Chapter 047 – A Toad Ascends to the Heavenly Gate, Breath as Heavy as a Mountain

The next day.

As usual, Li Yuan made his way to the little nameless pavilion by the north gate of the black market. He stood beside Senior Li, continuing to listen to his teachings.

Merchants, martial artists, associates, and porters passed by in a steady stream. Each of them would greet Senior Li respectfully, and then throw a curious glance at the young man. They were clearly wondering what qualifications he had to become Senior Li’s disciple.

Suddenly, Senior Li asked, “So many people are staring at you, memorizing your face. How do you feel about that?”

Li Yuan replied, “They know I’m your student, so they’re taking note of me as such. But the only thing they truly remember is that I’m Senior Li’s direct disciple.

“In the future, if they run into me again, they’ll pause to think. Either don’t offend me at all, or...get rid of me completely, leaving no trace.”

Senior Li let out a small laugh. “You really are a worthy successor.”

Li Yuan flattered him in return. “And you, my master, are an excellent teacher.”

Senior Li went on, “Being my student is actually quite safe. Although I’m stationed here, I only enforce the rules. I don’t get mixed up in profit.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

“I’m an enforcer, but I know when to show leniency. After all, when the water is too clear, no fish can survive. As long as people don’t cross the Blood Blade Sect’s bottom line, I’ll grant them a bit of leeway and show mercy when necessary.”

As he spoke, Senior Li took out a neat-looking booklet from inside his robe and handed it to Li Yuan. “Read it here, right next to me.”

Li Yuan opened it. The cover was blank, but inside were page after page of illustrated stances marked with tiny red dots—guides to key pressure points for channeling force. Beneath each illustration were lines of text, presumably the accompanying mental mnemonic.

Senior Li said, “I copied this myself, and I drew the diagrams as well.

“A single illustration can be extremely important for someone in training. The artist’s essence—body, mind, and spirit—goes into it. If it were drawn by our school’s founder, just a glance would let you feel the killing intent emanating from it. Practicing with such a guide makes your progress that much faster.

“Mine, of course, can’t compare to the founder’s. His teachings were lost long ago—destroyed, misplaced, or simply rotted away; no one knows for sure. According to my master, even his master’s master was already using hand-copied manuals to instruct disciples.

“This is also the tradition of the Fallen Moon School. Once you achieve decent mastery, you copy your master’s manual yourself. And if you make further progress, you destroy the old copy and rewrite it, to pass on to your own disciples.

“First, redrawing those diagrams lets you grasp the heart of the technique. Second, paper doesn’t last forever. It’s bound to be lost or destroyed within a generation or two.”

Puzzled, Li Yuan asked, “Why not carve the manuals into stone or metal, or even bamboo slips? They’d last longer that way.”

Senior Li answered, “I heard the founder of the Fallen Moon School was a proud man. After he completed the Spirit-Release Technique and Spring-Autumn Blade, he insisted that all future teachings be recorded only on paper.

“If the art couldn’t be passed down, then so be it. Even if it disappears forever, that’s still better than letting it end up in unworthy hands.

“What a pity the world doesn’t have as many geniuses as our founder hoped,” Senior Li remarked with a sigh. “The Fallen Moon School has been in decline for generations. In my time...we’ve been reduced to a solitary clan in the lowest tiers.

“I don’t have the founder’s talent or his pride. All I want is to ensure these teachings live on.”

Li Yuan replied, “I promise I’ll carry on this legacy.”

Senior Li gave him a faint smile and nodded. “This booklet has two parts. The first part is the Spirit-Release Technique. I’ve only memorized what pertains to the lower three ranks; the original life chronicle that went with it was lost...

“In those days, I couldn’t draw it. Even now, I still can’t. So...it just slipped through our fingers.”

He let out a long sigh. His face looked worn, and sorrow flickered in his eyes as he continued in a husky voice, “Still, you can study the lines I did manage to copy. Maybe...just maybe you’ll be able to recreate it.”

Then, with a self-deprecating chuckle, he said, “Anyway, just learn what’s there first.

“The second part is the Spring-Autumn Blade, which pairs with the Spirit-Release Technique. It covers ninth rank through seventh rank. If you want to study it, read it yourself. I won’t be explaining any further.”

Li Yuan nodded, then asked, “I’ve practiced a different technique before. Could that cause any issues?”

“As long as your body hasn’t fully solidified its foundations, you can change anything,” Senior Li said. “That process is called exchanging shadow blood. At the ninth rank, you’ll feel some pain, but it won’t be too serious. By the eighth rank, though, you’ll need painkillers and some extra tonics.”

Curious, Li Yuan asked, “Shadow blood...does every martial cultivation technique produce something different?”

“Of course,” Senior Li answered. “Each style holds its own mysteries, forming different types of shadow blood and leading to different destinies. When two types of shadow blood collide inside you, that conflict causes pain.

“There are plenty of roaming martial artists out there, but without a complete inheritance, they never get past the sixth rank because the seventh rank is a watershed moment. Once you reach the seventh rank, you develop shadow bones, which keep generating new shadow blood. You can replace your blood, but you can’t replace your bones.”

Li Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words.

Then Senior Li suddenly asked, “Do you regret your choice?”

Shaking his head, Li Yuan replied, “I’m more grateful than anything else to receive your teachings.”

“All the Blood Blade Sect has to offer are methods that reach the lower three ranks,” Senior Li noted. “Greater techniques belong to the powerful faction behind them. To acquire those, you’d have to endure countless dangers and render major service.”

“You’re right, Master,” Li Yuan said. “There might be plenty of prodigies out there, but few live long enough to grasp that higher power. Making it to seventh rank would already be a blessing.”

Senior Li nodded. “Nicely said. But don’t be too content. There’s more hope for you yet. Even though the sixth rank life chronicle is missing its soul, the form is still there in my copy.

“With your mind as calm as still water, maybe you can observe the form and discover the soul.”

“Yes,” Li Yuan said. “I’ll do my best.”

“Good. Good. Good.” Senior Li repeated with a nod. He grew more and more satisfied the longer he looked at his disciple.

Initially, it had been like peering through a fog, with no other choice. But now, Li Yuan seemed like the perfect successor. He had talent, caution, and humility. If the Fallen Moon School's teachings still failed to carry on with a disciple like that, it would truly be fate working against them.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

After their brief exchange, Li Yuan focused on the booklet. Holding it in his hands, he felt a faint ache at the bridge of his nose, as though he might cry.

At last, he finally had a proper technique to study.

He skimmed it first. Whether it was ninth rank, eighth rank, or seventh rank—whether it was a cultivation technique or a martial skill—each section featured diagrams paired with written instructions.

Only by combining both could one truly learn. And in this manual, the illustrations were crucial.

Toward the end of the first half, Li Yuan noticed an odd flowing water diagram, composed of countless wavering lines that resembled a gently rippling stream. This was the only illustration without any accompanying text.

“That must be the empty form, missing soul life chronicle that Master mentioned. Could this really help someone break through to the sixth rank, or even higher?” Li Yuan wondered silently.

He stared at it for a while. Unlike reading some forbidden, high-level scripture that might overwhelm his mind, he felt no headache. But he also gained nothing. The flowing water was just water, and he was simply himself.

So he flipped back to the earlier pages and carefully read through the ninth rank portion of the Spirit-Release Technique.

The core of the Spirit-Release Technique was expressed as a short poem, which ran through all three lower ranks.

A toad ascends to the heavenly gate, gathering breath as heavy as mountains. A great river flows through the four lands, releasing the spirit as the moon bends into a bow.

Compared to the Return-Willow Technique that Li Yuan had cobbled together on his own, the Spirit-Release Technique seemed to emphasize breathing far more deeply.

From his careful reading, Li Yuan began to see that a toad ascending to the heavenly gate referred to the body’s posture, which had to be curled up, almost like a toad. Gathering breath as heavy as mountains meant taking in as much air as possible and compressing it within the body until it felt weighty as a mountain.

A great river flowing through the four lands described how the breath should merge with the blood. By using breath to move the blood and blood to carry the breath, the body became like four open plains, while the surging flow of air and blood was like the rushing tide of a great river.

Finally, releasing the spirit as the moon bends into a bow was about releasing the breath. But it wasn’t what Li Yuan had once imagined as true qi.

In this world, there was no true qi. Here, breath was simply a way to bolster the strength of one’s blood. Breathing in compressed the blood; breathing out unleashed power.

Crucially, that exhalation wasn’t done casually. It was meant only for the moment of killing.

The act of breathing out was the act of taking a life.

As Li Yuan read, he asked Senior Li about various details. Senior Li answered patiently. When midday came, a servant brought them lunch, and they ate together.

Afterwards, Li Yuan asked, “Master, if I want to practice, should I do it here?”

“No, go to my residence,” Senior Li instructed. “They already know who you are.”

“Yes, Master.”

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Senior Li then gave Li Yuan the location of his courtyard. It wasn’t far, and Li Yuan arrived shortly. He knocked softly. The one who opened the door was a captivating woman clad in a vivid red dress, her figure full and alluring.

Lowering his head politely to avoid staring, Li Yuan said, “Greetings, Madam. I’m Li Yuan, Senior Li’s student. I’ve come here to train.”

She giggled. “I’m not your master’s wife. I’m Senior Li’s maid, Xi Yan.”

With that, she turned, her curvy hips swaying beneath the crimson fabric. After taking a few steps, she glanced over her shoulder and beckoned with a smile. “Come on in, Young Master.”

“Please, just call me Li Yuan, Auntie Xi,” he replied.

She paused in surprise, then covered her mouth and broke into laughter.