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

## Chapter 322: Seventh Year in the Spiritual Domain, The Fifth Gate's Martial Path Concept "Go call Elder Liu." Tang Jinyan commanded after a moment of silence. "Yes, Miss!" The maid left promptly. "Elder Liu, I heard you have some connections in the State of Zheng in Yuzhou. In the coming days, I need to visit Yuzhou. Could you introduce me?" Tang Jinyan said with a smile. "That's a small matter. Just take this token of mine to the State of Zheng." Elder Liu nodded. "Thank you, Elder Liu!" Tang Jinyan replied gratefully. After Elder Liu left, Tang Jinyan began making preparations for her journey to Yuzhou. Matters as secret as these naturally required her personal attention to ensure no leaks. On this day, Tang Jinyan set off for Yuzhou. ... "It's a success!" Wiping the sweat from his brow, Fang Hao exclaimed excitedly as he gazed upon the airship hovering before him. "Let me try it!" Su Lingxiu could hardly wait to try it out. With a wave of her hand, the airship, initially a few meters in length, shrank and fit right into her palm, looking just like a decorative piece. In a swift motion, Su Lingxiu ascended into the air and released the airship. Boom! A colossal airship, over a hundred meters long, complete with pavilions and terraces appeared mid-air. Purple thunder flickered around it, and upon activation, it seemed as if a purple thunder dragon coiled around the ship. "The airship can transform and the main body can bury underground, turning into an estate with both defensive and offensive capabilities. Arrays, prohibitions, etc., can all be employed. "It can activate a protective shield and present splendid phenomena, like true dragons coiling or divine phoenixes carrying the ship through the sky. "Though it requires a considerable amount of spirit crystals, it's worth it. "It can hover mid-air, its top speed rivaling even the flight of the strongest beings, and it possesses some stealth capabilities." Fang Hao explained patiently. "With this airship, I can roam the lands and attend to the ill. The name of the Evergreen Pavilion will become renowned across the Spiritual Domain. Where my alias as the Dan Medicine Fairy reaches, opportunities will follow!" Su Lingxiu declared merrily. Shi'er, Zhou Ying, and Meng Shushu, thrived as they explored and learned to operate the airship. As for the spirit crystals required to power the vessel, they posed no issue to them. After plundering the Jade God Sect and the Su family’s treasury, they were stocked with spirit crystals. Moreover, the Evergreen Pavilion had a substantial daily income of spirit crystals, affording them the luxury to spend as they pleased. Fang Hao began crafting an airship for himself. With the experience gained and considering this second craft didn't need to be as grand as the first, it was manageable to produce. Naturally, the ship for his master's travels required great attention to detail, but for himself, a simpler design sufficed. After a few days, the second airship was completed. It was now time for Fang Hao to head to the Wan Shi Alliance’s headquarters. On that day, he bid farewell to his master and others. "Senior brothers have already made a name for themselves throughout the Spiritual Domain, and my reputation as the Dan Medicine Fairy is also spreading far and wide. Now, only your recognition is missing." Su Lingxiu said while handing some pills to Fang Hao. "Rest assured, Senior Sister. My name, Fang Hao, will soon be known across the Spiritual Domain as well." Fang Hao replied confidently. A three-meter long airship ascended, transforming into a streak of light that vanished into the horizon. Aboard the airship stood two figures, Fang Hao and Yue Changming. "It's time to find a new place to heal." Su Lingxiu remarked. Therefore, Shi'er, Zhou Ying, and Meng Shushu started packing, transferring everything into the airship. Zhu Xing was there to say goodbye. Though he wished to stay at the Evergreen Pavilion, he understood he wasn’t truly part of it, and he also needed to start preparing for the Tianjiao Tournament. "Zhu Xing, take this pill." Not wanting to owe favors, Su Lingxiu generously offered him compensation for his help at the Evergreen Pavilion. "And the Golden-Horned Deer is yours too." Despite its looks, the Golden-Horned Deer wasn't as endearing as the Red Cat, which was far more proficient at being adorable. She suddenly missed the Red Cat. "Thank you, Miss Su!" Zhu Xing expressed his gratitude. "Little Gold, you really let me down!" Zhu Xing departed on the Golden-Horned Deer, muttering to himself. "I arranged such a great opportunity for you, yet you failed to impress. You lack the fortune, it seems. Now, just follow me, and everything will be alright. "If you had listened to me, how could you have missed out on such chances? "So, in the future, when I ask you to strive hard, strive you must. Only through striving can you find great fortune, avoiding misfortune despite the dangers. "Even if I tell you to face a deadly attack, you must obey, for I have my reasons..." The Golden-Horned Deer nodded dejectedly, "I understand, I won't make such mistakes again, nor will I question your decisions..." Li Xuan’s lips twitched. Zhu Xing was actually seizing this moment to influence the Golden-Horned Deer! "The Evergreen Pavilion will travel the lands. Today we leave this place. If fate permits, come seek treatment again." Cai Ling'er said to the martial artists waiting in line for healing. Her imposing aura left them intimidated, and they had no choice but to retreat in disappointment. Boom! A stunning airship appeared above the Evergreen Pavilion, adorned with entwining purple lightning and dazzling lights. True dragons even seemed to swarm around it. The sudden manifestation of this spectacle astounded the gathered martial artists. "What kind of divine artifact is this?" "No idea, never heard of it!" The airship rose into the air at a leisurely pace, as if deliberately showing off. Li Xuan sat at the top of the airship’s pavilion, leisurely enjoying the scenery, while Cai Ling'er attended him. She no longer intended to return to the Sea-Spirit Tribe. At a certain location in Luozhou, the airship descended, and with a boom, expanded into a full estate, with pavilions and terraces materializing, transforming into a manor. The Evergreen Pavilion’s sign radiated brilliantly. From this day forth, the Evergreen Pavilion would only treat difficult and urgent illnesses, accepting only martial artists with damaged foundations. Ordinary injuries wouldn't be treated, but healing pills were available for purchase. Su Lingxiu began her journey throughout the Spiritual Domain, with the Evergreen Pavilion's airship never staying at one place for long before taking off for the next. Gradually, the airship of the Evergreen Pavilion became renowned across the Spiritual Domain, and encountering it became synonymous with seizing good fortune. At Thundercloud Manor, Lei Tong and the Manor's leading figures maintained their silence, as the appearance of the airship, such a wondrous spiritual artifact, astounded them. "It may involve a Supreme Existence within the Spiritual Domain. We must not harbor any thoughts against the Evergreen Pavilion until the Divine Bridge opens." The manor lord solemnly stated. "Why would a Supreme Existence be in the Spiritual Domain?" Lei Tong inquired. "I'm not sure. Once the Divine Bridge opens, all will be revealed." The manor lord answered, shaking his head. "The Spiritual Domain will liven up soon. The Tianjiao Tournament has begun, and the Tianjiao of the spiritual sects should start moving. Focus not only on Xu Yan and Meng Chong. "Xu Yan and Meng Chong enjoy a prominent reputation, with titles as the top two Tianjiao, but who can claim the ultimate throne remains uncertain until the final showdown." The manor lord said gravely. "Understood!" The elders nodded. Unlike the last time, this Tianjiao Tournament coincided with the opening of the Divine Bridge, and the core Tianjiao of the transcendent sects would reveal themselves. With Xu Yan entering Dachuan State and keeping a low profile, discussions about him in the Spiritual Domain martial path community gradually waned. Similarly, Meng Chong wasn't openly challenging other Tianjiao, causing the buzz to diminish. Yet, Tianjiao from various spiritual sects continually emerged, resulting in daily Tianjiao battles across major cities. As the tournament escalated, the rankings on the Tianjiao List constantly shifted, though Xu Yan, at the top, and Meng Chong, second, remained unchanged. The elimination rule for the Tianjiao Tournament was also announced. Losing three times in a row results in elimination! The Spiritual Domain's martial path community buzzed with activity, while the Evergreen Pavilion's airship spread the fame of the Dan Medicine Fairy. Severely injured Tianjiao, even those whose foundations were broken, gained a new lease on life under the fairy's miraculous hands. Some Tianjiao even returned to challenge their opponents again, defeating them and advancing to the next round of battles. In Yuzhou, Tang Jinyan searched for clues about Xu Yan in the State of Zheng, visiting the household of a significant official to seek information about martial artists who had entered the Spiritual Domain from the Inner Domain. The official hesitated before eventually providing a portrait of the martial artist who entered the Spiritual Domain with a jade token back then. As for Du Yuying and others, involving the transcendent sects, the official dared not divulge anything substantial, revealing only a non-critical individual. --- ### Translation Notes: - **Term Adjustments**: - **Tianjiao** (天驕): This term typically refers to a "heavenly pride" or talented elite, often used to describe prodigies or outstanding individuals in cultivation settings. It's translated here in a direct manner to retain its original significance and cultural context. - **Wan Shi Alliance**: 留了原文“萬世盟”, translating it to "Wan Shi Alliance" for clarity. Alternative interpretations could be "Alliance of Eternity" or "Alliance of the Ages." - **Name Adjustments**: - **Tang Jinyan (唐金燕)** and **Zhu Xing** (朱行正): These characters maintain their original naming, ensuring the essence of their identities remains intact. - **Cai Ling'er** (彩靈兒): Description involves personal assistant duties, underscoring her narrative role. - **Concepts & Artifacts**: - **Airship** (飞舟 / 飛舟): Retained as "airship," which aligns with the common portrayal of large, navigable vessels in fantasy cultivation settings. - **Narrative Context**: - Slight expansion in explanations for clarity about the processes and functionalities of artifacts and hierarchical dynamics within the story. - **Cultural Nuance**: - **Dan Medicine Fairy** (丹醫仙子): Translated directly while maintaining the title's respectful address, which aligns with the narrative’s reverence for the character's abilities in medicine and alchemy. - **Character Dynamics**: Explains occupation of the high social position through language and interactions, reflecting status and relationships. **Changes for Future Reference**: - It would be beneficial to add **Tianjiao** as a recognized title due to its recurring presence and importance in establishing character hierarchies and narratives across cultivation series. During the initial entry into the Spiritual Domain, this individual carried a jade token from the Su family. However, the Su family has since been annihilated, and whether this person is still alive remains uncertain. Hence, Tang Jinyan began her search in Yuzhou. To prevent any leaks, she didn't mobilize any additional forces. Instead, she personally scouted the former Su family's territory with her trusted maid. For this, she even disguised herself, ensuring her identity wouldn't be recognized. Yuzhou is no longer solely under the dominion of the orthodox sects; it is now jointly managed with the Wan Shi Alliance, significantly elevating the status of wandering cultivators and diminishing the previous superiority of sect and noble family martial artists. The Su family territory is vast, encompassing several major cities. Finding one person amidst all this is no easy feat. Moreover, whether that person is still alive is a complete unknown. "Seven years have passed." Daze State, one of the eighteen states in the Spiritual Domain, is known for its abundance of rivers, lakes, and marshes, hence its name Daze State. Golden Lotus Lake, a famed lake in Daze State, is known for its exclusive growth of the golden lotus in the Spiritual Domain. Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the golden lotus radiates a brilliant golden light, giving the lake a sense of nobility. The airship drifted gently on the lake, while Li Xuan drank spirit tea in the pavilion, admiring the beauty of Golden Lotus Lake. Seven years since entering the Spiritual Domain. And the final showdown of the Tianjiao Tournament drew ever closer. During these seven years, numerous Tianjiao have emerged in the Spiritual Domain, each gaining considerable fame, yet none have managed to surpass Xu Yan and Meng Chong in ranking. Not even Fang Hao. Currently, Fang Hao has become a renowned Tianjiao of the Wan Shi Alliance and has led the alliance to a strong resurgence. Following the introduction of the messaging talisman, he established a more efficient communication network, shocking the transcendent spiritual sects. Soon after, he laid out teleportation arrays, linking the major cities of the Wan Shi Alliance together, significantly reducing rescue and transportation times. Although inter-state teleportation is not yet possible, the installation of one array after another is gradually connecting them. Chenzhou has completed its setup, enabling powerful figures to provide aid across regions in no time, effectively fortifying Chenzhou like an impregnable iron fortress. These techniques, which overturn conventional martial wisdom in the Spiritual Domain, have deeply engraved Fang Hao's name in people's hearts, uplifting wandering cultivators and altering their mindset from reverence towards the spiritual sects and noble families. The dominance of the spiritual sects is genuinely being challenged for the first time! Stealing Fang Hao's martial secrets, assassinating or capturing him has become the most pressing aim of the spiritual sects. Fang Hao has survived multiple assassination attempts! While it is widely known that these come from the spiritual sects, with traces leading back to the transcendent spiritual sects, no conclusive proof exists. At this moment, the transcendent sects unveiled some hidden means! Fang Hao faced his most perilous encounter, even getting tainted with the breath of death. This insidious power was incredibly stubborn, only removable through prohibitions that sealed it in a meridian and laid purification arrays to dispel the death aura. Moreover, Yue Changming again asserted his presence powerfully in the Spiritual Domain, acting as Fang Hao's guardian. When assailants came, Yue Changming showcased overwhelming strength. Especially when Fang Hao, in a moment of carelessness, was afflicted with the death aura, Yue Changming proactively struck back, killing a supreme force from the Thousand Martial Hall. Now, Fang Hao is the Deputy Leader of the Wan Shi Alliance and succeeding the position of Alliance Chief is only a matter of time. No one within the Wan Shi Alliance is dissatisfied with him. Even the strongest two Tianjiao of the Wan Shi Alliance, according to Zhu Xing, hold no reservations. Fang Hao's martial techniques are incredibly profound, beyond their comprehension, leaving them no choice but to concede! "Your disciple Xu Yan advances to late-stage Divine Essence Realm; you advance to late-stage Divine Arts Realm." The Great Dao Golden Book flipped open, emitting a surge of golden light. Xu Yan has made another breakthrough. Through the years, Xu Yan has been active in Dachuan State, exploring ancient tombs and defeating remaining divine souls. The gains have been substantial. However, he also encountered formidable entities but managed to vanquish each. Now, he's broken through to the late-stage Divine Essence Realm. "This is the joy of rapid power growth." Li Xuan was exceedingly thrilled. Xu Yan was drawing ever closer to the Divine Arts Realm. Currently, his four martial paths have all reached the Divine Arts Realm. Fang Hao too, while delving into formations and prohibitions, and battling various assailants, comprehended the progression of the Mysterious Martial Path. Li Xuan has already condensed five innate anomaly patterns, one of which is a divine anomaly pattern. The Divine Arts Realm of the Mysterious Martial Path does not birth divine skills, but the divine anomaly pattern itself is a root of divine skills, allowing one to lay down ingenious cosmic schemes with divine might and realms of divinity. It mirrors having divine abilities. Among the four disciples, Xu Yan remains the strongest; having now reached late-stage Divine Essence Realm, with his current power, not even Wu Tiannan can rival him, even if Wu Tiannan's strength has grown substantially. Xu Yan can now be said to stand at the pinacle of the Spiritual Domain. Meng Chong and Su Lingxiu, small success at Divine Essence Realm. Fang Hao's realm is also at Divine Essence Realm, but the strength of the Mysterious Martial Path lies in its formations. It poses no difficulty in laying grand arrays to vanquish supreme powerhouses refining Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy. "Let's ponder the Fifth Gate's Martial Path." Li Xuan considered developing the Fifth Gate's Martial Path. "The cultivation method for the Physical Body Martial Path after reaching the Divine Arts Realm is ready, with post-Void Shattering Realm cultivation also sketched out, and the cultivation directions for Dan Medical Alchemy Martial Path and Mysterious Martial Path are set, requiring no further thought. "The Fifth Gate's Martial Path needs reflecting on now, and as for finding the fifth disciple, in this vast Spiritual Domain, someone should surface, shouldn’t they?" Li Xuan mused inwardly. Wu Tiannan had recently left the Evergreen Pavilion, embarking on travels to comprehend the Spiritual Domain, accumulating experiences for breaking through his current barriers. A message could be transmitted to Wu Tiannan to keep an eye out for Spiritual Domain prodigies, thus preparing to accept a fifth disciple. "But how does one craft the Fifth Gate's Martial Path?" Li Xuan was momentarily at a loss for ideas. --- ### Translation Notes: - **New Terms and Adjustments**: - **Daze State** (大澤州): "Daze" translates to "Great Swamp" due to its geographic features—this better describes its landscape filled with rivers and lakes. - **Golden Lotus Lake** (金荷湖): Kept literal translation due to its direct association with the local feature and its symbolic importance within the narrative. - **Tianjiao** (天驕): As mentioned before, represents an elite or prodigious figure within this context. - **Breath of Death** (死亡之氣): Literally "breath of death," preserved for its thematic representation of deadly energy or aura. - **Innate Anomaly Patterns** (先天奇紋): Represents fundamental pattern energies, in this context associated with divine power and creativity in martial arts. - **Narrative Contextualization**: - Enhanced focus on Fang Hao’s tactical and strategic roles within the storyline, emphasizing technological advancements and their sociopolitical impact within the Spiritual Domain. - **Dynamic Articulation**: - **Li Xuan**: Central figure contemplating the evolution of martial paths and pedagogical responsibilities, capturing a blend of strategic foresight with a search for the next prodigious figure. - **Suggestions and Future Adjustments**: - **Su family jade token** could be added to denote their historical importance and its use as a plot device within the current scenario. These nuanced additions maintain adherence to the novel's cultural flair while improving comprehension of its intricate martial arts world and characters' advancement paths.