Qu Heng didn't ask further about Xia Ci's martial arts.
Although he was Xia Ci's elder, they were both people of the martial world and understood its rules. Anything related to one's martial arts was an extremely private matter that couldn't be casually inquired about.
The group returned to the wooden cabin.
Though the cabin was already quite dilapidated, half of it was still usable. The group quickly started a fire and sat together, rapidly adjusting their breathing.
After taking some medicinal pills, Tang Buyi finally recovered his strength and cupped his hands toward Xia Ci, saying, "Many thanks for your rescue, brother. I am Tang Buyi, may I ask your name?"
"This is my brother, Xia Ci," Xia Xiayin answered. "I'm Xia Xiayin."
"Thank you, Brother Xia, thank you, Miss Xia, I..."
Before Tang Buyi could finish, his chest suddenly tightened, and he coughed up another mouthful of blood.
Qu Heng, who had just regulated his breathing, hurriedly used his inner energy to help Tang Buyi stabilize the turbulent qi and blood in his body.
Tang Buyi had been struck by Monk Xuanqi's staff and was seriously injured. Actually, it wasn't that Tang Buyi's skills were insufficient; it was mainly that Monk Xuanqi's strength was truly astonishing. Even Qu Heng, after taking a direct hit, had almost coughed up blood.
After a while, Tang Buyi finally stabilized his internal energy. Looking somewhat embarrassed, he said, "Everyone, actually, my family's Celestial Star Sword Technique is very powerful. It's just that I'm not particularly interested in martial arts, so my poor skills have disgraced my family heritage!"
Xia Ci smiled slightly, surprised by Tang Buyi's strong sense of family honor. He spoke to give Tang Buyi a way out, saying, "The Celestial Star Sword Technique is naturally one of the top martial arts in the world. Your father Tang Tianhao is a renowned figure in the martial world. His mastery of the Celestial Star Sword Technique is famous throughout the land. I have admired it for a long time!"
Normally, if others spoke like this, Tang Buyi wouldn't pay much attention, as with his status, he had heard such flattery until his ears had grown calluses.
But the current situation was different, especially since it came from Xia Ci, who had just demonstrated his powerful martial prowess. When others praised the Celestial Star Sword Technique, he merely thought it was flattery, but now when Xia Ci praised it, he felt honored and his dignity was restored.
In fact,
what Xia Ci said, although partly to ease Tang Buyi's embarrassment, was also true.
Tang Tianhao of the Tang family in Zhushan County did indeed have a formidable reputation in Linjiang City's martial world for his Celestial Star Sword Technique. When Xia Ci used to work as an escort, he had often heard of Tang Tianhao and the Tang family's Celestial Star Sword Technique.
"Brother Xia, are you also heading to Zhushan County?" asked Tang Buyi.
"Yes."
"That's wonderful! You must give me a chance to be your host. I can't speak for other places, but in Zhushan County, if Brother Xia needs anything, just say the word and I'll make sure it's taken care of properly. Let me tell you..."
"..."
Tang Buyi was quite talkative. Once he started talking, he became unstoppable, not at all like someone who still had internal injuries.
Just then, Xia Xiayin, who had been rummaging in a corner, suddenly called out, "Brother, I found it! I thought I saw something fall from Abbess Kuye earlier, but I wasn't sure if I was seeing things."
Everyone looked over and saw Xia Xiayin pull out a black token from a messy pile of firewood. It was about half the size of a palm, shaped like a ghostly face, and very intricately crafted. On one side were two large characters: "Moon Worship."
Since Xia Ci couldn't see, Xia Xiayin walked over and described it to him.
Everyone looked puzzled, except for Qu Heng, the eldest among them, who thought for a moment and said, "This should be a Moon Worship Token from the Moon Worship Cult."
Xia Xiayin exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle Qu, do you mean the Moon Worship Cult that's known as the ancestral court of the evil path?"
"Yes," Qu Heng nodded.
Immediately, everyone felt a sense of awe mixed with dread.
Qu Heng continued, "Many years ago, I heard about the Moon Worship Cult's tokens. Though I only know from hearsay, it's said that the internal hierarchy of the Moon Worship Cult is extremely strict. Even those from evil sects can't join casually—they need to pass tests. Special envoys issue these tokens, and bearers must await the envoy's summons and complete assigned tasks before they can truly join the Moon Worship Cult."
Xia Xiayin fiddled with the token in her hand and said, "So, Iron Arhat and Abbess Kuye wanted to join the Moon Worship Cult and were currently outer circle members."
"That's possible," Qu Heng nodded.
"How inauspicious."
Xia Xiayin immediately threw the token outside.
Most people sneered at the evil path.
...
The next day, at the crack of dawn,
just as the rain stopped, the group set off.
Since he knew Xia Ci was also going to Zhushan County, Tang Buyi repeatedly invited Xia Ci to travel together and earnestly asked him to be a guest at the Tang family home.
Xia Ci considered it for a moment and agreed.
By his calculation, they would reach Zhushan County by nightfall, so staying at the Tang family for one night would be perfect.
...
Inside the carriage,
Xia Ci sat quietly, and with a thought, he summoned the system to claim his rewards.
First, he claimed the mastered Dragon Capturing Skill.
In that instant,
Xia Ci seemed to enter a profound state of enlightenment. His mind was flooded with insights and methods about the Dragon Capturing Skill. In a flash, it was as if he had practiced for decades and reached the pinnacle of mastery.
This martial art was an extremely profound technique for using internal energy.
Practitioners could use their deep internal power to manipulate objects from a distance, such as grabbing weapons from afar or pulling enemies toward them. When used, it resembled a dragon soaring through the skies, possessing a powerful aura and might.
The prerequisite for using and practicing this skill was having sufficient internal energy and precise control over it, like using invisible ropes to bind and pull target objects. It was a superior martial art that could achieve unexpected victories in battle.
...
All of this happened in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, Xia Ci had mastered a powerful martial art.
Immediately, he deployed the technique of the Dragon Capturing Skill toward the front, and the bundle placed at the back of the carriage was instantly pulled toward him.
After briefly experiencing the wonders of the Dragon Capturing Skill,
Xia Ci examined the second system reward, though he hesitated before claiming it.
That was the reward obtained from killing Abbess Kuye—a Minor Restoration Pill.
The Minor Restoration Pill was a medicinal pill refined from various rare materials, with effects of healing internal injuries and enhancing internal energy. It was said to increase internal energy equivalent to five years of practice.
Of course, the "five-year enhancement" varied from person to person and depended on different martial arts techniques. For basic martial arts, the enhancement effect would be significant, but for profound internal energy techniques, the improvement would be limited.
However, regardless of its effectiveness,
Xia Ci had no use for it. His Nine Yang Divine Skill was already at its peak, with internal energy that was self-generating and endless. There was no room for further enhancement, so taking the Minor Restoration Pill would be meaningless.
Therefore, he decided to give the Minor Restoration Pill to his sister, Xia Xiayin.
Xia Xiayin practiced the Mysterious Heart Method, which was of average quality. The enhancement effect of the Minor Restoration Pill would be quite noticeable for her.
However, he needed to find a suitable opportunity because the Minor Restoration Pill contained powerful energy and couldn't be taken casually; otherwise, its efficacy would be wasted. It required a relatively stable environment and some time to absorb its effects.
...
After a full day of rapid travel,
they finally arrived at Zhushan County after nightfall.