243 - Made-Up Martial Arts, Have You Really Mastered Them, Disciple?

Chapter 243: Xu Yan Breaks Through to the Heart Sword Realm Li Xuan sipped the spiritual tea Xu Yan had acquired from the Dai family's treasury, feeling utterly refreshed. No wonder the Dai family had preserved this spirit tea in their vault; not only was the quality of this tea high, but it also nurtured the soul. Although its effects were subtle, it significantly refreshed the mind upon drinking. For a peak Great Grandmaster, consuming this spiritual tea would gradually lead to a breakthrough into the half-step Lesser Heavenly Being level, reaching the Divine Gathering stage. Xu Yan sat atop the mountain, refining his martial arts, with his skills advancing daily. At a certain moment, it seemed as if a sword light was arrayed within the mountains and rivers he envisioned. The sword light was arranged in a specific pattern or sequence. Li Xuan secretly rejoiced, thinking, "Could Xu Yan be comprehending a sword formation?" With Xu Yan's prodigious talent, it wouldn’t be surprising if he gleaned insights into a sword formation after examining an array diagram. Su Lingxiu began concocting elixirs necessary for Xu Junhe, Shi’er, Zhou Ying, and Meng Shushu to break through to the Tongxuan Realm, using third-grade spiritual herbs as the primary ingredient. Kou Ruozhi recently achieved perfection in the Innate Realm. However, he still needed time to refine himself before reaching the Tongxuan Realm. Among the apprentice alchemists, two had already reached the Innate Realm, while others had attained complete Qi and Blood. This cultivation rate was not slow, especially with the assistance of elixirs. Even among the Martial Dao Scholars, some were preparing to break through to the Tongxuan Realm. On Canglan Island, everyone’s strength rapidly increased, except Madame Xu. Li Xuan delved into the Laws of Heaven and Earth found on the third page of the *Tai-Cang* manual, reflecting on the martial realm beyond the Divine Arts Realm. "Divine Skills give birth to the Martial Spirit and Divine Arts. Beyond Divine Arts, one must begin to involve the Laws of Heaven and Earth, the grand forces of the world. How should one wield the Laws of Heaven and Earth? How to harness the grand forces of the world?" Li Xuan pondered deeply. "To further advance in martial arts, one must transcend the world and its bounds. Despite using the Laws of Heaven and Earth and harnessing worldly forces, one cannot be constrained by these laws." "One can utilize the laws, but must not be confined by them." Li Xuan conceived some ideas about the realm beyond Divine Arts. Time passed peacefully. Meng Chong was nearing complete mastery of his foundation, suggesting he was not far from breaking through to the Great Sun Immortal Golden Body, and Su Lingxiu was in a similar state. Zi Yun had already broken through to the peak Great Grandmaster level and hadn’t progressed further, occasionally seeking Meng Chong’s guidance on martial arts. Despite their different martial paths, Meng Chong had no difficulty advising her. Yu Xiaolong began interacting with Red Cat, wishing to learn the Greater Beast Arts and started cajoling Madame Xu, although she wasn’t fond of snakes. Still, it was her beloved son’s pet, so she allowed Red Cat to interact with Yu Xiaolong. At the peak of Canglan Island, Xu Yan sat cross-legged, silently merging with the world around him, even altering his form. His *Harmony of Light and Dust Technique* improved further, making him undetectable even when altering his appearance. "Your disciple Xu Yan has achieved mastery in the *Harmony of Light and Dust Technique*, prompting your technique to elevate into the *Return to True Technique*." The Great Dao Golden Book opened, emanating a golden glow. *Return to True Technique*, embodying truth in all! Li Xuan sighed in admiration at its strength. When merging with a stone, it made one indistinguishable from the stone itself, appearing as genuine. Not to mention Lesser Heavenly Beings, even stronger martial artists, could not discern any discrepancies. Xu Yan continued settling himself, with Sword Intent appearing around him, insinuating he was in some profound state. On one occasion, as Li Xuan memorized the Laws of Heaven and Earth from the third page of the Tai-Cang manual in preparation for writing them into the Great Dao Golden Book for future martial development, he suddenly looked up the mountain and smiled—Xu Yan was about to breakthrough in the Sword Dao. Meng Chong, who was consolidating his foundation, suddenly looked astonished at the mountain where his senior brother was located. Su Lingxiu also looked up. Gradually, everyone on Canglan Island turned their gaze to the mountaintop, some with astonishment, others puzzled. "When did a sword appear on the mountain?" "I recall there was a tree there, wasn't there?" someone asked in confusion. "Shi'er, does that look like a sword to you?" Zhou Ying furrowed her brows as she gazed at the mountaintop. She remembered a large tree there. "It’s a sword, possibly just placed up there," Shi'er nodded, yet remained puzzled. Why erect a sword there? The lower one's strength, the more it seemed like a sword. To Meng Chong, it appeared both as a tree and a sword. Sword Intent gathered and emanated sharp sword glows, yet it was a mere tree. In that moment, Meng Chong gained an insight. "Is Senior Brother comprehending the Heart Sword Realm? So this is the Heart Sword Realm? Using every object as a sword; if you encounter a mountain, the mountain becomes the sword, if you encounter a river, the river becomes the sword... The second realm for the Blade is the Hidden Blade Realm, which bears a subtle similarity; the blade is hidden in the heavens and earth, but where is there not a blade? What within this world is not a blade?" As Meng Chong observed the tree, enlightenment sparked in his mind, and his Blade Soul fulfilled. He found direction on cultivating and comprehending the Hidden Blade Realm. "Your disciple Meng Chong’s Blade Soul has fulfilled and he discovered the path to cultivating the Hidden Blade Realm. He has now broken through to the Hidden Blade Realm." Li Xuan looked at Meng Chong, pleased. "So this is the Hidden Blade Realm." The intent of the blade is concealed, the edge not shown, yet when moved, it can cleave the heavens and earth! His strength had grown once more. "Your disciple Xu Yan has broken through to the second realm of the Sword Dao, the Heart Sword Realm, achieving mastery." Xu Yan had broken through to the Heart Sword Realm. In an instant, the grass on the mountaintop flew up and slashed into the Cang River, halting its flow! At that moment, everyone on Canglan Island realized Xu Yan had broken through again. Tiny grasses became as keen as sharp swords, cutting off the river's flow! What a profound Sword Dao it was! Su Lingxiu watched, her eyes brightening as trees and grass alike transformed into swords, suggesting that all under heaven could be a sword. Her senior brother’s Sword Dao was truly mystifying and potent. "If grass and trees can be swords, then in my Dan Medical Alchemy Martial Path..." In that instant, Su Lingxiu gained clarity, delving into her insights as a flame of Dan ignited within her. Li Xuan glanced at her, deeply pleased. Xu Yan's breakthrough didn’t just enlighten Meng Chong, it also inspired Su Lingxiu, seemingly leading her toward a new realm of understanding. "Meng Chong’s talent is extremely high, and so is Su Lingxiu’s. Both naturally gain insights from Xu Yan's breakthrough to the Heart Sword Realm." Li Xuan mused. "Your disciple Su Lingxiu has comprehended Dan Flame, achieving mastery." Dan Flame is the essence of fire that allows for quicker alchemy, higher success rates, finer quality of crafted pills, and the emergence of Pill Halo. Its power far exceeds ordinary fire. Xu Yan's breakthrough to the Heart Sword Realm unexpectedly resulted in insights for both Meng Chong and Su Lingxiu, an unexpected reward. Yu Xiaolong's heart trembled, knowing Xu Yan's strength had increased again. "With his current capabilities, he may contend with ordinary Lesser Heavenly Beings and might not lose. If he launches a surprise attack..." His thoughts spiraled, marveling at how rapidly Xu Yan's strength grew. It might not take long before run-of-the-mill Lesser Heavenly Beings could no longer measure up to Xu Yan. "I must learn the Greater Beast Arts. This is my opportunity—I can’t let it slip!" Yu Xiaolong’s eyes showed resolve. He glanced at Red Cat, believing this chubby tiger, fond of eating, might be easily fooled. He still had some reserves and pondered offering some to exchange for the Greater Beast Arts, considering his thoughts. Xu Yan had broken through to the Heart Sword Realm, the second realm of the Sword Dao. "The third realm of the Sword Dao needs to be created." Li Xuan felt pressure mounting within. The martial realm beyond the Divine Arts had just gained a semblance of clarity yet hadn’t been fully realized. Alongside this, the third realm of the Sword Dao needed prompt attention. Though feeling pressured, Li Xuan felt immensely motivated, knowing that enhancing his strength was life’s greatest joy. Soon after Xu Yan’s breakthrough into the Heart Sword Realm, the Dragon Subduing Palm also ascended. "Your disciple Xu Yan has achieved the fifth level of the Dragon Subduing Palm, thereby enhancing yours to full mastery at the fifth level." The fifth level of the Dragon Subduing Palm amplified the true intent of Dragon Sovereignty, with its dragon-shaped palm force almost indistinguishable from a real dragon, lively and vibrant. It vaguely possessed a grandiose power. The dragon-shaped palm force emitted by the fifth level seemed to have the capacity to control clouds and mists, fighting on water. Li Xuan felt that the creation of the Gold Dragon Divine Art was not far off. --- **New Terms** - **Li Xuan (李玄)**: A character name, translated directly. - **Xu Yan (许炎)**: A character name, translated directly. - **Canglan Island (滄瀾島)**: A location name, translated directly referring to a place where events occur. - **Great Dao Golden Book (大道金書)**: Refers to a mysterious book. "Great Dao" is kept in transliteration to maintain the aura of mystery and majesty. - **Nine-Leaf Lingzhi (九叶元芝)**: Names of techniques, objects, or mystic items retain their Chinese names with translations provided. - **Heart Sword Realm (心劍境)**: A cultivation realm, translated for clarity as it pertains to the Sword Dao, with 'Heart' denoting the profoundness. - **Tai-Cang (太蒼)**: Refers to the name of a manual, keeping it in the original as a proper noun. - **Harmony of Light and Dust Technique (和光同塵術)**: A technique name retaining its detailed translation to express its spiritual sophistication. - **Hidden Blade Realm (藏刀境)**: A cultivation stage, similar to Heart Sword Realm, unique to the Blade Dao, illustrating a hidden yet potent stage. - **Return to True Technique (歸真術)**: Another technique meaning returning to essence, suggesting profound mastery in disguise or concealing true strength. These translations aim to retain the original cultural and thematic nuances while conveying a clear understanding to a non-Chinese audience. When one reaches the Divine Arts Realm, perhaps the golden dragon unleashed by the Dragon Subduing Palm will possess divine abilities, mirroring that of a true dragon. At Sword Sovereign Cliff, Xie Lingfeng sat cross-legged, silently contemplating the guidance Xu Yan had imparted, which surfaced in his mind. In a flash of inspiration, he entered a mysterious state. He felt somewhat disheartened, having encountered the true Sword Dao earlier and comprehended it sooner, yet his father achieved Enlightened Sword Heart first, even grasping Sword Intent. It led him to doubt his own talent. Engaged in comprehending Sword Dao, Xie Lingfeng suddenly discerned every weakness and flaw in the sword techniques he learned. The techniques seemed trivial to him now. He had achieved Enlightened Sword Heart! On Canglan Island, Li Xuan was pondering the third realm of the Sword Dao when the Great Dao Golden Book opened. "Xie Lingfeng, practicing your Sword Dao, has achieved Enlightened Sword Heart, enhancing your enlightenment in the Heart Sword Realm." Xie Lingfeng had enlightened his Sword Heart. "The comprehension of Sword Intent shouldn't be far off," Li Xuan anticipated, hoping Xie Lingfeng would soon understand his Sword Intent. A few days later, Xie Lingfeng arrived. Though his Sword Heart was clear, and he had stepped into the door of the Sword Dao, he was still short of comprehending Sword Intent. He sought the guidance of his senior. Upon discovering Xu Yan had returned from the Spiritual Domain, he was elated. "Congratulations, Brother Xie, on entering the Sword Dao!" Xu Yan laughed. "I'm still an inch away; comprehending Sword Intent is tough!" sighed Xie Lingfeng. "Sword Intent isn’t hard to comprehend. Brother Xie, you already have a foundation. Finding the right direction, you’ll soon grasp Sword Intent," Xu Yan reassured, patting his shoulder. Xie Lingfeng felt at a loss, as Sword Intent seemed easy for Xu Yan to fathom. "But I haven't found the direction to comprehend Sword Intent," he admitted dejectedly. Xu Yan pointed to the Cang River and said, "Look at this endless Cang River. Is the sword technique you practice, the ‘Ten Thousand Rivers Sword Technique’ (萬河劍法), not similar? Use this as your direction to comprehend the intent within.” Xie Lingfeng was startled, staring at the vast expanse of the Cang River, thoughtful. He faintly grasped some insights, as if he saw the path to comprehend Sword Intent. “Thank you, Brother Xu, for your guidance.” Xie Lingfeng sat cross-legged in a spot, beginning his contemplation. With Xu Yan's guidance, Xie Lingfeng soon discovered his path. A sword momentum began to emanate from him, resembling the endless flow of rivers. Gradually, his sword momentum refined and transformed. The sound of rivers flowing resounded from Xie Lingfeng, as Sword Intent manifested, encircling him like a great river. Gradually, the great river divided into riverlets, intertwining, then became a great river again. "Your Sword Dao practitioner, Xie Lingfeng, has comprehended Ten Thousand Rivers Sword Intent ('萬河劍意) and achieved mastery." Li Xuan looked up and nodded, acknowledging another addition to those who comprehended Sword Intent. Soon after his comprehension, Xie Lingfeng prepared to break through to the Tongxuan Realm. He had achieved perfection in the Innate Realm, pausing only to enter the Sword Dao. Xie Lingfeng’s talents surpassed the likes of Xu Junhe and others. During the Innate Realm, he encountered no bottleneck. With Xu Yan imparting and explaining the methods of the Tongxuan Realm, Xie Lingfeng began his breakthrough. His breakthrough into the Tongxuan Realm elicited no feedback from the Great Dao Golden Book, which Li Xuan had anticipated, given his own advancement to the Divine Essence Realm. After all, Xie Lingfeng was merely breaking through to Tongxuan, and not being one of his disciples, it wasn’t abnormal for the Great Dao Golden Book to remain silent. However, in the myriad martial divine shadows, a shadow now possessed Sword Intent and could unleash the Ten Thousand Rivers Sword Intent. This was Xie Lingfeng, a martial artist of the Great Wilderness, giving something back. Following Xie Lingfeng's breakthrough, Xu Junhe and several others also began advancing to the Tongxuan Realm. Xu Junhe, Meng Shushu, Shi'er, and Zhou Ying broke through, soon followed by several Martial Dao Scholars, achieving strength comparable to peak Great Grandmasters. They stood at the pinnacle of martial arts within the Inner Domain. In the current Inner Domain, there were few at the half-step Lesser Heavenly Being rank. Xu Yan began instructing Xu Junhe and others in martial arts, even attempting to guide them in comprehending intent. However, limited by talent, quickly comprehending intent was daunting. Yet, having broken through to Tongxuan afforded a certain degree of protection. Xu Yan took a moment to visit the inner government of the Great Wilderness, offering martial guidance to Guo Rongshan and others, delivering some elixirs crafted by Su Lingxiu to ensure their cultivation to the Tongxuan Realm. "It's about time to head to the Spiritual Domain," Li Xuan exhaled. With Xu Junhe and others breaking through and leaving behind jade tokens of Divine Essence Avatars for emergencies, he could venture into the Spiritual Domain without concern. Xu Yan was eager to return to the Spiritual Domain, exploring the vast world of martial arts, confronting the prodigies of those exalted Spiritual Sects. Meanwhile, Li Xuan was impatient to seek out the fourth disciple and bring forth the Mysterious Martial Path in the Spiritual Domain. On that same day, a golden light enveloped Meng Chong, signifying he had perfected his foundation, preparing to break through to the Great Sun Immortal Golden Body. During his breakthrough, he would transform and elevate himself. Li Xuan showed anticipation, wondering, “What divine bone will Meng Chong transform into during his breakthrough?" His unique constitution, the Divine Bone Spiritual Physique, remarkably strengthened him, paving a smoother path in martial arts. Even within the Spiritual Domain, such a special physiognomy among a prodigy would be hard to find. In the Spiritual Domain, within the State of Zheng’s capital, the royal palace lay before them. The Emperor of Zheng led the royal family members and principal ministers of the state, falling to their knees in respectful salutation. "Greetings to the Supreme Sect Master!" --- **New Terms** - **Ten Thousand Rivers Sword Technique (萬河劍法)**: A sword technique comparable to the endless flow of rivers. The technique's name reflects its vast and comprehensive style. - **Ten Thousand Rivers Sword Intent (萬河劍意)**: The Sword Intent derived from the Ten Thousand Rivers Sword Technique, reflecting a similar literal translation from its name. - **Supreme Sect Master (上宗大人)**: A title indicating supreme leadership, similar to a Grandmaster or sect leader. "上" implies superiority or highest rank, while "宗" denotes a sect. - **Inner Government (內閣)**: Refers to the administrative wing, maintaining the original Chinese meaning translation but aligning it with concepts familiar in English-speaking regions, such as a cabinet. The translation aims to keep cultural and thematic elements intact while ensuring clarity and resonance in the English language.