Chapter 221 - 220: Top-level Martial Arts
Chapter 221: Chapter 220: Top-level Martial Arts
"Well? Has that... scoundrel... shown himself?"
Chu Feng didn’t turn around, his voice low as he asked.
"Reporting to Senior Brother, the thief... it’s as if he’s vanished completely. There hasn’t been any sign of him for the past ten-odd days."
Song Xiang’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He braced himself and replied.
The air in the study instantly froze. Chu Feng’s fingers, which had been tapping on the window frame, abruptly stopped.
He slowly turned around. In the candlelight, his handsome face was shrouded in an inescapable gloom, and his gaze, sharp as an ice pick, stabbed straight at Song Xiang.
"And the three True Disciples? What’s on their minds?"
"The three Senior Brothers have been standing guard for over ten days without any sign of the culprit. They’ve grown quite impatient... Senior Brother Sun Mo was especially blunt, saying that Sect affairs are numerous and they can’t waste their time here indefinitely. He asked... when they can withdraw."
Feeling the invisible pressure, beads of cold sweat formed on Song Xiang’s forehead, and his voice grew increasingly hoarse.
Chu Feng’s brow furrowed, unable to suppress the irritation rising within him.
After all, Zhao Wuji, Sun Mo, and Li Qinghong were True Disciples. Their status was transcendent, and they were not his direct subordinates.
He had managed to persuade them to act only through friendship and the promise of a hefty reward.
Now, after more than ten days with no results, the three wanted to leave. If he forced them to stay, it would likely be counterproductive and damage their relationship.
’But if I call off the ambush now, what will I do if the thief stages a comeback?’
’My subordinates are in a panic. How could I possibly placate them?’
Various thoughts flashed through his mind. He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the churning anger and anxiety, and said in a heavy voice.
"Send a message to the three True Disciples. Ask them to be patient for a while longer. As compensation, I am willing to add another fifty thousand taels to their payment... bringing the total to one hundred and fifty thousand taels each. Please, they must stand guard for a while longer!"
One hundred and fifty thousand taels!
Upon hearing this, the corner of Song Xiang’s eye twitched. He was inwardly horrified.
This was an astronomical price! Even for True Disciples, it was an incredibly generous amount of resources.
’Senior Brother is really sparing no expense this time!’
"Yes, Senior Brother! I’ll go send the message at once!"
Song Xiang dared not say more and quickly agreed.
"Wait."
Chu Feng stopped Song Xiang. He walked over to his desk and sat down, rubbing the bridge of his nose, a trace of exhaustion and confusion on his face.
"Song Xiang, in your opinion, who could this thief possibly be? Why are they so intent on targeting me?"
Song Xiang cautiously took a few steps forward, pondered for a moment, and said in a low voice.
"Senior Brother, over the years, you’ve made... quite a few enemies. If we count those with the strength and motive to do something like this, there are many suspects."
"Go on."
Chu Feng looked up at Song Xiang.
"Within the Sect, in the True Inheritance Courtyard, among those who have grudges against you... True Inheritor Zhang Yuan is one. The Deng Family had originally planned to align themselves with him, but they later switched their allegiance to you."
"He has held a grudge about it ever since. Furthermore, his Cultivation has reached the Late Stage of Sixth Grade, and he has few rivals among Sixth Grade Martial Artists. He has the means to be the culprit."
Chu Feng nodded slightly, his expression noncommittal.
"Outside the Sect, among the Seven Sects, there’s Netherworld Pavilion’s True Inheritor ’Ghost Hand’ Ming Cang. He lost to you in a fight over Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures back then and swore revenge. Then there’s Overlord Blade Sect’s True Inheritor ’Mad Tiger’ Tu Lie, whose younger brother died from injuries you inflicted..."
Song Xiang listed several names in succession, all of them well-known figures who held grudges against Chu Feng.
As Chu Feng listened, his expression shifted. These people were indeed all suspects, and they all possessed the necessary strength and motive.
"There’s also..."
Song Xiang hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice even more.
"Senior Brother, I think Fang Han is also a suspect!"
"Fang Han?"
Chu Feng was stunned at first, then, as if he had heard the most absurd joke, a cold, mocking smile touched his lips.
"Him?"
He slowly shook his head, his tone resolute and filled with undisguised contempt.
"Absolutely impossible!"
"Senior Brother, why?"
Song Xiang was confused.
"In terms of strength, he’s a Sixth Grade now and had the ability to subdue Deng Xiong. In terms of motive, his grudge against you runs deep, so his desire for revenge is unquestionable..."
"His motive and strength might match to some degree, but there is one point that makes it absolutely impossible!"
Chu Feng cut him off, a glint of Insight flashing in his eyes.
"That thief comes and goes without a trace. Even Steward Zhou Kun, whom I hired, couldn’t find the slightest clue."
"That requires a highly advanced Breath Concealment Secret Technique. At the very least, one would need to have cultivated a Middle Grade Breath Concealment Secret Technique to a high level!"
He stood up and walked to the window, his back to Song Xiang, his voice laced with certainty.
"This Fang Han... although he and I are at odds, I have to admit that his Cultivation and Swordsmanship have both improved at a divine speed."
"But for that very reason, it’s even more impossible that he would have the spare energy to practice a Breath Concealment Secret Technique and cultivate it to such a high level!"
"A person’s energy is finite. To maintain his current rate of improvement, he must be pouring all his effort into his Cultivation and Attack Techniques. He couldn’t possibly have the leisure to be distracted by practicing a Breath Concealment Secret Technique."
Chu Feng turned around, looked at Song Xiang, and said with great conviction.
"Therefore, it absolutely cannot be him. If he had that level of mastery in a Secret Technique, his progress in the Martial Dao could never be this rapid!"
Hearing this, Song Xiang thought it over carefully and was struck by how reasonable Chu Feng’s analysis was. A look of sudden understanding and admiration appeared on his face.
"Senior Brother’s insight is brilliant! It was I who was short-sighted. In that case, we can indeed rule out Fang Han as a suspect. The scope... narrows to the few people we mentioned before."
"Mm, focus the investigation on Zhang Yuan, Li Hun, Tu Lie... and the others. Assign more men and watch their movements closely!"
Chu Feng ordered coldly.
"Yes! I understand!"
Song Xiang bowed to accept the order and hastily withdrew.
Once again, Chu Feng was alone in the study. He stared out the window at the deep night, a cold glint flickering in his eyes.
’No matter who you are, you’ve made me pay such a price... I swear I’ll drag you out and tear you to pieces!’
...
「Sub-Branch, Room C-7.」
Fang Han sat cross-legged on his bed in the Five Hearts Facing Heaven posture, his mind focused and serene.
He had already consumed a True Spirit Pill, which was the size of a longan and had a refreshing medicinal fragrance. Its pure and immense Medicinal Power dissolved within his body, surging like a warm current.
With the Profound Wind Technique operating at full force, under the sixty-four-fold Root Bone Talent Amplification, his speed of absorbing and refining the Medicinal Power was astonishing.
His Inner Qi surged like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, converging tumultuously into the newly opened Jianliao Acupoint.
Although his four Talents—Root Bone, Swordsmanship, Step Technique, and Secret Technique—had all been raised to a sixty-four-fold amplification, Fang Han could clearly feel during his Cultivation that his Cultivation speed was significantly faster than his progress in Swordsmanship, Body Technique, and Secret Technique.
The reason was simple.
The Earth Core Stone Milk!
The drop of Earth Core Stone Milk rewarded by the Sect had vastly improved his Root Bone aptitude, causing his originally ordinary aptitude to undergo a massive enhancement.
Combined with the terrifying sixty-four-fold amplification from his Root Bone Talent, the two effects stacked, making his Root Bone Talent far stronger than his Swordsmanship Talent, Stepping Talent, and Secret Technique Talent. This was why his Cultivation speed far outpaced his progress in Swordsmanship, Body Technique, and Secret Technique.
Using Introspection, he saw that within his Jianliao Acupoint, the once-empty acupoint was now over ninety-five percent full of pure, dark-cyan Inner Qi, and it was still growing at a visible rate.
The feeling of being full to bursting grew clearer by the day.
’At this rate, my Jianliao Acupoint will be filled with Inner Qi by tomorrow at the latest, and I’ll touch the bottleneck to the Middle Stage of Sixth Grade...’
Fang Han estimated silently.
It had only been a little over half a month since he broke through to the Early Stage of Sixth Grade, yet his Cultivation had already progressed this far.
If word of this cultivation speed got out, it would be enough to shock the world.
He reined in his thoughts and stopped overthinking, immersing himself completely in his cultivation. He guided his Inner Qi, washing and filling his Jianliao Acupoint again and again.
「Daylight broke.」
Fang Han slowly ceased his practice and opened his eyes. A deep cyan glint of pure energy flowed through their depths before vanishing.
After a morning of cultivation, the Inner Qi in his Jianliao Acupoint had been replenished considerably, and he felt invigorated.
He got up, washed his face, straightened his robes, hung the Flowing Wind sword at his side, and pushed open the door to head to the dining hall for a meal.
The dining hall was bustling with noise. Disciples gathered in twos and threes, their conversations mostly revolving around the battle a few days prior between their Eldest Senior Brother, Luo Yuntian, and You Xin. Their words were filled with sighs and lamentations.
Fang Han quietly finished his breakfast and then got up to head to the Inheritance Hall.
Today was the fifteenth of the month, the day of Elder Chen Xuan’s lecture.
Fang Han found a seat near the front and sat down, waiting quietly for the lecture to begin.
Before long, Elder Chen Xuan walked slowly into the great hall, surrounded by a group of Stewards, and settled onto a cattail cushion at the head of the room.
His gaze swept over the disciples below, pausing for a moment on Fang Han, Yun Qianyue, Li Feng, and a few others. Then, he slowly began to speak, his steady and powerful voice reaching the ears of every disciple.
"Today, I will speak to you all about the battle a few days ago between our sect’s Eldest Senior Brother, Luo Yuntian, and Netherworld Pavilion’s Eldest Senior Brother, You Xin."
Upon hearing this, the disciples were instantly energized, and all of them perked up their ears.
Although many of them had gone to watch the battle that day, to be honest, they hadn’t quite understood what they were seeing. After all, the two combatants’ strength was far beyond their own.
"Luo Yuntian used the Cyan Cloud Sword Technique, and You Xin used the Nether Ghost Claw. Both are Top Martial Arts. From my observations, both have Cultivation at the Late Stage of Fourth Grade, and both have cultivated their respective Top Martial Arts to the realm of ’Perfection’..."
Elder Chen Xuan recounted the details of the battle, dissecting the Martial Techniques used by both sides, their application of Inner Qi, and their battlefield adaptations one by one. His insights were sharp and hit right at the heart of the matter.
"True Inheritor Luo Yuntian’s defeat this time was not because his Martial Technique was inferior, but because his Body Technique was a notch below."
"You Xin’s Ghost Shadow Illusion Body has already grasped the essence of unpredictable transformation. His evasive maneuvers in tight spaces were a step ahead, which is why he was able to find an opening and succeed with a single strike."
His gaze swept over the crowd as he said earnestly.
"From this, you can see that in a Martial Dao contest, while offensive Martial Techniques are certainly important, a Body Technique is also indispensable. At certain critical moments, it can even be the deciding factor between victory and defeat."
"In your cultivation, you must not focus only on attack while neglecting your Body Technique."
Hearing this, all the disciples showed thoughtful expressions.
Because the Martial Arts Stele test only focused on Power of Attack, they had indeed been somewhat dismissive of Body Techniques. They would need to pay more attention to it in the future.
"Elder, you just mentioned ’Top Martial Arts.’ May I ask what Top Martial Arts are? And how do they differ from Top Grade Martial Arts and Grandmaster Martial Arts?"
At this moment, a disciple in the audience who had never heard of Top Martial Arts couldn’t help but raise his hand and ask curiously.