Chapter 170 - 168: Huangfu Yi’s Secret
The Red Lotus Sin-Slaying Saber was powerful, but for Chen Yuan, the Mulan Continuous Jail-Piercing Arrow was the most significant upgrade.
Mulan was one of the Buddha’s ten great disciples, renowned as the greatest in supernatural power.
Long ago, Mulan’s mother was trapped in the Ninefold Hell, where she suffered brutal torture.
To save his mother, Mulan fired an arrow with majestic and unstoppable momentum, piercing straight through the Ninefold Hell. This was the origin of the Mulan Continuous Jail-Piercing Arrow.
Although this Secret Technique was ranked at the Celestial Level Upper Grade, same as the Red Lotus Sin-Slaying Saber, it was actually bordering on the level of a Supreme Technique.
It used one’s body as the bow and an unstoppable will as the arrow, gathering heaven-shattering power to pierce the Ninefold Hell. The cultivation threshold was terrifyingly high; at a bare minimum, one had to be a Primordial Pill Realm Grandmaster who had comprehended ’intent’ to even begin practicing it.
To cultivate it to the Great Success stage, one had to enter the Divine Platform Realm and perceive the heavens and earth, only then could they understand the true depths of Hell and grasp just how much power was required to pierce the Ninefold Hell.
If Chen Yuan hadn’t comprehended the existence of ’intent’ during the trial in the Myriad Phenomena Ninefold Tower, he would have been unable to cultivate this supreme Secret Technique even after obtaining it.
After stowing away the Red Lotus Sin-Slaying Saber and the Mulan Continuous Jail-Piercing Arrow, Chen Yuan tossed the Innate Qi Dao Body to Huangfu Yi.
"This is the Cultivation Technique I promised you."
Huangfu Yi froze, finding it hard to believe that Chen Yuan had just given him the Cultivation Technique so easily.
Seeing Huangfu Yi standing there dumbstruck, Chen Yuan said with a faint smile, "What? You don’t want it?"
"I do! Of course I do!"
Huangfu Yi quickly scrambled up, grabbed the Spiritual Jade, and began to read its contents.
When he confirmed that it was indeed the Innate Qi Dao Body, Huangfu Yi breathed a long sigh of relief, his heart pounding with excitement.
Looking at Chen Yuan, Huangfu Yi said in a low voice, "Thank you, Brother... Chen."
Chen Yuan waved his hand. "No need for formalities. You’ve earned this."
"But I am curious. You’re from a great Noble Family, and you’re considered one of the most outstanding figures of the Huangfu Family’s younger generation. So why do you have this kind of personality?"
Chen Yuan had met Martial Artists from the great Noble Families who were domineering, arrogant, and conceited. He had also met the gentle and refined type, like Cui Xuanye.
But he had rarely encountered a personality as timid and hesitant as Huangfu Yi’s, which completely lacked the bearing of someone from a great Noble Family.
When Huangfu Yi fell silent, Chen Yuan shook his head. "I was just curious. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to."
Huangfu Yi toyed with the Divine Mask in his hands and said suddenly, "To be honest, I don’t know either. But I think... it’s because I’m afraid."
"Afraid?"
"When they’re young, disciples of the Huangfu Family have to condense a Divine Mask of their own. But the Divine Mask in my hand isn’t the first one I condensed, and its ’Divine Revelation’ isn’t my first either.
The first Divine Mask I condensed contained something utterly terrifying. After I put it on, I fell into a coma for three whole years. I’d occasionally regain consciousness during that time, but I would immediately convulse and pass out again.
Later, my father sought help from Lu Jingxiu, the ’Guang Ning Master’ and Observatory Master of the Yellow Court Temple. He completely sealed away that period of my memory, which is the only reason I was able to wake up.
However, Daoist Master Lu Jingxiu could only seal the memory; he couldn’t see what it actually contained.
So I suspect my personality is a result of that fear. I don’t know what I’m afraid of, but there must be something hidden within that Divine Mask that is an existence of ultimate terror to me."
Chen Yuan was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected Huangfu Yi to have such a history.
Most Martial Artists from Noble Families were surely pampered and lived lives of luxury as children.
But Huangfu Yi had been haunted by a profound terror for a long time, to the point where his memories had to be sealed just so he could live and grow up normally.
Although the memory was sealed, some subconscious instincts couldn’t be changed, which resulted in his current personality.
Chen Yuan’s gaze toward Huangfu Yi softened with a trace of sympathy. "The Yellow Court Temple is one of the Four Daoist Courts. If even Lu Jingxiu couldn’t solve your problem, it must be quite serious indeed."
Huangfu Yi gave a bitter smile. "I’m used to it. Sometimes I wish I could be more decisive, but as soon as I start thinking, I begin to weigh every gain and loss, becoming paralyzed with indecision.
But it’s not all bad. As long as I wear the Divine Mask, its power naturally affects my state of mind and helps me forget certain things.
That’s why other Martial Artists of the Huangfu Family only wear their Divine Masks when their lives are on the line, whereas I put mine on anytime I fight."
Although Huangfu Yi was only in his twenties, because of this, he had spent more time wearing the Divine Mask than even some Grandmasters of the Huangfu Family. His affinity with it was also higher, so it could be considered a blessing in disguise.
"I’ve given you the Cultivation Technique, and now I’m preparing to leave.
This place is desolate and uninhabited, perfect for hiding and recuperating. I suggest you recover your Qi Blood before you leave.
Xu Wenzhou is trapped deep within the Myriad Phenomena Ninefold Tower, and I don’t know if he’s dead or alive.
But it’s best to be careful. You don’t want to run into him."
Huangfu Yi nodded. "Brother Chen, travel safely."
Before, it had been awkward for Huangfu Yi to call him Brother Chen, but now it came out much more smoothly.
Because of his personality, he didn’t really have any friends within the Huangfu Family.
The young Martial Artists of his generation felt he was timid and lacked backbone, yet he was also the one most compatible with the Divine Mask, so they were quite jealous and resentful of him.
It was the same when he was out in the world. Despite traveling the Jianghu for several years, he could barely hold a conversation with anyone, so how could he possibly make friends?
As for Chen Yuan, even though they had teamed up, he wasn’t sure if they could be considered friends.
He only knew that working with Chen Yuan was easy. All he had to do was follow Chen Yuan’s instructions and fight with all his might, and afterward, Chen Yuan wouldn’t cheat him.
Of course, that last part was the most important thing.
In his years of traveling, Huangfu Yi had been cheated more than a few times because of his personality.
"You be careful, too."
Chen Yuan cupped his hands and departed without another word.
Once he was a good distance away, Chen Yuan changed his clothes, removed his mask, and resumed his identity as ’Chen Jiutian’.
’Anyway, it was ’Chen Yuan’ of the Great Brightness Sect who killed them. What’s that got to do with Chen Jiutian?’
The rest of his journey was exceptionally smooth. Chen Yuan swaggered openly across Qing Province and returned to the Ning Province Martial Hall.
Along the way, Chen Yuan heard some rumors from the Jianghu.
The deaths of Shangguan Jue and Shangguan Yun had caused quite a stir. The Shangguan Family was furious, but there was nothing they could do about it.
The Great Brightness Sect operated in the shadows. Who could they possibly seek revenge against?
Xu Wenzhou, on the other hand, was incredibly lucky to be alive. He had fought his way up from the very bottom floor and escaped, somehow avoiding being torn apart by the Array’s turbulent energies.
However, he was said to be severely injured and half-crippled, and might not even be able to maintain his Primordial Pill Realm Cultivation.
After this battle, the Hidden Dragon Rankings were updated accordingly.
The name ’Chen Yuan’ shot up from thirty-fifth place on the Hidden Dragon Rankings to fifteenth.
There were many instances of those in the Sea of Reincarnation Realm killing experts in the Condensing Truth Realm, but a battle record of someone in the Condensing Truth Realm slaying a Primordial Pill Realm master was truly rare.
Although Xu Wenzhou claimed that Chen Yuan must have used some underhanded means to kill Shangguan Jue, the feat itself was undeniable.
Thus, Chen Yuan became the fastest-rising young prodigy on the Hidden Dragon Rankings in recent times.
Coupled with his identity as a member of the Great Brightness Sect, his notoriety completely overshadowed the name ’Chen Jiutian’ for a time.
This suited Chen Yuan’s intentions perfectly, as the ’Chen Jiutian’ persona needed to keep a low profile.
However, Xu Wenzhou never mentioned that he had been held back by Huangfu Yi.
He probably found it too humiliating that he had been stopped by a mere Sea of Reincarnation Realm Martial Artist.
As a result, Huangfu Yi’s position on the Hidden Dragon Rankings didn’t rise, and his role in the Myriad Phenomena Ninefold Tower was reduced to that of an insignificant bystander.
「Meanwhile, at the Nine Swords Alliance on Qifeng Mountain」
Zuo Tianyuan stared expressionlessly at the message that had arrived from Ping Province.
Several of the Nine Swords Alliance’s Stewards and Honored Guest Elders watched Zuo Tianyuan, wanting to say something but not knowing how to begin.
They knew, of course, how highly Zuo Tianyuan regarded Zuo Feiyu.
Zuo Feiyu himself had been exceptionally brilliant. He was resourceful and cunning despite his youth, and his methods were shrewd. In fact, a few of the men present had been personally recruited into the Nine Swords Alliance by him.
The Nine Swords Alliance had been thriving, but now its heir was suddenly dead, and it felt as if someone had suddenly broken the Alliance’s spine.
A bearded elder said furiously, "That Chen Jiutian is despicable and shameless! He didn’t dare kill the men from the Shangguan Family, so he went after Feiyu instead!"
Although Zuo Tianyuan’s face remained impassive, the veins on the hand gripping the letter were bulging, and its corners had been crushed to pieces.
Closing his eyes, Zuo Tianyuan let out a long breath. "He killed men from the Blazing Sect. You think he’d be afraid of the Shangguan Family? The only reason they escaped is because they had a Divine Artifact Incarnation.
This man’s strength is astonishing, his audacity is boundless, and he strikes with ruthless decisiveness, leaving no quarter. It was no injustice for Feiyu to have died at his hands.
I am to blame. When I learned Zhenwu Hall was sending this Chen Jiutian to the furnace-opening assembly, I should have ordered Feiyu to return.
Strength... that has always been Feiyu’s greatest weakness."
"Alliance Leader, we can’t let this go! We watched Feiyu grow up. This debt must be paid! Just give the word, and we’ll immediately gather our men to kill that Chen Jiutian!"
The bearded elder was beside himself with rage.
He was one of the Nine Swords Alliance’s old guard and had looked upon Zuo Feiyu as his own nephew.
With Zuo Feiyu dead, his anger was no less than Zuo Tianyuan’s.
"Kill him? And with what?"
Zuo Tianyuan gave a self-deprecating laugh. "That Chen Jiutian made a name for himself in Danyang Prefecture, ranking in the top thirty of the Hidden Dragon Rankings. Zhenwu Hall hasn’t produced a prodigy like that in many years.
Our Nine Swords Alliance survives in the cracks left by Zhenwu Hall. Believe me, if we were to gather our forces and march into the heart of Ning Province, we’d be intercepted by Zhenwu Hall before we even laid eyes on Chen Jiutian.
As for a sneak attack or assassination—whether we succeed or fail, the Nine Swords Alliance will be destroyed.
A prodigy ranked in the top thirty of the Hidden Dragon Rankings assassinated by our Nine Swords Alliance? Even if Chao Hongtu is lazy and complacent, he would still unleash the Divine King’s Array-Breaking Technique and smash our Nine Swords Alliance to smithereens!"
Zuo Tianyuan took a deep breath, looked at the men around him, and said in a heavy voice, "My son is dead. My most brilliant son is dead. I want to kill that Chen Jiutian more than anyone else!
But now is not the time for killing. I will not destroy the foundation of the Nine Swords Alliance for the sake of revenge.
None of you will act on impulse. You will all wait with me. Wait for an opportunity. Wait for a chance to take our revenge!"
Everyone present looked at Zuo Tianyuan with a trace of admiration.
’Alliance Leader Zuo truly is a man meant for great things,’ they thought. ’He never lets his emotions show and is never blinded by rage.’
Zuo Tianyuan waved his hand, dismissing them. He only instructed them to use their intelligence network to covertly monitor Chen Jiutian’s movements and to report immediately if he was discovered leaving Ning Province.
After everyone had left, Zuo Tianyuan stood up, his face dark and twisted, looking as if he were about to devour someone whole.
At some point, two deep footprints had been ground into the bluestone tiles beneath his feet.