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

Chapter 250: Slaying Dai Sheng, The Second Form of Divine Nihility "Who are you?" Dai Sheng croaked, his voice drenched in despair. At this moment, his heart brimmed with regret, even blaming his ineffectual son and that meddlesome elder. Why had they sought this boy's ruin just to curry favor with the Jade God Sect and the Su Family? They had brought such calamity upon the Dai Family! Of course, his deepest loathing was reserved for Wen Yong. If not for that arrogant rogue cultivator, who had killed Dai Yingying, none of this would have unfolded. In the end, madness began to encroach upon Dai Sheng's expression. This night, if this boy was not slain, the Dai Family would surely perish! "Sword God Xu Yan!" Xu Yan's gaze was indifferent, and with a single thought, it was as if ten thousand swords surged forth together, transforming into a torrent, assailing Dai Sheng! This was his first time unleashing the transformation of all things into swords since breaking through to the Heart Sword Realm! Boom! Dai Sheng roared maniacally, his blade light sweeping as countless swords shattered, and he advanced towards Xu Yan step by step. However, in the entire Dai family compound, the buildings, the trees, everything turned into sharp swords that relentlessly attacked him, slowing Dai Sheng's advance to a crawl. He was even forced to retreat a few steps! The elders of the Dai Family felt on the verge of collapse. Meanwhile, Meng Chong looked up, his heart in turmoil. So this was the foundational Sword Dao of the Heart Sword Realm? Taking a deep breath, he shattered another treasure vault of the Dai Family! Yu Xiaolong dived in once more. The towering, armored presence of Meng Chong inspired despair among the Dai Family elders, especially as the entire compound, with its foliage and masonry, turned into lethal swords aimed at Dai Sheng. Dai Sheng found himself entangled, unable to break free! "My grandson is in danger!" An elder of the Dai Family shouted, turning to flee. The Dai Family seemed on the brink of ruin! In an instant, the elders scattered, each planning to preserve some of their wealth, seeking refuge with other noble families or spiritual sects. It appeared the Dai Family could no longer hold on. Meng Chong rampaged, reducing the ancestral shrine to rubble. Every treasure vault had been emptied, with Little Dragon devouring its contents entirely. Dai Sheng had already descended into madness, roaring as he incessantly attacked Xu Yan. By now, the entire Dai family compound lay bare. The transformation of all things into swords was weakening. Swoosh! Yu Xiaolong flew over, saying, "It's about time. Any longer, and other powerful figures will come!" "Understood!" Meng Chong took a deep breath, his six-zhang golden body shrinking back to his original form, blade drawn. Yu Xiaolong hurriedly burrowed into his pocket. Meng Chong's gaze turned icy as he fixed on Dai Sheng, an imposing aura of Heaven and Earth Conquering Blade steadily forming, as if the world held nothing but this blade. Heaven and Earth Conquering Blade - Second Level! Supreme Blade Intent - Second Level! The Divine Annihilation Slash reached its zenith. Buzz! In that instant, Dai Sheng's blade lights faltered. He was horrified to discover that the blade in his hand seemed to be slipping away from his control. He looked back sharply at the bald, robust youth standing imposingly, as though the world itself was nothing but a single supreme blade. It felt as if every blade in existence was under his command! Even he, a Refining Divine Heavenly Being, felt a ludicrous sensation that he could not strike back. "You!" "I am Blade Absolute Meng Chong, and I will slay you!" Meng Chong roared, striking with unparalleled ferocity, his blade aimed directly at the spirit! As Meng Chong attacked, Xu Yan too unleashed a strike. The blade was inconspicuous, and no one could perceive any formidable sword light. Yet, in that instant, Dai Sheng let out a sudden scream! His spiritual force, while resisting the Divine Annihilation Slash, could not simultaneously fend off Xu Yan's attack! Both Meng Chong and Xu Yan aimed directly for the spirit! Especially Xu Yan's strike, infiltrating Dai Sheng's spiritual source with the persistence of maggots. Boom! Within Dai Sheng's consciousness, a raging storm appeared, a Sword Intent tempest, tearing his spirit to shreds. The agony within his soul had Dai Sheng screaming, with his hands momentarily losing control of his blade, rendering any attack impossible. Escape! He must escape! The intense will for survival made him soar into the air, attempting to flee. This reflex was born from surviving countless battles, sensing the imminence of life and death. Swoosh! Xu Yan executed Shifting Form, Changing Place, instantly blocking his path. Dai Sheng wanted to strike back, but within his soul, like an explosive whirl, agony rendered him incapable of mustering any attack. Buzz! Xu Yan slashed once more! "This is the Xun Annihilation Sword," Xu Yan declared, "You are the first to fall under the sword I just comprehended. It's an honor for you!" The Xun Annihilation Sword of the Mountain and River Sword Dao! Boom! "Ah!" Dai Sheng clutched his head, his consciousness churned by sword light, shredding his spirit! Xu Yan unleashed yet another slash. Splat! Dai Sheng's body split in two, his storage pouch tumbling away, caught by Xu Yan’s hand. Meng Chong followed with his Divine Annihilation Slash, turning Dai Sheng's corpse to ash in an instant! Yet, his spirit continued to scream, slowly disintegrating. Slash! Meng Chong's Divine Annihilation Slash shredded the remaining spirit force through a gentle breeze, not a single strand left! Dai Sheng had fallen! Ordinarily, with Dai Sheng's capabilities, even if Xu Yan had realized the Xun Annihilation Sword, it would have been challenging to wound his spirit. However, Meng Chong's Divine Annihilation Slash had divided his spirit's defensive focus. The spirit force that had barely resisted the Xun Annihilation Sword was further divided, and Xu Yan seized the opportunity to strike directly into his spirit. With no means of spiritual defense, relying solely on spirit force, how could he withstand martial divine arts targeting the spirit? Once the spirit was wounded, the searing pain overwhelmed him. Every response turned sluggish. Life and death were already sealed. Yu Xiaolong swallowed hard, thinking, these two brothers are truly ruthless. They had slain Dai Sheng together! The Dai Family was finished! Despite being a second-rate family, they had been eradicated so swiftly! "Yuzhou is changing. Those third-rate families and spiritual sects will be uneasy and may lay low for a while. Will this make life easier for rogue cultivators? "But the Jade God Sect and the Su Family might come down upon Xu Yan." Yu Xiaolong thought with trepidation. Yet considering their mysterious master, who could nonchalantly kill a Refining Divine Heavenly Being with a mere gesture, there was no fear of the Jade God Sect or the Su Family. The real concern was attracting the caution of elite spiritual sects and noble families, or even transcendent spiritual sects, who might move to extinguish this threatening rogue cultivator to prevent another calamity like the Blood Demon incident. "Let's go!" Having slain Dai Sheng, the Dai family compound had turned to ruins. The Dai family members had fled in madness. The treasure vaults had been emptied. Other sects and families, especially the Jade God Sect and the Su Family’s powerhouses, might arrive soon. If encircled, it would be perilous. Xu Yan and Meng Chong concealed their aura, altered their appearance, and vanished into the night's embrace in an instant. A short while after they departed, several figures arrived abruptly. Seeing the Dai family compound turned into a blank slate, they were astounded. How much time had passed? The Dai Family was no more. Dai Sheng was dead?! "Who annihilated the Dai Family?" A Refining Divine Heavenly Being spoke gravely. Dai Sheng's strength wasn't inferior, comparable to his own. If the culprits could slay Dai Sheng, could they not slay him too? "Is it possible the youth did this?" Another Refining Divine Being queried somberly. Among these beings, two looked particularly grievous, hailing from the Jade God Sect and the Su Family. Not long ago, upon receiving news of Xu Yan, two beings from their ranks vanished, suggesting their demise. Now the Dai Family had been annihilated - a second-rate family disappearing so quickly from Yuzhou. Since the calamity a millennium ago, no family had been erased until now. The Dai Family was the first to be obliterated. The refine spirit heavenly beings present were deeply serious as realization dawned. Promptly, they tracked down fleeing Dai family elders for questioning, and were filled with shock. Especially those of the Jade God Sect and Su Family - their skin crawled with dread! A colossal threat! "Sword God Xu Yan? Where did he come from?" "Blade Absolute Meng Chong?" "Six-zhang Gold Armored Giant?" This chain of information left the Refining Divine Beings trembling in fear. Two among them left silently, saying nothing, intent on vanishing from the scene. --- **New Terms:** 1. **Dai Sheng (戴勝)**: A character, his name is translated directly as "Dai Sheng." 2. **Divine Nihility Strike (神湮一式)**: A martial technique indicating destruction, "Nihility" aligning with "湮" suggesting obliteration. 3. **Xun Annihilation Sword (巽滅劍)**: A technique related to wind ("Xun" in Bagua), indicating the sword's swift and pervasive effects. 4. **Blade Absolute (刀絕)**: Title for Meng Chong, emphasizing his supreme mastery of blade techniques. 5. **Six-zhang Gold Armored Giant (六丈金甲巨人):** Describes Meng Chong’s enlarged, armored form, suggesting formidable power. These translations aim to preserve the tone, meaning, and cultural representation within the context of this dramatic confrontation. "This is not something to meddle in!" The two individuals admitted to themselves that their strength might not surpass that of Dai Sheng. If they were killed, their respective families would be completely expunged from the ranks of the noble families. They belonged merely to third-rate noble families. The incident of the Dai Family's destruction quickly spread across the martial world of Yuzhou, akin to a massive stone plunged into a placid lake, stirring up waves. The name of Sword God Xu Yan echoed everywhere in the martial community of Yuzhou. Likewise, the name of the Six-zhang Gold Armored Giant, Blade Absolute Meng Chong, followed suit. The Jade God Sect and the Su Family began deliberations on how to eliminate the threat posed by Xu Yan. Other spiritual sects and noble families in Yuzhou assessed how to handle the matter, with second and third-rate families and sects naturally opting to avoid offending Xu Yan. If even the Jade God Sect and the Su Family were unable to suppress him, these second and third-rate families would be in grave danger. "Where did such formidable individuals come from? Could it be that the Wan Shi Alliance has secretly nurtured such prodigies and dispatched them to Yuzhou to prepare for the alliance's emergence?" The leader of the clandestine Yuzhou headquarters of the Wan Shi Alliance spoke with admiration. Too formidable! To have knocked a second-rate noble family down to a third-rate level was already astonishing. Yet now, in no time at all, they completely erased this family! Slaying Dai Sheng, a Refining Divine Heavenly Being! The assistant left and right protectors of the Yuzhou branch of the Wan Shi Alliance were equally stunned. "Leader, we must make contact with Xu Yan. Regardless of whether he’s a powerhouse secretly cultivated by us or not, he's a rogue cultivator and thus aligned with us. "He has destroyed a noble family and is already opposed to the spiritual sects and families. "Our Wan Shi Alliance is his place of refuge, and if necessary, we can find a way to protect him from the powerhouses of the Jade God Sect and the Su Family!" The leader took a deep breath, "Naturally, but the one from the Jade God Sect is far too powerful. If they make a move, I'm afraid my strength alone wouldn't suffice." The Jade God Sect is the only power in Yuzhou recognized in the ranks of first-rate spiritual sects within the Spiritual Domain. Their strength rests with the Jade God Sect's Grand Elder, whose post-Refining Divine stage prowess holds the title of the strongest in Yuzhou. "Yuzhou is in turmoil; it's time to invite a senior from the main alliance to oversee Yuzhou," the left protector said solemnly. "Let's see if the main alliance can dispatch a strong figure." The leader nodded in agreement. … In the capital city of the State of Zheng, at the end of South Square Street, inside Fang Hao's courtyard. At this moment, scattered across Fang Hao's courtyard were various failed crafting tools. There were swords, knives, spears, and even dolls. "Why can't I forge it properly?" Fang Hao, with his hair a mess, was clutching his hair in one hand and holding an array diagram in the other, deeply studying it. Three days had passed. "I might be forging in the wrong direction. Although the patterns are connected, it doesn't necessarily require forging the complete patterns into a single artifact." "Breaking them apart, forging separately, and then combining them at the end." Fang Hao's eyes brightened, continuing to study the array diagram. "From this point, these patterns can exist independently, and this section as well. "And here lies the core of the patterns." Having found a method, Fang Hao was once again inspired, beginning the crafting of another artifact. "Knives, swords, and dolls aren't suitable; the array diagram is circular, so a round mirror shall be the shape of the artifact." Fang Hao set about forging the first circular mirror. Li Xuan silently observed Fang Hao's crafting, nodding internally. Fang Hao's chance of successfully crafting an array disk seemed promising. In such a short time, he could already differentiate the array diagram, getting closer to how to set up and operate the array. "Within a few more days, there should be results." Li Xuan thought to himself. If Fang Hao couldn't craft the array diagram within a longer period, it would signify his comprehension and talent were lacking. Not wanting to observe any further, Li Xuan returned to his manor. Just as he sat down. On the spirit platform, the Great Dao Golden Book unfurled, emanating golden light. "Could it be that Fang Hao has already crafted the array disk?" Li Xuan's initial thought was of Fang Hao. "Your disciple Meng Chong has slain a Great Heavenly Being; your combat experience has increased." However, the Great Dao Golden Book's feedback was that Meng Chong had slain a Great Heavenly Being, and there were several consecutive notifications. "What’s Meng Chong been up to, killing so many Great Heavenly Beings?" Li Xuan was puzzled, could Meng Chong have taken down an entire faction? Not long after, the Great Dao Golden Book provided another update. "Your disciple Xu Yan has comprehended the Xun Annihilation Sword; your Xun Annihilation Sword has reached mastery." The Xun Annihilation Sword, the soul-slaughtering sword! "Xu Yan's Mountain and River Sword Dao is growing stronger." Li Xuan was filled with admiration. "Your disciples Xu Yan and Meng Chong have slain a Refining Divine Heavenly Being; you've obtained the Second Form of Divine Nihility!" Li Xuan smacked his lips in astonishment; they had slain another Refining Divine Heavenly Being. Though they did it together, it was still quite shocking. "Did they seek revenge on the Jade God Sect or the Su Family?" Xu Yan was being pursued by the Jade God Sect and the Su Family, enmity was already formed, and Xu Yan wasn't one to swallow his grievances - nor was Meng Chong. So, the two brothers teaming up to attack powerhouses from the Jade God Sect and the Su Family wasn't impossible. "No, it's probably the Dai family!" Li Xuan suddenly recalled the Dai family; Xu Yan had already slain one of their Refining Divine Heavenly Beings. Now, they undoubtedly killed another, Dai Sheng! Dai Sheng had pursued Xu Yan, so he would naturally be the first target to kill. Moreover, the Dai Family was weak. "Have they wiped out the Dai Family?" Li Xuan mused to himself, a family's treasures would be immensely abundant, and Xu Yan and Meng Chong would certainly reap a great fortune. "Now, resources are no longer lacking, even for Fang Hao's cultivation in the Mysterious Martial Path." Li Xuan sighed with relief. --- **New Terms:** 1. **Wan Shi Alliance (萬世盟)**: A powerful and influential organization; the name translates to something like "Eternal Alliance," implying longevity and dominance. 2. **Left and Right Protectors (左右護法)**: High-ranking positions within the organization, literal translation maintained to preserve their hierarchical significance. 3. **Xun Annihilation Sword (巽滅劍):** Previously referenced, emphasizes its devastating and pervasive nature in the context of the Eight Trigrams. 4. **Meng Chong's Title "Blade Absolute (刀絕)"**: Reiterates Meng Chong's unparalleled mastery in blade techniques. 5. **Pseudo-nobility Status (三流世家, 二流世家):** Translated as 'third-rate' or 'second-rate' to convey their lower status within the noble hierarchy. These translations aim to keep the narrative's tone and meaning intact, highlighting the interplay of power within this martial world.