31: Chapter 31 Martial Arts Peak

The tips of her ears were bright red, and her eyes were a bit red too; clearly, this apology was more agonizing for her than torture.

"That's enough," you said. "Look up."

Qian Yuzhu looked up, her eyes filled with a hint of trepidation.

"Remember how you feel today." You looked at her, your tone indifferent. "Before you open your mouth next time, think about how others feel when they are on the receiving end of your harassment."

Qian Yuzhu nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice.

Qian Boyong stroked his beard with satisfaction and cupped his hands at you. "My daughter is ill-mannered and has made a fool of herself before Miss Lin. This brocade box contains a Grandmaster-level palm technique collected by my Qian Family — the 'Mountain-Shattering Palm'. Consider it an apology, and a small token of my, Qian Boyong's, sincerity. This technique is immensely powerful, but extremely difficult to master. However, for a Martial Arts Prodigy like Miss Lin, I assume it will not be difficult."

You opened the brocade box to find a yellowed, handwritten manual inside. The three characters for "Mountain-Shattering Palm" on the cover were written with vigorous, powerful strokes.

You opened the first page and scanned it with your eyes.

The circulation path for the palm force was complex and placed extremely high demands on the Meridians, requiring the coordinated activation of three main Meridians and seven branch Meridians. It was no wonder Qian Boyong said it was extremely difficult to Cultivate — the Meridians of an ordinary Innate Martial Artist simply could not withstand such a load.

But you were no ordinary Innate Martial Artist.

"Many thanks." You closed the manual and nodded.

Qian Boyong smiled. "Miss Lin is too polite. At the Martial Arts Peak conference in a month, my son will also be among the five from Cheng Prefecture. I hope you will look out for him then."

"Father!" Qian Yutang called out helplessly.

Qian Boyong laughed heartily, then stood up to take his leave.

As they were leaving, Qian Yutang lagged behind and looked back at you.

"Martial Arts Peak is teeming with experts, and the geniuses from each prefecture are not to be trifled with." His tone was serious. "Although Miss Lin's strength is formidable, but... be careful of the direct descendants of those established noble families. The trump cards they hold are more numerous than you imagine."

You looked at him and nodded.

"Thank you for the reminder."

He smiled, turned, and left.

After the door closed, you sat back at the table, opened the "Mountain-Shattering Palm" manual, and began to study it.

Relying on your talent as a Martial Arts Prodigy and your Eidetic Memory, you took three days to understand all the techniques for circulating force and began actual Cultivation on the fifth day. When your palm force first took shape, you struck the stone table in the courtyard with one palm — the stone table split down the middle, shattering into four pieces, with fragments flying and gouging several small pits into the ground.

The power was indeed great.

Half a month later, you had Cultivated the "Mountain-Shattering Palm" to the entry level, and your palm force could inflict effective damage within three zhang. This palm technique complemented your Frost Moon Sword Technique in both close and long-range combat — the sword technique was exquisite and fierce, while the palm technique was unyielding and domineering; one soft, one hard, they complemented each other perfectly.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

The day of departure arrived.

Outside the south gate of Yunyang City, the Prefect personally hosted a banquet to see everyone off.

The five from Cheng Prefecture — you, Qian Yutang, Lu Qingyun, and two other Innate Martial Artists — gathered here, accompanied by Grandmasters from the Martial Dao Bureau and several powerful Grandmasters from major sects, who were responsible for escorting and supervising the group.

The Prefect was a plump, fair-skinned Middle-aged Man who raised his glass with a smile: "You are all the pride of Cheng Prefecture. On this trip to Martial Arts Peak, I hope you will all bring glory to Cheng Prefecture!"

You picked up your wine cup, took a sip, and set it down.

After the banquet concluded, the group set off.

Martial Arts Peak, located on the main peak of the Kunlun Mountains in the center of Great Qing, was the mountain gate of the Martial Dao Sect. Starting from Cheng Prefecture, the journey required crossing three prefectures, spanning nearly two thousand li.

Along the way, you witnessed the vastness of Great Qing. From the hills and plains of Cheng Prefecture to the towering mountains and ranges of Central Prefecture, and then to the vast snowfields at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains. The further northwest you went, the colder the weather became and the thinner the air, but the True Qi within your body circulated even more smoothly — it seemed the Qi of heaven and earth here was purer.

More than half a month later.

You stood at the entrance of a valley and looked up.

Martial Arts Peak.

A giant peak piercing the clouds stood before your eyes, its summit hidden within the cloud layer, invisible to the end. On the mountainside, layers of building complexes were vaguely visible, with flying eaves and upturned corners, exuding a magnificent Aura. A stone staircase wound its way up from the foot of the mountain, about three zhang wide; every step was paved with solid bluestone, and the surface of the stone was engraved with dense Martial Dao inscriptions.

In front of the mountain gate, four large characters were carved onto a giant boulder —

"Martial Dao Endures Forever."

The handwriting was vigorous and ancient; it was said to have been left by the founder of the Martial Dao Sect, that legendary Earthly Immortal.

On both sides of the stone steps, teams of participants from various prefectures had already gathered. You scanned them roughly; there were at least several dozen people.

Geniuses from every prefecture were gathered here.

The receiving Disciple of the Martial Dao Sect was a young man in his early twenties, wearing a gray-white Daoist robe with a short sword hanging at his waist; he spoke politely but with neither servility nor arrogance.

"Thank you all for your hard work in traveling from afar. Lodgings for each prefecture have been prepared; please follow me."

You followed him up the stone steps, and everything you saw along the way was a grand display — every fifty steps on both sides of the stone staircase stood a Martial Dao stele, engraved with the enlightenment insights of past Martial Dao Sect Disciples. The handwriting varied from new to old, and the oldest one had been eroded by wind and rain until it was nearly illegible.

You glanced at them a few times without stopping, but your Eidetic Memory trait had already etched the content of the inscriptions into your mind, word for word.

Some things could just be memorized while walking.

The lodgings were arranged in a complex of courtyards behind a bamboo forest on the mountainside, with one separate courtyard for each prefecture. The Cheng Prefecture courtyard faced south, and pushing the door open revealed the layered sea of clouds below the mountain; the scenery was excellent.

You had no interest in the scenery, so you threw your bundle onto the couch. Little Wang consciously lay down on the stone slab in the courtyard, its tail flicking back and forth.

Qian Yutang lived next door to you; he poked his head in to take a look, his gaze sweeping over Little Wang.

"This place is more spacious than my home," he said.

"Did you come here just to say that?"

"No." He put away his smile and lowered his voice. "I just inquired; among the fifty participants this year, there are two Grandmasters."

The movement of your hands folding clothes paused for a moment.

"One is the current Senior Brother of the Martial Dao Sect, named Han Chongyue. He is twenty-nine years old and broke through to Grandmaster three years ago. The entire Martial Dao Sect regards him as a once-in-a-century Genius." Qian Yutang's expression was serious. "The other... is the Crown Prince of Great Qing, Crown Prince Xiao Chengyuan."

"The Crown Prince?"

"Yes. The eldest son of the royal family, twenty-seven years old, Early Stage Grandmaster. It is said he began practicing martial arts at five, reached Innate at twelve, and became a Grandmaster at twenty-four. He Cultivates the royal family's secret 'Dragon-Elephant Technique' and has never been defeated in any public competition."

Qian Yutang looked at your profile and hesitated for a moment. "Aren't you nervous?"

"Is being nervous useful?"

He was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "That's true."

That evening, the Martial Dao Sect hosted a banquet to entertain the participants from all the prefectures.