Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 18 Innate Poisonous Body
"Thank you for your guidance, senior brother."

Jiang Mingzhe also realized that this was not the time to delve into the subject, so he read through the few hundred words of the Qi Cultivation Realm again and put the manual back in his pocket.

Sit upright with your chest slightly concave and back straight, chin tucked in and head held high. Gently place your left hand on your lower abdomen and your right hand on the back of your left hand. This is the Taoist hand seal for cultivating Qi. Close your eyes slightly and begin to feel the Qi within your body.

Sleepiness soon crept in.

Jiang Mingzhe's head jerked forward, and he woke up with a start. Seeing Zhui Fengzi's ambiguous smile, he felt a little embarrassed. He hadn't expected the hypnotic effect of practicing internal energy cultivation to be so good.

He was exhausted both physically and mentally after experiencing so many changes today. Normally, he would need at least five minutes to fall asleep.

However, this also proves that the sensation of Qi is not so easy to find.

Jiang Mingzhe wasn't stubborn; since it wasn't easy, he would take the easy path.

He raised the wine cup and respectfully presented it to Zhui Fengzi: "Please, Senior Brother, bestow this precious wine upon me."

Although Zhui Fengzi regretted his actions, how could he refuse at this moment?

So they had no choice but to fill the wine glasses to the brim.

This is a rough porcelain bull's-eye cup; even when filled to the brim, it costs no more than two qian (approximately 6 grams).

Jiang Mingzhe raised his wine glass, his eyes sincere: "Third Senior Brother, since I joined this sect, the first people who have been truly good to me are Azi and you, Senior Brother. I won't say more. We'll see each other in action."

The phrase "See you in the end" is something that people in later generations have heard countless times at drinking parties, but Sanpangzi had never heard of it before. He felt that these three words were both frank and delightful, and he was deeply moved. He poured himself a glass, raised it, and gently clinked it with Jiang Mingzhe's: "Good brother, see you in the end!"

Jiang Mingzhe looked at Azi and drank it all in one gulp. He felt that the wine was very different from any wine he had ever drunk before. It was smooth and sticky. It only lingered on his tongue for a moment. The floral fragrance rushed to his head, and a fishy smell rushed to his throat. Jiang Mingzhe hurriedly swallowed it. Otherwise, if he had held it in his mouth for a while, he would have had to spit it out.

Almost instantly after swallowing the liquor, five extremely uncomfortable sensations—pain, numbness, sourness, bloating, and itching—exploded in my stomach at the same time.

Jiang Mingzhe dared not hesitate. He closed his eyes and resumed the posture he had just practiced. He took deep breaths and exhaled shallowly, slowly and quickly, changing his breathing frequency repeatedly. He felt a stream of energy shoot out from his dantian, like a living hair, shaking its head and wagging its tail, about to swim away to another place.

It's called a strand of hair, but it's really just a feeling, not a physical existence.

Feeling angry!

Where are you going?!
Jiang Mingzhe focused all his attention on the strand of hair, which swayed slightly before stopping.

Jiang Mingzhe was overjoyed and immediately tried to activate the hair by changing his breathing frequency according to the content of the Qi Cultivation Manual.

According to the manual, the process from sensing Qi to being able to control it is quite difficult. Which of those strange breathing methods works varies from person to person, and practitioners need to explore and try them out themselves.

Jiang Mingzhe felt this was a bit like teasing a cat. You meet a cat in the garden, you suck your lips and make a tsk-tsk sound, or meow at it, or squat down and beckon it—you don't know which one it will respond to, so you can only try them one by one.

Once it arrives, you can pet it. Once you get used to it, it will come running to rub against you as soon as you appear, even before you call it.

When internal energy reaches this level, it is called "the thought generates qi".

There's no need to consciously circulate your internal energy; it will naturally come into play when the time is right.

Jiang Mingzhe didn't know if it was because the cat he met was particularly friendly, or because of the effects of the Five Treasures Flower Honey Wine.

He had only tried it for a moment when he felt that the hair-thin stream of air begin to move according to his will...

Zhui Fengzi finished his drink and began practicing his skills with his eyes closed.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhui Fengzi exhaled a long, yellow breath, then inhaled it again, and slowly opened his eyes.

He had considerable internal strength, and he quickly absorbed it all, appearing energetic and refreshed.

But when his gaze fell upon Jiang Mingzhe, his expression immediately changed, as if he had witnessed something utterly unbelievable, and he gasped in shock—

Oops, I was so stupid, really. Why did I have to invite him to drink this precious wine? His talent is unmatched, even by his master. And I was actually worried that his growth was too slow, that he wouldn't put enough pressure on Zhaixingzi...

Zhui Fengzi felt as if his heart was being gnawed by insects, the sourness was unbearable, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes subconsciously: Why not throw a spider at him?
But recalling the time Ding Chunqiu poisoned the Shandong cuisine chef, and after examining the body, gave himself a meaningful smile in the crowd…

Zhui Fengzi couldn't help but shiver.

That was just a cook, naturally not as good as a disciple. This time it's the biological son, even a disciple will become a discarded pawn.

After much deliberation, Zhui Fengzi gritted his teeth: since he had already placed his bet, he might as well go all the way and gamble big—

Who does that slutty bamboo pole Zhaixingzi think he is? If Jiang Mingzhe really takes over the Xingxiu Sect, I'll be doing a great service to him. Azi is the sect leader's wife, so it's not too much for me to be the chief protector, right?
Zhui Fengzi deliberately befriended Jiang Mingzhe, intending to use his identity to deal with Zhai Xingzi and take advantage of the situation.

But now that he has witnessed Jiang Mingzhe's talent and potential, his perspective has been forced to broaden considerably.

After another incense stick's time, Azi slowly exhaled a breath of white air and opened her eyes with a joyful expression.

"I! I opened up three acupoints in one go! Haha..."

Ah Zi boasted smugly, but her smile froze the moment she glanced at Jiang Mingzhe.

My feelings were incredibly complex in an instant: envy, jealousy, surprise, joy, and a faint sense of indescribable pride.

"Third Senior Brother... he... Junior Brother Jiang, could he actually be..."

Azi raised her hand shakily and pointed at Jiang Mingzhe.

A deep purple hue appeared on Jiang Mingzhe's face, flickering with the rhythm of his breathing.

Zhui Fengzi sighed and nodded: "That's right. Only those with an innate poisonous constitution will have purple aura on their faces when practicing this sect's Tribulation-Crossing Scripture!"

Azi exclaimed in shock: "There really are people with innate poison bodies in this world? Isn't that much more powerful than Senior Brother?"

Mentioning Zhaixingzi made Zhuifengzi feel much better, and he chuckled mischievously, "Of course, hehe, purple, crimson, blue, white, yellow... When Senior Brother practiced, his face was shrouded in a blue aura, and he boasted of his extraordinary talent. Hehe, if he knew that Junior Brother Jiang was actually..."

"Third Senior Brother!"

Azi shouted in a low voice, her small face as cold as ice, staring intently at Zhuifengzi.

"This matter is known only to Heaven, Earth, you, me, and him. If even one more person finds out, I will tell Master that you were the one who spread it!"

Zhui Fengzi was startled, then angrily retorted, "What if you told them yourself? Your mouth is never idle..."

“I know what’s important!” Azi said firmly, “Junior Brother Jiang is someone I brought back, and he even wrote me a poem…”

She paused here, then added in her mind: "It's still my Xiaoqing, she still owes me six hundred 'good sister' calls..."

"In short!" Azi pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow: "I will not harm him, and you are not allowed to have any bad intentions! You just said that you are a loyal and righteous person. The three of us can only go far if we support each other. You are a grown man, and you can't go back on your word!"

Zhui Fengzi said solemnly, "Of course. A man's word is his bond. How could a man as great as Zhui Fengzi break his promise?"

He chuckled inwardly: "Concern truly makes one lose their mind. This girl grew up in our sect, yet she utters such laughable words. Which of us Xingxiu disciples hasn't sworn an oath today and forgotten it after a good night's sleep?"

Only then did Azi show a happy expression and nod, saying, "Third Senior Brother, I believe you!"

He secretly vowed: Master said that the living can never be as reliable as the dead. Although my third senior brother has helped me out of trouble a few times, it was mostly because Master doted on me. I don't owe him any favors... I might as well find an opportunity to send him to his grave!

The senior and junior disciples, each harboring their own secrets, exchanged a knowing smile, and were all delighted.

(End of this chapter)