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

### Chapter 408: Innate Everlasting Saint Physique, Earth and Heaven in Turmoil Li Xuan still sat leisurely in his chair, appearing as if he hadn't just taken action, exuding a profound aura of an inscrutable master. "Go back to your tasks," he told the Great Yue Emperor, stopping him from offering thanks. Taking a glance at the robe in his hand—used by the assailant to infiltrate unnoticed—he handed it to Fang Hao, suggesting he ponder over its use. "Focus on your cultivation; you all are still far too weak," Li Xuan remarked with a look of helplessness, realizing the need to apply pressure on his disciples to prevent complacency. "Understood, Master!" Su Lingxiu responded, bristling with indignation. The Skyfiend Earthshadow’s attempt on them was infuriating and humiliating. "Could Duanxia Mountain be the force backing Skyfiend Earthshadow?" the Great Yue Emperor guessed angrily, determined not to let the matter rest. Feng Yan also fumed over the incident but hesitated to leave the Jiushan Realm to confront Duanxia Mountain, fearing missing another chance for merit if another assault occurred. Bowing to Li Xuan before leaving, the Great Yue Emperor crafted plans independently, not drawing focus to a large-scale conflict between Qinghua Territory and Jiushan Realm. Aware of Skyfiend Earthshadow's intents, the Great Yue Emperor wisely avoided large conflicts, knowing Qinghua's martial community would grow stronger if left in stable peace. Nonetheless, immediate inaction wasn't advisable. The assailant's attempt on Fang Hao and Su Lingxiu involved all of Qinghua's three major powers and the entire martial domain. The situation required precaution; mass dissemination could enable Skyfiend Earthshadow to incite chaos. Following the attack, Fang Hao and Su Lingxiu embarked on secluded cultivation, aiming for breakthroughs, recognizing their current inadequacy against immortal heavenly beings. The disturbance, short-lived, returned the Great Yue Nation to tranquility, and life at the Dan Medicine Academy and the Mystical Arts Academy resumed normally. Feng Yan balanced cultivation with guardianship duties while Yue Changming and others immersed themselves in rigorous practice. "The Divine Domain is in disarray!" Li Xuan observed the turbulent fluctuations of heaven and earth’s laws, aware of impending chaos. "Chaos can be beneficial—heroes rise amid turmoil, providing opportunities for my disciples, and better chances for Xu Yan and Meng Chong to ascend," he mused, unconcerned by the Divine Domain’s unrest. Such matters belonged to the mighty within the realm, irrelevant to him. A seemingly trivial incident precipitated vast undercurrents. Qinghua Territory's three powers acted to strengthen control, deploying immortal heavenly beings, with the Great Yue Emperor and other notable leaders confirming their territories were void of Skyfiend Earthshadow spies. Skyfiend Earthshadow's influence ran deep in unseen places, but thinning upon Qinghua’s underappreciated position among the thirty-six realms adjacent to the Spiritual Domain. Minor upheavals arose, yet they didn't halt Qinghua's flourishing martial growth, evidenced by emerging sword path and body refinement practitioners. Fang Hao discerned insights from the enemy's cloak. "Master, it carries an aura akin to heaven’s laws but more profound. What is it?" Li Xuan transmitted a resonate Dao rhyme onto a jade talisman, "This is a Tao rhyme. Mastering it could allow crafting communicative talismans boundless by distance." Tao rhyme, part of Tai-Cang Dao, was Li Xuan's frequent contemplation. Excited, Fang Hao delved into study. "Xiao Ha, delay your return; Jiushan Realm’s gate may be compromised," Fang Hao cautioned Xiao Ha. "Quack," Xiao Ha complied. Li Xuan resumed studying the Tai-Cang Treatise, striving to perfect his technique collection, moving towards a target of three thousand divine arts. The unique Extreme Soul Path required further refinement with divine arts, secret martial methods, and soul weapons, approaching readiness. Jiang Buping neared entry into the Extreme Soul Path, harnessing his natural spirit and resistance to malign Qi. Conversion to this martial way would amplify his might beyond typical True King Heavenly Venerables. Completing disciples' preparations paralleled his road to personal refinement. "Your disciples Xu Yan and Meng Chong slew eight True King Heavenly Venerables, enhancing your martial insights," reported the Great Dao Golden Book. "Have Xu Yan and Meng Chong allied, counter-attacking Skyfiend Earthshadow?" Li Xuan pondered, acknowledging their common vendetta after both had faced pursuit. Speculation grew—Skyfiend Earthshadow's immortals in Jiushan may retaliate. Yet Xu Yan's Yin-Yang Immortal Sword could withstand typical heavenly beings, coupled with speed rendering pursuits improbable. "I'll observe their strategy; experienced in avoiding danger, skilled in outrunning pursuit," he resolved, placing faith in their safety amulets, readying intervention if triggered. "Your disciple Su Lingxiu broke into the Divine Appearance Realm; you reached a minor accomplishment in the Void Shattering Realm," Li Xuan received updates. Su Lingxiu's ascent included a transformation to the Evergreen Saint Physique, granting Li Xuan the Innate Everlasting Saint Physique. "Remarkable strength," he rejoiced, noting his divine soul gained a hallowed aura, warding against evil and purifying corruption. Su Lingxiu advanced, engaging in further comprehension of her martial path, delegating academy duties to her capable handmaids who were proficient in alchemy. Upon returning from seclusion, Su Lingxiu created a long-sought Dan medicine, boosting breakthroughs to immortal heavenly venerable, connective to the enhanced potential of the Great Yue Emperor and others. Using rare ingredients, she, skillfully utilizing Tao's law force, orchestrated the blend during refining. With Heaven and Earth Spiritual Flame, and the Divine Furnace Refinement Technique, juxtaposed with divine empowerment, she distilled a mere three pills. The success imbued the pills with a resonance to the divine, harmonious with the immortal, akin to royalty among heaven's divinity. "Success," Su Lingxiu's smile unfurled, satisfaction bequeathed from mastery realized. --- ### New Terms Explanation - **Skyfiend Earthshadow (天煞地影)**: The term likely represents a malevolent organization or entity. "Skyfiend Earthshadow" conveys a sense of ominous power and malevolence, maintaining the original's metaphorical darkness. - **Duanxia Mountain (斷霞山)**: Refers to a specific locale or faction associated with negative connotations. Kept as "Duanxia Mountain," appropriate since it's identified by context as a proper noun. - **Jiushan Realm (九山境) and Qinghua Territory (青華境)**: Retained as proper nouns representing specific regions within the narrative. Changes, additions, or new terms can further explore the affiliation or character background related within the narrative as more context unveils these factions or entities. She immediately consumed another pill, experiencing an instant enhancement in her newly achieved realm. Her strength grew, and her Martial Divine Appearance became more solid and robust. "Based on my calculation, this pill should increase the likelihood of breaking through to the Immortal Heavenly Venerable Realm by fifty percent," Su Lingxiu conjectured thoughtfully. Such a precious elixir naturally deserved a high price. Su Lingxiu then resumed her alchemical practice, increasing the production to five pills this time. The news elated the Great Yue Emperor. With these pills' assistance, the prospect of bolstering their ranks of Immortal Heavenly Venerables became tangible. Every new Immortal Heavenly Venerable would significantly elevate Qinghua Territory's strength. Many past prodigies of the Great Yue Nation lingered at the pinnacle of the True King Heavenly Venerable, or halfway to Immortal Venerable status, unable to advance further for years. With the aid of these pills, breakthroughs to the Immortal Heavenly Venerable Realm were forthcoming. Even if breakthrough dependents on pill assistance were slightly weaker, an Immortal Heavenly Venerable was leagues above a True King Heavenly Venerable or a half-step Immortal. Upon obtaining the news, the Sect Masters of Tianwu Sect and Wanlei Sect hurried over personally. The three major powers astutely kept this under wraps, ensuring the stealthy Skyfiend Earthshadow wouldn’t capitalize on any disorder. Next came negotiations over the pill pricing, with the understanding that the three powers would provide divine herbs per Su Lingxiu's terms: five sets of herbs for one pill, acknowledging possible failures in the alchemy process. The three leaders agreed without argument. The divine herbs were exceptionally rare, limiting mass production in the short term. Besides, Su Lingxiu chose when to practice alchemy, not dedicating all her time to it. Regardless, the transaction was mutually satisfying. Shortly after Su Lingxiu’s breakthrough, Fang Hao's mastery in the Mysterious Martial Path improved, reaching strength akin to the Divine Appearance Realm. "The Divine Domain is experiencing more turmoil," Li Xuan suddenly directed his gaze to a corner of the sky, noting the turbulence of heaven and earth laws. "Great chaos heralds great times; it seems even heaven and earth are undergoing changes," Li Xuan mused, frowning slightly. With his Small Heavenly Dao Eye, he perceived minuscule shifts in the natural order, undoubtedly catalyzed by Skyfiend Earthshadow. "The Jiushan Realm appears to be on the brink of upheaval too." Li Xuan turned towards the Jiushan Realm, witnessing heaven and earth law swells hinting at impending battles. "But it’s nothing major," he smiled, relaxing back into his study of the Tai-Cang Treatise. Suddenly, his demeanor shifted. Raising his eyes skyward, he observed the heavens shake, feeling dao force activate in that instant. Dong! An imperceptible sound resonated between heaven and earth, missed by greats like the Great Yue Emperor but caught by Li Xuan's acute senses. In Li Xuan's vision, the Divine Domain's realm undulated like ripples. "Disturbance of heaven and earth—has an overwhelming power descended upon the Divine Domain? "No, if so, it wouldn’t be concealed from all." Li Xuan frowned. The heaven-earth upheaval vanished as abruptly as it came but felt like an unseen strength battered the Divine Domain's barriers, attempting ingress. "This disturbance is mild, no threat to me. Even if one punch wouldn’t suffice, two punches would crush it. A trivial issue." Content with his assessment, Li Xuan returned to his previous ease. Whatever conjured the fleeting turmoil wielded no real threat—a curiosity but insignificance to him. "This Tai-Cang world is increasingly intriguing. Why do I feel an unseen hand plotting?" mused Li Xuan. Days later: Dong! Again, heaven and earth trembled. Li Xuan nonchalantly glanced, then refocused on the Tai-Cang Treatise summary. Three days later, another jolt. For the next half-month, tranquility reigned—seeming normalcy across the Divine Domain resumed. "Trouble in Jiushan Realm is nigh, eh…what’s this?" Li Xuan noticed a foreign aura entering Jiushan Realm, an observation missed before but keenly detected with his Heavenly Dao Eye. "The Blood Son of the Nether Abyss, Skyfiend Earthshadow stops at nothing to achieve its ends, even inviting external foes," he sighed. Despite Xu Yan and Meng Chong's presence in Jiushan, Li Xuan remained unfazed. In the Divine Domain, Wu Tiannan, a True King Heavenly Venerable, stood among the upper echelon, having mastered three divine arts. At present, Wu Tiannan frowned, wondering about his unusual luck and rapid martial progress since mastering divine arts in the Divine Domain. "Why is this?" Wu Tiannan pondered, eyeing the disheveled, unkempt elder with apprehension as he reclined on a boulder. --- ### New Terms Explanation - **Blood Son of the Nether Abyss (冥獄血子)**: Likely a title or name representing a powerful individual or entity associated with dark, possibly malevolent forces. Kept as "Blood Son of the Nether Abyss" to retain its ominous tone and provide context for affiliations linked to other dark entities like Skyfiend Earthshadow. - **Heavenly Dao Eye (天道之眼)**: A concept or ability enabling enhanced perception of the world’s underlying realities—translated as "Small Heavenly Dao Eye" to reflect its role as a subtle but significant insight tool. These terms are presented in a manner to maintain their associations and provide meaningful interpretations for the context, along with implications about the character abilities and overarching narrative tension involving supernatural and darker forces.