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

Chapter 406: Eye of the Heavenly Dao, Undercurrents Arise Li Xuan couldn't help himself; he called Su Lingxiu over again, offering his guidance while applying some pressure on her. Next was Fang Hao. He spent quite a bit more time on him, pointing out details of his Mysterious Martial Path, and expanding upon it so Fang Hao could devote more effort to comprehending the broader road ahead of the Mysterious Martial Path. Finally, after pointing out some things to Jiang Buping, he sent him back into seclusion. After completing these tasks, Li Xuan, in a great mood, also guided Cai Ling'er in cultivating divine arts, and similarly offered some guidance to Yue Changming and Yue'er. Eventually, he naturally turned to instructing Shi’er, Meng Shushu, and Zhou Ying. At present, all three of them had reached the Divine Essence Realm, yet within the Divine Realm, this strength still belonged to the lower tier. Lastly, Li Xuan leveraged the capabilities of his True Form of the Ancestor Beast, giving some guidance to Red Cat, showing more care for this large cat he had been nurturing. Concluding his guidance session with Red Cat, without giving it a chance to respond, Li Xuan retracted his True Form of the Ancestor Beast, leaving Red Cat's dream realm without delay. "Continue to comprehend the Tai-Cang Book!" Once again, Li Xuan immersed his mind in the Tai-Cang Book. As he pondered over the Tai-Cang Book, time flew by, bringing the rewards of his diligent mentoring. "Your disciple Fang Hao has grasped the path of advancement in the Mysterious Martial Path, elevating your Mysterious Martial Path to the Void Shattering Realm." Finally, the Mysterious Martial Path has advanced. "The Four Martial Paths have all reached the Void Shattering Realm, growing significantly stronger." A broad smile spread across Li Xuan's face. With the enhancement of the Four Martial Paths, effortlessly crushing a mere Immortal Heavenly Venerable would be like snapping fingers. Even figures like the Great Emperor of Yue and other Immortal Heavenly Venerables wouldn't stand a chance. "Am I invincible in the Divine Realm now?" Li Xuan pondered. Whether or not he was invincible within the Divine Realm was still uncertain, but it was clear that he hadn't yet achieved invincible power across heaven and earth. "I must continue to strive." Following Fang Hao's enlightenment in the Mysterious Martial Path, Su Lingxiu also gained insight. "Your disciple Su Lingxiu has grasped the Small Heavenly Dao Eye, enhancing your Small Heavenly Dao Eye." With his guidance, Su Lingxiu finally comprehended the Small Heavenly Dao Eye. "If not for my diligent mentoring, who knows when you would've grasped the Small Heavenly Dao Eye? But my first disciple is formidable, achieving enlightenment without my guidance." Li Xuan sighed with admiration—out of his five disciples, Xu Yan was indeed the most prodigious. No wonder he was regarded as a pioneer in martial paths under his tutelage. Su Lingxiu's Small Heavenly Dao Eye differed from those of Meng Chong and Xu Yan, belonging to the unique capabilities of those following the Dan Medical Alchemy Martial Path. "Your Three Martial Paths' Small Heavenly Dao Eyes have merged, evolving your Small Heavenly Dao Eye into the Eye of the Heavenly Dao." The Great Dao Golden Book continued its feedback. Li Xuan was instantly elated, an unexpected reward indeed. The merging of the Three Martial Paths' Small Heavenly Dao Eyes transformed into the Eye of the Heavenly Dao! In that moment, Li Xuan gazed towards the heavenly vault, perceiving everything in a new light. The Eye of the Heavenly Dao, penetrating everything, endowed him with even more mysterious abilities. "Patterns of heaven and earth, and the laws of heaven and earth, what is that..." In that instant, Li Xuan glimpsed above the laws of heaven and earth, as if seeing another realm altogether. "Above the Divine Realm..." Drawing his gaze back, Li Xuan was profoundly shaken—behind that was the realm approaching the true Heavenly Dao, above even the Divine Realm, the core of heaven and earth, or perhaps the origin of it all. "Are the beings beyond immortality all converging there?" Li Xuan mused. It seemed some anomalies arose within the Tai-Cang Realm, as if employing the laws of the Dao to create a grand formation dividing heaven and earth, with the central territory as the true core where the strongest gathered. One fleeting glance at the secrets of heaven and earth's core left Li Xuan marveling at the Eye of the Heavenly Dao’s might, albeit with some heaviness in his heart. He was still too weak—otherwise, the Eye of the Heavenly Dao would possess more mystical powers. "What kind of troubles has the Tai-Cang Realm encountered?" Li Xuan pondered in silence. If he wished to understand the Tai-Cang Realm's true secrets, the small stone house within the Wu State's palace might offer a viable path. "Quickly memorize the Tai-Cang Book, advance the realm with haste." Casting his gaze back onto the Tai-Cang Book's general outline, it appeared intrinsically different at this juncture. With the Eye of the Heavenly Dao, it was as if he could penetrate the essence, rendering these profound truths more accessible. Moreover, whenever Li Xuan glanced at the Tai-Cang Book, then back up at the principles of the Dao, the operations of the laws of heaven and earth seemed to align perfectly with those described in the Tai-Cang Book. "The principle, it is indeed such; astonishing!" The more he observed, the more lucid the laws of the Dao within heaven and earth became to Li Xuan. "This principle can be utilized to send messages across the entire expanse of heaven and earth..." With each discovery, Li Xuan exuded excitement, overjoyed by the continued enlightenment, each realization a step towards tremendous power. "I now possess an idea regarding the two realms above the Heaven and Earth Realm; transcending heaven and earth seems less daunting." With his deepened understanding of the Dao's principles, Li Xuan delineated a clearer path to transcendence beyond heaven and earth and figured out how to achieve it. While aligning the Tai-Cang Book's Dao principles with those of heaven and earth, imprinting each upon his memory, Little Ha returned to the State of Great Yue, arriving at the Mysterious Courtyard to reunite with Fang Hao. "Little Ha, are you saying this Tian Sha Di Ying is planning to target me and Senior Sister? Perhaps even Master?" Fang Hao was shocked. Immediately, he sought out Su Lingxiu, informing her of Tian Sha Di Ying's conspiracy. "This matter cannot be taken lightly, we should consult the Great Emperor of Yue." Yue Changming spoke sternly. "I'll inform Master!" Su Lingxiu hurried off to seek out her master. "It's a trivial matter." After listening, Li Xuan remarked calmly. Such audacious Tian Sha Di Ying, not only attempting to assassinate Meng Chong and Xu Yan but also resorting to underhanded ambushes? Even contemplating an assault on him? Who gave them such audacity? "Master, will Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother be alright?" Su Lingxiu worriedly inquired. "Not a big issue." Li Xuan remained composed. The life-preserving jade talismans he provided to his disciples had not been triggered, signifying Meng Chong and Xu Yan hadn't faced any genuine peril despite attempted assassinations. "Rest assured, no insignificant threats can escape your master's eyes." Li Xuan assured with a chuckle. With the Eye of the Heavenly Dao's formidable capability, no concealment or malevolent scheme could bypass him. "Then I can rest easily." Su Lingxiu sighed in relief. "You, young lady, need to exert more effort. Cultivating multiple divine arts can be beneficial." Li Xuan, taking on the demeanor of a stern teacher, advised. "I understand, Master!" After Su Lingxiu departed, Li Xuan contemplated deeply. "Tian Sha Di Ying seeks to incite chaos in the Divine Realm, aiming for the unity of heaven and earth? Moreover, some power beyond immortality orchestrates events behind the scenes..." He gazed skyward, contemplating thoughtfully. Under the gaze of the Eye of the Heavenly Dao, he perceived myriad nuances in the realm, attaining further comprehension. "Inner Domain, Spiritual Domain, Divine Realm..." Li Xuan began to comprehend Tian Sha Di Ying's intentions, the so-called unity of heaven and earth, involving removing the divisions of Inner Domain, Spiritual Domain, and Divine Realm. "Even with turmoil in the Divine Realm, unifying heaven and earth is implausible, their division isn't simple." Li Xuan shook his head, contemplating the aspirations of unifying heaven and earth through mere turmoil in the Divine Realm as overly ambitious—perhaps it was merely the first step, with further actions to follow. "Let's witness their attempts. However, since they dared cross me, they should prepare for annihilation. A true master doesn't act hastily but strikes decisively at the orchestrators." Raising his head once more to the sky, Li Xuan pondered, assessing that his current strength might still fall short. "We shall see what potent figures Tian Sha Di Ying intends to unleash upon me." A cold smile appeared across Li Xuan's face. With his disciples under his watchful eyes, any harm coming to them would be unthinkable to his dignified stature as a master. As for poisoning elixirs and inciting various unrests, those were best left to the Great Emperor of Yue, the Sect Master of Tianwu, and the Lord of Wan Lei—indeed, no one more concerned than they. "Is there really such a situation?" Listening to Yue Changming's recount, the Great Emperor of Yue's expression shifted drastically. "Great Emperor of Yue, what is Tian Sha Di Ying’s faction?" Yue Changming inquired gravely. "This emperor has never heard of such a faction before." The Great Emperor of Yue's face was solemn. Unlike Yue Changming, upon learning of Tian Sha Di Ying and their intentions, the Great Emperor realized it to be a deeply concealed organization. Likely distributed not merely across the Jiu Shan Realm and Qinghua Realm but spanning the entire Divine Realm's thirty-six realms, now surfacing as the time seemed ripe. "I shall deal with this matter. Inform Brother Fang and Miss Su that the underhanded tactics will naturally be handled by us and require no concern on their part." --- **Translation Notes:** 1. **Tian Sha Di Ying (天煞地影):** Translates to "Heavenly Calamity Shadow". Retained in its original form to convey the ominous and foreboding nature implied by the name. 2. **Tai-Cang Book (太蒼書):** Previously mentioned, meaning "Grand Blue Book". Retained the original term for continuity with past references. 3. **Mysterious Courtyard (奇門院):** Alternatively could be "Strangely-Gated Institute", but "Mysterious Courtyard" better captures the tone. 4. **Nine-Leaf Lingzhi (九叶元芝):** Not mentioned within this excerpt but followed the pattern of retaining the Chinese name for specificity and flavor. Puns/Word Play: Not applicable for this excerpt. Gender and Affiliation Changes: The list previously provided remains accurate for gender associations and character affiliations. The Great Emperor of Yue took a deep breath and spoke in a somber tone. "Understood!" With those words, Yue Changming bid farewell courteously and left. After Yue Changming's departure, the Great Emperor of Yue immediately summoned Sui Hongwu. "You will personally go to the Tianwu Sect and Wan Lei Sect to inform them of this matter. For now, do not startle the snake, as this is also an opportunity to weed out the infiltrators..." The Great Emperor of Yue instructed. "Yes, Your Majesty!" Sui Hongwu nodded with a grave expression. "Feng Yan's prolonged absence from the Jiu Shan Realm—could this be connected to Tian Sha Di Ying?" The Great Emperor of Yue pondered aloud. "Impossible! Brother Feng Yan has always been somewhat careless, yet he possesses a keen and discerning mind. He likely stayed because he foresaw an opportunity. He has no subordinates in the Seven Segment Mountain within the Jiu Shan Realm, living more like a free spirit." Sui Hongwu shook his head in response. Nodding, the Great Emperor considered that if Feng Yan were problematic, that esteemed elder wouldn't allow him to remain. Furthermore, under the watchful eyes of that elder, Feng Yan, despite being an Immortal Heavenly Venerable, couldn't cause any trouble. Inside the Mysterious Courtyard, just as Feng Yan returned, placing down some collected precious materials and divine herbs, he found himself being stared at by a group, including Fang Hao. "What happened? Something wrong?" Feng Yan, feeling the stares, couldn’t help but seem a bit apprehensive. Are they planning to expel me? Impossible! I've always worked hard, diligently cultivating my divine arts—there's no reason to kick me out. Neither Yue Changming, Meng Shushu, nor Shi’er could replace my position, as my strength vastly surpasses theirs. "Brother Feng Yan, I sense danger surrounding you." Fang Hao contemplated before speaking. "Danger?" Feng Yan was taken aback. As an Immortal Heavenly Venerable who has cultivated divine arts, even the Great Emperor of Yue couldn't easily kill him. If a situation turned unfavorable, at least he could flee. If Feng Yan had his current powers back then, he wouldn’t have been cornered by Blood Demon’s subordinates. "Is the elder displeased with me?" His first thought turned to the high elder. Unless the elder was displeased with him, they could easily slap him to death. What danger was there otherwise? Replaying past events in his mind, he reassured himself that he'd done nothing that might anger the elder. "Do you know what Tian Sha Di Ying is?" Fang Hao asked solemnly. "No idea." Feng Yan shook his head, confused. "What is this Tian Sha Di Ying?" Fang Hao explained the situation about Tian Sha Di Ying aiming at him and Su Lingxiu and concluded, "You're the strongest; naturally, they'll try to eliminate or divert you first, hence the danger." Feng Yan's expression turned serious, but he showed no fear, saying, "Don’t worry, nothing will drag me away from here, and as for killing me, it’s impossible for anyone below an Immortal Heavenly Venerable. "As for disguising or deceiving, there's no way they can manage it." Fang Hao nodded, "Just be careful on your end!" "With me here, no 'cat or dog' dares to infiltrate!" Feng Yan's eyes flared wide with enthusiasm, feeling excited for the opportunity to showcase his worth. Within the Mysterious Courtyard and the Alchemist Courtyard, everything carried on as usual without a blip; Fang Hao and Su Lingxiu occasionally took time to guide talented youths in array learning and alchemy. Mostly, they focused on their martial cultivation. Shi’er, Meng Shushu, Zhou Ying, and others did the same. Only Feng Yan began his meticulous inspections of both courtyards, ensuring foolproof security and personally overseeing the entrance—everyone entering, familiar or not, got checked by him. "I refuse to believe any Tian Sha Di Ying assassins can sneak past my Immortal Heavenly Venerable scrutiny!" Feng Yan coldly laughed inwardly. In Qinghua Realm, three major factions secretly joined forces, planning to seize this chance to eradicate infiltrated Tian Sha Di Ying members. Arrays and elixirs hit their core interests, crucial to the martial rise within the Qinghua Realm. Tian Sha Di Ying’s actions had clearly crossed a line. While external undercurrents surged, within the capital of the Great State of Yue and especially the Mysterious Courtyard and Alchemist Courtyard, serenity prevailed despite Feng Yan's strict surveillance. Meanwhile, Li Xuan maintained his composed stature, tirelessly delving into the Tai-Cang Book's general outline, exerting mental effort for his martial pursuit. "Your disciple Meng Chong has achieved the Great Sun and Stars Immortal Physique. Your Great Sun and Stars Immortal Physique has entered its second minor achievement stage." Feedback from the Great Dao Golden Book arrived. Meng Chong had advanced, reaching the Divine Appearance Realm and successfully cultivating the Great Sun and Stars Immortal Physique. "Meng Chong reached the peak of refinement, transforming into a Vajra Saintly Physique; you've gained the Innate Everlasting Mountain and River Vajra Saintly Physique." Li Xuan felt a surge of unparalleled comfort. "Indeed, there is no greater pleasure than enhancing one's strength!" With Meng Chong breaking through to the Divine Appearance Realm, Su Lingxiu was also entering a stage of solidifying her foundation, poised to advance soon. Similarly, Fang Hao wasn’t far from elevating his Mysterious Martial Path to the Divine Appearance Realm. "I have a hunch that the Heaven and Earth Realm isn't far off." Li Xuan brimmed with anticipation—a step into the Heaven and Earth Realm signaled a monumental leap. It marked the true commencement of the journey beyond heaven and earth. "With Meng Chong's breakthrough, a reprisal against Tian Sha Di Ying should be in order." Li Xuan quietly mused. Likely, Tian Sha Di Ying's Immortal Heavenly Venerable would have to make a personal move soon, offering Li Xuan a chance to act? "Hmm?" Li Xuan suddenly furrowed his brows and looked towards the sky, a hint of surprise crossing his face. --- **Translation Notes:** 1. **Sui Hongwu (隋弘武):** New character introduced. Retained in the original since it is a name. Male character following typical naming conventions. 2. **Feng Yan (封岩):** Means "Sealed Rock". The name conveys stability or grounded traits, retained as a personal name. 3. **Blood Demon’s subordinates (血子荼):** Indicates a hierarchy within the Blood Demon faction. "Subordinates" subtletly denotes a possible division or ranked individual, left as "Blood Demon’s subordinates" for context clarity. 4. **Jiu Shan Realm (九山境):** "Nine Mountain Realm," describes part of Li Xuan's realm traversal. Retained for the setting it conveys. 5. **Seven Segment Mountain (七段山):** "Seven Segment Mountain" or "Seven-section Mountain," adds to geographical details within the realm. Gender and Affiliation Updates: - **Sui Hongwu** and **Feng Yan** identified as male characters. - **Blood Demon** referencing an entity or leader with subordinates. Gender and full implications not directly revealed within text but likely male based on typical hierarchies. Notes on Puns/Word Play: Not relevant for this selection. Context Adjustments: None required from the list provided.