In the antique room, Lin Huang was visibly taken aback. He pursed his lips and nodded in silence. Even though he knew Xiao Yishan was about to leave, he still couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss.
Xiao Yishan was the first master in his life. Regardless of whether this man was righteous or wicked, or how much he mocked or scolded him, Xiao Yishan was his master.
This man had never despised his background, never felt disappointed by his Realm or talent, and never cared whether this fourth Inner Chamber Disciple would embarrass him.
"Master, can’t you stay for a few more days?" Lin Huang asked hopefully.
"Three days is the limit." Xiao Yishan shook his head. "All good things must come to an end; you should understand this. Besides, you have your own path to walk, and I still have unfinished business."
Lin Huang fell silent, harboring faint suspicions in his heart. Perhaps, just as Xiao Yishan himself had said, he had a towering grudge to avenge and a monumental endeavor left incomplete.
"Over these three days, I will teach you the most systematic Martial Arts theories. As for how much you can remember, that will depend on your own comprehension," Xiao Yishan said.
Lin Huang nodded and then led Xiao Yishan into the secret chamber of the Divine General’s Mansion.
"In the primordial chaos of Time, the world constantly changes. Since Ancient Times, the Azure Sky Continent has undergone countless transformations. From the initial multitude of tribes, to the Five Races of Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Demon, and Demon dividing the world, to the subsequent True Demon war, and then the era where the Array Path ruled the world. This was followed by hundreds of Divine Dynasties vying for supremacy, leading to the current landscape of Sects, Martial Arts Institutes, and Sects..."
Inside the secret chamber, Xiao Yishan waved his hand casually, outlining the shifting tides of the entire continent.
"Similarly, the laws of Martial Arts Cultivation have evolved alongside the continent’s changes. The Witchcraft Technique of the Primordial Era, the True Demon Technique of the Antiquity Era, the Array Dao Cultivation of the Ancient Era, the Sword Dao Dominator of Ancient Times, and today’s Martial Soul Cultivation!
"Each era represented a Martial Arts Golden Era. Yet, no matter how things change, the path of Martial Arts ultimately leads to the same destination: opening up the Heaven-Reaching Path within the body!"
Inside the secret chamber, Xiao Yishan waved his palm, and a meridian and acupoint map of the human body instantly appeared before them.
"Within everyone’s body, there is a Heaven-Reaching Path. Simply put, it is a special meridian within the body. On this meridian, there are ten major nodes, namely the Human Element Palace, Earth Element Palace, Celestial Element Palace, as well as the Martial Marquis Palace, Martial King Palace...
"Each palace corresponds to a Great Realm. The Human Element Palace corresponds to the Human Element Realm, the Earth Element Palace to the Earth Element Realm, and so on. Furthermore, each palace connects to nine major meridians, corresponding to the Ninth Heaven!"
Tapping on the human meridian map, Xiao Yishan spoke eloquently, "A Martial Artist becoming stronger is simply the process of opening meridians and breaking through the palace doors. The meridians in the body are like riverbeds; the more that are connected, the longer the riverbed. When the Profound Sea Primordial Qi surges into the riverbed, it becomes a winding, twisting current. Through continuous accumulation, it eventually forms formidable power.
"This is the root of the difference between high and low Realms!"
Inside the secret chamber, Xiao Yishan spoke with a torrent of words, endlessly detailing Martial Arts theories. He covered everything from human meridians to the reasons behind the strength and weakness of Realms, the formation of a Martial Soul and the basis for its power classification, the essence of Arrays, the functions of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasures, and the impact of one’s Mental Realm and Soul on a Martial Artist’s Cultivation.
For three days, Xiao Yishan did not rest for a single moment. He explained the essence and origins of tens of thousands of Martial Arts theories to Lin Huang. Fighting off his exhaustion, Lin Huang listened meticulously, occasionally chiming in to ask questions about his doubts.
Three days later.
"The above covers all the fundamental Martial Arts theories." Inside the secret chamber, Xiao Yishan waved away the light screen before him with one hand and let out a long breath.
"I have repeatedly verified many of these things hundreds of times, so there shouldn’t be any errors. However, to truly understand them, you still need to verify them yourself." Xiao Yishan patted Lin Huang on the shoulder and smiled.
The three days had passed by in a flash. By the time the two walked out of the secret chamber, the moonlight was thick in the sky.
"I’ve finished my piece, and now it’s time for me to leave. Whatever achievements you attain in the future will depend on your own fortune," Xiao Yishan said with a carefree expression as he walked through the courtyard.
"Master, at least have a meal before you go!" Lin Huang said. Looking at Xiao Yishan’s somewhat hesitant expression, he added, "Consider it your disciple’s apprenticeship banquet, as well as a farewell feast for you, Master!"
"Alright." Xiao Yishan smiled and nodded. "You have to cook it yourself. Just make that roasted meat you made in the Qinglong Mountain Range before, and get two jugs of wine!"
Lin Huang grinned and immediately ordered the servants to bring over charcoal, a grill, and other supplies.
The two of them sat in the courtyard of the Divine General’s Mansion, eating roasted meat and drinking wine. Without exchanging too many words, they quietly bathed in the moonlight, enveloped in a silent, unspoken peace.
It was supposed to be an incredibly grand apprenticeship banquet!
It was supposed to be a tearful farewell, or perhaps a send-off filled with bold declarations.
Instead, it was simple and ordinary. However, judging by the natural smile at the corner of Xiao Yishan’s mouth as he drank his wine, he seemed immensely satisfied.
"Out of my four Inner Chamber Disciples, you’re the best at cooking." Clinking his wine bottle against Lin Huang’s, Xiao Yishan spoke warmly, "The second disciple, Qin Changsheng, is clumsy and only eats raw food. The third disciple, Xiaoo Xiang, can’t even tell the difference between salt and sugar. She cooked once and nearly poisoned me to death."
Lin Huang smiled. "If there’s an opportunity in the future, I can make whatever Master wants to eat. But let me clarify first: I only know how to roast meat. I have no idea how to make anything else!"
"I give you a couple of compliments, and you’re already getting carried away," Xiao Yishan scolded with a laugh.
Lin Huang pursed his lips helplessly. "Master, why have I never heard you mention the eldest disciple?"
Xiao Yishan’s expression clearly paused. He then gave an indifferent smile. "Perhaps he has become a renowned figure in the world today, or perhaps he has reincarnated in the cycle of Reincarnation. I have been away for too long, so I’m not entirely sure either."
Lin Huang could tell that Xiao Yishan didn’t seem to like this ’eldest disciple’ very much, so he swallowed the rest of his words.
"Let’s not talk about him. I’m about to leave, so if you have any questions, hurry up and ask," Xiao Yishan said, seemingly having drunk too much as he reverted to his previous ruffian-like demeanor.
"After a Martial Soul is shattered, is there any way to restore it?" Lin Huang thought for a moment before asking. Ever since his rebirth, he had been thinking about this constantly. His sister, Lin Cangxue, had her Martial Soul shattered. If she wanted to continue her Cultivation, her Martial Soul had to be restored first.
However, restoring a shattered Martial Soul was far too difficult. From what he had heard, no one had ever succeeded...
Xiao Yishan frowned slightly. Then, under Lin Huang’s hopeful gaze, he slowly shook his head.
"A Martial Soul is like a mirror. Once it shatters, it cannot be restored. Even if you forcefully piece it back together, it won’t have any effect. Unless..."
"Unless what?" Lin Huang hurriedly asked.
"That’s virtually impossible." Thinking of a possibility, Xiao Yishan shook his head helplessly, though he still asked Lin Huang, "What is your sister’s Martial Soul?"
"Profound Tier Upper Grade, the Profound Frost Cyan Phoenix Bird," Lin Huang replied.
CRASH!
With a sharp crash, the wine jug in Xiao Yishan’s hand suddenly fell. With a look of disbelief in his eyes, he muttered, "Profound Frost Cyan Phoenix?"
Seeing Xiao Yishan’s expression, Lin Huang looked puzzled and asked, "Is there a problem?"
Snapping back to reality, Xiao Yishan snatched the wine jug from Lin Huang’s hand and laughed heartily. "Phoenix Nirvana, rebirth from the ashes! What problem could there be? There’s absolutely no problem! You brat, you actually have a sister with peerless talent. Tsk, tsk, tsk... As long as your sister undergoes Martial Soul Nirvana, you’ll be set to live off her for the rest of your life."
"The Profound Frost Cyan Phoenix Bird can undergo Nirvana? It belongs to the Phoenix Lineage?" Lin Huang’s heart pounded with intense excitement as he asked with a joyful expression.
"If I remember correctly, the Profound Frost Cyan Phoenix Bird hasn’t appeared for eight thousand years. Its potential is enough to undergo Nirvana and become the Nirvana Divine Phoenix, the most powerful of the Phoenix Lineage," Xiao Yishan said. "As for the method of Nirvana, it is recorded in the Musashi ’Qiankun Da Nirvana’ that I gave you. Find some time to read it yourself!"
Lin Huang nodded excitedly. Having accidentally learned that Lin Cangxue’s Martial Soul could undergo Nirvana, he was thrilled beyond words, wishing he could run to the Piaoxue Palace right now and share the news with her.
While Lin Huang was immersed in his excitement, Xiao Yishan narrowed his eyes and gazed at him deeply. What he didn’t tell Lin Huang was that the Profound Frost Cyan Phoenix Bird Martial Soul was an inherited bloodline Martial Soul, and for her to possess such a Martial Soul, her origins were definitely not simple.
"I have one more question!" After calming down, Lin Huang looked at Xiao Yishan and asked tentatively, "Master, can you tell me who exactly you are?"