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

Chapter 238: Shaking the Martial Arts World of Yuzhou The Dai household was thrown into chaos; the clan elders fled in a frenzy, while the rest of the Dai family's martial artists all ran for their lives, not daring to linger even for a moment. Once standing high above, who would have thought they would face a day someone would storm their gates and their Refining Divine Heavenly Being ancestor would be killed! At this moment, all thoughts of treasures in the treasury, the family's dignity, and its glory were tossed aside. One by one, they lamented why they hadn’t trained their cultivation techniques diligently enough and why their escape speed was so slow! When the Azure-Heaven Flood Dragon Corpse General appeared, they were taken aback and frightened, but they didn't think to retreat, as a Refining Divine Heavenly Being was there to hold the fort. Indeed, as soon as their Refining Divine Heavenly Being ancestor stepped out, he suppressed the Azure-Heaven Flood Dragon Corpse General. Yet, in the end! That terrifying young man slew their Refining Divine Heavenly Being ancestor with just a few sword strikes. In the blink of an eye, he killed several other Grandmasters! The remaining clan elders were so terrified their souls nearly fled, disappearing in an instant. The entire Dai household was in disarray. The Dai family’s outer guards and servants, all looked dumbfounded as they watched the esteemed clan elders and Young Masters flee for their lives. With a rush, they too ran away. Before long, the entire Dai family estate was in utter disorder. "Run, the calamity of clan extermination is upon us!" "Flee, the Dai family is done for!" "Son, run and hide, the Dai family is finished!" Shouts and cries echoed throughout the estate, spreading panic as the looming catastrophe drew near. With this, even more people began fleeing. Meanwhile, Xu Yan plundered the Dai family treasury and left directly, not even bothering to locate the other treasures of the Dai family. Having ambushed and killed the Refining Divine Heavenly Being of the Dai family, were Dai Sheng to return, he would not be a match! So, while Dai Sheng was still absent, Xu Yan hastened to leave, feeling satisfied with the considerable amount of treasure he had acquired. Having expelled most of his deep-seated resentment from being hunted down by Dai Sheng, Xu Yan thought it was not a loss! Although he was hunted once, he also managed to dismantle the Dai family. As he departed, Xu Yan's sword light swept across the area, leaving ruins in its wake. Almost everyone in the Dai family estate had fled, sparing many from being slaughtered. Swoosh! His figure flickered across the sky, leaving in an effortless manner. Yu Xiaolong, coiled around Xu Yan's wrist, was utterly stunned. It had been terrified when Xu Yan decided to attack the Dai family, yet he actually succeeded. He had slain a Refining Divine Heavenly Being! Although it was through a sneaky strike, targeting a Refining Divine Heavenly Being was not something that could be done so easily. Yet, Xu Yan accomplished it. Yu Xiaolong now doubted whether Xu Yan’s martial path was different somehow. Clearly not a Refining Divine Heavenly Being, he exhibited powers almost like the soul force of a Refining Divine Heavenly Being, but with an additional mysterious uniqueness. The profoundness of it eluded Yu Xiaolong. "You dismantled the Dai family and killed their Refining Divine Heavenly Being. Dai Sheng will surely be furious, and both the Jade Deity Sect and Su family might deploy Refining Divine Heavenly Beings to eliminate you!" Yu Xiaolong voiced its concerns. "It's a trifling matter. They won't be able to catch me. Once I break through again, I shall extinguish them, taking their treasures as resources for my cultivation," Xu Yan said dismissively. This time, the harvest was enormous. Having dismantled a part of the Dai family’s treasury, the treasures he found were too numerous to count. Even though there were over twenty storage pouches found within the treasury alone. Not to mention within the vast treasury were countless texts, spiritual artifacts, and other items that filled all his storage pouches to the brim. Had he not slain as many people and procured numerous storage pouches, they would scarcely have held all of it. "With this, neither my junior brother nor junior sister will want for treasures to aid their cultivation, and my junior sister will have plenty of spiritual herbs for alchemy," Xu Yan thought with excitement. There’s no quicker way to amass resources than dismantling a family's treasury. Upon returning to the Inner Domain, there was no need to hastily revisit the Spiritual Domain, for there were sufficient resources to quickly elevate the power of his family and companions. After distancing himself from the Dai family, Xu Yan donned meticulously prepared garments, manipulated True Essence, altered his appearance, and even grew a few strands of long beard from his chin. His physique too became slightly more robust and brawny. Xu Yan had changed everything from physique, appearance to aura. Returning to the Inner Domain, he planned to pass through the Spiritual Domain Gate, masking his identity to prevent exposure, as the Spiritual Domain Gate was guarded. The Jade Deity Sect and the Su family had been hunting him down for so long yet hadn't discovered his Inner Domain origin. The guardians must either remain neutral or subject to certain constraints. It’s also possible that they might be poorly informed, unaware of external events. Regardless of the reason, it was good that the guardians hadn't disclosed his Inner Domain origin. But he wouldn’t return under his real identity. Instead, he feigned being a member of a spiritual sect. Given the vast expanse of the Spiritual Domain, it's impossible for the guardians to know all factions. He merely needed to wear a garment with spiritual sect insignia. This was also something Shen Haizhou had divulged, about the distinct difference between spiritual sect and family attire, that casual repairers who aren't privy to the intricacies wouldn’t manage to impersonate spiritual sect or familial disciples. Naturally, it's not unheard of for casual repairers to attempt such impersonation, though often with ill fateful outcomes. Unless absolutely necessary, casual practitioners would never dare assume identities of spiritual sect or familial disciples. Boldly, Xu Yan headed toward the Spiritual Domain Gate, intent on returning to the Inner Domain. As for any ruckus in the Dai family or how Dai Sheng would react in madness, he didn’t concern himself. By now, Wen Yong had long escaped from Yuzhou. ... Dai Sheng was heading to a certain location when he received news of Xu Yan’s presence there. Abruptly, his expression changed. Reaching out to his body, he crushed a bead! A Parent-Child Pearl! Moreover, the shattering of this pearl conveyed a message—the Dai family was in danger! Dai Sheng’s expression shifted drastically; the Dai family in peril? Who would attack the Dai family? He couldn’t comprehend the audacity or motive behind assaulting the Dai family now! At this moment, his intent for revenge against Xu Yan waned, and he rushed back to the Dai family with desperation. Never once did Dai Sheng consider Xu Yan to be behind the attack on the Dai family; in his eyes, though Xu Yan was formidable, he wasn’t enough of a threat to endanger the Dai family. After all, another Refining Divine Heavenly Being sat guarding the family. As Dai Sheng raced back to the Dai family, several well-informed factions already got wind of the attack, knowing that a significant portion of the estate had been destroyed. Shen Haizhou, who had been closely monitoring the Dai family, was stupefied. “Too ferocious!” From the received information thus far, the Dai family’s Refining Divine Heavenly Being was dead! Killed by Xu Yan! Breaking into a cold sweat, Shen Haizhou thought about a Refining Divine Heavenly Being—could he have underestimated Xu Yan? All he expected was perhaps an injury to the Refining Divine Heavenly Being due to Xu Yan’s cunning ambushes. Yet, Xu Yan utterly killed him! “A Refining Divine Heavenly Being... how long has it been since one has fallen in Yuzhou? And to think the first in ages fell to an overwhelming attack from a weaker foe! “Are the Jade Deity Sect and Su family not going to sit idly anymore?” Wiping his sweat, Shen Haizhou made his way back to his clan. He couldn’t let Dai Sheng figure out he leaked information to Xu Yan. Otherwise, Dai Sheng might kill him, regardless of his stature in the Shen family! Even if not, he would drive the Shen family into making reparations. At that point, the Shen family had two choices: compensate to calm the conflict; or eliminate Dai Sheng! Either option would spawn a series of political shifts. For his safety, Shen Haizhou decided to hunker down in his clan for a while, emerging only when assured of no leaked information. Witnessing the devastation of the clan territory, with half the buildings destroyed and an empty treasury, Dai Sheng was apoplectic. His uncle, the Refining Divine Heavenly Being who had been guarding the clan treasure, was slain too. Fury consumed Dai Sheng as he yelled, "Who did this? Where is the enemy?!" With Dai Sheng's return, the remaining clan elders found a semblance of solidity and returned, wailing. “It was the Azure-Heaven Flood Dragon, no, the boy!” “He killed Uncle-Grandfather! He killed several clan elders!” “Our Dai family suffers heavy losses, and from now, we shall fall from the ranks of second-rate aristocratic families!” With only Dai Sheng, the Refining Divine Heavenly Being left, the Dai family slipped from second to third rank. Unless Dai Sheng broke through the mid-stage Refining Divine Heavenly Being level. The hierarchy of noble families corresponded to cultivation resources and influence. The Dai clan elders relayed the ordeal to Dai Sheng, crying their myriad sorrows. "Argh!" Dai Sheng was seething. That brat! How dare he? He dared dismantle the Dai family estate? He even ambushed and killed his uncle? Dai Sheng was livid, clenching teeth as he declared, "I shall grind his bones to dust!" Without hesitation, he geared up to hunt down Xu Yan, intent on killing him! “Uncle, you can’t leave! If you do and he comes back, what do we do?” “Yeah, don’t leave!” The clan elders hurriedly implored. Were Dai Sheng to leave, and that fierce kid returned, how could they survive? --- **New Terms and Their Translations:** - **Azure-Heaven Flood Dragon Corpse General (青天蛟尸獠):** Refers to a formidable beast whose appearance sparked terror in the Dai family. - **Yuzhou (玉州):** Translated as "Yuzhou," this represents the area where the protagonists and the Dai family are located, reflecting a fictional region within the novel's setting. - **Xu Yan's martial path:** An indirect reference to his potentially unique martial arts method which emits powers typical of a Refining Divine Heavenly Being yet appears distinct. - **Parent-Child Pearl (子母珠):** A magical artifact used for transmitting critical information, such as indicating the Dai family's impending crisis. The narrative retains the tone of suspense and urgency, conveying the chaos within the Dai family upon Xu Yan’s abrupt assault and their subsequent helplessness. Through substantive and literal translations of critical terms, readers are provided with an immersive experience without losing the original cultural essence. Just as Dai Sheng was about to leave, he abruptly stopped, breathing heavily, his eyes bloodshot. However, what the elders said was not without reason. If that hateful kid were to strike again while he was absent, the Dai family would be utterly finished! "Inform the Jade Deity Sect and the Su family. The person they've been pursuing is extremely dangerous!" Dai Sheng gritted his teeth. Once this news spreads, the Jade Deity Sect and the Su family are bound to take it seriously and will try every means to nip this danger in the bud! In a short time, word spread across Yuzhou that the Dai family was attacked, and their Refining Divine Heavenly Being had fallen. The entire martial arts world of Yuzhou was shaken! A Refining Divine Heavenly Being had perished! How many years has it been since a Refining Divine Heavenly Being fell in Yuzhou? Thousands of years perhaps? And to think the one who assaulted the Dai family and killed their Refining Divine Heavenly Being was none other than the young man from the Azure-Heaven Flood Dragon Tomb, the target of the Jade Deity Sect and the Su family’s manhunt. The martial world’s gaze turned towards the Jade Deity Sect and the Su family. Within the Jade Deity Sect, a congregation of Refining Divine experts looked on with grave expressions, previously assuming him to be just a minor rogue cultivator; they never expected him to be so formidable, having slain a Refining Divine Heavenly Being of the Dai family. Though it was through an ambush, it still showed his skill and strength. He absolutely cannot be allowed to grow. "This person must die; otherwise, he'll become a significant threat!" The Jade Deity Sect's Sect Master said in a deep voice. "Contact the Su family, and together, we’ll hunt him down. Issue a kill order, at all costs, he must be killed!" The Jade Deity Sect experts were notably solemn. A similar scenario unfolded within the Su family. Ever since the Blood Demon incident, spiritual sects and aristocratic families had ceased to underestimate rogue cultivators with potential threats, seeking any means to completely eradicate them to ease their minds. In the past, the Blood Demon was a calamity precisely because the arrogance of the spiritual sects allowed him to rise unchecked during his vulnerable years, leading to subsequent disasters. Yuzhou's strength weakened due to these Blood Demon affairs; during that great battle in Yuzhou, once-powerful and ancient spiritual sects and aristocratic families were obliterated! The entire martial realm of Yuzhou was terrified, leading to the opening of the Spiritual Domain Gate, allowing the Blood Demon to escape into the Inner Domain. Now, the appearance of Xu Yan cast a shadow over the Jade Deity Sect and the Su family, fearful of a repetition of the Blood Demon catastrophe. In Yuzhou, within a certain great mountain. There, hidden, lay the Wan Shi Alliance's Yuzhou branch. "Leader, this rogue cultivation prodigy is incredibly powerful, the very talent our Wan Shi Alliance lacks," one excited martial artist stated. The Wan Shi Alliance's Yuzhou Branch Leader, a thin, scholarly middle-aged man, instructed, “Inform every member of the Wan Shi Alliance in Yuzhou. At all costs, we must find this prodigy before the Jade Deity Sect and the Su family do.” The Branch Leader said resolutely, "If necessary, I will take action personally!" "Yes, Leader!" The Wan Shi Alliance experts rejoiced. To have dismantled the Dai family and slain a Refining Divine Heavenly Being at such a young age, even if it was through an ambush, was incredibly remarkable! They all couldn’t help but think of that presence which made spiritual sects and families tremble. The Blood Demon! The Demon Lord of Blood Demon Path! "Our Wan Shi Alliance won't tread the Blood Demon's path; we shall definitely succeed, securing a place for all rogue cultivators to stand equal with spiritual sects and aristocratic families," thought the Branch Leader with unwavering determination. Xu Yan remained unfazed by the reactions of the Jade Deity Sect and the Su family, or the upheaval in Yuzhou’s martial arts world, as he headed toward the Spiritual Domain Gate, preparing to return to the Inner Domain. The gate was not far now. Suddenly, he frowned as he noticed an old woman staring at him intently from the front. This old woman was a mid-stage Grand Heavenly Being martial artist. She was Granny Jing of the Water Star Palace. After Jiao Ming and Ping’er failed to return for a prolonged period, Tang Jinyan grew suspicious, wondering if any mishap had befallen them. Could it be that her amorous husband left behind methods to protect that illegitimate child? Or perhaps some accident happened to Jiao Ming and Ping’er while journeying to the Inner Domain? Unable to wait any longer, Tang Jinyan dispatched Granny Jing to the Inner Domain to capture the illegitimate child. As Granny Jing moved towards the Spiritual Domain Gate, she frowned and looked at a man heading in the same direction, seemingly also heading to the Inner Domain? Her gaze fell upon his clothes, looking at the emblem on his chest, trying to discern which spiritual sect this martial artist belonged to. Upon closer inspection, Granny Jing frowned again. What sect did this emblem come from? Why was it not in the records? Furthermore, the emblem embroidered on his chest seemed a bit crude. A mere rogue cultivator, daring to masquerade as a member of a spiritual sect? Granny Jing, from the Water Star Palace, despite being a second-rate sect in the Spiritual Domain, was placed in a region far superior to Yuzhou. Aside from lacking a mid-stage Refining Divine Being, the other Refining Divine martial artists were more numerous and stronger than those in the Jade Deity Sect. As a veteran Heavenly Being martial artist, her experience in the martial world was extensive. Encountering impostors of spiritual sect members was not uncommon for her. Most martial artists would be unable to discern the flaws without meticulous inspection. However, Granny Jing's keen eyes saw through the deception, even though Xu Yan had made the emblem on his clothing remarkably realistic.