"Swish!"
The dark figure attacked again without hesitation.
This time, being a little farther away, Bai Zihe had enough time to observe and defend.
He sensed.
The trajectory of this punch was extremely perfect, with almost no flaws to be found.
Bai Zihe's heart grew solemn.
It seemed this punch not only integrated his understanding of heaven and earth's principles but was itself an extremely profound boxing technique.
"Boom!"
The moment the fist struck, Bai Zihe felt a change in the qi flow, and thus, he also threw out a punch.
The next second.
The two fists collided mercilessly in mid-air.
Bai Zihe stumbled back three steps, while the dark figure only retreated... half a step!
The difference in skill was clear!
But Bai Zihe still smiled.
What followed was an extremely fierce close-quarters combat between Bai Zihe and the dark figure.
The dark figure's boxing was incredibly skilled, his attacks like a collapsing mountain and a surging tide, breaking through any defense, while his own defense was like the ocean embracing all rivers, leaving no room for leakage.
Bai Zihe, at times, was at a disadvantage.
But the advantage in his cultivation realm gave him an exceptionally vast reservoir of true qi.
Relying on this, even if he occasionally took a punch, it was not a significant injury.
Time ticked by.
The boxing match between Bai Zihe and the dark figure entered a white-hot stage.
The dark figure was intentionally teaching, and Bai Zihe, already innately intelligent, would not have reached the Nascent Soul realm in four years otherwise.
After an hour or two passed.
Bai Zihe once again discerned the dark figure's patterns.
"Swish!"
This time, Bai Zihe first blocked a punch from the dark figure, then returned a punch, aiming for his chest.
The dark figure's move was old, and he had no time to defend.
In an instant, he was sent flying far by Bai Zihe's punch, tumbling several times in mid-air before finally landing about ten zhang away.
"How was that?"
Bai Zihe's face lit up with joy.
He could now keep up with the dark figure's rhythm in boxing.
Although...
For most of the fight, he had been on the receiving end.
However, the progress was remarkably evident, which made Bai Zihe extremely pleased and happy.
Furthermore, during the fight, he had also clarified many things.
Why...
The Imperial City Guardians, though seemingly not at the Nascent Soul realm, possessed such sharp sword energy that Bai Zihe had to treat them with caution.
Why...
His master and aunts had taught him techniques.
Yet, every time they tested him, using the same techniques and at the same cultivation realm, they could still push Bai Zihe back repeatedly.
Now, he had the answer.
It was all because of the existence of 'Dao'!
His master and aunts had stepped into the realm of cultivating 'Dao' much earlier.
"You..."
The dark figure gazed at Bai Zihe from afar. Although his face was obscured, the brilliance in his eyes could be felt.
Extremely fervent!
"Very good."
A faint smile curved the dark figure's lips, then he poured a bucket of cold water: "However, among Nascent Soul realm cultivators, you are still at the bottom!"
At the bottom...
Although Bai Zihe had some mental preparation, he was still speechless.
Even though he knew clearly that what the dark figure said was the truth.
Bai Zihe did not become disheartened because of this.
Back then...
He carried a deep hatred and fought his way step by step to where he was now.
Now...
There was no reason to feel dejected due to minor setbacks.
"What's next on the agenda?"
Bai Zihe was even more eager to see what the dark figure would demonstrate next!
The total time he had spent fighting the dark figure was not long, but he had learned a great deal, which would have a profound impact on his future.
Therefore, Bai Zihe yearned, Bai Zihe craved!
Craved for the dark figure to teach him more.
"Next..."
The dark figure cast a deep look at Bai Zihe, then suddenly darted into the distance.
With a few flashes, he vanished.
Only.
A faint voice echoed.
"The path ahead is for you to forge yourself."
This.
Bai Zihe was stunned.
The dark figure had tormented him for a while...
And now he was leaving?
"Hey?"
It was the first time Bai Zihe had felt reluctant to part with an opponent.
Alas.
His voice echoed in the space for a long time, but there was no response.
Clearly, the dark figure had already gone far.
"Since that's the case..."
Bai Zihe also started on his way, heading deeper in.
A moment later.
Bai Zihe reached the end of this place, where there were two doors, one on the left and one on the right.
One door bore the seal script character "Qian" (乾), with three yang lines below it. The other door bore the seal script character "Kun" (坤), with three yin lines below it.
What did this mean?
A multiple-choice question?
Bai Zihe was slightly taken aback.
Then, he directly pushed open the left Qian door and walked in.
"Buzz..."
As soon as he entered, a powerful aura washed over him.
Vast and boundless, as imposing as a mountain.
It felt as if...
Bai Zihe was facing the vast heavens!
"Creak creak..."
Simultaneously, the Qian door behind him closed instantly.
Bai Zihe was startled and tried to see if he could open the door.
But no matter how he pulled, the door remained unmoving, as if a world on the other side was holding it shut with immense force.
Seeing that he could not leave, Bai Zihe gave up.
What will be, will be.
He began to examine the contents of the Qian door.
It was a magnificent palace. Just a glance made Bai Zihe feel his own insignificance from the bottom of his heart.
In the center of the grand hall was a Yin-Yang diagram.
Around the Yin-Yang diagram were the eight trigrams, the four phenomena, the eight trigrams, and the derived sixty-four hexagrams.
However...
Bai Zihe took a brief look.
He immediately discovered that these hexagrams were disordered and did not correspond to the Fuxi Eight Trigrams at all.
Could it be that...
He was meant to complete this Bagua diagram?
Bai Zihe frowned slightly.
He did not act immediately but walked around the hall, observing other areas to see if there were any clues.
There were none.
Thus, Bai Zihe had no choice but to approach the eight trigrams.
This thing...
His master had taught him about it when he was on the mountain.
After all, Bai Zihe knew about the mountains, medicine, destiny, physiognomy, and divination, not just in name.
Bai Zihe began to correct the errors in the eight trigrams.
Starting with the Qian hexagram.
Qian represents heaven, vigorous and upright.
It symbolizes the dragon, and also pure yang and strength, indicating prosperity and vigor.
The Qian hexagram, based on the principle of the transformation of all things, uses "Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen" as its hexagram text, signifying good fortune and teaching people to abide by the ways of heaven.
And the hexagrams here...
Bai Zihe looked at them one by one, and they were riddled with flaws.
He quickly fixed the first error.
"Buzz..."
The moment he made the correction, a clear qi suddenly floated up from a corner of the hall, then slowly dissipated into the air.
"What is this..."
Bai Zihe sensed something and turned his head to look.
But that place... was already empty, as if nothing had happened just now.
Bai Zihe used his divine sense to probe.
Everything was as usual.
There were no clues, which made Bai Zihe slightly bewildered.
Eyes, nose, and ears could be deceived.
But as a martial artist's perception, there should be no errors.
"Could it be..."
"I was mistaken?"
Bai Zihe ignored it and continued to correct the Bagua formation.
And in the void.
Right in front of Bai Zihe, a figure was gazing at him.
It was none other than the Dragon Emperor!
However...
It was as if he and Bai Zihe were separated by a world. He could see Bai Zihe, but Bai Zihe could not see him at all!