Chapter 127: Illustrious Merits and Renown

When Jiang An reached the sea and crossed the maritime border, he quickly located the Yu Gate boat that had been hovering nearby. Exhausted, he was welcomed aboard by Dao Mo and the others, and the ship immediately set sail back to China.

The following day, the global cultivation community was left reeling by a series of shocking revelations, feeling as if they could barely catch their breath.

At the Great Lone Reef, a fierce battle between the powerhouses of China and Japan had unfolded with many twists and turns. First, Master Kamiya did not appear in person but used a secret technique to manifest a giant monster fused from three spiritual bodies. However, he was no match for Jiang An. In particular, Jiang An’s wondrous golden whip left an indelible impression on everyone present. Subsequently, Jiang An declared his intent to kill all the Japanese present to express his displeasure, which triggered a chaotic brawl involving seven major experts from both the East and the West. Jiang An’s ferocity was unmatched; many claimed he eliminated the renowned "Space Folder" Tim with just a single strike. Then came the part that sent the blood of the younger generation racing.

Jiang An, acting alone, spent an entire night covering hundreds of nautical miles to hunt down the Japanese fleeing into Korean territory. He not only succeeded in his objective but also virtually wiped out a Korean maritime police station!

According to intelligence gathered at the scene by various factions, the sight was truly gruesome and chilling. As a result, several new labels were attached to Jiang An by the major powers: high endurance, unfathomable, cruel, bloodthirsty, and so on. In short, the consensus was: this "Devil" is not to be trifled with. If he says he will slaughter everyone on a ship, he will do it without a hint of hesitation. Those who wish to provoke him had better weigh their own strength. Some who had been itching to pull strings quietly retracted their claws.

This incident infuriated Korea, which directly pressured China to hand over the culprit. China, naturally, did not admit to anything, brushing them off with official diplomatic rhetoric. Powerless, Korea vented its anger on its own ranks. They first covered up the truth by claiming an accident had occurred during training. Not long after, the upper echelons of the Korean government issued an order stating that the maritime police force had significant structural flaws; the organization was disbanded and absorbed into the Korean Navy. The maritime police force became a thing of the past—it is unheard of for an entire institutional branch to be dismantled by one man.

Consequently, from that day on, the name "Jiang An the Devil" became a formidable brand in the global cultivation world, known by virtually everyone. Interestingly, the Dominion organization released a statement declaring they would be irreconcilable enemies with Jiang An.

This was because God Three had suffered terribly. Almost as soon as he returned to the Dominion headquarters, the "Four-Colored Finger of Heavenly Punishment" took effect. He was not a martial artist and possessed no internal energy (Qi), so the finger force had fused with the flames in his body, making it impossible to extract. Of the four punishments—heat, cold, itch, and pain—the heat and cold were manageable for him, but the itch and pain were unbearable. When the affliction flared up, he rolled on the ground in agony, wishing he could commit suicide. Fortunately, the Dominion organization was rich in talent; although hypnotic sedatives were useless on him, they had God Six, a master illusionist, pull God Three’s consciousness into a pain-free dreamscape. Of course, this treated the symptoms but not the root cause. Ultimately, they discovered that the only way to eliminate the source of his agony was to dissipate all the flames God Three had accumulated over the years.

In doing so, the Dominion organization lost a powerhouse-level deterrent, making them both hate Jiang An to the core and fear him even more.

However, behind these explosive headlines, two pieces of news remained classified and were known to very few.

The first was the encounter between Jiang An and Wen Zuoxian. Only the parties involved knew of this. Jiang An disdained using the event to boost his own reputation, and Wen Zuoxian’s side was even less likely to leak it—it was a humiliating affair best kept buried.

The second involved internal matters in China. After the Azure Dragon Envoy defeated the Cardinal Archbishop August, he searched relentlessly, even deploying the military in an attempt to keep August and his cohorts within Chinese borders forever. The results, however, were frustrating. Neither August nor the "Rubber Man" Alexander was captured, because they were never on their own ships to begin with! It was later deduced that they had likely slipped onto other vessels to escape. Given that the vast majority of the ships at the scene were Chinese, the inspections had been less rigorous, leading to the near-certain conclusion that someone within China had assisted their escape.

The primary suspicion fell upon the people of the Divine Medicine Mountain; after all, they not only held a grudge against Jiang An but also possessed the influence and capability to provide cover. Of course, the involvement of other shadowy figures could not be ruled out.

In any case, the matter eventually fizzled out, leaving only the Azure Dragon Envoy deeply displeased.

***

"Brother An, are you planning a trip to the Divine Medicine Mountain?"

"Yes, I must go. Or rather, there is something there that I need. But before that, I will help you begin your cultivation."

In a secret chamber, Jiang An and Song Wanshuang sat facing each other, speaking in soft tones.

They had returned to Lincheng, and their base of operations was now virtually impregnable. While spies from other factions certainly existed, the top experts no longer dared to enter at will. Who would dare to twist the whiskers of the "Devil" at a time like this?

Thus, Jiang An could now proceed to settle his score with the Divine Medicine Mountain with peace of mind.

This was also the reason he had not fought a decisive battle with Wen Zuoxian. After successive battles and long-distance pursuits, both his magical power and physical strength had reached a critical threshold. Being on the opponent’s home turf, even though he did not fear Wen Zuoxian, a fierce battle would surely drain his vitality. Jiang An, who planned to raid the Divine Medicine Mountain, could not tolerate that. Since the Divine Medicine Mountain was a powerful force, he needed to be in peak condition when he stormed their gates; he did not want to go there while still recovering from injuries.

The protective formation of the Divine Medicine Mountain was unique, known as the "Cold Serpent and Fiery Dragon Array." It combined the powers of Yin and Yang, possessing the might of both ice and fire. Not only was it immensely powerful, but it also only allowed entry and exit during specific times of the year, and it limited the number of people allowed. It was not controlled by the people of the Divine Medicine Mountain. Legend had it that this was a rule set by the founder to prevent his descendants from becoming too entangled with the secular world. Therefore, if Jiang An did not want to fight the entire protective array head-on, the period around the Dragon Boat Festival was his window of opportunity.

Jiang An had prepared for his battle with Master Kamiya; naturally, he would need even more preparation to take on a major faction alone. Fortunately, there were three months until the Dragon Boat Festival, which was plenty of time.

Since he did not know how long this trip would take, he decided to help Song Wanshuang step onto the path of cultivation first.

"Good, adopt the same posture as me. Keep your waist straight, relax your hips, face your palms toward the sky, and apply slight pressure with your toes. Yes, very good. Now, I will teach you the method of breathing and internal circulation..."

In the secret chamber, Jiang An patiently taught Song Wanshuang the basics, starting with the posture and then helping her adapt to the special breathing technique. Because it was so different from the normal rhythm of breathing, she found it awkward at first. Once she became familiar with it, he told her to empty her mind and begin to sense the flow of Qi.

Nourished by Jiang An’s Primordial Yang energy, Song Wanshuang’s original mixed-element spiritual roots had begun to change. She was now in a subtle, mysterious state—essentially a blank slate where the first stroke of ink would dictate the tone of her future.

Considering Song Wanshuang’s personality and temperament, Jiang An planned to have her practice the ancient and renowned "Great Yin Han Yi Sutra." This was a top-tier cultivation technique with an ice-cold attribute that could be practiced all the way to the Karma Stage, with a ten-percent chance of reaching the Creation Stage. It was a rare treasure even in the Immortal Realm.

Such ancient techniques were naturally difficult, filled with obscure and profound wisdom. Others would find it nearly impossible to practice, but before a great master like Jiang An, this was no obstacle. He distilled the essence, explaining it in language Song Wanshuang could understand, pointing directly to the Great Dao.

"Xiaoshuang, I have given you the basic overview of this technique. You don't need to understand the rest for now. Just remember these four lines of the mantra..."

Jiang An had Song Wanshuang memorize the mantra and then taught her how to generate a sense of Qi, guiding it into her body to complete her first "Great Circulation." This process was not simple; it required emptying the mind to enter a meditative state to perceive the void-like Qi around the body, while simultaneously maintaining the posture, performing the breathing technique, and silently reciting the mantra—it was a matter of multitasking.

Fortunately, Song Wanshuang was brilliant, and with Jiang An’s master-level guidance, she succeeded after only a few attempts.

"I can feel the Qi!"

"Good, don't get excited. Calm your mind, keep your breathing steady, inhale this 'Qi' into your abdomen, and recite the mantra silently, letting the Qi follow the path of the mantra."

Jiang An’s voice, gentle as the wind, circled in her ears, seemingly possessing a magical quality. Subconsciously, Song Wanshuang followed the rhythm of his voice—breathing, guiding the Qi, and letting it circulate through the special meridians for one Great Circulation, finally refining it and settling it into her Dantian.

"Boom!"

The moment the refined spiritual energy entered her Dantian, Song Wanshuang felt all her senses and perception awaken. Every cell in her body seemed to be cheering, as if a person had broken free from heavy shackles, or like someone suddenly surfacing from the depths of cold water to breathe in the sweet air. She could feel the movement of the wind outside, hear the sound of ants crawling, and sense the powerful vitality radiating from Jiang An beside her. Everything was marvelous, wonderful, and beyond description. Her limbs and bones felt warm and comfortable, as if she were soaking in a hot spring, drifting into a peaceful sleep. This peak sensation of pleasure was truly intoxicating.

"So, cultivation is such a wonderful thing," Song Wanshuang whispered, opening her beautiful eyes with a charming flush on her face, her gaze lingering on him.

"Haha, this is the mysterious feeling that every cultivator experiences upon completing their first Great Circulation. The second time won't be quite so dramatic. You see only the beauty of cultivation, but you don't know that it is filled with loneliness, frustration, and the madness of stagnation. Xiaoshuang, you have only just taken the first step on a journey of ten thousand miles," Jiang An chuckled, offering a reminder.