News of the appearance of a mysterious martial cultivator at the Celestial Phenomenon level began to spread rapidly throughout Xingwu Prefecture and quickly expanded outward.
However, Wu Ming, at this point, had already been respectfully welcomed into the San Yang Sect’s mountain gate, becoming inaccessible to the general public.
The tales circulating outside, such as his ability to spit flying swords and command entire armies to kneel with a single word, became increasingly exaggerated and filled with inaccuracies.
Of course, Wu Ming himself couldn’t be bothered to care.
The San Yang Sect’s headquarters were located within Boyang City, occupying the best geographical position in the eastern district. They had built an inner city and stationed a large force of troops, firmly establishing their control over the prefectural city.
“Ding Jiao!”
Wu Ming was casually flipping through the secret manual titled “San Jiao Yang Xuan Jin,” along with other martial arts manuals, shaking his head helplessly as he spoke: “This technique focuses solely on cultivating the three yang meridians. As the saying goes, ‘Solitary yin cannot grow, solitary yang cannot reproduce.’ There should be another manual to complement this one. If you keep practicing only this technique, although you barely broke into the Earth Yuan realm, you’ve overexerted your body, draining your essence and vitality, which will likely cause serious harm…”
“Senior’s advice is spot on!”
Ding Jiao nodded and bowed, bitterness rising in his heart. The San Yang Sect had once been merely a second-tier sect in Xingwu Prefecture. It had only managed to gain some footing after the decline of the Zhen Yang Sect, which they annihilated, seizing their scriptures and ancient texts.
This manual was only half complete; the other half, which focused on cultivating the yin meridians, had long since vanished without a trace.
“The medicinal herbs I previously asked you for, go find them for me, and I can begin preparing the pills. Although I can’t completely heal your old injuries, extending your life by a few years should be no problem…”
Wu Ming said, shaking his head slightly.
“Thank you, Senior! Thank you so much!”
Ding Jiao was naturally extremely humble, repeatedly expressing his gratitude.
Ever since Wu Ming arrived at the San Yang Sect, he had displayed medical skills so refined they could bring the dead back to life and heal the most grievous wounds. He had immediately identified the hidden flaw in Ding Jiao’s martial arts technique, leaving Ding awestruck and regarding him as a celestial being.
To seek Wu Ming’s help in curing his ailments, Ding had no choice but to offer his most treasured martial arts manuals, significantly enriching Wu Ming’s knowledge reserves.
As for the notion that this senior might have come solely to pilfer martial arts techniques?
Ding Jiao never even considered it. After all, given the power Wu Ming had displayed, he could easily have annihilated the entire San Yang Sect without resorting to such roundabout methods.
“I’m going to the library to read now. You may leave!”
Wu Ming waved his hand, and Lin Xinlan immediately stepped forward, ushering Ding Jiao out like a servant.
She had stubbornly insisted on following him, and Ding Jiao and others, knowing she traveled with Wu Ming, dared not treat her with anything less than utmost respect, bringing her into the sect alongside him.
Surprisingly, Wu Ming had not refused her outright, which greatly relieved Lin Xinlan.
Since then, she had insisted on treating him as her master, her intentions clear without needing to be spoken, leaving Wu Ming feeling rather exasperated.
…
“Greetings, Senior!”
Inside the library, Ding Jiao had already dismissed all disciples, leaving only several veteran scribes familiar with the ancient texts to assist Wu Ming.
“Follow the usual routine—start from where we left off yesterday with the historical texts!”
Wu Ming approached a brightly lit large table and said directly.
“As you command!”
These people were already accustomed to this, quickly bringing out a thick stack of books. The top one even had a paper bookmark indicating precisely where Wu Ming had left off the previous day.
Beside him, Lin Xinlan silently watched Wu Ming, occasionally refilling his tea, showing no signs of discomfort despite being a lady of noble birth performing such menial tasks.
Shua shua!
The library was silent, the only sound being Wu Ming flipping through pages rapidly.
Lin Xinlan watched in awe as Wu Ming read at an incredible speed, scanning through the entire stack of books in about half an hour.
Of course, she had no idea that Wu Ming was currently voraciously absorbing all available knowledge about the world of martial cultivation.
After a long while, Wu Ming waved his hand and leaned back in his chair.
“The San Yang Sect’s library, inherited from the Zhen Yang Sect, is quite extensive… covering martial arts, medicine, and everything from historical records to philosophical texts and even strange tales and legends…”
In ancient times, those capable of building libraries and preserving knowledge were mostly the privileged classes.
Undoubtedly, the Zhen Yang Sect and the San Yang Sect were the most powerful entities in Xingwu Prefecture, hence their library was the most comprehensive, making it a prime target for Wu Ming from the beginning.
He closed his eyes, and all the information he had read that day instantly surfaced in his mind, rapidly analyzed and integrated.
With his Celestial Immortal Yuan Shen, accomplishing this was naturally effortless.
“The history of the martial world can roughly be divided into three eras… the ancient era, a time of wilderness and ignorance with few records remaining… another era was when the Martial Emperor unified the continent and established a dynasty… and finally the present era, five hundred years after the fall of the imperial dynasty, when various sects seized power and engaged in endless conflicts…”
“It is said that in the primordial era, the environment was harsh, people were ignorant, and wild beasts plagued the land, leaving the human race in dire straits…”
“In the struggle against the harsh environment and battles against wild beasts, the most basic concepts of martial arts emerged—pure techniques of hunting and killing…”
“Thousands of years later, the continent gradually entered a civilized stage, and the Sage Emperor appeared!”
“This individual was a genius beyond compare. He integrated martial arts across the land, systematized martial cultivation, established martial artist rankings, was the first to break into the Celestial Phenomenon realm, and was definitively recorded as having attained the body of a god or demon, invincible in countless battles and ultimately unifying the world!”
“The classification of ‘Divine Demon Level’ was specifically created for him… and thus he was honored as the ‘Martial Emperor’!”
“A thousand years after the Martial Emperor’s dynasty ruled the continent, the last imperial family declined. The Eight Great Clans jointly attacked the imperial palace, assassinated the last emperor, and looted the imperial martial arts treasury, causing numerous divine techniques and precious manuals to scatter, leading to the rise of sects across the land…”
“And these eight major forces benefited the most, eventually becoming martial cultivation holy lands with enduring legacies…”
…
“The Martial Emperor is highly suspicious!”
Pah!
Wu Ming suddenly concluded in his mind, abruptly opening his eyes: “Are there any more records about the Martial Emperor?”
“Forgive us, Senior!”
The elderly scribes exchanged glances, their faces showing reluctance: “The Martial Emperor lived over a thousand years ago, and since the great chaos began, many records have been inaccurate…”
They omitted to mention that the Eight Holy Lands of martial cultivation had actively tried to vilify the Martial Emperor, making his legend increasingly mysterious.
“The Eight Sects… it seems I can’t avoid dealing with them…”
Wu Ming knew exactly where he should go next.
Of course, it was also possible that the Martial Emperor was merely a chosen one of the martial world’s fortune, which led to his great achievements. Therefore, no strange tales or legends could be ignored.
“Master…”
At that moment, a pair of soft hands arrived at his shoulders, gently massaging them, and Lin Xinlan’s voice came from behind: “If Master needs information on the Eight Sects, I also have some…”
“Hmm?!”
Wu Ming turned his head, his eyes seemingly glowing with intensity before he waved his hand: “Everyone else, leave!”
“We shall take our leave!”
The others immediately withdrew, even taking the trouble to shut the door behind them.
“Alright… I can assure you that within the entire library, only you and I remain. Speak freely…”
Wu Ming gazed at Lin Xinlan, detecting the faint green aura circulating within her.
If not for this, he might have immediately dismissed her as a fraud.
“You seem interested in the Martial Emperor and the Eight Holy Lands?”
Lin Xinlan bit her lip: “My ancestors were once outer disciples of one of the Eight Holy Lands, the Qing Lian Sect. However, they were later expelled and moved elsewhere, establishing our family lineage.”
“Oh?”
Wu Ming raised his eyebrows slightly, but his expression showed little surprise.
Seeing this, Lin Xinlan could only reveal another major secret: “According to my grandfather, the expulsion of our ancestors from the sect was not as simple as it seemed. Moreover, they took away a priceless treasure from the Qing Lian Sect!”
“Wait a second…”
Wu Ming’s expression turned strange: “You’re not going to say…”
“Exactly…” Lin Xinlan said: “That ‘Ten Thousand Li River and Mountain Scroll’ was taken out from the Qing Lian Sect by our ancestors!”
She took a deep breath: “Although people know that our ancestor cultivated a divine technique from this scroll and advanced to the Earth Yuan realm, few know that this scroll originally came from the secret treasury of the Martial Emperor’s dynasty!”
“The Imperial Treasury?”
Wu Ming mused with a faint smile: “Now you’ve piqued my interest!”
Lin Xinlan gave a bitter smile: “Even within the imperial martial arts treasury, there were treasures of varying values. If it were truly a priceless treasure, it wouldn’t have ended up in the hands of my ancestor. According to my grandfather, although the ‘Ten Thousand Li River and Mountain Scroll’ contains hidden martial techniques, they are at most of the Earth Yuan level. However, the faint martial intent embedded within might provide some help for Earth Yuan realm martial artists seeking to break through…”
“You’ve said so much, yet you haven’t stated your conditions yet!”
Wu Ming said calmly: “You should know my nature—I always repay debts. If you wish to offer this scroll, what do you want from me?”
Lin Xinlan immediately knelt down: “I owe my life to Master’s kindness and should be grateful without asking for much. However, the vendetta against those who destroyed my family is beyond my ability to avenge. I humbly request Master’s assistance!”
She paused, then continued: “Regardless of whether Senior agrees or not, I will still present the ‘Ten Thousand Li River and Mountain Scroll’ and remain your servant for life. Should I break this vow, may heaven and earth forsake me!”
“Since you have such determination…”
Wu Ming waved his hand, and Lin Xinlan instantly felt a gentle force lift her to her feet.
“Who is your enemy?”
“Cangwu Prefecture, the Black Tiger Gang, Yu Wenlong!”
Lin Xinlan spoke each word with clear emphasis, clearly having repeated the name countless times: “He is an Earth Yuan realm martial artist, ranked 67th on the Earth Yuan ranking!”
She added: “Moreover, I have thoroughly investigated and confirmed that this villain has no backing from any major sect and definitely no support from a Celestial Phenomenon level martial artist…”
Clearly, she understood Wu Ming’s nature quite well.
She feared that Wu Ming might find Yu Wenlong too difficult to deal with and abandon the ‘Ten Thousand Li River and Mountain Scroll.’
She anxiously waited, having staked everything on this moment, feeling as if she couldn’t breathe.
“If that’s the case, bring the scroll to me!”
It seemed like only a moment had passed, yet it felt like an eternity to Lin Xinlan before she finally heard that voice which lifted the weight off her heart, and she couldn’t help but weep with joy.
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