30: Chapter 30 Inheritance Imprint

Lu Zhao sat alone in the room, a blue stone slab resting horizontally across his knees.

The slab was a scrap piece from Zhong Tiegu's practice yesterday, about two feet long, one foot wide, and three inches thick. Its surface was rough, the texture mottled, and the edges were still stained with coal ash and iron slag.

An ordinary blacksmith would only see it as waste material and toss it back into the furnace to be remelted.

But at this moment, in Lu Zhao's eyes, this stone slab was heavier than gold or stone.

He closed his eyes and focused his mind.

Within his spiritual platform, the method for the "Legacy Imprint" flowed like a clear spring, distinct and vivid.

This method required using Divine Thought as the brush and True Qi as the ink to brand the martial Concept, Move techniques, and force-application methods onto a carrier. The better the carrier, the longer it would last; the more refined the Divine Thought, the more authentic the Legacy.

And the carrier he chose was stone.

Stone, the bone of the earth, endures through the ages. Though not as warm and moist as jade, nor as sharp as gold, it excels in its solid simplicity, best fitting the meaning of "Foundation" in the martial Dao.

The martial art he chose was the first nine Moves of the Wudang Long Fist.

This boxing style was the Foundation Establishment martial art of Wudang, with simple Moves and long-lasting force, placing the greatest importance on the Foundation.

The first nine Moves were the Foundation of Foundations, emphasizing that "force rises from the ground, and energy is born from the heart," which was perfectly suited for the village youths to start their training.

Lu Zhao slowly opened his eyes.

He extended his right index finger, hovering it three inches above the stone slab.

There was no sharpness at his fingertip, yet it faintly shimmered with a pale golden luster—that was the sign of the Nine Yang Divine Skill's True Qi condensing. He took a deep breath, his mind sinking into the Concept of the boxing style.

The first Move, Starting Stance.

In his mind, clouds and mist swirled around Wudang Mountain, and a Daoist in a green robe slowly began the Move at the cliff's edge.

That lifting of the hand was like embracing the universe, like holding the Taiji.

His fingertip descended.

"Sss—"

The True Qi penetrated the stone, carving a shallow mark on its surface.

The mark was scattered at first, then gathered on its own, coalescing into the outline of a human figure.

The figure raised its hand; though the movement was simple, it possessed an inherent sense of harmony.

Beads of sweat seeped from Lu Zhao's temples.

This method of imprinting was far more mentally exhausting than he had imagined. With every stroke, he had to condense the boxing Concept, breathing rhythm, and force circulation into a single line. A moment of distraction would cause the mark to dissipate.

He gritted his teeth and persisted.

Second Move, Grasping the Sparrow's Tail.

Third Move, Single Whip.

Fourth Move, Raising Hand Posture...

Move after Move was carved.

The room was silent, save for the faint sound of his fingertip tracing across the stone slab.

The sound didn't resemble stone carving; it sounded like metal and stone clashing, crisp and lingering.

On the surface of the slab, pale golden marks gradually appeared one after another, interweaving into nine human figure patterns.

The figures raised their hands, turned their bodies, or stepped forward, each with a different posture, yet they were faintly linked together.

What was even more miraculous was that next to each pattern, several lines of ancient seal script appeared.

The script looked as if it had been carved by a knife or axe, deeply embedded in the stone, and the content was exactly the breathing points and force-application methods corresponding to the Moves.

Lu Zhao had not intentionally written these characters.

Rather, when he was imprinting the Concept, the martial seal stone in his spiritual platform spontaneously resonated, incorporating the essence of the Wudang Long Fist scriptures into the marks.

The ninth Move was finished.

Lu Zhao withdrew his finger, his face as pale as paper, his body swaying slightly. This imprinting process had almost exhausted all his mental energy and True Qi. His Dantian was empty, his Meridians stung with pain, and his vision swam with darkness.

But he had succeeded.

On the blue stone slab, the nine boxing Moves were clearly branded. The pale golden marks shimmered slightly in the morning light, flowing slowly as if they were living things.

The entire stone slab exuded a warm and solid aura, like the earth awakening, like spring thunder in the season of insects.

Lu Zhao reached out and gently stroked the surface of the slab.

It felt slightly warm to the touch, and there was even a sense of a pulse—that was his residual True Qi and Divine Thought circulating within the stone, maintaining the imprint.

"So this is... the Legacy Imprint?"

He muttered to himself.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the room.

He Shan's voice rang out from outside the door: "Sir, are you up? The village youths have finished gathering and are waiting for your instructions."

Lu Zhao took a deep breath, suppressing his exhaustion, and got up to open the door.

Outside the door, He Shan, Yan Meng, Han Meng, A-Fei, and over twenty other youths stood in Formation. Seeing his pale face, they were all startled.

"Sir, you are..." He Shan stepped forward.

"It's nothing." Lu Zhao waved his hand and stepped aside to open the door. "Come in and take a look."

Everyone filed in.

The blue stone slab in the room immediately attracted everyone's gaze.

"This is..." Yan Meng widened his eyes.

The pale golden figures and ancient seal script on the slab were clearly visible in the morning light.

Even more strangely, when everyone focused their eyes, they felt as if those figures were moving slowly, each Move and stance appearing as if they were being performed right before their eyes.

He Shan subconsciously mimicked the "Starting Stance," only to feel the Qi and blood within his body Move along with it, actually three parts smoother than his usual practice!

"Sir, this stone slab..." His voice trembled.

"A Martial Dao Imprint Stele." Lu Zhao said slowly, "I have branded the first nine Moves of the Wudang Long Fist into it."

"Observing it with focus allows one to comprehend the boxing Concept; touching the surface of the stele allows one to sense the key points of force application."

The crowd was in an uproar.

Han Meng stepped forward, reaching out to touch it.

Lu Zhao stopped him: "Your evil poison has not been cleared. If you touch it rashly, you might trigger your old injuries. Wait until you have recovered, and I will carve another one for you."

Han Meng withdrew his hand resentfully, though his eyes were full of eagerness.

A-Fei was the youngest and the most curious, so he couldn't help but ask: "Sir, can I touch it?"

Lu Zhao nodded: "You may. But you must calm your mind and focus; do not let your thoughts wander."

A-Fei stepped forward cautiously, extended his right hand, and placed his palm on the center of the stone slab.

The moment he touched it, his whole body shook!

In his mind, the nine figures suddenly became clear! The movements, breathing, and force circulation of each Move poured into his heart like a tide. Moreover, a warm stream of Qi flowed in through his palm, guiding the weak Qi and blood in his body to circulate on its own, following the path of the boxing style.

After only three breaths, A-Fei was drenched in sweat.

He withdrew his hand and stepped back, his face full of disbelief: "Sir, I, I think... I've memorized it all!"

Lu Zhao nodded: "The Legacy Imprint focuses on comprehending the Concept. Your mind is pure, so your comprehension is the deepest. But remembering does not mean mastering; you still need to practice diligently."

He then had He Shan, Yan Meng, and the others try it one by one.

He Shan's deepest realization was the "Grasping the Sparrow's Tail." The Concept of that Move, which was round and fluid, vaguely resonated with his sensing of the "wind" as a hunter.

Yan Meng had a soft spot for the "Single Whip"—that Move was direct and straightforward, the force fierce and powerful, which best suited the killing aura of the military.

After Granny Xue, Qin Wan, and others who had not practiced martial arts touched it, although they did not comprehend the boxing style, they felt their minds calm and their Qi and blood flow smoothly, and the soreness from their past labors eased a bit.

Master Wen stroked his beard for a long time and suddenly said: "Sir's stele is similar to the 'Jade Slip' recorded in ancient books. But Jade Slips require spiritual power to activate and the content is rigid and fixed. This stele is like a living thing; different people observe it and have different insights... Wonderful, truly wonderful!"

Shen Qingqiu had also arrived outside the room at some point, leaning against the door to watch.

Her gaze fell on the stele, and a look of surprise flashed in her eyes: "Using Qi, blood, and Divine Thought as ink, using gold and stone as a carrier, to brand the martial Dao Concept... This is already close to the ancient art of 'Dao Patterns.' Lu Zhao, where did you get this method?"

Lu Zhao was silent for a moment, only saying: "A stroke of luck."

Shen Qingqiu looked at him deeply, no longer pressing, only saying softly: "If this thing spreads, it will surely cause an uproar. Martial Dao Legacies have always been passed down by word of mouth, personally taught by Masters. This kind of 'Imprint' method can spread martial arts on a large scale... It will shake the Foundations of countless Sects."

Lu Zhao nodded: "I understand. Therefore, this stele will not be made public for now, and only core members may study it."

He looked at the crowd and said sternly: "This stele must never be leaked. Especially do not let the supervising Disciples know."

Everyone agreed in unison.

Just then, a chuckle suddenly came from outside the room:

"What kind of good stuff is this, so secretive?"

The voice was lazy, carrying a hint of mockery.

Everyone's expressions changed!

Lu Zhao stepped out of the room.

In the courtyard, the supervising Disciple Wang Qian was pacing slowly with his hands behind his back.

His gaze swept over the people in the room and finally landed on the blue stone slab, raising an eyebrow: "Yo, carved a stele? What is written on it?"

As he spoke, he was about to enter the room to take a closer look.

He Shan, Yan Meng, and the others subconsciously blocked the doorway.

Wang Qian's face sank: "What, this lord cannot see it?"

The atmosphere suddenly tightened.

Lu Zhao stepped forward and cupped his hands: "Master Wang, you have misunderstood. This stele is carved with the village's ancestral precepts. The content is crude, and I dare not soil your Dharma Eye."

"Ancestral precepts?" Wang Qian sneered, "What kind of ancestral precepts need to be closed behind doors to be seen secretly?"

He pushed He Shan aside and entered the room directly.

His gaze fell on the blue stone slab.

The pale golden marks on the stele had faded by more than half—Lu Zhao had secretly stimulated his True Qi when he went out just now to temporarily cover the imprint.

At this moment, on the surface of the stele, there were only some blurred scratches, like a child's graffiti.

Wang Qian looked for a long time without seeing anything special, only thinking it was an ordinary stone carving, and immediately lost interest.

"Forget it." He waved his hand, "I came here today for serious business."

Lu Zhao lowered his head: "Please speak, Master."

"Three days from now, an envoy from the Qinglan Sect will come to inspect the supervised territory." Wang Qian said indifferently, "Your village needs to be prepared, clean the roads, and tidy up the village. When the envoy asks questions, you must answer truthfully and not conceal anything."

"Yes."

"Also." Wang Qian paused, "The complete version of that Qi-nurturing method, Junior Martial Uncle Zhao told you to hand it over to me within three days. Now that three days have passed, where is it?"

Lu Zhao took a newly copied piece of animal skin from his bosom and offered it with both hands: "Please take a look, Master."

Wang Qian took it and unfolded it to scan it a few times.

What was recorded on the animal skin was the complete mantra of the [Sea-Gathering Stance], as well as a diagram for guiding the thirty-six Acupoints. The content was detailed, but it omitted the most critical method of Divine Thought guidance—without this method, cultivation efficiency would plummet by ninety percent.

Wang Qian did not understand martial arts; seeing that the content was complete, he nodded with satisfaction.

"You are sensible." He put away the animal skin, "When the envoy comes in three days, you must personally present this method and explain the key points. If you gain the envoy's appreciation, you might be able to reduce some tribute."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Wang Qian did not say anything more and turned to leave.

After he had gone far away, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Han Meng spat: "This guy has a sharp nose; he smelled it and came right over."

He Shan worriedly said: "Sir, when the envoy comes in three days, if he wants to see this stele..."

"It doesn't matter." Lu Zhao shook his head, "Just hide the stele in the cave for now. The envoy's inspection is nothing more than going through the motions; he won't check carefully."

He looked at the blue stone slab in the room, pondered for a moment, and suddenly said: "He Shan, Yan Meng."

"Here."

"The two of you, at the hour of the Rat tonight, Move the stele to the cave and cover it with the Concealment Array." Lu Zhao instructed, "Future study will all be done in the cave. In the village... no more traces will be left."

The two accepted the order.

Lu Zhao looked at A-Fei again: "Since you have the deepest comprehension, you will be responsible for guarding the stele. You can study it for one hour every day, but someone must accompany you to prevent accidents."

A-Fei nodded excitedly: "Yes, Sir!"

With everything arranged, the crowd dispersed.

Only Lu Zhao and Shen Qingqiu remained in the room.

Shen Qingqiu leaned against the doorframe and said softly: "Carving this stele must have cost you a lot of mental energy, right?"

Lu Zhao smiled bitterly: "It almost emptied me."

"Is it worth it?" She asked.

"It is worth it." Lu Zhao looked out the window, his gaze passing through the village and looking toward the distant mountains, "Teaching one by one is too slow. With this stele, we can Cultivate in batches. Ten people successfully practicing is one kind of strength; one hundred people successfully practicing is a momentum."

He paused.

"And momentum... can change fate."

Shen Qingqiu was silent for a long time and nodded slowly.

"You have gone much further than I thought."

She turned to leave, then suddenly turned back.

"By the way, after testing the Five Elements Concealment Array last night, I found a flaw."

"Oh?"

"The Formation uses Qi and blood as a guide, and although it can conceal the aura, it will continuously consume the Qi and blood of the person setting the Formation." Shen Qingqiu said, "If you want to maintain it for a long time, you need to find a vein node of the earth, draw the earth's Qi as a source, and replace human effort."

Lu Zhao's eyes lit up: "Is there a vein node in Yangjiao Ravine?"

"Yes." Shen Qingqiu nodded, "That cave at Wild Wolf Slope is right on a weak Earth-element vein. If you can find a way to guide the earth's Qi into the Formation, the Concealment Array can be maintained for a long time, and even... the range can be expanded."

"What do you need?"

"Need an Earth-element Magical Artifact as a medium." Shen Qingqiu paused, "Or... a sufficiently pure Earth-element spiritual material."

Earth-element spiritual material.

Lu Zhao's heart stirred.

He remembered the martial stele fragment in his bosom—this thing came from underground and contained the solid meaning of the earth; perhaps...

Just as he was pondering, rapid footsteps came from outside the room again.

A-Fei ran over, panting: "Sir! It's bad! Near the cave in the back mountain, traces of strangers have been found! The footprints are very fresh, left at most half an hour ago!"

Lu Zhao's face sank.

The cave was the greatest secret in the village, where the Concealment Array, the Legacy stele, and Shen Qingqiu's hiding place were all located. If someone discovered it...

"How many footprints?" He asked urgently.

"Seven or eight!" A-Fei panted, "The footprints are messy, of different depths, like... like they are looking for something!"

Looking for something?

Lu Zhao and Shen Qingqiu looked at each other, both seeing the shock and suspicion in the other's eyes.

Could it be...

Did they come for that martial stele fragment?

Lu Zhao led people to rush to the back mountain and sure enough found fresh footprints outside the cave.

Following the tracks to the depths of Wild Wolf Slope, the footprints disappeared in front of a pile of rubble.

In the center of the rubble lay a corpse—clothed in rags, face unfamiliar, and a black wooden plaque fell from his bosom, with a twisted ghost face totem carved on it.

Han Meng picked up the wooden plaque, and after just one glance, his face changed drastically: "This is... the Soul-Chasing Order of the 'Nether Path'!"