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

Chapter 425: Pavilion of a Hundred Battles, Descended Witch's Malicious Eye "Sir, you called for me?" The Eight-Leaf Celestial Fiend nodded. "Congratulations, Sir, for slaying Xu Yan. You've contributed greatly to restoring the world's glory!" The newcomer jubilantly congratulated him. The corners of the Eight-Leaf Celestial Fiend's mouth twitched beneath the mask, as he felt a renewed pain in his palm and shoulder. Even the mention of Xu Yan's name seemed to stir a restlessness within the strand of Sword Dao power inside him. "Xu Yan isn't dead!" "What?" The newcomer looked astonished. Even the Eight-Leaf Celestial Fiend himself couldn't kill Xu Yan? Upon reconsideration, he was enlightened. "Sir, did you capture Xu Yan alive? Planning to blame another faction?" Indeed! The Eight-Leaf Celestial Fiend didn’t kill Xu Yan to pin the blame for his death on other factions? "I haven't captured Xu Yan." "What?" The newcomer was shocked. "Sir, has Xu Yan become so powerful that even your personal intervention isn't enough?" The Eight-Leaf Celestial Fiend coldly stared at the individual, snorting disdainfully, "What nonsense are you speaking? If I take action, Xu Yan would be easy to catch!" "Then why?" The person was puzzled. "Upon deep consideration, I realized that capturing or killing Xu Yan is too simple. It won't effectively stir up the Divine Domain's affairs. After pondering, I devised a method better than personally striking Xu Yan." The newcomer exhaled in relief. So that's how it was. He had been worried that even the Eight-Leaf Celestial Fiend couldn't handle Xu Yan. "Sir, what is your excellent plan?" He inwardly grumbled, realizing that Sir Celestial Fiend, known for murder rather than strategy, suddenly had this insight? He wondered whether the plan was reliable. The Eight-Leaf Celestial Fiend's gaze was deep, with a sense of thorough control over everything. "Kill Yan Ping and set Meng Chong up for blame. At this moment, the Wan Bao Alliance harbors deep animosity toward Meng Chong, irreconcilably hostile. Wherever Meng Chong ventures, the Alliance will certainly pursue." "By timing it right, killing Meng Chong would inevitably involve the Alliance facing retaliation from Meng Chong's backers." "After much consideration, I concluded if Xu Yan faced similar circumstances, his death at my hands would bring even more value!" The newcomer understood but hesitated, "Sir, the Wan Bao Alliance targeting Meng Chong is one thing, but targeting Xu Yan might be a bit..." "Foolish!" The Eight-Leaf Celestial Fiend glared at him with a 'foolish beyond words' expression. "Do you think the Divine Domain only has the Wan Bao Alliance as a major power?" "Is the Alliance the only one spanning the Thirty Domains?" The newcomer pursed his lips, internally cursing, finding it absurd being looked down upon by someone known primarily for violence. "What do you mean, sir?" The Eight-Leaf Celestial Fiend’s eyes sparkled with intelligence. "The Pavilion of a Hundred Battles! Ensuring Xu Yan becomes enemies with the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles. Their prodigy, Hong Ting, is in the Changyun Domain and has ventured into the Descended Witch Abyss. We can kill him at the right moment and place the blame on Xu Yan!" "Sir, you are wise!" The newcomer realized and wondered how he overlooked the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles. However, he worriedly added, "Hong Ting is a renowned prodigy of the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles, immensely powerful, unlike Yan Ping. To kill him, one would need an Immortal Heavenly Venerable at least; a mere True King Heavenly Venerable wouldn’t do. A group attack might expose us, making it impossible to blame Xu Yan." "And if it’s an Immortal Heavenly Venerable, it would be evident he died to one, equally making it hard to frame Xu Yan." The Eight-Leaf Celestial Fiend paused, realizing the oversight. "Hong Ting being in the Descended Witch Abyss is an opportunity. If he becomes enveloped by the Descended Witch's Malicious Eye Light, his strength will reduce significantly, unable to fully wield it—that’s our chance!" "Your wisdom is unmatched, sir! I’ll arrange the deployment now!" The newcomer, understanding, left excitedly to make arrangements. The Eight-Leaf Celestial Fiend exhaled, determined that the humiliation of his embarrassing retreat against Xu Yan couldn’t be revealed, preserving his dignity! "Next, I must go into seclusion and find a way to rid myself of this fragment of sword power." He deeply contemplated. ... In the Descended Witch Abyss, a young man wielding dual axes was surrounded by a glimmer of thunderous light, filled with battle intent, akin to a weathered battlefield warrior. Swoosh! The lightning-ridden axe split open a red-haired individual with eyes like bronze bells and cheeks covered in red scales! Descended Witch! The intruder in the abyss he killed was a Descended Witch, albeit not one of the tremendously powerful ones, but rather a weaker one. According to limited information, the weaker Descended Witches were descendants of a supremely powerful Descended Witch. Buzz! Suddenly, the body of a Descended Witch emitted a glow, revealing numerous eyes on its forehead and chest, each emanating a peculiar light. The Descended Witch's Malicious Eye Light! Once the light touches someone, they become lazy, weak, losing their will to fight. "Hmph! Let’s see if your Descended Witch's Malicious Eye Light can shake my battle spirit!" The young man with dual axes snorted coldly, his thunderous light growing brighter. With axes held in front, he braced himself valiantly, letting out a low roar, echoing the sounds of myriad armies clashing. Battle Spirit of a Hundred Battles! This epitomizes the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles’ martial path, cultivating the Battle Spirit of a Hundred Battles. The more they fight, the stronger they become, thriving in adversity. Against stronger foes, their battle spirit becomes fiercer, disregarding life or death! The young man was none other than Hong Ting, one of the prodigies of the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles, possessing a Thunder Spirit Physique, and had also cultivated the Battle Spirit of a Hundred Battles. He ventured into the Changyun Domain to further refine his battle spirit, laying the groundwork for transcending to the Immortal Realm. The Pavilion of a Hundred Battles, a unique power, spans beyond the Thirty Domains of the Divine Domain. Renowned for their love of combat, they frequently appear in various Domain's heavenly abysses, fighting valiantly. The harsher the danger, the more likely you'll see members of the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles. They believe in honing the Battle Spirit of a Hundred Battles through combat. Once honed, they are unyielding, thriving against adversity, with their combat strength greatly increasing. Pavilion of a Hundred Battles warriors typically demonstrate a strength 30% greater than other warriors within the same realm. Among prodigies, those from the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles are more ferocious and daring. Prodigies from other major forces seldom spar against them. In the eyes of other forces' prodigies, those of the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles are madmen! Battle-hungry madmen, as their combat style reflects an all-or-nothing attitude. When members of the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles have a conflict or harbor grudges, they resolve it directly through battle. A life-or-death battle, the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles accepts loss graciously, writing off the grudge in defeat. Victorious enemies naturally satisfy their revenge and resolve the animosity. Despite this seemingly easy resolution of grudges, the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles warriors are generally 30% stronger in the same realm. Furthermore, those chosen to resolve grudges are the elites of the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles. No one has ever survived a duel against them. Unwillingness to accept or violating duel rules leads to severe retribution by the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles, who won't hesitate to retaliate strongly. This direct yet decisive style, fighting like madmen, deters major powers within the Divine Domain from lightly crossing paths with the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles. Nevertheless, their creed in battle drew them to constantly wage war in the Abyss. Without provocation, they never provoke others. This reputation causes their presence in abysmal missions to be welcomed by the major forces, alleviating the pressure of safeguarding these abysses. In emergencies where an abyss invades en masse, they are often sought first by the powers for aid, whole-heartedly accepting and storming the abyss with battle spirit high. Numerous dire abyssal calamities have been quelled because of the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles' supportive rush. Hong Ting, as one of their vaunted prodigies, has fought in numerous abysses, earning a formidable reputation. His arrival in the Descended Witch Abyss within the Changyun Domain quickly circulated among the major forces. They all know Hong Ting is here to temper himself. Buzz! The Descended Witch's Malicious Eye Light shone, and Hong Ting's battle spirit roared with defiance as the dual axes flared with thunder, shielding him from the sinister light. "These Descended Witches certainly hold sinister quirks!" Hong Ting acknowledged the peril; facing this particular Descended Witch equivalent to his rank, the Malicious Eye Light filled him with a passing laziness. Despite his top-tier strength within his rank, especially with the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles’ formidable Battle Spirit of a Hundred Battles, renowned for its strong-willed combat technique, the dreadful nature of the Malicious Eye Light impressed upon him. "It’s a bizarre power, an insidious force eroding will and soul intent!" Hong Ting understood. New Terms introduced: - **Eight-Leaf Celestial Fiend (八叶天煞)**: Character presumably associated with supernatural or martial prowess. - **Descended Witch's Malicious Eye Light (墯巫邪目之光)**: A mystical light from the Descended Witch that saps one's willpower. - **Battle Spirit of a Hundred Battles (百戰之意)**: A martial concept related to battling spirit, a unique concept within the Pavilion. - **Pavilion of a Hundred Battles (百戰堂)**: An organization famous for its fierce warriors throughout the Thirty Realms of the Divine Domain. - **Descended Witch (墯巫)**: Beings located in the Descended Witch Abyss, often requires context to determine if it refers to individuals or the species as a whole. - **Changyun Domain (長雲境)**: A region known in the story. - **Thunder Spirit Physique (雷霆靈體)**: A unique physique that defines the character's elemental affinity and combat style. These terms emphasize the story's unique martial elements and organization. The characters and concepts enhance the narrative's aura of myth and combat prestige. However, he remained unafraid, his fighting spirit grew even fiercer, and any hint of laziness in his mind had been expunged long ago. "Die!" Stepping forward, he swung his axe. In an instant, the gleaming lightning cleaved through the Descended Witch! "Just the power of a mere Descended Witch, how could it shake my resolve!" Hong Ting's eyes were sharp as he looked forward to the dozen or so Descended Witches, striding boldly forward to engage them. Buzz! The dozen Descended Witches raised black tridents in anger, and as they cursed, the multitude of eyes on their abdomens opened, casting powerful beams of the Malicious Eye Light. The combined Malicious Eye Light of the dozen Descended Witches targeted him. "Roar!" Hong Ting let out a roar, his eyes glowing red in that moment, embodying a fierce battle spirit, as if he were entering a berserk state. “Die!” His double axes swung out, unleashing ferocious axe power against the dozen Descended Witches. Clang! The Descended Witches raised their tridents to block, and a fierce battle erupted, with the Malicious Eye Light continuing its attempt to erode Hong Ting’s will. However, Hong Ting fought more fiercely and frenetically, showing no signs of laziness or discouragement. Instead, he seemed to enter a frenzied state. "No wonder he's a prodigy of the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles, so powerful that he resists the Malicious Eye Light!" "Hong Ting's Battle Spirit of a Hundred Battles is so refined and pure. He's truly a candidate for the Immortal Realm within the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles!" Other warriors in the abyss expressed their admiration. Due to the Malicious Eye Light of the Descended Witches, none of these warriors dared to face them alone, always teaming up with at least one other. Yet, Hong Ting battled a dozen Descended Witches single-handedly without losing ground. "Could this disturb the Descended Witch Ancestor's avatar?" A warrior expressed concern. "It’s unlikely." As the fierce battle between Hong Ting and the Descended Witches raged on, the constant roars and battle spirit driven frenzy fostered a retreating sentiment in those Descended Witches he battled against. This man is crazy, too wild, and even resists the eye beams. Swoosh! Suddenly, as one Descended Witch wavered and began to retreat, Hong Ting seized the opportunity and cleaved it with an axe! The rest of the Descended Witches, filled with fear, began to retreat while defending themselves. Hong Ting chased for a while before stopping. "Is that all?" His entire body emanated steam, his skin had turned red, and his spirit remained high, casting a disdainful gaze at the retreating Descended Witches. "While resisting the Malicious Eye Light, my battle spirit was honed further, though it consumed a lot of my soul power." Hong Ting exhaled, planning to leave the abyss to rest. At that moment, a Descended Witch appeared. This Descended Witch was different from the others, with red hair and no scales on its cheeks, looking just like a normal human. Hong Ting's heart tensed. Other warriors were also alarmed, calling out, "Brother Hong, retreat quickly!" The avatar of the Descended Witch Ancestor! Or rather, he might be the true Descended Witch. "Descended Witch's Malicious Eye light affects all who behold it with no exceptions." The Descended Witch gazed indifferently at Hong Ting. "An avatar of the Descended Witch Ancestor? Your strength hasn't reached the Immortal Realm, and you're at the same level as me, so why should I fear?" Hong Ting's battle spirit rose once more. Even though the opponent was an avatar of the Descended Witch Ancestor, this avatar was merely of the True King Heavenly Venerable realm, same as him, so why should he fear? "A Descended Witch is me, and I am the Descended Witch; what Ancestor of the Descended Witches? That's just your ignorance. Others are merely my Witch Puppets, not even considered my bloodline descendants." Hong Ting's heart sank; those he fought and defeated were Witch Puppets? Mere Witch Puppets with such strength? "Very well, let me, Hong Ting, experience the Descended Witch's Malicious Eye Light!" Hong Ting remained unafraid, letting out a low roar, becoming even more battle fervent and appearing more frenzied than before. "Kill! Kill! Kill!" Hong Ting roared, charging at the Descended Witch. At that moment, the Descended Witch's body revealed countless eyes suddenly opening, each emitting a sinister gaze, with each of a hundred eyes displaying a different kind of malign intention, none of them glaring, only inherent evil. "Kill!" Hong Ting suddenly halted, crazed with anger, yet he was horrified to find his resolve crumbling under those countless eyes. More terrifying still was the growing desire for laziness—his fighting spirit crumbling, as if yielding to indolence and lying on the ground was a luxury. "No!" Hong Ting was horrified, realizing he couldn't withstand the Malicious Eye Light. Before succumbing entirely to indolence, Hong Ting hurled himself backward, retreating wildly. The Descended Witch's hundred eyes vanished, its gaze indifferent, not pursuing, with the corners of its mouth barely rising. "Many prodigies have succumbed under my gaze. Let’s see if you can rise again." Turning and stepping away, the figure vanished into the depths of the abyss. At this moment, Hong Ting was in shock as he felt his body weaken, overwhelmed by a lethargy that left him too exhausted to care if attacked, to the point that the idea of just dropping everything and giving in seemed tempting. "This Malicious Eye Light is too bizarre, too powerful!" Hong Ting hurriedly left the abyss, needing to find a solution to the Descended Witch's power quickly. In his mind flashed images of several figures, legends who were once prominent prodigies. They inexplicably became lethargic, unwilling to cultivate, even ignoring assaults. They became so lazy their cultivation regressed, and eventually, they died of idleness one day! Hong Ting suddenly realized that they had all been struck by the Descended Witch's Malicious Eye Light, turning into such states. The thought of possibly becoming like them planted a seed of fear in his heart. - **Descended Witch Ancestor's Avatar (墯巫之祖的分身)**: An entity distinct from the typical Descended Witch, presenting a significant threat. - **Witch Puppet (巫傀)**: Constructs or entities controlled by the Descended Witch, suggesting deeper lore about their structure and influence. - **Malicious Eye Light (百目邪光)**: A unique aspect of the Descended Witch character that plays on a theme of sight/mind control. - **Changyun Domain (長雲境)**: Identified as a domain, emphasizing the domain-based setting. - **Hong Ting (洪霆)**: Character referred to as a prodigy of the Pavilion of a Hundred Battles, highlighting individual character prowess. These translations maintain story coherence while presenting cultural and martial elements. Each aspect enriches the narrative's thematic exploration of power, control, and warfare spirit.