Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

“You being willing to take him as a disciple is already the greatest fortune of his life. Why must you also give him a Golden Flesh Carp? This kind of Treasure Fish has become increasingly rare in recent years…”

Gu Qianqian’s voice came to an abrupt halt.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to continue, but that she couldn’t.

An intangible pressure, like that of a ten-thousand-year-old glacier, emanated from Jiang Yujiao.

In that instant.

Gu Qianqian felt as if the weight of the entire Sea Marsh was crashing down on her—and it was a Sea Marsh that had been completely frozen solid!

Cold!

Her body temperature was normal, yet Gu Qianqian felt a bone-chilling cold, as if her very marrow, blood, and even her Heart Spirit were being frozen solid.

She looked at Jiang Yujiao, trembling.

In a daze, she seemed to see a primeval iceberg, and she, Gu Qianqian, was nothing but an insignificant speck of dust at its base, liable to be crushed and obliterated at any moment, leaving not a single trace behind.

“…Master, your disciple knows her mistake…”

Gu Qianqian’s teeth chattered uncontrollably. Her voice trembled even more intensely, cold sweat soaked her back, and her legs grew so weak she could barely stand.

“This disciple was not questioning Master… This disciple was just… just…”

Beneath the moonlight.

Jiang Yujiao’s figure was cold and aloof. She didn’t scold her, nor did she even glance sideways at Gu Qianqian.

From beginning to end, she merely gazed at the ebb and flow of the tide.

It was as if she wasn’t standing in the mortal world, but was perched high in the nine heavens, looking down upon all the lowliness and foolish desires of the mortal realm.

In the end, Gu Qianqian couldn’t hold on any longer and fell to her knees on the sharp gravel of the marshy shore.

Her mind raced. ‘What exactly did I do wrong?’

Although Jiang Yujiao was the revered Pavilion Master of the Dragon Pavilion and naturally possessed an intangible authority built over many years in a high position, she was usually lenient with her disciples. ‘Why would she be like this today…?’

HISS—

Gu Qianqian suddenly gasped, as if she had thought of something. She immediately looked up at the moon.

The moon was full.

And red.

…

「Guan Lan Pavilion.」

[Endless Moon Breath]: Perfection, Traits (Hidden Mechanism, Iron Lung, Moon Breath), Limit-Breaking (No), Limit-Breaking Conditions (Sacrifice Moon Marrow)

“Hidden Mechanism: Conceals a portion of one’s life force, preventing outsiders from easily discerning one’s strengths or weaknesses.”

“Iron Lung: All pulmonary functions are comprehensively enhanced by thirty percent.”

“Moon Breath: Under the moonlight, Profound Breath grants inspiration, allowing one to perceive Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. On the night of a full moon, the Profound Breath is at its most abundant and the inspiration is at its strongest.”

When Chen Cheng was just cultivating his Endless Moon Breath, everything had been the same as before.

But the moment this Evil Technique reached Perfection—or more accurately, the moment the new Trait unlocked—everything changed.

As long as Chen Cheng kept the Endless Moon Breath active, he could sense the precise location of all Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures within a three-hundred-meter radius.

The Golden-backed Exotic Bear Dried Meat, which was closest to him, produced the strongest sensation. It was as if an invisible force of attraction from that location was pulling at his Heart Spirit.

At the same time, he also sensed several similar Mental Gravities coming from the direction of the Core Disciples’ private courtyards.

However, the strength of the Mental Gravity was related to distance; the farther away something was, the weaker the Mental Gravity became.

Furthermore, according to the information on the panel, on nights without a full moon, the Profound Breath Inspiration would weaken, and the range covered by the Mental Gravity would surely shrink as well.

Tonight happened to be a full moon, which meant that three hundred meters was the maximum effective range of the Mental Gravity.

Once he figured this out, an eager light immediately appeared in Chen Cheng’s eyes.

‘This new Trait is practically tailor-made for catching Treasure Fish. Tonight is the perfect chance to make a huge haul.’

After tonight, the range of the Mental Gravity would shrink, and his efficiency would decrease accordingly.

At this thought, Chen Cheng immediately grabbed the waist pouch holding his Profound Iron Dagger and a bag of Hidden Weapons. He also counted out ten pieces of Golden-backed Exotic Bear Dried Meat, placed them in a waterproof leather pouch, and prepared to take them into the water to eat whenever he got hungry.

If he caught a large number of Treasure Fish, he would also need a Fish Guard.

But obviously, he didn’t have a Fish Guard with him.

He thought for a moment and decided to simply remove the bowstring from his Profound Iron Treasure Bow. He could just thread the fish onto it.

The bowstring was made of extraordinary material; it wasn’t afraid of being soaked and there was no need to worry about it breaking.

Everything was ready.

Just as he was about to undress and get into the water, his Heart Spirit suddenly trembled, as if it had been tugged by an invisible force.

He put down the things in his hands and glanced toward the courtyard gate.

The Mental Gravity was getting stronger and stronger.

He could clearly sense that someone carrying some kind of Heavenly Material or Earthly Treasure was approaching.

Ordinary Outer Disciples were not allowed near Guan Lan Pavilion.

‘Who could it be?’

Chen Cheng quickly descended from the third-floor meditation room into the courtyard.

Immediately after, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.

He walked over and opened the gate.

“Ning Chong? What are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to deliver a gift on someone’s behalf.”

Ning Chong said with a chuckle as he handed over a wooden box he was holding:

“Senior Brother Dong Chuo asked me to give these to you on his behalf. Three Golden Scale Fruits. Each one is equivalent to three days of arduous cultivation. They are extremely rare Treasure Fruits.”

“Come in and talk.”

Chen Cheng stepped aside to let him in.

“I can’t. Senior Brother Dong and the others are waiting for me to go drinking.”

Ning Chong said with a smile:

“Senior Brother Dong said that if you’re willing, you can come with me. We can all get together, and in the future, when he gets good resources like this, he’ll be sure to save you a share.”

“…What’s the meaning of this?”

Chen Cheng’s brow furrowed slightly.

Ning Chong composed himself, dropped his smile, and said seriously:

“Senior Brother Dong admires you very much. As long as you are willing to follow him, he can provide you with stable support and ensure that you can establish a firm foothold in the Fist Pavilion.”

“And if I don’t accept?” Chen Cheng asked.

“Hey, if you don’t accept, you don’t accept. Senior Brother Dong is a great guy. I’ll just go back and report to him truthfully. He won’t mind.”