Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King-Chapter 388 - 285: Broken Demon Spear Technique, Candle Sect’s Recommendation, Nangong Peril, Heavy Pupils Shocking Ghosts
The fragrance of flowers was overflowing, and the verdant hues were dimmed.
In the scorching heat of July, late afternoon, the sun was blazing, unbearably hot.
After leaving the small town, Li Xian headed straight for the Inner Island. Along the way, he encountered disciples from the Flower Cage Sect, who traveled in groups of three or four, engaging in playful banter and crude jokes. Seeing the fierce sunlight, they sought the woods for shade. Li Xian walked with the Seven Stars Step, his figure weaving up and down. Upon reaching the Inner Island, all the disciples recognized Li Xian, greeted him with smiling faces and respectful salutations.
Li Xian smiled back and turned southeast. Before long, he reached his destination.
It was known that the Martial Arts Pavilion housed exquisite Martial Arts, where Vice Envoy Yan Hao resided.
The pavilion stood seven zhang tall, with a black roof and red walls, dignified and solemn. Rumor had it that the walls were built with mysterious stones from the deep lake, solid and unbreakable, as heavy as a mountain. As Li Xian walked through the pavilion, he felt the layout was unusual.
The pavilion contained "Basic Martial Arts", "Lower Martial Arts", "Middle Level Martial Arts". "Superior Martial Arts" were extremely rare, kept secret by noble families and prominent sects... often orally passed down, personally taught, and never recorded for sale.
Even when recorded, they would be incomplete. Basic Martial Arts required over a hundred merit copper coins, Lower Martial Arts needed several taels of merit silver... The Martial Arts Pavilion held both essential teachings of the sect and other schools of Martial Arts.
The collection of Martial Arts books was abundant. Guided by others, Li Xian directly entered the pavilion room, carefully observing the Martial Arts records. He had a direction in mind, but the opportunity to peruse Martial Arts books was rare and had to be cherished greatly, reading every record diligently.
The books on the shelves had been specially treated; the first few pages of ’Introduction’ and ’Foreword’ were harmless. But if one looked beyond and attempted to peek into the true essence of Martial Arts, to steal the true meaning of Martial Arts, it would lead to confused thoughts and chaotic consciousness.
The Flower Cage Sect had a loose structure, with disciples from various backgrounds, diverse and chaotic, their Martial Arts books scattered widely. Matching schools and Martial Arts required personal effort. Ordinary disciples seeking guidance had to curry favor with elders.
Li Xian chose two fitting Martial Arts: "Serpent Intestine Circuitous Sword" and "Soft Scale Wandering Skill".
He pondered carefully; punch, palm, foot, finger, knife, sword all had peak Martial Arts, covering a wide range, avoiding scattered focus. He wished to encompass all seas, to develop comprehensively, mastering everything, being as skillful as Wen Caishang. However, due to limited resources, when encountering rare opportunities, he must first perfect Sword Dao, reveal his sharpness, and then gradually fill in any gaps.
Due to resource constraints, Li Xian made a clear distinction between primary and secondary concerns, making his Martial Arts choices naturally apparent.
"Serpent Intestine Circuitous Sword" required three taels of merit silver, "Soft Scale Wandering Skill" needed two taels of merit silver... Thanks to Shi Yufei’s promise, "Serpent Intestine Circuitous Sword" was bought at a low price, needing only one tael of merit silver. "Soft Scale Wandering Skill" valued at two taels, allowing both Lower Martial Arts to be acquired simultaneously.
Once these two Martial Arts are refined to the peak, understanding of heaven and earth during practice promotes the digestion of Essence Treasure, enhances Inner Qi within... endlessly beneficial, deepening the Martial Artist’s power, accumulated in this way.
Li Xian watched a bit longer, his mind wandering, deeply desiring. He wished to grasp many Martial Arts, eager to practice them all to the peak. Lost in the vast ocean of Martial Arts, he returned to his senses as dusk fell, preparing to leave the pavilion and return home. After walking a while, he suddenly saw a staircase leading to the third floor.
Li Xian thought: "The Martial Arts Pavilion is a crucial location for the Water Altar, yet the guards are few, only a few small attendants guiding the route, seemingly unrestrictive on where to go. This staircase leads to the third floor, the second floor houses Lower Martial Arts, the third floor has Middle Level Martial Arts. With my current merit silver, it’s wishful thinking to exchange for Middle Level Martial Arts. But... going upstairs to gain some insight is still beneficial."
Having gone upstairs, the path was unobstructed. The Middle Level Martial Arts were stored here, yet Li Xian was surprised to find no shelves of books, only various peculiar items: silver cups, broken jade stones, snake scales... exceedingly strange. He also saw a copper jar containing playful fish enjoying the water.
Li Xian murmured: "Am I in the wrong place, there’s no Martial Arts books here."
He walked to the water jar, observing the fish inside. Not daring to touch recklessly, he simply quietly observed. Tired of watching, he went on to explore other areas. He even saw half-eaten leftovers, a shattered skull... these odd objects were all stored in glass boxes, visible yet untouchable.
Suddenly, footsteps approached, Yan Hao, in loose robes, slowly walked over.
Li Xian bowed and said: "Vice Envoy." Yan Hao nodded and said: "I noticed you choosing Martial Arts early on. You are a calm person, observing for several hours. Why... aren’t you afraid of going mad?"
Li Xian laughed and said: "Can choosing Martial Arts drive one mad?"
Yan Hao said: "Certainly. Those with weak minds, immersed in Martial Arts books, intrigued by the mystical effects described, often failing to sleep well, resulting in Qi-Blood rushing backward, going mad... it happens quite often."
Li Xian said: "That was truly close."
Yan Hao laughed and said: "Being able to reach the third floor shows your mind is clear, no need to worry." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Li Xian curiously asked: "Why?"
Yan Hao boasted again: "If your mind was muddled, the pavilion layout would lead you, every step you take would fall within my calculations. This way, you would walk several hundred steps east, several hundred steps west, but ultimately you’d end up in that pool, feeling the refreshing water. Being drenched was unavoidable." He opened the window, pointing at the lotus pond beside the pavilion.
The pavilion was intricately designed, with paths constantly changing within. A single road concealed countless routes, if Yan Hao wished to trap a foe, the opponent would have no choice but to submit.
