Chapter 509: Inheritance

“This is the ‘Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains’ painting?”

Within the courtyard, Lin Xinlan, who had returned after leaving, presented the scroll and watched as Wu Ming slowly unfurled it.

Before their eyes appeared an extremely vast and magnificent landscape painting, with strange peaks rising abruptly and white waves surging to the sky. The expressive brushwork was vivid and impressive. Even if it were not a martial arts manual, it would still be an invaluable ink masterpiece.

Ding Jiao stood beside them like a disciple. Wu Ming did not bother to hide anything from him, and his eyes widened.

“What do you think? Have you noticed anything?”

Wu Ming asked with a smile.

“No… nothing at all!”

Truth be told, the Sanyang Sect had long coveted the ‘Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains’ painting. Ding Jiao had naturally heard of its reputation. However, no matter how he looked at it, it was simply a grand landscape painting without any sign of a martial arts manual.

“My ancestor once comprehended a technique called ‘Bolan Xuangong’ from this painting, allowing him to ascend to the Diyuan realm. However, according to my ancestor, mastering this technique requires innate talent and serendipity, making it extremely difficult to describe in words. Even he himself only stumbled upon the breakthrough accidentally. Later, when descendants tried to practice it, they all mysteriously suffered from martial arts mishaps, none surviving…”

A trace of sorrow appeared on Lin Xinlan’s face.

Clearly, many of her ancestors had risked their lives attempting to restore Lin family’s status, most likely ending up losing their lives.

“Techniques that guide inner energy through meridians and stimulate acupoints without thorough theoretical verification are too dangerous…”

Ding Jiao sighed. Genuine martial arts manuals, even the most basic ones, were usually the result of extensive experimentation on human subjects, practical combat testing, and only then were they recorded and passed down as inheritances.

The technique described merely based on personal insight, like that of Lin Xinlan’s ancestor, was the most dangerous kind—basically deadly to whoever practiced it.

Still reluctant, he asked, “Miss Lin… could this painting possibly be drawn with some special ink? I once heard of a secret ink used in the martial world. When used to write characters or draw pictures, they would become invisible after three days. Only by soaking it in water, roasting it over fire, or applying other special solutions could the hidden content be revealed. Or perhaps there are hidden layers within the scroll itself?”

Lin Xinlan gave him a cold stare. “Do you think our Lin family wouldn’t know of such methods? If they worked, would we still be stuck like this today?”

Her implication was clear—they had tried everything.

Ding Jiao gave an awkward smile.

Under normal circumstances, a little girl daring to speak to him like that would have been beaten to death already.

But considering Wu Ming’s presence, he had to swallow his anger.

Moreover, after taking the medicine Wu Ming had prescribed, his Sanjiao Yang pulse had improved significantly, and he even sensed signs of a breakthrough in his martial arts cultivation. This made him even more reluctant to offend.

Both turned their eyes toward Wu Ming, who was staring at the painting with intense focus. “Have you discovered something, Senior?”

“I have gained some insight!”

Wu Ming admitted directly, catching them off guard.

“Master… have you truly deciphered the secret of the ‘Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains’ painting?”

Lin Xinlan asked excitedly.

Even though she no longer owned the painting, the mystery that had plagued her ancestors for centuries being solved brought her great relief.

“It’s just like the saying: ‘See the mountain as a mountain, see the water as water. Then see the mountain not as a mountain, see the water not as water.’ Truly profound!”

Wu Ming said. Seeing the confusion on Ding Jiao and Lin Xinlan’s faces, he explained, “Though it appears to be only a landscape painting, if you omit certain lines and separate its layers, you will see something else.”

“See the mountain not as a mountain, see the water not as water?”

Lin Xinlan echoed.

“Exactly. If you stop seeing these mountains and rivers as mountains and rivers, you will realize that this landscape is actually a map of meridians and acupoints. The mountain ridges also follow the same principle, with 365 nodes representing the key acupoints of the human body…”

Wu Ming elaborated.

However, Ding Jiao and Lin Xinlan could only see vague and indistinct shapes despite their wide-eyed stares.

“Sigh…”

Wu Ming sighed inwardly. This was the martial artists’ “cognitive barrier”—the more familiar one was with something, the easier it was to overlook its true nature.

Even with his guidance, the painter’s brushwork was so exquisite that only someone with his level of vision could fully comprehend it.

“Ah… I might be expecting too much from them. After all, without Daoist meditation techniques, they cannot separate the layers of this painting…”

Wu Ming sighed again before continuing, “This technique might be called the ‘Nine Rivers and Eight Mountains Meridian Method.’ It is an advanced martial art, sufficient to reach the Diyuan realm, and serves as an exceptional foundational method. Your ancestor, Miss Lin, probably only accidentally grasped a part of the Nine Rivers Meridian Diagram, which was incomplete. I will transcribe it and give you a copy…”

“I… I can have one too?”

Lin Xinlan was stunned, then shook her head. “Since I have already given it away, it now belongs to you, Master. How dare I covet it?”

“Since it’s mine, you shall have a copy.”

Wu Ming waved his hand decisively.

Watching this, Ding Jiao felt immense envy inside. “The ‘Nine Rivers and Eight Mountains Meridian Method’ is so highly praised by a Tianxiang-level senior. It must be a supreme martial arts manual. Compared to it, any technique in our Sanyang Sect would pale in comparison… That girl Lin is truly fortunate…”

He looked at Wu Ming with even greater respect. “And Senior Wu, to casually gift such a supreme martial art, you truly are a Tianxiang-level expert… I wonder which martial emperor’s legacy you have studied?”

Unfortunately, he didn’t know that this seemingly powerful Tianxiang expert had only ever seen this one martial art at its highest level.

“I shall accept this landscape painting. As for that person in Cangwu County, I will handle them myself…”

Wu Ming fell into thought. “Seeing this painting just now gave me an epiphany, stirring something within my previous cultivation. You both may leave now. I need to go into retreat for some time.”

“Understood!”

With his command, both Lin Xinlan and Ding Jiao dared not disobey. They respectfully bowed and withdrew.

Soon, the courtyard was left completely empty except for Wu Ming.

With a wave of his hand, the scroll floated into the air, revealing itself once more.

Within the grand landscape painting, the subtle flow of energy and secrets of acupoints appeared clearly before him.

Yet Wu Ming’s expression turned strange. “Seeing the mountain not as a mountain, the water not as water—that’s only the second stage. This painting has a third level: seeing the mountain as a mountain again, the water as water again!”

He hadn’t lied earlier. The ‘Nine Rivers and Eight Mountains Meridian Method’ was indeed the supreme martial art hidden within the scroll. For ordinary cultivators, obtaining it would be sufficient to lay the foundation for becoming an extraordinary expert—easily reaching the Diyuan realm, with even a slight chance of attaining Tianxiang.

This might also be the highest level cultivators from the Qinglian Sect could decipher.

“But the third stage requires transforming this meridian map back to its original form, viewing it once again as a landscape painting. Then it becomes a meditation technique…”

“This is closer to Daoist methods. Even cultivators at the Tianxiang level in this world would find it difficult to perceive…”

Wu Ming closed his eyes, and a thread of heavenly immortal-level divine consciousness extended into the ‘Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains’ painting.

Initially, nothing happened.

But as he applied the third-stage landscape meditation technique, the entire painting began to emit faint rays of light, displaying strange and wondrous phenomena. Then, a thought suddenly surged forth.

“I am a martial emperor, leaving behind the ‘Xuanming True Art’ here…”

A mighty voice echoed within Wu Ming’s consciousness, accompanied by a series of texts and images.

“So the third-stage meditation technique of the ‘Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains’ is merely a key to unlock the divine treasure hidden within the painting…”

Wu Ming’s eyes flashed with brilliance. “The divine consciousness left behind must belong to a martial emperor, who must have cultivated beyond the sixth level of martial cultivation!”

Within the ‘Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains’ painting lay hidden a martial emperor’s legacy!

A treasure!

A colossal treasure!

Wu Ming was no ordinary cultivator who would be overwhelmed with joy at obtaining such a legacy, but he was certainly pleased. “A sixth-level martial art manual is essentially the key to the laws of this world’s power. With it, I can not only deduce suitable martial techniques for the Dawei world but also greatly accelerate my progress in analyzing the Shenwu world…”

He then fell into deep thought. “The Xuanming True Art? It leans towards the water attribute with a touch of wind nature, likely related to the legacies of the Xun or Kan branches… If I ever face these two sacred sects in the future, I must be cautious…”

Legend has it that the Martial Emperor, the progenitor of martial arts, possessed eight divine techniques passed down through generations, divided into eight sections—Qian, Kun, Gen, Dui, Kan, Li, Zhen, and Xun. Mastering any one of these to its extreme could enable one to attain a divine or demonic form.

Among the eight trigrams, Xun represents wind and Kan represents water, both of which can be associated with the term “Xuan Ming.”

Nowadays, the eight major martial arts sacred grounds of the Shenwu World are renowned far and wide, with masters emerging endlessly, all because it is rumored that they seized the eight supreme martial arts techniques of the Martial Emperor!

Obviously, those who have already divided the cake certainly don’t want another person to come and grab a share.

If it were discovered that there was still another Martial Emperor’s legacy left outside, it would be hard to say exactly how they would choose.

Xuanming refers to feng shui. The way of Xuanming lies entirely in the essence of feng shui…

Wu Ming carefully read the “Mysterious Nether True Art” left by the Martial Emperor and was filled with a myriad of emotions. “This person is truly a genius bestowed by heaven, having already touched upon the essence of the world’s principles… yet, there is still something lacking!”

How discerning his vision is now! Even the eight great legacies of the Martial Emperor may not necessarily suit him.

My inner energy, the first wisp of vital breath, was formed by emulating the cosmos and directly interpreting the rules of this world. It can be described as learning from nature—the authentic path of the profound Dao…

After converting internal energy, one must then learn internal cultivation techniques. This is the essential path for all warriors in the Divine Martial World.

However, whether it was the Three Burners Yang Xuan Technique or the Nine Mountains and Eight Rivers Meridian Chart, Wu Ming did not think much of either.

However, the emergence of the Xuanming Divine Art truly caught his attention.

Based on this technique as a blueprint, I will make improvements to form the technique most suitable for me…

Within Wu Ming’s sea of consciousness, his powerful primordial spirit energy surged forth, enveloping the legacy representing the Profound Abyss True Art, and began its terrifying process of deduction…