noffsinger Chapter 406: Main Mission 2
Chapter 406: Main Mission 2
Jun Qiangwu frowned. Confused by the system’s announcement, he directly voiced his question. “What do you mean by the First Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm?”
[The Qi Gathering Realm is the first step to cultivating immortality. It is divided into thirteen stages. Stages one to twelve correlate to the number of meridians you open, while stage thirteen is reached upon linking all the meridians.]
“Twelve meridians?”
[Yes. The twelve meridians in the human body are the: Greater Yin Lung Meridian, Lesser Yin Heart Meridian, Yin Shield Heart Meridian, Lesser Yang Cavity Meridian, Lesser Yang Small Intestine Meridian, Greater Yang Large Intestine Meridian, Greater Yin Spleen Meridian, Lesser Yin Kidney Meridian, Yin Liver Meridian, Lesser Yang Gallbladder Meridian, Greater Yang Bladder Meridian, and the Yang Stomach Meridian.]
“Are you saying the emperor-class is only equal to the First Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm?” Jun Qiangwu asked.
[No, the classification you think of only has a minor correlation to the stages of the Qi Gathering Realm. If you want, you can correlate the soldier, captain, major, colonel, general, king, and emperor-classes to the first seven stages of the Qi Gathering Realm.]
“So we were this weak. The mighty emperor-class we venerated wasn’t even at the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm,” Jun Qiangwu said. Suddenly he laughed. It was an uproarious laughter that lasted for a good minute.
Just as suddenly as it arrived, it stopped. “Good!”
“Because I was a king-class superhuman, once I reached the first-stage, I automatically entered the emperor-class. Can I think of it that way, System?”
[You can think of it that way, but I must warn the host that continuing to upgrade your ability using your previous method is a road with no future. You are using brute force to upgrade your power and body. Even if you reach the equivalent of the Thirteenth Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm, it will probably result in a shortened lifespan because you forcibly increased the ability by overdrawing vitality.]
“Good! Good!” Jun Qiangwu said. “The more wrong this road is, the better it is for me. While my enemies follow the wrong path, I’ll quietly strengthen myself.”, I’ve completed the mission. Can I finally get the cultivation method?”
[Ding! Main Mission 1 Completed.]
[Reward: Qi Gathering Realm Cultivation Manual.]
[Choose one of the following cultivation methods.]
[Fire Book Qi Gathering Chapter]
[Water Book Qi Gathering Chapter]
[Metal Book Qi Gathering Chapter]
[Wood Book Qi Gathering Chapter]
[Earth Book Qi Gathering Chapter]
[Nine-Five Scripture Qi Gathering Chapter]
[Frozen Heaven Mantra Qi Gathering Chapter]
[Blackwater Meditation Qi Gathering Chapter]
[True Water Canon Qi Gathering Chapter]
[Eastflow Water Scripture Qi Gathering Chapter]
For now, he wanted to get rid of his own weakness. Just learning the qi gathering chapter of the Nine-Five Scripture revealed how low the well he was in truly was. Not just him, but everyone in this world was just a mere frog in a well. Jun Qiangwu was unwilling to be a frog, so he must cultivate and transform.
From that day onward, Jun Qiangwu focused wholeheartedly on cultivation. Those that cultivated the Nine-Five Scripture had to cultivate the martial path simultaneously. So while he was opening his meridians, Jun Qiangwu also transformed his body.
The first realm of the martial path was the Body Transformation Realm. It encompassed the Qi Gathering and Foundation Establishment Realm of the spiritual path. Six stages made up the Body Transformation Realm. They were the Skin Toughening Stage, Muscle Strengthening Stage, Tendon Reinforcement Stage, Bone Refinement Stage, Marrow Enhancement Stage, and the Organ Fortification Stage.
Jun Qiangwu cultivated in the cave for five years. Five whole years. He reached the Fourth Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm during the fourth year. Unlike the first time he opened a meridian, Jun Qiangwu no longer injured himself during the process. Opening a meridian should be a controlled and careful process. The only reason he spat out blood before was because he used brute force to open it.
As for his martial cultivation. He just entered the Muscle Strengthening Stage.
“I’ve reached my limit,” Jun Qiangwu said.
He stood up and revealed his full height of one point nine meters. His armor and clothes had almost turned to rags and even his spear was riddled with nicks and dents. It simply couldn’t withstand the strain of his power. “Dog emperor, wait for me!”
Jun Qiangwu stepped out of the cave and froze.
[Ding! Main Mission Issued.]
[Main Mission 2: Kill the Qian Emperor.]
The edge of Jun Qiangwu’s lips curled upward. “It seems that even the heavens want you dead, Your Majesty.”
In the five years since the system bound itself to him, Jun Qiangwu hadn’t left a kilometer away from the cave. He lived like a hermit, feasting and living in the wild. However, he would never forget the capital of the Qian Dynasty. With confident steps, Jun Qiangwu stepped on the path of vengeance.
In a teahouse near a busy street in the capital, a man sat on the second floor. He wore a bamboo hat that obscured his eyes, which observed the bustling street below.
“Hey, have you heard? Princess Jiafeng is engaged to the crown prince of the Mu Dynasty,” a hawker said, making small talk with one of the customers.
“How could I not?” the customer asked. “Before, I used to worry that with the fall of General Jun, the Qian Dynasty would be destroyed. I never expected that the princess would overcome her grief and rise to become the dynasty’s new protector. Her brilliance has even surpassed General Jun.”
“You’re right. That princess is a good woman. Unfortunately, General Jun didn’t have the fate to marry her,” the hawker said.
A third person interjected into the two’s conversation. “Actually, it might not be a bad thing. I heard that the crown prince of the Mu Dynasty has surpassed the emperor-class and reached the saint-class. If General Jun had survived, he would at most be equal to Princess Jiafeng. But now, the Qian Dynasty has extra insurance.”
The hawker and his customer deliberated over the person’s words. They found themselves agreeing to his logic. After a few more words, the person slipped away into an alley. However, he suddenly slumped over with a stick poking out of his forehead.
Back in the teahouse, Jun Qianfeng unclenched his fist, revealing the blood-tipped nails. He picked up a rag and wiped the blood from his palm. On his table, only a stick of chopstick lay. “Damn imperial family. Even after five years, you’re still tarnishing my name.”
Jun Qiangwu slapped some coins on the table and left. Before, he had servants carry his money for him, but all that had changed. As for where his current money and clothes came from? No matter the era, there are no lack of criminals.
After he left, he found an inn and locked himself in his room. Although he reached the Fourth Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm and the Muscle Strengthening Stage, he still hadn’t broken the shackles of mortality. Charging into the imperial palace would only result in his death. Since that’s the case, he could only sneak in.
Besides, aside from the imperial family, he was the person most familiar with the layout.
When night descended, Jun Qiangwu snuck out of the inn using the windows. His figure crossed the rooftops like a phantom, unnoticed by all. When he snuck into the imperial palace, the first person he searched wasn’t the emperor, but Qian Jiafeng.
In Jun Qiangwu’s eyes, the biggest threat wasn’t the emperor. The emperor’s authority stemmed from his connection to Qian Jiafeng. Without her, he was just a rootless duckweed. Once Qian Jiafeng died, he would have no protection. By then, how many people would really obey him?
To Jun Qiangwu’s disappointment, Qian Jiafeng’s room was empty. “Not here? Did she leave, or...”
He recalled the conversation earlier in the day. “It seems that I’ll have to kill that dog emperor first.”