Chapter 10: Comprehending the Star Map

“Brother Fang, there’s no need to rush. Just keep the Myriad Stars Chart with you and contemplate it at your own pace. See if you gain any insight,” Ye Hongxiu reassured him.

“Alright, that’s all I can do for now,” Fang Xian replied without discouragement or concern. With the Foundation Strengthening Formula, he was bathing in medicinal solutions that would temper his body in two or three months to a degree that would take others years to achieve. Soon, he would be able to begin practicing the Tiger’s Roar in the Mountains Diagram. So, the Myriad Stars Chart could hang here for now; it would be wonderful if he gained anything from it, but it didn’t matter much if he didn’t.

Thus began a new rhythm in Fang Xian’s life. Every morning, he rose to exercise, gradually extending his sessions from half an hour to two. By day, he treated patients and prepared medicinal pills—some to heal, others as poisons. In the evening, he soaked in his medicinal bath.

All the herbs extracted from Crouching Tiger Village were stored in the medicine hall’s storeroom. Noting Er Niu’s unwavering loyalty, Fang Xian let him use the Foundation Strengthening Formula as well, which rapidly improved Er Niu’s physical condition.

Half a month slipped by. One evening, as the sun lingered on the horizon and the moon had already risen in the east, the sky was sprinkled with a few faint stars.

Fang Xian lay on a hammock in the courtyard—a net of his own making, tied between two sturdy trees, gently swaying in the breeze, utterly at ease.

At that moment, he gazed into the night sky and suddenly, the Myriad Stars Chart appeared in his mind, gradually overlapping with the scene above.

He recalled the astronomy maps he had studied, and instantly, images of the nine planets orbiting the sun and the moon circling the earth arose in his mind.

Suddenly, he found himself plunged into a mysterious state. The countless stars seemed to move, and even the solar system began to shift within his mind, forming intricate lines and symbols of the Dao.

His body trembled as an inexplicable energy surged into him, coursing through his meridians along those mysterious lines.

Enlightened, Fang Xian memorized the path of the energy’s flow and actively guided it through his body, aware that he had comprehended the cultivation method hidden within the Myriad Stars Chart.

At the same time, the sunset, moon, and myriad stars in the night sky all shone brightly. Endless starlight cascaded down onto the Daba Mountains, forming a celestial phenomenon.

“What’s happening?” This spectacle lasted only a few breaths, but it shook the world. Countless powers began to investigate its cause.

...

In a hidden immortal sanctuary shrouded in clouds, atop a lofty tower, an old Daoist in a robe patterned with the Eight Trigrams suddenly opened his eyes, gazing deep into the starry sky.

“The myriad stars stir; a supreme cultivation method has emerged once again. It seems the chaos of this era will only deepen.” He muttered, then released a sword aura that transformed into a thunderous proclamation: “From this day forth, disciples of the Daoist Sect are to set forth and cultivate in the world.”

In the southern mountains, within a deep valley teeming with deadly creatures, a black-robed figure sat calmly among the venomous beasts, letting them crawl all over his body.

“The stars tremble, and a transcendent figure is born. Is another extraordinary being about to emerge in this world?” He let out a roar that echoed into an order: “Disciples of the Shaman Sect, descend from the mountains and aid the Liang Kingdom in its conquest!”

High in the snow-covered northern mountains, a burly man sat bare-chested, wrapped only in a beast hide at his waist, with a giant snow wolf by his side exuding a terrifying aura.

“As the sun and moon shine together, great turmoil approaches. It is time for the Barbarian God Sect to dominate the world!” He let out a long howl, his voice rolling like thunder: “Disciples of the Barbarian God Sect, join the Barbarian Kingdom’s army and sweep across the Central Plains!”

Besides these three extraordinary beings who sensed the disturbance among the stars, a dozen others across the land also felt something, though they did not understand. It was only days later, as events unfolded, that they realized something tremendous had happened.

Among them, only a few grandmasters in the Daba Mountains, such as Ye Qingyun, noticed anything unusual. But since the falling starlight had covered the entire Daba range, no one could pinpoint the cause.

“Could it be that Brother Fang has succeeded in contemplating the Myriad Stars Chart?” Only Ye Hongxiu wondered. She immediately darted to Fang Xian’s courtyard, only to find him sleeping in his hammock; by then, the anomaly in the night sky had already subsided.

“Brother Fang?” she called softly.

“Miss, Mr. Fang just fell asleep. Best not to wake him,” Er Niu came out and quickly stopped her.

“How long has he been asleep? Will he catch cold out here? He’s not a martial artist,” she asked.

“Not even a stick of incense’s time. Let him rest a bit—last night I tried sleeping in the hammock myself, and it was very comfortable,” Er Niu replied.

Ye Hongxiu nodded, her suspicions fading, though she felt a twinge of regret. How wonderful it would be if Brother Fang could truly cultivate the Myriad Stars Chart.

At that moment, Fang Xian was indeed in a mysterious state. Bathed in moonlight and starlight, a constant stream of mystical energy surged into his body, rapidly enhancing his physique, expanding his meridians, and strengthening even his internal organs. Some of the energy lingered in his meridians, circulating endlessly, even as he slept.

In his dreams, he wandered an endless sea of stars, surrounded by galaxies whose gentle radiance filled him with warmth and comfort—far surpassing even the pleasure of his medicinal baths.

When Fang Xian awoke, it was already the latter half of the night. He found his body greatly strengthened; mysterious energy flowed in his meridians, and though the flow was as thin as a hair, it never ceased.

“I’ve succeeded in cultivating the Myriad Stars Chart. My physical abilities have leapt ahead—though I wonder to what extent?” he mused, now wide awake and ready to continue his training.

“Congratulations, Host, on mastering the Myriad Stars Chart. Reward: Body-Forging Pill formula.” At that moment, the system issued a reward. Fang Xian checked his status:

System Host: Fang Xian, courtesy name Mingda. Skills: Medicine, Poison, Myriad Stars Technique. Items: Hundred Poisons Pill (0), Small Hundred Poisons Pill (2), Detoxification Pill (7), Foundation Strengthening Formula, Body-Forging Pill Recipe. Reputation Points: 1,220.

Fang Xian was elated. With Ye Hongxiu having announced their engagement, more and more people in the stronghold knew of him, pushing his reputation points above a thousand again.

However, what he wanted most was to redeem the second volume of the Medical Canon, which required three thousand reputation points—a sum impossible to gather quickly, as the entire Qingyun Stronghold held only about three thousand people, and points could not be repeatedly earned from the same person. Thus, his top priority was to expand the breadth of his “reputation field.”

He then examined the Body-Forging Pill recipe: it required more than thirty different herbs, but was highly beneficial to both first-class experts and grandmasters.

In contrast, the Foundation Strengthening Formula was useful for ordinary people and only had a short-term effect on first-class experts and grandmasters; over time, it lost its effectiveness.

“With this Body-Forging Pill formula, I can present the Foundation Strengthening Formula as a betrothal gift to the old chieftain. That should be a worthy offering,” Fang Xian thought to himself.

The next morning, Er Niu found Fang Xian already training in the courtyard—but his method was different: he was running while holding a pair of stone locks.

Stone locks are essential tools for martial artists to temper their bodies, usually weighing twenty, fifty, or a hundred catties. Er Niu, a second-tier expert, typically used a pair of hundred-catty locks.

But even Er Niu only lifted his in place, doing dozens of repetitions before resting. Over years, this steadily increased his strength and overall fitness.

What astonished Er Niu was that Fang Xian was running around the courtyard with his arms extended, holding the same hundred-catty stone locks. His bare torso was drenched in sweat, yet his muscles were perfectly proportioned, his arms bulging with explosive power.

Wherever Fang Xian ran, sweat left deep footprints in the earth. No one could say how long he’d been running, but the strength he displayed left Er Niu dumbfounded.

“Mr. Fang, how are you this strong?” When Fang Xian finally stopped and gently set down the locks, Er Niu rushed over in amazement.

“I have good news: I’ve succeeded in contemplating the Myriad Stars Chart and can now train in martial arts. But you mustn’t tell anyone else, except the old chieftain and Hongxiu—I’ll inform them myself. For now, keep it secret from the others,” Fang Xian said, trusting Er Niu’s loyalty but still cautious with the rest of the stronghold.

“Really? That’s wonderful! But, Mr. Fang, you’ve only just begun martial arts—how can you run with the locks? I can only lift them in place, never dare run with them,” Er Niu replied, a little sheepishly.

“It must be the cultivation method. I’m not entirely sure myself. By the way, how have you felt after these weeks of medicinal baths? Any results?” Fang Xian asked. Er Niu had bathed with him for nearly half a month.

“I feel stronger. I can do more than ten extra reps with the stone locks now. My elder brother says he’s stronger too,” Er Niu said happily. Some days ago, Fang Xian had given Er Niu several packets of medicinal powder to take home for Da Niu, knowing both brothers would soon be his staunch supporters in the stronghold.

After washing up and eating breakfast, Fang Xian made his way to the stronghold’s main hall—a rare occurrence, since the families of the old chieftain Ye Qingyun, the second chieftain Zhou Boxiong, and the third chieftain Huang Yuantao all lived in the courtyards behind the hall.

When he arrived, Ye Hongxiu was practicing swordplay in the plaza before the hall, with Ye Qingyun guiding her. The sword flashed and danced, its aura soaring skyward, as if both ethereal and dazzling, perfectly complementing Ye Hongxiu’s graceful form.

“Brother Fang.” When she finished, Ye Hongxiu smiled sweetly at him.

“Swift as Hou Yi shooting down the nine suns, poised as the dragons bearing the gods. As thunder rumbles, so your blade brings awe; when you finish, the rivers and seas are calm and clear. Hongxiu, your swordplay is truly admirable.” Fang Xian couldn’t help but recall the poetry of the Sage, praising the sword dance of Lady Gongsun’s disciple, and cheered her on.

“Brother Fang, did you compose that for me? I love it!” Ye Hongxiu’s eyes sparkled with delight. Though a daughter of the martial world, she still yearned for the romantic tales of gifted scholars and beautiful ladies from storybooks.