Chapter 227: Comprehension

Rumble!

Thunder rolled overhead as the rain grew even heavier. It was as though a great hole had been torn open in the sky. Rain poured down in torrents, churning through the gorge until it was impossible to distinguish between river spray and rain fog.

Li Yan shouted, "Careful! Get inside, quickly!"

He reached out and grabbed one of the boatmen. With just a little force, he lifted the man bodily into the air and set him down on the plank road.

The walkway was slick with rain, and heavy fog surged all around them. Even though the boatman was used to rough weather and violent waters, he could only stoop low, brace himself against the rock wall, and make his way into the cave.

Li Yan glanced down the mountainside again. Only after confirming that no one had been left behind did he turn and follow them into the stone cavern. The cave walls were covered in inscriptions left by scholars and poets. They came from every dynasty, and included quite a few familiar names, though most had already become weathered and indistinct.

They had made it to Sanyou Cave.

They had waited below for a while without suffering another attack from the river monster, but all passing boats had completely disappeared. With the rain growing heavier, they had no choice but to climb the steep mountainside.

Fortunately, the famous Sanyou Cave was just above them. The rain was simply too heavy, so they had no choice but to take shelter inside.

By the time he entered the cave, Li Yan was completely drenched. Every step made a wet squelching sound, leaving a puddled footprint behind.

The atmosphere inside was somewhat oppressive. Sha Lifei was checking their luggage. Even though everything had been wrapped in oilcloth, some items had already been soaked through, especially the bundle containing the firearms. Looking at the tears in the oilcloth where the reefs had ripped it open, Sha Lifei's expression turned ugly. But with Captain Yuan present, it was too inconvenient for him to take everything out and inspect it.

Captain Yuan was equally gloomy, all traces of his earlier smile gone. He looked toward the boatmaster and asked coldly, "Has the water monster ever caused trouble in Xiling Gorge before?"

Although the boatmaster had managed to save his life, the wooden boat he depended on for his livelihood had been destroyed, leaving him deeply dejected.

His voice trembled as he said, "Last summer, there was trouble from a water monster, but the Taixuan Orthodox Sect performed a ritual and killed it. Since then, nothing like this has happened again. If this humble one had known that thing was there, I never would have dared enter the gorge."

Li Yan took the coin sword from his robes and handed it to Wang Daoxuan. "Daoist, here."

Wang Daoxuan let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly accepted it. The coin sword was his most expensive spiritual artifact. He had never expected to recover it after losing it.

Li Yan then looked toward Captain Yuan and said solemnly, "There's something strange about the appearance of that water monster. There was no warning at all, and it had a bronze chain attached to its tail."

Captain Yuan narrowed his eyes. "Young Hero Li, you mean someone may be controlling the water monster?"

Wang Daoxuan had taken his compass out again and started to examine it. At that, he looked up, "The earth qi here suddenly became chaotic. The Yangtze River is one of the dragon veins. Tampering with it would be no small matter, and would inevitably cause a huge disturbance. Also, that chain is extremely old, to the point where it had nearly fused into the creature's tail. I suspect this river monster has existed for a very long time and only recently broke free of its restraints."

Li Yan recalled something and nodded in agreement. "Daoist is right. I also noticed a rusted iron spear embedded in the river monster's body. It had already corroded badly, so I suspect the creature was once suppressed. What I don't understand is this: if they had the ability to suppress it, why didn't they simply kill it?"

There were many things that could not be killed and could only be suppressed. For example, the Drought Wraith unearthed by the Taixuan Orthodox Sect in the Qinling Mountain Range had absorbed too much yin baleful qi. If it were killed, its poison would inevitably spread for a thousand li. It could only be suppressed and gradually worn away using earth qi or innate astral qi.

The corpse spirits in Zhu Clan's Fort were the same. After being suppressed for many years, they had been reduced to a cloud of turbid yin killing qi that could simply be released in some controlled manner.

However, a river monster like the one they had just run into was definitely not one of those cases. A cultivated demon of this sort could provide valuable materials after death. Its bones and scales could be made into ritual artifacts, while its demon soul could even be subdued and refined into spirit troops.

Wang Daoxuan shook his head. "I don't know either."

As he spoke, he glanced at the compass in his hand, then said, "Perhaps it has something to do with this unusual disturbance in the earth qi. If we can find the source, we may find the answer."

Captain Yuan, meanwhile, remained silent. He had truly suffered terrible luck on the trip. He had already lost quite a few men and had hoped to earn a major merit so that his surviving brothers could receive more compensation. Instead, things had gone badly from the very beginning, and now he had run into something like this.

Li Yan fell into thought, then asked, "Captain Yuan, what do you think we should do now?"

Captain Yuan sighed. "With the river monster rampaging, I'm afraid Xiling Gorge won't be passable for some time. If you still intend to continue to Zigui County, you can wait until the rain stops and travel there by the mountain road."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "Captain Yuan, you're not going?"

"No." Captain Yuan looked out at the rain and mist beyond the cave, his gaze somewhat lost. "Quite a few of my men died this time, and we even lost the firearm. Once the rain stops, I'll return to Yichang City to accept my punishment."

Clearly, he had become somewhat disheartened. Li Yan did not say anything more. Who could have expected a river monster to suddenly appear? It could only be called bad luck.

Of course, they still had to continue onward. If they failed to properly deal with the matter at Two Stele Bay, then they would have no face left to remain in Yichang, let alone obtain resources from the City God Temple.

With that thought, Li Yan said, "Uncle Sha, Brother Lu, Daoist, get some rest early. Once the rain clears, we'll leave."

"Alright. I'll get a fire going." Sha Lifei nodded and called Lu San over to help.

Although Sanyou Cave was visited by many scholars and travelers who came to admire the scenery, it was nothing like the developed tourist attractions Li Yan had known in his previous life. There were plenty of dead branches that had been blown in by mountain winds, along with firewood left behind by previous visitors.

The boatmen also got up to help. Before long, a bonfire had been lit. Everyone gathered around it to dry their clothes, while Sha Lifei shared the dry rations from their luggage.

The sky outside had already grown somewhat dim. Against the dark cliffs, the flickering firelight gave everyone a little warmth.

As for Li Yan, after propping his clothes beside the fire, he went bare-chested to the mouth of the cave. He stood there quietly, watching the rain and mist outside, deep in thought. The mountain wind howled through the rain and fog, yet somehow it gave him a faint flash of inspiration.

Recently, he had been studying movement arts.

The Northern Emperor Divine Movement Technique, apart from the Jia Horse talismans, also included the Danger-Crossing Technique, which used the Jia Horse talisman to move through perilous terrain.

One of its key principles was borrowing the momentum of the Five Elements. Originally, he had not fully understood what that meant, but his earlier escape across the water using the Jia Horse talisman had suddenly enlightened him. Borrowing the momentum of the Five Elements did not mean borrowing the Five Elements themselves, but borrowing their momentum.

All things under heaven could be divided into yin and yang, as well as the Five Elements. This was especially true for the formations created by astral and killing qi. Astral and killing qi could be divided into yin and yang, while the changes in their momentum could be categorized according to the Five Elements.

The key lay in moving with the momentum rather than opposing it.

The churning waves of the river were themselves a kind of momentum. He had used hidden force to borrow power from them, striking the water and launching himself upward, but that was merely the crudest method. If he could truly borrow that momentum, it would be far easier.

The Jia Horse talisman was originally used in rites to worship the gods. It was painted with a divine image that symbolized the Northern Ghost Emperor clad in armor and riding a horse. It allowed the user to travel by borrowing that divine power.

But in another sense, was that not itself a form of a movement technique? The deity served as the armor, while borrowing momentum to escape represented the shield the user was using.

That was the true principle behind the Danger-Crossing Technique. This was what made the Northern Emperor Divine Movement Technique sopowerful. Not only could it stack together with hidden force, it could also borrow momentum to move.

Moreover, the Northern Emperor Divine Movement Technique itself was also the foundation of escape arts.

As he continued thinking, Li Yan formed the Yang Seal with his fingers, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Sure enough, the Yangtze River was a dragon vein. Especially in Xiling Gorge, the rolling waves naturally carried a surge of gang qi as they churned and thundered forward.

Of course, it had not formed a true formation. It would disperse once the astral qi it contained was exhausted. If he could master his movement art, then perhaps he would not need to use hidden force at all. He might be able to tread water naturally, and move at astonishing speed.

Of course, his current Jia Horse talismans were only made from ordinary yellow silk. They could not withstand such an advanced method. The moment he tried to borrow that momentum, they might simply collapse and burn away. But there was no longer any doubt about the technique itself. He only needed to find better materials and create more powerful talismans before he could begin practicing it.

More importantly, the Northern Emperor Divine Movement Technique was the foundation of the Northern Emperor Profound Water Escape. Thus, by extension, he had also begun to grasp the principles behind the latter.

Likewise, the key to that method did not lie in controlling the water. It lay in borrowing its momentum. Human strength has its limits. How could a mortal body possibly control the Five Elements?

All mystic arts were ultimately nothing more than borrowing momentum. Take thunder arts, for example. They were said to command the Nine Heavens, but how could anyone truly control the workings of Heaven? One merely borrowed an existing momentum, communicated with Heaven and Earth, and thereby called down lightning.

It was just like an ordinary person using a lever.

These escape arts used the power of spirit visualization as the fulcrum and the surrounding configuration as the lever, prying at the transformations of the Five Elements and thereby allowing one to conceal oneself and escape!

In an instant, a flash of insight surged through Li Yan's mind. Without another word, he walked out of the cave. Mountain winds howled through the gorge as water mist churned and rushed toward him, quickly soaking his entire body.

But Li Yan paid it no mind at all. Instead, he closed his eyes, formed the Yang Seal with his fingers, and carefully sensed the circulation of astral and killing qi around him. He could feel the mist around him, cool and moist, while the winds gathered momentum. Wind stirred water into motion, and the two churned ceaselessly through the air.

Li Yan's fingers started to change. First, he turned the five fingers of his left hand upward. Then he curled his middle and ring fingers into his palm while extending his thumb, index finger, and little finger upward.

He had formed the Three Clarity Seal, a hand seal used in water-purification and water rites. The same seal was also used when performing the Profound Water Escape.

Once the hand seal was formed, Li Yan began stepping through the formation of the Big Dipper and chanted, "Nuogao! Heavenly Truth and Primordial Simplicity, essence of Ren and Gui. That within me corresponds to the kidneys while that above corresponds to the Water Star. I now practice transformation, that all things may follow their forms. Whether hidden or revealed, let it be accomplished at a thought. By my command!"

In an instant, fog surged toward him. This fog was extraordinarily dense, almost turning completely white, and Li Yan's figure was utterly swallowed within it. The strange phenomenon immediately drew the attention of everyone inside the cave.

Wang Daoxuan's eyes filled with delight. "An escape art!"

Before he could finish, he hurriedly covered his mouth. He knew very well just how important escape arts were to practitioners. He had never expected Li Yan, whose cultivation had only reached the second level, to already begin grasping one.

Most likely, the unusual weather had allowed him to attain sudden enlightenment. At that thought, Wang Daoxuan hurriedly motioned for everyone to remain silent, lest they disturb Li Yan's cultivation.

Naturally, Sha Lifei and Lu San made no sound. Even the boatmen stared wide-eyed, scarcely daring to breathe.

Li Yan was completely enveloped in white mist, making it impossible to see what he was doing. Yet the mist seemed to have come alive, drifting up and down, left and right, changing unpredictably.

The next moment, a wind rose around them, causing the bonfire to flicker wildly. The white mist instantly expanded and flooded the entire cavern. Everyone found their vision filled with nothing but whiteness. The wind howled around them, and all they could see was rolling white mist.

Within the dense fog, a trace of delight appeared in Li Yan's eyes.

No wonder escape arts were so important to cultivators.

By borrowing the changes in the astral and killing qi within the mist, he had actually managed to conceal his aura. Even if another practitioner came here, unless their cultivation and divine abilities surpassed his, they would have no way of finding his whereabouts.

With the art, he could use it not only to escape, but also to kill enemies!

Of course, he had only grasped the barest surface of the Northern Emperor Profound Water Escape. Moreover, this escape art consumed an astonishing amount of qi. He could clearly feel the amount of energy contained in his inner temple gradually weakening.

Soon, another realization arose in Li Yan's mind. What he was doing was essentially no different from conjuring fog. Although he had borrowed the gorge's unusual weather conditions, it was still extremely taxing. With his current cultivation, he could not sustain it for long.

With that thought, Li Yan guided the technique with his hand seal. The dense fog inside the cave rapidly dispersed, though some contracted and once again gathered around his body. This time, however, it was much thinner and blended seamlessly into the surrounding water mist. Everyone could only make out a faint silhouette.

With the sky already darkening, his figure appeared even more indistinct.

Finally, Li Yan released the hand seal, his face filled with joy.

Sha Lifei hurriedly congratulated him with a broad grin, "Brother Yan, congratulations!"

Although he did not understand what mastering an escape art truly meant, he knew that Li Yan's strength had increased yet again. Wang Daoxuan and Lu San were likewise delighted, while the boatmen stared dumbfounded at Li Yan, their eyes filled with awe and fear.

Captain Yuan's expression, however, was somewhat complicated. "Congratulations, Young Hero Li."

Under normal circumstances, he would certainly have offered a few flattering words so that he could gain another source of support while carrying out his mission. But right now, he simply was not in the mood.

"I merely got lucky." Li Yan smiled as well and sat down beside the bonfire.

In truth, what he had gained went far beyond what they had seen. After reaching the peak of the Dark Jin Realm, he had practiced transforming force every day. In fact, he had already taken one step through the door. All he needed was prolonged practice.

After all, the application of transforming force depended entirely on instinct. To master it completely and reach the state of transforming hidden force in his body naturally required years of accumulated experience. It was essentially a matter of practice making perfect. Fully mastering it was only a matter of time.

Now, Li Yan had gained a new inspiration.

Was transforming force not itself another form of borrowing momentum?

Momentum could be divided according to yin and yang, as well as the Five Elements. Different types of force were simply different kinds of momentum. As long as he grasped the key to borrowing momentum, he would not merely be able to neutralize the force used by others. He could even borrow that momentum to attack!

It was somewhat similar to Taiji, except that instead of neutralizing an attack through techniques and movements, he would allow the force to enter his body, then reverse its momentum and use it to attack.

Such a thing sounded almost fantastical. After all, traditional training in transforming force required years upon years of practice until it became almost muscle memory. No matter what kind of force an opponent attacked with, one would instinctively use an opposing force to cancel it out.

Li Yan, however, intended to borrow that force and unleash both his own and his opponent's power together.

What he thought of was more like a martial art from his memories: The Immortal Seal Art!

No one in this world would be crazy enough to attempt such a thing. After all, hidden force was extremely dangerous. If one deliberately drew it into the body, one would probably suffer severe injuries before ever figuring out how to borrow its momentum.

A martial artist's body was as precious as gold. A single mistake could leave them bedridden for a long time before they recovered, or even sever their path in martial arts entirely.

At the same time, unlike the ordinary martial artists of the land, Li Yan had the Great Luo Dharma Body to assist him. He had reached his current level through being injured over and over again in the first place. Still, if he wanted to borrow momentum in this manner, he would probably need even stronger hidden force.

Staring into the bonfire before him, Li Yan sank into contemplation.

Meanwhile, on the riverbank on the opposite side of the cliff where they were sheltering, a boat slowly sailed across the river under cover of darkness. In the distance, a wake cut across the surface of the water.

Splash!

The black-clad men aboard the boat looked terrified as they poured basin after basin of medicinal powder into the river. Accompanied by a pungent, fishy stench, poisonous fumes immediately rose from the water.

The wake belonged to the river monster. It seemed wary of the poison, for it veered far away with a sweep of its tail. Yet it refused to leave and merely continued following them. As soon as the poison was diluted by the river, it swiftly charged toward them again.

Helpless, the black-clad men could only pour more medicinal powder into the water to drive it back. At the bow of the boat, an old beggar sat cross-legged.