Over the past two days, Shen Changqing stayed within the courtyard, living reclusively. Whenever he felt severe ntal exhaustion, he would drink so Enlightennt Tea to nourish his spirit. By now, he had discovered an issue: one should not always drink too much Enlightennt Tea, as the effects would diminish. Thus, Shen Changqing drank it only once a day, just enough to replenish his daily consumption and to reflect on the Martial Dao True Intent daily. With the remaining ti, he dedicated himself to the arduous training of the Snare Trampling Gang Step in the courtyard.
The reason he did not leave the courtyard was that he was waiting for soone from the Hidden Heart Pavilion to arrive. Besides that, there was nowhere else he needed to be. Since he could enter the Hidden Heart Pavilion and was free of missions, Shen Changqing felt he could afford to adjust himself accordingly. Otherwise, being constantly engaged in slaughter, he too would feel weary and fatigued.
In these two days, Shen Changqing also wanted to visit the Scripture Pavilion, but he had not yet done so. He planned to wait until after eting the person from the Hidden Heart Pavilion before considering other matters. Truth be told, Shen Changqing felt a great curiosity about this place he had heard of for the first ti, and he was sowhat nervous about the impending events.
Executing the Snare Trampling Gang Step, his body moved as swiftly as a ghostly apparition, leaving behind a trail of lingering shadows that had not completely faded. After a full sequence of the footwork, Shen Changqing’s understanding of this martial arts technique deepened further. Although he had not made a breakthrough, he was on the verge of doing so.
Suddenly, Shen Changqing paused his movents, and all the shadows disappeared; the Snare Trampling Gang Step he was about to complete was also abruptly halted. He turned his head towards the gate. In his perception, it was as if a terrifying Fierce Beast was approaching. It wasn’t long before the presence ca to a stop.
Soone is at the gate! And it’s a very strong individual! rely the powerful surge of blood and qi alone, even from across the courtyard, was palpable to Shen Changqing. His senses had beco much stronger since he cultivated the Martial Dao True Intent. If it had been before, he might at most have detected soone at the gate, but not have been able to discern the depth of the newcor’s strength.
Such robust blood and qi, not at all weaker than mine—no, it may even be stronger! Who is the visitor—could it be soone from the Hidden Heart Pavilion?
Shen Changqing’s first thought was of that mysterious place. But he did not ponder long, because a knock at the courtyard door had already sounded. Quickly composing himself, he walked towards the gate and opened it from the inside.
Outside, a silk-robed old man with a youthful face and a faint smile stood with his hands clasped behind his back. At first glance, one might take him for an ordinary elder. However, Shen Changqing sensed that the man’s blood and qi were incredibly robust, like a slumbering Fierce Beast capable of erupting with earth-shaking power at any mont. A strong figure! His eyes flickered. In my mind, soone with such formidable energy should have been a burly and strong man, which is in stark contrast to the old man’s appearance before .
While Shen Changqing was assessing the newcor, the old man was also sizing him up. He nodded as he observed, "Hmm, rich blood and qi, a sturdy physical body, and having reached the Tiger Leopard Thunderous Roar realm at such a young age—a truly good prospect indeed. I had thought that youngster Dongfang Zhao was going to palm off so unworthy candidates on the Hidden Heart Pavilion again."
After his thorough evaluation, the Elder only grew more satisfied with what he saw. In this day and age, such talented individuals were exceedingly rare. According to the information, the person before him was barely over twenty years old, perhaps twenty-three or twenty-four. Even if his age were to double, Martial Artists in the Jianghu who could achieve initial mastery of the Physical System were few and far between.
To the side, Shen Changqing, hearing the Elder’s comnts, felt sowhat speechless. Nonetheless, he did not interrupt, allowing the old man to continue talking to himself.
After a while, the old man seed to co to his senses and turned to Shen Changqing, introducing himself formally. "Allow to introduce myself. My na is Zhong Ning, and I am an Elder of the Hidden Heart Pavilion. You must be Shen Changqing, the one ntioned by youngster Dongfang Zhao, the Defender Envoy?"
"Shen Changqing greets you, Elder!" Shen Changqing courteously clasped his fists in greeting.
The man before , not to ntion his age, seems stronger than myself, and calling the Defender Envoy a ’youngster’ clearly indicates an extraordinary status. In response, Shen Changqing was mindful not to show any disrespect.
Seeing this, Zhong Ning stroked his beard and nodded slightly. "You need not be overly formal. Once you join the Hidden Heart Pavilion, you are one of us. Do you have any understanding of the Hidden Heart Pavilion?"
"Er." The sudden question caught Shen Changqing off guard, and then he opened his mouth to speak.
"I—"
"Are you going to make an old man like stand here without inviting in for a seat?"
"—Elder, please!" Shen Changqing was speechless and stepped aside to let the other person in.
Zhong Ning didn’t stand on ceremony and directly strode inside. Looking at the layout of the courtyard, he couldn’t help but shake his head. "This place is too small. Everyone who enters the Hidden Heart Pavilion has a certain status, and their clothing, food, shelter, and transportation cannot be compromised. Living in such a place, if word gets out, it sowhat disgraces the Hidden Heart Pavilion."
After disparaging the courtyard, his gaze fell on the white jade tea tray, the cup set beside it still radiating so warmth. "Hmm? This tea tray is not bad, with quality material; it’s passable. You’re drinking Enlightennt Tea, right? Hmm, the taste is acceptable. Enlightennt Tea is one of the best choices among Spiritual Teas, and the Demon-Subduing Division’s annual stock is not abundant. It’s just that placing Enlightennt Tea on this white jade tea tray seems to lower its class."
Standing behind Zhong Ning, Shen Changqing was completely speechless. This person’s character is sowhat different from what I imagined. However, Shen Changqing didn’t show any signs of dissatisfaction but instead answered Zhong Ning’s earlier question. "I heard from Defender Dongfang that the Hidden Heart Pavilion researches how to break the Martial Artist Limit. Beyond that, I’m not very clear."
"Precisely." Zhong Ning, hearing this, retracted his gaze from the courtyard, paused, turned, and looked at Shen Changqing. "The Hidden Heart Pavilion is indeed researching how to break the Martial Artist Limit. Or, to be exact, the term ’Martial Artist Limit’ is incorrect. Strictly speaking, it should be about breaking the Human Clan’s own limits. Many people believe that the mont they step onto the threshold of the Martial Dao, they have already surpassed the limits of ordinary people. But in my opinion, this assertion is incorrect."
Shen Changqing remained expressionless, waiting for Zhong Ning’s subsequent words. This Elder of the Hidden Heart Pavilion clearly has his own insights.
"Martial Artists cultivate the Martial Dao not to break the limits of the human body, but to develop its potential. The difference between ordinary people and Martial Artists lies in whether they have unearthed their own potential. The deeper the exploration, the stronger one becos. The so-called Pulse Condensation, Innate, and even Grandmaster stages are all processes of tapping into the human body’s potential."
"However—everything has its limits, including the human body. Once the body reaches its limit, it can no longer develop new potential. This limit is what you refer to as the Martial Artist Limit."
The limit of the human body. The Martial Artist Limit. Only a superficial difference in wording, but the aning is the sa. I don’t feel inclined to argue about these definitions.
"The human body has limits, so after reaching them, one cannot increase in strength any further. Over the years, the Hidden Heart Pavilion has been researching how to break the human body’s limits to grant the Human Clan greater power. Aside from this, the Hidden Heart Pavilion studies many other things."
Many other things? Shen Changqing looked puzzled.
Zhong Ning smiled and said, "You have been to the Demon Slaying Hall, right?"
"Yes," Shen Changqing nodded frankly.
Zhong Ning continued, "Have you seen so of the small devices used to asure rit Points and the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant that each Demon Hunter carries? All of those are creations from the Hidden Heart Pavilion. The main purpose of the Hidden Heart Pavilion is to research various things. It can be said that the Hidden Heart Pavilion delves into anything beneficial to the Human Clan, to Great Qin."
These words from the Elder of the Hidden Heart Pavilion made Shen Changqing think of so things.
"What about the Demon Evils?"
"Demon Evils?" Zhong Ning looked at him with a sowhat strange expression, and the atmosphere in the courtyard grew tense. After a while, a smile appeared on his face, breaking the heavy atmosphere. Then, he gave a nod. "Correct, Demon Evils are also within the research scope of the Hidden Heart Pavilion. So things you will understand once you truly enter the Hidden Heart Pavilion."
"Am I not considered a mber of the Hidden Heart Pavilion yet?"
"Not yet. I am only here to take a look at you. Although a Defender Envoy has the authority to let people try to join the Hidden Heart Pavilion, they don’t have the power to forcefully place soone inside. Whether or not you can successfully enter has to be determined by our own examination."
Having said this, Zhong Ning paused. "However, you don’t need to undergo any examination. With your talent, you qualify to enter the Hidden Heart Pavilion. Your strength is also comndable; being able to slay a Barbarian Clan General amidst an army is sothing not many Demon Hunters can achieve.
"If you have no other matters now, co with . I will take you to the Hidden Heart Pavilion. Once you’re recorded in the roster, you will officially be part of the Hidden Heart Pavilion."
"Alright!" Shen Changqing didn’t refuse. He had already decided to enter the Hidden Heart Pavilion, and entering sooner or later made no difference.
As for the previous issue, my thoughts have turned to the Demon Evils imprisoned in the Demon-Subduing Prison. I had been unclear about the purpose of their detention, but now I have my answers from Zhong Ning’s words. Even though Zhong Ning didn’t explicitly state that the Demon Evils kept in the Demon-Subduing Prison were for research purposes, the truth of the matter is unlikely to be significantly different.
"You are surprisingly straightforward, not even asking about the benefits or downsides of joining the Hidden Heart Pavilion," Zhong Ning said with a half-smile.
"If Defender Dongfang recomnded to join the Hidden Heart Pavilion, it ultimately can’t be a bad thing."
"That’s true. Although those Defender Envoys are not all good people, on major issues of right and wrong, they are mostly decent. Your trust in Defender Dongfang is not misplaced." Zhong Ning was not surprised by Shen Changqing’s answer. He took one more glance at the layout of the courtyard, then turned and walked towards the outside. "Co with !"
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