Chapter 92: An Incomprehensible Ancient Tome, and Xie Lingfeng Arrives

Chapter 92: An Incomprehensible Ancient Tome, and Xie Lingfeng Arrives

Li Xuan flipped through the ancient leather-bound book, page by page. There were eighteen pages in total, each with a unique illustration.

However, with each page, his understanding seemed to shift. The first glance suggested intricate landscapes or abstract patterns, but upon further inspection, the lines appeared haphazard and chaotic.

And yet, on a third perusal, the images seemed to transform once more.

The more he studied, the more confused he became. He couldn't even be certain what the drawings were supposed to represent.

"This book is peculiar, yet I can't make head or tail of it."

Li Xuan fell into deep thought.

Closing the tome, his eyes rested on the words "Tai Cang." He couldn't help but wonder, "What does 'Tai Cang' mean?"

His curiosity getting the better of him, Li Xuan reopened the book. This time, he noticed that the illustrations seemed slightly different.

And yet, the lines themselves hadn't changed.

"Could this be a martial arts technique? Perhaps it's too profound for my current level, and I'm unable to grasp the hidden meaning within?"

Li Xuan's confusion deepened.

"If it is indeed a martial arts technique, could it be even more powerful than the ones I've created?"

He flipped through the ancient tome once more.

"It doesn't quite resemble a martial arts manual. In fact, it almost looks like a map..."

Closing the book again, Li Xuan carefully put it away.

Twirling the jade scepter in his hand, he narrowed his eyes, his mind retracing the images from the tome as he pondered their significance.

To his surprise, Li Xuan discovered that each time he recalled the illustrations, they seemed to change, as if they were constantly shifting.

"How peculiar. What could this be?"

Li Xuan's brows furrowed as he couldn't resist taking out the ancient tome once more.

As always, the first and second perusals seemed slightly different, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why they evoked such distinct feelings.

"There's something odd about this book. It's not quite like a martial arts manual, nor a map or a talisman. It's strange. Perhaps when my strength improves, I'll be able to decipher it."

Li Xuan mused to himself, aware that Meng Chong, with his lower cultivation level, would likely see nothing more than random lines.

"I wonder if my senior disciple, Xu Yan, might be able to make sense of it."

Li Xuan sank into contemplation.

If Xu Yan could gain some insight from the book, would the system provide feedback to him as well?

It was hard to say.

After all, the illustrations in the tome weren't something he had created himself.

"I'll let Xu Yan take a look."

Li Xuan made up his mind.

With Xu Yan's exceptional talent, perhaps he would be able to decipher the mystery.

The day after Meng Chong returned, Xu Yan also came back from Donghe County. With the aid of his sword intent, Xu Junhe had begun the process of refining his internal organs.

The Xu family's strength was steadily increasing, and their progress could be considered swift.

Li Xuan sat in a chair, with several books piled on the table beside him. At that moment, he was perusing a book on medicinal concoctions.

"The frontier lacks the concept of elixir pills. They only have simple medicinal preparations, and they don't seem to understand the theory of monarch, ministers, assistants, and guides..."

The more Li Xuan read, the more convinced he became that the new martial arts system he envisioned was feasible.

The ancient leather-bound book lay on the table.

Xu Yan entered and greeted him, "Master!"

Li Xuan nodded, and Xu Yan's gaze was immediately drawn to the ancient tome.

"Master, what book is that?"

As an avid reader of storybooks, Xu Yan had devoured countless tales, and his familiarity with such books was likely unmatched.

The ancient tome, with its unique appearance, seemed like a rare find.

Intrigued, he asked, "May I take a look?"

"Go ahead," Li Xuan replied casually.

Xu Yan eagerly picked up the tome.

"Tai Cang?" He noticed the two large characters on the cover and asked curiously, "Master, what does 'Tai Cang' mean?"

"When your strength and understanding reach a certain level, you will naturally come to know," Li Xuan replied evasively.

Xu Yan opened the book and studied the lines within. They twisted and turned, seemingly chaotic, and yet there appeared to be an underlying order. The lines came together to form an unknown shape, resembling a map or perhaps a unique terrain.

Flipping through the pages, Xu Yan's confusion only grew. "Master, what do these lines represent? Could it be a treasure map of some sort?"

As he spoke, his eyes lit up with excitement.

Li Xuan could tell from Xu Yan's reaction that he hadn't discerned anything significant, nor had he noticed the peculiar nature of the illustrations. All he saw were simple lines.

"Even my disciple can't understand it. Perhaps it's because his cultivation level is too low," Li Xuan thought to himself. "I'll keep it for now."

Li Xuan reached out and summoned the book back into his hand. "When your strength and realm improve, perhaps it will make sense," he said.

"Don't overthink it," he continued. "Focus on cultivating. Settle into your innate realm, and in a few days, I'll teach you a technique beyond the innate level."

Li Xuan knew his disciple had a tendency to overanalyze, and he wanted to prevent him from wasting time on fruitless speculation that could hinder his cultivation.

"Yes, Master!" Xu Yan replied without hesitation. After paying his respects, he left for the outskirts of the city to cultivate, exchanging insights with Meng Chong about their understanding of the Trigram.

...

In the capital of Qi, Xie Lingfeng was deep in thought, contemplating the theory Xu Yan had shared with him. To achieve clarity of the sword heart, one must first attain a clear mind, unperturbed by external influences.

What did it mean to have "no women in one's heart"? What kind of mental state did that entail?

"It seems like one should be free from romantic entanglements, but in reality, it's not about rejecting women entirely. Rather, it's about remaining unaffected by external influences. What kind of state of mind is that?"

Xie Lingfeng's face was clouded with confusion.

He felt that he almost understood, and yet, he couldn't quite grasp it.

"My comprehension is too lacking," he thought to himself. "Xu Yan explained it so clearly, and yet I still haven't been able to attain that level of understanding."

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

"Xu Yan mentioned that he honed his mental state with the aid of the Queen of Qi's palace. Perhaps I can do the same. By refining my mental state and achieving clarity, I might have a chance to attain sword heart enlightenment.

"Only with a clear sword heart can I hope to step into the true path of the sword!"

With this realization, Xie Lingfeng couldn't sit still any longer. He immediately sought an audience with the Emperor of Qi, hoping to borrow the company of his concubines to refine his mental state, believing that it might bring him a breakthrough.

"Sage, is there something you require?" The Emperor of Qi was overjoyed when he heard that Xie Lingfeng wished to see him, hoping that he would gain insight into martial arts techniques.

"It's difficult to ask for something from you, but I have a request," Xie Lingfeng said, finding it hard to broach the topic. After all, borrowing the Emperor's concubines to refine one's mental state was a rather unusual request, and his thin face made it even harder for him to bring it up.

The Emperor, upon seeing his hesitation, grew even more hopeful, thinking that Xie Lingfeng was about to make a request. With a smile, he said, "Sage, please speak your mind. Whatever it is you desire, I will do my best to fulfill your request!"

"In that case, I shall be direct," Xie Lingfeng said. "I, Xie Lingfeng, wish to borrow the beauties of your harem to refine my mental state, just as Xu Yan once did. I believe it will aid me greatly in my cultivation."

Damn! The Emperor of Qi cursed inwardly. "What kind of sage is this? Why does he have to learn from that brat Xu Yan?

"Those are my concubines, my wives! How dare he ask to borrow them for his mental refinement?"

Xie Lingfeng was deeply touched by the emperor's broad-mindedness and righteousness. No wonder Xu Yan hadn't rebelled. Such a generous and righteous ruler was a rare sight indeed.

With a grateful expression, he clasped his fists and bowed, "Your Majesty's righteousness is admirable, and I, Xie Lingfeng, am eternally grateful."

"Nonsense, it's my honor to be able to help an esteemed gentleman like yourself," the emperor of Qi replied nonchalantly.

However, in his heart, he was cursing Xie Lingfeng with every foul word he could think of.

In the harem, it was a lively scene. The emperor's concubines were dancing with all their might, hoping to catch the eye of the esteemed gentleman and soar like a phoenix, rising above their current station.

Rather than waiting in the harem for the emperor's favor, they saw this as an opportunity to become the personal attendants of a martial arts master, a position far superior to that of an imperial concubine.

Xie Lingfeng sat on the wall, watching the emperor's concubines with a sense of awe. "As expected of the beauties of the emperor's harem, their graceful postures and unique charms are truly captivating.

"Now, how should I refine my mental state?

"Yes, to have no women in my heart means that even in the face of such beauty, my heart remains unmoved."

After a while, Xie Lingfeng could no longer bear it, as his youthful vigor got the better of him.

He ran away.

"Slowly, I must take it slowly," he reminded himself.

In the study, the emperor of Qi's face was as dark as thunder, and he felt as if his hair was turning green.

"What happened?" he asked in a deep voice.

The chief eunuch replied, "The esteemed gentleman watched for a while and then left, but after half an hour, he returned to continue watching, and then he left again..."

"And did he do anything?" the emperor inquired.

"No, it was similar to what happened with Xu Yan. He just didn't stay as long," the chief eunuch reported.

Upon hearing this, the emperor of Qi felt slightly relieved, but at the same time, he also felt a sense of regret that he hadn't been able to bestow his concubines upon the esteemed gentleman.

If he had given away one of his concubines, surely the esteemed gentleman would have accepted, and he wouldn't have eaten for free?

Damn! The emperor cursed inwardly, "I am the emperor, how can I be so humble?"

This was truly humiliating!

News of the harem incident soon spread, and the ministers began to give the emperor strange looks.

The emperor's anger burned fiercely.

Who was this esteemed gentleman, brought here by that unfilial son of his?

The mere thought of it made the emperor furious, and he issued another decree: "Go and fetch that unfilial son of mine. I will personally give him thirty lashes!"

The chief eunuch cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince left the capital yesterday."

The emperor fell silent.

The Crown Prince had originally been biding his time, enjoying the idle life. But when he heard that the esteemed gentleman had visited the harem, he was so frightened that his face turned pale.

After all, it was he who had brought this esteemed gentleman to the palace.

Fearing that he would be punished again, he hastily left the capital, knowing he couldn't stay in the city any longer.

Xie Lingfeng felt that his mental state had improved, and he was no longer as easily swayed by beauty. It was then that Guo Rongshan brought him news.

Xu Yan's master, that mysterious esteemed gentleman, wished to see him.

Overjoyed, Xie Lingfeng immediately set out with Hu Shan to Donghe County to pay their respects to the esteemed gentleman.

"Young Master, where have you been these past few days? Have you been enjoying the company of the emperor's concubines?" Hu Shan asked curiously.

Xie Lingfeng's face darkened as he replied, "Don't speak nonsense. I, Xie Lingfeng, am not that kind of person. I was refining my mental state."

Hu Shan looked at him skeptically.

"Young Master, how exactly do you refine your mental state?"

Xie Lingfeng's spirits lifted, and he said, "In these past few days, I've made some progress. I believe I'm not far from achieving the state of having no women in my heart."

Hu Shan: ???

"Hu Shan, you wouldn't understand. This state of mind can only be comprehended, not explained. Once you attain this state, the path of the sword will be right before you," Xie Lingfeng said, his eyes shining with anticipation.

The two of them traveled without rest, heading straight from the capital to Yunshan County in Donghe County.

Outside Yunshan County, Xu Yan and Meng Chong were waiting for them.

"Brother Xie!" Xu Yan greeted them.

"Brother Xu, thank you!" Xie Lingfeng said solemnly.

"You're welcome," Xu Yan replied, patting Meng Chong's shoulder. "Let me introduce you to my junior disciple, Meng Chong."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Brother Meng," Xie Lingfeng and Hu Shan bowed in greeting.

"We should spar sometime," Meng Chong said eagerly.

"Certainly!" Xie Lingfeng nodded.

However, his heart was filled with shock at the aura Meng Chong exuded. He seemed like a human beast, fierce and formidable.

Even without engaging in combat, Xie Lingfeng could sense that Meng Chong's physical defense was stronger than steel, and he suspected that even a first-rate warrior from the Inner Realm would struggle to breach it.

"Now this is true martial arts. With just his physical body, he can challenge a first-rate warrior," Xie Lingfeng marveled inwardly.

In the small courtyard, Li Xuan sat leisurely in a chair, playing with a jade scepter.

Xie Lingfeng and Hu Shan were about to arrive.

Soon, he would have the Inner Realm cultivation technique in his hands.

Both Xie Lingfeng and Hu Shan were Sword Masters from Sword Master Cliff, a powerful force. Their cultivation techniques were top-notch even in the Inner Realm.

Finally, he would be able to gain insight into the cultivation techniques of the Inner Realm and compare them to his own martial arts journey.

The Blood Devil Sutra was, after all, an evil cultivation technique, and it was incomplete. While it had its merits, it also had its limitations.

Here they come!

Li Xuan adjusted his posture to appear even more relaxed, and a mysterious aura emanated from him, making the jade scepter in his hand seem equally enigmatic.

"Please come in, Brother Xie," Xu Yan said, pushing the door open.

Xie Lingfeng and Hu Shan's hearts raced as they stepped into the courtyard, finally about to meet this mysterious esteemed gentleman.

Taking a deep breath, they entered the door and were immediately struck with awe.

In the courtyard, a young man lay in a chair, exuding an air of tranquility as he played with a jade scepter. At first glance, he seemed enveloped in a sacred glow, making him appear otherworldly.

The glow was enigmatic, shrouding him in an aura of majesty that seemed beyond the bounds of the mortal realm.

In that instant, Xie Lingfeng and Hu Shan were overwhelmed with awe.

Esteemed gentleman!

An extraordinary master!

Thud! They couldn't help but kneel down.

"Xie Lingfeng (Hu Shan)

pays respects to Senior!" they exclaimed, banging their heads on the ground three times.

Xu Yan and Meng Chong were stunned by their actions.

To offer such a grand greeting upon their first meeting? The force of their bows was even more intense than when they had knelt before their master.

They had actually knelt hard enough to create two small indentations in the ground!

Xu Yan glanced at his master, whose expression was, as always, unfathomable.

Li Xuan, however, was delighted inwardly. This mysterious aura was truly remarkable, evoking such a reaction from his guests.

"You may rise," Li Xuan said calmly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"Yes, Senior!" Xie Lingfeng and Hu Shan replied respectfully, standing up but not daring to breathe a word.

However, their hearts were filled with excitement.

What a great opportunity!

If they could receive guidance from such an extraordinary master, they would surely benefit immensely!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end