Looking from afar,

like a stubborn rock!

"Boom!"

"Rumble... "

Lightning and thunder roared from the horizon, the sound never ceasing.

The endless thunder merged with his internal aura, prompting the Elemental Thunder Skill to operate automatically, with True Qi meandering through his limbs and bones unsteadily.

"Boom!"

"Rumble... "

With every breath, he could feel the robust growth of his physical body and the gradual strengthening of his power.

This is...

Enlightenment!

For months, Fang Zheng didn’t take the car, nor did he display any body technique, measuring this land step by step like an ordinary person.

This journey lasted for months.

From Qu City to Hai Province, and from Hai Province to Qing Province, the journey spanned thousands of miles, passing through numerous cities and witnessing countless joys and sorrows.

The restless mood from years of cultivation unconsciously simmered down during this period.

Of course.

Thanks to Master Jiuyuan’s gift and the guidance of the Celestial Secret Compass, his mind gradually approached today’s direction.

Until,

He entered a state of enlightenment under certain conditions.

"Celestial Spirit Technique!"

A thought moved in the Sea of Consciousness, and the flowing True Qi inside him split into strands, entering his physical body’s hundred apertures and the Primordial Spirit in the Sea of Consciousness.

The strands interweaved into a large net.

The net,

Assumed the form of Celestial Spirit.

Called Celestial Spirit Technique!

After an unknown duration, Fang Zheng slowly opened his eyes, no longer shining with light, instead becoming deep and unfathomable.

"Phew..."

Exhaling turbid air, Fang Zheng stood up and stretched his muscles and bones.

"Indeed!"

"A moment’s enlightenment, ascending in daylight, though I didn’t ascend, my strength has greatly increased, getting closer to the eighth level of the Elemental Thunder Skill."

"Even the Celestial Spirit Technique has been mastered."

"Celestial Spirit Technique..."

"No wonder it’s a Divine Art!"

The so-called Divine Art is a concept he obtained from Ancient Divine Text, meaning magic created by ’gods’.

Divine Art has the wonder of directly piercing to the core.

"That being said, the One-Character Heart-Clearing Slash and Celestial Secret Compass seem to be considered as Divine Art as well, with the compass’s grade perhaps even higher."

Fang Zheng pondered:

"Magic created by gods isn’t necessarily better than that of Master Jiuyuan, it seems humans can surpass gods."

The wonder of Celestial Spirit Technique lies in weaving mana into a large net, which covers the physical body, Primordial Spirit, and Essence inside.

Once the technique is formed, it only strengthens and doesn’t deplete.

Whether eating or cultivating, the physical body strengthens under the enhancement of Celestial Spirit Technique, and even the lifespan extends.

The accumulated Essence can accelerate the restoration of the body.

Not only that!

The true mystery of Celestial Spirit Technique lies in the Primordial Spirit.

Upon mastering this skill, the Primordial Spirit becomes introverted, making it extremely difficult for outsiders to spy upon, whether through divination or Suppression Arts, all have minimal effect on him.

"Ordinary cultivation techniques focus on the physical body, which, in turn, nourishes the Primordial Spirit, and this applies to masters and martial sects as well."

"From Master Jiuyuan’s memories, this is evident."

"Celestial Spirit Technique is different, it can act directly on the Primordial Spirit, once mastered, both the physical body and Primordial Spirit constantly strengthen, even if slowly, but able to extend life."

"After decades or hundreds of years, naturally able to stand at the peak!"

Fang Zheng stretched out his hand, and a pistol appeared in his palm.

Ninth Pistol.

He aimed the pistol at his arm and pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

Flames spurted from the gun barrel, the bullet penetrated the Protective Gang Force of the Flawless Martial Artist, tearing through flesh and colliding with the bone inside.

"Clang..."

Sounding like metal striking, the large bullet head fell to the ground, its top was even flattened from collision.

Fang Zheng lowered his head to look at his arm.

Though the flesh was split open, the fissure was small, and some faint cracks appeared on the bone, repairing with visible speed.

In just moments.

The bone cracks had healed, and only a faint scar remained on the flesh. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Ninth Pistol can penetrate Protective Gang Force, poses significant threat to Flawless Martial Artists, but now it’s difficult to seriously harm me at close range."

Fang Zheng chuckled lightly and put away the pistol.

...

"A monk cultivating immortality?"

"Sword God’s Smile?"

The two exchanged smiles and gently clasped hands.

"Unexpectedly, we meet face-to-face offline."

Sword God’s Smile, whose real name is Bao Huisheng, is a middle-aged man nearing forty, standing over 1.9 meters tall with a heavyset build.

With his physique, a single slap could knock down an adult man.

Fang Zheng searched online for martial arts information in his early years and met Bao Huisheng through online exchanges. After some conversations, he was pulled into a group.

The group didn’t have many members; they were all traditional martial arts enthusiasts.

Not just enthusiastic,

but they also had certain real skills.

Bao Huisheng is a Tai Chi expert, and his family runs a martial arts hall. Today, Bao Martial Arts Hall still holds quite a reputation in Qing Province.

However, as time passed, fewer people were willing to speak in the group, and the last time someone spoke was two months ago.

"Happened to come to Qing Province."

Fang Zheng laughed:

"I’ll have to trouble you these days, Brother Bao."

"Haha..." Bao Huisheng laughed heartily:

"Leave it to me, but Monk, not only do your clothes look like those of people from ancient times, but even the way you talk is so literary. Could it be you just came down from the mountains?"

"More or less." Fang Zheng replied:

"I’m looking for someone. There’s an expert in Qing Province who studies obscure ancient scripts. I heard he has some materials, and I’m very interested in it."

"Hey!"

Bao Huisheng waved his hand:

"No rush."

"Since you’re here, I must fulfill my duty as a host. Let’s go find some fun first and put the issue of looking for a person aside."

The place where he intended to find fun was a bar.

Blinking lights of various colors changed frequently, and the pulsating music excited people, while certain elements in the air made one’s blood surge.

"Sit!"

Bao Huisheng shouted loudly:

"Feel free, relax a bit. I’m a regular here!"

"Brother Bao."

Fang Zheng said slowly:

"Didn’t you say your family’s business is poorly run and almost going bankrupt? How do you still have the mood to come here and find fun?"

"Haha..." Bao Huisheng laughed:

"Though business is bad, the foundation is solid enough."

"Hey!"

He sighed and said:

"My family used to run martial arts halls, inevitably dabbling in some gray businesses. Years ago, I switched to fitness centers and martial arts branch stores, and ended up losing everything."

"Fortunately, the security business is doing okay. We move around with hundreds of people. Becoming incredibly wealthy is impossible, but making a living is not a problem."

Fang Zheng understood.

The security business is generally outsourced.

Hotels, buildings, office areas, and the like seldom hire security directly; it’s usually handed over to security companies.

Thus,

first, it saves expenses, and second, if anything goes wrong, blame can be shifted onto the security company.

"Yo!"

In the middle of the conversation, a person staggered over and sat down across from them without permission, crossed his legs, and smiled:

"Fatty Bao, here for some fun again?"

"Hmph!"

Bao Huisheng snorted coldly:

"Surname Cheng, I’m entertaining a friend today, not in the mood to deal with you. Just leave."

Despite his words, he didn’t forcefully kick the person out, obviously somewhat apprehensive, just a little annoyed at being disturbed.

The two were very familiar with each other.

Just not friends.

"Heh..." The newcomer chuckled lightly:

"Your Bao family sure is ungrateful. Back in your prosperous days, you sure asked my dad for a lot of help. Now you wash your hands completely."

"Umm..."

He turned his head to look at Fang Zheng, sized him up, and couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows:

"This Daoist, why aren’t you cultivating in a Daoist temple and came to a place like this? Don’t Daoists break the rules by fooling around with women?"

"The rules of Daoism differ, and the requirements vary." Fang Zheng replied:

"Most Daoists are not forbidden to marry."

Not only Daoists,

but some monks can also marry and have children.

"I see..." The person nodded, then wrapped an arm around a woman following behind him, stroked her chin, and laughed:

"Daoist, do you understand fortune-telling?"

"Since this woman got with me, I’ve been extremely unlucky. Do you think she’s a jinx? Should I find a place to get rid of her?"

As he spoke, he smacked the woman’s face, the loud and crisp sound echoed, knocking her onto the round table, breaking a wine glass, spilling wine everywhere.

The woman’s body trembled, tears rolling down her cheeks continuously, not daring to retaliate against the man’s strikes, clearly terrified to the extreme.

Fang Zheng, upon hearing this, looked over, his eyes subtly moving.

"This young lady has a good face, Dragon Eye Wind Neck, Strange Appearance Moon, priceless!"

"Priceless?"

The person was stunned, then burst into laughter, as if hearing a hilarious joke:

"Priceless, her?"

"A girl born without a mother, raised without a father!"