Qi Cultivation Starting from the Repair Panel

After Song Lingxue made a remark, she kept silent. Chu Zheng, testing the waters, finally opened his mouth:

"Miss, may I ask what brings you here?"

"Hmm?"

Song Lingxue suddenly came back to her senses, somewhat flustered she raised her hand again, and while pretending to tidy her hair at the temples, she subtly pinched her earlobe, then said seriously:

"It has been several days since we last met. I came to see how you are doing. Are you accustomed to the Mansion\'s Treasury yet?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Zheng felt a bit strange but still answered truthfully:

"I was busy a few days earlier, but now it\'s a lot better."

As the Mansion\'s Treasury was mentioned, Chu Zheng observed Song Lingxue\'s expression carefully but could not discern any clues; she was as expressionless as ever.

Song Lingxue opened her mouth, unsure of what to say for a moment. After struggling for quite some time, she nodded her head and said:

"I noticed your form earlier; your Integrated Fist has already been greatly successful, and you have cultivated some Inner Qi. It shouldn\'t be long before you reach Condensation."

Before she finished speaking, she pulled out two ancient-looking books from her sleeves and handed them to Chu Zheng:

"These are two Cultivation Techniques, one for cultivating Inner Strength and the other for External Skills. You can cultivate both, each capable of condensing Inner Strength. You might practice them in your free time."

The ancient books had no titles on their covers, just a blank space. Chu Zheng subconsciously took them, and suddenly a message blared in his mind.

[Heavenly Origin Heart Method (First Order): A secret cultivation technique passed down by the Song Family, cultivable up to the peak of the First Order, of little use to you.]

[Dragon-Tiger Body (Fourth Order/Incomplete): An incomplete Body Refinement Technique, with only the introductory chapter remaining. After restoration, some of its content may be of reference value to you.]

The secret cultivation techniques of the Song Family could be cultivated up to the realm of a Great Grandmaster, which, it seemed, corresponded to the First Order.

Only at this moment did Chu Zheng begin to gain a relatively clear understanding of the Martial Path in this world.

After digesting the information in his mind, Chu Zheng was momentarily astonished. It was not unusual for the Song Family, a Martial Arts Family, to have a First Order technique, but a Fourth Order technique, even if incomplete, held a completely different significance.

If divided according to the strength levels of the Immortal Path, the Fourth Realm was already \'Soul Condensing,\' the same level as the author of the "Chronicles of the Rainbow Sword Immortal," which he had read before.

For a mere mortal family, this was incredibly unbelievable.

"Miss, I cannot accept unrewarded favors; this may not be appropriate..."

Doubts surfaced in Chu Zheng\'s mind. Previously, the breathing techniques of the Integrated Fist were kept secretive, but now suddenly their secret cultivation techniques were laid bare, inevitably raising concerns.

"If you don\'t understand something, you can always ask me, and I can teach you a bit,"

Song Lingxue, however, did not consider Chu Zheng\'s concerns and waved her hand dismissively before hurriedly departing on her own.

Chu Zheng was bewildered. He looked around and noticed something else amiss.

Usually inseparable and following closely behind Song Lingxue, Song Yun appeared to be absent today. Not just today, but for the last few days, he seemed to have vanished entirely.

Song Lingxue vanished in an instant, and Chu Zheng, feeling helpless, took the two unnamed cultivation techniques and headed towards the Mansion\'s Treasury.

He naturally did not plan to practice the techniques, but as for the Dragon-Tiger Body, Chu Zheng planned to restore and verify it. Since the panel mentioned it was of reference value, there should be some benefits.

......

......

Upon entering the Mansion\'s Treasury, Chu Zheng went directly to the area where the books were stored.

After having seen that journal, he could hardly restrain himself and wanted to explore the history of Great Zhou to see if he could discern any clues.

At least, he wanted to try and find some information about the Hidden Immortal Sect within the Great Zhou Territory from some ancient books.

Fortunately, most of the books had not been touched previously when objects such as gold, silver, and various materials needed for cultivation were moved out of the treasury.

The books weren\'t abundant, and records of the history of Great Zhou were easy to find. After a short while, Chu Zheng began to peruse the historical documents since the establishment of the dynasty.

Once he started, he read until sunset.

Only when the twilight sky bled like blood did Chu Zheng finally leave the Mansion\'s Treasury, his brow furrowed deeper with concerns.

Having read a vast amount of historical records, he indeed made quite a few discoveries.

The Great Ancestor of Great Zhou didn\'t raise his army on a whim—it was the result of years of preparation. The fall of the previous dynasty was peculiar; it was at its peak and then collapsed within just over a decade.

Earthquakes, fires from thunder, floods, and severe droughts were relentless. It was during these calamities that the Great Ancestor seized the opportunity to raise an army. Within just three years, he had conquered the lands and established his rule.

One could almost guess, without a doubt, that an Immortal Sect was behind it.

More than a thousand years ago, within a hundred thousand miles, rulership must have changed hands, and how the Phantom Spirit Sect figured in all this remained uncertain.

After leaving the Mansion\'s Treasury, Chu Zheng found an excuse to leave the residence.

He began looking for a way out.

Being merely a servant, if he truly needed to flee, he would inevitably be among the first to be forsaken.

Even though Song Lingxue treated him well and seemed to have some unclear intentions towards him, Chu Zheng was not about to gambol his life on someone else\'s fleeting kindness.

In a previous life, having read histories, he had witnessed countless tragedies—murders for power, fratricides, filial betrayals, and falling outs among kin were countless.

Human nature is the least reliable thing.

If people could act so barbarically for power, life itself was even less assured.

Since his arrival in this realm, Chu Zheng continuously reminded himself never to let his guard down.

Now, his vigilance had intensified further.

After all, if a diary hidden under the pillow was merely one page and then abruptly stopped, that would be far too absurd.

......

......

The back courtyard of the Song Residence.

In a secluded room, a rich, tangy aroma of blood mixed with the bitter scent of herbs filled the air.

On the bed, Song Yun lay bare-chested, his eyes closed tightly, his chest bound with a bandage, his lips cracked, his complexion pale, and his breathing uneven.

The wound was still bleeding, staining the recently changed bandage slightly red.

Seeing this, the physician bent down again to stop the bleeding and change the gauze.

Song Tonghai stood aside, his eyes cast down, his expression unreadable.

"Father, what on earth happened?"

Song Lingxue pushed open the door and entered, looking at Song Yun on the bed, her face grim: "Where did Song Yun get wounded?"

"At the city gate, struck by a hidden arrow,"

Song Tonghai rubbed his fingers, his voice grave:

"The arrow came from a hundred paces away, piercing through the Inner Armor and passing through the chest, yet still embedding three inches into stone. Only a Grandmaster could wield such a Strong Bow."

Hearing this, a hint of chill flashed in Song Lingxue\'s eyes: "This is a warning."

The physician, over sixty years old, slowly raised his head, wiping the sweat from his forehead, with a light sigh:

"The arrowhead was poisoned. Blood continues to flow; he\'s barely clinging to life. He must absolutely avoid any martial exertion for a while."

Before the words faded, Song Yun groaned on the bed, slowly opening his eyes.