Chapter 54: Three Hundred and Sixty Rooms

In the village, Elder Ma retracted his fist and asked Qin Mu, “Do you understand now?”

“I understand!” Qin Mu pondered, “Each dragon energy represents a different power. A different sequence of dragon energies creates a different fist force. If the hundred variations of Azure Dragon Fist energy are shuffled, the ‘Nine Dragons Controlling Wind and Thunder’ technique will have countless permutations! Someone might block my first punch, but they could never block my second punch with the same move! Even if I throw a hundred or a thousand punches, the power of each will be absolutely unique!”

Elder Ma rarely showed a smile as he said, “Before, your Tyrant Body vital qi had no attribute, so you couldn’t cultivate the Mahayana Sutra of Tathagata, and I promised Great Thunderclap Temple that I wouldn’t pass it on. Now your Tyrant Body vital qi possesses the Azure Dragon attribute, and I still won’t teach it to you. However, as long as you comprehend the principles of the fist, whether you learn the Mahayana Sutra of Tathagata or not is irrelevant. You have already grasped the rhythm, form, momentum, qi, and spirit of the dragon. Even if you haven't seen the Hundred Dragons Diagram, you can deduce its mysteries. With your Tyrant Body Three Elixirs Art, the power of the Eight Styles of Thunder Sound will be no less than that of the Mahayana Sutra of Tathagata!”

Qin Mu’s spirits soared. Elder Ma was always stern and rarely praised anyone, so receiving his commendation made him very happy. Moreover, Elder Ma’s words gave him inspiration and sparked other ideas. The ‘Nine Dragons Controlling Wind and Thunder’ in the Eight Styles of Thunder Sound primarily involves dragon energy. What about the first style, ‘Single Body Carries Spring Thunder to the East Sea’? Could he grasp the essence of this style by observing a great river cascading, flowing into the sea, and listening to the roar of spring thunder? And was the move ‘Fingers Flick Thunder Pipa Hand’ related to music? Moves like ‘Kuafu Chasing the Sun with Haste of Wind and Thunder’ and ‘Sun Illuminates Yang Soul Refinement in the Air’ must certainly have their own methods of comprehension! The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, wishing he could immediately leave home to wander the world, observe the mysteries of heaven and earth, and explore the profound secrets of creation!

“Tomorrow, remember to get up early and go greet the people in the neighboring village,” Granny Si said with a smile.

Qin Mu wondered, “Granny, the people in the neighboring village are from the Demonic Cult. Why do they call you the Cult Master’s wife? Why do they want you to be the Cult Master? And if you refuse, why do they still want to kill us?”

Granny Si patted his head and chuckled, “You’ll find out in time.”

Early the next morning, after Qin Mu washed up and ate, he picked up some eggs. The Chicken-Dragon charged over aggressively, engaging in a fierce, evenly matched fight with him. The Chicken-Dragon flapped its wings, using its sword-like feathers to strike the egg thief, and exhaled a great blast of fire. Qin Mu, with Azure Dragon vital qi circling his body, unleashed the ‘Fingers Flick Thunder Pipa Hand’ to block the sword feathers.

“Mu’er, stop fighting it. Go pay a visit to the neighboring village,” Granny Si said, walking over and chasing the Chicken-Dragon away.

Qin Mu quickly followed her. The Chicken-Dragon chased after them again but was scolded away by Granny Si.

Granny Si brought him to the neighboring village, where the Elder of Enforcement greeted them. He scrutinized Qin Mu, then said to Granny Si, “Cult Master’s wife, everything is ready. The three hundred and sixty rooms await; the young master only needs to pass through them once.”

Granny Si blinked and said, “Pass through three hundred and sixty rooms in one go? Isn't that asking a bit much?”

The Elder of Enforcement chuckled, “If he cannot pass through all three hundred and sixty rooms, then we must ask the Cult Master’s wife to return with us.”

Granny Si gritted her teeth and asked, “Can he rest?”

“Rest as much as you like. The rooms have food and drink, beds and bedding, healing medicine, spiritual elixirs, everything you need.”

Granny Si looked at Qin Mu, then gritted her teeth again and said, “Mu’er, go to the three hundred and sixty rooms and pay them a visit. Remember to address them as ‘senior brother’ and ‘senior sister,’ not ‘senior.’”

Qin Mu nodded and walked towards the first room of the first wooden building, smiling. “Three hundred and sixty rooms, I wonder how long this visit will take. Granny, I’m going in.”

Granny Si watched his retreating back and suddenly said, “Mu’er, do you know what you’ll face once you go in?”

Qin Mu turned back and smiled. “I know. I won’t let them take Granny away.”

Granny Si felt a warmth in her heart and turned to leave. She had picked up this child by the river bank years ago, never imagining that the infant from back then would one day alleviate her worries.

Qin Mu entered the first room of the first building. The room was very spacious, and inside sat a yellow-faced man whose face was as yellow as if he’d eaten gall. He had a goatee beard and held an abacus, looking like an accountant at work.

“Senior brother.” Qin Mu stood still, bowed first, then one by one removed the butcher knife, bamboo staff, Xiqi Luo, sword pouch, Young Protector Sword, and other items from his back, placing them by the door. He said, “Please, senior brother.”

The accountant looked at the eleven or twelve-year-old boy before him in surprise and said with interest, “Do you know why you’re here? Did the Cult Master’s wife tell you?”

Qin Mu stretched his body, his vital qi surging powerfully, and chuckled, “Granny doesn’t need to tell me explicitly; I naturally know!” He suddenly pushed off with his feet, rushing to the accountant in a single step. Boom! A thunderous sound burst from his palm, the young boy’s vital qi fierce as fire!

“Isn’t it just fighting my way from the first room to the three hundred and sixtieth room?”

The accountant hastily extended his hand to block, only to feel a tremendous force strike him. He flew backward uncontrollably, crashing through the wooden wall behind him with a loud splintering sound, falling into the courtyard. He slid back over ten zhang before finally stabilizing himself. Astonished and enraged, he looked up through the hole in the wall to see Qin Mu walking to the doorway, still carrying the butcher knife, bamboo staff, and other items on his back, heading towards the next room.

“Why am I getting angry with a child?” The accountant, after his initial fury, chuckled to himself, then called out loudly to the other wooden buildings, “Be careful, this little brat is very cunning! His vital qi cultivation at the Spirit Embryo Realm is incredibly profound, twice as much as mine was at the same level. Watch out, don’t be caught off guard!”

“Twice as profound as yours?” A woman’s clear, bell-like voice came, sounding surprised. “Such cultivation! He’s certainly worthy of being the young master. I wonder what his spells are like.”

Qin Mu walked to the next room, pushed open the creaking door. Inside, a scholar sat, engrossed in a book, swaying his head back and forth.

“Senior brother.” Qin Mu bowed. The scholar looked wary and chuckled, “Do you want to ambush me while I’m returning your bow? I won’t give you that chance.”

“Qike Duo!” Boom! Thunder erupted, followed by a violent tremor. Wood splinters flew everywhere as the scholar was sent flying backward through the debris, crashing into a towering tree and knocking it down.

The scholar landed and shouted, “Watch out, this brat is powerful! He’s skilled in demonic incantations, even more fluid than our Sacred Cult’s incantations!”

Boom— No sooner had he spoken than another thunderous sound rang out. An ancient-looking private tutor was knocked out of the wooden building, tumbling and rolling into a stone pillar. He roared in fury, “Nonsense! I fell for your trick! I was too busy guarding against his demonic incantations, and he almost injured my soul with Great Thunderclap Temple techniques! Don’t fall for it; he’s using the Eight Styles of Thunder Sound from Great Thunderclap Temple!”

“Nonsense!” A woman’s furious cry came from the fourth room. “Old Xie, you tricked me! He used the Demonic Creation Art, sealing my three souls and seven spirits! You little brat, don’t run off! You groped all over, ruining my reputation!”

Qin Mu’s face flushed slightly as he exited the fourth room. The Demonic Creation Art required striking specific points on the opponent: the perineum, internal organs, and navel. For women, these three points were private areas, making it very difficult to strike. Especially the perineum, which was quite vulgar.

“I’m still young, I don’t understand these things,” the cowherd boy from Disabled Elderly Village thought to himself, blinking.

In the fifth room, a skeletal man watched Qin Mu approach and sneered, “Whether you use demonic path techniques or devil gate methods, don’t even think about passing me. Suppression Golden Toad Art!” As he walked towards Qin Mu, he took a long, deep breath. A gurgling sound emanated from within him, growing louder and louder, roaring like a toad demon!

Qin Mu was surprised to see the lean Demonic Cult hall master’s body inflate. He had been skin and bones, but as he continued to inhale, muscles beneath his skin grew thick and gradually bulged! This Suppression Golden Toad Art followed a demonic transformation path, imitating the Suppressing Golden Toad, a rare species of exotic beast. Normally, it was only the size of a washbasin, but when it puffed itself up, its body would expand a hundredfold, even capable of swallowing fierce tigers and lions whole. Once the Demonic Cult’s Suppression Golden Toad Art was unleashed, it granted immense strength and exceptionally profound vital qi. Although the amplification was not as terrifying as that of a real Golden Toad, it was still extraordinary!

As the Demonic Cult hall master inhaled, Qin Mu also inhaled. However, unlike the Suppression Golden Toad Art, Qin Mu’s chest didn’t puff out when he inhaled. Yet, his breath was frighteningly powerful; the air directly in front of him was almost completely sucked dry by a single breath, and as surrounding air rushed in to replenish it, it created a breeze within the wooden building, even causing the windowpanes to gently rattle!

The hall master’s vital qi became incredibly ferocious. After completing his inhale, his body was covered in bulging, terrifying muscles, each like a rock, stretching his clothes taut, seemingly ready to burst open at any moment! His body also gradually grew taller, eventually reaching over a zhang, like a small giant! Meanwhile, Qin Mu’s body remained unchanged, just as it normally was.

“The Suppression Golden Toad Art grants unrivaled strength! I can smash you with one punch! Gu—!” The hall master raised his palm; it had grown to the size of a cattail leaf fan, crimson as blood. The room filled with a bloody glow as he unleashed a punch that nearly caused the air to explode, sending it rocketing towards Qin Mu!

Qin Mu also unleashed a punch. The two fists, one large and one small, collided with a resounding boom. The moment they struck each other, the entire wooden building trembled violently. The hall master grunted, taking a step back. The muscles on his arm writhed as if a dragon had burrowed inside, surging like waves beneath his skin, rapidly tunneling along his arm towards his chest! His expression flickered. He raised his other hand and chopped at his own arm, severing that surge of dragon energy. He took another step back; his arm bulged, as if two dragons were churning beneath his skin, and he hastily chopped down again!

As he retreated the fourth step, the wall behind him shattered into pieces. On the fifth step, he landed on the ground outside the building, then retreated four more steps, leaning against a large tree. The tree suddenly shook violently, its trunk pulverized into dust, and its crown plummeted straight down. Wood splinters filled the air, and amidst them, a pattern of nine dragons galloping, controlling wind and thunder, emerged from behind the hall master, roaring and thundering! He had failed to intercept the ninth surge of the ‘Nine Dragons Controlling Wind and Thunder’.