From the moment the Tiger Soul awakened, I became invincible.

Chapter 112 The Ruined Tianwu Mountain

After descending from the martial arts arena in Kunlun Ruins, Qin Wu and Cang Xuanwu walked side by side on the streets of Linshui City. They hadn't gone far when they saw a small, thin figure lurking furtively at a street corner—it was Zhou Qiao'er.

"Hey, what's wrong with you? You actually dared to refuse even Kunlun Ruins, such a powerful sect. Aren't you afraid of offending the important figures inside?"

As Qin Wu approached, Zhou Qiao'er peeked out from behind the wall, her tone slightly mocking. She was still clutching half a half-eaten meat bun in her hand, and oil splattered from the corner of her mouth.

Qin Wu smiled and said, "I naturally have my own choices. Kunlun Ruins is powerful, but it's not my ideal place. As for you, it seems your brother hasn't been taking care of you again."

Zhou Qiao'er pouted, stuffed the bun into her mouth, and mumbled, "I'm just curious, why didn't you join such a good sect as Kunlun Ruins, but instead chose the dilapidated Tianwu Mountain? Did you lose your mind?"

Upon hearing this, Cang Xuanwu, who was listening nearby, immediately turned pale. Just as he was about to speak, "Qiao'er!" Zhou Yan, the Black Demon Blade, stepped out from the side, glanced at Cang Xuanwu with a somewhat embarrassed expression, and then clasped his hands in a fist and said to Qin Wu, "Brother Qin, my sister has been rude, please forgive her."

Qin Wu waved his hand: "It's alright. But what are you and your sister doing here? Are you here to participate in the apprentice recruitment event as well?"

Zhou Yan gave a wry smile: "To be honest, my sister and I did come here to join the True Qi Sect. However..." He paused, glancing at Zhou Qiao'er beside him, "My sister is free-spirited and doesn't want to be bound by the rules of those major sects. Senior Cang approached us before, saying that Tianwu Mountain has fewer rules and is more suitable for us, so we..."

"So you're also planning to join Tianwu Mountain?" Qin Wu raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

Zhou Qiao'er curled her lip and said, "I didn't agree to that..."

Before she could continue, Zhou Yan spoke up, "Qiao'er!" His voice rose a few octaves, immediately silencing Qiao'er's words. Then Zhou Yan continued, "I do hope to join Tianwu Mountain, but I'm still a bit conflicted. Now that I see you joining Tianwu Mountain, Brother Qin, I'm curious and just want to hear your thoughts."

Upon hearing this, Qin Wu said, "Everyone has their own choices and ideas. However, Tianwu Mountain may not be as good as Kunlun Ruins in other aspects, but at least in one aspect, Kunlun Ruins cannot compare with Tianwu Mountain. You can see this from Senior Cang. Tianwu Mountain is obviously more 'popular'. As for Kunlun Ruins..." Qin Wu shook his head and did not continue.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qiao'er seemed thoughtful: "That's true. Those guys in Kunlun Ruins are clearly old-fashioned. Even if you joined them, you'd probably be subject to many restrictions."

Zhou Yan smiled. He knew his younger sister had agreed. There were some things he hadn't said yet. Unlike Qin Wu, he and his sister didn't have many choices. However, they didn't know that Qin Wu actually knew them better, since Meng Qiudie had already given him a brief introduction to the Zhou siblings. But both sides understood each other implicitly and didn't continue the conversation.

Before Qin Wu could speak, Cang Xuanwu laughed heartily and patted Zhou Yan on the shoulder: "Not bad, not bad, you siblings have excellent judgment! Although Tianwu Mountain is currently in decline, it will definitely not mistreat geniuses like you! Come on, let's find a place to have a good chat."

The group found a teahouse by the street and chose a window seat. Zhou Qiao'er asked curiously, "Qin Wu, what was the name of that set of fist techniques you used on the dueling platform earlier? It looked very powerful! And that dragon claw-like move you used at the end, was that the Dragon Snake Lurking Hand you mentioned before?"

Qin Wu took a sip of tea and patiently replied, "That set of boxing techniques is called the Tiger Subduing Fist, and the Dragon and Snake Hidden Hands is indeed a technique I've been practicing recently. But why are you, a young girl, so interested in boxing?"

Zhou Qiao'er blinked. "Who says little girls can't like martial arts?" she said, suddenly jumping up from her seat and striking a pose. "Look, this is the Fox Shadow Step that my mother taught me. Pretty impressive, right?"

With a swift movement, she left several afterimages in her wake, her speed dazzling to the eye. A hint of surprise flashed in Qin Wu's eyes; her footwork was indeed exceptionally agile. No wonder Zhou Qiao'er had managed to escape from him before.

Zhou Yan shook his head helplessly: "That's just how my sister is, please don't take it to heart." He looked at Qin Wu and said sincerely, "Brother Qin, I offended you a lot in Linshui City before, please forgive me. From now on, we are fellow disciples of Tianwu Mountain, please take good care of me."

Qin Wu smiled and said, "We're all from the same sect, so there's no need for such formalities. We'll just look out for each other from now on."

The group chatted for a while longer, discussing everything from the local customs and culture of Linshui City to their respective cultivation experiences. Although Zhou Qiao'er was impulsive, she possessed an exceptional talent for martial arts, and her questions were often insightful. Zhou Yan, on the other hand, was much more composed and had his own unique understanding of swordsmanship.

Before they knew it, it had gotten dark. Cang Xuanwu glanced at the sky, stood up, and said, "Alright, it's getting late. We'll set off for Tianwu Mountain first thing tomorrow morning."

That day, Qin Wu went to Baicaotang and told Meng Qiudie about it. Meng Qiudie was somewhat surprised to hear that Qin Wu had decided to join Tianwu Mountain, especially when she heard that he had become a fellow disciple with the Zhou siblings. She frowned, but didn't say much, only reminding him to be careful.

Before he left, Meng Qiudie said, "Young Master Qin, the situation at Tianwu Mountain is a bit different from other places. There isn't as much intrigue once you're inside, but the situation is probably more dangerous than in other sects. Please be careful in the future. I hope we will meet again someday."

Watching Qin Wu leave, Meng Qiudie's eyes held a wistful and somewhat lost look. She finally sighed deeply and returned to the Hundred Herbs Hall. Qin Wu had his own things to do, and she, too, had her own responsibilities to fulfill.

Early the next morning, Qin Wu and the others followed Cang Xuanwu away from Linshui City, heading west. Tianwu Mountain was located in the mountains of western Qianzhou, hundreds of miles from Linshui City. Cang Xuanwu used his movement technique, carrying the group swiftly through the mountains and forests. Qin Wu and Zhou Yan followed closely behind. Zhou Qiao'er, relying on her Fox Shadow Steps, although her cultivation level was slightly lower, easily kept up with the group.

After walking for about half a day, the group arrived at the foot of a majestic mountain. The mountain soared into the clouds, its body a peculiar bluish-black, resembling a sleeping giant beast from afar. A winding path led from the foot of the mountain to its summit.

"Is this Tianwu Mountain?" Zhou Qiao'er asked curiously. "It doesn't look particularly special."

Cang Xuanwu smiled and said, "Don't underestimate this mountain. Tianwu Mountain has a history of thousands of years and holds many secrets." As he spoke, he led the way onto the path.

The group walked up the path, seeing many exotic flowers and rare plants, as well as some unusual birds and animals. After about an hour, they reached the mountainside. There, they found a wide, flat area with several simple wooden houses. Vegetable and fruit trees grew around the houses, suggesting that the place was inhabited.

"Is this the gate of Tianwu Mountain?" Qin Wu asked in surprise. He had originally thought that Tianwu Mountain would be like Kunlun Ruins, with magnificent buildings and many disciples, but he did not expect it to be so simple.

Cang Xuanwu scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "Actually... this is just the outer sect headquarters of Tianwu Mountain. The inner sect of Tianwu Mountain is at the top of the mountain, which is the real core area. However, due to the decline of Tianwu Mountain and the fact that it suffered a calamity before and has not been rebuilt, the outer sect headquarters is like this."

Just then, a man dressed in coarse cloth came out of the wooden house. Upon seeing Cang Xuanwu, he immediately bowed respectfully: "Elder Cang, you're back!"

Cang Xuanwu nodded: "Yes, I brought a few new disciples back. Go and inform the mountain lord that I'm back."

Before long, an elderly man with white hair walked over. He was wearing a Taoist robe, and his face was covered with wrinkles, but his eyes were exceptionally sharp.

"Xuanwu, you're finally back!" The old man smiled when he saw Cang Xuanwu. "These are the new disciples you brought?"

Cang Xuanwu nodded and introduced, "Mountain Lord, this is Qin Wu, this is Zhou Yan, and this is Zhou Qiao'er. They are all rare geniuses who are willing to join our Tianwu Mountain."

The old man carefully examined Qin Wu and the other two, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Not bad, not bad at all, all promising talents! Especially this young friend Qin Wu, his aura is steady, his strength is extraordinary, he will surely achieve great things in the future!"

Qin Wu quickly bowed and said, "Junior Qin Wu greets the Mountain Lord."

Zhou Yan and Zhou Qiao'er also bowed, saying, "Greetings, Mountain Lord."

The old man laughed heartily: "No need for formalities! Since you are willing to join Tianwu Mountain, you are now disciples of Tianwu Mountain. I am the mountain lord of Tianwu Mountain, my surname is Wu, you can call me Mountain Lord Wu."

Master Wu led the group into the wooden hut. The hut was simply furnished with only a table and a few chairs. Master Wu asked them to sit down and then said, "Although Tianwu Mountain is now in decline, our tradition has never been broken. As long as you are willing to cultivate diligently, you will surely become powerful figures in the future."

He paused, then continued, "Cultivation at Tianwu Mountain is divided into outer and inner sects. The outer sect mainly cultivates basic techniques, while the inner sect cultivates the core techniques of Tianwu Mountain. To enter the inner sect, one must pass the inner sect assessment. However, judging from the talent of the three of you, the outer sect assessment should not be a problem for you. But this is a long-standing rule of Tianwu Mountain, and naturally it cannot be broken."

Qin Wu asked, "What are the contents of the inner sect assessment?"

Master Wu smiled and said, "The inner sect assessment is very simple. Do you know what the next realm is after the Nourishing Heart and Opening Meridians Realm?"

"Initial stage of True Qi," Qin Wu replied. He didn't know the specifics, but he had a general idea.

Master Wu said, "That's right, it's the initial stage of True Qi. To reach the initial stage of True Qi, one needs to open twelve acupoints. So becoming an inner disciple of Tianwu Mountain is very simple; as long as one can open one of these acupoints, one will be qualified to join the inner sect of Tianwu Mountain."

After saying this, Master Wu sighed and said somewhat helplessly, "If it were decades ago, to join the inner sect of Tianwu Mountain, one would need to have fully opened all twelve acupoints and possess the power of the initial True Martial Realm. However, Tianwu Mountain is now in decline, so there are not so many requirements. As long as one has the potential to become the initial True Qi Realm, one can join the inner sect of Tianwu Mountain."

From what Qin Wu observed after arriving at Tianwu Mountain, it was clear that the mountain had indeed suffered a calamity, hence its current state. If he had chosen to join Kunlun Ruins instead of Tianwu Mountain, he might not be facing this predicament. However, Qin Wu had no regrets. As long as the Tianwu Mountain tradition remained intact, it wouldn't significantly impact his cultivation. What he valued most was the current atmosphere of Tianwu Mountain; joining Kunlun Ruins would have been a real headache for him.

Zhou Yan, the Black Demon Blade, spoke solemnly, "Mountain Lord, rest assured, we will open the twelve acupoints as soon as possible." He was still quite far from opening the twelve acupoints, as he hadn't yet reached the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm. However, he knew that within Tianwu Mountain, the cultivation speed would definitely be faster than on his own. His sister, on the other hand, would likely need more time to reach that stage. As for Qin Wu, Qin Wu's strength was significantly greater than his, and his realm was clearly higher. He would probably qualify for opening the twelve acupoints soon, but it was unclear how long it would actually take to achieve that.

Then Master Wu said, "There are many rare and precious medicinal herbs in Tianwu Mountain. In addition, there is a spiritual spring in the back mountain. You can go to the spiritual spring, where the spiritual energy is relatively rich, which will be of great help to cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Qin Wu immediately became interested. The others, however, showed no change in expression, clearly indicating they were all familiar with these matters.

Cang Xuanwu glanced at Qin Wu and then said, "You may not be familiar with the effects of the Spirit Spring, but it's clear that the Zhou siblings have some experience with it. The Spirit Spring can cleanse the body and gather spiritual energy from heaven and earth. Spiritual energy is essential for breaking through to the True Qi Realm. Only by absorbing spiritual energy can you quickly improve your strength. If you rely solely on physical training, it would probably take at least ten years to reach the initial True Qi Realm. However, if you can cultivate in a place rich in spiritual energy, this speed can be increased several times over. In my opinion, with the assistance of spiritual energy, you should have a chance to open your first acupoint in less than a year."

Cang Xuanwu explained with a hint of smugness that this was precisely the biggest difference between True Qi Sects and other sects. Because of the existence of spiritual springs, sects like theirs were able to maintain their prosperity for so long. Qin Wu's eyes already showed anticipation; so this was the true world of martial arts.