Chapter 155: The Sword Intent of Annihilation, Alchemy and Martial Arts Manual

Chapter 155: The Sword Intent of Annihilation, Alchemy and Martial Arts Manual

In his estate in Yunshan County, Li Xuan marveled at the fact that Xu Yan had already started killing Grand Masters. He wondered what had happened during Xu Yan's time in the Inner Domain. It seemed like all he did there was either kill Masters or Grand Masters.

Meanwhile, Meng Chong was being pursued by a Grand Master.

Li Xuan felt a twinge of worry, but since the Grand Master hadn't caught up to Meng Chong after such a long time, he assumed that the situation wasn't too dangerous.

"Xu Yan has achieved great success in the Innate Realm and comprehended the profound nature of true qi. He's close to understanding the cultivation method of the Insight Realm. I should transmit the next realm's cultivation technique to him soon so he can get a head start. Perhaps he'll even comprehend it before he breaks through to the Insight Realm."

Li Xuan had high hopes for Xu Yan.

Su Lingxiu had already entered the basics of martial arts and was now perfecting the Alchemy Manual, starting to comprehend the art of pill refining with her bare hands.

The fat cat's size continued to increase, and the thick golden chain around its neck had been replaced with an even thicker and longer one.

Most of the time, it either lounged at the entrance of the estate or sought favors from Su Lingxiu, receiving pills from her.

Its massive size made it look even more majestic.

Shi Er had already broken through to the Minor Completion of the Qi and Blood Realm, but in terms of strength, he was no longer able to suppress the fat cat. He could no longer whip the cat as he used to.

Fortunately, after a period of indoctrination, the fat cat seemed to genuinely believe that the whipping it received in the past was for its own good.

Li Xuan continued to study the ancient leather books. As he read more, he began to form some ideas, but whether they were correct remained to be seen.

Only when his strength increased would he be able to verify his theories.

One day, Li Xuan strolled outside the estate with his hands behind his back, taking leisurely steps. He decided to wander in the remote areas to see if he could find another suitable disciple candidate.

Although the fourth martial arts system was not yet perfected and was just an idea, it didn't seem very feasible, and the techniques he had devised weren't powerful enough.

However, that didn't stop him from deciding on the next disciple.

He could refrain from formally accepting the disciple for now and wait until the fourth martial arts system was completed before taking them on.

With this idea in mind, Li Xuan set out.

He left the estate, taking leisurely steps, covering dozens of meters with each stride. His first stop was Donghe County, where he also planned to visit Xu Yan's parents.

As Xu Yan's master, it was only right that he paid them a visit.

Xu Junhe and his wife were thrilled and hastily performed a grand ceremony to welcome the Martial Arts Saint. To the people of the borderlands, he was their Martial Ancestor, an object of reverence.

And as a Holy Family of the Borderlands, the Xu family held a high status. Every day, martial artists seeking guidance in their cultivation journey would visit the Xu family.

After a conversation with Xu Junhe, Li Xuan marveled at the man's character. No wonder he had been able to win the heart of the former county governor's daughter and become the richest man in the county despite his humble beginnings.

Moreover, Xu Junhe's talent was not bad; it was even slightly better than Shi Er's. He had already achieved Minor Completion in the Qi and Blood Realm.

Xu Junhe's wife had a slightly lower cultivation base, but she was still impressive. However, it was clear that her heart belonged solely to her precious son, Xu Yan.

No wonder Xu Yan had the freedom to seek out masters and spend money as he pleased. It was all due to his mother's spoiling.

After offering some guidance to Xu Junhe and the others, Li Xuan departed.

He wandered around and eventually made his way to the capital of Qi Country.

However, he did not reveal his true identity and instead roamed the capital as an ordinary man. He stayed less than a day before leaving Qi Country.

From there, he went to Wu Country, circled around, and then headed to the desolate lands of the borderlands—one of the Three Countries of the Borderlands, Bei Man.

Unlike Qi Country and Wu Country, Bei Man was composed of multiple tribes, and the ruler of Bei Man was chosen based on martial strength. With each ruler's death, the tribes would compete to determine the next ruler.

Whoever displayed the greatest martial prowess would become the new ruler.

Here, martial might was revered, and the people were fierce and warlike. Currently, the old ruler was on his deathbed, and the tribes, including the one the old ruler belonged to, were engaged in a battle to determine the next ruler.

The eventual winner would represent their tribe in the competition for the position of the country's ruler.

Due to its location in the remote grasslands and its distance from Wu Country and Qi Country, as well as the fact that it was in a period of transition between old and new rulers, Bei Man was unaware of the changes in Qi Country and Wu Country.

Martial arts had not yet spread to this region.

According to Bei Man's customs, once a new ruler was established, they would lead a southern invasion of Qi Country and Wu Country to plunder resources and demonstrate the might of the Bei Man ruler.

Li Xuan stayed in Bei Man for two days, and he could almost predict what would happen when the new ruler of Bei Man led a campaign south to invade Qi Country and Wu Country—they would be pushed back by a group of martial artists cultivating their martial arts.

Shaking his head, Li Xuan felt a bit disappointed that he hadn't found a suitable disciple in the borderlands.

He began his journey back to Yunshan County.

"It's already a stroke of luck to have found Xu Yan and Meng Chong in the borderlands. As Su Lingxiu is from the Inner Domain, it's unlikely that I'll find another suitable disciple here.

"It's unreasonable to expect so many prodigies to appear in this small borderland."

Li Xuan smiled wryly and abandoned the idea of finding another disciple in the borderlands.

"There's no rush to find a new disciple. After all, the new martial art isn't ready yet anyway."

Upon returning to Yunshan County, Li Xuan had just sat down when a golden light appeared.

"Your disciple Xu Yan has killed the Grand Master who was pursuing Meng Chong, and your Sword Intent of Rivers and Mountains has improved."

As expected!

Upon receiving the news, Xu Yan had immediately gone to kill the Grand Master who was chasing Meng Chong.

"Xu Yan is truly fierce!"

Li Xuan couldn't help but admire Xu Yan's boldness. As soon as he entered the Inner Domain, he jumped straight into the high-end league, killing Masters.

Not long after breaking through to the Great Success of the Innate Realm, he defeated a Grand Master, and now he had killed another.

"Your disciple Xu Yan has killed the Grand Master chasing Meng Chong, and your Sword Intent of Rivers and Mountains has improved."

The golden light appeared once more.

Li Xuan: ...

So, there was more than one Grand Master chasing Meng Chong?

Were there so many Grand Masters in the Inner Domain that they could be encountered so casually?

This was already Xu Yan's third kill!

"Your disciple Xu Yan has consecutively killed Grand Masters, and you have obtained the Sword Intent of Annihilation!"

The feedback from the golden finger continued.

Sword Intent of Annihilation!

Li Xuan was overjoyed. Finally, he had a sword intent independent of his disciples.

The Sword Intent of Annihilation was incredibly powerful, capable of erasing all in its path.

"Martial artists should venture into the world of martial arts. Go forth, my disciples, and forge your path to invincibility. The future rests on your shoulders."

Li Xuan was delighted at the prospect.

Su Lingxiu's hands glowed with surging qi and blood, refining it into a pill furnace as she practiced her alchemy.

She had been practicing the art of pill refining with her bare hands for quite some time and had already discovered the knack for it.

"My pill refining technique should improve again soon," Li Xuan said, full of anticipation.

Xu Yan and Meng Chong had reunited, and Li Xuan wondered what they would do next.

With some free time on his hands, Li Xuan took out his bamboo stick and began to point out the fat cat's acupoints once more, especially the ones on its head. He instructed the cat to open those acupoints first.

After all, the Great Demon's technique belonged to demons; he was human, so what could he possibly gain from it? Could he somehow gain the ability to cultivate the Great Demon's path?

"Don't overthink it. It's still uncertain if the red cat can even cultivate it," Su Lingxiu said with a serious expression, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Her delicate hands manipulated her qi and blood, shaping them into a pill furnace, while another stream of qi and blood transformed into a flame, enveloping the furnace.

At one point, her hands trembled, dispersing the qi and blood, and several pills fell into her palm.

She had successfully refined pills with her bare hands!

Just as Li Xuan sat down, a golden light appeared.

"Your disciple Su Lingxiu has comprehended your bare-handed pill refining technique. You have obtained the Void Pill Refining Technique (Beginner Level)

."

Li Xuan was overjoyed. The Void Pill Refining Technique was now completely and instantly mastered by him, as if he had been born with the knowledge.

This was an incredibly powerful pill refining technique.

Even at the beginner level, it was formidable.

"Wait until Su Lingxiu becomes more proficient in bare-handed pill refining, then I'll teach her the Void Pill Refining Technique. With that as a foundation, she can further comprehend more advanced pill refining techniques."

Li Xuan was thrilled at the prospect.

Although Su Lingxiu's bare-handed pill refining consumed a lot of energy, the speed and quality of the pills she refined were significantly better than using a pill furnace.

However, it was clear that this method was not suitable for mass production.

For that, a pill refining furnace would still be necessary.

Subsequently, Su Lingxiu continued to refine pills while simultaneously studying the Dan Yi Treasure Tome to further her understanding of the Dan Yi Martial Arts.

She was now very close to achieving Minor Completion in the Qi and Blood Realm, almost catching up to Shi Er.

With the help of the pills, Zhou Ying was also nearing the threshold of the Qi and Blood Realm.

"Another beautiful day," Li Xuan said as he brewed a pot of tea, savoring the moment. Lately, he had developed a fondness for tea.

Somehow, drinking tea seemed like a fitting pastime for a cultivator of his stature.

"Your disciple Meng Chong has consecutively killed Grand Masters. Your Extinction Sword has gained experience."

Li Xuan couldn't help but exclaim, "Is he on a revenge spree?"

"Your disciple Xu Yan has slain a Grand Master. Your Extinction Sword Intent has been enhanced."

Xu Yan had killed another Grand Master.

"These Grand Masters are weaker than cabbage; they're so easy to kill!" Li Xuan couldn't help but joke.

Whether it was Xie Lingfeng, Hu Shan, or Su Lingxiu, they all claimed that Grand Masters in the Inner Domain were truly top-notch experts, and any sect with a Grand Master was considered a first-rate force.

Yet, this was the reality?

"It's because their vision is limited that they hold such beliefs. In reality, Grand Masters aren't that strong, and there should be quite a few first-rate forces in the Inner Domain, so the number of Grand Masters is quite substantial," Li Xuan mused.

After coming to this realization, he felt relieved. There would be plenty of Grand Masters for Xu Yan to face in the Inner Domain.

Xu Yan wouldn't run out of opponents anytime soon!

"Your disciple Su Lingxiu has comprehended the rudimentary form of the Dan Yi Martial Arts. You have obtained the Dan Yi Martial Tome."

The golden light appeared once more.

This time, Li Xuan was truly excited.

The Dan Yi Martial Tome was the complete and authentic system of Dan Yi Martial Arts, encompassing pill refining, healing techniques, and combat skills. Su Lingxiu had already gained some insight into techniques like the Golden Acupuncture Point Passing and the Art of the Golden Needle.

Moreover, all of these techniques were derived from her studies of the Dan Yi Treasure Tome.

Li Xuan discovered a way to expedite the feedback from the golden finger. Although the Dan Yi Martial Tome he received was only at the beginner level, he could pass it on to Su Lingxiu.

By doing so, Su Lingxiu could fully master the Dan Yi Martial Tome ahead of time and use it as a foundation to further her understanding of more advanced levels of the Dan Yi Martial Arts.

And so the cycle could continue...

Li Xuan's excitement grew as he contemplated this. This was different from martial arts cultivation techniques, where each realm's technique that Xu Yan comprehended only granted him mastery over that particular realm.

The feedback he received from the golden finger was limited to that specific realm, and it didn't help him comprehend the next realm faster.

However, with the Dan Yi Martial Tome, Su Lingxiu's initial insight had triggered a complete feedback from the golden finger, which he could then pass on to her. This would shorten the time it took for Su Lingxiu to perfect the Dan Yi Martial Tome and expedite her understanding of higher levels of the Dan Yi Martial Arts.

"Master, when will my senior disciples return?" Su Lingxiu walked over and asked as she massaged his shoulders.

Kou Ruozhi and the others had collected some precious herbs, which Su Lingxiu had refined into pills. However, due to the lack of spirit herbs, the pills were not particularly potent.

Moreover, these pills were too low-level for Su Lingxiu, and she could refine them without any difficulty.

There was almost no chance of failure.

Without spirit herbs, she couldn't refine the true elixirs described in the Dan Yi Treasure Tome.

"They should be back soon, right?" Li Xuan patted her small hand and stood up. "Since you've entered the door, and there are no more herbs to refine, why don't you focus more on cultivating your martial arts and pondering the mysteries of the Eight Trigrams?

"Your senior disciples, Shi Er and Xu Yan, both gained insights from the Eight Trigrams. I hope you'll also gain something from it."

"Yes, Master!" Su Lingxiu's eyes lit up. Her senior disciples' movement techniques were formidable, and they had both derived them from their understanding of the Eight Trigrams.

The Eight Trigrams encapsulated the profound principles of heaven and earth, and any insight gained from them could be of immense benefit.

Li Xuan led Su Lingxiu to the mountains outside the estate, the same place where Xu Yan and Meng Chong had once contemplated the Eight Trigrams. With a single step, Li Xuan caused the pattern of the Eight Trigrams to appear on the ground.

"The Eight Trigrams consist of Qian, Kun, Sun, Zhen, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui. This is the Eight Trigrams diagram..."

Li Xuan explained the Eight Trigrams to Su Lingxiu. After finishing the explanation, he added, "Ponder over it carefully, and when your senior disciple Xu Yan returns, you can seek guidance from him."

Leaving Su Lingxiu to contemplate the Eight Trigrams, Li Xuan strolled back to the estate with a leisurely gait.

Su Lingxiu reduced the time spent on pill refining and occasionally practiced bare-handed pill refining to improve her skill. Most of her time was now devoted to comprehending the Eight Trigrams and cultivating her martial arts.

Li Xuan observed Zhou Ying, who was diligently cultivating with the aid of the pills. She had successfully transitioned from Qi Refining to organ tempering and was close to completing that stage.

Zhou Ying cultivated diligently, perhaps driven by the sense of responsibility she felt for protecting and caring for the young Su Lingxiu, whom she regarded as her own daughter.

Li Xuan waved his hand, and a faint sword intent enveloped Zhou Ying, aiding her in completing the organ tempering stage and entering the realm of martial arts.

A few days later, Zhou Ying's meridians rumbled, signaling her entry into the realm of martial arts.

However, there was no feedback from the golden finger.

"Now that my strength has increased, her entry into the realm of martial arts is insufficient to trigger a response. I suppose I'll need a larger number of martial artists at the entry level to gain feedback," Li Xuan mused to himself. There were quite a few cultivators in the borderlands, but the number of those at the entry level was probably less than fifty.

"Your disciple Su Lingxiu has broken through to the Minor Completion of the Qi and Blood Realm. You have achieved the perfection of the Dan Yi Martial Arts (Precelestial Realm)

."

Su Lingxiu had broken through to the Minor Completion of the Qi and Blood Realm.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end