Volume 2 Chapter 44: The Innate Blade Aura - Martial God

Chapter 44: The Innate Blade Aura After leaving his uncle's room, He Yi Ming returned to his own quarters and retrieved the great halberd, heading once more into the deep mountains. Now aware that Lü Xin Wen was an innate master, He Yi Ming felt no fear, but neither did he dare to underestimate the situation. Facing an innate expert requires seriousness; any neglect or attempt to hide one's capabilities is tantamount to courting death. He Yi Ming's strongest martial technique at this time was undoubtedly the "Thirty-Six Styles of the Mountain-Cleaving," an innate art that could be applied not only to palm techniques but also used with the blade. Of course, using the great halberd to perform these mountain-cleaving styles would unleash the full potential of this formidable innate technique. He couldn't quite explain why, but the feeling of wielding the great halberd with this technique brought him unparalleled satisfaction. In light of the formidable foe approaching, He Yi Ming naturally wouldn’t abandon his most powerful weapon and technique. Carrying the great halberd on his back, He Yi Ming moved like lightning, sprinting towards the mountains even faster than before. He moved as if he were a wisp of smoke, carried by the wind, seemingly vanishing without a trace, having slipped out of the Yuan family estate unnoticed. This speed truly maximized the Cloud and Rain Flight technique, feeling increasingly fluent with each use. Before long, he arrived at the place where he had reforged the great halberd. The scene remained as disordered as before; the damage caused would not heal in such a short time. He untied his bundle, lifting a flap to let the three sections of the great halberd soar into the sky. Despite its weight, the halberd flew with ease, as if light as a feather. In that moment, He Yi Ming's body shimmered slightly, feeling as if he were vaporizing, transforming into a mere phantom or wisp of mist, not a solid being at all. Then his feet moved, and in that instant, he wasn't just one person but seemed to take countless steps simultaneously, as if treading dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of steps at once. These steps weren't ethereal; they firmly connected with the ground, enveloping the entire mountain like an endless mountain rain. In a flash, He Yi Ming's body became one with the cloud and mist, with the wind and rain. Abruptly, he paused, alternating his feet mid-air with precise movements, catching the three halberd sections as they fell. His hands moved with extraordinary speed, assembling the halberd mid-air, leaving traces of afterimages in the sky. With his blade poised, he unleashed the "Thirty-Six Styles of the Mountain-Cleaving" as if casting a massive mountain on top of his opponent. A thunderous roar followed, and He Yi Ming hit the ground with a thud, landing rather awkwardly, though not flat on his back or seated heavily. Thankfully, he embedded the halberd's handle into the ground, which saved him from a nasty fall. He took a breath, with a slight flush on his cheeks; the previous display of grandeur had vanished in a moment. Gazing at the great halberd in his hand, He Yi Ming felt a sense of relief. What he attempted earlier was to merge the Thirty-Six Styles of the Mountain-Cleaving with his body technique. If he could integrate these two innate martial skills, He Yi Ming was confident it would produce unparalleled power. Combining two innate techniques... If he could succeed, the impact wouldn't be just additive but multiplicative. Achieving this would surely increase his chances against the incoming innate adversary. However, the Thirty-Six Styles belonged to the metal element, whereas the Cloud and Rain Flight he devised was an agile, ethereal martial art, akin to a roaming dragon. The disparity with the indomitable Thirty-Six Styles was vast, making their fusion a daunting task. He sighed softly, furrowing his brow once more. He had long considered this issue and realized that overcoming this conflict between martial skills wasn't insurmountable. It involved coordination between combat techniques, not the tough energy conflicts found in true essence cultivation. Given enough time, say a decade or two of practice, the problem could be solved. Then, using the Cloud and Rain Flight to execute the Thirty-Six Styles with the great halberd wouldn't be difficult. But time was precisely what He Yi Ming lacked. He was sure Lü Xin Wen wouldn't give him ten or twenty years before engaging in a duel. If possible, Lü Xin Wen would surely eradicate the He family and he undoubtedly would be the primary target. After a moment of hesitation, He Yi Ming looked up, his gaze fixed on the sky as if drawn to something unseen. Suddenly, he moved again, climbing quickly towards the mountain peak, reaching the spot where he had earlier gained insight. Gazing out, the endless mountains stretched far and wide, and he felt as if he were but speck of dust in this vastness. He calmly extended the great halberd, this formidable weapon that demanded attention, yet was still insignificant compared to the majesty of the mountains. Closing his eyes, He Yi Ming immersed himself back into that moment of enlightenment. At that place, in that instant, he returned to the wondrous state of his initial realization. In his mind, the figure composed of mist and rain appeared once more. The Cloud and Rain Flight, when performed by this figure, seemed to possess an effortless grace beyond He Yi Ming’s own execution. Gradually, within the figure, the mist churned and shaped into a great halberd. With the halberd, the movements initially faced a slight hindrance. Yet this obstacle didn’t last; the halberd seemed to grow lighter in the figure’s hands, becoming a natural extension of the form. Each aggressive strike emerged spontaneously, blending with the body technique, rather than adhering to rigid forms of the Thirty-Six Styles. The movements adjusted fluidly with the body technique's shifts, showing no fixed sequence. When He Yi Ming focused all his energy, what he saw was not demons but the capability he had discovered post-enlightenment. After witnessing the mountain rains and morning mist, his inner energy spread out, merging with the world's energy. His mind formed a mysterious understanding, as if understanding the innate essence of mist and rain had integrated it with his subconscious, granting him mastery over those transformations. Reflecting this subconscious understanding in his mind was a figure adept in all cloud and rain variations. This subconscious figure, drawing upon the primal power of cloud and rain, unified all relevant techniques and created the Cloud and Rain Flight. Now, He Yi Ming was integrating the great halberd and Thirty-Six Styles into this subconscious effort, seeking rapid fusion of these two extraordinary techniques. It's not a myth; it’s a unique training method. Just as some scholars struggle to remember things despite cramming by night but find clarity upon waking, constant recital deepens memory until it's unforgettable. He Yi Ming found himself in a similar situation, once more entering a state of enlightenment. With access to the primal cloud and rain power, he activated an inner mysterious force, allowing this capability to manifest clearly in his consciousness. Through practice in this subconscious realm, he compressed the time needed to blend these contrasting innate techniques to a terrifyingly short span. After a long while, standing atop the peak, He Yi Ming suddenly moved. His feet flew, stamping the ground with the force of a storm. Yet, despite his eyes being closed, he moved around the peak as if guided by invisible eyes, never stepping off the edge to meet a grim fate below. His leaps became birdlike, gliding through the air as if with wings. Upon witnessing such a scene, an ordinary person might be inclined to prostrate themselves and call it divine, whereas a cultivator would be so shocked that their eyes might pop out. To cultivate a light body technique to this extent almost exceeds the limits of what the human body can achieve. Indeed, every innate master’s body has been purified and continually transformed by the energy of heaven and earth, making their bodies vastly superior to those of post-natal martial artists. This innate transformation is their greatest asset. It’s not an exaggeration to say they transcend the limits reachable by post-natal practitioners. While suspended in the air, He Yi Ming twisted his wrist, and the great halberd once again sliced through the air. A massive arc of blade light surged out from the first segment of the halberd, shooting forth like a bolt of lightning. This non-material blade light was as powerful as if forged from the toughest steel, cleaving through anything in its path. Even the resilient rock face, weathered by countless years, could not escape being bisected. Landing with force, the energy beneath He Yi Ming erupted like the discharge from a jet engine. In an instant, his shoes disintegrated, and the spot beneath his Yongquan acupoint was obliterated. The ground thundered with a drum-like crash, inexplicably forming two large craters. At the same time, He Yi Ming leaped high again, raising the great halberd above his head like a war god. A tremendous aura surged from him, and the great halberd descended like a pillar of the heavens. The edge of the blade released a streak of light, slicing through the air and appearing instantly against a massive tree more than ten meters away. The light flashed and vanished. Opening his eyes, He Yi Ming stood astonished, his mouth agape. The combination of the "Thirty-Six Styles of the Mountain-Cleaving" and the Cloud and Rain Flight had fused seamlessly, working together in perfect harmony, enhancing each other beyond any previous obstacles. His final strike unleashed an unimaginable level of power, even projecting the halberd’s aura beyond its blade—something he'd never imagined possible. Even He Yi Ming was amazed, realizing the two techniques' integration had amplified their strength substantially. The credit for this lay with the ethereal figure that appeared in his mind after attaining enlightenment. This figure possessed an uncanny ability to unify fragmented skills into something entirely his own. This phenomenon was closely related to his unique physique. Within him existed all elemental martial arts, yet the inner force and qi cultivated from these arts converged into a single chaotic mass within his meridians, returning to his dantian. It seemed no matter the technique he practiced, his qi quantity increased. When utilizing a technique, his qi inherently adopted its elemental traits. This bizarre and marvelous constitution allowed He Yi Ming to break through limits and reach his current level in such a short time. Previously, these traits were confined to inner strength and qi, but now, after a mysterious enlightenment, a similar transformation seemed to occur in his martial techniques as well. With a faint sigh, He Yi Ming's mind was flooded with questions. He knew these changes stemmed from the strange encounter at the lake bed, yet he couldn't fathom what that ball of light was that granted such miraculous powers. "Whoosh... Crash..." A loud noise snapped He Yi Ming from his contemplation. He looked up in surprise, his gaze sharpening. Before him, the tree that the blade aura had touched began to topple over. The center of the tree was smoothly severed, as if a silk ribbon cut through without resistance. Looking at the tree's base, he noticed a slender groove appearing on the ground, stretching into the distance. All vegetation along this path was cleaved. He Yi Ming could no longer hide his shock. He finally understood the prodigious power of the blade aura unleashed from the weapon's edge. Compared to this, his own strenuous hacking with the great halberd could not match this aura's impact. If he faced a similar blade aura, could he withstand it barehanded? Gazing at the halberd in his hands, He Yi Ming realized it had become an object of dear affection. But he also wondered, was this halberd truly just an ordinary iron weapon? For a long time, he pondered over this, eventually stowing the halberd as he sought to re-enter the state of enlightenment atop the peak, only to find it elusive despite his efforts. He sighed softly and turned away—achieving such profound states twice in a single day was a remarkable feat. Seeking more would be nothing short of greed. ※※※※ In the city of Zhengtong County, at the Fan residence, all the servants were treading lightly, careful not to make any noise. Their master, Fan Shuhe, head of the Fan household, was uncharacteristically irritable and anxious that day. The elder servants remembered it had been decades since their master last showed such an expression. They understood something significant must have occurred, something troubling even to the master. In a hurry, Fan Haori, the eldest son, entered Fan Shuhe’s room, his face equally solemn. "Father, I've searched everywhere; there’s no trace of my uncles." Fan Shuhe’s eyes sharpened. "Did they leave any message?" Fan Haori shook his head firmly. "No, I searched their quarters myself. Not a letter, not even a scrap of paper was left behind." Fan Shuhe remained silent, deep in thought. After a moment, Fan Haori spoke softly, "Father, could they have left without a word because of their failure that day?" "Hmph," Fan Shuhe snorted, "The Xiao brothers and I have been friends for decades. I know their character well; they’d never abandon a friend before a battle." Fan Haori stepped back, refraining from more speculation. "But Father, the uncles have been missing for over a day, and there were no signs of struggle in their room..." Even amidst his irritation, Fan Shuhe couldn’t help but laugh. "Don’t let your imagination run wild. With your uncles’ skills, it’s impossible for anyone to capture them without alerting us." Recalling the scene where the Xiao brothers battled against He Quanxin, Fan Haori also acknowledged this truth. Their combined strength made it impossible for even a top-tier expert to subdue them without causing alarm. Fan Shuhe frowned, calculating his thoughts. Suddenly, he sensed an anomaly in the air around him. Spinning around, he was shocked, immediately springing backward with a light step, akin to leaping from a springboard. In the same moment, he instinctively reached out, grabbing Fan Haori’s arm and pulling him behind himself.