Two Divine Arts

"Wanli Jing... Zuoshang Huang?" After hearing what Fang Shuwen and the others had to say, Zuo Qingshuang's expression grew solemn. "It seems this matter isn't over yet. "I will report this to the Pavilion Master later. You need not worry." Fang Shuwen was pleased to hear that. His mission was complete, and he genuinely had no intention of meddling in whatever came next. By his reckoning, this was the perfect moment to take his leave and depart from Zhujige Pavilion. Yet Zuo Qingshuang insisted on keeping him as a guest, and unable to politely decline her persistence, Fang Shuwen could only agree. A banquet was arranged for the evening, but there were still many tasks to handle before then. For instance, clearing the battlefield, preparing the banquet provisions, and so on... None of which required Fang Shuwen's help. He was assigned to rest temporarily at the Small Frost Courtyard on Qingxiu Peak of Jiuning Mountain. This was the residence of Zuo Qingshuang and her disciples. There had never been a precedent for a man staying there overnight, so this was truly breaking new ground for Fang Shuwen's sake. Fang Shuwen was entirely oblivious to this. Following the host's arrangements, he was content to stay wherever they put him. Having just returned to her sect, Zhou Qingmei had plenty of duties to attend to. After bidding him a quick goodbye, she went out to assist Zuo Qingshuang. Seeing that everyone had left, Fang Shuwen summoned the system with a thought. After hesitating briefly before the prompt reading [Claim Reward?], he finally chose to accept. *Since this is a system reward, it shouldn't kill me. Let's see what happens if I claim the Beiming Divine Art while keeping the Yijin Jing.* The moment he made his choice, Beiming true qi surged from his dantian. Sure enough, the two currents of true qi immediately tangled within his body. [Conflict detected between Host's internal forces. Automatic fusion initiated!] Seeing the prompt, Fang Shuwen felt an immediate wave of relief. *Just as I thought. The system won't let these two internal forces tear each other apart. It might be a mute system, but at least it offers after-sales support...* The fusion process proceeded faster than Fang Shuwen had imagined. At the same time, a short mnemonic formula—distinct from both the Yijin Jing and the Beiming Divine Art—surfaced in his mind. As this mnemonic circulated, it forged a sudden connection between two martial arts that had previously shared nothing in common. Under the harmonizing influence of this formula, the two internal forces that had been fighting so fiercely began to separate into distinctly defined paths. With a thought from Fang Shuwen, his Yijin Jing internal skill immediately receded into his dantian, leaving only the Beiming true qi coursing through his meridians. Simultaneously, another system prompt appeared. [Fusion successful!] *Just like that?* Fang Shuwen was somewhat surprised, but he had no time to ponder it. Keeping his eyes closed, he let the Beiming true qi circulate freely through his body. Only after a full two hours did he finally guide this true qi back into his dantian. The next instant, with a slight shift in his intent, the dormant Yijin Jing true qi in his dantian transformed entirely into Beiming true qi. Yet a heartbeat later, all the Beiming true qi converted seamlessly back into Yijin Jing internal skill. He slowly opened his eyes, a strange gleam in his gaze. *I see. The fusion of these two internal skills wasn't about violently smashing them together. Instead, taking both internal skills as a foundation, it built a bridge linking the two. *Through this mnemonic derived from both internal skills, I can switch between them at will to suit different occasions and demands. *What's more, the Yijin Jing can purify the Beiming true qi. In the future, if I absorb internal force with the Beiming Divine Art and refine it through the Yijin Jing, my internal skill will become even more refined and pure, leaving behind zero lingering hazards!* With this realization, Fang Shuwen rose to his feet. Sensing the changes within his body, he felt a faint stirring of excitement. The Beiming Divine Art awarded by the system comprised the complete set of thirty-six illustrations. In other words, he was not limited to absorbing an opponent's internal force through his palms alone—every single acupoint across his entire body could perform the technique. *The Beiming Divine Art might be an art where the strong bully the weak, and if an opponent's internal force exceeds my own, it could cause the river to flow backward and overwhelm me. *Yet with my current internal force, such a scenario is practically impossible. *In that case, the practicality of this martial art may far exceed my expectations.* Fang Shuwen stroked his chin thoughtfully. *My Guard System might not sound very impressive by name... but judging from these rewards, it clearly intends to turn me into a monster.* The Yijin Jing was already nearly impossible to find under heaven. Adding the Beiming Divine Art to the mix meant that the growth of his internal force had virtually no ceiling. Just what heights he would reach in the future was something Fang Shuwen dared not even imagine. *Still, I cannot let this make me proud or complacent. The jianghu is vast, teeming with masters. The ocean of martial arts is boundless, its distant shore rarely glimpsed. *True masters never show off or reveal their depths. I must never look down on anyone in this jianghu.* Fang Shuwen quickly cautioned himself, lest possessing two divine arts go to his head and make him reckless. Only by remaining cautious could he travel far along the path of the jianghu! He ran through the Mahakala Palm once more in his room before Zhou Qingmei finally arrived to invite him to the banquet. The banquet was held in the front-mountain main hall. The venue had already been washed clean, the severed limbs and broken bodies entirely removed. Aside from the gaping hole Feng Mantian had smashed through the wall, there was hardly any sign of what had unfolded here earlier. During the feast, Zuo Qingshuang's expression looked somewhat troubled. Only upon asking did Fang Shuwen learn the reason. Earlier that afternoon, she had gone to Xuanji Cave, hoping that Lou Yuxiao and the others who had just entered seclusion would emerge to take charge. She had assumed that upon hearing of Li Nanchen's betrayal and the Black Fiend Cult's attempt to usurp the sect, Lou Yuxiao would step out at once. Yet he had remained completely unmoved. He had merely listened to the six words the hooded man muttered before dying, and then responded that he would continue his seclusion. Naturally, the Zhujige Pavilion Master also expressed his gratitude to Fang Shuwen for saving the sect at such a critical juncture. He presented Fang Shuwen with a Zhuji Token and granted him permission to freely choose a gift from Zhujige Pavilion's Treasure Pavilion. The Zhuji Token was an item of paramount significance within Zhujige Pavilion, carrying the authority to mobilize the sect's disciples. While the holder's status could not match that of the Pavilion Master, the power it conferred was immense. As for the rare and curious treasures housed within the Treasure Pavilion, picking any one of them would be worth a fortune. Fang Shuwen accepted the Zhuji Token without hesitation, stating that he would visit the Treasure Pavilion first thing the following morning to select his gift. Seeing this, Zuo Qingshuang grew delighted, finding Fang Shuwen more pleasing to the eye by the second. Xu Chongshan was likewise thrilled, but being a man of few words, he simply toasted Fang Shuwen repeatedly. The banquet carried on in high spirits, with food and drink flowing freely, until host and guests finally parted in mutual satisfaction. Early the next morning, Zuo Qingshuang personally escorted Fang Shuwen to the Treasure Pavilion.