Chapter 703: New Continent
Chapter 703: New Continent
"Haha... All of that is in the past..."
"The Xia Mang of the past was merely a third-tier martial artist... and Xun Heihu was only at the Void Realm, not as powerful as you..."
Fang Xing smiled. "After Xun Heihu, I fell into a deep sleep until I sensed a change in the world outside. I have no idea how much time has passed or what has happened. Could you enlighten me?"
"Of course, Senior..."
Gui Yanian thought for a moment and began his story from the Nine Provinces Calendar.
For some reason, he felt a sense of relief when he learned that this spirit had been asleep for hundreds of thousands of years and knew nothing of the outside world. Otherwise, the thought of a powerful being inside his sect's greatest treasure, still able to sense the outside world, would be too terrifying.
"So much time has passed? The Dalu Dynasty is in its final years, with few martial experts in the royal family... and regional warlords are rising."
Fang Xing murmured, "This is the worst of times, and yet the best of times."
"What do you mean by that, Senior?"
Thinking about the drastic changes in the world that the senior had mentioned, Gui Yanian felt a sudden unease. There was an old saying, wasn't there? When a nation is about to fall, monstrous things will appear!
"With the great changes in the world, the barriers that once confined all those at the Void Realm will no longer exist... the ranks above the Void Realm will no longer be fleeting but will emerge one after another. The truly powerful will be able to continuously ascend the ladder of martial arts, marking a golden age for martial arts..."
Fang Xing shared his prophecy. "At the same time, the world will undergo tremendous changes. You can go and observe the developments in various regions and report back to me with the latest news."
"Yes..."
Gui Yanian immediately agreed, not even mentioning any rewards or benefits...
For an ancient being like this, even a small favor would be enough to benefit him for life. Not to mention, the various miraculous properties of the True Martial Talisman—weren't those benefits enough?
...
After Gui Yanian left, Fang Xing's expression turned indifferent, and his gaze became distant.
Rumble!
Before him, a chaotic sea of indescribable colors seemed to materialize.
In this sea, blue light points floated and sank, like tears of the ocean, each emitting a different light.
Mysterious threads of causality connected him to these light points, much like the faith lines he had in the world of Gods. Through these light points, he could observe various scenes, some clear, others vague.
"Sigh... How many times have I told you, the True Martial Visualization Technique must be centered around me. Why are so many martial artists still taking shortcuts?"
"Visualizing this 'True Martial Origin' will lead to trouble..."
Fang Xing's lips curled into a smile, as if he were flipping through TV channels, observing the customs and landscapes of different places. He found it quite enjoyable.
"Hmm... Among those who have deviated from the path of the True Martial Visualization Technique, their strengths vary, but none can truly serve as a vessel for my consciousness to descend into..."
He could assess their aptitude through the faith lines.
Generally, the clearer and longer-lasting the scenes, the better the aptitude.
Even the most outstanding among them today still fell short of being a true 'vessel for descent.'
'My descent should be a bit easier than the resurrection of Panwu's consciousness...'
Fang Xing closed his eyes. 'Occasionally waiting for a surprise can be quite interesting... Perhaps in the next moment, a world-class genius will go astray and become my vessel.'
In reality, the vessel he sought was just for fun.
His true target was the body Panwu would use to resurrect in the future.
When the time came and Panwu was halfway through his resurrection, he would definitely join in, turning it into a chaotic battle.
'I hope it doesn't come to that. It's the last resort... almost a sign of failure...'
Fang Xing silently closed his eyes.
...
Years later.
In the True Martial Realm.
Gui Yanian bowed deeply. "Senior..."
His eyes still carried a strong sense of awe.
Every time he met this spirit, the feeling of terror was overwhelming.
Perhaps...
Only the legendary 'Demonic God Panwu' could be compared to him?
On this trip, he had gathered a lot of information and ancient texts. Although the Great Xia Dynasty was no longer verifiable, the True Martial Mountain lineage still had some records. Indeed, the True Martial Ancestor had mentioned that the True Martial Talisman had a spirit!
Thus, upon seeing Fang Xing again and confirming that he was an ancient being who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, Gui Yanian naturally added many layers of reverence and awe.
"Did you find out anything?"
Fang Xing asked casually.
"A year ago, a 'Black Ship' landed in Haizhou... The massive iron ship was enormous, and the people on board had golden hair and blue eyes, unlike any humans we know..."
Gui Yanian's face still showed a hint of disbelief. "According to those people, they come from another continent across the sea... That continent is even larger than the Nine Provinces... It's truly strange. In the past, Void Realm masters could walk on air and some even sailed the seas, searching the farthest corners, yet they never discovered any foreign continents... And now, one suddenly appears."
"Of course, you think the expansion of the planes is a joke?"
Fang Xing chuckled. "And then what?"
"Expansion of the planes?" Gui Yanian mulled over the term, sharing all he knew. "Those barbarians fear power but lack virtue. Among them are warriors who call themselves 'knights,' divided into stages such as squire, knight, grand knight, earth knight, and sky knight. It's said that a sky knight can stand in the heavens, roughly equivalent to a Void Master... They've also developed steam-powered armor that can be worn, allowing a squire, who normally has only lower-tier combat strength, to fight at the mid-tier level once equipped..."
"Upon landing, they declared this land belonged to the 'White Eagle King' and were immediately trampled to death by the enraged dock workers... Later, grand knights and earth knights intervened but were suppressed by the Void Masters of the Dock Guild... Hmph, mere barbarians, do they think Void Masters are impressive? Our Dalu Dynasty has beings beyond the Void... The black ship was captured, and it's said that the steam rifles and armor inside are quite interesting. After reporting this, the imperial court intends to form a fleet and launch an expedition to the 'White Eagle Continent'..."
...
"Hmm, you've done well."
Fang Xing offered a few words of encouragement, then fell into deep thought.
This time, the world had indeed expanded dramatically, nearly doubling in size.
"Your strength is a bit low... With the help of the True Martial Talisman, you could have already broken through to the realm beyond the Void..."
Fang Xing looked at Gui Yanian, somewhat dissatisfied.
Although the True Martial Talisman can assist in breakthroughs, it requires mastery first!
In other words, Gui Yanian hadn't been diligent enough!
"Never mind... I will teach you the Xuanwu True Art as a reward for this time..."
Fang Xing snapped his fingers, and a beam of light entered Gui Yanian's mind. "After you leave, find out what happened to the True Martial lineage... especially... the successor of the True Martial Divine Body!"
"The True Martial Divine Body? Could the great struggle truly be upon us..."
Gui Yanian was both shocked and delighted.
The True Martial Divine Body was a legend that had endured within the True Martial lineage.
It was said that the True Martial Ancestor became the first person to reach the Void Master realm and become the greatest in the world because he awakened the True Martial Divine Body!
Even during the dark ages, the True Martial Divine Body had appeared and shone brightly!
...
The discovery of a new continent!
A new race! A new civilization! A new martial arts system!
The entire martial arts community of the Dalu Dynasty was in a frenzy.
At the docks, tickets for long-distance voyages were sold out, and powerful martial arts sects were preparing to build giant ships to sail to White Eagle.
As for the imperial court?
Which powerful martial arts faction would bother with the court's orders?
In the blink of an eye, several decades passed.
The Dalu Dynasty and the White Eagle Federation clashed at sea, with countless casualties...
Meanwhile, civilian exchanges became more frequent. Martial arts masters crossed the Eastern Sea to reach the White Eagle Continent, while martial artists from White Eagle also crossed the sea to teach the ways of knights and various combat techniques, founding new sects...
One day.
In the secret chamber of the Turtle-Snake School.
Gui Yanian entered the chamber, scanned the room, and suddenly struck out with his palm.
Crack!
The crimson altar shattered, and a grayish-white stone tablet flew out—it was the True Martial Talisman!
Gui Yanian took the stone tablet, his face showing a hint of excitement. "Finally, I have it... An ancient treasure, the symbol of the True Martial lineage, the supreme divine object of martial artists..."
Before he finished speaking, his skin seemed to melt like wax, revealing another face. "However... though I've been pretending to be Gui Yanian and gathering information from many people, I still need to verify if this is the real thing..."
A thread of Gui Yanian's spirit emerged from his brow and entered the True Martial Talisman.
"No mistake! This is it! The True Martial Realm!"
"Haha... I never thought the True Martial Talisman would be in the Turtle-Snake School. It seems heaven is on my side... The Pope will surely reward me greatly, and I might even advance another rank! Wait, what's this? Steps?"
His gaze moved upward, and he suddenly saw a figure sitting on a throne, with a cold, indifferent gaze.
"The legacy of Panwu, a cultist... A Fourth-Rank 'Thousand-Faced Lord'?"
Fang Xing, looking down at the fake Gui Yanian, spoke coldly.
Through the many True Martial lineage practitioners, he had already gathered information without leaving his chamber.
The cult!
This was a remnant force of the Black Lotus Sect, which had played a significant role in the downfall of True Martial Mountain.
Within the cult, there was a special lineage, starting from the Ninth-Rank 'Shadow Gazer,' who could peer into the dark and delve into the mysteries of the mind.
Then came the Bone Eroder, False Monk, Blind Seer, Blood Devourer, and Thousand-Faced Lord!
Each rank had extraordinary abilities and could coexist with martial artists!
A Ninth-Rank adept could fight on par with an Eighth-Rank or Seventh-Rank!
"This system must be a pawn of Panwu."
Fang Xing thought to himself, then looked at the fake Gui Yanian. "It seems you are a pawn of the cult. If you were a high-ranking member, a Third-Rank 'Eternal Darkness Marquis' would know that cult members must not touch True Martial relics..."
(End of Chapter)
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