previous life, it took him three years to develop Hidden Force. In this life, with the assistance of the ancient jade, he estimated he could achieve a Breakthrough within a month.

"Little friend, good kung fu," an aged voice suddenly came from behind.

Chen Yuanji felt a chill in his heart. With his God Realm level of perception, although this body could not yet achieve the state of "Not Seeing, Not Hearing," any movement within a ten zhang radius could not escape his ears. For this person to approach silently and only be discovered upon speaking meant their strength was far superior to his.

He slowly withdrew his stance and turned around. Under the moonlight, an elder stood three zhang away. He was gray-haired with a thin face, wearing a gray long robe, looking ordinary like any old man one might see. But Chen Yuanji's gaze turned solemn. This elder stood there, clearly before his eyes, yet gave an ethereal feeling, as if he might dissipate into the air at any moment. This was not a movement technique, but a manifestation of his cultivation reaching an extremely high Realm, merging with the heaven and earth's Origin Qi. He was at least at the Shentong Realm or above.

"Senior overpraises me," Chen Yuanji cupped his hands in greeting. "May I ask how to address you, Senior?"

The elder smiled and walked over slowly. Every step seemed to tread between reality and illusion; though he appeared slow, he arrived before Chen Yuanji in an instant.

"This old man has no name or surname. I have lived on this back mountain for over a decade, and this is the first time I have seen a young man like you." The elder scrutinized Chen Yuanji, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. "Your kung fu does not belong to this world."

Chen Yuanji's heart jolted, but he remained calm. "Senior must be joking. Junior has merely practiced some crude skills."

"Crude skills?" The elder laughed loudly. "To take a body with withered yuan pulses and train it to the point of sending a Ningyuan Realm seventh-level Martial Artist flying with one punch—you call that crude?"

Chen Yuanji remained silent. He knew he couldn't hide it from a true expert, but he didn't intend to reveal everything. No one would believe something like Transmigration anyway.

"This old man has no ill intent." The elder waved his hand. "I am just curious. I have lived for over three hundred years and consider myself well-informed, yet I have never seen your method of Cultivation. You do not Cultivate Origin Power, only the Physical Body. Interesting, very interesting."

Over three hundred years? Chen Yuanji's heart stirred. One who could live for over three hundred years was at least a powerhouse of the Shentong Realm or higher. Why would such a powerhouse live in seclusion on the back mountain of a small Marquis Mansion in Qingzhou City?

"Since Senior is living here in seclusion, is there a reason?" he asked.

The elder glanced at him, his gaze showing a bit more approval. "You little brat are quite composed. Most people would have been scared to their knees upon hearing that this old man has lived for over three hundred years."

"On the path of martial arts, the one who achieves first is the Senior. I respect Senior's profound cultivation, but there is no need to kneel," Chen Yuanji said indifferently.

"Well said, 'no need to kneel'." The elder laughed. "For those words alone, I will tell you a secret." He restrained his smile, his voice lowering. "Do you know why your yuan pulses are withered?"

Chen Yuanji's heart moved. "Please enlighten me, Senior."

"Because your yuan pulses are not withered, but are under a Seal."

A Seal? Chen Yuanji frowned slightly. When he performed internal vision, he did feel those blocked Meridians were somewhat strange. They didn't seem naturally blocked, but rather sealed by some kind of power.

"Who sealed them? Why?"

The elder shook his head. "This old man does not know. But in all my years, I have seen a few cases similar to yours. Those people all died in the end."

"Died?"

"Yes. When the Seal was released, the stored power erupted, blowing them apart directly." The elder looked at Chen Yuanji. "The power stored within you is enormous. If you forcibly break the Seal, you will undoubtedly die."

Chen Yuanji was silent for a moment. "And if it is not released?"

"If it is not released, you will never be able to Cultivate Origin Power and will always be a waste in this world." The elder paused. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you can find a way to Cultivate that does not require Origin Power." The elder looked at him meaningfully. "Just like what you are doing now."

Chen Yuanji met the elder's gaze and suddenly smiled.

"Senior, thank you for informing me." He cupped his hands. "But Junior never intended to Cultivate Origin Power anyway."

The elder was stunned, then burst into laughter. "Good! Good! Good!" He said the word "good" three times, his eyes flashing. "I have lived for over three hundred years and seen countless Prodigies, but I have never seen someone like you. Interesting, truly interesting!"

"Little friend, how about this old man makes a deal with you?"

"Please speak, Senior."

"I will teach you some common knowledge of this world's martial arts and help you conceal the anomalies of your body," the elder said. "In exchange, you teach your kung fu to me."

Chen Yuanji thought for a moment. "If Senior wants to learn, Junior can teach. However, Internal Family Boxing cannot be mastered overnight; it requires long-term Stake Training. With Senior's profound cultivation, you might not have the patience."

"This old man has plenty of time," the elder laughed. "Besides, I have lived for over three hundred years and seen everything, except for a path like yours. It won't hurt to learn."

Chen Yuanji nodded. "Then it's a deal."

"It's a deal."

The elder held out his hand, and Chen Yuanji did the same. The two clapped hands to Seal the oath. Under the moonlight, the old and the young stood facing each other, one gray-haired and the other high-spirited. The gears of fate began to turn from this moment.