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

Chapter 323: Comprehending the Divine Appearance Technique, Striking Down the Elder Li Xuan had no clues about the fifth gate of martial dao for now, so he decided to set it aside temporarily. He turned his attention to the eleventh page of the Tai-Cang Book (太蒼書), sighing in his heart. Initially, he thought that beyond the tenth page of the Tai-Cang Book lay a higher level of the Laws of Heaven and Earth. The reality turned out to be quite different. Memorizing the patterns on the tenth page was one thing, but the intricate patterns on the eleventh page proved to be an entirely different challenge. Even after five years, he hadn't fully memorized them. The patterns were profound and difficult to memorize, appearing to change constantly yet somehow remaining ever-constant. "To thoroughly comprehend the Tai-Cang Book, who knows how much time it would take. The person who could illustrate and record this must have been unimaginably powerful." Every time Li Xuan thought of the book's creator, he was struck with awe, aware that he couldn't hope to match that person's strength any time soon. "However, one day, I will surpass you." Li Xuan's confidence brimmed. Using the Tai-Cang Book as a reference, crafting his own martial dao that would ultimately transcend its creator was inevitable, and he also had faith in Xu Yan. Opening the Great Dao Golden Book (大道金書), he viewed the information provided by the tenth page of the Tai-Cang Book. Tai-Cang Dao Principle (部分): Establish the Dao Principle of Heaven and Earth, comprehend the transformation of the Great Dao! Dao Principle! Starting from the tenth page of the Tai-Cang Book, it discussed the Tai-Cang Dao Principle, establishing the very foundation of Heaven and Earth! This was why, even with Li Xuan's current level of comprehension, memorizing the patterns on the eleventh page felt so taxing. "Above the Laws of Heaven and Earth lies the Dao Principle of Heaven and Earth; this is the essential core, the foundation of Heaven and Earth. The Void Shattering Realm transcends the Laws of Heaven and Earth, establishing one’s martial might beyond them. "Thus, beyond the Void Shattering Realm, one must prepare for the Dao Principle, aiming to touch upon the root of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth." Li Xuan murmured to himself. After the Void Shattering Realm, he already had a rough understanding of the subsequent realms, forming a basic conceptual framework. On Jinhe Lake, the Evergreen Pavilion’s flying boat floated on the water. Soon after, the news of the Evergreen Pavilion descending on Jinhe Lake in Da Zezhou spread. Geniuses injured during the Tian Jiao (天驕) competition, and warriors with old wounds or damaged martial dao foundations, including those with damaged spirits, began seeking treatment. These injured individuals had long prepared their consultation fees, waiting for the Evergreen Pavilion to appear so they could seek medical assistance. Throughout their journey in the Spiritual Domain, nobody dared to cause trouble at the Evergreen Pavilion, nor dared to violate its rules. Even those confident in their extraordinary strength adhered to this. As warriors came seeking diagnosis from the Evergreen Pavilion, the place grew lively. However, this had nothing to do with Li Xuan, who sat in the pavilion, delving into the Tai-Cang Book's Dao Principle. This time, the Evergreen Pavilion would stay on Jinhe Lake for over half a month before departing for the next location. Su Lingxiu seldom appeared personally to treat patients, unless it involved an unusually strange ailment or severe injury and the person's strength wasn't weak. Usually, it was Shi’er, Zhou Ying, or Meng Shushu who handled the appointments, sometimes with Yue assisting. The revised diagnostic spiritual tools could detect even the most serious injuries, or hidden old wounds, and treat them with appropriate elixirs based on the diagnostics. Yue had already reached the peak of the Refining Divine Heavenly Being realm, and her spirit was stronger than her peers, thanks to Su Lingxiu's research in spirit enhancement, mastering more efficient methods to strengthen one's spirit. With Yue’s innate spirit talent, she was preparing to infuse Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy into her spirit, aiming to enter the realm of supreme powers in the Spiritual Domain. An elderly man, showing signs of extreme age, leaned on a cane as he approached the Evergreen Pavilion. Li Xuan glanced over, raising an eyebrow but otherwise ignoring him. The old man's body harbored a hidden aura of death, crafted through some unique secret technique, complementing his imminent expiration from natural causes. It could only be unleashed once, after which, he would fully perish. His spirit already contained this aura of death; clearly, this old man was among the death soldiers of some powerful spiritual sect. As for his purpose at the Evergreen Pavilion, Li Xuan had no interest; it posed no threat. "Hmm, your symptoms are quite unusual," Shi’er remarked, giving the old man a curious glance as he conducted the diagnosis. "Is it treatable?" the old man asked in a hoarse voice. "I can't handle this, and your situation is too unique. Even the diagnostic tool can't detect it. Please wait a moment." Such unique injury cases had to be attended to personally by Su Lingxiu. Zhou Ying notified Su Lingxiu. “Esteemed Doctor Su, can my illness be cured?” the old man asked, looking at Su Lingxiu with nervous anticipation. "Your condition is quite unusual. You have but a short span of life remaining, necessitating life-prolonging elixirs, and the death aura within must also be dispelled. "The treatment will not be inexpensive. I’ll provide you with a list. Obtain the items from it required for the treatment, and you will be cured, with an extension of life by a hundred years being no issue." Su Lingxiu's expression was calm as she spoke. "Truly?" The old man was elated. "Extending life by a hundred years?" Su Lingxiu handed the treatment list to him, saying, "Indeed, it's merely a matter of refining a life-prolonging elixir; it's a small matter." "Wonderful, wonderful, I’ll be able to live longer!" In his excitement, the old man seemed to lose control over the death aura he had been suppressing, causing his hands to turn gray-black as he simultaneously reached for the diagnosis slip and stood up in excitement. Boom! At that moment, the old man’s eyes turned fierce. The horrifying death aura poured out, sinister and terrifying, forming a ghostly claw attacking Su Lingxiu. At such close range, the sudden assault gave the old man absolute confidence in heavily injuring her! And once the death aura entered the body, even the Elixir Fairy (丹醫仙子) would inevitably die, regardless of enduring a bit longer. However, to his shock, a gentle blue light appeared around Su Lingxiu, sitting calmly, watching him. The death aura’s attack, upon encountering the gentle blue light, began to dissolve continuously, as if meeting its nemesis. "How is this possible!" The old man's expression was of utter horror. "Is it Thousand Martial Hall, or Thundercloud Manor?" Su Lingxiu shrugged, seemingly unsurprised, then shook her head. "It’s unlikely from Thundercloud Manor, which means it must be Thousand Martial Hall. Back then, a Thousand Martial Hall elder was injured by my junior brother's array, severely damaging his foundation and seeking my treatment, which I refused. "So, this is revenge? Not allowing Thousand Martial Hall treatment, nor allowing other warriors the chance to seek treatment?" The old man's expression changed, surprised to hear Fang Hao was her junior brother. To be from the same sect? Just then, he saw Su Lingxiu extend a hand, placing it on his head. Pfft! He felt his consciousness being extracted, his spirit seemingly drawn out as well, with the death aura converging towards Su Lingxiu's palm. At a certain moment, his consciousness shattered and dissipated. And in Su Lingxiu's hand appeared a mass of death aura. "Such a valuable find, I need to research how this death aura was refined." Su Lingxiu's face showed excitement. The diagnostic task continued to be handled by Shi’er and the others, while she, elatedly, returned inside to study this death aura. This assassination attempt caused no waves; Shi’er and the others didn’t mind, it was merely a trivial matter. ... In Da Chuan Prefecture, on a precipitous mountain peak, Xu Yan stood atop a large rock, as if awaiting someone. "This Da Chuan Prefecture seems like a burial ground for numerous bones. The residual spirits in those ancient tombs are somewhat unusual." During his years in Da Chuan Prefecture, Xu Yan traversed many treacherous places, exploring some ancient tombs. Some tombs harbored remnants of spirits, yet these remnants were peculiar, seemingly not those of Spiritual Domain warriors. They contained a certain eerie aura, appearing very ferocious. Once, a family clan in Da Chuan Prefecture unearthed a grand tomb within a mountain, leading to a powerful corpse beast that nearly wiped out the clan. Xu Yan stumbled upon it by chance, was surprised, and demolished that corpse beast. Half a year ago, he encountered an unusual warrior. With considerable strength and strange behavior, the warrior was ultimately killed by Xu Yan, revealing that the warrior’s body had been possessed by an unknown remnant spirit. "Why does Da Chuan Prefecture seem like a giant graveyard? It feels as if every mountain serves as a tomb, with warriors buried beneath." Xu Yan muttered to himself. Da Chuan's chaotic dangers, and frequent ambushes, along with the lurking unknown risks within the mountains did not deter Xu Yan. Over the years, his strength grew, and his martial enlightenment yielded substantial gains. He had now reached the mature stage of the Divine Essence Realm. "Is there a tomb beneath this mountain as well?" Xu Yan glanced at the precarious mountain on which he stood, pondering. "I only need a little more to fully comprehend the Divine Appearance Technique." Xu Yan murmured, awaiting someone. **New Terms and Entities:** 1. Tai-Cang Book (太蒼書) - A mysterious and seemingly powerful book containing profound martial and dao patterns. Translated as "Tai-Cang Book" to keep the essence of its implied majesty and significance. 2. Da Chuan Prefecture (大川州) - A region explored by Xu Yan known for its dangers and numerous ancient tombs. Translated to "Prefecture" to signify an administrative division and the literal meaning of "州." 3. Jinhe Lake (金荷湖) - A location where the Evergreen Pavilion (長青閣) resides for a temporary period. "Jinhe" retains its original phonetic sound to preserve cultural context, while "Lake" helps identify the geographical feature. 4. Death Aura - A unique aura associated with the elderly visitor that results in a particularly deadly attack. "Death Aura" is used to describe its lethal nature accurately. 5. Thundercloud Manor (雷雲山莊) - A potential antagonist organization, posited by Su Lingxiu. The term "Manor" conveys an organized and possibly noble structure. **Contextual Explanation and Interpretations:** - The story suggests future growth and confrontation for Li Xuan in terms of surpassing the Tai-Cang Book's creator, hinting at a great narrative arc of challenge and mastery. - There is a strong theme of lifespans and the battle against inevitable mortality, particularly demonstrated through the minor drama of the elderly man's quest for life-prolongation. - The development of the story hints at conspiracies and lingering conflicts between organizations, like the Thousand Martial Hall aiming vengeance against Su Lingxiu's refusal to heal their elder. **Suggest Improvements or Changes in Existing List:** - Including "Prefecture" as part of regional contexts for translating similar terms appropriately. - Suggest distinct translations or term retention based on location-specific elements and notable places (e.g., mountains, lakes, regions) for consistency across the narrative context. After this battle, the comprehension of the Divine Appearance Technique should be fully realized. “Xu Yan, you little brat, I've finally found you!” A cold and murderous voice echoed. Xu Yan smiled, “I've been waiting for you.” The Saber Elder of the Thousand Martial Hall was taken aback, “Did you deliberately leak your whereabouts to me?” “Of course!” Xu Yan looked at the Saber Elder, a supreme expert of the Thousand Martial Hall, who had gathered an aura of the Laws of Heaven and Earth, and not just a singular strand. “Are you courting death, or are you so confident you can escape from my grasp?” The Saber Elder scanned the surroundings, his soul force searching every corner, finding no ambush. “I’m here to kill you.” Xu Yan looked at the saber in the elder’s hand. Though it was considered a divine weapon, it clearly wasn't as powerful as the Cold Absolute Blade (冷絕刀). With that, he took out the Cold Absolute Blade. Casually tossing it back to the Saber Elder, he said, “I’m temporarily returning this saber to you. Come on, show me the strength of a supreme expert from the Thousand Martial Hall.” The Saber Elder frowned. Was Xu Yan really handing back the Cold Absolute Blade? “You're seeking death, so I'll grant it!” Grasping the Cold Absolute Blade, saber light soared into the sky, the chilling saber energy surged in all directions, the might of the divine weapon was undeniable, far surpassing that of Wu Yuan. Xu Yan was so confident, yet the Saber Elder dared not lower his guard. Back at the gates of the Thousand Martial Hall, Xu Yan seemed arrogant, but he demonstrated that he had reason for his arrogance. Years had passed, and Xu Yan's strength must have risen again, which explained his confidence. The Saber Elder smirked inwardly. Xu Yan was ultimately too conceited, underestimating the power of the Cold Absolute Blade as if it was on par with ordinary supreme experts? “Make your move!” With a wave of his hand, Xu Yan transformed his divine essence into a sword held firmly in his grip. “Die!” The Saber Elder slashed down with a saber strike, cold and piercing, a matchless attack. Boom! Xu Yan thrust out a sword, and with just a touch, he evaded the edge of the saber, soaring into the air. He meticulously contemplated the execution of the saber strike by the Saber Elder, particularly how it harnessed the power of the Laws of Heaven and Earth. Boom! Under the saber light, the precipitous mountain peak was instantly cleaved in two! “Kill!” The Saber Elder held his saber, his aura burgeoning as if merging with the heavens and earth, with three profound breaths encircling him, continuously gathering the mighty power of heaven and earth, which poured into the Cold Absolute Blade. At this moment, the Saber Elder exhibited the true strength of a supreme expert of the Spiritual Domain. Boom! The battle intensified; mountain peaks continuously crumbled, even disintegrating into dust and vanished. Yet Xu Yan, sword after sword, resembled a small boat swaying amidst stormy seas, seemingly about to capsize at any moment. The Saber Elder squinted, secretly astonished. Xu Yan appeared at a disadvantage, possibly even on the defensive, but he never truly fell into danger. This implied that the battle was within Xu Yan's control. Thinking of this, the Saber Elder's expression turned stern, and he drew another divine long-saber he carried. With both sabers wielded, the mighty power of the heavens transformed into saber light, enveloping Xu Yan on the battlefield. “Xu Yan, you are indeed strong, but too arrogant. Do you really think the position of the Saber Elder of the Thousand Martial Hall is akin to ordinary supreme experts?” The Saber Elder sneered. Within him, a divine brilliance emerged, merging into the divine weapon. Three profound breaths entirely integrated with the heavens and earth at this moment. A stronger heavenly might continuously surged into the two divine weapons, exponentially amplifying their divine power in that moment. “So, this is the power of the Laws of Heaven and Earth? You can only gather a bit, and it’s rather crude. Even if you break through to the next realm, it’s merely about integrating the Laws of Heaven and Earth into the body. “While one can utilize the power of the Laws of Heaven and Earth, one remains under its constraints, unable to completely control it for personal use. “The Divine Appearance Realm is about mastering the Laws of Heaven and Earth for martial divine appearance, transcending the laws to control them. I have a good grasp of it now.” Xu Yan was indifferent to the Saber Elder's increasingly frenzied attacks. The image of a mountain and river emerged, assimilating all attacks within, as he carefully contemplated, discerning the cultivation path of marital dao in the Spiritual Domain through the Saber Elder’s harnessing of the laws. The battle grew ever fiercer, yet Xu Yan persisted like a precarious small boat. The emerging mountain and river images had already crumbled several times. He, however, remained unconcerned. Boom! The Saber Elder's attack further intensified, seemingly accumulating the power of the Laws of Heaven and Earth throughout the battle, thereby escalating the divine might continuously. It was as if when the power of the Laws of Heaven and Earth reached its peak, a true outburst would follow. “Xu Yan, die!” At a certain moment, the Saber Elder’s gaze turned as sharp as saber light, and he melded his dual sabers into a single strike, slashing down forcefully. In the air, the accumulated power of the Laws of Heaven and Earth reached its limit. As the dual sabers struck down, a terrifying saber light descended from the sky. The saber light seemed to originate from the heavens, instantly aiming to utterly obliterate Xu Yan! “It’s time to end this!” Xu Yan exhaled, having nearly fully comprehended the martial dao of the Divine Appearance Realm. He executed a single sword strike. The sword intent was imperceptible, yet carried a force of destruction. The mountain and river transformed into a thunderous sword, and the sword descended silently. The Saber Elder was seized with terror, sensing an overwhelming crisis of life and death. Under this sword strike, the saber light shattered. Before he could react, a gentle breeze swept across him. At the instant the breeze whispered by, it bore an overpowering killing intent, causing his soul to fracture and his body to disintegrate into fragments, his consciousness fading. The Saber Elder of the Thousand Martial Hall had fallen! **New Terms and Entities:** 1. Saber Elder - The elder from the Thousand Martial Hall wielding a saber, a title specific to this narrative indicating his high rank and expertise within the organization. Retained as "Saber Elder" for clarity. 2. Cold Absolute Blade (冷絕刀) - A revered divine weapon. Named "Cold Absolute Blade" to retain the coldness and decisiveness implied in its name. 3. Divine Appearance Realm (神相境) - A newly introduced martial dao realm that focuses on mastering and transcending the Laws of Heaven and Earth to personify a martial divine appearance. Translated literally to maintain its mystical and divine connotations. **Contextual Explanation and Interpretations:** - The text illustrates Xu Yan's cunning and strategic approach to luring out the Saber Elder for a confrontation, revealing significant tactical depth and showcasing his growth towards mastery over the Divine Appearance Realm. - The narrative imbues the conflict with themes of destiny and overcoming limits, represented through Xu Yan's battle tactics and realization of new martial dao principles. - Xu Yan's confrontation with the Saber Elder delineates his evolving understanding of the Divine Appearance Realm, presenting it as a significant martial evolution stage. **Suggested Improvements or Changes in Existing List:** - Clarification in terms of title use like “Elder” when referring to ranking or roles in different martial organizations, ensuring cultural and hierarchical comprehension. - Ensuring consistency in translating weapon names and realms for cohesive narrative continuity.