The Su Family Mansion.
Night fell, yet the study remained brightly lit. Wang Ping sat upright inside. He dropped the hemp paper in his hand into the lamp’s flame, watching it slowly turn to ash.
【Heavenly Roc Capturing the Dragon Cultivation Diagram】.
This was Chen Haoyan’s deepest hidden secret, yet Wang Ping burned it without hesitation. Naturally, he had already recorded its entire contents using his spiritual sense.
“This is the safest way.”
Having done all this, Wang Ping finally relaxed. He calmed his mind and began to earnestly study this diagram that allowed one to condense internal force.
A Cultivation Diagram was essentially a painting, and its brushwork was incredibly expressive and lifelike. The scene depicted a massive Roc, so large it blotted out the sky, preying upon a dragon-snake. The painting’s detail was mind-boggling; he could even see every individual feather on the Roc’s wings as it struck down the dragon.
Even more bizarre—the painting moved.
It probably uses some specific technique where the painting looks different from different angles. When superimposed, they form a short animation.
Wang Ping focused his spiritual sense, growing even more serious.
Gradually, he saw words forming on the massive Roc. Every feather acted like a brush, tracing out lines following the Roc’s movements.
Soon after, a passage of scripture leapt into his mind.
“The Heavenly Roc captures the dragon, its essence rooted in devouring and subjugation… What a wicked martial art!”
Wang Ping smoothly learned the principles and key secrets of the entire 【Heavenly Roc Capturing the Dragon Cultivation Diagram】. His expression shifted from bewilderment to sudden understanding.
As the name implied, the internal force condensed using this diagram was called 【Heavenly Roc Force】. It sounded grand and majestic, yet its effects primarily focused on two aspects. The first was called “Subjugate.” As the name suggested, this involved injecting one’s internal force into another person’s body, thereby transforming them into a servant of the Roc Master!
This was an incredibly strange and ruthless method.
Once the 【Heavenly Roc Force】 entered another person’s body, it would automatically transform into another special internal force called 【Thrall Dragon Force】, which possessed extreme corrosive power.
It acted like a lethal poison.
Once a victim was completely eroded by the 【Thrall Dragon Force】, they would lose all autonomy over their words, actions, and very life, falling entirely under the Roc Master’s control.
Its second application was even more wicked.
It was called “Devour.”
In short, the Roc Master could turn around and swallow the internal force painstakingly cultivated by the Thrall Dragon. They used this to nourish themselves, even relying on it to break through crucial bottlenecks.
Wang Ping studied it for a long time before reading between the lines to discover the core philosophy of this martial art.
【Devouring People】!
However, at this thought, a rather peculiar idea popped into Wang Ping’s mind: Did the Thrall Dragons manipulated by the 【Heavenly Roc Force】 include corpses?
If not, so be it.
But if they did, could he commit suicide, resurrect, then refine his own corpse into a Thrall Dragon, and finally devour it, boosting his strength in a self-sustaining loop?
At this thought, Wang Ping’s mood grew fervent. If he could realize this idea, he would have vastly more room to maneuver in the future.
A moment later, he walked out of the room and went to the stable.
Seeing him approach, the curly-maned horse seemed to realize something. It didn’t even need his assistance; it merely rolled its eyes at him and voluntarily stuck out its rear.
Pff! Pff! Pff!
It pooped the elixirs out on its own.
Seeing this, Wang Ping felt a bit suspicious. Wasn’t his horse a little too intelligent? It didn’t seem like this at the beginning.
He quickly tossed these trivial matters aside. He rapidly picked up the dung balls from the ground and scrubbed them clean with water. Only then did he unseal them and take out the elixir bottles inside. During his recent period of rapid progress, he had completely consumed the vast majority of the elixirs Chen Haoyan had given him.
In exchange, he achieved external martial arts perfection.
Aside from the poison pills and the 【Heaven’s Will Soul-Returning Pill】 of unknown function, only the two bottles currently in his hands still possessed nourishing effects.
【Heaven-Reversing Restoration Pill】.
【Snow Ginseng Ice Fruit Nectar】.
“Based on my previous experiments, these two elixirs don’t nourish the physique, but rather internal force. They can help me complete the Cultivation Diagram’s training at top speed.”
Wang Ping’s eyes shone brightly.
As far as he knew, the training of an Internal Force Master was essentially a process of constantly perfecting their own cultivation body. The more complete the cultivation body, the stronger the Martial Master.
This process actually only involved two steps.
Step one: the cultivation body accommodates the Twelve Principal Meridians. This is the Lesser Heavenly Circulation body. The internal force forms a preliminary cycle within the martial artist’s body, bringing a qualitative change to its power.
Step two: the cultivation body accommodates the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. This is the Greater Heavenly Circulation body. The output, total capacity, and special effects of the internal force all receive a massive boost.
“The vast majority of Cultivation Diagrams can’t even get through the first step. After all, the Twelve Principal Meridians encompass the Three Yin and Three Yang of the hands and feet. Most Cultivation Diagrams can only include one of them. Trying to encompass them all is unrealistic… At least, ordinary top-tier martial arts can’t do it; one must simultaneously practice other martial arts.”
Thinking of this, Wang Ping grew increasingly excited.
He found that the grade of the 【Heavenly Roc Capturing the Dragon Cultivation Diagram】 was incredibly high. It encompassed all of the Twelve Principal Meridians and was only missing the Eight Extraordinary Meridians section!
Incredible.
Where on earth did Chen Haoyan get this Cultivation Diagram? It’s practically overpowered. Could it have been copied out of some peerless martial arts manual?
After a moment of silence, Wang Ping took out the Black Hornless Dragon Bow.
This was a restricted item from the county yamen’s [Armory]. Although it was still a 【Mortal Weapon】, it was only a hair’s breadth away from becoming a higher-tier 【Fine Weapon】.
“It’s perfect to use for a breakthrough.”
Whoosh!
The wind howled, and the candle flame blew out, plunging the room into darkness. Wang Ping sat cross-legged on the ground, having already equipped six Mortal Weapons on his body.
Besides the Black Hornless Dragon Bow and the ox-tail saber, he also wore black gold soft armor, a binding exquisite belt, and a tiger-head heart-protecting mirror. He had retrieved all of these from the Su Family Mansion. Neatly equipped now, they resonated with his martial arts, emitting a faint glow in the darkness.
He then grasped the two elixir bottles in his hands.
Gulp.
The elixirs entered his stomach, like a detonating bomb. A ferocious, hot current of medicinal power erupted from his lower abdomen, circulating through his meridians and instantly flooding into his limbs and bones.
Condensing a cultivation body actually involves immense danger.
After all, everything happens inside the body, invisible to the naked eye. Yet a single misstep will damage the meridians, potentially leaving behind irreparable severe trauma.
Therefore, the vast majority of martial artists are extremely cautious when condensing their cultivation bodies. It easily takes ten or twenty years, treading every step with utmost care.
Some who truly can’t endure the loneliness even choose to give up after condensing a Lesser Heavenly Circulation body, unwilling to walk that tightrope any longer.
Moreover, whether it was a Lesser Heavenly Circulation body or a Greater Heavenly Circulation body.
In theory, both held the potential to become a Titled Martial Master and make it onto the Weapon Register.
The real difference between the two lay in the Grandmaster realm, where the Greater Heavenly Circulation body offered higher hopes.
But so what?
Even if the Greater Heavenly Circulation body helped in breaking through to the Grandmaster realm, it merely increased the odds by less than ten percent. To many, it was completely meaningless.
Besides, let alone becoming a Grandmaster, reaching the final threshold right before it was a one-in-several-hundred-thousand feat for 99.9% of martial artists in the world.
Since that was the case, why make things difficult for oneself?
“It feels difficult just thinking about it.”
Wang Ping sighed. This was the nature of the martial path. The higher one climbed, the harder it became—like ascending to the heavens. Those capable of reaching the very end were without exception peerless heroes.
What he was doing right now—swallowing a massive amount of internal force-nourishing elixirs in one breath while simultaneously condensing his cultivation body—couldn’t even be called walking a tightrope anymore.
He was practically dancing on a tightrope!
“The rampaging medicinal power won’t give me any chance to react. Before I can even determine the correct path, they will shatter my meridians.”
Condensing a cultivation body internally was like groping for stepping stones to cross a river in the dead of night. Others slowly grinded it out over time, the river water shallow and clear.
But he wanted rapid success in a short time, which was equivalent to facing a monstrous flood head-on. Being swept away by the current and ending up in a fish’s belly was almost inevitable.
If it were any other martial artist here, they would have probably already pronounced their own death sentence.
What? I cultivate immortality? Never mind then!
Wang Ping circulated his spiritual sense, instantly locking onto the Twelve Principal Meridians inside his body. He then guided the medicinal power to flow into them. The entire process couldn’t be described as fraught with difficulties.
At the very least, it could be called a walk in the park.
Rumble!
Gradually, Wang Ping’s breathing grew resonant. It sounded like thunder brewing within the dim study, or like a mighty river rushing and flowing.
Right at this moment, the door was pushed open.
Creak…
Having just finished Chen Haoyan’s burial ceremony, Madam Su returned home and froze. Her gaze immediately and uncontrollably stuck to the person in the room.
His appearance hadn’t changed at all, yet for some reason, despite being in the dark, he seemed to be glowing, radiating an intense presence.
The next second, Wang Ping abruptly opened his eyes.
Flash!
It was as if a bolt of lightning streaked through the dim room, bringing a momentary flash of white that quickly faded back to gloom, startling Madam Su into a sudden stumble.
She almost fell over, but before she did, a large hand swept over in advance, steadily supporting her delicate, willow-like body.
“Is Madam alright?” Wang Ping wore a serious expression.
“Wu wu…”
Madam Su covered her face. Whenever she thought of how cold and uncompromising she had been toward Wang Ping just a few days ago, only to be lying in his arms now, she felt an unspeakable shame.
But asking her to break free at this moment, she felt somewhat reluctant.
She could only console herself, continuing to use the excuse of “I was forced” to convince herself. She then half-heartedly resisted before resting compliantly in Wang Ping’s embrace.
However, Wang Ping wasn’t in a rush to make a move.
Instead, he seriously helped steady Madam Su, then brought her to the adjacent kitchen, presenting her with a table completely full of dishes.
“Did you… make this?” Madam Su looked surprised.
“Uh, Madam overestimates me.”
Wang Ping looked a bit awkward. “It’s medicinal food from the Yuelai Restaurant. I had them deliver it. Since Madam has started practicing martial arts recently, you can’t neglect your diet.”
“Eat up.”
Hearing this, Madam Su instantly covered her red lips, feeling an indescribable joy in her heart.
She had clearly seen just now that Wang Ping was obviously deeply immersed in his martial arts training, yet he still remembered her and prepared this table full of medicinal food for her.
Looking back over the years, she had always been the one organizing medicinal food for Chen Haoyan, terrified of missing the time and delaying that bastard’s training, which would incur a severe beating.
Thinking of this, an impulse surged spontaneously.
By the time Madam Su snapped back to reality, she was already hugging Wang Ping tightly. Standing on her tiptoes, she wished she could knead her entire body into his.
“Madam, you!?”
“Don’t speak…”
…………
Several hours later.
The kitchen dining table had long since mostly collapsed. Pots, bowls, ladles, and basins were knocked all over the floor, yet the food had been eaten completely clean. Madam Su went totally limp in Wang Ping’s arms.
“I’m full,” Madam Su whispered.
The warmth brought by a full stomach radiated outwards, and the sense of happiness and satisfaction in her heart was beyond measure. She didn’t want to move even a single finger.
Seeing this, Wang Ping breathed a sigh of relief.
If his earlier actions were for Chen Haoyan’s martial arts manuals, now he was purely just coaxing Madam Su. For this, he had truly put in a strenuous effort.
But it couldn’t be helped. After all, things had already reached this point. He couldn’t just pull up his pants and refuse to acknowledge her, making a clean break with Madam Su.
What difference would there be between him and Chen Haoyan then? Not to mention, she was originally a tragic figure. If he failed her again, she would probably really seek death.
As night fell, Madam Su, exhausted, had already fallen into a deep sleep.
After settling her down, Wang Ping finally walked out of the room into the courtyard. He then circulated his spiritual sense, sensing the current condition inside his body.
Through his spiritual sense, he saw that the Three Yang and Three Yin of the hands and feet—all twelve meridians—were now strikingly flooded with internal force. They built a cycle with one another, expanding into a massive network that covered his entire body. Although there were still many gaps, it was largely complete, pulsating rhythmically with his every breath.
Twelve Principal Meridians perfect, Lesser Heavenly Circulation body!
“This is way too fast…”
Wang Ping was somewhat amazed. He couldn’t help but glance in the direction of the Wandering Spirit Temple again. The methods of these Imperial Court-certified eccentric alchemists were simply too brilliant.
A mere few elixirs were equivalent to at least ten years of bitter cultivation for him!
He wondered if they had any more?
At this thought, the gaze Wang Ping directed at the Wandering Spirit Temple wavered slightly. He licked his lips, but quickly suppressed the greed in his heart.
“I can’t let this go to my head.”
“Even though I’m an Internal Force Master now, I practice the exact same martial arts as Chen Haoyan. It might be decent in a small county town, but it wouldn’t be enough out in the wider world.”
He still had to keep a low profile.
However, right at this moment, Wang Ping’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. He raised his head, looking at a figure sprinting rapidly toward him under the veil of night.
“Who’s there!”
“It’s me.”
The voice belonged to Liu Ye. The old constable’s face was brimming with excitement, and upon seeing Wang Ping, he revealed a somewhat teasing expression.
“Yo, if it isn’t Little Wang.”
“Why aren’t you living next door? Moved into Madam Su’s room instead?”
Hearing this, Wang Ping didn’t bat an eye. “Madam extended a gracious invitation. I could only respectfully comply. Sigh, I’m truly not interested in these things.”
Liu Ye: “…….”
Shameless bastard!
Given the hour, Liu Ye didn’t bother wasting breath. He rolled his eyes at Wang Ping and cut straight to the chase. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a manual over.
“This is…?” Wang Ping was taken aback.
“To open your eyes, kid.” Liu Ye smiled smugly. “To tell you the truth, your older brother has secretly gained the County Magistrate’s appreciation.”
“A few days ago, His Excellency the County Magistrate not only personally bestowed empowerment upon me, but also imparted a true peerless martial art to me. I’m a genuine Internal Force Master now. The Head Constable position has already been decided internally. The yamen martial tournament in a month is just a formality… How about that, is your older brother awesome or what?”
Empowerment? True martial art?
Wang Ping looked at the manual Liu Ye threw over, while the latter continued speaking: “Don’t say I don’t look out for you. You were the first person I thought of.”
“This is the true martial art His Excellency passed down to me.”
“I specifically asked for his permission to secretly pass it on to you. Go back and practice it well. In the future, I’ll promote you to be my deputy…”
Liu Ye was still blathering endlessly about his visions for the future.
On the other side, however, Wang Ping stopped breathing entirely. All his thoughts froze the moment he saw that manual, rendering him almost incapable of thinking.
The next second, Liu Ye’s voice drifted over:
“Right, this is the internal force I cultivated after His Excellency empowered me. Take a look…”
Hearing this, Wang Ping’s head snapped up, only to see Liu Ye’s hand light up with a faint glow. Under the night sky, the surging force actually emitted a sound like a dragon’s roar.
He couldn’t be clearer on what this was.
【Thrall Dragon Force】!
In an instant, it was like a pebble dropped onto a calm lake, or a butterfly landing on a spiderweb, triggering a critical element.
Inside Wang Ping’s body, his newly cultivated 【Heavenly Roc Force】 stirred.
This was entirely out of his control. The 【Heavenly Roc Force】 and 【Thrall Dragon Force】 were two sides of the same coin. Within a certain distance, they would naturally form a resonance.
Normally speaking, this wouldn’t be a bad thing. In the instant the 【Heavenly Roc Force】 fluctuated, Wang Ping clearly sensed the internal organs, qi, blood, sinews, bones, and every bodily function inside Liu Ye. At the same time, with just a single thought from him, these functions would collapse instantly.
This was exactly how it should be.
After all, he was a Roc Master, and Liu Ye had been reduced to a Thrall Dragon. The latter was completely unaware and posed zero threat to him; his life or death rested on Wang Ping’s single thought.
However, the problem was—there was another Roc Master in this county town.
Not good!!!
At this realization, Wang Ping’s expression drastically changed. He didn’t hesitate to retreat backward, wanting to pull away, but he ultimately stopped all his movements.
For no other reason than it was already too late.
“To think it was actually you.”
A calm voice drifted from the veil of night, carrying a heavy dose of astonishment. “Just a few short days have passed, yet not only have you cultivated your body, but your internal force is also incredibly dense.”
“It seems you have acquired the Cultivation Diagram I passed to Chen Haoyan.”
“You’ve also eaten most of that batch of elixirs.”
“You killed Chen Haoyan.”
“Are you from the White Lotus Cult?”
Before his voice had even faded, a figure appeared out of thin air within the Su Family Mansion. Wearing an official uniform and radiating natural authority without anger, it was none other than the eminent magistrate of Longxing County.
County Magistrate, Xu Bingzheng.