Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 114: Convergence of Ten Thousand Tributaries

"What? Cheng Jiang, is what he said true? I demonstrated the skill to you out of kindness, and you secretly picked up my Frost Threaded Hands?"

"Dammit, no wonder I wasn't able to find you for a long time after the banquet started. Confess, when did you sneak into my study?"

"Cheng Jiang, we are fellow apothecaries. If you wish to learn my forging technique, you could have asked me sincerely for it and I might have taught it to you. Yet you chose to entice my apprentice with benefits to obtain my Hundred Intertwining Method. Aren't you being too underhanded!"

……

…

A pill forging technique was similar to a fighter's battle techniques. Most of them were exclusive to a certain clan or sect and mustn't be taught to outsiders lightly.

This Cheng Jiang actually secretly learned the forging techniques of other apothecaries without their permission, even resorting to stealing to obtain them. Upon hearing Zhang Xuan's words, the entire room burst into outrage.

Everyone here was a member of the Apothecary Guild and they often exchanged knowledge on the art of pill forging. If he was truly interested in learning their pill forging method, he could indicate his interest, conduct a ceremony to acknowledge the other party as his mentor, and learn their skills. Then their relationship could be annulled and they would still be friends!

However, secretly learning in this manner was akin to a fighter stealing the battle techniques of other experts. It was a huge taboo that one should never commit.

"Everyone, don't listen to his nonsense…"

Sensing the heated atmosphere, anger and fear flashed across Cheng Jiang's face as he hurriedly tried to absolve himself from the accusations.

"I'm spouting nonsense?"

Zhang Xuan walked forward. The corners of his lips crept upwards. "Just now, to forge Juxi Pill, Apothecary Cheng took a total of 23 medicinal herbs. I shouldn't be mistaken on this aspect!"

"You're right!"

All certified apothecaries were aware of the medicinal herbs required to forge Juxi Pill. This wasn't a secret, thus there was no need to deny it.

"When you mixed White Lotus Grass, Wisteria Root, and Golden River Flower together, your pinky was angled backward whereas the tip was bent forward, as though picking a flower. If I'm not wrong, this method is referenced from Apothecary Bai Ming's 【Illusory Silk Hands】!"

"Afterwards, when you extracted the Green Sun Essence, your five fingers opened wide with which you gently stroked the herb, as though extracting frigid air from ice, not daring to exert too much strength. This should be referenced from Apothecary Lin Mu's 【Frost Threaded Hands】!"

"Then, when you added Purple Osmund Grass and White Mane Flower in, to prevent the properties of the two from clashing with one another, you specially circled them twice around the cauldron before throwing them in. Through doing so, not only would the medicinal properties of both be better utilized, they would only lose their violent nature. As such, their properties would not clash with one another. Apothecary Jin Chen's 【Golden Spring Fleeting Cloud Dexterity】 seems identical to this move of yours!"

……

…

"After that, when the pill was forged, in order to prevent it from coming into contact with the searing cauldron, you used zhenqi to produce a unique air net with your hands. Even though your movements are inconspicuous, if someone watches closely, they are still recognizable. Apothecary Du Man, isn't that similar to your 【Hundred Intertwining Method】?"

Zhang Xuan didn't allow the other party to refute his words at all, dumping it all out en masse. At this point, he paused for a moment as he smiled brightly. "If… Apothecary Cheng thinks what that I just said is nonsense and that I made it all up, the Record Crystal has been recording the entire procedure and we can look through it anytime. Everyone can bear testimony to whether the words I've been saying are nonsense!"

"You…"

Cheng Jiang face paled and his entire body trembled uncontrollably.

He knew that what the other party said was completely true!

Apothecaries had their own schools and inheritances. In order to improve swiftly, he went around stealing other people's techniques. He thought that he had done it very secretly… How did this fellow know?

Furthermore, down to the very details?

In an instant, he felt like he was standing nude before everyone else. A deep feeling of fear rose from the depths of his heart.

"What? Do you still think I'm spouting nonsense?" Ignoring the other party whose face had paled to the extreme at this moment, Zhang Xuan stepped forward. "If you think there's any mistake in what I've said… is this forging technique that you 'self-created' through merging everyone's forging techniques called 【Convergence of Ten Thousand Tributaries】?"

"You're a demon…"

Apothecary Cheng Jiang staggered and fell to the floor.

The name he had come up with for this forging technique was indeed 【Convergence of Ten Thousand Tributaries】!

It was a name he had come up with a few days ago and he had yet to tell anyone about it. In fact, not even his apprentices knew of it, so why… does the other party know the name?

To be able to see through everything down to the very details such that him stealing the other people's forging technique was unable to escape his eyes…. Was this fellow a demon?

'How can this be…'

Apothecary Cheng Jiang was terrified.

"Convergence of Ten Thousand Tributaries—you utilized all of the different techniques to forge that river of yours. How arrogant! It sure is an incredible forging technique!"

"To steal our forging techniques, integrate them together as one and claim that you have created a new forging technique. Cheng Jiang, you sure are capable!"

"To think that I've regarded you as my brother and my best buddy, yet you chose to do this to me. Fine!"

"From now on, our relationship is severed!"

……

…

Upon seeing the expression on Cheng Jiang's face and recalling the movements he made while forging the pill recently, they would truly be fools if they were still unable to understand the situation.

The faces of the apothecaries here turned red in fury. Their wrathful eyes fixated on Cheng Jiang.

They weren't exceptionally skilled apothecaries and their forging techniques were not really secrets that must not be leaked to the outside. But… this fellow, if he had expressed his desire to learn their techniques, getting rejected wasn't really a big deal. However, his actions of learning their techniques behind their back was definitely something an apothecary should never do!

Not only that, he had even arrogantly bragged that he had created a new technique by himself. Created, your head! You simply took all of our techniques to form a hodgepodge. You call that creating a new technique?

If that's so, everyone would be creating new techniques every day!

Not to mention, naming it Convergence of Ten Thousand Tributaries…

How can anyone be that shameless!

At this point, they no longer viewed Cheng Jiang as their equal. Disgust was the only thing that could be seen on their faces.

"Please calm down!"

Upon seeing the indignation of the crowd, Zhang Xuan smiled. He interjected into their commotion and turned to look at Cheng Jiang, who was still in a state of disbelief. "Apothecary Cheng Jiang… is this considered my victory?"

"You—you…"

Seeing his smile, Apothecary Cheng Jiang shuddered. "You win…. I admit defeat!"

He has no choice but to admit defeat. The other party's ability to discern had already reached the level of demons. He feared that if he continued competing with him, more of his secrets would be revealed. As such, he could only hurriedly nod his head.

At this moment, he regretted his action of intentionally making things difficult for the other party. Even though the other party had pointed out the flaws in Meng Yan and Chen Xiao's pill forging, he had clearly spared their dignity. Yet he sent a slap directly at his face, exposing his darkest secret in public….

It was foreseeable that once news of these matters spread, he would lose his standing within Tianxuan Kingdom's Apothecary Guild. He would be shunned and viewed with contempt by all.

All credibility and reputation he had built up throughout the years would be completely destroyed and others would just think of him as a fraud and villain.

Upon his surrender, Zhang Xuan smiled.

Initially, he didn't have any serious conflict with any of them so he couldn't be bothered with the other party's personality flaws. Yet, this fellow tried to take advantage of the situation to force him into a corner! noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

'You want to humiliate me? Try it then!

'As a transcender with a golden ring, how can I allow myself to be humiliated by you like this?

'Since you decided to charge straight at me, don't blame me for not going easy on you. It just happens that I can use you to warn the others that I, Zhang Xuan… am not an easy target!'

"Apothecary Cheng has admitted defeat!"

Zhang Xuan surveyed the surroundings. "Anyone else?"

In that instant, the room fell utterly silent.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 113: Forging Technique

Telling the references from a complete pill forging technique—using an analogy—was like creating a solution of water from numerous wells and demanding for another to identify the origin of the water. It was an impossible task!

Unless one witnessed him creating the pill forging technique step by step, it would be impossible to identify three references. The difficulty of the task Cheng Jiang proposed, compared to simply finding the flaws in a pill forging technique, was at least five times harder!

Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed.

As expected of the apothecaries, they weren't as easy to deal with as he expected.

This fellow might be a bundle of smiles and look magnanimous. However, he was truly the most shameless of the group.

Even if Zhang Xuan agreed… identifying the references in a pill forging technique was basically an impossible task! Given how Zhang Xuan raised the difficulty earlier, the privilege should be extended to the other party as well. If he disagreed with it, other people might criticize him because of that in the future, thus leaving a stain on his reputation.

"Why? I know that this is a difficult matter to ask, and it is normal that you will reject me. However… if you reject my offer, can I consider it your loss?" Cheng Jiang grinned widely.

"Loss?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "It just happens that I would like to see Apothecary Cheng's new forging technique. Let's begin!"

This method of his would normally be effective against other people, making them fly into a panic. However, it was ineffective against Zhang Xuan.

The reason why Zhang Xuan could identify flaws in the pill forging techniques of others wasn't because of his discernment ability. Rather, it was because he possessed the Library of Heaven's Path. As long as the library remained with him, regardless of whatever forging technique—whether it was just created or yet to be created—they would all be clearly displayed in the form of a book. This was no problem for him at all.

"Alright!" Seeing him agree to it, a gleam flashed across Apothecary Cheng Jiang's eyes. The corners of his lips crept upwards as he gathered the necessary medicinal herbs and headed to the cauldron.

Hualala!

The medicinal herbs flew in the air. His every action was fluid and elegant. Looking it from afar, there was a unique sense of aesthetics to it.

"It is indeed a new forging technique. I have never seen it before!"

"If I'm not mistaken, he is forging Juxi Pill!"

"Yes. Juxi Pill is useful to people of cultivation realms below Fighter 7-dan. It is exceptionally useful for those in the Juxi realm. It isn't a valuable pill in comparison to the others, but it is one of the most useful ones to the fighters. Usually, this is the pill apprentice apothecaries will practice for the Pill Forging examination. As such, most apothecaries are extremely familiar with the method to forging it. This is also the reason why Apothecary Cheng Jiang is able to better showcase the uniqueness of his forging technique. Furthermore, his motions are more fluid, making it difficult for others to discern the references!"

"In any case, I am unable to tell the pill forging techniques he referenced from…"

"Me neither…"

……

…

The apothecaries watched Cheng Jiang for a moment before shaking their heads.

"Apothecary Cheng sure is vicious!"

Standing by the side, Ouyang Cheng shook his head. "Given his standard as a 1-star apothecary, he is able to forge the most basic Juxi Pill easily with fluid motions, making it difficult for others to discern the forging method easily. Furthermore, given the short time required to forge it, you couldn't analyze it even if you wanted to. Looks like Zhang Xuan will probably fail here…"

Apothecary Cheng Jiang could forge more difficult grade-1 pills, but it would be troublesome for him. He couldn't forge them as easily as he could the Juxi Pill. This was just like how Yang Guo could wield the Heavy Iron Sword, but he was unable to control it as freely as he wished.

On the other hand, if he forged the most basic Juxi Pill, it was like Yang Guo wielding an ordinary sword instead—effortless.

This Apothecary Cheng Jiang may have had a wide smile on his face, but he was actually the most scheming of them all. Not only were his movements fast in forging Juxi Pill, the time required to forge it was also short. A normal grade-1 pill would take at least half an hour to forge. On the other hand, Juxi Pill could be forged in less than fifteen minutes.

Seeing three references in such a short period of time?

How was that possible?

It was clear that he is intent intended to do in Zhang Xuan!

"Is he… going to fail?"

Upon hearing Ouyang Cheng's judgement, Wen Xue clenches her fists tightly.

"It should be difficult for him to pass this test…"

Ouyang Cheng sighed.

"Interesting!"

Initially, he didn't bear any ill intent for this Cheng Jiang. However, he didn't expect this fellow to be so despicable and use such low-handed methods. Zhang Xuan's gaze turned icy.

As a cultured, knowledgeable, ambitious, and worldly transcender, how could he allow others to bully him without trying to retaliate?

Hu!

Finally, the Juxi Pill was successfully forged. A total of seven or eight pills rolled out from the cauldron.

"I am done forging. Zhang Xuan, please!"

Apothecary Cheng Jiang looked at him and chuckled with confidence.

It was true that his forging technique had more than three references to other forging techniques. However, his movements just now were extremely fast and fluid. It was almost an impossible task for the other party to see through any of them!

Besides… even if the other party was right, he could deny it!

There are so many forging techniques, and naturally, given how no one here could see through the references behind his forging technique, it was up to him to say whatever he wanted!

[For a brat who came from some remote corner to use me as a stepping stone to achieve victory in the Pill Debate…. Dream on!]

"If I can point out three references in your forging technique, will you admit defeat?"

Zhang Xuan looked at him with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Of course. I am an official apothecary. Given my standing, there is no reason I would go back on my words just to deal with an apprentice apothecary!" Apothecary Cheng Jiang flung his sleeves haughtily. Arrogance exuded from his tone.

"Great. Since you have put it like that, then this matter is simple!"

Zhang Xuan nodded his head and walked forward. He circled around the cauldron once before lowering his head to look at the Juxi Pill in his hand.

He pinched one and held it up, placed it before his nose, and took a whiff of its scent.

"This Juxi Pill has vibrant colors and a radiant outer appearance. Going by conventional standards, it should have already reached Perfection!" Zhang Xuan complimented. However, his tone abruptly changed. "However…"

"Due to the limitations of Apothecary Cheng's forging technique, Perfection is already the limit. It is impossible for him to forge an Inscribed Pill!"

"It is just a Juxi Pill, what's the use of forging an Inscribed Pill?" Apothecary Cheng Jiang scoffed.

This Juxi Pill was the most basic pill an apothecary could forge. It increased the rate at which a fighter could gather spiritual energy from the surroundings. It was a waste of an Inscribed Pill to occur in this kind of fundamental pill!

"That's true!"

Zhang Xuan nodded his head, reluctant to tug with him on this matter. Instead, he smiled and continued, "The question I should answer is with regards to your forging technique. There is no point debating this topic. Alright, since it's a request on your part, I will answer your question. Putting aside the forging techniques you have referenced previously, let's first talk about how many forging techniques you know. With this, it should be easier to conclude which are the few forging techniques you referenced from!

"Three years ago, Apothecary Cheng Jiang used 【Rain of Ten Thousand Streams】 to forge a grade-1 【Vitality Rejuvenation Pill】 to pass the apothecary examinations. In the same year, you learned 【Convergence of the North River】 and successfully forged 【Soul Soothing Pill】.

"The spring of the second year, during Apothecary Bai Ming's birthday celebration, you sneaked into his study and coped his 【Illusory Silk Hands】 with which you forged 【Body Nourishment Pill】. From then on, your reputation spread far and wide!

"That winter, when you asked Apothecary Lin Mu to demonstrate his 【Frost Threaded Hands】, you secretly took it for yourself!

"In the summer last year, you spent 50,000 gold coins to bribe Apothecary Jin Chen's butler to duplicate a copy of 【Golden Spring Fleeting Cloud Dexterity】!

……

…

"In the third month of last year, you enticed Du Man's apothecary apprentice Zhu Huahua and obtained Apothecary Du's personal forging technique 【Hundred Intertwining Method】...

……

…

"Now, if I added them up, Rain of Ten Thousand Streams, Convergence of the North River… Summing together all of these forging techniques, there are a total of twelve of them!"

Zhang Xuan counted slowly as though counting his own precious treasures. After that, he turned around to look at the apothecary whose face had paled at some point. "Apothecary Cheng Jiang, are there any mistakes with what I said?"

"You—you…"

Cheng Jiang stumbled backward. His eyes narrowed, as though he had seen a freak.

Yang Guo is a character from Return of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong.

In the novel, after his hand was chopped off by Guo Fu, he was saved by a condor and chances upon the grave of a great swordsman, Dugu Qiubai. There are four swords there, one of them being the Heavy Iron Sword. The sword is known for being extremely heavy and difficult to utilize in battle. Yang Guo took a long time before he managed to gain control of it.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 112: Cheng Jiang

"Could it be that… I am really going to die?"

Apothecary Chen Xiao's mouth quivered and his entire body shivered slightly.

The first time Zhang Xuan said these words, he thought that the other party was cursing him, so he didn't pay it any heed. However, upon seeing the Pill Sample Beast die upon consuming the pills he forged, he was rattled. Even more so, he felt fear.

"This…"

Seeing him in such a state, everyone felt bad for him. They wanted to console him, but they couldn't find the right words to say.

If he weren't on the verge of death, how could a Pill Sample Beast die just like that from eating the pill he forged? It was clear that what the other party said was true!

"I have explained what I should. Who wants to challenge me next!"

Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings.

"No… Brother Zhang Xuan, don't be in such a hurry!" Apothecary Chen Xiao couldn't hold it in any longer and looked to him in panic.

Instead of addressing him as a "lad," he addressed him as "brother" now.

"Why? Is Apothecary Chen Xiao unable to accept the results and would like to experiment once more?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

"No, I… want to learn: how will I die? If you can tell me the truth, I am willing to have my body smashed to smithereens to repay this favor to you!" Apothecary Chen Xiao pleaded.

There weren't any problems with his body. Even if his appetite dwindled and his quality of sleep decreased, it shouldn't cause his death!

As the person in question, how could he know nothing when he was already on the verge of death?

"I will tell you honestly then. Even though there were no mistakes in your skill and movements when you were forging the pill, your body is slightly stiff. It is clear that your vitality and strength aren't what they used to be. Most important of all, parts of your skin have started to turn gray, similar to the livor mortis that appears on corpses! If I'm not wrong, you have applied a special kind of medicine on your skin to conceal it from sight. In actuality, your entire body is already speckled with gray spots!"

Zhang Xuan looked over with piercing eyes.

Looking as though he had been struck by lightning, Apothecary Chen Xiao's eyes narrowed as he retreated backward in fear.

Just like what the other party said, there were spots on his body. He thought that it was a kind of rare disease and he intended to find time to seek out Master Yuanyu and have him take a look. After all, it didn't hurt or itch, so he didn't pay much attention to it. To think that it would be livor mortis!

"Sir, please save me!"

Suppressing his gasps of shock and fear, Apothecary Chen Xiao no longer held any doubt for the other party's words. He clasped his hands together and pleaded.

His address also changed from "brother" to "sir."

Regardless of who it was and how long he has lived, no one wished to die, especially when death appeared before them.

Everyone would seek any means to live on!

"Have you obtained some treasure recently? If I'm not wrong, you probably took it from a corpse. I shall not explain any further. If you wish to live longer, it is best that you not touch it anymore!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. "I will end my advice here. Good luck!"

"You—you…"

Hearing his words, Apothecary Chen Xiao froze once more.

What the other party said was true. He had obtained a cauldron recently and it was much better than the one he had been using. He had been treating it as a precious treasure, stroking it daily. If he could, he would even sleep beside it every day.

This cauldron was taken from the hands of a corpse, one that had departed not too long ago.

This person gave him the cauldron in hopes that he would take revenge for him. However, his enemy was way too powerful, so he only agreed to do so casually back then. He did not intend to exact vengeance in his stead.

After which, the person died and he no longer bothered about the matter. Could he mean… this cauldron?

He obtained his cauldron clandestinely, not even his family members knew of it. He... How did he know of it?

Apothecary Chen Xiao took a good look at the young man before him once more. This time, agitation could be seen on his face, as though staring at a specter.

"Alright, who's the next one?"

Ignoring the elder, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the other eight remaining examiners.

Actually, Chen Xiao was inflicted with not an illness but a curse.

He agreed to seek vengeance in another's stead, and in exchange, the other party gave him his most precious treasure. However, he went against his words and the other party predicted that he would do so. As such, he imprinted the curse on the cauldron. If he got close to it, his life would be gnawed away. Even though it wouldn't cause any illness or side effects, his lifespan would reduce tremendously.

Unless he made up his mind to exact vengeance for the other party!

Of course, Zhang Xuan wouldn't say these words out loud.

Putting aside the fact that he had barely met Apothecary Chen Xiao and wasn't indebted to him, more importantly, the other party was an ungrateful person. He made promises but didn't fulfill them. Zhang Xuan despised these kinds of people.

After consecutively getting two apothecaries to admit defeat, none of the other examiners volunteered to take him on. No matter how foolish the other eight were, it was clear at this point that Zhang Xuan was someone with true ability. For a long time, the entire hall was silent and no one dared to step forward. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

"If none of you wish to continue the Pill Debate, please admit defeat and declare me the victor!"

Zhang Xuan smiled.

"Tranquil Heart Pill requires your heart to be calm to forge. Under usual circumstances, you need to adjust your state of mind for three days through consuming vegetarian meals and cleansing yourself with water. Given how they had to forge the pill out of a sudden without making the necessary adjustments in their state of mind, it is natural that the pills they forged would be affected by their emotions. As long as we avoid forging such pills, he should be unable to point out any flaws!"

"Indeed! Only the forging of Tranquil Heart Pill is affected by your emotions and state of mind. The effects of such for other pills are minimal so it will do as long as we do not forge Tranquil Heart Pills!"

Muttering broke out among the crowd and soon a voice rang out.

"I will face him!"

An apothecary stood up.

It was a middle-aged man about the same age as Du Man. He had a square-shaped face and his eyes shone with determination and calm.

"It's Apothecary Cheng Jiang!"

"He is the apothecary who possesses the greatest potential among us all. Just within three years of becoming an apothecary, he was already able to forge more than a dozen kinds of pills. With sufficient time, there is a high possibility of him surpassing Guild Leader Ouyang!"

"Nothing will go wrong since he's the one making the move!"

……

…

The eyes of the crowd lit up.

Initially, everyone was resolute to pulling this Zhang Xuan lad off his high horse. Yet two apothecaries, Meng Yan and Chen Xiao, who challenged him had fallen to him. This struck a blow at their confidence and they urgently needed someone to boost their morale.

"Zhang Xuan, you were able to notice the slightest details in the previous two clashes, to the point of even discerning an apothecary's vitality, emotional state, and mental state. I am impressed!"

Walking out, Apothecary Cheng Jiang nodded his head in approval with a smile.

"I am unworthy of your praise!" Zhang Xuan replied.

"You were even able to discern the killing intent from Apothecary Meng Yan. If I were to forge a Tranquil Heart Pill, my flaws would surely be unable to escape from your notice. Thus, if I may propose presumptuously, I would like to increase the difficulty of the challenge. I wonder if you're brave enough to accept!" Apothecary Cheng Jiang said.

"I am willing to listen to the details!"

Upon hearing that the other party wanted to increase the difficulty of the challenge, Zhang Xuan looked interested.

"I have just created a new pill forging technique and come up with a name for it a few days ago. I have not displayed it to anyone before. If I gave this problem to you, even if you are learned in all methods that have existed since immemorial times, you will surely find it hard to answer!" Apothecary Cheng Jiang said. "Thus, I contemplated and decided against having you give the name of my technique. As long as you can name three pill forging techniques I referenced from, I am willing to admit defeat!"

"Creating a new pill forging technique? Incredible!"

Pill forging techniques were similar to the battle techniques of a fighter. Those who could create one of their own were definitely talented individuals, people who left their mark on history.

As long as they did not burn out before their time was up, it was just a matter of time before they made a name for themselves.

Upon hearing his words, the other apothecaries looked at him, full of admiration.

"Apothecary Cheng sure is remarkable. This question is truly difficult!"

"Indeed. Since it is a brand new pill forging technique, it is bound to be different from the originals. Compared to pointing out the flaws in pill forging techniques, to identify the references in a newly-created pill forging technique, three at that, the difficulty is much greater!"

"This time, Zhang Xuan will most probably be defeated!"

"Of course, this is such a difficult question. Even a 3-star apothecary would be stumped by it, much less an apprentice apothecary!"

The crowd couldn't help but lament Zhang Xuan's predicament.

In some Chinese religions and culture, eating meat can be considered to be a sin due to the bloodshed resulted in its production. Sometimes it's associated with state of mind—those who consume meat tend to be more short-tempered whereas those who consume vegetarian meals tend to be calmer.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 111: Death Aura

Pu!

He thought that the other party would speak of some theory to convince him of it. Hearing his words, however, Apothecary Chen Xiao almost puked blood.

[Just because I’m not eating or sleeping well, you say that I’m going to die? You’re the one who is going to die, your family is the one who is going to die...]

Not just him, the other examiners also glared at him furiously.

Apothecary Chen Xiao was an esteemed figure in the circle of apothecaries and they had always respected him. Yet, this fellow dared to curse him straight to his face. [Do you dare to spout any more nonsense?]

"I have been an apothecary for many years. Even though I have been stuck at this level for very long, I have been working diligently and studying hard to improve myself! I might not be a talented genius, but I am well aware of my body's condition. The reason why I haven’t been sleeping well and eating well is because of the numerous miscellaneous affairs in my household I tend recently. There hasn't been anything off about my physical condition other than that. So, why do you say that I’m about to die?"

Apothecary Chen Xiao harrumphed.

Apothecaries often came into contact with medicinal pills and even though they were inferior to physicians in terms of diagnosing, they were still slightly learned in the aspect.

"You aren't wrong. There isn't anything wrong with your body!" Zhang Xuan calmly replied to the suspicions he rose.

"Nothing wrong? Then, what are you talking about?"

"How spiteful, how can you take these words as a joke!"

"This is a Pill Debate, not a session for you to curse Apothecary Chen Xiao!"

...

Upon hearing him admit that there was nothing wrong with Apothecary Chen Xiao's body, everyone started to bellow at him angrily.

If there was something wrong with his body, they could let this matter slip. However, since there was nothing wrong with his body, how could such nonsense be acceptable?

Feeling baffled, Ouyang Cheng and the others stared at him.

"Hehe!"

Zhang Xuan was completely nonchalant to the rebuke of the crowd. He simply smiled lightly and said, "Who says that one cannot die if there's nothing wrong with their body?"

"What do you mean?"

Upon seeing his calmness and confidence, Apothecary Chen Xiao felt goosebumps rising all over him. Just as he was about to continue questioning him, Zhang Xuan waved his hands and said, "Since you don't believe me, let's first take a look at the pill!"

At which, the eyes of the crowd fixated on the Tranquil Heart Pill Apothecary Chen Xiao had just forged.

"Apothecary Chen Xiao is a level-headed and calm person. He has reached a high level of mastery in his skills in forging pills and if I were to forcibly speak of a flaw of his, none of you will believe me. It would be troublesome to verify my claims as well!" Zhang Xuan smiled, "Since that's the case, I won't talk about the flaws in his forging method. I shall just talk about this pill here. Just like the one Apothecary Meng Yan forged, if this Tranquil Heart Pill is consumed by a cultivator, it would aggravate his anxiety and even cause his death!"

"What?"

"I have been examining Apothecary Chen Xiao's method in forging the pills closely and there isn't the slightest mistake in his actions. Furthermore, his pill has reached the level of Perfection, so how can it worsen one's anxiety?"

"This isn't a place for you to spout nonsense!"

No one believed Zhang Xuan's words at all.

The reason why there was a problem with the Tranquil Heart Pill that Meng Yan forged was because he killed his concubine, resulting in the killing intent in his body to billow such that even he was unable to curb it. On the other hand, Apothecary Chen Xiao had a calm nature, which was compatible with the state of mind one required to forge Tranquil Heart Pill. If so, how could it worsen one's anxiety?

[Even if you wish to spout nonsense, you should’ve had something better to say!]

"If you don't believe me, we can try it out! There are Pill Sample Beasts here!" Zhang Xuan pointed to the cage.

Other than the two that were exercising together, there were still other Pill Sample Beasts in the cage which were lying calmly by the side.

"Let's give it a try then!'

An apothecary who didn't believe his words casually picked up a Tranquil Heart Pill and placed it into the mouth of a Pill Sample Beast.

After consuming the Tranquil Heart Beast, the Pill Sample Beast didn't get agitated as the previous one did. It also didn't grab another one of its kind to exercise on it. Instead, it laid by a corner, not moving at all.

"How is it? A Tranquil Heart Pill can calm a person's mental state. The lack of movement in this Pill Sample Beast means that the pill is taking effect. What else do you have to say?"

The apothecary harrumphed.

The others also looked toward Zhang Xuan.

Previously, Zhang Xuan said that consuming this Heart Pill Beast would worsen one's anxiety. Now, it was clear that the pill was working as it should and there wasn't anything queer about it. They were curious to see how he would answer.

"Give it a moment!"

Zhang Xuan didn't say anything else and simply sat quietly on his chair.

After ten minutes, the Pill Sample Beast still didn't move at all. At this point, the apothecary who fed the Pill Sample Beast the pill couldn't hold it in any longer, "See, it hasn't moved at all. This clearly shows that the Tranquil Heart Pill is working as it should. Are you trying to waste our time by having us wait?"

"It's okay now!"

Zhang Xuan said.

"It's okay?"

The apothecary frowned, "What do you mean? It is clear that this Pill Sample Beast isn't anxious in the least given how it is still lying quietly by the corner. How do you want us to see?"

"The reason why it is lying quietly by the corner doesn't necessarily mean that the Tranquil Heart Pill has taken effect. It can also mean that... it is dead!"

Zhang Xuan said.

"Dead?"

The apothecary was taken aback. He immediately rushed forward, opened the cage and grabbed the Pill Sample Beast out. With a single glance, his eyes narrowed abruptly "This... This... How is this possible?"

The Pill Sample Beast in his hand had already breathed its last. Its body was already starting to turn cold.

How long had it been?

To turn cold within ten minutes, it meant that it had died a short moment after consuming the pill!

"It's really dead?"

"The Tranquil Heart Pill should only calm a person's spirits, so why would it kill a Pill Sample Beast?"

"A Pill Sample Beast's constitution is suited for testing pills, it is impossible for ordinary pills to kill it. What... is going on?"

...

A commotion broke out.

After eating a Tranquil Heart Pill... the Pill Sample Beast died?

If a cultivator were to consume it, wouldn't it mean his demise as well?

"This... This..."

Apothecary Chen Xiao's complexion darkened. He retreated several steps consecutively and disbelief could be seen in his eyes, "This is impossible... I followed the forging method strictly, there isn't the slightest error in it. Even if I fail to form a pill, it shouldn't turn into poison. Why was the Pill Sample Beast poisoned to death..."

It was a huge crime for an apothecary to poison someone to death through the pills he forged. He had never met with such an incident throughout his entire life, so why was all of these occurring now?

"Zhang Xuan, this... What’s going on?"

With a bewildered expression, Ouyang Cheng sought clarification.

At this point, everyone's gazes also focused on Zhang Xuan.

He was able to tell the problem in this Tranquil Heart Pill and he knew that the Pill Sample Beast would die. Who else was more appropriate to explain the situation other than him?

"I have already revealed the flaw in his forging method, so I should have already passed this test. Do I really have to explain it?"

Zhang Xuan didn't reply Ouyang Cheng. Instead, he turned to look at Apothecary Chen Xiao.

He was able to identify the problem in the pill and he successfully pointed it out. This bore testimony to his abilities and in this clash between him and Apothecary Chen Xiao, he could be considered to be the victor.

"If you explain the situation, I am willing to admit defeat!"

Apothecary Chen Xiao gritted his teeth.

Even if Zhang Xuan were to win in this clash, as long as Chen Xiao didn't admit defeat, he would be able to conduct a round of examination.

As the oldest one of the ten apothecaries, his surrender would cause the confidence of the others to waver. As such, this matter was of utmost importance.

"If that's the case, then allow me to speak more on the matter!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head, "There are no problems with the sequence and technique you forged the Tranquil Heart Pill with. In fact, you even infused your own tranquility into the pill. Rationally speaking, the pill should be of extremely high quality with high effectiveness. However, it’s a pity that... you are about to die. Your body is already filled with death aura and naturally, the pill you forge will come into contact with this aura as well. This is the reason why the Pill Sample Beast died upon consuming the pill you forged!"

True Martial World - Chapter 250: Battling Li Hong

The arena was buzzing with activity.

There were only a few matches happening in the arena today. Everyone who went on stage was strong. Besides Yi Yun and Li Hong's battle, there was also a battle between Chu Xiaoran and a veteran cultivator ranked within the top 2000.

"Oh? Yi Yun and Li Hong have not arrived yet?"

When the spectators arrived, they looked for traces of Yi Yun and Li Hong, but no matter how much they searched, they could not see them.

"Their battle is going to start just before noon, so there is no need for it to be the opening match. I guess they are still cultivating or meditating right now..."

The spectators were secretly alarmed when they heard this.

Every minute counted. Even Li Hong, who was ranked in the top 1000, took this battle with a rookie so seriously.

When the matches began, it started with a few rookies ranked around 5000-6000 challenging each other. Even Gu Mu, who was ranked fourth amongst the rookies, went on stage. However, there was a lack of interest in all these battles.

It was only when Chu Xiaoran went on stage that the audience roused themselves up.

Chu Xiaoran's opponent was a veteran cultivator who had spent four years in the Tai Ah Divine City. Chu Xiaoran did not hold anything back. She immediately summoned her Aspect Totem at the beginning of the battle and she used her frost ice concepts.

The battle was very intense, there were ice particles flying everywhere!

Finally, Chu Xiaoran managed to use the move 'Azure Blue Frost Sea, Ephemeral Beauty' to defeat her opponent. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

But after Chu Xiaoran defeated her opponent, she was extremely drained of her strength. It could be said that it was a tough victory.

Chu Xiaoran entered the top 2000 of the Earth roll!

People could see that it would be tough for Chu Xiaoran to win her next match.

She still had another match she could fight, but she would at best reach the 1900 mark. It was impossible for her to go any further.

Chu Xiaoran, who was considered to be similar to Yi Yun, had found her bottleneck at 1900, but Yi Yun had challenged Li Hong who was ranked around 1000. He was mad enough!

"Oh? Yi Yun! Yi Yun is here!" Someone in the crowd shouted.

People glanced over and they saw a teenager dressed in linen clothes entering the arena. He strolled directly to his seat and sat down. Then, he closed his eyes and started to regulate his breathing!

Many people were impressed that Yi Yun was still as calm and at complete leisure even when he had a big battle with a large stake coming up.

"Yi Yun..."

Seeing Yi Yun's calm appearance, Chu Xiaoran's brows moved slightly, "Could it be...that he was still holding back during his battle against me?"

Chu Xiaoran also paid a lot of attention on this match. She wanted to see what sort of strength Yi Yun, the number one rookie, had.

Time began to pass and Li Hong still did not appear. Only at noon, as the time for the match to begin approached, did Li Hong finally appear at the entrance of the arena with a long staff behind his back.

He strode into the arena with precise strides. His aura grew larger as he walked towards the stage.

After seeing Li Hong, many felt that Li Hong was different in some way.

Although many in the audience had not opened their Heaven's Eye, they could feel Li Hong's aura. He was like a towering mountain. Not only was it pressuring, it was also oppressive!

Li Hong walked straight up onto the Divine Wilderness Stage without a word. He did not even wait for the referee to call out his name.

"Yi Yun! Get up here!" Li Hong shouted loudly. His voice echoed like thunder throughout the entire arena.

The cultivators in the arena held their breaths. His aura was too strong! Just to face someone like this needed a lot of courage.

People could guess that because Li Hong appeared so late, he must have had some kind of breakthrough.

Many people started to worry for Yi Yun. Li Hong was originally very strong, but if he had taken Yi Yun lightly, Yi Yun might still have a small chance for victory.

But Li Hong had been cultivating through the night and he was apparently going to go all out.

If he really had another breakthrough, then everything would be different. This battle involved extremely high stakes. If they were in Yi Yun's position, they would be absolutely nervous.

Everyone's gaze landed on Yi Yun. At that moment, there was no need for the referee to announce it. Yi Yun and Li Hong's match was about to begin!

Yi Yun walked up onto the Divine Wilderness Stage. He unsheathed his Thousand Army Saber and then, he pointed the saber tip at the ground.

There was a hundred feet between the two of them.

Li Hong pulled out his long staff and held it parallel to the ground. The staff was six feet long and there were golden loops on the ends of the staff that were made of metal forged from Tai Cang essence. And on the golden loops, there were half-inch long spikes!

Do not assume that a metal staff's attack power was weaker than any other weapon. It depended on who was using the metal staff. In Li Hong's hands, he could cause serious injuries with a casual swing of the staff. If he were to forcefully smash it down, he could cause all the bones in a person to fracture!

"Yi Yun, I know you are very strong, and you even have hidden strength! But today, no matter what hidden cards you have, it will be useless against me!" As Li Hong said this, his fighting spirit flared up. A golden sheen covered Li Hong's body!

"I have experienced endless slaughters in the Divine Wilderness' desolate lands for an entire year. I have killed countless numbers of desolate beasts! A herb-picking kid like you has only picked a few herbs and you have never gone through big battles. You still think you can be my match? Today, I will let you know why I am ranked around the top 1000 of the Earth roll!"

With a shout, the golden sheen around Li Hong's body formed patches of small scales, which covered his entire body.

'Heaven Opening Technique' Someone in the audience cried out.

In the Tai Ah Divine City, besides the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique', which was no doubt the best cultivation technique, there were other top-grade cultivation techniques. Even though they were not quite as good as the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique', they were still very powerful.

This 'Heaven Opening Technique' was one of the top three cultivation techniques in the Tai Ah Divine City. By cultivating the 'Heaven Opening Technique', one would gain the 'Heaven Opening Real Qi'.

Many geniuses could not afford the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique', and they tried to cultivate the 'Heaven Opening Technique' instead but they could not condense the 'Heaven Opening Real Qi'.

This cultivation technique was also very difficult to cultivate.

"By using the 'Heaven Opening Real Qi' to protect his body, Li Hong's 'Heaven Opening Technique' has already reached the second stage."

The small scales on Li Hong's body surface were formed from the 'Heaven Opening Real Qi'. This was similar to Qiuniu's armor defense, but it had no weight and it allowed Li Hong to move freely.

With the long staff in hand, Li Hong suddenly constricted his pupils and burst forward!

"Phew–"

Li Hong moved like a gust of wind and appeared in front of Yi Yun nearly instantly. He swung the staff downwards heavily!

Due to his extreme speed, Li Hong's staff had turned into a line, it was as if it was a whip that swung at Yi Yun!

Minute Subtlety!

Yi Yun retreated backward and with a blur of his figure, a dozen after-images appeared. Li Hong smashed his staff towards Yi Yun's chest.

"Dang!"

One of Yi Yun's after-images was torn apart and the staff landed heavily on the stage. The purple tungsten tiles sunk in deeply from Li Hong's attack. At that moment, Yi Yun appeared behind Li Hong and sent the Thousand Army Saber slashing down!

With a change of expression, Li Hong did not dodge. The yellow scales on his back suddenly expanded and they formed a giant shield!

"Cha!"

Yi Yun's saber collided with Li Hong's shield. The blade quickly found itself unable to move an inch further when it struck the shield!

"Oh? This is!?"

Yi Yun was alarmed. There was nothing behind Li Hong, but in a hundredth of a blink of an eye, a huge shield had condensed out of thin air, blocking his attack.

Not only that, the shield was extremely dense and it had a strong squeezing force. It had even trapped the Thousand Army Saber. It made Yi Yun feel like he could not pull it out. It was similar to the feeling back when Qiuniu grabbed his saber!

"Die!"

Li Hong suddenly turned around and smashed his staff towards Yi Yun's waist. At that moment, the Thousand Army Saber was still lodged in the shield!

This staff attack was so powerful that a typical Purple Blood warrior would have been split in two!

"Saber Truth – Pressing Forward With Indomitable Will!"

Yi Yun's eyes flashed as he injected Yuan Qi into the Thousand Army Saber. With a whistling sound, the Thousand Army Saber dislodged itself from the shield as Yi Yun retreated hastily. At the same time, he bent his body backward and formed a bridge with his arced body. Li Hong's staff swung past Yi Yun's nose tip!

Yi Yun could still feel the pain of the staff breaking through his protective Yuan Qi.

"Sou!"

With a leap, Yi Yun's body flew upwards and retreated a hundred feet, pulling away from Li Hong.

Li Hong's back shield also slowly closed in on itself, turning into a small scale once again, covering Li Hong's body.

Li Hong grinned at Yi Yun, "You dodged pretty quickly!"

"This cultivation technique..." Yi Yun was very startled. There was actually Yuan Qi that could be used so freely. It could form a shield above any part of one's body to block an enemy's attack.

This is the "Heaven Opening Real Qi"?

Of course, as a cultivation technique that ranked among the top in the Tai Ah Divine City, it would not be weak. The 'Heaven Opening Technique' also had other miraculous uses. The top cultivation techniques in the Tai Ah Divine City were much stronger than family secret techniques like the 'Star Picking Hand'!

"Yi Yun...The attack just now could not even break through a fifth of my defense! Your saber may have pierced Qiuniu's armor, but my defense is on a completely different level from Qiuniu's. If you think you can break my defenses, that would be absurd thinking! I know you have even more powerful saber moves. Use it, or you will not have the chance."

Li Hong had an oppressive momentum.

The earth yellow real Qi on his body became more turbulent.

"This defense sure is ridiculous."

In the audience stands, the rookies held their breaths. Qiuniu's battle strategy was already very impressive to them. But compared to Li Hong, he was still far from him.

Qiuniu relied on his armor for defense, while Li Hong relied on a top cultivation technique. This defense method revealed the disparity in the levels.

Not only that, Li Hong was just a shy of breaking through to the Yuan Foundation realm. His Yuan Qi quantity was something Qiuniu could not compete with.

Without any question, Qiuniu would lose to Li Hong in an instant!

True Martial World - Chapter 249: Saber and Sword

"The Chu royal residence’s young prince, Yang Dingkun… This Chu royal residence should be the faction that was first in trying to draw me in..."

Yi Yun recalled Xu Qingyun of the Linxiao Association. He first met Xu Qingyun when a lobbyist of the Chu royal residence tried to draw him into their faction by promising him many benefits.

But amongst the conditions given to him by the Chu royal residence, there was a hidden soul contract. Once it was signed, he would have to serve the Chu royal residences for many years.

It was then Xu Qingyun who stopped the lobbyist.

Although Yi Yun would most likely not have signed that unfair contract, even without Xu Qingyun's interference, it was still something that was nauseating.

Yi Yun did not have a good impression of the Chu royal residence. Yang Dingkun, who tried to take advantage of the situation to profit by cheating him, was someone that Yi Yun would not mind swindling.

"The 'Truth of the Laws' then… alright, I'll agree to it!" Yi Yun said in a slow manner. He had initially set up a trap for Li Hong to jump into, hoping to get more of Li Hong's dragon scale runes. He did not expect that there would be another person who would walk up to the trap voluntarily and insist on jumping into it.

Hence, the stakes became bigger this time to the point that it exceeded Yi Yun's estimations.

"Young Master Yi, they are ganging up to cheat you out of the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique'."

Seeing Yi Yun agree, Zhao Qingcheng became worried. The girls that surrounded him were also worried for Yi Yun.

Yi Yun may be strong, but Li Hong was a prominent figure amongst the second year cultivators of the Tai Ah Divine City.

Li Hong was ruthless and he had a dark personality. His strength was also horrifying. It would be hard for Yi Yun to beat him!

"Haha! That's what you said! We have already recorded it with a video disk array. We will now go to the arena administration to file it. Don't regret it now!"

The henchmen were overjoyed. Once it was filed, there would be no two ways about it.

But Yi Yun could not be bothered with them. He picked up a piece of meat and carried on eating.

"Kid, I'll let you be arrogant for a little while longer. Tomorrow, you'll be crying! Let's go!" After a henchman said those tough words, he turned and left.

Seeing Yi Yun ignore them and carry on eating his desolate beast meat as before, Zhao Qingcheng and company were rendered speechless.

In less than two hours, the news that Yi Yun was betting the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' for the 'Truth of the Laws' with Li Hong had spread throughout the Tai Ah Divine City.

Even the veteran cultivators, who had spent four years in the Tai Ah Divine City, paid close attention to this matter.

The main reason was because the stakes involved the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique'!

"He even dares to bet the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique'!?" Many veteran cultivators turned green with envy when they heard this.

They had been been in the Tai Ah Divine City for a few years, yet they had never had the chance to even touch the jade scrolls of the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique', let alone learn it.

"This Yi Yun is mad enough. He has not even had the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' for two months, and already he does not want it anymore? He sure is a loser!"

"That might not be it. Maybe Yi Yun has already attempted to learn the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' after he exchanged for it, but he was unable to master it. Since it is useless in his hands, he might as well use it as a bet."

Some people analyzed it this way. Yi Yun gave a strange overall impression. His saber was overpowering, but his insight into the laws was weak. His talent was also said to only be average.

It would not be easy for Yi Yun to learn the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' under such circumstances.

For example, Qiuniu was considered to be similar to Yi Yun. Yi Yun's saber technique was powerful, while Qiuniu's strength was powerful. Qiuniu's strength left many rookies in the dust, but not many people believed that Qiuniu would be able to master the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique'.

Learning something did not depend on a person's fighting prowess, it depended on one's perceptivity and talent!

As for people like Chu Xiaoran, many of them believed that she was the one most likely to master the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique'.

"He got it from the glory points he earned from picking herbs, so maybe he doesn't know how to appreciate it? In the future, he will find out how hard is it to earn glory points!" Some people said angrily. They all wished the glory points that were used to exchange for the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' were theirs.

Naturally, Yi Yun was not bothered by the reactions the veteran cultivators had.

He already went looking for Cang Yan, because he was planning on entering the saber tomb. He wanted to spend the night honing his saber technique.

Li Hong was a strong opponent and Yi Yun did not know Li Hong's full strength. Although he was confident about tomorrow’s battle, he could not guarantee his victory. He had to go all out.

Yi Yun would not waste the time he had at night.

This was a big bet. If he won it, he would obtain the 'Truth of the Laws'. This was something Yi Yun was in absolute desperate need of to help him understand the laws!

When Cang Yan opened the door to the saber tomb for Yi Yun, Yi Yun suddenly had a thought and looked thoughtfully at the other chamber.

That was the… sword tomb!

If he entered the sword tomb, what would happen?

Yi Yun knew he was not a natural saber user. When he chose the saber in the Jin Long Wei Divine Capital armory, he did not have the feeling of that legendary physical affinity.

The reason why he could gain insight on the Saber Truth's 32 Words had nothing to do with his accomplishments in the way of the saber, it was completely due to his energy vision. He could see the energy flows inside the Saber Truth's 32 Words at a glance.

These energy flows were in fact equivalent to the laws of the saber truths!

If he entered the sword tomb, would he gain an additional bonus?

The laws in the saber and sword tombs were incomprehensible profound truths for many sages. Even with the profound truths laid out there, very few of those who entered the tombs gained anything from them, because they could not comprehend anything!

Since he had the facilities to do so, why would he not try to gain further insights to broaden his horizons?

"Kid, what are you standing around for? Why aren't you entering?" Cang Yan's voice suddenly interrupted Yi Yun's thoughts.

Noticing Yi Yun's gaze, Cang Yan knit his eyebrows, "Kid, you cannot be interested in the sword tomb..."

Yi Yun hesitated because he did not know what to say.

He knew that the truths in the sword and saber tombs were something sages of various generations had trouble understanding a tinge of it, let alone learning both at the same time.

Cang Yan gave Yi Yun an odd glance, "Rotten rascal, I'm warning you. Don't go crazy on me! It was rare for me to see you have such talent on the way of the saber, don't waste it!"

"By being able to gain insight into the Saber Truth's 32 Words' saber truth, it proves you have an extraordinary keen sense in the saber truths. But the more keen you are on the saber truths, the lesser your senses will be for the sword truths." Cang Yan exhorted Yi Yun. If an average person had talent in one type of weapon and they managed to go far using it, it would be impressive. Cang Yan had never heard of a person reaching the far extremes in the use of two different weapons!

"Can't the way of the saber and sword be taken to the extreme together? Then the sword and saber tomb..."

Yi Yun suddenly realized that there was a possibility the sword and saber tombs were the works of a single person.

If that was true, to what extent did that person reach in his martial arts attainment?

Of course, Yi Yun did not say his thoughts, or Cang Yan might have an outburst. He obediently entered the saber tomb, but the thought of entering the sword tomb when he had the chance rooted itself deeply in Yi Yun's mind...

...

At the same time as Yi Yun entered the saber tomb, Li Hong was meditating in an expensive cultivation room.

Swirls of Yuan Qi condensed into a visible flow before they entered Li Hong's body.

With the inflow of Yuan Qi, Li Hong's muscles began to swell up like waves.

Li Hong clenched his fists. He wanted to use the cultivation from that night to push his condition to its highest point. At the same time, he also tried to consolidate his soon-to-be Yuan Foundation cultivation level.

Li Hong had several speculations about Yi Yun's hidden strength.

There was no way Yi Yun could hide his cultivation level. He was definitely at the peak of the middle-stages of Purple Blood. A person who had their Heaven's Eye opened had looked into it for him.

It was also impossible for Yi Yun to have an Aspect Totem as he never went into the wilderness to hunt desolate beasts.

Yi Yun might have hidden his cultivation techniques or laws, but with the insight of a Purple Blood realm warrior, it was definitely not going to be a heaven defying thing.

Li Hong had even envisioned that even if Chu Xiaoran's understanding of the laws had been implanted in Yi Yun's body, Yi Yun was still not his match.

Taking a step back, he considered the possibility of Yi Yun having secretly learned a powerful cultivation technique. But even if Yi Yun were to learn something like the 'Star Picking Hand' or secret techniques that belonged to a duke-class family, Li Hong still believed that he could beat Yi Yun!

Furthermore, with Yi Yun's background, where could he obtain a cultivation technique that was at the duke-class level?

No matter how much he calculated or envisioned it, this battle was a sure-win!

Li Hong's eyes flashed as he clenched his fingernails deep into his flesh. He had an extreme desire to win the battle tomorrow.

An uneventful night passed. Both Yi Yun and Li Hong worked hard. The upcoming battle was too important to them.

Next morning, when the sun rose, the cultivators in the Tai Ah Divine City woke up and began to arrive in the arena in streams.

The number of spectators who came today was even higher than the day Yi Yun fought Chu Xiaoran.

People were looking forward to know the results of Yi Yun and Li Hong's huge bet.

True Martial World - Chapter 248: Truth of the Laws

"You want Yi Yun to bet his copy of the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique'? Yang Dingkun, you sure have a big appetite!" Hearing Yang Dingkun's plans, Hu Tou also felt tempted. He too had no chance to cultivate the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique'.

The 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' was too difficult to cultivate. Only one in five people cultivating the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' could master it.

And people like Hu Tou might have the wealth to exchange for the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique', but even after exchanging the precious resources for it, the chances of them failing to learn it was high.

To pay so many glory points and dragon scale runes for such an improbable possibility, Hu Tou could not make the resolute decision as the cost was too high.

"Of course, treasures belong to those who are capable of keeping them! The 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' in Yi Yun's hands is a deliberate waste of a heavenly treasure. I have the royal bloodline, and since the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' was originally the cultivation technique of my royal household, it will be easy for me to cultivate it!"

"Although it has to be returned within six months after you win me the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique', it will be enough. I am confident that I can master the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' in less than six months!"

Yang Dingkun had considerable confidence in himself.

Hu Tou’s mouth twitched when he heard this. This rascal sure could brag, he wants to master it in less than six months? Was he not afraid that the bragging words he said might choke him? No one has mastered the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' within six months in the past decade!

But even if Yang Dingkun could not master the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' in six months, it would allow Yang Dingkun to determine whether he was suitable to learn the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' or not.

If he was not suitable, he could give up on it. As such, it wouldn’t waste his glory points. So no matter what happened, Yang Dingkun would still benefit from it.

"You want to get the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' from Yi Yun, then what do you plan on using as a stake?" Li Hong asked.

Yang Dingkun gave a confident smile and said, "Naturally, I have something that will entice the kid! Besides that, I can lend you 30,000 dragon scale runes, as an additional bet against Yi Yun. This is just a loan, you need to repay it in the future!"

30,000 dragon scale runes were for Li Hong to recoup his losses. If he could win this amount, Li Hong would be able to catch a breather.

Li Hong contemplated it before slowly nodding his head. Yi Yun would not feel the pinch if he were to lose 30,000 dragon scale runes, but if he were to lose the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique', Yi Yun would definitely feel the pinch to the point of dying.

Li Hong wanted to let Yi Yun know the feeling of suffering such a great loss.

He stretched out five fingers and said, "50,000! Lend me 50,000 dragon scale runes!"

Since the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' was already bet, Li Hong did not dare to use glory points as a stake. It would be too ridiculous.

Li Hong's limit was 50,000 dragon scale runes .

Yi Yun might still have hidden strength, hoping to cheat him. But how could Li Hong not have any hidden strength?

It was time to use all the trump cards!

"Yi Yun must think that I have fallen for his trap, but no one knows that I had a great breakthrough in the past month! Neither one of us knows the other's hidden card. What makes you think I will lose to you!"

With this thought in mind, Li Hong became more resolute.

...

After Yi Yun defeated Chu Xiaoran, obtaining first place amongst the rookies, Yi Yun's fame in the Tai Ah Divine City was said to be unrivaled!

Many large family clans' lobbyists began arriving, hoping to rope in Yi Yun as a guest in their faction. Many of these factions had given various favorable terms for Yi Yun. Some even did not need Yi Yun to sign a contract. All they wanted was a verbal commitment from Yi Yun.

But Yi Yun rejected all of them.

Back when Yi Yun was in the Cloud Wilderness, he wanted to join a faction in order to obtain resources. But now, in the Tai Ah Divine City, Yi Yun could earn them using his own efforts. His strength was skyrocketing everyday, so there was no reason to join a faction and allow himself to be controlled by others.

As Yi Yun was having his dinner, before he went to the saber tomb again, he noticed a few pretty and slim girls walk past. They were talking and joking as they held their meal trays. In the middle of these girls was Zhao Qingcheng.

Zhao Qingcheng noticed Yi Yun and she gave him a surprised smile, "Little Brother Yi Yun! You are here too!"

"Oh..." Just as Zhao Qingcheng uttered the last word, she suddenly realized something and stopped herself before saying, "I can't call you that anymore. You are already the number one rookie!"

Thinking of her first meeting with Yi Yun three months back, Zhao Qingcheng had mixed emotions. Who would have expected that the naive-looking little brother could develop into such an outstanding figure!

The girls’ eyes lit up when they heard that Zhao Qingcheng knew Yi Yun. Soon, they surrounded Yi Yun, trying to get Zhao Qingcheng to introduce Yi Yun to them.

These girls did not wait for Yi Yun's reply and they simply sat beside Yi Yun or opposite him with their trays. Immediately, the table was full with an aromatic crowd of young girls.

The girls simply ignored eating and only spoke to Yi Yun. They asked Yi Yun various questions in an excited manner. This feeling was the same feeling that the girls who chased idols around back in Yi Yun's previous life gave off.

In the vast wilderness, warriors carried more weight than idols. But only the peerless geniuses were the real idols of teenagers. They had countless numbers of admirers and suitors.

"Young Master Yi, are you engaged? Do you have someone you like?" A bold girl went straight to the point, which dumbfounded Yi Yun.

She was too direct.

In this world, mortals began considering marriage at fifteen years of age.

But amongst warriors, there were some who did not get married till they were hundreds of years old due to their sole pursuit for martial arts. But there were others who would decide on a partner when they were in their teens.

Martial arts partners could complement each other in their Yin and Yang through intercourse!

If the two were soulmates, their progress was faster compared to a person who cultivated alone in their pursuit of martial arts.

Upon hearing this question, a vague image appeared in Yi Yun’s mind...

Yi Yun was reminded of Jiang Xiaorou. Yi Yun could not explain it himself. He could not define the feelings he had for Jiang Xiaorou, but there was no doubt that Jiang Xiaorou was the most important person in his life. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

They shared weal and woe, which was an eternal promise!

And after Jiang Xiaorou, Yi Yun thought of another white-dressed figure that rode the wind, Lin Xintong.

In Yi Yun's mind, Lin Xintong was the girl, other than Jiang Xiaorou, that left the deepest impression.

Yi Yun still remembered the scene of the night in the Desolate Human Valley when Lin Xintong mentioned her naturally terminated meridians under the moonlight.

At that moment, Yi Yun could see the sadness on Lin Xintong's face. When he heard Lin Xintong's gentle sigh, he had felt an inexplicable sadness come over him.

"Lin Xintong said there was an important family matter she had to attend to. I have no idea what it is or if it was smoothly handled...Her family clan is probably not in the Tai Ah Divine Kingdom..."

Thinking of this, Yi Yun's mind wandered. He did not pay much attention to the girls who continued asking him questions.

At that moment, a very harsh and aggressive voice rang, pulling Yi Yun back to reality.

"F**k, this kid Yi Yun is going to fight our boss tomorrow, and he is still in the mood to flirt with girls!"

When this voice called out, a few girls immediately stared angrily at the person who said it!

There were four youths, who clearly looked like henchmen, that were standing before Yi Yun's dining table. They were clearly jealous when they saw Yi Yun surrounded by beauties!

These people had maidservants, who served them back in their family clans, that they could easily fool around with, but those maidservants could not be compared to the girls who entered the Tai Ah Divine City.

"Yi Yun! Prepare to die tomorrow! Our President has accepted your challenge. But there must be some bonuses in the match. Our President has told us to tell you that you have to bet your 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' in tomorrow's battle! And another 50,000 dragon scale runes on top of that!"

Although they were afraid of Yi Yun, these henchmen did not appear weak because of their connections with the Hongdao Association. They shouted loudly, causing the entire cook house to hear it.

Betting the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique'! And another 50,000 dragon scale runes!?

This bet was...too ridiculous!

Especially the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique'. Many people knew that Yi Yun had obtained the first three volumes of the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' due to a stroke of luck in picking the primordial herb. Now, before it could even become warm in the hands of Yi Yun, Li Hong was targeting it!

How could one agree to such a bet!?

People stopped eating and stared at Yi Yun.

"Are you afraid? If you are afraid, quickly beg for mercy. Our President can't even be bothered with your trashy strength!"

The few guys began to taunt Yi Yun in fear of his reluctance.

Yi Yun could not be bothered with such an immature taunt.

"The 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique'..." Yi Yun stroked his chin. He did not expect Li Hong to make the stakes so high!

Although Yi Yun was confident that he could beat Li Hong, there was no guarantee in a match between experts. Although Yi Yun had his own trump card, he did not know how great Li Hong's strength was.

This was originally a challenge for Yi Yun!

Only a challenge had the motivating factor. The path of martial arts was a winding road fraught with difficulties!

"Li Hong wants me to bet the 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique', then what is his bet? It can't be dragon scale runes!?"

"Hmph! Of course not! The person who wants to bet for your 'Tai Ah Sacred Technique' is actually the young prince of the Chu royal residence, Yang Dingkun! The stake he will be placing is the Chu royal residence's secret mystic technique, 'Truth of the Laws'!"

"Oh? 'Truth of the Laws'?" Yi Yun thought about it. At that moment, Zhao Qingcheng, who was beside Yi Yun, covered her mouth without thought.

The 'Truth of the Laws' was a valuable compendium.

It was not a cultivation technique, but it explained the nomological truths generally.

For example, warriors like Chu Xiaoran who had extraordinary perceptivity, managed to gain insights on two laws, hard-soft and frost ice, in the Purple Blood realm.

Although gaining insight on the laws mainly relied on one's self, it was not something that one had to arduously figure out by oneself. To gain insight on laws, there was a slow initial process. And this compendium that described the laws was extremely important!

The Chu royal residence's 'Truth of the Laws' was one of the top nomological compendiums in the Tai Ah Divine Kingdom. And this compendium was obtained by the tenth King Chu in a huge fortuitous opportunity. It was a manual that the Tai Ah Divine City did not have!

This reflected the true value of the 'Truth of the Laws'.

Yi Yun was indeed tempted by this. He still had a lot of shortcomings in the understanding of the laws.