Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path
Chapter 301 - 268: Unsettled Halberd Technique, Chaos in Martial Intent

Chapter 301: Chapter 268: Unsettled Halberd Technique, Chaos in Martial Intent

Vision darkened and cleared again.

The oil lamp on the wall was still emitting a dim light.

He was still maintaining the action of taking the Subduing Demon Token, standing in front of the incense table.

The furnishings in the secret room remained unchanged.

Sparse and spacious.

Dust footprints were on the floor.

Everything seemed to remain the same.

The only difference was the black Subduing Demon Token in his hand, which had now become dull and lost some of its luster.

Zhou Ping’an staggered, his head spinning, and he quickly reached out to brace himself against the table...

It felt just like those times when he had stayed up for three days and nights playing games, and his brain had turned to mush, almost incapable of thought.

"Spiritual harm."

Zhou Ping’an didn’t bother to check his physical condition or what the starlight that had merged into his mind at the last moment was.

The first thing he did was forcibly run the "Karmic Fire Red Lotus Visualization Method" and burn the Mind Wish Power Silk Threads.

After some time of cultivation, he had accumulated over twenty thousand white threads.

Zhou Ping’an had never wanted to use them to practice various martial arts.

Instead, he wanted to accumulate more, in hopes of breaking through the final realm of the "Five Desires Demonic Scripture" to reach completion.

He knew that once any cultivation technique reached completion, it would certainly yield a strange ability, an essential secret technique for protection and saving one’s own life.

However, to break through the last barrier,

in addition to enduring hardship over time, relying solely on the power of wishful incense to achieve sudden enlightenment would indeed consume a large amount of power.

Compared to the previous four realms, the fifth barrier might require an estimated 375,000 Mind Wish Power Silk Threads due to a qualitative change.

Clearly, it wasn’t a goal that could be achieved in a short period of time.

But a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and Zhou Ping’an, although a bit anxious, wasn’t in a hurry.

Compared to the power needed to break through the fifth realm of the "Five Desires Evil Art," recovering his spirit was much simpler.

It only took Zhou Ping’an five hundred power units to feel his mind becoming operational again. Although still tired, he was no longer feeling weak.

"Fang Sheng only said dying in the trial would cause major spiritual damage, with extreme physical weakness, unable to cope with external dangers.

But she never mentioned that voluntarily leaving the trial would also result in spiritual injury.

Although it wouldn’t cause a fall in cultivation level, without seven or eight days of recuperation, recovery wouldn’t be possible."

"This woman speaks with deceit and truth mixed together, making it really hard to respond."

"If it hadn’t been for their greed, and instead they had cooperated with each other, even if they couldn’t have broken through the trial, they wouldn’t have suffered such severe losses.

With better coordination and mutual support, there was still hope to pass the trial."

Zhou Ping’an shook his head and sighed.

These people had truly lost the watermelon while picking up sesame seeds, a completely regrettable trade-off.

However, upon reflection, since he had arrived in this world, most of the people he encountered were scheming, with hardly any inclination toward cooperative win-win situations.

This was true for the major forces in Qingyang City, as well as the Cloud Water Heavenly Sect.

Even the Red Lotus Sect, an organization specialized in revolt, also struggled with internal conflict and deception.

It only goes to show that when infighting becomes routine, nobody dares to trust others again.

Say only a third of what you know, never give away all of your heart.

The one who coined this phrase must have grown accustomed to being stabbed in the back.

Having just sighed that survival in this world is extremely difficult,

Zhou Ping’an thought of modern society...

Where the same holds true.

Maybe it’s just human nature; when interests are at stake, truly trustworthy companions who support each other and progress together are incredibly rare.

He was obviously lucky to have one—or a few—people beside him he could trust with his life.

He thought about it, then with a wave of his hand, he collected the Black Jade Subduing Demon Command along with the incense table into his portable space.

This thing doesn’t seem to be for one-time use.

It has a cooling period.

Zhou Ping’an had already investigated this.

The Black Jade Token, once used, loses its luster.

But over time,

threads of energy from the air start to attach to it, indicating a slow restoration process.

He didn’t know how long it would take to use it again to enter the trial.

Thinking of the experiences of the former County Magistrate’s son Li Yuankang,

Zhou Ping’an speculated that it would not take too long to fully recover, probably about ten days to half a month, but not more than a month.

Once placed in the portable space, this restoration speed immediately ceased, although he did not understand the mechanism behind it.

When the time comes, he would choose a safe and convenient room to lay out the token again.

Thinking this, Zhou Ping’an glanced at the pile of bones under the table, his eyes narrowing slightly, knowing these were the underhanded tricks made by Li Yuankang.

Perhaps these bones were the reason why he was able to heal his disabled limbs.

Simply by using the Subduing Demon Order to gather life energy and nourish himself.

Or perhaps, there were some other sacrificial methods...

Exactly how did it work?

Now that Li Yuankang was dead, there was no way to ask.

Zhou Ping’an didn’t need such underhanded methods anyway.

...

Outside the secret room.

In the study...

Lin Huaiyu, who was supposed to have left, had not.

She was holding her long sword, leaning against the latticed window, resting with her eyes closed, and her delicate ears would occasionally twitch slightly.

Clearly, she was in a state of relaxed vigilance, protecting him while he was inside.

Seemingly hearing some movement in the secret room,

Lin Huaiyu opened her eyes and her lips curved into a pleasant smile.

He breathed out deeply.

"How was it?"

When Lin Huaiyu saw Zhou Ping’an emerge from the secret chamber, a flash of pleasant surprise crossed his eyes.

The two of them had come to understand each other quite well.

Just by noticing a slight change in demeanor, one could roughly guess that the gains were substantial.

"It was a bit risky, but in light of that risk, the rewards were truly immense. What do you think of this movement technique?"

With a single step, Zhou Ping’an’s body seemed to merge into the air, leaving no trace at all.

When he reappeared, he was already thirty feet away beneath an old banyan tree to the left of the courtyard.

By the time Lin Huaiyu turned his head in shock, searching left and right, he had already taken another step and returned inside the study.

"The movement technique is truly elusive, even more mystical than the Ghostly Shadows Step. What grade of martial arts could it be, and from which sect or school does it originate?"

Lin Huaiyu had been educated at home from a young age, reading a great deal with his mother and knowing far more about the rumors of Jianghu and the historical changes in this world than Zhou Ping’an.

This was not something that could be compensated for by cramming or reading more in a short span of time.

"Wait, it feels somewhat familiar, as if I’ve seen a similar description somewhere before."

Lin Huaiyu’s eyes shone brightly.

The [Ghostly Shadows Step] created illusion and reality, mainly meant to deceive an enemy’s vision and create confusing phantoms.

It was already very impressive.

But Zhou Ping’an’s technique just now was completely baffling... as if he had thoroughly integrated into the space itself, which didn’t seem right.

"Space? Could it be the [Inches Apart, Worlds Away] technique? If it really is that technique, Brother Zhou, you’ve gotten quite the bargain."

Lin Huaiyu slapped his forehead lightly and began to beam.

"The King of Light’s Sect’s Shrinking Ground Technique measures the earth beneath the feet, running close to the ground. Although one moves very quickly, the body can still be seen.

However, the [Inches Apart, Worlds Away] Body Technique of the World’s End Pavilion, once activated, is formless and intangible...

Unless you are very familiar with this technique and strike at the instant the user lands, otherwise, you simply cannot detect the assailant’s figure."

"World’s End Pavilion?"

"It’s a library within the Eastern Sea Penglai Immortal Sect mentioned in the ’Chronicles of Immortal Oddities’. I just read about it before.

I thought it was just the author’s exaggeration, but it turns out to be true."

Lin Huaiyu was as thrilled as a child who just learned a powerful martial arts technique, more upset than losing money over not learning it.

"Could this technique also be learned from the Black Jade Token? It doesn’t make sense, though, I’ve never heard of any secret dealings between the Prison Subduing Demon Sect and the Penglai Immortal Sect."

"Yes, and no."

Zhou Ping’an couldn’t help but chuckle at this.

Remembering that boastful and self-assured girl, Fang Sheng, who tried to monopolize the advantage at the last moment, only to be killed on the spot by the Descended Star Deity, Lady Feng Jiu, with the Hundred Paces Sword Control technique just as she was feeling most proud of herself, he didn’t know what to say.

What was the need?

Why bother...

At the last moment, the regret and surprise in Fang Sheng’s eyes genuinely conveyed the feeling of going from heaven to hell in an instant.

Even more absurdly, when Miss Fang was stabbed through the brow and immediately died, a movement technique fell out of her and was obtained by Zhou Ping’an.

From this, Zhou Ping’an could confirm one thing...

That is, in the trial scenarios, those who die will drop martial arts techniques and innate skills, more or less.

And, it operates on a mechanism of who is closer gets the benefits.

When Fang Sheng died, she was only five steps away from Zhou Ping’an, so he benefited from getting this amazing movement technique.

While Chen Guang was blown up by Xiao Ning with a punch, closer to Xiao Ning, Zhou Ping’an didn’t get even a fart’s worth of benefit, which was a pity indeed.

After recounting the events in the trial scenario to Lin Huaiyu and listening to the myriad twists and turns, the Third Miss felt tense at times and relaxed at others, and couldn’t help but say, "It’s truly a pity, if you guys had cooperated and passed that challenge, not only could you have gotten the Shanhe Fist Intent, but you could also have glimpsed the intricacies of the Hundred Paces Sword Control Technique, a Sword Control Technique."

With that, Lin Huaiyu sighed deeply.

Such a great opportunity.

Not to mention that afterwards, there was a chance to enhance an innate skill with the Heavenly Wisdom Divine Light.

Innate skills are very hard to come by and even harder to improve.

One realm ascension is like the difference between heaven and earth.

It could be said that this was actually the biggest benefit.

Yet, they all missed it.

"It’s alright, isn’t there still a chance? Once the Subduing Demon Order is restored, we’ll go back and try again next time.

With our current strength, as long as we’re cautious, there shouldn’t be any risk to our lives," Zhou Ping’an comforted.

He found that Lin Huaiyu seemed even more regretful than he was.

Indeed, worthy of being a girl with a ’martial lunatic attribute’. Failing to learn a powerful martial arts technique was even more distressing than losing money.

"Let’s take it one step at a time, the innate skill of ’Entering Minutiae’ can’t really be taught, it has to be comprehended through combat.

This ’Worlds Apart Within a Step’ technique, on the other hand, can be taught, let me teach you."

Zhou Ping’an had no intention of hoarding the skill.

The Third Miss growing stronger.

Was equivalent to him becoming more powerful.

"No need to rush learning the movement technique. Miss Qing has received news, eighty li to the west of the city, a large number of Red Lotus Scouts have appeared, heading in the direction of Qingyang."

"If things go as expected, the Red Lotus Guangyun Sub-branch’s forces will attack Qingyang City next. Surely they have received the news of the total annihilation of Divine Envoy Zhong Ming’s forces..."

The reason Lin Huaiyu had been waiting here all this time.

Was not only to act as a protector.

The other reason, of course, was to report the news as soon as possible to prepare early responses.

"Ordered the relocation of civilians along the road and sealed off the main routes. Try to delay the pace of the enemy’s attack as much as possible... What on earth is Fang Buping thinking? He just conquered East Mountain County without reorganizing his troops, choosing instead to continue the siege. What kind of tactic is this?"

Zhou Ping’an was somewhat puzzled by the actions of Helm Master Fang.

It seemed too hasty.

"He is domineering by nature and his cultivation is not to be underestimated. He probably doesn’t see us as a threat and wants to overwhelm us in one stroke.

However, he is skilled in using the Unsettled Halberd Technique and has mastered the chaotic Martial Intent, making him extremely difficult to handle. If he personally charges into battle, he will be tough to deal with."

Lin Huaiyu frowned slightly, evidently very wary of Fang Buping.

...