160: Chapter 40 Second- or Third-Rate Masters

"Master Chongyang was right, the Nine Yin Manual is truly a curse!" After a brief silence, Guo Jing couldn't help but comment.

"Indeed." Mu Nianci glanced at Huang Rong, seeing her downcast expression, and echoed sympathetically before asking, "What happened next?"

Meng Li spoke up: "After Mei Chaofeng and Chen Xuanfeng defected, they believed that with the Nine Yin Manual in hand, once they mastered the Martial Arts within, they would surely make a great name for themselves in the martial world, even establish their own peak, and possibly rival Huang Yaoshi."

"As a result, they did Master the Martial Arts from the second volume of the Nine Yin Manual, the most famous being the Nine Yin White Bone Claw."

"But their knowledge was insufficient, their understanding flawed, and they lacked the supporting inner energy techniques. Eventually, their training deviated more and more, leading them to devise the evil method of using human skulls for practice."

"To cultivate their skills, they harmed many people and became known as the 'Black Wind Twin Devils'."

Zhou Botong, who had been training in seclusion, learned that Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Chaofeng knew the Nine Yin White Bone Claw. Thinking Huang Yaoshi had retrieved the second volume of the Nine Yin Manual from Ouyang Feng, he went to Peach Blossom Island to demand the manual. Once there, he saw Feng Heng's memorial tablet, clashed with Huang Yaoshi, and ended up trapped on the island, unable to escape to this day.

Huang Rong was startled and instinctively said, "So he is Zhou Botong."

Hearing this, Guo Jing asked, "Rong'er, have you met Senior Martial Uncle Zhou?"

Huang Rong nodded: "I have, but until now, I didn't know he was Zhou Botong. I just thought he was an interesting little old man and often brought him food. The reason I ran away in anger this time was because my father caught me talking to him and scolded me."

"How is Senior Martial Uncle Zhou now?" Guo Jing asked.

Huang Rong said, "I'm not sure now. Before I left Peach Blossom Island, he was alive and kicking.

"He should be fine now too. Although my father trapped him on the island, he has no intention of harming his life, otherwise he wouldn't have survived this long."

Guo Jing nodded, finding it reasonable.

Yang Kang then asked, "Brother Meng, does Senior Martial Uncle Zhou have any powerful Martial Arts?"

"Yes."

"Aside from the Quanzhen Sect's Martial Arts, he has two self-created techniques."

"One is called the Vacant Fist, a soft-focused, seemingly empty yet strong boxing style."

"The second is named the Left-Right Mutual Combat Technique."

"This martial art is very special. The purer one's mind, the easier it is to learn; the more cluttered one's mind, the harder it is. Once mastered, one can split their focus, using different Martial Arts with each hand simultaneously, which has miraculous effects in combat."

After this introduction, everyone present was greatly amazed.

Guo Jing said, "One person using different Martial Arts with both hands at the same time—doesn't that make one person equivalent to two? That's truly miraculous!"

Huang Rong's focus, however, was elsewhere: "The purer one's mind, the easier it is to learn; the more cluttered one's mind, the harder it is?"

"People's minds are inherently complex, and intentions are hidden. How can one determine whose mind is pure and whose is cluttered?"

Meng Li smiled and said, "Minds are hard to gauge, but distinguishing between the required purity and clutter isn't difficult."

"You have a method?" Huang Rong asked curiously.

"Yes." Meng Li replied softly, then said, "Move both hands simultaneously, drawing a square with one and a circle with the other. If you can draw them neatly, you meet the requirement."

Huang Rong immediately said, "That's not difficult at all!"

With that, she dipped her finger in tea and tried drawing as instructed on the table, but then...

She stared at the two strange patterns on the table—neither quite round nor square—and fell silent.

After a moment, unwilling to give up, she tried again, but still failed.

Huang Rong thought for a bit, then turned to Guo Jing: "Brother Jing, you try."

"Alright."

Guo Jing agreed and followed the instructions, completing it easily.

Seeing this, Yang Kang tried as well and failed, just like Huang Rong.

Mu Nianci, Yang Tiexin, and even Bao Xiruo curiously gave it a try, all ending in failure.

Immediately, Yang Kang asked Guo Jing in astonishment, "How did you do that?"

Guo Jing answered truthfully, "I just thought about drawing a square with one hand and a circle with the other, and then I did it."

Yang Kang: "..."

"Can you do it?" Huang Rong asked Meng Li.

Meng Li shook his head: "I can't do it either."

Yang Kang instantly felt a sense of balance.

Huang Rong then asked, "Who is the other first-rate Master?"

Meng Li replied, "Qiu Qianren of the Iron Palm Gang. He's known in the martial world as 'Iron Palm Water Glider'. Besides his powerful Iron Palm Technique, his Lightness Skill is also excellent. However, he is an egoist, seeing only himself and profit, with no regard for morality or righteousness, and his methods are despicable."

"Under his leadership, the Iron Palm Gang is also notorious."

"Who are the second-rate Masters?" Mu Nianci asked.

Meng Li Considering the Way: "There are quite a few second-rate Masters. The Disciples of the Five Greats mostly fall into this category."

"For example, The Seven Masters of Quanzhen under Master Chongyang, Ouyang Ke, the successor of the Western Poison, Mei Chaofeng and Lu Chengfeng from Peach Blossom Island, and the four Disciples—Fisherman, Woodcutter, Farmer, and Scholar—under the Southern Emperor. Aside from these notable figures, Lingzhi Shangren and Sha Tongtian, whom we encountered earlier at Prince Zhao's residence, also count as second-rate."

Seeing Meng Li categorize the Disciples of the Five Greats in the same tier, as second-rate, Huang Rong and the others generally agreed.

Because above them are the Four Greats, and the two first-rate Masters are from the same generation as them.

Below them, the seniority in the family is one generation lower, so their strength is naturally inferior, but...

"What about Rong'er?"

"Her father is the Eastern Heretic, and she is his successor. Why isn't she among the second-rate ranks?"

Guo Jing asked Puzzling.

Meng Li glanced at Huang Rong and said with a light laugh, "It's true she is the Eastern Heretic's successor and knows many Martial Arts, but her mind is restless. Relying on her origin and talent, she has hardly put in the effort to train diligently, making her knowledge broad but not deep."

"At her current level, she doesn't qualify for the second-rate ranks."

Huang Rong He pursed his lips. but didn't refute, as what Meng Li said was true.

Guo Jing, seeing this, wanted to say something but was interrupted by Yang Kang's question: "Who are the third-rate and Last-rate Masters?"

Hearing this, Meng Li looked at Guo Jing and answered, "Representative third-rate Masters include the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, and also the Monk Kumu from the Immortal Cloud Sect."

Guo Jing was taken aback, then said, "That can't be right, Brother Meng. My Masters told me that back then, their duel with Taoist Priest Qiu ended in a draw, which is why we have the eighteen-year agreement between me and Brother Kang. If Taoist Priest Qiu is ranked as second-rate, how can my Masters only be considered third-rate?"

Meng Li Helplessly: "Back then, the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan fought Taoist Priest Qiu seven against one."

"Even so, they only managed a draw."

"If you take them individually, do you think any of them could match Taoist Priest Qiu?"

Guo Jing was stunned.

He had always thought his Masters fought Taoist Priest Qiu one by one, each unable to defeat him alone. He never imagined...

Yang Kang, however, instantly felt a sense of superiority.

So his Master of the Ox Nose fought one against seven to a draw—impressive!

It seems the gap between third-rate and second-rate Masters is quite large.

Meng Li continued, "But there's not much to say about this matter, because the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan have always been a collective entity and shouldn't be judged by ordinary standards."

"Whether the opponent is one person or ten, they fight together."

"Additionally, The Seven Masters of Quanzhen are also somewhat special."

"In what way are they special?"