Hidden Mountain

"Go to the rooftop." Xia Li clicked "Send Message." She quickly finished handling the few tasks at hand, took a sip of water, and suddenly let out a sigh. Tilting her head in thought for a moment, she finally stood up, left her office, climbed the stairs, and headed up to the rooftop. The rooftop door was slightly ajar. It opened with a gentle push. Ye Huan stood enveloped in the deep night. In the distance, sparse city lights faintly illuminated the towering city walls further away. "Director Xia?" He smiled warmly and cupped his hands in greeting. Xia Li suddenly made up her mind. "What martial arts styles have you learned?" "Just Iron Hand." "Nothing else?" "Nope." "Come here—" Xia Li walked toward him, rolled up her sleeves, and suddenly struck out with a direct, head-on palm strike. Thump. With a dull thud, Ye Huan was sent flying, barely managing to come to a halt right at the rooftop's edge. The force was measured to perfection. With even a fraction more power, Ye Huan would have plunged off the roof. —That required gauging the opponent's strength in an instant and controlling one's strike precisely, without an ounce too much or too little. "That was truly magnificent, Director Xia. My admiration for you flows endlessly like the surging river," Ye Huan quipped with a grin. He knew very well that she had achieved In-Rank at age nine, reached Shidu at ten, and opened eight acupoints at eleven. Her current realm was even more fathomless. No compliment was too extravagant for a genius of her caliber. Xia Li shook her head and spoke: "You follow the path of external conditioning. A martial artist like you needs to grapple with opponents in close combat, trading wound for wound and beating them to death." "Therefore, in your daily practice, you ought to study movement arts, footwork, and the like." "That will greatly enhance your combat effectiveness." She spoke earnestly, and Ye Huan listened with equal seriousness. She was entirely right. I want to learn movement techniques too. But hadn't he only crossed over into this world a few days ago? He needed some time. "Thank you for the guidance, Director Xia. Are you going to teach me movement techniques?" Ye Huan asked with cupped hands. "I cannot teach you my sect's arts," Xia Li said. "..." Ye Huan could not help fighting the urge to roll his eyes. If you aren't going to teach me, why bring it up? Yet Xia Li casually assumed a fist stance and said: "My family possesses a stance training method that works wonders for circulating qi and blood, regulating the meridians, and steadying the mind and soul. As for this stance, I have the authority to share it." "I will now impart the mnemonic chant and the breathing method to you. Listen carefully." "Understood!" Ye Huan responded immediately. He recalled her sect entrance test with the Taiyin Sect, where she claimed high noble pedigree. Those powerful experts from the Taiyin Sect had looked as though that went without saying. Not a single one had mocked her. Her family background truly was exalted. A stance training method passed down from such a lineage could never be second-rate. Ye Huan attentively listened to her recite the mnemonic formulas, watched her demonstrate the posture, followed her step-by-step breakdown of key principles, and allowed her to adjust his form with her hands. She even placed her palm against the center of his spine, quietly sensing the flow of qi and blood through his limbs and bones. "Your fundamentals are exceptionally solid. Very good. In that case, you won't have any problem practicing our family's stance method," Xia Li said with satisfaction. "Can this stance be used all the way until all ten of my acupoints are filled? Once I advance to Jiuyao, can I still use it?" Ye Huan asked with genuine concern. —After all, different cultivation realms demanded distinct circulating techniques. Using the wrong one would yield half the results for twice the effort, or even cause physical damage. "What are you talking about? This is our family's core stance training art. Even if you reach the pinnacle of Jiuyao and enter the Baji Daozang in the future, it can still be used," Xia Li scoffed coolly. Ye Huan immediately offered an apologetic grin. "Thank you, Sister Li! Truly, thank you so much. I've never had a decent method, and this really saves me from a dire bind." "That's more like it. Practice diligently, and come find me anytime if you run into problems." Xia Li waved her hand and turned toward the stairwell. "Hey, Sister Li, why are you passing down such a wonderful technique to me?" Ye Huan called out loudly. Xia Li glanced back at him. That single glance held none of the gravity or maturity expected of an office director; instead, it carried a distinct edge of wild defiance: "Because this lady felt like it." With that, she walked away. Ye Huan was left alone on the rooftop, his mind churning. It seemed she wasn't quite as mature, rational, and shrewdly pragmatic as she made herself appear on the surface. Why did she use her sister's name? Why did she suddenly impart this stance to me? No matter how much he thought about it, he could not fathom the reason. He might as well keep practicing his stance and circulating his qi. After standing in the posture for a while, he felt a distinct difference. Compared to the stance training method he had obtained when practicing Iron Hand, this new stance, paired with an even more profound breathing regimen, transformed the circulation of qi and blood from eight cycles to thirty-six, permeating every inch of his body. Standing there for just a brief time, Ye Huan felt as though the blood and qi throughout his entire body were "awakening." They were mobilized, following an esoteric rhythm of circulation, repeatedly coursing through his body as if attempting to arouse the most primal potential of life itself. The longer Ye Huan stood, the more astonished he became. What kind of stance training was this? Deep and vast as the ocean, he had only barely skimmed its surface, yet already felt completely refreshed and reborn. Suddenly— An earth-shattering clap of thunder resonated at the crown of his head. It was as if something had burst open. Ye Huan abruptly found his vision exceptionally sharp and clear; he could even discern the expressions and features of pedestrians on streets far into the distance. All sounds flocked into his ears at once, and all things presented themselves plainly before his eyes. A powerful surge rushed upward like a tidal wave from his two acupoints, Hegu and Yongquan, piercing straight through the Baihui acupoint at the crown of his head to form a grand cycle encompassing his entire body. Ye Huan was stunned. The Baihui acupoint! This was the most perilous acupoint to ignite within the Shidu realm, located right at the top of the head. This acupoint was also known as the "Niwan Palace" and the "Meeting of All Yang." Igniting it required running severe risks; without guidance, there was even a chance of total paralysis. Yet he had bypassed the other acupoints and ignited it in one single leap! "Xia Luoning..." Ye Huan whispered the name in his heart, finally comprehending why the elders of the Taiyin Sect had treated her with such distinct deference. He closed his eyes and looked inward. In a brief haze of perception, a blazing speck of light drifted over gently, settling lightly onto the very bottom of the Disaster-Averting Survival Skill Tree and bumping Iron Cloth Shirt up by one slot. A new icon anchored itself steadily at the base of the skill tree. Cangshan Stance! This stance training method conformed to the principles of "Averting Disaster and Surviving"! Ye Huan was overjoyed. On his very first attempt, he had unlocked the most perilous acupoint. That was more than enough proof of its extraordinary value. Its appearance on the skill tree meant that so long as he had skill points, he could save countless years of effort and cultivate it straight to perfection. He could even break through its limits, evolving it into a brand-new, higher-tier stance art! This gift was immense. Ye Huan slowly finished his exercise, pondered for a moment, left the rooftop, and headed down to the General Affairs Office. "Hmm? Something up?" Xia Li was staring at her computer screen, typing rapidly. "Sister Xia, when I was practicing the stance just now, I broke through an acupoint directly," Ye Huan said. Xia Li paused, looked at him, and smiled. "Eyes bright as lightning, hair lightly bristling, complexion radiant—the unmistakable signs of having just broken through Baihui. Congratulations." "Words cannot express my gratitude." Ye Huan bowed solemnly with cupped hands. "Remember, do not spread it to outsiders—I'm swamped right now, so go consolidate your progress," Xia Li said. "Alright." Ye Huan tactfully turned and left. Xia Li resumed typing away at high speed, occasionally scrutinizing the screen intently. After a long while, she suddenly murmured under her breath, "Just like me, he unlocked the Baihui acupoint right off the bat. Heh, maybe he really can soar to the heavens..." *** Meanwhile, in the Mysterious Affairs Section, Ye Huan stood before the window, lost in quiet contemplation. Three acupoints! Not only had his sight and hearing grown remarkably sharp, but his strength, blood vitality, muscles, and bones had all improved considerably. Consequently, the defensive might of his Iron Cloth Shirt was enhanced as well. Since it was so effective, why waste any time? Keep training! He immediately took up the stance, silently channeling the secret methods of the Cangshan Stance, continuing to circulate his qi and blood. Time slipped past quietly. Midnight arrived. A message emerged in Ye Huan's mind right on schedule: "A full day with your life tied to your work, walking the knife's edge between life and death, is truly exhausting." "The fact that you can still feel exhausted means you haven't died." "You have even earned the recognition and appreciation of leadership in your 'work.'" "Today, your overall rating is +4. Settlement will proceed based on this performance, advancing your reward tier to Grade Four." "Begin settlement now?" "Begin," Ye Huan thought silently. "Settlement quality raised by four tiers." "Congratulations." "You may choose one item from the following four drawn options:" "1. Old World Treasure Map (Secret of a Severed Civilization); 2. True-Sight Eye of the Ether (You can obtain it somewhere in the city and use it to observe the Ether); 3. Flawless Copper Coin (Mimic Information Reading Method); 4. Local Ether Escape Pod (Damaged)." The copper coin! Ye Huan's spirits rose instantly.