Chapter 920
Bound by Worldly Matters
After a night's rest, Pan Yun had recovered most of her health, and Xuan Miao's injuries had also improved considerably; at least her lips looked healthier.
Pan Yun couldn't help but marvel at her third senior brother's medical skills. Her fourth senior sister had been so badly injured yesterday, yet she had recovered to this extent overnight.
"Now that we've finished eating, let's get ready to begin." Xuanmiao knew that Zhang Liuzhen and Pan Yun were both very interested in this set of techniques, and she herself was too.
The experiment was not difficult. Pan Yun sat down in an open space in the courtyard and took Zhang Liuzhen's hand.
Both of them were a little nervous and didn't move for a moment.
Pan Yun frowned when she saw that he didn't move: "What are you standing there for? Try to see if you can absorb my Yuan energy first."
Zhang Liuzhen immediately closed his eyes and first activated the new technique, trying to draw power from the outside world.
However, he could absorb the surrounding spiritual energy, but he couldn't absorb Pan Yun's Yuan Power.
Pan Yun raised an eyebrow, satisfied. After waiting for him to complete a small circulation of his energy, she said to him, "Don't move, I'll do it!"
Zhang Liuzhen stopped his cultivation technique, and Pan Yun transferred his Yuan energy to him. Zhang Liuzhen received it, and at first it was smooth, but soon, Pan Yun's Yuan energy was out of her control and rushed towards him like a stream.
The two immediately tried to pull their hands apart, but found they couldn't.
Pan Yun's face turned pale, and she could only recall the feeling at that time as she looked at Zhang Liuzhen.
Zhang Liuzhen must have figured out the trick too. With a thought, he loosened his grip on their hands, and Pan Yun immediately shook off his hand.
The two of them remained seated, still shaken.
Pan Yun said with a pale face, "No, the key to breaking the spell is you. This technique must be changed, otherwise, the martial arts world will be in chaos."
Xuanmiao: "You've also practiced this technique, so why can't you absorb Liu Zhen's Yuan Power? In the past two years, quite a few students have secretly practiced this technique, but I haven't heard anyone say that they can forcibly absorb other people's Yuan Power and internal energy."
Zhang Liuzhen: "Back then, when I was passing on my skills in the square, I only taught the first four lines. Because this set of skills had flaws, I only secretly selected a few people to practice it. Among them, the one with the best aptitude only managed to reach the third level."
Pan Yun asked curiously, "And what about you?"
Zhang Liuzhen's lips curled up slightly: "Although my dantian is shattered and I can't store yuan energy, this set of techniques is my own creation, so I have naturally mastered it and learned all twelve levels."
Pan Yun: "Your dantian is shattered, and your meridians are also problematic. How did you create this set of techniques?"
"The advantage of this technique is that it can speed up the absorption of spiritual energy and increase the efficiency of cultivation. My initial idea was that it could be so fast that it would not enter the dantian, but could instantly absorb spiritual energy, convert it into Yuan Power, and then release it instantly."
Pan Yun immediately understood: "You created this technique not only for those disciples with mediocre talent who have difficulty making progress in cultivation, but also for yourself."
Zhang Liuzhen: "I had conceived of this set of techniques before I was crippled, but I was still quite cautious at the time. It wasn't until my dantian was shattered and even my meridians were in trouble that I changed my direction a bit."
He said, "Isn't my talent even worse than those disciples' because I've been crippled? If even I can use the techniques, they will definitely be able to use them even better."
Such a highly efficient cultivation method is characterized by plunder.
Once the technique is activated, it will plunder all accessible energy.
When he first absorbed Pan Yun's Yuan Power, he didn't think of this. Just now, he had a feeling that if this continued, he would not only drain Pan Yun's Yuan Power, but also drain her flesh and blood, and all the energy in her body.
The feeling was so wonderful that in an instant, his dantian was full, and he felt like he had become an immortal.
Fortunately, Zhang Liuzhen was rational enough and had a strong sense of morality; otherwise, at that moment, he would have continued to inhale, and then…
Zhang Liuzhen glanced at Xuanmiao. In the end, either he would drain Xuanmiao dry, or Xuanmiao would stab him with a sword.
Therefore, this set of exercises needs to be revised.
Zhang Liuzhen pondered for a moment, then said softly, "The problem should lie in the sixth level of the technique; we need to change it there."
Xuanmiao: "Which level have you taught beyond this level?"
"I gave them the formula for the fourth level, but I haven't had a chance to teach them myself yet."
Xuanmiao nodded slightly and said, "Find two people with good aptitude, and have them start cultivating from the beginning. Once they reach the fifth and sixth levels, we'll give it a try."
Zhang Liuzhen hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
Xuanmiao said expressionlessly, "If they can't control themselves, kill them."
Zhang Liuzhen looked helpless: "If you say it like that, I'm afraid no disciple will dare to try."
Xuanmiao: "Then give them money. A generous reward will surely lead to someone's death."
Pan Yun nodded repeatedly, "We're not forcing them. It's a mutually agreeable deal. If they agreed, they have to keep their word. If they can't, they're not innocent if they get killed."
Zhang Liuzhen pondered for a moment: "Alright, I'll think about it too, whether we can close this door, even if someone has cultivated it."
Pan Yun gave him a thumbs up: "Senior brother is truly righteous and capable."
However, as soon as she turned around, she went back to her room and immersed herself in searching for the cultivation manual.
Seeing that she had made a mess of the spiritual space, Pan Xiaohei took pity on her and returned to his original form. A box popped out of a pile of trash and hit Pan Jun directly.
Pan Jun reached out and hugged the box, then opened it.
Inside was a martial arts manual and a large stack of draft paper, all of which were notes that Pan Yun had made in the early stages to help Zhang Liuzhen.
She mainly studied the first four levels at the time. She had read and memorized the later levels, but never practiced them.
She then took out the cultivation manual and began studying it from the fifth level.
Pan Yun was engrossed in watching when she suddenly heard a slight noise outside. She immediately stopped her practice, opened the door, and went out.
Then they saw the three people walking out.
Pan Yun quickly caught up: "Senior brother, senior sister, where are you going?"
Tao Ji turned around and said, "Let's go down the mountain. You just lost a lot of your Yuan energy. Behave yourself in the academy and cultivate."
"Are you going down the mountain to enjoy the fruits of victory?" Pan Yun ran forward and reached out to Zhang Liuzhen: "I just saw the seventh level, and I've mastered the first six levels. Let's try to get my Yuan Power back?"
Zhang Liuzhen: ...
Xuanmiao was so angry that he smacked her on the head and said with a stern face, "You really don't care about your life, you dare to learn any kind of martial arts!"
Zhang Liuzhen slapped her hand away: "I don't want to die yet, and I don't want you to die either. We're both absorbing each other's energy right now, and nobody knows what the interaction will be like. Don't take any risks."
He looked Pan Yun up and down and said, "I know you want to go down the mountain, let's go together."
Pan Yun immediately smiled and followed behind the three of them: "Senior Brother Zhang, you have to protect us."
Zhang Liuzhen: "As long as you don't cause trouble, I can still protect you." He glanced at Xuanmiao: "Besides, with your senior sister in front of you, what are you afraid of?"
Indeed, everyone in the Celestial Master's Mansion had their eyes on Xuanmiao.
Whether they were their own people or their opponents, when they saw Xuanmiao standing at the gate in a sky-blue Taoist robe, like a sturdy pine tree in the cold, they were filled with fear and hatred. When Xuanmiao looked over, they looked away as if trying to escape.
With a smile on his face, Zhang Liuzhen asked Zhang Ziwang, who was jogging over, "Have all the injured disciples been taken care of?"
"Yes, everything has been arranged."
Zhang Liuzhen nodded slightly and asked, "Where are the two ancestors?"
"They are on the training ground."
The martial arts arena at the Celestial Master's Mansion was the high platform they saw yesterday. The platform was painted with a yin-yang symbol, and the area below it was painted with the Eight Trigrams.
When the group arrived, the two elders were talking quietly to someone. When they saw Zhang Liuzhen, they stood up and bowed slightly to her.
The Zhang family has a strict hierarchy, and since Zhang Liuzhen is the head of the family, they must respect him.
Of course, one can choose not to respect them, but that would inevitably lead to internal strife within the Zhang family.
Ultimately, they still hoped that the Zhang family would prosper and that the struggle for succession would never happen again.
However, while they acknowledge Zhang Liuzhen, they do not acknowledge Xuanmiao, much less Tao Ji and Pan Yun behind her.
So after the two sides exchanged greetings, Zhang Xuefang frowned and said, "Liuzhen, if we want to discuss clan affairs, why don't we have Ziwang invite the guests to sit in the main hall in front?"
Zhang Liuzhen sat down in the main seat, straightened his robes, and said with a smile, "Ancestor, they are all my right-hand men, not outsiders."
Zhang Xuefang said with a stern face, "There are many disciples from other families in the Celestial Master's Mansion. For example, your senior brother Li Wenying once served in the Celestial Master's Mansion, but he knew his place and only discussed the affairs of the Celestial Master's Mansion. He would never interfere in the affairs of my Zhang family."
Pan Yun thought that what the Zhang family patriarch said made sense, and was about to step back when Xuanmiao suddenly asked, "Patriarch, are you talking about my senior brother and junior sister, or about me?"
Zhang Xuefang snorted coldly, turned her head to the side, and said arrogantly without even looking at her, "I'm not only talking about your senior brothers and sisters, but also you! It's important for people to know their place. The rule that women of the Zhang family must not interfere in the affairs of the front courtyard is the same as the rule that women in the imperial court must not interfere in politics."
Pan Yun stood rooted to the spot and refused to move.
She smiled and said to Zhang Xuefang, "Senior Zhang, it seems that the rules of the Imperial Court have been broken. I am Pan Yun, and I am currently the Grand Preceptor of the Ming Dynasty. Although I do not want to participate in politics, given my status, I will occasionally participate in important national affairs."
Zhang Xuefang's face darkened.
Zhang Liuzhen chimed in, "Therefore, it's time for my Zhang family's rules to change as well."
Zhang Xuefang: "You!"
Zhang Shangde, being the oldest and most patient among them, calmly looked up at Zhang Liuzhen and asked, "How do you want to change it?"
"The clan's techniques are learned by men, and naturally women can learn them as well. From now on, any Zhang clan woman who wants to learn can enter the clan school to study Taoist arts."
Zhang Shangde: "Do you know the consequences? When they get married, they will take the family's martial arts techniques and secrets with them."
Zhang Liuzhen said, "Ancestor, the world is about to change. In the future, there will be more and more people practicing Taoist arts. Relatives by marriage are still relatives. Wouldn't it be beneficial for Zhang's daughters to live a better life if they had more resources to establish themselves in the world?"
Zhang Xuefang said irritably, "Whether they're doing well or not depends on their husbands, what business is it of ours?"
Zhang Liuzhen: "Our ancestor also had a daughter..."
“The moment she got married, she was no longer my daughter,” Zhang Xuefang interrupted him. “A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl. You’re being too sentimental for the sake of a basin of water.”
Zhang Liuzhen did have a biological aunt. Thinking of that gentle and quiet woman with eyes full of sorrow, he felt his blood boil and laughed out of anger: "Since she is no longer the ancestor's daughter, why did she ask her great-aunt to plead with the Chen family in Liyang to save her ninth uncle's life, which led to her uncle's untimely death?"
Zhang Xuefang roared in fury: "She's my daughter, I gave birth to her and raised her. What's wrong with asking her to do something for her brother? Even if I asked her to plead for him, or even if I asked her to die, she would still die! I'm her father!"
Zhang Shangde frowned and scolded him, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
He ordered Zhang Ziwang to help Zhang Xuefang down to rest.
Zhang Ziwang was covered in sweat and quickly stepped forward to help Zhang Xuefang up.
Pan Yun stared at them thoughtfully, and as they were about to descend the platform, she suddenly asked, "Are you two seniors older than Senior Zhang from the palace, and therefore of a higher generation?"
Neither of them answered. Zhang Liuzhen hummed in response and said, "This is the ancestor, and the one in the palace is my great-uncle."
Pan Yun smiled and asked, "Is Senior Zhang from the palace more powerful than the two seniors?"
Zhang Liuzhen nodded again.
It seems that Zhu Yuanzhang had a good eye, and the Zhang family was also sincere enough to place Zhang Zijin in the palace.
Could it be that he is the most skilled cultivator in the Zhang family?
It's impossible that the Zhang family has some hidden old monsters in this back courtyard or somewhere else, right?
If so, that would be very interesting.
Pan Yun's smile widened as she looked at Zhang Xuefang and said, "No wonder Senior Zhang's cultivation is above that of the two seniors."
After Pan Yun finished speaking, she fell silent.
Zhang Shangde had been waiting, and seeing that she only spoke half a sentence, he couldn't help but frown: "Why?"
Zhang Xuefang felt insulted and angrily retorted, "Uncle-Master, why are you asking her? What's there to ask? How old is she? What could she possibly know?"
Pan Yun had previously felt that Zhang Xuefang's cultivation level was unfathomable, since she couldn't fathom it.
But today his emotions fluctuated greatly, which gave Pan Yun a clue. She had a feeling that his energy was not as great as that of his senior brother.
even……
A fighting spirit flashed in her eyes; she was eager to try. If she used her skills and fought desperately, she might not be unable to defeat him.
Xuanmiao stepped forward, blocking her gaze, and said calmly, "Is the reason so hard to guess? Ancestor, we are cultivators. Since we are cultivators, our level naturally comes from the Dao. My uncle's understanding of the Dao is far superior to that of the two ancestors."
Pan Yun's view was blocked by Xuanmiao, which was like a bucket of cold water being poured over her head. She instantly sobered up, glanced at Zhang Shangde, chuckled, and peeked out from behind Xuanmiao, saying, "Yes, Senior Zhang has cultivated the Dao for a lifetime, but he is still attached to worldly appearances. Alas, what's the use of focusing on refining Qi and tempering the body but forgetting to see through the mind?"
She countered, "Isn't the ultimate goal of spiritual cultivation to cultivate the mind?"
Zhang Xuefang and Zhang Shangde stared blankly at Pan Yun.
Of course they know that the ultimate goal of cultivating the Tao is to cultivate the mind, and they have been cultivating it for nearly a hundred years, constantly pursuing the Tao and trying to cultivate a Taoist mind.
But did they ever consider that matters concerning their children could be the lock that imprisons their souls?
Pan Yun shook his head and said to the two of them, "Before I left the palace, Senior Zhang asked me to pass on a message to you all."
What did you say? (End of Chapter)