Chapter 682 - 464: Quasi-Emperor Technique
In front of the courtyard, Li Jianchen was visibly startled, then realized: "Are you talking about Zhuo Feng?"
Zhang Ye nodded: "Haven’t you noticed there’s no one nearby? Everyone has moved away. You haven’t returned in years, and you brought your friend here to live, isn’t that unfair to him."
Li Jianchen shook his head: "I forgot about this, but it’s no big deal, at worst we can apply to relocate again."
Zhang Ye nodded: "That’s also possible. I have things to do, I’ll host a welcome feast for you guys in a few days, bring your friend along then."
After nodding to Wei Fan from a distance, Zhang Ye hurriedly left.
"What does Zhang Ye mean by that?"
Wei Fan walked into his own courtyard and found that it was not large, similar to the courtyard he had stayed in when he was in Su City.
Li Jianchen also walked in and said: "The Essence Qi is dense in Holy City. Some people, when cultivating, in order to save some Spirit Crystals, will directly extract Essence Qi from the heavens and earth, but this will affect the nearby people.
Although Holy City is lawless, few people actually do this, because it offends those living near you and is also impolite.
A Town Territory Envoy named Zhuo Feng lives nearby, and he cultivates this way, completely disregarding those around him, recklessly absorbing the Essence Qi from the heavens and earth. But his strength is formidable, so all the nearby Town Territory Envoys are afraid of him and have moved away..."
"Let’s go, I’ll show you some important places!"
This is the rule of Holy City, so the two didn’t mind.
Closing the courtyard door, Wei Fan and Li Jianchen left and walked for a while. He already had an understanding of the Demon Hunter Organization’s important places, and after pointing out the location of the Hidden Merit Hall to Wei Fan, Li Jianchen went his separate way from him.
Li Jianchen was different from him. He came to Holy City from Beiding Continent, a lone traveler, but Li Jianchen grew up in Holy City, with family and friends here, having been away for years, naturally he would want to return home for a visit.
The Hidden Merit Hall was large, entirely cast from Divine Gold, with dense runes covering its surface, augmented by the will of supreme powerhouses, exuding a faint Dao Yun, capable of isolating Heart Spirit probes.
There were not many people here, as only internal members of the Demon Hunter Organization could enter this Hidden Merit Hall. Ordinary Demon Hunters could not exchange Cultivation Techniques here.
One side of the large door was open, with no guards. After Wei Fan walked in, he did not see a vast main hall, but rather a small space.
An old table, a white-haired elder lay sprawled on the table snoring loudly.
Wei Fan was speechless; a place like the Hidden Merit Hall of the Demon Hunter Organization might even have Martial Emperor Techniques. How could they allow an ordinary person to guard such a place?
This old man was at least a Great Saint Powerhouse, possibly even a Martial Emperor, pretending to snore, this old man was simply jesting.
"Senior, wake up... I am here to collect Cultivation Techniques!"
Wei Fan gave a slight push, and the old man finally woke up.
The old man looked at Wei Fan through sleepy eyes, puzzled: "Huh? Who are you? This old man doesn’t seem to have met you before."
Wei Fan cupped his hands and said: "Reporting to Senior, I am a newly arrived Town Territory Envoy in Holy City, and this is my token."
Wei Fan took out Wei Ying’s token and handed it to the old man. The old man took a look and showed a somewhat surprised expression: "Are you Wei Ying’s illegitimate child? That old scoundrel approved a Martial Emperor Cultivation Technique and a Martial Emperor’s Secret Technique for you in one go?"
Wei Fan twitched his mouth: "Senior... The Martial Emperor Cultivation Technique was exchanged for the merits I earned as a Territory Guardian War General, only the Martial Emperor’s Secret Technique was specially approved by Commander Wei. I am not Commander Wei’s illegitimate child; today was the first time I met Commander Wei."
The old man was half-believing, half-doubting, and glanced at the token in his hand again: "So, your surname is Wei, nothing to do with Wei Ying, it seems your talent is not bad, otherwise, you wouldn’t receive a Martial Emperor’s Secret Technique right upon joining."
The token had Wei Fan’s name on it, but the old man apparently hadn’t heard of Wei Fan before.
"Come with me!"
The old man got up and closed the main hall door, turned around and opened the side door, leading Wei Fan inside. Wei Fan followed him inside, the first thing he saw was rows of bookshelves.
However, this was only the first floor, the old man did not stop here, leading Wei Fan up the stairs on one side, walking all the way to the fifth floor of the Hidden Merit Hall, where a light curtain appeared before them.
Through the light curtain, they could vaguely see countless small secret chambers inside, with characters seemingly inscribed above each chamber.
"Do you have a desired Cultivation Technique?" The old man took out a token to activate it, and a gap appeared in the light curtain blocking the fifth and fourth floors. He was the first to step inside.
Wei Fan followed him in, shaking his head: "No!"
"Choose for yourself!"
The old man pulled out a book from somewhere and handed it to Wei Fan. Wei Fan opened it and was dumbfounded; besides the names of the Cultivation Techniques and their creators, there was no additional information.
He regretted not asking Li Jianchen for guidance. Over countless years in the Eastern Domain, who knows how many Martial Emperor Powerhouses have been born, he had no idea whose Cultivation Technique was powerful.
"I humbly ask for Senior’s guidance!" he quickly solicited advice with humility.
The old man showed a satisfied look and nodded: "It seems you really have nothing to do with Wei Ying, or you wouldn’t know nothing at all. What do you require from the Cultivation Technique?"
The requirement, of course, is to be as strong as possible.
"Alright, come with me!"
The old man revealed a half-smiling, half-mocking expression, leading the way forward. Wei Fan followed him with twists and turns, soon stopping in front of a secret chamber on the edge.
He looked up and saw the words "Earth Emperor’s Saint Slaying Technique" written on the chamber, exuding an overbearing momentum.
The old man pointed to the secret chamber of the Earth Emperor’s Saint Slaying Technique and said, "The Earth Emperor’s Saint Slaying Technique, within the entire Five Great Domains, ranks in the top ten among all Martial Emperor Techniques. Once you cultivate to the Perfect Saint Realm, you can roam freely, slaying ordinary Great Saint powerhouses like dogs.
Typically, a Holy Skill can only condense a Dao a hundred thousand feet high, but this technique breaks the limit, condensing a Dao one hundred and twenty thousand feet high. The Heaven and Earth Dao is yours to command, invincible below the Martial Emperor."
Wei Fan showed joy, "Thank you, elder, for your guidance!"
He always thought the limit of the Saint Realm was condensing a Dao a hundred thousand feet high, not expecting a Martial Emperor Technique could break this limit and condense the Dao to one hundred and twenty thousand feet.
The old man shook his head, previously thinking Wei Fan was pretending to be ignorant, but at this moment, he realized Wei Fan truly knew nothing about Martial Emperor Techniques.
He immediately spoke in a deep voice, "Do you really want to choose the Earth Emperor’s Saint Slaying Technique? Think it over well. Though this technique is strong, if you are not a monster of Xuanyuan Peak’s level, cultivating this technique will be more harmful than beneficial for you.
If you fancy this technique, you may come back to cultivate after becoming an Emperor. Don’t aim too high and waste your time. The Saint Realm does not mean the higher the Dao you condense, the greater the success rate when attempting to reach the Emperor Realm. On the contrary, the higher the Dao, the more difficult the breakthrough to the Emperor Realm."
He brought Wei Fan to see the Earth Emperor’s Saint Slaying Technique, initially just to let Wei Fan retreat in difficulty. Unexpectedly, Wei Fan really took a liking to the technique.
The Earth Emperor’s Saint Slaying Technique is strong, but the resources and talent required for cultivation are not something ordinary people possess, not even talents at the level of a Town Territory Envoy.
"Thank you for the reminder, elder. However, this junior believes his talent is adequate and would like to give it a try."
Wei Fan shook his head. Ordinary geniuses naturally only pursue the Martial Emperor Realm, with all cultivation primarily aimed at becoming an Emperor in the future. But he was no ordinary genius. He pursued not just the realm but also unparalleled combat power at the same level.
Moreover, although the old man said that the breakthrough to the Martial Emperor is not about the higher the Dao, the better, if there is truly no benefit, why would these Martial Emperors pursue such things? The old man clearly regarded him as an ordinary genius. If it affects becoming an Emperor in the future, he would have nowhere to cry then.
Thus, at every realm, if he could cultivate to the strongest, he absolutely wouldn’t miss the chance.
Upon hearing this, the old man said no more. He was not Wei Fan’s teacher, and reminding him was enough; saying more would only be self-defeating.
He had been stationed in the Hidden Merit Hall for many years and had seen too many such things. Most people, when selecting techniques, are high-spirited and arrogant, overlooking anything not powerful, and it’s too late to regret after wasting years.
As for Wei Fan’s talent being adequate, he had heard such things so much over the years that he no longer cared.
"Please, elder, guide this junior in selecting a Martial Emperor’s Secret Technique," Wei Fan said with clasped hands, "the stronger, the better!"
He didn’t care much about fist or sword techniques; strength was enough.
Currently, his shortcoming was speed, but with only one chance to choose a Martial Emperor’s Secret Technique, he didn’t want to select a Body Technique. The Five Emperors Fist couldn’t see the light of day; he needed a Martial Technique with greater destructive power.
Not just because of Xuanyuan Peak, according to his speculation, the descendants of the Five Emperors also didn’t possess the Five Emperors Fist, just like the Scripture of the Three Emperors; the descendants of Emperor Xuanyuan didn’t have the Scripture of the Three Emperors either.
If the Five Emperors Fist were exposed, who knows if the descendants of the Five Emperors would come to claim it from him? At that time, he couldn’t possibly give such a peerless fist technique away without reason, and refusal would result in a battle with the descendants of the Five Emperors.
"Then choose the Earth Emperor Fist. This technique, also created by the Earth Emperor, will complement your Earth Emperor’s Saint Slaying Technique if you cultivate them together.
Additionally, this fist technique has the ability to temper the body. If you can persist in cultivating it, it will be greatly beneficial to you."
The old man sighed, took a few steps forward, and a secret chamber housing the Earth Emperor Fist appeared.
He then took out two jade tokens and handed them to Wei Fan, "One technique and one secret skill, each with three months’ time to comprehend, totaling six months. Regardless of success in comprehension, return the jade tokens to me after six months.
You can choose to comprehend here continuously; after leaving, you may return any time. Remember not to try cracking the restrictions of other secret chambers, as being caught will be considered stealing Martial Arts, and the Demon Hunter Organization may execute you."
As the old man spoke, he turned to leave.
"Wait, elder!"
Wei Fan called out to the old man, "I have one last question that needs clarification."
The old man nodded lightly. Wei Fan didn’t heed his advice, but he wasn’t angry, as he had experienced such things too often.
"May I ask, elder, is a Dao of one hundred and twenty thousand feet the limit? When Martial Emperor Techniques condense Dao, do they have to surpass one hundred and twenty thousand feet?"
If the Dao condensed by Martial Emperor Techniques were higher than that of the Earth Emperor’s Saint Slaying Technique, then before breaking through to the Martial Emperor, he would figure out a way to acquire a Saint Realm Technique of the Martial Emperor Level.
"You are already a Saint Realm powerhouse, yet you don’t know such common knowledge. Who is your teacher?"
The old man frowned slightly, finding Wei Fan even more "ignorant" than he anticipated, and couldn’t help but feel a tinge of anger towards Wei Fan’s teacher for not explaining even such basic knowledge.
Wei Fan shook his head, "This junior has no mentor."
The old man’s expression softened somewhat, even began to regard Wei Fan with a little more respect, realizing he had underestimated the person before him. Without a mentor, reaching the Saint Realm showed Wei Fan’s talent was among the top even among Town Territory Envoys.
Having no mentor meant relying solely on self-exploration and comprehension for regular cultivation, lacking resource support—a true loose cultivator, achieving the Saint Realm step by step on one’s own, was something that could be counted on one hand among Town Territory Envoys.
"The Earth Emperor’s Saint Slaying Technique is known as a Quasi-Emperor Technique, one of the strongest under Martial Emperor Techniques. In the Saint Realm, Martial Emperor Techniques only condense Dao faster and more solidly than the Earth Emperor’s Saint Slaying Technique; otherwise, there is no difference. The limit for Martial Emperor Techniques is also one hundred and twenty thousand feet."
With that, the old man turned and descended the stairs.