Sin Becomes a God

Chapter 16: Mastery of the Nine Yang

Defeated in a single move, the haughty Firemaster chose to leap off the cliff. Had it been anyone else—even top-tier masters like Song Yuanqiao or Abbess Extinction—a broken spine would have meant certain death. But as a先天 master, the Firework Monk managed to survive by relying on his formidable cultivation. Although his lower body was paralyzed, he was able to move freely throughout this gloomy valley with the aid of a stone ball. Fifteen years have passed. Although the Firemaster’s broken spine remains irreparable, his Nine Yang True Qi has actually become even purer. Relying on this supremely pure Nine Yang True Qi, the Firemaster managed to pass down the *Nine Yang Divine Art* to Lu Renjia within nine days. After the “First Manifestation of the Nine Yang” on the first day, he condensed the Nine Yang True Qi. The *Nine Yang Divine Art* truly lived up to its reputation as a martial art rated E+ by the “Evil God System”; the domineering Nine Yang True Qi condensed during the very first level—the “First Manifestation of the Nine Yang”—alone was enough to completely dissipate all the Wudang inner energy that Song Qingshu, in whose body Lu Renjia’s soul resided, had cultivated over many years. The next day, the Fire Monk once again, without a word, manipulated the vine—as agile as a serpent—to coil around Lu Renjia. Fueled by the overwhelming Nine Yang True Qi, Lu Renjia had mastered the second level of the *Nine Yang Divine Art*: “Nine Yang Circulation.” The Nine Yang True Qi, circulating upward, thoroughly cleansed the twelve main meridians within his body. As the overwhelming Nine Yang True Qi continued to purge his meridians, widening them, Lu Renjia—though still classified as a second-rate martial artist—could feel that his body’s endurance, strength, and speed had all surpassed his previous levels by two or three times. This led Lu Renjia to marvel at the wonders of this peerless divine art. Although the Wudang techniques had been passed down to Zhang Sanfeng—the undisputed patriarch of the martial arts world—and as the only son of Song Yuanqiao, the third-generation chief disciple of Wudang, he naturally had access to authentic Wudang teachings, these techniques were rooted in the interplay of yin and yang and required long-term cultivation to fully unleash their power. As the saying goes, life is like being forced into a sexual encounter. Since resistance is futile, you might as well enjoy it. With this mindset, every day at ten past noon, Lu Renjia and the Head Fire Monk would stage a performance of bondage and flogging. At first, Xiao Zhao was quite worried, but after seeing the so-called Young Master Zhang Wuji experience both pain and pleasure over the next few days, she put her mind at ease. Eight days passed, and Lu Renjia progressed through the stages of “Initial Manifestation of the Nine Yang,” “Circulation of the Nine Yang,” “Reverse Flow of the Nine Yang,” “Rising Sun of the Nine Yang,” “Prosperity of the Nine Yang,”Convergence of the Nine Yang, Burning of the Origin by the Nine Yang, and Unity of the Nine Yang—he was finally approaching the final critical juncture. The body currently inhabited by Lu Renjia’s soul had already opened all twelve main meridians and six of the eight extraordinary meridians, reaching the pinnacle of the first-tier realm; he was just one step away from opening the Ren and Du meridians to attain the Pre-Heaven realm. In accordance with the tacit understanding formed with the Fire Monk over the past eight days, Lu Renjia simply lay down on the ground with a carefree air. “Old man! Bring it on…” His indifferent tone was reminiscent of a woman about to be kneaded. “Whoosh, whoosh, swish…” One after another, vines as supple as spirit snakes appeared in the blink of an eye, binding Lu Renjia, who lay on the ground, tightly. “True Qi flows through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians; the Ren and Du Meridians are unblocked like rivers… Nine Yang in the Heavens!!!!” With the Fire Monk’s furious roar, a colossal surge of Nine Yang True Qi instantly filled every inch of Lu Renjia’s Eight Extraordinary Meridians, actually forcing open the Ren and Du Meridians within his body. In an instant, the raging Nine Yang true qi transformed into a whirlwind, causing the boulders in the valley to topple haphazardly under the force of this scorching gale. The Ren and Du meridians have long served as a dividing line, blocking countless top-tier martial artists; those in the world capable of unblocking them can be counted on one hand. In that instant, Lu Renjia joined the ranks of the Xiantian-level masters. As he clenched his fists slightly, Lu Renjia could clearly feel that this body seemed to possess an inexhaustible supply of power, with the vigorous Nine Yang True Qi circulating through all the major acupoints of his body. “Hahahaha… Zhang Wuji, you now possess the Nine-Tiered *Nine Yang Divine Art*! With the Ren and Du Meridians unblocked, your combat power has surpassed ten thousand points! You’re impervious to fire and water, immune to all poisons… It’d be hard for you to die even if you wanted to…Hahahaha… Your Wudang inner energy has been completely depleted; even if you wanted to return to Wudang, it would be impossible… Go… Go seek revenge… Go kill that pair of scoundrels, Song Qing-shu and Zhou Zhi-ruo!!!” The Fire Monk’s maniacal laughter echoed through the valley. Xiao Zhao, meanwhile, looked on with concern at Lu Renjia, who was suspended in midair. Although they hadn’t known each other for long, the man before her had never treated her as a mere maid. Their shared experiences of life and death had, surprisingly, caused Xiao Zhao to develop inexplicable feelings for him. For those in the martial arts world, betraying one’s master and turning against fellow disciples was an unforgivable crime; even the wayward followers of the Ming Sect would look down upon such a person. If the man before her truly relied on his cultivation to storm Wudang, regardless of success or failure, he would be branded a pariah of the martial arts world. Feeling the surging power coursing through his body, Lu Renjia slowly opened his eyes. After a fleeting flash of brilliance, his deep, piercing gaze returned to its former state. This was precisely the sign that a Xiantian-level master had returned to a state of natural simplicity. Lu Renjia could clearly sense that with the incredibly profound Nine Yang True Qi he now possessed—having ascended to the Innate Realm—if he were to face Aobai again, he was confident he could pierce right through Aobai’s vaunted “Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Refining Golden Bell Shield” with a single punch. “Host: Song Qingshu’s attributes—Internal Energy (Early Innate-level martial artist), Reflexes 80 (80 times that of an ordinary person), Strength 100 (100 times that of an ordinary person), Speed 90 (90 times that of an ordinary person), Comprehension 2 (twice that of an ordinary person). Overall Rating: E-class martial artist.” As he heard the icy voice of the “Evil God System” in his mind, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Lu Renjia’s mouth. At the same time, he took Xuan Kui Zhenren’s warning even more to heart. After all, the *Nine Yang Divine Art*, which had been rated E+ by the “Evil God System,” was now fully mastered by him—yet in the “Evil God System’s” evaluation, it was rated two levels lower, at a mere E-. Pushing those thoughts aside, Lu Renjia bowed slightly to Fire Master Touduo. “Senior… I know that all those years ago, you narrowly lost to my Grandmaster in a single move, and for the past decade or so, you’ve been plotting revenge. I know you didn’t teach me the *Nine Yang Divine Art* with good intentions! But I still have to thank you… because you’ve given me the means to exact my revenge…” Hearing Lu Renjia’s words, the Firework Monk burst into hearty laughter. “Hahahaha… Kid! A true villain is more endearing than a hypocrite… With your virgin body, having inherited my *Nine Yang Divine Art*, even that old codger Zhang Sanfeng might not be your match! This hundred-zhang cliff won’t stop you! What are you waiting for? Go seek your revenge… Let the world know that the *Nine Yang Divine Art* is the strongest martial art in existence!!!!” Realizing he wouldn’t have to fight Firemaster Tuo—an old monster who’d been cultivating the *Nine Yang Divine Art* for decades—as the original world’s timeline dictated, Lu Renjia breathed a huge sigh of relief. Since the world’s trajectory had been altered by him to twenty percent, and the mission’s difficulty had increased, Lu Renjia dared not take the risk of fighting Firemaster Tuo on a whim. However, Lu Renjia didn’t take the Firework Monk’s words seriously. His own incredibly profound Nine Yang True Qi had been bestowed upon him by the Firework Monk through a moment of enlightenment, and according to the “Evil God System’s” comprehensive evaluation, the Firework Monk had only reached E-rank, having advanced to the early stage of the Innate Realm. Yet, as a fellow Innate martial artist, Lu Renjia could sense that the Firework Monk’s strength was a notch above his own; he should be an E-level Innate martial artist. The reason the Firecraft Monk—at the E-level Innate realm—was able to forcibly elevate a second-rate martial artist like him all the way to the Innate realm was primarily due to the influence of the *Nine Yang Divine Art*, an E+-level martial art. Over the years, Zhang Sanfeng’s cultivation had not stagnated due to the passage of time; on the contrary, it had grown even more profound. Given this, Zhang Sanfeng’s strength should be a genuine E+ level. With the “Evil God System” within him, Lu Renjia wasn’t arrogant enough to think that, with his current E-level strength, he could challenge Zhang Sanfeng, who was two levels above him. With one arm wrapped around Xiao Zhao’s graceful waist, Lu Renjia leaped into the air. Now that he had mastered the *Nine Yang Divine Art* and unblocked the Ren and Du meridians, as an innate martial artist, he could wield any martial art with ease. Although he no longer possessed Wudang’s internal energy, his execution of Wudang’s *Ladder-Cloud Leap* remained as masterful as ever. With a light tap of his toes against the rock face, Lu Renjia—holding Xiao Zhao in his arms—climbed as if gliding through the air, effortlessly scaling the sheer cliff. After a few leaps, he had already ascended the hundred-zhang precipice. Xiao Zhao, who had remained silent until then, looked at Lu Renjia’s resolute face and asked anxiously, “Young Master… are you really planning to storm Wudang to seek revenge on Song Qingshu?” Lu Renjia looked at the lovely, charming beauty before him and couldn’t help but smile. “If I really went… what would you do?” Xiao Zhao lowered her head, her brows tightly furrowed as if she were about to make a momentous decision. “If you go to Wudang, Young Master, I will follow you, come what may…” Running a hand over his cheek and feeling the icy texture of the “performer’s mask,” Lu Renjia shook his head in resignation. He knew full well that the reason this woman was so deeply devoted to him was primarily because of his identity as Zhang Wuji; had it been anyone else, Xiao Zhao might not have felt this way. He thought to himself: “No wonder Song Qing-shu is green with envy toward Zhang Wuji—he’d love nothing more than to kill him on the spot… A rich, handsome guy getting completely outclassed by a penniless loser—no one could bear such a blow…” He gently ruffled Xiao Zhao’s hair with affection. “Don’t worry. The Grand Master has been incredibly kind to me… Besides, Song Qingshu is the eldest senior disciple’s only son. If he were killed… the eldest senior disciple’s line would be cut off. All for a woman who betrayed him… it’s not worth it!” Hearing Lu Renjia say this, a huge weight lifted from Xiao Zhao’s heart. She exhaled deeply and offered comfort: “You’re right, Young Master. What’s so great about being the Head of Wudang? He’s just a Taoist priest, after all. Now that you’ve mastered your divine martial arts, the world is your oyster—you can go anywhere… Why on earth would you want to be the Head of Wudang?” “Go anywhere? Then tell me, where should we go now?” “Um… Wherever you go, Young Master, Xiao Zhao will go too…” Seeing that Xiao Zhao, feigning confusion, had actually kicked the question right back at him, Lu Renjia naturally brought out the line he’d prepared in advance. “Although I’m here at Wudang, I’ve heard a little about what’s going on in the martial arts world… Zhou Zhiruo has come to Wudang on behalf of Emei not only to retrieve the Yitian Sword, but also to form an alliance with Wudang to crush the Ming Sect… I’ve heard that the other five major sects will all be sending their elite disciples…In that case, let’s go to Guangming Peak…” Hearing Lu Renjia mention Zhou Zhiruo again, Xiao Zhao couldn’t help but pout, thinking that the man before her still couldn’t get Zhou Zhiruo—that Emei disciple—out of his mind. Although he knew full well that nothing would ever come of his relationship with Xiao Zhao, seeing her adorable expression, Lu Renjia couldn’t resist teasing her, “What’s the matter? Are you jealous?” “Hmph… Not at all. Miss Zhou comes from a prestigious school, while I’m just a servant girl of the Ming Cult—how could I possibly be jealous?” “What good is a prestigious background? She’s still full of mischief! We may not be able to choose our origins, but we’ll never bow to fate, will we?” These heartfelt words seemed to reflect Lu Renjia’s own indomitable “underdog” spirit in the real world. “You’re right, Young Master. We can’t choose our background, but we’ll never bow to fate!” Xiao Zhao replied with a smile. Leaving aside the fact that Lu Renjia was taking Xiao Zhao—that charming and lovely beauty—to Bright Summit, Song Qingshu, manifested as a “dummy,” was currently kneeling in the Zhenwu Hall, acting out a tragic love scene alongside Zhou Zhiruo. “Grandmaster… Grandmaster… Your great-grandson is useless; I failed to save Junior Brother Wuji from that demoness… I deserve to die a thousand deaths…” Song Qingshu wailed, his face streaked with tears and snot. Standing nearby, Zhou Zhiruo furrowed her delicate brow—whether out of pity or because she found it repulsive to see a grown man crying like this—and spoke softly with her lips slightly parted: “Master Zhang, please allow me to report… The demonic cultists are despicable and shameless. Somehow, they learned that you were about to enter seclusion and launched a night raid on Wudang, attempting to steal our martial arts manuals… Senior Brother Song truly fought valiantly against them…Please do not punish him…” “Please, Grand Master, have mercy…” the Wudang disciples pleaded in unison. “You good-for-nothing! How can you do this to your Fifth Uncle?! I’ll kill you… to avenge Wuji’s death!!” Song Yuanqiao, known for his fiery temper, drew his sword and made a move to stab Song Qingshu, who was kneeling on the ground, wailing uncontrollably. Zhang Sanfeng, seated upright on his meditation cushion, swept his sleeve, and an invisible force roared forth, actually deflecting Song Yuanqiao’s sword strike, delivered in a fit of rage. Slowly opening his eyes, Zhang Sanfeng looked as if he had aged more than a decade. Although he was over a hundred years old, his cheerful disposition usually made him seem like a child at heart. Eight years ago, his most favored disciple, Zhang Cui Shan, had been driven to take his own life by the Five Great Sects. Immediately afterward, only Zhang Wuji remained as a remnant of his bloodline, leaving Zhang Sanfeng feeling deeply guilty toward his disciple Zhang Cui Shan. Consequently, for many years, Zhang Sanfeng had spared no effort in treating Zhang Wuji, even if it meant depleting his own energy every night. “Ah… Wuji has had a life of suffering; perhaps death is a form of relief for him…” Zhang Sanfeng sighed. Glancing at Song Qingshu, who was kneeling on the ground, Zhang Sanfeng—a先天 martial artist—saw that Song Qingshu’s martial power had greatly diminished at that moment, and he couldn’t help but believe Song Qingshu’s account of his fierce battle against the Demon Cult’s evil practitioners. “Although Wuji’s death was not your fault, as my chief disciple for three generations, Qingshu, you bear an inescapable responsibility! Considering that you are severely injured and your martial power has greatly diminished, I shall punish you by having you face the wall and reflect on your mistakes…” After speaking, Zhang Sanfeng turned to Song Yuanqiao and the others. “Yuanqiao… the Abbot of Shaolin has sent word, summoning the Six Great Sects to besiege Guangming Peak… You should set out for there with your disciples and Zhiruo…” A faint smile flashed across Song Qingshu’s face as he knelt on the ground, and he thought to himself: “Staying at Wudang allows me to look after Zhang Wuji and escape this crisis… Lu Renjia, oh Lu Renjia, I’ve done everything I could to help you… The rest is up to you now…”