Watching the woman in white recover somewhat, Ming Qi knew she was no longer seriously injured.
However, the sense of crisis he felt just then had left him somewhat worried. He wondered if the woman would kill to silence him after seeing her body. He was absolutely certain that the woman in white had revealed pure murderous intent. As a former assassin, he was incredibly wary of murderous intent; it was an instinct ingrained in the soul. The woman in white ultimately chose not to kill him, likely due largely to his age. After all, a nine-year-old child couldn't do much, and besides, there was no chance now.
As for her later allegation that Ming Qi had hidden agendas, it was merely a test, and Ming Qi didn't take it seriously. After all, he had seen things he shouldn't have, and he wasn't Dabai; he spoke human words.
A quarter of an hour passed quickly. This time, the woman didn't let Ming Qi apply the medicine. Instead, she opened the bottle and sprinkled it directly on the wound. As Ming Qi watched, she conjured up a set of clean clothes and put them on as if by magic.
After applying the medicine, the woman in white had noticeably recovered, and her every gesture exuded a noble and elegant aura.
After packing everything up, the woman smiled at Ming Qi and stood there, studying him intently without saying anything.
Her eyes were beautiful, like two dazzling gems. Not only beautiful, but also profound and full of wisdom.
The moment he was looked at by such eyes, Ming Qi felt as if he had been completely seen through, as if nothing could be hidden from him.
"Hmm, not bad."
Out of nowhere, the woman in white suddenly spoke, flicking her hand with lightning speed. Without waiting for Ming Qi to react, she flicked her delicate jade fingers, and a streak of golden light emanated from her fingertips and sank into the space between Ming Qi's eyebrows.
At that moment, Ming Qi felt his head buzz, his vision blurred, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
Roar…
Seeing Ming Qi fall headfirst, Dabai, standing nearby, instantly unleashed his mighty power. He roared repeatedly at the woman in white, claws spread wide, and pounced at her. A faint aura of menace emanated from his claws.
The woman in white's eyes flashed, and with a casual wave of her left hand, a brilliant blue light emanated, sending Dabai flying like a sandbag, sending him flying dozens of feet.
The thrown Dabai was clearly seriously injured. After struggling for a while, it couldn't get up. However, its tiger eyes stared fiercely at the woman in white in the distance, and a muffled roar emanated from its throat.
"It's rare that you're so eager to protect your master, but you've only just awakened to spiritual enlightenment, and haven't even reached the lowest level of a demon beast. For this little ghost's sake, I'll spare your life."
The woman in white ignored Dabai in the distance. Her eyes were full of light, and a complex expression filled them as she looked at the fallen Mingqi.
"Little ghost, although you're just a little ghost and have helped me, I still have to erase this part of your memory. Otherwise, I won't be able to rest easy. As compensation, I'll give you some benefits."
The woman muttered to herself, and suddenly her hands formed several strange hand seals. A colorful light once again merged into Mingqi's brow, completely immersing itself in his ocean of consciousness.
After doing this, the woman in white floated away and quickly disappeared into the night.
Late in the night, amidst the dense forests of the hills behind Yanzhuang, Ming Qi had a wonderful dream.
He dreamt of a stunningly beautiful girl in white whispering sweet nothings in his ear, sometimes near, sometimes distant, sometimes seemingly as far away as the horizon, sometimes as close as an inch.
The girl's soft, smooth, and warm hand caressed his cheek over and over again.
"Ouch, it hurts!"
Just as Ming Qi was savoring the exquisite sensation, a sudden pain pierced his face, as if the girl's delicate hand had transformed into a wasp's sting, stinging him so painfully that he nearly jumped out of his skin.
Ming Qi shuddered, his beautiful dream shattered, and he awoke completely.
The moment he regained consciousness, a stench of wild beasts assaulted his face, nearly choking him. An unknown, wet, sticky object scratched his face, making a rhythmic, tearing sound.
Ming Qi quickly opened his eyes and saw Dabai's red tongue and sharp teeth.
He suddenly felt the urge to burst into tears.
He rolled over and stood up, forgetting most of his dream.
"How did I fall asleep here? Strange!"
Ming Qi knew this was the back mountain, but there was no reason for him to fall asleep here. He glanced at the sky and saw that it would soon be dawn. He had obviously slept here for most of the night.
Roar...
Seeing Ming Qi jumping around again, Dabai roared twice.
When Ming Qi looked at Dabai, he saw the wounds crisscrossing its body. Although none of them were fatal, they were bloody and gruesome.
"No, something must have happened!"
Ming Qi thought to himself, but he couldn't recall what it was. He desperately tried to recall finishing the blueprints in the cave, chatting with Dabai, and then, seemingly, the present moment.
"Warrior, cultivation, martial arts, acquired..."
Just as Ming Qi was stunned, something in his mind seemed to clear up, and countless memories flooded in.
"What's going on? What are these things? I've never known anything like them before!"
Ming Qi was startled, breaking out in a cold sweat. This was too bizarre, simply unheard of.
But fortunately, he was a man who had seen the world and experienced many ups and downs. After a moment, he calmed down. Regardless of where these things came from, now that he knew them, he decided to sort through them, adhering to the principle that existence is fact.
Ming Qi then began to sort through the countless memories surging in his mind, one by one, and let them completely transform into his own knowledge and memory.
By the time Ming Qi had finished sorting everything out, it was already daybreak.
Just sorting through his memories took hours, demonstrating the vastness of the information contained within.
But now, Ming Qi finally understood: these memories contained something he had long dreamed of but never had the opportunity to experience: the martial arts!
"Maybe I've run into a deity, and seeing my talent, he's granted me this opportunity."
Unable to find peace without a reason, Ming Qi devised a plausible yet vague excuse. With that, he finally felt completely at ease.
"So I've been reborn on the Tianhuang Continent."
Nine years after his rebirth, Ming Qi had no idea what the vast world outside was like. Here, like Earth, he could keep up with world events from the comfort of his own home.
Ming Qi stood up and gazed out at the distant mountains and rivers. At that moment, Yanzhuang, which had once seemed to him almost everything in his life, had become as insignificant as a grain of sand between heaven and earth.
The entire Tianhuang Continent was vast and boundless, with a population of billions. Yanzhuang, on the other hand, is under the jurisdiction of a powerful faction called the Jinchuan Baifu.
Setting aside the broader situation, Ming Qi focused on information regarding the martial arts.
Martial arts! Cultivators!
Survival of the fittest!
The strong prey on the weak, and martial arts reign supreme!
A master cultivator can dominate the world, hold a position comparable to that of a king, divide territory, and dominate a region.
Martial arts cultivation is divided into acquired and innate cultivation. Acquired martial arts embodies the pursuit of strength. Innate martial arts, on the other hand, transcends simple cultivation into a lengthy process of cultivation. The pursuit of innate martial arts goes beyond mere strength, but rather the ultimate secret of life: immortality! A lifespan equal to heaven and earth, a lifespan equal to the sun and moon!
Once a cultivator reaches the innate realm, they ascend to the heavens in a single leap! The mundane world becomes a passing cloud, for once they reach the innate realm, their lifespan approaches a thousand years!
Over a thousand years, dynasties shift and the seas change, yet in the eyes of the innate masters, these are but a few passing seasons.
However, Ming Qi now possesses no trace of martial spirit, so naturally he would not pursue some ethereal innate martial art.
The acquired martial arts are divided into nine levels, representing the nine realms of the martial arts.
Beginning with the first level of body refinement, the following levels progress in sequence: understanding, mind communication, warding off dust, lightness of body, awareness of the acupoints, inner vision, awakening, and gathering of essence. The nine levels progress in a gradual and orderly fashion.
Through unremitting effort and diligent practice, cultivators continuously develop the potential of the human body, gradually advancing step by step in the acquired martial arts, advancing towards higher realms until they reach the ninth level of the acquired martial arts, gathering essence. Then, they accumulate all the essence of their acquired understanding of the martial arts, and at the opportune moment, they strive to reach the innate realm.
"The ninth level of the acquired martial arts!"
Ming Qi fixed his thoughts firmly on the ninth level of the acquired martial arts.
"Both the physical training and the mastery of the mind are focused on the physical body, so there's no clear distinction between them. However, at the beginning, one's movements and techniques will inevitably be very stiff. Even though one's strength has reached 500 kilograms with a single strike, one won't be able to effectively utilize that strength. Hmm, it seems this division is indeed quite reasonable."
Ming Qi pondered, surveying his surroundings.
"If I've achieved minor success in physical training, a single strike should have a force of around 300 kilograms. I'll give it a try."
Ming Qi aimed at a piece of dead wood, about the thickness of a bowl, clenched his fist, and struck it.
He believed he had always focused on strength training, diligently practicing and mastering the physical training techniques he remembered from his previous life, and he considered himself to have some basic skills.
Crack!
The punch came out with a gust of wind, piercing the dry tree stump. Judging by the power of the punch, Ming Qi's current state was essentially minor success in physical training.
Even after delivering this punch, Ming Qi still felt a sharp pain radiating from his ten knuckles. It seemed he was still far from achieving the perfect state of body refinement, achieving a smooth, rounded, and effortless release.
Retracting his fist, Ming Qi dug out some hemostatic and pain-relieving ointment and applied it to Da Bai, then took it home.