noveltune Chapter 78 Haotian Secret Realm
Chapter 78 Haotian Secret Realm
Chapter 78 Haotian Secret Realm
The assassination attempt was quickly resolved after Mo Zheng told Liu Qing about it.
"It was the Luo family of Jinqing Prefecture who did this."
Zhou Xian rushed to Tiandao Gorge and said, "Junior Brother Mo, we've found out. The Luo family has recently come to Blackwater Tower and offered a reward of 50,000 taels of silver for your head."
Fifty thousand taels is not a small amount. Killing an ordinary martial artist who has entered the realm can be done for three to five thousand taels of silver. Even a martial artist in the Stone Skin Realm would only cost ten thousand taels at most.
Fifty thousand taels of silver is enough to bribe an assassin to kill a martial artist at the Bone and Tendon Realm.
Clearly, the Luo family is determined to deal with Mo Zheng, which is why they are offering such a large reward.
However, Mo Zheng was not flustered; instead, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He was not afraid of the Luo family. The strongest of the so-called three major families of Jinqing Prefecture was only a Bone and Tendon Realm martial artist, who was old and frail and could only protect his own small territory. If a fight really broke out, with the help of his mental power, he would most likely win.
"Will the Blackwater Tower still try to assassinate me?" Mo Zheng asked, somewhat worried.
"Don't worry, junior brother. Fifty thousand taels is just the price for one assassination by the Blackwater Tower. Unless the Luo family is willing to pay more, the Blackwater Tower assassins will never try to assassinate you again."
Zhou Xian smiled and said, "Besides, our teacher has already sent a message that he will not stop you if you want to deal with him, but he will not allow the Luo family to resort to such underhanded assassination methods again. They will absolutely not dare to hire assassins again."
Every martial artist has enemies.
Liu Qing did not want to interfere in the feud between Mo Zheng and the Luo family, and perhaps even regarded it as a test. However, hiring someone to commit murder was beyond Liu Qing's ability to stand idly by.
"In short, junior brother, you can now focus on your cultivation. I wonder if you would like me to teach the Luo family a lesson for you?" Zhou Xian asked.
Zhou Xian was a true disciple who had mastered the unity of external martial arts, making him far stronger than ordinary martial artists in the Bone and Tendon Realm. For him to deal with the Luo family's Bone and Tendon Realm ancestor, who was already over forty years old and at his peak, was simply bullying him.
This is what makes the disciples of the Martial Arts Hall so terrifying; offending one is equivalent to offending the whole group.
"Thank you for your kindness, senior brother, but as long as they don't send assassins, I have nothing to fear from them."
Mo Zheng politely declined, saying that the Luo family was not qualified for him to invite helpers.
"Alright, then you should cultivate diligently. If you need anything, just let me know." Zhou Xian didn't insist and then left Tiandao Gorge.
The days that followed were indeed peaceful, and the Blackwater Tower assassins who had appeared once disappeared without a trace.
Similarly, Liu Rou'er never appeared in Mo Zheng's life again.
Mo Zheng practices his sword in Tiandao Gorge every day. In his spare time, he hunts monsters and goes home to visit Qiu'er and Wang Yumei.
The Twelve Wind Swords contain twelve sword techniques, each representing a fundamental understanding of the twelve variations of wind. Apart from one or two that resonate with one's own nature, comprehending the others is not easy.
Fortunately, with the aid of mental power and the thousand-year-old Bodhi seed bestowed by the abbot, Mo Zheng's progress was not slow.
On the Sky Blade Gorge, time passed, and Mo Zheng constantly changed locations, climbing higher and higher, gaining a deeper understanding of swordsmanship.
"No." "It's like this." "Very good, this better brings out the subtleties of sword techniques." ————
Mo Zheng diligently cultivated, dissecting every secret of the Twelve Wind-Riding Swords bit by bit. At first, he practiced a lot, and later he sat in meditation to experience more. Time passed by day by day in this way.
He didn't attempt to climb the Tower of Ascension, nor did he duel with other disciples, and he didn't even participate in the competitions held by the Martial Arts Hall. Instead, he quietly cultivated in the Heavenly Blade Gorge.
Aside from hunting monsters to complete tasks at the Treasure Pavilion and exchange them for silver, no one else could see Mo Zheng.
The silence was so profound that the entire martial arts hall almost forgot about this person.
Flowers bloom and fade, winter goes and spring comes; in the blink of an eye, three years have passed.
The Liangzhou Martial Arts Hall remained largely unchanged, except for the people.
The names on the True Transmission Stele have changed one after another, and many new faces have appeared among the disciples.
"They're here."
"We've finally arrived."
At the entrance of the martial arts hall, two figures stood side by side, gazing into the distance.
One was an elderly man in a blue robe, with a lean face and three long gray beards, exuding an otherworldly air; the other was a burly man with broad shoulders and a strong waist, wearing a black robe, his face full of majesty and imposing presence.
The two stood there quietly, exuding a sense of merging with the universe, inspiring awe in those who looked up to them.
On the distant main road, a rider galloped towards them, raising a cloud of dust, and arrived in front of them in the blink of an eye.
The horse was a black-scaled steed, upon which sat a dashing middle-aged woman with an ordinary face and slender figure, carrying a long sword on her back, giving the impression of being one with the world.
The woman dismounted swiftly and gracefully, smiling warmly, "Haha, Liu Qing, Wu Feng, long time no see!"
"Junior Sister Xiao!" Liu Qing said with a smile.
The man in black robes also laughed and said loudly, "Junior Sister Xiao Ling, it's been a long time."
"You two have been holed up in Liangzhou cultivating all this time. It would be a miracle if you even saw me. You should visit Qingzhou more often. The sect leader misses you very much," Xiao Ling said with a smile.
The three of them were fellow disciples who had adventured together across the land, sharing many challenges, and their bond was very strong.
"Come on, let's talk over at my place," Wu Feng invited.
After a while.
In a small courtyard near the summit of Xiaohan Peak, the three sat down at a wooden table.
Wu Feng carefully took a small jar and put tea leaves into the three teacups. His movements were extremely gentle, as if he was afraid of accidentally putting in too much.
"Tsk tsk tsk, look how stingy you are. I came all this way, would it kill you to give me a little more?" Xiao Ling said with a laugh.
"Yes, Junior Sister Xiao has come all this way, and you're being so stingy?" Liu Qing teased.
"You guys, this Illusionary God Cloud Mist is very precious. It only cost me two ounces of the inner core of a third-grade low-level demon beast. If it weren't for Junior Sister Xiao coming, I wouldn't have taken it out," Wu Feng said, shaking his head.
First- and second-tier demonic beasts can still be valued in silver coins, but once they reach the third-tier demonic beast, which is equivalent to a human master of the Visceral Realm, their value becomes immeasurable.
How much money could buy the head of a master of the Visceral Realm?
It's not about money at all. Unless you have a treasure that a master of the Internal Organs Realm would be tempted by, you simply can't exchange for such a demon core.
Even for a master of the Visceral Realm, hunting a third-tier demonic beast is extremely difficult.
But the three people present were different.
Not only Liu Qing, but the other two are also powerful beings who are hard to beat in the Visceral Realm. Killing a third-tier demon beast would only take them some effort.
As a pot of hot water is poured, a layer of white mist immediately rises from the teacup, lingering for a long time, and various animal and plant shapes faintly appear on it, which is quite magical.
It also has a wonderful fragrance that can dispel all distracting thoughts and make one feel refreshed and relaxed.
"Don't begrudge it. Back in that secret realm, your nine-ringed broadsword killed no fewer than ten third-tier demonic beasts. What's wrong with treating us to a cup of tea?"
Xiao Ling smiled, picked up her teacup, and took a small sip. As soon as the tea entered her stomach, a warm feeling immediately enveloped her entire body, making every pore feel indescribably relaxed. Her mind felt as if she were soaking in a hot spring, and she felt extremely comfortable.
"Good tea, good tea—" Liu Qing couldn't help but nod repeatedly.
Xiao Ling was also so engrossed that she couldn't speak, her face filled with enjoyment.
Wu Feng laughed smugly. At their level, they could get anything they wanted with ease. Apart from breaking through to Martial Saint, there wasn't much else they cared about.
After tasting the tea, Wu Feng asked, "Junior Sister Xiao, what brings you here this time?"
"By order of the sect leader," Xiao Ling replied.
"Sect Master?" Liu Qing was somewhat surprised. The Sect Master of the Hun Tian Sect was no ordinary martial artist; only a Martial Saint could hold the position.
"Why is he suddenly interested in our martial arts academy?" Wu Feng asked curiously.
"The Haotian Secret Realm is about to open."
Xiao Ling said solemnly, "It will definitely open in three months at the earliest, or half a year at the latest. At that time, the sect will select potential disciples to enter it. Therefore, the sect leader specially sent me to check the promising talents in our sect's martial arts hall."
Haotian Secret Realm!
Liu Qing and Wu Feng exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes simultaneously.
This secret realm is no ordinary place; it is one of the most important foundations of the entire Hun Tian Sect. The treasures nurtured within are extremely precious even to those at the Internal Organs Realm.
There are even legends that mention the chance to become a martial saint.
"These kids are really lucky. The opening time of the Haotian Secret Realm is not fixed. Sometimes it takes several generations of disciples to catch one opening. The shortest interval between openings was eight years, and the longest was twenty-three years. It has been a full thirteen years since the last opening, right?" Liu Qing said.
"It was exactly thirteen years. I spent ten years cultivating in the Martial Arts Hall, so I missed the opening," Wu Feng said with some emotion.
"It may not be a bad thing. Although some disciples obtain treasures each time, others lose their lives. Whether it's a blessing or a curse, who can say for sure?" Liu Qing said with a smile.
"In short, the sect leader attaches great importance to this, so he specially sent me to observe the potential of the disciples from these three states. In a few days, the Three Academies Grand Competition will be held, and that will be the real time to select disciples to enter the Secret Realm." Xiao Ling smiled and said, "Who knows, one of the disciples might enter and obtain the opportunity to become a Martial Saint."
This kind of thing has happened before in history.
Although the Great Yan Kingdom has existed for over a thousand years, the history of the Hun Tian Sect is even longer than that of the Great Yan Kingdom. According to records, 1,100 years ago, a patriarch obtained the opportunity to become a Martial Saint from the Haotian Secret Realm and successfully cultivated to become a Martial Saint.
"I hope so, but I would prefer it to be one of our disciples," Wu Feng said.
"Enough of the small talk. In the martial arts hall right now, which disciples do you think have the most potential?" Xiao Ling asked.
"Zhou Xian, Qian Zhongyou, Fang Yang, Luo Qingshui — and Lan Jun."
When Lan Jun was mentioned, a hint of admiration flashed in Wu Feng's eyes. He said, "Especially Lan Jun, his talent should be the best among all the disciples. He has only been a disciple for a little over six years, and he has already reached the sixth level of the Tower of Ascension. It is said that he has already conquered more than half of the sixth level. Before graduation, he is very likely to conquer the seventh level of the Tower of Ascension and become a disciple of the Martial Saint!"
"I've heard about it in the sect. They say he can multitask, wields two guns, and has exceptionally high comprehension. Even the sect leader is paying close attention to him."
Xiao Ling praised.
The Hun Tian Sect will always pay attention to outstanding disciples, after all, becoming a master of the Visceral Realm is not something that can be achieved overnight. After graduating from the Martial Arts Hall, they will need to invest more resources and energy in their cultivation.
However, for most disciples, the hope of reaching the Visceral Realm is very slim, and the Hun Tian Sect will not invest more resources, so they can only find their own way out.
"Brother Liu Qing, don't you have another promising young fellow under your tutelage, Mo Zheng? I heard he can multitask and was quite the star in the first two months after joining the Martial Arts Hall." Xiao Ling suddenly looked at Liu Qing.
"I know Mo Zheng," Wu Feng laughed. "For the past three years, he hasn't tried to conquer the Tower of Ascension or dueled with anyone. Besides hunting monsters, he's been holed up in the Heavenly Blade Gorge cultivating, like a madman. Maybe he's stuck on some level of the Twelve Swords of Wind and can't get past it."
The simplest way to cultivate the Unity Realm is to follow the cultivation method, like a cat transforming into a tiger, knowing what to do but not why.
The most difficult thing is to comprehend things from the basics, just like Mo Zheng did. You need to know not only what it is, but also why it is. Once you understand it, you can achieve the Unity Realm in one fell swoop. This is the Martial Arts Intent Realm, which will sweep away the great obstacle that has prevented countless Bone and Tendon Realm martial artists from breaking through.
However, the difficulty of these two is naturally incomparable. One requires learning that one plus one equals two, while the other requires learning why one plus one equals two. The latter can drive most martial artists crazy.
"He's young, only eighteen this year. Even if he takes the wrong path, it doesn't matter. He still has time to try," Liu Qing said with a smile.
"That's not right. Martial artists have precious time, how can they waste it so easily?" Xiao Ling disagreed.
"Junior Sister Xiao, don't listen to him. What do you mean by 'trying it out when you're young'? He's clearly just putting on a brave face and regretting it to death, but he's too proud to admit it. He's just watching that talented young man waste his time."
Wu Feng said gloatingly, "That old man was originally going to marry his granddaughter off to someone, but when he saw that the young man surnamed Mo wasn't making good progress in his external martial arts training, he changed his mind. I heard that his granddaughter is already twenty-one this year and still not married!"
"Junior Brother Wu, you've misunderstood. It's not like that at all. It's just that the two young people don't like each other."
"Senior Brother Liu, there's no need to explain. Just take a look and you'll see."
Xiao Ling said, "If this path really doesn't work out, we should persuade him to change course as soon as possible, which is also to save a talent for the sect."
Liu Qing didn't continue to explain, but he was actually wondering to himself. After all, Mo Zheng had only come to him for advice for the first six months of the past three years, and hadn't come even once since.
There are only two possibilities for this situation to occur.
Either the cultivation process is extremely smooth without encountering any bottlenecks, or one is hindered by a difficult obstacle and falls into a state of madness.
For martial artists who have mastered the Twelve Swords of Wind, the former state is practically impossible; the latter is the norm.
After all, the more talented a martial arts practitioner is, the more arrogant they become. Once they encounter a problem, they are more likely to get stuck on it and fall into a state of madness from which they cannot get out.
Hopefully, this little guy hasn't gone astray.
Liu Qing prayed silently in his heart.
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