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

Chapter 337: Heavenly Cavern Order, Azure Sea Blood Blade Bandits "I originally wanted to see Wan'er from afar before I died. Since that can't happen, I have no wishes left." Mu Qianliu's expression calmed down significantly. "My existence... never tell Lingxiu about it. Let it be as if I never existed!" Mu Qianliu finished speaking, turned around, and started to leave. Meng Shushu's expression was complex. Sighing inwardly, he spoke, "Wait a moment." Mu Qianliu turned back, looking at him with bewilderment. "Though I don't know what has happened to you, still... we have known each other. Here, take these medicinal pills. Restore as much as you can." Meng Shushu placed several bottles of pills into Mu Qianliu's hands. "They might not bring you back to your peak, but they can definitely restore you to seventy or eighty percent of it." Mu Qianliu shook his head. "I know my own condition well." "Hah, these pills were crafted by Lingxiu herself. Even if your foundation is damaged and your spiritual body has collapsed, they can still restore you. Although you are seriously injured, there is hope for recovery." "If Lingxiu were to personally treat you, your injuries wouldn't be significant at all. Within a few days, you could fully recover to your peak." Meng Shushu sneered. "Truly?" Mu Qianliu looked incredulous. "Of course!" Meng Shushu sneered again. "Do you want to seek Lingxiu's treatment? She has never seen you and would not know you are her father's acquaintance." "No need!" Mu Qianliu shook his head, storing away the pills. "If I were to see her, it would only bring her harm. Let us part ways, never to meet again!" Meng Shushu remained silent. Mu Qianliu's response was unexpected. He had thought that upon learning he could recover to his peak and that Su Lingxiu could cure him, Mu Qianliu would reveal his identity and seek her help. Mu Qianliu left. He disappeared into the crowd, never to return. Meng Shushu didn't know what to feel. He admitted that he softened at the last moment, and that was why he gave Mu Qianliu the pills. He glanced at the token in his hand, an azure token with fine patterns, but nothing particularly special about it. "What is this?" Shaking his head, he decided to find an opportunity to pass it to Su Lingxiu under some pretext. Upon returning to Evergreen Pavilion, Su Lingxiu was still reunited with Princess Xiang Wei. The Evergreen Pavilion's visit to the Great Zhou capital was concluded. "Icy State, do not go to Icy State." Meng Shushu recalled Mu Qianliu's warning and wondered what had happened in Icy State. "Then we'll not go," he thought. Icy State was sparsely populated and unnecessary to visit. If Su Lingxiu wished to go, he would find a reason to dissuade her. It wasn't about danger; it was about the possibility of uncovering Mu Qianliu's affairs and revealing Su Lingxiu's relation to him. "Am I doing the right thing?" Meng Shushu felt conflicted. After all, Mu Qianliu was Su Lingxiu's biological father, yet he did not want her to bear any sorrow or anger due to his existence. If Mu Qianliu had been a faithful man, Meng Shushu would undoubtedly have told Su Lingxiu the truth. "Let it be." He sighed inwardly, holding the azure token, walking into the pavilion at Everlasting Pavilion. "Senior!" Meng Shushu bowed respectfully. He was aware that nothing escaped the senior. "Hmm!" Li Xuan nodded faintly. He had witnessed and heard the matters between Meng Shushu and Mu Qianliu. "Senior, is what I'm doing right?" Meng Shushu couldn't help but ask. "The right or wrong lies in your heart, go with the flow." Li Xuan shook his head. If Su Lingxiu were to learn the truth about her father, she would likely feel heartbroken and melancholic, hindering her carefree exploration into the Dan Medicine Martial Path. Mu Qianliu's choice to retreat voluntarily signified his lack of desire to disrupt Su Lingxiu's tranquil life with his presence. "Senior, what is this?" Meng Shushu nodded, assured by the senior’s words. He placed the azure token on the table and inquired. "I'll hand it to Lingxiu." Li Xuan glanced at the token and responded nonchalantly. As for what it was, he had no idea. He chose to not answer, insinuating that Meng Shushu's knowledge was limited due to his lack of strength. "Thank you, Senior." Meng Shushu asked no further. It would be more significant if the senior gave the token to Lingxiu, ensuring she valued it more than if he handed it to her. After all, it was Mu Qianliu's most precious possession, and Meng Shushu hoped that Su Lingxiu would give it proper attention. After Meng Shushu left, Li Xuan picked up the azure token, examining it closely, pondering on its significance. The material was remarkable, comparable to the artifacts from the Spiritual Domain. Yet, it was not a genuine artifact. The patterns on the token appeared decorative rather than holding any special meaning. Li Xuan pondered a moment before infusing a thread of Divine Essence into the token. The azure token emitted a faint glow, revealing three characters: "Heavenly Cavern Order!" With the appearance of these characters, Li Xuan noticed several small lines within the token: "With the Order, the Heavenly Cavern manifests; those holding the Heavenly Cavern Order may enter the Heavenly Cavern and command it!" Li Xuan withdrew his Divine Essence, lost in thought. "A Heavenly Cavern? A kind of secret realm? Is this the key to entering the Heavenly Cavern or the token to command it?" He wondered internally. What was a Heavenly Cavern? He speculated it was some kind of secret realm. Were there such places in the Spiritual Domain? He had never heard of them, not even in the Great Zhou's archives. "Probably a type of secret realm. The token indicates when the Heavenly Cavern appears, granting access." Li Xuan mused inwardly. "I'll give it to Su Lingxiu. Who knows when it will appear." Shaking his head, he let go of his curiosity about the Heavenly Cavern Order. Even if it were a secret realm, it held little allure for him since his cultivation wasn't centered on the Martial Path of this world but one of his own creation. "Time to continue my martial endeavors." Li Xuan shook his head, returning to his martial pursuits, composing the Divine Arts Martial Manual while exploring the Tai-Cang Book's Laws of Heaven and Earth. After seeing off Princess Xiang Wei, the Evergreen Pavilion prepared to leave. Zi Yun reluctantly returned to the Qing Wang Mansion. "What's the next destination?" "To Tianlingzhou to find Red Cat. It's been a while, and I miss that chubby cat!" Su Lingxiu thought aloud. "Alright, then to Tianlingzhou!" The Evergreen Pavilion's manor retracted, transformed into a flying vessel, and vanished into the sky. The gathered experts of Great Zhou couldn't help but marvel, truly a divine artifact, unheard of before. On the Great Zhou capital's city walls, Mu Qianliu watched the vessel depart and, from afar, spotted the silhouette of the girl, satisfied. Then his expression turned furious. "Tang Jinyan!" As Meng Shushu mentioned the Invisible Tower's assassination attempt, Mu Qianliu realized there must be more to it and thought of his legitimate wife, Tang Jinyan. "You deserve death!" Mu Qianliu left, not visiting Xiang Wei or any lovers. His final visit was to see Tang Jinyan and send her to her end! After consuming the pills given by Meng Shushu, Mu Qianliu had not completely recovered but was no longer decrepit, regaining about seventy to eighty percent of his former handsome self. At Mercury Palace, Tang Jinyan shut her doors, ceasing to see visitors. After returning from the Thousand Martial Hall, fear had taken root in her heart, aware something significant had occurred, causing the Thousand Martial Hall Master to issue such warnings. Tang Jinyan could only remain within Mercury Palace, avoiding all affairs, silently cultivating. Even the matter of assassinating Su Lingxiu was set aside. What she did not expect was for the long-absent Mu Qianliu to visit Mercury Palace, which thrilled her exceedingly, and she rushed to greet her husband. Days later. When an elder from a noble family arrived at Mercury Palace, hoping to curry favor and gain proximity to the Thousand Martial Hall, he was shocked to find the palace annihilated. He was aghast, for it was a subordinate Spiritual Sect of the Thousand Martial Hall. Who would dare eliminate Mercury Palace—was it the Wan Shi Alliance? And if it were the Wan Shi Alliance, why act so surreptitiously? --- **Notable Terms and Concepts:** 1. **天窟令 (Heavenly Cavern Order)** - A token possibly related to accessing and commanding a place called the Heavenly Cavern, speculated to be a secret realm. 2. **碧海血刀匪 (Azure Sea Blood Blade Bandits)** - The title of the chapter, suggesting a group of bandits associated with a blood blade or something ominous pertaining to the sea, untranslated for narrative context. 3. **木千流 (Mu Qianliu)** - A character referenced with a mysterious priority and past, translated phonetically to preserve character identity. 4. **正宮 (Zheng Gong)** - Translated as "legitimate wife," indicating Tang Jinyan's official status relative to Mu Qianliu. 5. **水星宮 (Mercury Palace)** - Translated phonetically and left as-is to maintain its narrative meaning, indicating a formidable place affiliated with the Thousand Martial Hall. 6. **靈域 (Spiritual Domain)** - Appears as a region or realm of high mystical importance or magical power. *Explanation:* Proper names and titles carry narrative weight and familiarity, warranting phonetic retention. Secretive content (Heavenly Cavern) is kept untranslated to align with a mysterious and unexplored narrative feature. The term "正宮" reflects traditional societal structure, naturally translating into commonly understood English terms. The news spread, causing a stir in Luozhou and shocking the Mu family. They sent a clan elder to investigate, after all, Tang Jinyan was still, in name, Mu Qianliu's legitimate wife. Upon investigation, naturally, nothing was found. Since Tang Jinyan was dead and there was no trace of Mu Qianliu, the Mu family's elders decided to establish Mu Feiming's mother as Mu Qianliu's rightful wife. Mu Feiming naturally became the Young Master of the family! With the annihilation of Mercury Palace, the Thousand Martial Hall naturally dispatched a powerful elder to investigate and proclaimed that they would surely capture the culprits who challenged them. "To silently wipe out Mercury Palace without a detected battle, the one responsible must be a truly formidable expert!" The Hall Master of the Thousand Martial Hall commented with a cold smile. "Hall Master, could it be that the news about the Spiritual Domain Gate was leaked?" "Whether it was or wasn't, we can find a scapegoat to establish some authority and move past the Mercury Palace incident. As long as there are no movements to open the Spiritual Domain Gate, it means the news hasn't leaked." The Hall Master sneered. Once news leaks about the disappearance of the Spiritual Domain Gate, such a shocking event would undoubtedly prompt other transcendent spiritual sects to investigate its authenticity. Shortly after, a famous itinerant cultivator, at the pinnacle of the Refining Divine Realm, was captured by the Thousand Martial Hall and executed publicly in front of witnesses at Mercury Palace. His blood was spilled across the sect's domain to declare that Mercury Palace had been avenged. The given reason was that this itinerant cultivator coveted the resources of Mercury Palace, having secretly planted toxins over decades to weaken its experts, silently annihilating the sect. Warriors throughout Luozhou were stunned, marvelling at the audacity of this itinerant cultivator. Meanwhile, other spiritual sects and aristocratic families became alarmed and conducted thorough internal investigations. ... The vast Azure Sea stretched endlessly, its boundaries unknown. Compared to the eighteen states of the Spiritual Domain, the Azure Sea had relatively few warriors and sparse sects, with only a few well-known islands as settlements for martial practitioners. Centered around Azure Heaven Blue Sea City, spiritual sects and families were spread out, with the area known as the Azure Heaven Sea Territory. The Azure Heaven Sea Territory was undoubtedly the most prosperous marine region of the Azure Sea, home to both human warriors and the Sea-Spirit Tribe. Beyond this region, some sects and families existed and warriors roamed. A large ship sailed across the Azure Sea, heading towards Azure Heaven Blue Sea City for trade and to exchange needed goods. "It is said this sea region has been restless, so everyone should be cautious." A warrior on the ship advised gravely. Despite the vastness of the Azure Sea, even the Refining Divine Heavenly Beings preferred traveling by ship, as flying by one's power was exhausting and could be dangerous if ambushed when energies were depleted. "Why be afraid? We have over twenty Refining Divine Heavenly Beings here. Do you really think we should fear mere bandits?" One warrior scoffed. In the Azure Sea, pirates were common, especially beyond the Azure Heaven Sea Territory, preying on passing warriors. These pirates were often fierce warriors fleeing from the Eighteen States or congregations of fallen spiritual sects and aristocratic family warriors. Some were even sea spirits turned pirates. Throughout the Azure Sea, except for the Azure Heaven Sea Territory, pirates could be encountered anywhere. "Is having over twenty Refining Divine Heavenly Beings comforting? Did you forget about Stone Vine Island being ransacked three months ago? How many warriors from the entire island managed to escape?" "Stop scaring us. What are the odds we'd run into those who destroyed Stone Vine Island?" "At any rate, caution is wise!" The warriors aboard the ship grew tense, vigilant of their surroundings. Any sign of peril and they would flee immediately! "Oh no, pirates are attacking!" Suddenly, someone on the ship shouted in alarm. Everyone looked up to see figures emerging from all sides, swiftly enclosing them. The attackers wore black masks and wielded blood-red sabers that exuded a crimson aura. "They're the Blood Blade Bandits who sacked Stone Vine Island!" The warriors on the ship cried out in fear. "Quick, jump!" Some of the Refining Divine Heavenly Beings tried to leap off the ship to escape. "Where are you going?" Boom! A blood-red blade light blasted forth, forcing the fleeing warriors back onto the ship. "Stand still; we're only here for your valuables, not your lives. Anyone who resists will die!" The leader of the Blood Blade Bandits sneered. On the ship, warriors below the Refining Divine Realm turned pale and surrendered their storage pouches, casting them onto the deck. "Very good!" "Greater Heavenly Beings stand here, Lesser Heavenly Beings stand there, Refining Divine Heavenly Beings squat down!" The Blood Blade Bandits waved their swords to arrange the warriors on the ship, and twenty or so Refining Divine Heavenly Beings grimly crouched, helplessly complying. The Blood Blade Bandits were overwhelmingly strong, all peak Refining Divine Realm warriors, outnumbering them. Fighting was impossible, and even running seemed hopeless. "Beautiful!" "We, the Blood Blade Bandits, love cooperative people." "Hand over your storage pouches. No hiding... This girl's nice, you don't need to hand your pouch over, just give up your beauty. We rob either wealth or beauty, and in your case, beauty it is!" The female warrior turned pale, trembling as she pleaded, "Please, take the wealth instead." "You have no choice! Go lie down in that corner, or I'll take both wealth and beauty!" The bandit leader tapped her cheek mockingly with his saber. The female warrior's face turned ashen as she silently moved to the corner. The bandit leader nodded, satisfied, swaggering over, "Cooperate well, and I'll even pay you in spirit crystals!" Utterly humiliating! The female warrior fumed in anger, consumed by shame. From behind the ship, a bright blue skiff sped across the sea. --- **Additional Translations and Explanation:** 1. **木飛明 (Mu Feiming)** - A character mentioned as acquiring the title of Young Master, translated phonetically to preserve familial lineage. 2. **靈域之門 (Spiritual Domain Gate)** - A supposed mystical gate, its secrets considered potentially leaked, indicating its significance in the story's mystical lore. 3. **煉神巔峰 (Pinnacle of the Refining Divine Realm)** - Denotes the utmost mastery within the Refining Divine Realm, indicating high spiritual and martial prowess. 4. **石藤島 (Stone Vine Island)** - A locale mentioned as having been sacked, translated to maintain narrative setting clarity. 5. **血刀匪 (Blood Blade Bandits)** - A term used for the notorious bandits, suggesting a threatening and brutal presence through its phonetic translation. 6. **藏物袋 (Storage Pouch)** - An item warriors are made to surrender; translated as "Storage Pouch" for its descriptive functionality. *Explanations:* The translations for personal names and titles maintain continuity with previous sections, ensuring character and familial relations are respected. Contextual elements like the Spiritual Domain Gate denote mystical significance; thus, key terms are translated to retain mystique.洛州 remains phonetically translated to preserve geographic familiarity.