dkrc Chapter 73 Welcoming Distinguished Guests, Re-ranking in the Martial World
Chapter 73 Welcoming Distinguished Guests, Re-ranking in the Martial World
Chapter 74 Welcoming Distinguished Guests, Re-ranking in the Martial World
The White Egret Sword Sect reveres Taoism, and its disciples adhere to strict precepts, which prohibit them from drinking alcohol. However, those who practice swordsmanship often deviate from these precepts and disregard etiquette.
A century ago, there was a patriarch in the sect known as the "Poetry and Wine Swordsman," also called "Drunken Taoist," "Guest in the Pot," or "That Drunkard" by his fellow martial arts practitioners. While his fellow disciples were meditating, chanting scriptures, and studying Taoism, he was drunk and erratic every day, sleeping wherever he pleased. If it weren't for his special status, he would have been expelled long ago.
However, during that transitional period when the sect was beset by internal and external troubles, it was this man who took up his sword and went down the mountain. He killed for three months straight, leaving a trail of heads, and completely quelled the rampant banditry in the Tiannan Prefecture area. After returning to the mountain, he gave the palace masters, who were then engaged in serious internal strife, a good talking-to, which allowed the position of sect leader to be passed on smoothly.
The Drunken Taoist lived to be sixty-four years old. The day before he died, he drank thirty jars of fine wine and finally passed away peacefully in a drunken stupor.
Before his death, he passed down a set of sword techniques that were extremely powerful. Those who practiced them had to first become completely drunk, entering a state of forgetting themselves and the world. The sword energy he wielded was like ink splashed across the landscape, making one forget the mundane world.
Although drinking alcohol violated the precepts and rules of the sect, this sword technique was so powerful and beautiful that later generations of disciples could not bear to leave it unused and let such a wonderful skill be tarnished. Moreover, the Drunken Taoist was renowned for his chivalry and was regarded as a model for the martial arts world. Therefore, each generation of the sword sect would select disciples with suitable talents to practice this technique, and the Taoists of Yanwei Mountain began to brew wine from then on.
Even if they don't drink normally, their cellars are stocked with countless vintage wines. Whenever fellow martial arts practitioners hold festivals or celebrations, the Taoist priests often send a jar of fine wine as a gift.
"So, naturally, the White Egret Sword Sect's kitchen has fermented glutinous rice." Lin Zhuo casually mentioned a piece of historical background while cooking in the kitchen.
Hongyingniang and Cuixiang listened, understanding only partially, but praised Young Master Lin for his extensive knowledge, saying it broadened their horizons.
The Taoist priest standing nearby was even more stunned. "Young Master Lin has extraordinary knowledge. Even I didn't know that there was such a story in our sect."
"Because no one in your sect has mastered the 'Drunken Ink Splash Sword' technique for a long time, most drunkards cannot comprehend its true meaning and have become drunkards, disturbing the tranquility of the mountains. Therefore, their cultivation qualifications have been revoked. You must have seen some fellow disciples suddenly start drinking, and then suddenly quit drinking one day, right?"
"Huh, it really is!"
The sword technique Lin Zhuo mentioned involves a special side quest of the White Egret Sword Sect. The process is very complicated, and the rewards of disaster coins and experience points are very small. The highlight of the final reward is naturally the complete "Drunken Ink Splash Sword" manual, a set of blue-quality sword techniques.
However, if he wants to learn it, he can find the original version and the player-modified version directly in the group files of the dungeon chat channel.
There's absolutely no need to waste time doing tasks; the return on investment is too low.
There are countless storylines like this in the "Cangcheng" dungeons, even more frequent than the toilet unclogging quest. Only players with a collecting obsession would tirelessly complete them one by one.
Lin Zhuo was very grateful to these players for compiling and sharing the martial arts manuals, which were very helpful in broadening their horizons and enriching their knowledge.
In particular, many popular dungeon martial arts skills have been supplemented and strengthened by veteran players on the basis of the original version. Taking the White Egret Sword Sect's "Drunken Ink Splash Sword" as an example, the revised version's actual combat effect completely crushes the original version, because the martial arts inheritance in the comprehensive network is more profound and complete, far beyond what martial artists in the small world can hope for.
The entry requirement for practicing blue-quality martial arts is level 5 of the Qi Master profession, which grants the profession trait "Qi Gathering," allowing one to absorb the primordial energy of heaven and earth into the divine meridians and combine it with mental energy to form true essence.
At this stage, Qigong masters transition from controlling the Qi within their own bodies to controlling the Qi of all things, experiencing a dramatic increase in strength, but also facing immense difficulties and risks.
There are many kinds of primordial energy in the universe, and their quality varies.
Different types of vital energy require the practitioner's physical and mental state to match their corresponding affinity. Factors such as bloodline, comprehension, mindset, and fighting spirit all influence a martial artist's affinity with a particular type of vital energy.
The powerful primordial energy is not only difficult to collect and absorb, but the high-quality true essence formed by combining it with mental energy is extremely dangerous.
Even the lowest grade of mortal qi, when combined with mental qi to form true essence, will subtly corrupt the root of a qi master's being once it enters their body, continuously accumulating congenital damage and causing the martial artist's temperament to deviate.
When one reaches the level of spiritual energy or profound energy, the burden on the body and mind becomes even more severe. If not properly controlled, it can lead to the rupture of the spiritual meridians, damage to the dantian, or even death due to the rampage of true energy.
In the world of "Cangcheng", the situation of being devoured by true essence is called "heavenly tribulation". Compared to the danger of going into qi deviation, which is feared by everyone, heavenly tribulation is a problem exclusive to masters. Most martial artists do not know that such a thing exists.
The Drunken Taoist of the White Egret Sword Sect once drank heavily on his deathbed because the congenital damage in his body had become too severe to be repaired. Knowing that his time was coming to an end, he simply drank himself into a stupor and passed away peacefully in his sleep.
Throughout history, the most outstanding martial arts masters have been like shooting stars, their brilliant brilliance fleeting. This is because their frequent use of martial arts has brought back the calamities of heaven, resulting in a shorter lifespan than that of ordinary masters.
This problem is almost unsolvable in the world of "Cangcheng": the more powerful a creature is, the shorter its lifespan.
The martial artists on the Heavenly Ranking are mostly top-tier masters capable of gathering Qi and condensing Yuan. They are mostly in high positions or live in seclusion, rarely seen in public, and their battle records are few and far between. There is a saying in the martial arts world: "Even the Heavenly King doesn't show his power."
People often think that strong people are pure of heart and have a profound mind, so they don't like to fight. In fact, it's because they don't want to aggravate the tribulations they carry.
Therefore, it wasn't something Lin Zhuo could easily accomplish by simply talking to Chang Mingzi, the leader of the White Egret Sword Sect, who wanted to go down the mountain to deal with Mo Weiren, the Heavenly King of the Demonic Sect.
Lin Zhuo and Hong Yingniang, mistress and servant, worked together to make a pot of sweet and fragrant osmanthus-flavored rice balls, and even gave a bowl to the Fireworker Taoist.
Before they could even begin their meal, a young Taoist priest ran over, bowed, and said, "Master Lin, our sect leader cordially invites you. Are you perhaps available at this moment?"
"Young Master Lin must be exhausted. Would you mind grant me a few more hours?" Hong Yingniang put down her bowl and spoon, stood up, and curtsied.
"You guys eat first, no need to wait for me." Lin Zhuo didn't mind; his body functions had been improved through the "Marrow Refining and Blood Transformation Longevity Method."
The transformation allows one to stay awake for weeks on end and no longer needs a full sleep cycle. When feeling tired, a short nap is all it takes, and the mind and body remain at their peak.
In fact, his physical functions are still in a stable improvement phase and have not yet reached the limit of the internal energy transformation effect.
Lin Zhuo told the two women to wait patiently, and then went out with the young Taoist priest.
A powerful bell rang out from the Golden Peak, and everywhere, agile figures bustled about, all converging towards the main hall.
The young Taoist priest respectfully explained, "So that Master Lin may know, the golden bell tower of my White Egret Sword Sect rings whenever a distinguished guest arrives. There are twelve, thirty-six, eighty-one, and one hundred and eight rings. The last time it rang one hundred and eight times, it is said, was when a martial arts leader skilled in swordsmanship came to visit several hundred years ago."
Lin Zhuo nodded. It was the first time he had ever heard of such etiquette from the White Egret Sword Sect. "I originally thought your sect was not particular about details, but I didn't expect your manners to be so thorough."
The young Taoist priest scratched his head sheepishly and whispered, "Who in the martial world doesn't care about their reputation?"
After the bell rang twelve times, it slowly stopped. Hundreds of martial artists dressed in Taoist robes gathered inside and outside the main hall. All the prominent figures from the sects were present.
Such a grand display caused the young disciples to whisper among themselves. Although the various hall masters sternly stopped the noise, they were also somewhat puzzled and curious about which distinguished guest had suddenly arrived without any prior notice.
Chang Mingzi, dressed in a black robe, walked out of the main hall, and the hall masters all bowed and greeted him.
"Senior brother, which sect leader are we welcoming today?" a thin female Taoist priest in her forties asked in a low voice.
Chang Mingzi stroked his long beard, his face expressionless, and said softly, "It's not some sect leader, but a wandering martial artist, Lei Yin Xue Shou Lin Zhuo."
"I've heard of this person, but he's just a junior in the martial arts world, ranked outside the top fifty on the Hidden Dragon List. How could he possibly deserve twelve welcoming bells? Just send my nephew Qinghong to receive him; that would be more than enough." Another burly middle-aged Taoist priest frowned.
"The messenger hawk reported this morning that the Thunderclap Blood Hand has been rearranged once again."
"Even the top spot on the Hidden Dragon Ranking is not worthy of such a grand gesture," the white-faced, beardless Lord of the Medicine Fragrance Palace said softly.
Chang Mingzi glanced at the Lord of the Medicine Fragrance Hall, took out a letter from a hidden pocket in his sleeve, and handed it to everyone for them to read. "So he is not number one on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. He is number nine on the Earth Ranking."
"Ninth on the Earthly Ranking - Mountain-Crushing Divine Hand"
"To capture the dragon across the four seas, and to uproot the five sacred mountains to make a wine cup."
"Lin Zhuo, a wandering martial artist, whose lineage, origins, and martial arts skills are all unknown, possesses unparalleled strength and power in his palm techniques, making him arguably the strongest in the world today and placing him among the grandmasters. His recent achievements include fighting Ding Shiyuan and Wan Taoxian, both ranked on the Hidden Dragon List, and defeating Su Qiwei, Gu Chunxuan, and others in a group battle. He also unleashed divine power with his palms, shattering the Anzhou Martial Arts Arena."
After reading this, all the palace masters were filled with awe and had no further questions.
"Master Lin has arrived!" The young Taoist priest walking beside Lin Zhu shouted loudly.
"Quickly, please invite him in." Sect Leader Chang Mingzi finally revealed a slight smile, his thin face radiating warmth.
）