The Moonlit Night over the Twenty-Four Bridges!

Translator: AnubisTL

"Senior Zhu, are you fooling me? If Chu Youhuan's cultivation method is so powerful, why is she only ranked fifth on the Inner Sect Heavenly Rankings?" Gu Feng was puzzled, feeling that something was off.

"You'll find out later!" Zhu Qingyan's eyes flickered as she glossed over the topic of cultivation methods, seemingly cautious.

Gu Feng was smart. If she wanted to restore her strength, she needed to absorb his thunder tribulation power. The stronger he became, the more beneficial it was for her. Perhaps Chu Youhuan's cultivation method wasn't as formidable as that of the Great Ming Dynasty, but there must be another reason she didn't want to teach him.

Being straightforward, Gu Feng disliked overthinking. He knew he would find out eventually, so there was no need to press the matter now.

"Then, Senior Zhu, what body tempering technique are you planning to teach me?" Gu Feng asked with excitement. A suitable body tempering technique was essential for him to break through to the Postnatal Realm.

"The body tempering technique I'm going to teach you deviates from the mainstream path. It doesn't solely focus on enhancing physical strength to withstand powerful attacks...

This technique was created by the founder of the Great Ming Dynasty, inspired by the Nine Cauldrons... It constructs bridges within the body, each layer absorbing external forces until they are completely neutralized..."

Perhaps due to his nine years of compulsory education, Gu Feng quickly grasped the general concept of the technique Zhu Qingyan described. "Is it like a spring, buffering external forces? As long as the spring doesn't break, theoretically, it can infinitely buffer external forces. Can it also reflect the opponent's power back?"

Hearing this, Zhu Qingyan's mouth hung open in shock.

Although she didn't understand what Gu Feng meant by "spring," she comprehended his point. Without exaggeration, Gu Feng had hit the nail on the head, fully understanding the essence of this body tempering technique—and she had only explained half of it!

"Correct! At higher levels, this body tempering technique can turn the opponent's power against them, reflecting their attacks. It's a heaven-defying technique that combines offense and defense!"

As she spoke, Zhu Qingyan raised her head high, her pride evident.

"Initially, this technique could only construct twelve bridges within the body. Through the contributions of successive ancestors of the Great Ming Dynasty, it was eventually expanded to twenty-four bridges!"

"This body tempering technique has a beautiful name—'Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night'!"

After uttering the name, Zhu Qingyan fell into a daze, lost in thought, as a wave of nostalgia mixed with sorrow slowly washed over her.

"Qingyan, our Great Ming Dynasty ancestors really lacked taste. The names of their techniques are a mess, almost unbearable to look at!"

"'Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night'! How does that sound?"

"Beautiful..."

Gu Feng watched Zhu Qingyan, who seemed lost in another world, and for some reason, his mood grew heavy.

She had endured alone in the flames for five thousand years, just to reshape her body?

Five thousand years! Even if most of that time was spent in slumber, it was something no ordinary person could endure. The most terrifying thing in the world isn't death—it's endless loneliness!

"Kid, are you awestruck by the elegant name of this technique?"

Zhu Qingyan's proud voice brought Gu Feng back to reality. "Indeed, Senior Zhu's Great Ming Dynasty is truly extraordinary. Just from the name of the technique, one can glimpse its magnificence.

Unlike the founder of our Sunset Glow Sect, who had no artistic sense at all. The names she came up with are simply atrocious—Angelica Peak, Pinellia Peak... I heard many of the inner sect techniques are also named after medicinal herbs... Thankfully, I met you, Senior Zhu. Otherwise, if I learned the Sunset Glow Sect's techniques, I'd be laughed at if I ever went out!"

Gu Feng spoke with disdain, completely oblivious to Zhu Qingyan's darkening expression. Of course, due to the flames, he couldn't see her face.

"The founder is still the founder. Outsiders may comment, but as a disciple of the Sunset Glow Sect, it's inappropriate for you to criticize her."

"Ah—" Gu Feng suppressed his smile, lowering his head as if chastised.

"Now, I will teach you the cultivation method of 'Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night.' This is a technique that can theoretically grow infinitely. I hope you can build upon it and create the twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth bridges..."

"Yes, I will not fail this mission!" Gu Feng responded solemnly.

Zhu Qingyan placed a finger on Gu Feng's forehead. The crimson flames didn't burn him; instead, they brought a cool sensation.

A dazzling light burst from her fingertip, flooding Gu Feng's mind with complex, ancient characters that were completely different from modern text.

"Ah—"

The glowing characters, filled with profound truths, caused Gu Feng's brain to swell. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as he couldn't help but groan softly.

Seeing this, Zhu Qingyan gently wiped his face with her other hand, evaporating the sweat.

Gu Feng's soul left his body, entering a strange world. On an endless grassland, a green ox appeared, with a young man lying on its back. The young man looked ordinary, chewing on a piece of grass as he basked in the sun.

Suddenly, thunder roared in the sky, lightning tore through the heavens, and a massive crack appeared. A cauldron, surrounded by swirling laws and flashing runes, crashed to the ground.

"This technique shall be called 'Twelve Bridges'!" The young man, sitting cross-legged before the cauldron, had comprehended the technique.

From then on, the young man on the green ox began his rise, conquering the world... and founding the Great Ming Dynasty!

As time passed, the original 'Twelve Bridges' was continuously refined by successive generations of the Great Ming Dynasty's ancestors.

'Thirteen Bridges,' 'Fourteen Bridges'...

After countless years, another young man appeared, standing with his hands behind his back, gazing at the stars. Beside him stood a woman with waist-length hair, radiating an aura of unparalleled grace.

"From now on, this technique shall be called 'Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night'!"

The scene gradually faded, and Gu Feng's soul returned to reality. In his mind, he now held a scripture titled 'Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night.'

"What happened to the Great Ming Dynasty in the end?" Gu Feng murmured.

"No dynasty lasts forever. Like all the glorious dynasties in history, the Great Ming Dynasty eventually vanished into the river of time." Zhu Qingyan's tone was somber, a drop of flame sliding down her cheek.

Gu Feng didn't press further. Instead, he sat cross-legged and began cultivating. As the complete 'Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night' appeared in his mind, the remnants of the golden liquid within his body started to refine.

Zhu Qingyan watched quietly, standing guard without any surprise.

Gu Feng closed his eyes, focusing on the 'Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night' in his mind. Strands of translucent light emerged from every corner of his body, converging to form a magnificent, jade-like bridge that rapidly took shape within him.

The bridge was grand and majestic, extending endlessly across mountains, valleys, and oceans—

Gu Feng stood on the bridge, facing the wind, overlooking the world's great rivers and mountains. A sense of heroism surged within him.

After some time, the bridge stopped extending. Gu Feng returned to his body, only to find that the golden divine fluid had been completely consumed.

Opening his eyes, he was startled to find Zhu Qingyan staring intently at him.

"Ah— truly, the Great Ming Dynasty's top-tier inheritance technique is difficult to cultivate!" Gu Feng avoided her gaze, afraid she might notice the three-mouth incense burner in his mind.

"Is that so? But your cultivation speed is remarkably fast!" Zhu Qingyan said meaningfully.

"Fast? I haven't even completed constructing a single bridge!" Gu Feng touched his nose, trying to hide his thoughts.

"Please— do you think I'm blind?" Zhu Qingyan smirked. "With the Myriad Tribulations Physique, it's only natural to cultivate this quickly with divine treasures."

"Haha, you've seen through me." Seeing that Zhu Qingyan didn't seem interested in pursuing the matter, Gu Feng laughed awkwardly but politely, feeling he had been overly cautious.

"The technique has been passed to you. Remember to search for a thunder-attributed body!

Now, you can leave."

"Leave?" Gu Feng was puzzled. Shouldn't it be her leaving, returning to the flames?

"I need to start refining pills!" For some reason, Zhu Qingyan was particularly fond of alchemy. After saying this, she began grabbing spirit herbs from the ground and tossing them into the pill furnace, as if no one else was there.

As expected, an accident occurred.

With a loud bang, Gu Feng's mouth twitched. Seizing the moment when Zhu Qingyan wasn't paying attention, he grabbed a handful of spirit herbs and bolted out of the alchemy room!

No matter how many spirit herbs she ruined, he would at least salvage some.

"You little rascal, put those spirit herbs down!"

"Goodbye, Senior Zhu! I'll keep your instructions in mind!" Gu Feng shouted inwardly.

He rushed out of the alchemy room and closed the door in one smooth motion.

Gu Feng leaned against the stone door, patting his chest as if to calm his racing heart.

Just as he was about to leave, he felt something trip his foot, causing him to lose balance and fall onto something soft. A delicate fragrance entered his nose, refreshing his mind. Looking down, he was stunned.

"Senior Sister Chu, why are you squatting at the alchemy room's door?"

(End of the Chapter)

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