Chapter 254 - 170: I Am a Sword Immortal! First Slay of a Qi Refiner

Feng Jiuchen looked at him and suddenly smiled.

His smile held no mockery, no condescending scrutiny, only the wistful understanding of one who had been through it all, and a hint of mutual respect.

He repeated the word softly. "Surviving. You could say that's the greatest luxury in Huangliang Village."

He stood up, walked to the edge of the pavilion, turned his back to Wan Ze, and looked up at the Red Moon.

The mountain wind blew, stretching Feng Jiuchen's shadow long in the moonlight.

"Fellow Daoist Wan, do you know why I asked you to meet in Huangliang, instead of just finding some random cafe in the real world?"

Wan Ze didn't answer, quietly waiting for him to continue.

"Because in the real world, there's very little I can talk to you about." Feng Jiuchen turned around, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Here, however, I can tell you everything. But you need to be sure. Once you know, there's no turning back. You'll be completely dragged into this world's whirlpool, and you'll never again be able to think of your visits to Huangliang as a random, wondrous adventure."

"You could die."

"Or you could live longer than anyone else."

"It all depends on your choice."

Wan Ze looked at him, silent for a long time.

Outside the pavilion, the Red Moon hung quietly in the sky, like an unblinking eye looking down upon this mysterious and dangerous land.

"Fellow Daoist Feng..." Wan Ze finally spoke, his voice calm. "From the first time I stepped into this world, there was no turning back for me. I'd rather die with my eyes open than live in ignorance."

Feng Jiuchen stared at him fixedly. After a long moment, he slowly nodded. "Good."

He cupped his fist in a solemn salute. "Then from this day forward, let us address each other as Fellow Daoists. Here in Huangliang, we shall help one another and face what's to come together."

Wan Ze returned the salute. "I am honored by your acceptance, Fellow Daoist Feng."

The Red Moon was silent, the mountain wind ceaseless.

"Come on, just talking is boring. I'll show you how things really work in this world." Feng Jiuchen stood up, his smile tinged with eagerness. "But before that, try to circulate the Qi in your body and change your appearance."

Wan Ze was taken aback. "We can disguise ourselves?"

This was the first he had ever heard of this feature.

The past few times he had come to Huangliang, he had always used his real face, never thinking he could change his appearance... But it didn't matter, since he'd never seen another soul anyway.

"Not just your face; you can even change your height and build." Feng Jiuchen nodded, and as he spoke, his face began to change... His cheekbones rose, his jaw widened, and his originally refined features grew coarse, making him look like a completely different person.

At the same time, his frame grew taller, his shoulders and back thickened, and he looked to have bulked up considerably.

In just a few breaths, a completely unfamiliar middle-aged man stood before Wan Ze.

"I don't usually show my real face." The middle-aged man spoke, his voice now deep and resonant, a world away from Feng Jiuchen's originally gentle and refined tone. "It never hurts to be extra cautious when traveling through Huangliang. But now that you've seen my true face, Fellow Daoist Wan, I suppose I've shown you my hand."

As he spoke, his face returned to normal, the "disguise" melting away in an instant.

Wan Ze watched this scene, secretly marveling. This was far more advanced than any real-world Disguise Technique. It wasn't about applying prosthetics or makeup, but a complete restructuring from the bones to the muscles.

"Circulate your Qi, let it flow throughout your body. Whatever you want to become, the Qi will help you become it," Feng Jiuchen instructed. "You might be a little clumsy the first time. Just try a few more times and you'll get it."

Wan Ze closed his eyes and began to try.

For days, he had been absorbing Moonlight. After being drawn into his Dantian, the Moonlight had settled into a faint, ethereal ball of energy.

He hadn't been sure what it was before, but now he knew. This was Qi.

The Qi in his Dantian felt heavy, like a pool of still water.

Wan Ze tried to move it with his mind, but at first, the ball of Qi didn't budge, like a slumbering beast.

He remained patient, using his breath as a guide and his will as a whip, urging it on again and again.

Finally, the ball of Qi moved.

It rose from his Dantian, slowly ascending along his meridians. A warm sensation spread wherever it passed, as if his blood were flowing faster.

Wan Ze guided this stream of Qi throughout his body, picturing a sturdy physique in his mind: broad shoulders, a thick back, and powerful limbs—the build of a burly man who had practiced External Martial Arts for years.

The Qi flowed over the surface of his body and began to reshape his contours.

His bones began to CREAK as his muscles vibrated rapidly. The Qi under his skin moved like a living creature, pushing his flesh and skin into the form Wan Ze desired.

The process wasn't painful, but there was a strange, aching sensation, as if every inch of his skin was being stretched, pulled, and reshaped.

A few breaths later, a burly man stood before Feng Jiuchen.

He had broad shoulders, thick arms, and the back and waist of a bear. He stood there like a solid wall.

Wan Ze's face had also become coarse and rugged, with thick eyebrows and large eyes.

Feng Jiuchen watched this, the corner of his mouth twitching. A strange, amused glint flashed in his eyes. "So, Fellow Daoist Wan, this is your type, is it?"

"..." Wan Ze looked down at his own broad-shouldered, thick-waisted frame and fell silent for a moment.

It wasn't that he particularly liked this look; he just felt a brawny physique would be more intimidating in a fight.

But he had no intention of explaining himself. He looked up and changed the subject. "Where are we going next?"

Feng Jiuchen just smiled, dropping the banter. "Follow me."

Wan Ze followed behind. Just as he stepped out of the pavilion, Feng Jiuchen stopped and took a sheet of Talisman Paper from his sleeve.