Chapter 100: Internalizing Fortune
"Now?" Xiao Nanfeng glanced at the Red Emperor, confused.
"A fist technique is divided into several stages of comprehension: the basics, mastery, and quintessence. What lies between each stage?" the Red Emperor asked Xiao Nanfeng.
"A bottleneck," Xiao Nanfeng replied. "To overcome a bottleneck requires a great deal of experience in the form of time taken to experience the technique, study it, and then to actualize that understanding in the form of critical insight."
"We term it 'karmic consequence'," the Red Emperor explained.
"Karmic consequence?" Xiao Nanfeng seemed intrigued. He had seen this sort of description in Taoist scriptures before, but wasn't this precisely a bottleneck?
"There are many types of karmic consequence. The very nature of cultivation is to obviate such consequence and reach its vaunted peaks," the Red Emperor instructed.
"I understand. This karmic consequence is what bars me from comprehending these fist techniques fully, but how can I overcome them quickly? How will you be able to help me, Your Majesty?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.
"With fortune," the Red Emperor explained.
"Fortune?"
The Red Emperor looked up at the sky, at the golden cloud of fortune that belonged to the divine empire of Great Wei.
"All the fortune I may command, come!" The Red Emperor beckoned the cloud with a hand.
The great golden cloud suddenly split into fourths. As the Red Emperor continued beckoning it, a fourth of the golden cloud whizzed toward the three figures.
"Divide into two—there!" The Red Emperor waved a hand. The golden cloud again split into two, with each half sent into Yu'er and Xiao Nanfeng's bodies respectively.
Xiao Nanfeng felt a mysterious, miraculous sensation envelop his body. He suddenly entered a state of flow, as though he could reach out to grasp new heights that had been locked from him just moments ago.
Black Vajra's fist technique flashed through his mind. It seemed to be covered in fog and mist, but in his exceptional state, Xiao Nanfeng felt as though he could pierce the mists and reach its heart. He suddenly gained brand-new understanding of the technique. Basics? No, he was already at mastery. As he continued piercing through the mists, he felt as though quintessence was just a reach away. Was this all there was to the technique?
Yu'er, beside him, felt much the same way. Her eyes were glowing brightly as she unlocked discovery after discovery.
"Focus! Do not expend fortune at will," the Red Emperor commanded.
Xiao Nanfeng suddenly shook himself, preventing him from wasting the fortune on intuiting other techniques.
"Your Majesty, this is an unbelievable sensation," Xiao Nanfeng remarked.
"This is the nature of fortune, to allow you to bypass karmic consequence and improve your abilities smoothly. It is a treasure that all would fight over—but unfortunately, little fortune of the divine empire of Great Wei remains," the Red Emperor sighed.
"This is more than sufficient, Your Majesty," Xiao Nanfeng gasped. "I feel better than ever."
"Try again," the Red Emperor instructed.
"Yes, Elder!" Xiao Nanfeng nodded.
He stepped again toward Black Vajra, who likewise stepped forward. The two combatants met each other fist for fist. This time, Xiao Nanfeng's fist technique gradually approached quintessence as they fought on equal footing.
As Xiao Nanfeng consolidated his understanding, his eyes suddenly blazed, and he sent Black Vajra flying out in defeat.
"How do you feel?" the Red Emperor asked.
"Although I ignored his exposed weakness, he's nothing more than an eidolon. If I reach quintessence with his fist technique, I can defeat him. I expect I'll be able to make my way up the Plaza Stairway rapidly in this fashion," Xiao Nanfeng cried out in excitement.
"This is all thanks to your ability to memorize and understand. Otherwise, without an appropriate foundation, how could you hope to bypass karmic consequence? Prepare to fight. This amount of fortune should be enough to make your way to the top."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Xiao Nanfeng glanced up the mountain expectantly.
"Why not try to glean the intricacies of Hegemon's Fist?" Yu'er asked curiously.
"Hegemon's Fist is too abstruse, and the karmic consequence too severe. This amount of fortune isn't enough to overcome it. Rather, my consort has divided the technique into its hundred and eight constituents, giving you the chance to assimilate it bit by bit," the Red Emperor explained.
"I'll start advancing through the Plaza Stairway immediately," Xiao Nanfeng replied.
"Wait for us to leave first." The Red Emperor shook her head.
"To leave?" Xiao Nanfeng didn't understand.
"My spiritual power is still dissipating bit by bit, and I can't continue accompanying you. I will return to the dragon-quelling spike to conserve my energy. When you reach the final plaza, call me out."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"As for you, Yu'er, Hegemon's Fist is ill-suited to you. I've imparted you with countless secret techniques, so take advantage of this fortune to learn them well. You need not remain within the illusory realm, either. Head out and guard Nanfeng's physical body."
"Understood, Master!" Yu'er nodded.
The three figures were about to split up when a sudden noise came from the distance.
"Haha, what good timing! Three cultivators advancing the Plaza Stairway, clearing the way for me!" The obnoxious laughter that accompanied the voice caused the three of them to frown.
They turned to see a black serpent appear from not far away. It stepped onto the plaza on which Xiao Nanfeng was located.
"It's that loach?" Yu'er was shocked.
"Hmm?" The serpent raised an eyebrow, as though having heard something disrespectful.
Yu'er clutched her mouth tightly. After hearing the Red Emperor call the serpent a loach, she had begun to emulate her master.
Xiao Nanfeng stood before Yu'er as he looked toward the serpent. "You wish to ascend with me?"
The serpent hadn't heard Yu'er's words clearly, and it was quickly attracted by Xiao Nanfeng's question. It nodded condescendingly. "That's right, lad! I'll give you a chance to get into my good books. Go, lead the way! I'll reward you if you do so well, but if you refuse, I'll eat you all."
Xiao Nanfeng: ...This serpent thought far too highly of itself—and it was miserly, too!
"You're just a little loach. Who did you threaten to eat?!" the Red Emperor retorted. She was the Red Emperor! Weakened though she might be, no small serpent would be allowed to threaten her.
This time, the loach heard the remark clearly. Someone had been insulting it, after all! It was an envoy of the divine domain, with the power to eat any spirit in the spirits' domain with impunity. Who would dare show it such grave disrespect?
"Oh? You must all be tired of living!" the serpent retorted. It swiped its tail toward the three figures, intending to teach them a lesson.
However, the tail stopped short before the Red Emperor and Yu'er. Xiao Nanfeng had blocked it with a palm.
"Insolence!" Xiao Nanfeng chided. Having received multiple boons from the Red Emperor, how could he allow the serpent to denigrate her?
The serpent coiled its tail around itself, staring at Xiao Nanfeng in outrage. It had grown used to bullying others in the spirits' domain, and it believed that all cultivators and spirits in the spirits' and humans' domain should obey its will. Xiao Nanfeng's behavior was an insult!
"Lad, I gave you the chance to badger me. Not only do you refuse me, you dare to strike me? Do you want to die?" the serpent threatened chillingly.
"Beware of the consequences of trying to threaten someone you shouldn't," Xiao Nanfeng warned the serpent coldly.
The serpent goggled at Xiao Nanfeng. Don't you think that's my line? Who's the loser here?
"You must be tired of living. If you want to die, I'll grant your wish!" the serpent shouted in rage. It flicked its tail toward Xiao Nanfeng once again, but Xiao Nanfeng actually caught it with a hand. No longer holding back, he struck the tail with Black Vajra's fist technique, knocking it back.
"You damn brat! Don't you know who I am? Even a deity won't be able to save you now!" The serpent pounced forward in rage.
Xiao Nanfeng didn't fear him. Frost in his eyes, he took a stand and struck the serpent's claws. The two combatants seemed equally matched.
"Come at me again if you dare! I've lorded over the humans', spirits', and divine domain for years, and I've had my fair share of fights. I've never lost—and you think you can challenge me?!" The serpent swooped toward Xiao Nanfeng.
Man and serpent fought on equal ground. Though the serpent had the advantage in size, its spiritual power had been restricted by the realm, and was no stronger than Xiao Nanfeng here.
The serpent used its claws, horns, tail, and body effectively as weapons as it clashed against Xiao Nanfeng, but Xiao Nanfeng was no slouch himself.
"Impossible! I made it to the fifteenth plaza a century ago. How could I not be able to defeat you right here and now? This is impossible!" the serpent thundered.
The serpent was a fearsome foe indeed, with techniques that surpassed those of any opponent that Xiao Nanfeng had met. The fight was a struggle for him, but his superior yin pearl, which conferred greater understanding, allowed him to learn its techniques quickly. The fortune of Great Wei allowed him to bypass karmic consequence, allowing him to identify one of the serpent's weaknesses after just thirty minutes.
As Xiao Nanfeng consolidated his understanding, his eyes suddenly blazed, and he knocked the serpent out. It smashed into the ground in a cloud of dust.
The serpent had been defeated! It clambered up with mounting rage.
"Lad, you dare hit me? Don't you know who I am? I'm going to eat all of you—you won't be able to get away!" the serpent shouted, enraged.
Xiao Nanfeng frowned. He was preparing to defend against its counterattack—his victory was by the smallest of margins, and the serpent was strong in its own right.
However, the next moment, the serpent vanished in a cloud of mist. It hadn't struck Xiao Nanfeng as claimed, but had rather run off.
Xiao Nanfeng: ...
"Was it unable to take this loss lying down? Is it going to try to hunt us down in reality?" Yu'er asked, a strange expression on her face.
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