Chapter 106: The Azure Dragon Transforms into a Star

The river water grew colder and colder, and the murky waves crashing against him felt like an immense wall of water. Gao Wu's arms now possessed a strength of two thousand five hundred kilograms; combined with the kicking of his legs, it was enough to forcibly part the waves and swim against the current.

But after swimming like this for over half an hour, Gao Wu’s stamina was nearly depleted. The relentless crashing of the giant waves was manageable, but the low temperature of the river water continuously sapped his body heat. Even with his robust physique, he felt chilled all over and overwhelmed by a profound fatigue.

Turning back, the Longmen Bridge had become a dark silhouette in the white curtain of rain. With his sharp eyesight, he could not see the figures of Shang Qingjun and the other two. Yet, relying on a mysterious spiritual connection, Gao Wu could still sense Song Mingyue’s location; they had already left the bridge, likely heading to the parking lot.

Clearly, they intended to pick him up by car.

“Smart!” Gao Wu muttered inwardly, then immediately focused all his attention on himself.

Risking his life to jump into the river and swim against the current was not for showmanship but to forcefully awaken his latent potential in desperation. Six Blue Dragon Divine Qi talismans still lay sealed within his brow, but he was reluctant to unleash them.

At this juncture, he needed to persevere and pressure his powerful physique to reveal its hidden strength, to comprehend the divine intent of the “Soaring Dragon Leaping Abyss” amid the life-threatening river waters.

With the massive energy expenditure, Gao Wu felt his arms stiffen and lose strength; his legs could no longer kick effectively.

A huge wave struck, pulling him deep beneath the surface.

At this critical moment, Gao Wu held his breath tightly. Instead of hastily unleashing the Blue Dragon Divine Qi talisman, he let the current carry him as he tumbled in the water...

Riding the wind and breaking the waves, splitting stones and piercing clouds—the four sword techniques whirled wildly in Gao Wu’s mind.

The Dragon Swimming Sword and Palm both originated from the “Soaring Dragon Leaping Abyss” form. Song Mingyue and Iron Dragon had both said that to master the Dragon Swimming Sword and Palm, one must understand the true meaning of the Soaring Dragon Leaping Abyss.

Song Mingyue had explained more clearly: to condense source power, one must comprehend Soaring Dragon Leaping Abyss.

The Dragon Swimming Sword and Palm were specific applications, but Soaring Dragon Leaping Abyss was the fundamental principle.

Gao Wu was in no rush. With his profound foundation, advancing to warrior rank was only a matter of time.

Yet, Bai Yushuang’s provocative taunt had ignited his competitive spirit.

He refused to believe that advancing to warrior rank was so difficult!

The Yin Spirit had refined the Destiny Sword; wielding this weapon allowed him to unite with the sword and elevate his swordsmanship to a consummate level.

In other words, through the Destiny Sword, he could experience the realm of advanced sword techniques at will.

Gao Wu had been practicing swordplay recently, sensing the difference between consummate and lesser realms of sword mastery.

Though his talent in martial arts was average, he was no fool.

Through repeated comparison and practice, Gao Wu had gained some insights. Spurred by Bai Yushuang’s provocation, he decided to try a radical path.

“Soaring Dragon Leaping Abyss isn’t about the dragon roaming freely in the abyssal sea; it’s about the dragon leaping out from the abyssal sea, taking on the momentum of the flying dragon in the heavens...”

The Nine Dragon Forms derived from the Twelve Divine Physiques technique; those who practiced the Nine Dragon Forms would use Soaring Dragon Leaping Abyss to refine their acupoints and gather source power.

The key lay in the word “leaping”—to break free from the abyssal sea and soar freely through the nine heavens.

Gao Wu understood the principle but struggled to incorporate it into his martial path.

Song Mingyue repeatedly emphasized that grasping the true essence of martial arts involved adjusting spiritual energy fluctuations, harmonizing body and mind, and establishing a stable resonance with source power.

The so-called true essence of martial arts—breathing, movements, visualization—were merely methods.

Gao Wu, however, held a different view because the Blue Dragon Divine Qi talisman could truly transform into a marvelous and powerful blue dragon, which troubled him somewhat.

What was the difference between the divine dragon manifested by the talisman and the martial visualization?

Gao Wu tumbled in the river for a long time but could not resolve this puzzle. Prolonged breath-holding made his head dizzy; his qi and blood stagnated, and his body could no longer sustain itself.

If he delayed any longer, he might truly drown here... Gao Wu was not afraid, but holding his breath underwater served no purpose.

He moved his spiritual energy and activated one of the Blue Dragon Divine Qi talismans stored in his brow.

---

A blue spiritual light transformed into a soaring dragon, spreading throughout Gao Wu’s body. It gave him renewed vitality in nearly suffocating conditions, instantly restoring his strength.

Almost instinctively, Gao Wu bent and stretched his body, exerted force with his arms, and shot out of the water.

As he gasped for air, he suddenly recalled his recent movements.

His body curved and twisted smoothly like a dragon, his legs swayed like a fish’s tail, his arms struck like dragon claws, and his head, like a dragon’s, led all changes.

Thus, the body represented the change of riding the wind; the legs, breaking the waves; the arms, splitting stones; the head, piercing clouds.

The four forms of the Dragon Swimming Sword were unified in the Soaring Dragon Leaping Abyss.

Only then did Gao Wu suddenly realize: he understood the principle and had even mastered the Dragon Swimming Sword but had never truly unified them.

Ultimately, he had relied too much on external forces and taken shortcuts, lacking a level of cultivation in his martial path.

Ironically, by inadvertently activating the divine talisman to stimulate his body’s vitality, he instantly achieved internal and external unity.

In this insight, he entered a mystical state where body, spirit, and consciousness converged without distinction.

A tremor resonated deep within his dantian; it seemed an invisible barrier was broken as strands of source power naturally converged there.

The Blue Dragon Divine Qi talisman in his brow was stimulated by the source power within his acupoints, flickering with blue light, ready to unleash.

This sudden change sparked an idea. Already bold by nature, Gao Wu immediately tried to activate another Blue Dragon Divine Qi talisman.

The blue light spread through his body and then naturally gathered with the source power in his dantian, adding a layer of azure to the condensed acupoints and stabilizing the newly formed acupoints.

Seeing the Blue Dragon Divine Qi talisman was beneficial and harmless, Gao Wu activated four more talismans.

With each blue light bolstering him, the acupoints condensed deep in his dantian transformed into a blue eight-pointed star.

At last, the newly opened acupoints were solidly stabilized.

The azure eight-pointed star-shaped acupoints shone like distant stars in the night sky—bright, exquisite, stable, seemingly transcending time and space to exist eternally.

Through this blue star in his dantian, Gao Wu could sense and inhale the source power of heaven and earth and resonate with the Blue Dragon Divine Qi talisman in his brow.

The Yin Spirit could also manipulate source power but was ethereal and illusory, completely unlike the sensation of inhaling source power with his own body.

Gao Wu found it hard to describe the feeling, like a fledgling bird leaving its nest and flying freely in the sky.

He felt the vastness of the world, free to roam endlessly...

---

In the parking lot, Shang Qingjun and Zhou Hongying sat in the front seats. Both were soaked and disheveled from earlier, but fortunately, Zhou Hongying had spare clothes in the trunk, and they each grabbed a jacket.

Zhou Hongying was bold by nature; she took off her soaked shirt inside the car and changed into her jacket without a care for Song Mingyue in the back seat.

Song Mingyue glanced over. Zhou Hongying’s skin was snow-white, firm, and radiant, her figure full of feminine curves and sexual allure.

Even Song Mingyue had to admit such a body was truly beautiful, and she couldn’t help but look twice.

Shang Qingjun, though shorter than Zhou Hongying, possessed a proportionate figure imbued with the unique, reserved elegance of Eastern feminine beauty.

The two beautiful women were by no means inferior to Bai Yushuang, possibly even surpassing her.

Bai Yushuang was pretty but somewhat immature and foolishly arrogant, which greatly diminished her charm.

Zhou Hongying sighed in relief; the fierce wind and rain had abruptly cooled the air, soaking them thoroughly. Even as an advanced martial artist, she felt very uncomfortable.

After changing into dry clothes and turning on the heater, she felt revived.

She turned to Song Mingyue and asked, “What should we do? Drive upstream to pick up Xiao Wu?”

Shang Qingjun was about to ask the same question and also looked to Song Mingyue.

Just as Song Mingyue was about to speak, her expression shifted; she closed her mouth and even her eyes.

Zhou Hongying looked at Shang Qingjun in confusion, unsure what Song Mingyue meant. Shang Qingjun slightly shook her head, signaling her not to rush.

Though this was their first meeting, Shang Qingjun could tell Song Mingyue was cold but polite; such unusual behavior must have a reason.

Zhou Hongying made a face at Shang Qingjun but said nothing more.

The car’s interior was small; the three women remained silent, even their breathing audible to each other.

---

The silence felt oppressive, even to Zhou Hongying.

Fortunately, Song Mingyue only remained silent briefly before opening her eyes and telling Shang Qingjun and Zhou Hongying, “It’s nothing. Gao Wu will return soon.”

“Ah?” Zhou Hongying was surprised. “We don’t need to pick him up?”

“No,” Song Mingyue shook her head slightly but did not explain why.

Zhou Hongying then looked at Shang Qingjun, her eyes full of curiosity and disbelief. How could Song Mingyue be so certain? Did she have some special connection with Gao Wu?

She scrutinized Song Mingyue, who wore a short trench coat tightly; maybe she really had some communication device hidden...

Shang Qingjun hesitated but, seeing Song Mingyue’s firm assurance, felt it would seem distrustful to ask further.

The rain poured heavily, the wind howled, and the waves surged. Even if they had a boat, finding Xiao Wu now would be difficult. Under such circumstances, there was little they could do.

Zhou Hongying, however, felt no restraint. After thinking, she asked, “Why did Xiao Wu suddenly jump into the river? Was it for martial arts?”

Such an act was indeed cool but highly reckless. She found it hard to understand how plunging into the river directly related to training martial arts.

“Everyone’s understanding of the Dao is different; this is his Dao,” Song Mingyue said reluctantly, explaining out of respect for Shang Qingjun.

Zhou Hongying’s curiosity deepened, “What kind of Dao is that?”

Song Mingyue merely shook her head and fell silent again.

Embarrassed, Zhou Hongying made a face at Shang Qingjun, signaling that Song Mingyue was truly strange.

Shang Qingjun gently patted Zhou Hongying’s hand and said, “Let’s wait and see.”

Zhou Hongying was restless, glancing at her phone and whispering with Shang Qingjun. After over twenty minutes, just as she was about to ask Song Mingyue again, the car door suddenly opened.

A white shadow flickered, and Gao Wu was already seated in the back.

“Ah?” Zhou Hongying was startled by his sudden appearance but quickly shouted joyfully, “You’re back!”

Shang Qingjun also saw Gao Wu and smiled brightly, “Xiao Wu, are you alright?”

“I’m very well now—very well!” Gao Wu grinned broadly.

“Do you want to change into dry clothes first?” Zhou Hongying intended to offer him something dry but was surprised to see Gao Wu completely dry, even his hair showed no trace of water. She looked at him in astonishment, “Eh, how did you—?”

Though the question was vague, Gao Wu understood and laughed heartily, “I comprehended the Dao in the river; my divine skill reached completion, drying my clothes was easy...”

He was actually boasting; he had used the Vermilion Bird Divine Light talisman to dry his clothes.

But awakening source power to condense acupoints allowed him greater precision in controlling the Vermilion Bird Divine Light, daring to use the talisman to dry his clothes.

Shang Qingjun was both shocked and delighted, “You’ve advanced to warrior rank?”

Gao Wu proudly declared, “Your brother is just that outstanding! To comprehend the Dao is to comprehend the Dao! Becoming a junior warrior is no big deal; I did it casually!”

Shang Qingjun intended to ask for details, but seeing Gao Wu cheerfully brag, she felt reassured.

No matter what, it was good that he had advanced. How he did it was not important... At eighteen years old, to become a warrior rank was exceptional even in Beizhou!

“Xiao Wu has really made it!”

She smiled warmly at Gao Wu, her bright eyes filled with pride and joy.

Zhou Hongying, however, was stunned, her mouth agape and eyes wide, “You’ve become a warrior already? How did you do it?”

As an advanced martial artist, she knew how difficult it was to break from martial artist to warrior rank. Gao Wu had just jumped into the river and swam around—then broke through?

If it were that easy, she would want to try too!

Gao Wu looked at Zhou Hongying’s charming yet somewhat innocent and coy expression and felt a stir in his heart: this lady was quite fun...

(The protagonist has advanced to warrior rank—a joyous event! Please support with monthly votes! It’s already late June; everyone, let’s go!)