Chapter 4: Sudden Enlightenment and the Elixir

Zhao Zhijing saw Yun Zhonghe boasting shamelessly, challenging him to a duel to the death. His heart leaped with joy—this was a heaven-sent opportunity. He was about to accept when he noticed Yun Zhonghe’s ever-present smile. The words on his lips changed: “Are you, a practitioner of evil, even worthy to cross hands with me?”

“Scared, are you?” Yun Zhonghe sneered.

Those two words reached Zhao Zhijing’s ears like a cat whose tail had been stepped on; he bristled all over and snapped, “You people of the demonic way will no doubt use all sorts of despicable tricks during the contest.”

“You already called me a demon, so isn’t it only normal for me to use tricks? If you think it’s unfair, you can use some tricks yourself!”

Zhao Zhijing, furious and flustered, ground his teeth audibly, wishing he could tear Yun Zhonghe apart on the spot.

“Since you seek death, in three days I shall personally avenge Granny Sun!” Zhao Zhijing declared with righteous indignation.

Having secured Zhao Zhijing’s agreement, the smile at the corner of Yun Zhonghe’s lips deepened.

He turned his gaze to Qiu Chuji. “Master Qiu, you heard everything—please be our witness.”

Qiu Chuji looked at Yun Zhonghe, a hint of surprise and suspicion flickering in his eyes. The gap in martial arts between Yun Zhonghe and Zhijing was simply too vast. Before absolute strength, any cunning would be useless.

Though various thoughts passed through his mind, he merely nodded slowly. “Everything will be as you wish.”

With that, he turned and left, taking Zhao Zhijing with him.

As Yun Zhonghe watched Qiu Chuji’s departing figure, the tension in his body drained away. He collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.

Xiaolongnu’s gaze was cold as eternal ice. She looked at Yun Zhonghe and said plainly, “You are no match for Zhao Zhijing.”

Yun Zhonghe turned to her, his tone chilling. “Granny Sun has died because of me. I do not wish for anything to happen to you as well.”

“Besides, I must avenge Granny Sun.”

Xiaolongnu said no more, turning and heading back toward the ancient tomb.

Seeing this, Yun Zhonghe immediately stood, picked up Granny Sun’s body, and followed her into the tomb.

After laying Granny Sun to rest, the two of them walked one behind the other through the dim passageways without a word. Only the dripping of water from the stone ceiling echoed through the empty corridors.

After about half an hour, a faint light appeared ahead. Having been in darkness so long, Yun Zhonghe found it uncomfortable and instinctively closed his eyes.

With his sight momentarily lost, his other senses became extraordinarily keen. He distinctly felt the temperature around him drop. A chill rose from his feet, sweeping away all his negativity and clearing his mind.

Moments later, his eyes adjusted to the light. He opened them slowly and saw the chamber filled with biting cold. In the center stood an ice bed of deep blue jade, thick layers of frost forming around it, appearing utterly unbreakable.

“Tonight, you will sleep here. Tomorrow, I will begin teaching you martial arts,” Xiaolongnu said, then turned to leave.

Yun Zhonghe was left behind, torn between laughter and tears, watching her departing figure. He couldn’t help but sigh: The pursuit of one’s beloved is not yet complete—a husband must persevere.

As the thought passed, he quickly stepped forward and sat cross-legged on the icy jade bed.

The moment his body touched the jade, years of accumulated cold seemed to find a vent, surging wildly into him. The bone-chilling chill nearly froze his blood, and the faint thread of inner energy within him began circulating on its own, barely resisting the cold.

When dawn broke, Yun Zhonghe slowly opened his eyes. Though he hadn’t slept all night, he felt not the least bit tired—instead, he was more energized than ever.

He focused inward on the breath in his dantian. Although still weak, it was noticeably stronger than the day before.

This icy jade bed was truly a treasure.

Just as he was rejoicing, he heard a sound. Looking up, he saw Xiaolongnu standing at the stone doorway.

“Follow me.”

Yun Zhonghe dared not delay and hurried after her.

They reached the depths of the tomb, where Xiaolongnu stopped and her delicate lips parted. “I will first teach you the mnemonic verses of our sect’s internal methods, then instruct you in our martial arts.”

Then, she began reciting a series of obscure and difficult incantations.

Yun Zhonghe frowned as he listened. Though he recognized every word, together they made little sense. At this rate, how could he possibly face Zhao Zhijing in three days and avenge Granny Sun?

As Yun Zhonghe fretted, the system’s prompt sounded in his mind—a ray of hope in the darkness.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully signing in at the Ancient Tomb.]
[Reward: Pill of Sudden Enlightenment.]
[Host’s current state: confusion detected. Recommend using Pill of Sudden Enlightenment. Duration: twelve hours.]

“Use it!”

As the command was given, he felt as if his head had been struck by an iron rod—dazed and groggy. The sensation came and went quickly.

When the discomfort faded, he found a stream of information had appeared in his mind. Examining it, he realized it was the memory of the ancient tomb’s internal methods.

Immediately, Yun Zhonghe guided his weak inner energy along the prescribed paths within his body.

With each breath, a warm current would glide through him, enveloping him in gentle heat.

When Xiaolongnu finished reciting the verses, she turned to Yun Zhonghe and saw him distracted. Her voice grew more severe: “Did you remember everything?”

Her words brought Yun Zhonghe back to himself. He recited the mnemonic from start to finish.

Seeing he had truly memorized everything, Xiaolongnu’s eyes flashed with surprise, her expression softening.

“Such remarkable memory is rare. I will now teach you the entry-level palm technique of our sect. Remember as much as you can; comprehension depends on your own fate.”

With that, she began to demonstrate in front of Yun Zhonghe.

As soon as she started, the system’s voice rang out in Yun Zhonghe’s mind.

[Ding! Learned new martial art: Celestial Net Palms. Current level: First Layer.]

“Ugh…” Yun Zhonghe groaned as a flood of information surged into his mind. Veins stood out on his forehead as if he were being devoured by countless insects—a pain beyond description.

Damn, this hurts like hell!

He cursed silently, then closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, trying to ease the discomfort.

When Xiaolongnu finished her demonstration, she saw Yun Zhonghe with his eyes tightly closed, his face twisted in pain, and quickly comforted him.

“If you can’t remember it all at once, that’s all right. I can show you several more times.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Miss Long, but I have already committed it to memory.”

With that, Yun Zhonghe’s eyes snapped open and he began to practice the Celestial Net Palms she had just taught.

Xiaolongnu thought he was far too impatient and shook her head in disappointment, convinced he couldn’t possibly remember everything.

But what happened next left her utterly astonished.

Yun Zhonghe executed every move and form of the Celestial Net Palms flawlessly, without a single mistake. Though his strikes lacked power, each movement flowed smoothly, without any pause.

Watching him, Xiaolongnu’s heart filled with genuine happiness for him. She had never expected Yun Zhonghe to be such a martial arts prodigy—something seen perhaps once in a century.

After Yun Zhonghe finished the sequence, his inner energy completed a full circuit, leaving him warm all over, as if bathed in sunlight.

“Whew!”

Exhaling deeply, Yun Zhonghe hurried to Xiaolongnu’s side, ready to show off.

“My technique is still rough. Please teach me further, Miss Long.”

But what he thought was: I’m amazing—learned it in one go! Praise me, praise me!

Xiaolongnu, unaware of his thoughts, only saw his humility and felt her regard for him increase.

“Your technique was flawless. With diligent practice, your future achievements in martial arts will be limitless.”

Her praise filled Yun Zhonghe with pride.

“It is thanks to your guidance, Miss Long. I will work hard and not let you down.”

“It’s getting late. Let’s eat first, then continue training.”

Yun Zhonghe’s face lit up; he hadn’t eaten since yesterday and was famished.

But when he saw Xiaolongnu take out a jade vial of bee honey from her sleeve, his smile froze.

So little—how could that possibly fill his stomach?