Night's Nomenclature
Chapter 289: The Eye of the Storm

The last two pages of the booklet were filled with conjectures and anticipations regarding the fourth section of the Zhunti Method’s Breathing Technique.

On the second to last page, the annotator wrote:

Based on some fragmented memories recalled before the Buddha Master’s abduction, the fourth section of the Cultivation Breathing Technique is extremely perilous. If successful, ripple patterns like crimson lotus karmic flames will appear on the Face^[-]; if it fails, the practitioner will become a fool, rambling incoherently for the rest of their days.

Earlier, the Buddha Master had always refrained from teaching the fourth section of the Breathing Technique to others within the mysterious organization, fearing that they would become fools.

As for what exactly crimson lotus karmic flames look like, the annotator had never seen them. The Buddha Master never demonstrated them, only saying that he had succeeded.

This detail also coincides with the Knight Breathing Technique.

Qing Chen understood that this so-called ‘extreme peril’ likely referred to the Trial of Heart.

Only those who have undergone the Trial of Heart can truly grasp its difficulty.

If Qing Chen hadn’t been so resolute in his mindset back then, he too would have become a fool. Talented individuals like Lin Xiaoxiao, Ye Wan, and Li Dongze all failed.

Thankfully, Li Shutong, by controlling their pulse rates and adjusting their breathing frequency, managed to guide them out of the Trial of Heart. Otherwise, those three might have become fools too.

It wasn’t a matter of insufficient talent, but rather that this trial didn’t test aptitude, only mental fortitude.

An elder from the Li Clan once mentioned that this mysterious organization demanded unconditional devotion from its followers, including the bodies of female disciples.

Qing Chen couldn’t believe that the leader of such an organization could pass the Trial of Heart.

Therefore, the annotator’s claim of never having seen the Buddha Master display the crimson lotus flames led Qing Chen to suspect that the Buddha Master hadn’t actually passed the Trial of Heart, but merely pretended to have done so, secretly controlling the entire organization.

If all the clues are accurate and Qing Chen’s conjecture is true,

the Breathing Technique currently used by the Knight is very likely the one plundered from the snowy mountains by the ‘final twelve Knights.’

And Yi mentioned that the Knights severely damaged a very tyrannical organization. This tyranny seems to be corroborated by the Li Clan elder’s account.

Although the act of plunder is not virtuous, when Qing Chen imagined the Buddha Master facing twelve A-rank powerhouses, he almost laughed out loud.

After all, the Buddha Master wasn't a good person either; if he were in their shoes, he would have done the same.

Qing Chen carefully recalled if Li Shutong had ever mentioned what the Knight's creed was.

The Knights inscribed on Qingshan Cliff: Only faith and the sun and moon endure eternally.

So what is this faith? It's eternal youth.

What is most important to a youth? It is the courage to make decisions without regret.

It seems that Master never told him to be an upright person from beginning to end. Uprightness is just the outside world’s assessment of the Knights.

Therefore, to take is to take, without regret—that’s the Knight’s creed.

Qing Chen felt he had attained enlightenment.

However, there is one point he doesn't understand: Since the twelve Knights abducted the mysterious organization’s Buddha Master and obtained the fourth section of the Breathing Technique, why didn’t they get the first three sections? Or perhaps they did but deemed them useless?

It is highly likely that the Buddha Master deliberately only gave them the fourth section of the Breathing Technique!

The Buddha Master was well aware of the terror of the Trial of Heart, so he wanted to use it to kill the Knights.

But the Buddha Master didn’t expect that Knight ancestor Qin Sheng, with his unwavering belief, not only didn't become a fool after mastering the fourth section of the Breathing Technique, but it also guided the Knights onto a new path.

Li Shutong completed the seven Trials of Life and Death challenges and attained the level of Demi-God. By the standards of the Zhunti Method, this can be considered a perfect result.

Wait, Qing Chen felt something was wrong.

Many people in that mysterious organization mastered the first three sections of the Breathing Technique. The Knights couldn't have been so careless as to not seek verification from others.

Therefore, the Knight ancestor must have obtained the first three sections of the Breathing Technique.

After all, they had nothing better to do.

Twelve A-rank powerhouses robbing a small organization with a maximum of B-rank strength, leaving something behind after the robbery, is quite uncharacteristic of the Knights…

Qing Chen suspected that the Knights had abducted many members of the mysterious organization. However, because the Buddha Master was so important, the booklet only recorded the abduction of the Buddha Master; the abductions of others simply weren't recorded.

Then why didn’t the Knight Order inherit the first three sections of the Breathing Technique?

Qing Chen speculated: The first three sections of the Breathing Technique were used to refine the ‘Bright Points’ and ‘meridians,’ which involved using Qi to physically transform the body.

If their bodies were refined, the Knights would no longer be ordinary people.

The fourth section of the Breathing Technique, when used in reverse, can close the Gene Lock but cannot dispel the refined ‘Bright Points’ and meridians. Thus, the Knights, unable to revert to ordinary people, could no longer continue to complete the next Trials of Life and Death.

Even if they did, it would be useless.

Qing Chen’s Knight True Qi appeared after the first Trials of Life and Death. It could be used to devour the Qi generated by the first three sections of the Breathing Technique, thus avoiding the refining of ‘Bright Points’ and meridians and preventing them from cutting off their own cultivation path.

But the problem is, other Knights, after reaching B-rank, could also use the first three sections of the Breathing Technique to enhance their Knight True Qi. Why did it get lost?

Could it be that other Knights couldn't absorb the Qi generated by the first three sections of the Breathing Technique?

Qing Chen didn’t know. He was an exception, so he couldn't use himself as an example to infer the situation of all Knights.

Maybe that’s the answer, maybe not.

Everything that happened in the snowy mountains of southwest China was too long ago. Qing Chen couldn't know what happened back then. A thousand years later, all his guesses could only be guesses.

But speaking of which, this Cultivation method did give him a pleasant surprise.

Qing Chen tried the first, second, and third sections of the Breathing Technique one by one, but the effects were similar—only enhancing his Knight True Qi.

He then tried to maintain the first section of the Breathing Technique to enter the mysterious world of ‘Conquer with Virtue,’ and then confirmed that even in the mysterious world of Cultivation, he could increase his Knight True Qi every moment.

Although it was slow, as long as there was progress, Qing Chen was willing to persevere.

He roughly estimated the rate of True Qi growth. In at most half a year, he would be able to infuse his Knight True Qi throughout his body!

He wondered if he could give his Master a surprise then.

And the most important thing is that when most Time Travelers were still worried about not having Cultivation methods, Qing Chen already had extra Cultivation methods to teach others.

To establish his authority in the Li Clan academy and unite those Li Clan disciples, the Zhunti Method is essential.

At this moment, in the group chat system built by Yi, Liu Dezhu sent a private message to the Boss account: “Boss, there's something I'd like to discuss with you.”

Boss: “What is it?”

Liu Dezhu: “Boss, I heard that Hu Xiaoniu and the others are training with Qing Chen. The thing is, I also want to train with Qing Chen…”

Boss: “You're already C-rank. Ordinary training won't help you.”

Liu Dezhu: “I know ordinary training might not work for me, but I also want to learn some killing techniques… Besides, everyone is training, and I'm not. It feels like I haven’t integrated into the collective, it’s awkward.”

Qing Chen pondered: “Today you'll follow Qing Chen's training for a day, and assemble at Qing Chen's house at six in the morning. I originally planned to let you join the training after the base was built, since your home is a bit far from Qing Chen’s. But since you requested it, don’t complain about being too tired or hard. Listen to Qing Chen in everything.”

Liu Dezhu was overjoyed: “Yes, yes, I will definitely do as instructed, I absolutely won’t complain, Boss, rest early, Boss, may you have a good life!”

In Xinglong Garden, Liu Dezhu’s home.

Just as he was excitedly looking forward to it, Liu Youcai pushed open the door and curiously asked, “Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”

Liu Dezhu looked at the time and realized it was almost 3 a.m.

He thought for a moment and said, “Dad, we’re rich.”

Liu Youcai was stunned: “Silly child, what nonsense are you talking about?”

“Really rich,” Liu Dezhu opened his mobile banking app and showed Liu Youcai the balance: “Our organization just completed a deal, and the Boss rewarded me with 1 million, a whole 1 million!”

Liu Youcai hesitated: “What kind of business did you do? One deal could reward you with so much?”

“A 25 million deal,” Liu Dezhu lowered his voice, “Not only did I get 1 million this time, but I’ll also get a fixed income of 100,000 yuan every week, every week!”

Liu Youcai hesitated even more: “Our Liu family can’t do anything illegal.”

“Of course it's not illegal,” Liu Dezhu thought for a moment, “I can't tell you the specifics. It’s our organization’s secret. But Dad, rest assured, I definitely didn’t break the law, and what we did was a good deed.”

Liu Dezhu thought, apart from the deliberate acting to scare Zhang Chengze and holding a knife to Zhang Chengze’s neck, there was no violation of the law.

He said to Liu Youcai: “Dad, I’ll transfer this money to you tomorrow. You and Mom can look at houses, and let’s move to those apartments with elevators. Mom keeps complaining about her knee pain!”

“Forget it, let your mother keep the money. Use it to get married,” Liu Youcai said.

“No way,” Liu Dezhu shook his head: “If you’re not willing to buy, I’ll buy it myself. By the way, starting today, Dad, you don’t need to make breakfast for me anymore. I have to leave at 5:30 every day to receive training from a master in the organization.”

“What kind of master?” Liu Youcai was puzzled: “I heard from the outside world that you’re the master.”

Liu Dezhu recalled Qing Chen’s clean and quick killing style at Laojun Mountain, and immediately shook his head: “There are people in the organization who are stronger than me.”

Liu Youcai was curious: “What level are you at?”

“C-level.”

“Then what level is this master?”

“E-level.”

Liu Youcai frowned and was silent for a long time: “I understand. Your organization… is it ranked by cup size?”

Liu Dezhu: “???...”

…

…

Return Countdown 160:00:00

At 8 a.m., Qing Chen, carrying a worn-out backpack, arrived at Luo City Longmen High-speed Railway Station.

Mathematics teacher Tian Hailong, along with Xu Zimo, Wang Jiale, Zhou Xuan Ying, and Xia Xiaoran, were already waiting at the entrance.

“Qing Chen, over here!” Tian Hailong waved: “I was worried you wouldn’t come. Did you bring your ID?”

“I did,” Qing Chen looked at the five, calmly replying, “Isn’t the high-speed rail at 8:30? Why are you here so early?”

Xu Zimo replied: “We usually get up at 6:30 a.m. to recite English texts. We’ve already developed a biological clock, so we might as well come earlier.”

“It's better to have more time. After arriving in Xian City today, we will first arrange your accommodation at the hotel. The school has arranged single rooms for you to ensure that you get a good rest. You won’t have to share a room,” Tian Hailong smiled, “Qing Chen, how are your preparations?”

The other four students glanced at Tian Hailong, thinking, why did he only ask Qing Chen how his preparations were? Only Qing Chen?

Qing Chen thought for a moment and said: “My preparations are okay. I should be able to make it to the finals.”

“Alright, let's go into the station,” Tian Hailong led the team into the high-speed railway station.

Once everyone was seated on the train, Qing Chen checked the weather forecast and then sat down, closing his eyes to rest, and entering the mysterious world of ‘Conquer with Virtue.’

At the same time, he maintained a strange breathing rhythm.

On the train, everyone took out food and fruit prepared by their respective Leaders, chatting while eating.

Xu Zimo sat next to Qing Chen, silently observing the young man beside her, noticing his worn-out backpack…

She had seen this backpack a long time ago. She remembered that Qing Chen was carrying it on his first day of high school at Luo City Foreign Language School.

Many people don’t know that Qing Chen was the top scorer in the entrance exam, with full marks in all subjects except Chinese. His tuition was halved.

Xu Zimo knew this, so she noticed Qing Chen earlier than others.

More than a year had passed, Qing Chen hadn’t changed, but the backpack was getting more worn-out.

She recalled the rumors in the school about Qing Chen working part-time to earn money, thinking that he probably couldn’t afford to buy as much food as other students.

Xu Zimo hesitated. She took out a bag of potato chips from her backpack, wanting to give them to Qing Chen.

However, when she recalled Qing Chen rejecting her at the classroom entrance, she hesitated again.

The girl was one of the most brilliant students in the school. She had never been rejected before, so she hesitated after being rejected.

But after much hesitation, Xu Zimo still gently patted Qing Chen’s arm: “Qing Chen, do you eat potato chips?”

Qing Chen didn’t even open his eyes: “No, thank you.”

Xu Zimo pursed her lips. She had heard ‘no, thank you’ several times. It seemed like these were the only words the young man could say.

But she didn’t know that Qing Chen was no longer short of money; he even had more money than most students.

While other students were still focused on exams and grades, he had already begun planning for the future of an organization.

Xu Zimo only knew the side of Qing Chen that was shown at school.

The other unknown side was a world she couldn't access.

At one point, Qing Chen opened his backpack, and Xu Zimo was surprised to see that it was filled with food.

No textbooks, no papers, only food.

Qing Chen took out a small note and opened it. On it was Li Tongyun’s crooked writing: Qing Chen, good luck on the exam!

Qing Chen smiled. The food in his backpack was prepared for him by Xiao Tongyun, who asked Jiang Xue to buy them.

He said, Xian City is very close; it takes only an hour and a half by high-speed rail, there is no need to bring anything.

But Xiao Tongyun said that wouldn’t do. Everyone brings food on long journeys. No one prepared it for you before, but I will do it from now on.

Qing Chen found it cumbersome.

Xiao Tongyun almost quarreled with Qing Chen because of this, saying he must finish the food when he comes back!

Xu Zimo secretly glanced at the note and felt complicated. Could this be Qing Chen’s girlfriend?

She hadn’t heard of this in school.

They arrived in Xian City at noon. The sky was overcast, as if someone had abruptly covered it with a black cloth.

Qing Chen frowned. The weather made him feel heavy.

Looking around, he deliberately kept a distance from his classmates when he got off the train. They were like strangers who didn’t know each other.

Wang Jiale muttered softly, “Why is Qing Chen always deliberately keeping a distance from us?”

Xia Xiaoran smiled: “I heard that he is very introverted. Don’t mind him. He is a top student, it’s normal to have some quirks.”

Xu Zimo turned to look at Qing Chen, but found that his expression was serious, as if he had something on his mind.

After arriving at the hotel, Qing Chen greeted the others and went into his room. His phone suddenly vibrated.

In the Daybreak group chat, Liu Dezhu sent him a private message: “Boss, when I went home for lunch, I found several letters next to my pillow.”

Qing Chen replied calmly: “What do they say?”

Liu Dezhu: “First letter: Qing Chen is your most capable subordinate, right?”

Liu Dezhu: “Second letter, the bloody incident on Xingshu Road made me very angry.”

Liu Dezhu: “Third letter, so many of my subordinates died in Luo City, I’m very sad.”

Liu Dezhu: “Fourth letter, now that Qing Chen has left Luo City, I’ve decided to make you sad too.”

Liu Dezhu: “Boss, these four letters, Huan Yu is going to attack Qing Chen, right? I heard he went to Xian City today to participate in tomorrow’s math competition.”

Boss: “Yeah, I know.”

Liu Dezhu: “Boss, should I rush to Xian City for rescue now? I can escort Qing Chen back. Rest assured, as long as I’m still alive, I’ll definitely bring Qing Chen back.”

Boss: “Encirclement and annihilation. The other party actively declared war just to use Qing Chen to lure us out of our Luo City home ground. I now suspect that Xian City is where Huan Yu is located—his home ground.”

Instead of silently killing ‘Qing Chen’, the other party used letters to inform the entire Daybreak organization, letting the ‘Boss’ know that Huan Yu would kill Qing Chen in Xian City.

There's a bigger plan.

Qing Chen thought for a moment, gave Liu Dezhu some final instructions, and then turned off his phone screen.

He had anticipated what Liu Dezhu had said.

Because as soon as he arrived at Xianyang High-speed Railway Station, he noticed that someone was following him.

Therefore, he deliberately kept a distance from his classmates to avoid harming innocent people.

“Go back to Luo City?” Qing Chen pondered, “I probably can’t go back.”

Huan Yu wants to encircle and annihilate, so he will keep Qing Chen alive to attract Daybreak people to Xian City.

But if Qing Chen wants to return to Luo City, the other party will immediately attack.

Thinking of this, Qing Chen calmed down.

He was like the low-pressure center of a tornado; the more he was caught in the storm, the calmer he became.

…

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