Chapter 331: The So-Called Secret Treasury

Chapter 331: The So-Called Secret Treasury

Huangfu Qing fell silent.

Zhao Changhe had just manifested his dharma image, but lost in meditation, he was unaware of it, likely thinking it was merely an outward display of sun and moon.

But Huangfu Qing, cultivating nearby, was abruptly roused and saw it clearly.

It was not sun and moon, but all the stars of the heavens gathering in the firmament, like the Milky Way inverted, cascading down from the sky above, merging into the dharma image behind him.

Its momentum was such that it seemed like the Milky Way falling from the Ninth Heaven.

Sun and moon were there too, but merely two particularly conspicuous among the myriad stars...

Huangfu Qing suddenly recalled the annotation from the Book of Chaos when Zhao Changhe first left Beimang: 'Long River falls from the Ninth Heaven, converging into rivers and lakes.'

Was the Heavenly Dao truly gone? Why did it now seem that this annotation carried profound meaning?

Zhao Changhe extended his hand, made a fist, and slowly withdrew it, sensing the changes in his internal power. His true qi seemed a bit softer, forming a stark contrast with his fierce external martial blood and qi, yet his strength was in no way diminished—rather, it felt more resilient, enduring, and inexhaustible.

His eyesight, hearing, and even his spiritual perception and intuition all felt a substantial improvement.

At this moment, even without relying on the cheat of his rear eye, he could surely see clearly through Hu Lie's wind and sand. Back then, Yue Hongling said she was one step away from the Secret Treasury, but she probably wasn't at his current level.

"Strange..." Zhao Changhe scratched his head. "Am I at the Ninth Gate of the Mystic Barrier or have I broken through to the Secret Treasury? It feels like this level should be Secret Treasury grade..."

"The Ninth Gate of the Mystic Barrier is originally the bridge to the Secret Treasury; having insights into the Secret Treasury is normal, and you have gone a step further than others..." Huangfu Qing said with some exasperation, arms crossed. "Because you haven't just broken through to the Ninth Gate—you've leaped straight to its peak, standing at the threshold of the Secret Treasury, so naturally you exhibit stronger Secret Treasury characteristics."

Zhao Changhe was taken aback. "I comprehended the stars, the interplay of sun and moon, communicating with heaven and man... and this still counts as only a bridge, not the Secret Treasury? Then how exactly does one break through to the true Secret Treasury?"

"This counts as you finding your own path, setting the direction for your future breakthrough into the Secret Treasury," Huangfu Qing explained. "In the principles of martial arts, each level corresponds to a specific barrier. What you have broken now is the Heavenly Spirit Gate, which is the Ninth Gate of the Mystic Barrier. As for the Secret Treasury, it naturally has another corresponding threshold."

Zhao Changhe thought for a moment. "Following this pattern, is it about opening the Spiritual Platform?"

"The Spiritual Platform is one of them... The Secret Treasury is called 'secret' because it involves excavating the mysteries of the human body; there are no specific acupoints like the Danzhong or Yutang for you to break through. For instance, the Spiritual Platform is the heart's inch-square. Does the heart have power? We just learned that heart fire has power. How do you use it? Open your heart?"

"Emmmm..."

"Finding how to control it—that is the process of opening the Secret Treasury," Huangfu Qing said. "We divide the excavation of the human body's Secret Treasury into three stages. The first is resonance with heaven and earth and manifestation of the dharma image. At this level, you can initially utilize external power, such as what you experienced when Hu Lie altered and harnessed the sandstorm to a certain extent."

You know quite a lot—you even know about my battle with Hu Lie. That means Third Lady was actually spying back then? Not only did she not help, but she also recounted my battle to her subordinates as a teaching case...

These thoughts flashed through Zhao Changhe's mind, but he casually responded, "And you taming the Heart Flame?"

Huangfu Qing tilted her head slightly.

Using fire counted, but the Heart Flame did not—especially taming it was something that could make others gape. Of course, it was best if he thought that way; Huangfu Qing certainly wouldn't explain, and she dared not ramble on about the second and third stages, lest she reveal that hers belonged to the Third Secret Treasury.

So she changed the subject. "Let's not discuss the second and third stages—biting off more than you can chew is not something you can comprehend now. Besides, different schools have different theories. If I say too much, it might interfere with your future Secret Treasury cultivation in the Blood God Sect. You'd best seek the Blood God Sect's teachings. I'll only elaborate on the First Secret Treasury, which is universally accepted."

"Alright." Zhao Changhe listened attentively.

"Being able to utilize heaven and earth to a certain extent doesn't necessarily manifest in things like sandstorms—that's Hu Lie's unique secret technique, which others cannot learn. But for us, we don't have to learn that; there are more subtle and broad angles, like merging with the wind direction, or utilizing temperature. When you merge your body with heaven and earth, you'll find the path... A blade that merges with the wind versus a blade against the wind—how do their strengths compare?"

Zhao Changhe understood intuitively. "Got it. Does manifesting the dharma image have any special use besides putting on a grand display?"

"It is an image produced by your essence, qi, and spirit resonating with heaven and earth. You can choose to suppress it and not manifest it. As for its use... let's put it this way: isn't momentum a kind of power? I heard that in your battle with Vulture Hunter Fang, you employed a method of escalating momentum to a certain extent—you should have some understanding."

Zhao Changhe said, "Yes."

"That is the accumulation of your experience as a martial artist. When you can fuse the application of this 'momentum' with your martial essence, qi, and spirit, then the dharma image manifests—like the white tiger shadow you saw from Chichi, or the setting sun intent of Yue Hongling. It is driven by powerful force. If you had possessed that intent back then, receiving Vulture Hunter Fang's spear might not have been so difficult."

This is the Secret Treasury.

It does not manifest directly in visible feedback like strength and speed; it begins to deal with more esoteric things—utilizing nature, wielding momentum.

No wonder the Ninth Gate of the Mystic Barrier is called a bridge. If one doesn't even touch upon this profound and mysterious intent when opening the Heavenly Spirit and building the bridge between heaven and man, then when would one? No wonder he said he was now at the threshold—he already had a concept of these things; it was just a pane of glass away, a feeling of being just a little short of achieving it.

Yue Hongling had explained quite a bit when she broke through, but back then he hadn't reached this stage, so hearing it didn't directly correspond to his experience. This time, it was just right.

Moreover, he felt that Yue Hongling wasn't very good at teaching disciples—ever since the mountain stronghold, she taught very roughly, letting you figure it out yourself. Huangfu Qing, on the other hand, was worthy of being a high-ranking sect leader; she clearly had experience in teaching, explaining profound things in simple terms, citing various examples, and being much more detailed.

Seeing that he had mostly digested it, Huangfu Qing added, "The Secret Treasury is closely related to the spirit, so the Spiritual Platform you mentioned earlier is also one aspect. When you open the First Secret Treasury, you will naturally understand how the Blood Fiend Terror that you used to recite mechanically from the manual, or the Soul-Stealing Art of the Extreme Joy Method, and your Heart-Protecting Technique like the moon reflecting on water—how their specific applications are formed. Because spirit is also energy, all can be analyzed to their origins."

Zhao Changhe bowed sincerely. "Thank you for your guidance, Sister."

Huangfu Qing looked at him with a half-smile. "Still calling me Sister?"

Zhao Changhe tried, "Qing'er?"

Huangfu Qing nearly choked on her own bile, laughing and crying at once. "Better just call me Sister."

Zhao Changhe said helplessly, "Single-character names are troublesome; they easily get awkward."

"Hongling, Chichi, Wanzhuang, Yuanyang—those are better, right?"

"...Wait, we seem to be in the middle of teaching and learning."

"Hmph." Huangfu Qing turned her head away. "I'm done. I don't want to teach you anyway. After all this talk, I never said how to open the Secret Treasury. What are you thanking me for?"

"Because Sister has already said it: the Secret Treasury is secret because it has no specific method of opening, nor any specific acupoint to break through—thus it cannot be taught in words. You have told me what it is; the rest—how to achieve it—is for me to seek on my own." Zhao Changhe said, "I have established my martial intent. When I can verify it, that will be the moment my dharma image manifests... This is my path to becoming a grandmaster."

A phrase surfaced in Huangfu Qing's heart: Truly a genius, complementing Chichi.

Ordinary people would only keep asking 'What should I do?', but these geniuses understood at once that this was not something to be asked, but something gained through practice.

He already had a clear idea of what it was; next was the time for him to seek it himself.

This final step—Chichi had broken through it easily. Huangfu Qing felt that Zhao Changhe might find it even simpler.

The Luo Manor massacre left only two unparalleled geniuses? Huangfu Qing looked at her own hands and felt that the most impressive person seemed to be herself.