Chapter 396: Watch the Fist!

Chapter 396: Watch the Fist!

Translator: yikaii Editor: yikaii

Qiu Jin'an, the leader of one of the Five Great Immortal Sects and Sect Master of Five Elements Sect, was a powerful figure on the Central Continent. With a single command, he could mobilize the entire Five Elements Sect, a force that could sway the fate of the world.

The Five Elements Sect follows the philosophy of the five elements, and within the sect, one could find nearly every type of elemental magic. Besides elemental techniques, the sect's vast library also contains an immense collection of other magical arts, rivaling even the royal family's archives.

And yet, such a formidable person had humbled himself, sneaking into enemy territory, swallowing his pride to secretly learn a technique from a disciple of a rival sect. This act earned Meng Jingzhou's deep respect for Qiu Jin'an's spirit.

Meng Jingzhou pondered how his boxing technique could have leaked.

It seemed he had casually mentioned it to Yan Tianzhi, Bai Ming, and others during the Qingzhou Festival. Bai Ming, likely unfamiliar with such a technique, must have asked his master, Qiu Jin'an.

Once Qiu Jin'an heard of this unusual technique, he came to investigate.

Everything made sense now.

For Qiu Jin'an to be the Sect Master of Five Elements Sect, his cultivation was beyond question. Even an elder would have trouble facing him in a one-on-one battle. Sneaking into Dao Seeking Sect must have been effortless for him. No matter how powerful the old horse guarding the cave was, it couldn't surpass the abilities of an Immortal Sect leader.

Meng Jingzhou's face twisted with hesitation. He had one good piece of news and one bad.

The good news: his life was safe.

The bad news: he had no idea how to teach the Single Curse Fist.

"Sect Master Qiu, it's not that I don't want to teach you. It's just that I don't know how. The Single Curse Fist is a technique specific to those with the Single Bachelor's Spirit Root, and it's infused with intense resentment. I was only able to develop it because I have Twin Single Bachelor's Golden Cores."

Qiu Jin'an silently observed Meng Jingzhou, thinking to himself that it was no wonder Meng Jingzhou, as the eldest son of the Meng family and a Dao Seeking Sect disciple, was so bold. It was the first time he had ever heard of a Single Bachelor's Spirit Root manifesting in two Golden Cores.

Such a "burn the bridges" mentality was something to be admired.

After a moment of contemplation, Qiu Jin'an said, "So that's the case. Show me the technique once."

Meng Jingzhou, knowing he couldn't disobey the sect master, began channeling his energy. His two Single Bachelor's Golden Cores spun in his dantian, forming a vortex that circulated spiritual energy throughout his body.

"Hah! Ha!"

Meng Jingzhou moved with impressive force, his punches creating fierce, powerful imprints. Even without the curse that condemned its target to lifelong singleness, the strength behind his punches was enough to make him a formidable opponent in the Golden Core Stage!

He could also sense the curse power embedded in his punches, capable of inflicting the curse of eternal singleness.

"A born Buddha seed," Qiu Jin'an thought.

If Meng Jingzhou were to join a Buddhist sect, he would likely be hailed as a Buddha child.

Though the Single Bachelor's Spirit Root wasn't normally suited for Buddhism, that only applied when it was a passive condition. Meng Jingzhou was different; he had actively chosen his single path, solidifying his commitment by forming two Single Bachelor's Golden Cores.

When Meng Jingzhou finished his demonstration, he waited quietly for Qiu Jin'an's critique.

Qiu Jin'an found himself in a difficult position. Meng Jingzhou hadn't lied. The core of this technique lay in the Single Bachelor's Golden Core, and only someone with a Single Bachelor's Spirit Root could learn it.

"Should I try to replicate the Single Bachelor's Golden Core?"

Qiu Jin'an pondered. The Single Bachelor's Spirit Root was a variant of the Gold Spirit Root, and with his mastery of the five elements, replicating the Single Bachelor's Spirit Root and the Single Bachelor's Golden Core wouldn't be difficult.

But the reputation of the Single Bachelor's Spirit Root was infamous. He dared not attempt such a replication lightly.

What if he couldn't reverse the effect after mimicking it?

No, that wouldn't be safe. He needed to find another way.

"Should I have Meng punch Ba Lao'er instead?"

"No, Meng's cultivation is too low. The curse in his fist wouldn't affect Ba Lao'er."

Qiu Jin'an suddenly had an idea. "I've got it! I can borrow his body to execute the technique. That way, I don't have to worry about Meng Jingzhou's lower cultivation level. It would essentially be me performing the punch!"

Qiu Jin'an thought this was a clever solution, so he proposed it to Meng Jingzhou.

"Meng family boy, how about I borrow your body for a moment? In return, I'll pass on some of my cultivation insights to you, and you can even choose a secret technique from my Five Elements Sect. I'll personally teach it to you!"

Meng Jingzhou's eyes lit up. The Five Elements Sect's elemental techniques were famous throughout the entire cultivation world. He had heard that even the Meng family had tried to obtain one of their techniques at great expense, only to be refused by the Five Elements Sect.

"Deal!" Meng Jingzhou agreed.

Not that he had much of a choice—facing a sect master of Qiu Jin'an's level, even if he refused, Qiu Jin'an could still forcibly take control of him.

Given the situation and Qiu Jin'an's intentions, Meng Jingzhou figured the sect master would stop at nothing for his plan. He mentally apologized to Grandpa Ba, resigning himself to the situation. "Sorry, Grandpa Ba. There's nothing I can do. I support your late-life romance, but my cultivation level isn't enough to stop Sect Master Qiu."

Seeing Meng Jingzhou agree, Qiu Jin'an transformed into a spiritual light and entered his body.

"Now, perform the technique again."

Meng Jingzhou executed the Single Curse Fist once more. With Qiu Jin'an's added power, Meng Jingzhou unleashed a version of the technique that could affect even a Unity Stage cultivator!

Qiu Jin'an smiled sinisterly. "Ba Lao'er, let's see how you handle this now!"

"Should we go right now?"

"Wait, going at night is too suspicious. Ba Lao'er might get suspicious. We'll go during the day."

Having been rivals for over a thousand years, Qiu Jin'an was well aware of Ba Lao'er's habits. His stealth technique, which he had learned to counter the Dao Seeking Sect's Nine when they frequently ambushed him in his youth, was exceptionally effective.

To counter these attacks, Qiu Jin'an had diligently studied stealth techniques, eventually achieving a breakthrough.

His stealth was now on par with that of Daoist Non-Speaker!

Since it was still early, Meng Jingzhou decided to use the time to meditate and cultivate, and Qiu Jin'an took the opportunity to give him some guidance.

"I know about your master's technique of refining the body and merging with shadows. It's impressive, but it has flaws. Listen to me: when training your shadow, you need to avoid these issues... These are defects even your master is unaware of."

Qiu Jin'an's knowledge was vast, and with just a few pointers, he solved the problems that had troubled Meng Jingzhou for days, leaving him enlightened.

Meng Jingzhou continued his training until dawn, at which point Qiu Jin'an, sensing it was the right time, urged him to leave the cave.

At that moment, Grandpa Ba was lying at the entrance of the medicinal garden, daydreaming about his bright future.

"Lu Yang's advice was really effective. Girls love being praised for their intelligence and beauty. Even Yu'er is no exception!" Grandpa Ba smiled to himself. Though he appeared old, he was only middle-aged in terms of a Unity Stage cultivator's lifespan and didn't consider himself truly old.

(TL Note: In chinese, an intimate way to address someone would be to use the last word of their name + the word "er" which is 儿 in chinese. For example, his parents could address Lu Yang as Yang'er.)

"Little Meng, what brings you here?" Grandpa Ba greeted Meng Jingzhou cheerfully, not noticing anything unusual due to his good mood.

"I have something to discuss with you."

"What's that?" Grandpa Ba asked curiously.

"I want you to be my stepfather!" Meng Jingzhou shouted dramatically, his energy surging.

"What! Who are you?"

"Now you realize, but it's too late!" Meng Jingzhou launched the Single Curse Fist directly at Grandpa Ba.

Sensing danger, Grandpa Ba tried to subdue Meng Jingzhou, but an external energy surrounding Meng Jingzhou disrupted his efforts.

With a sly smile, Meng Jingzhou's punch landed squarely on Grandpa Ba.

Grandpa Ba blinked, completely unaffected.

Both Meng Jingzhou and Qiu Jin'an were stunned—it felt as though their fist had struck a web of red threads, preventing the blow from penetrating. Instead, the threads wrapped around them, binding them tightly.

"What's going on?!" Qiu Jin'an was shocked. This was not the outcome he had expected!

Meng Jingzhou turned pale. "We're doomed. Grandpa Ba's fate is too powerful, not even you, Sect Master Qiu, can handle it. We've both been cursed!"

(End of the chapter)