Chapter 1 - Born Anew
Martial artists cultivate their physiques and temper their souls. They strive to seize the luck of heaven and earth to enhance their strength, seeking immortality.
The Tianwu Continent was a world where martial artists vied for supremacy. The strong were like kings, overlooking the world, while the weak were like ants, living an ignoble existence.
The Great Chu Empire, Spring Autumn Sect, a remote mountain path:
Bang!
A young man, no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, flew backward, slamming heavily onto the ground. His face was slick with blood, and the three primeval stones he had been clutching tightly slipped from his grasp, rolling toward the feet of another young man dressed in black.
"Ptooi!"
The young man in black spat and cursed, "You don't know what's good for you. Refusing to surrender the stones until I had to teach you a lesson. You truly deserve this! Do you honestly believe that martial arts trash like yourself deserves to utilize primeval stones for cultivating?"
Another young man, clad in gray, picked up the primeval stones and offered them to the black-clothed teenager respectfully, laughing. "Brother Feng, this trash is just feeling the itch. He wouldn't feel comfortable unless you loosen him up a little."
Chen Fan lay face up on the ground, his fresh blood blurring his vision.
Although he felt indignant, he couldn't do anything, as Liao Feng's beating had left him battered and bruised. His tendons and bones ached like they were broken, and he felt weak and powerless. He struggled to even stand up.
Today was the day that the Spring Autumn Sect's outer sect handed out the monthly allowance. After receiving his three primeval stones, Chen Fan had left the Resources Hall. However, as soon as he had reached a secluded mountain path, Liao Feng blocked his way and demanded that he hand over the stones.
Chen Fan refused, so Liao Feng had decided to convince him with his actions.
Chen Fan's meridians were blocked, and his dantian was as hard as iron. Despite being in the sect for three years, his cultivation had stagnated at the peak of the Body Refinement realm, failing to progress to the Qi Gathering realm. As a result, he was no match for Liao Feng, a third-level Qigong martial artist.
Liao Feng easily defeated Chen Fan, leaving him battered and bruised. Like a dead dog, he couldn't even climb to his feet.
Rumble!
Suddenly, a thunderous sound rang out.
A dark cloud, black as ink, suddenly loomed over the area, casting a menacing shadow. The lightning flashes and thunderous rumblings were terrifying.
A lightning bolt abruptly plummeted from the sky, striking Chen Fan. He was still lying on the ground, gasping for breath, when the bolt hit him.
However, before the bolt had even struck him, Chen Fan sensed a terrifying power locking him down. The lightning bolt streaked through the sky, descending upon him menacingly.
Crackle!
As the lightning bolt descended, Chen Fan attempted to roll out of the way, but it was too late.
Immediately, electricity surged through his body, causing his skin and flesh to tear apart and char beyond recognition. Every strand of his hair stood on end, giving off a burnt smell.
"God damn it! Like getting beaten black and blue wasn't enough. Now, I'm actually getting struck by lightning. Fu..."
Chen Fan stubbornly clung to his last breath, cursing as smoke came out of his mouth. Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.
Liao Feng and the youngster in gray were scared out of their minds.
They were also utterly unprepared for the lightning strike and were paralyzed with fear. It was truly too terrifying.
A good while passed before the two returned to their senses. They looked up to the sky, puzzled.
The dark cloud that had enveloped this whole area earlier had scattered, seemingly having gathered only to unleash its fury upon Chen Fan.
"How strange?" Liao Feng couldn't help but wonder out loud.
The other teen looked around, smiled, and said, "Brother Feng, that trash must have done something to infuriate the heavens in his past life. That's why he is a martial trash and even got struck by lightning."
Liao Feng nodded and said "You're right. The heavens could no longer stand the sight and wanted to strike him to his death. I have actually served the people by thrashing him and taking his stones. It's a good deed."
"Brother Feng... he won't really die due to the lightning strike, right?"
"Why should we care? It's none of our business. He was struck to death by lightning. And even if he died at my hands, we don't have to worry. My older brother is a member of the Heaven's Alliance. Do you know about it? Even the Outer Sect Master has to show some respect to them. If he dies, then so be it. I didn't kill him anyway."
The other teen nodded repeatedly. "Brother Feng is right."
"Come on, let's go search this trash's place. He must have saved up quite a few primeval stones over the last three years. The Outer Sect Grand Competition is just three months away. I want to break through to the fourth level of the Qigong realm. Perhaps then I'll be able to enter the top 1,000 this time."
Liao Feng said and walked ahead; before long, Chen Fan was again alone on the mountain path.
Unbeknownst to many, Chen Fan was currently undergoing a tremendous transformation.
A golden light streak was hidden within the terrifying lightning bolt from before. This golden light had rushed into his body and swam rapidly along his meridians.
Chen Fan's meridians were jammed with impurities, hindering the proper circulation of his primeval qi. However, the golden light was clearing these impurities..
As a result, black, oily impurities seeped onto the charred surface of his skin, emitting a foul odor.
Chan Fan's meridians were being destroyed and rebuilt. After a few cycles of this process, his meridians had become incomparably wider and tougher.
The golden light darted through Chen Fan's meridians, soon completing a cycle and removing all the impurities. Next, it rushed into his dantian, which was like a steel block. Under the impact of the golden light, his dantian opened up as if heaven and earth were being split apart. As the space expanded gradually, it soon became ten times the size of an ordinary martial artist's dantian.
After purifying Chen Fan's meridians and opening up his dantian, the golden light faintly diminished in intensity as if it had expended most of its energy. With a flash, it rushed into Chen Fan's mind along his meridians.
The golden light exploded with a bang. A part of it integrated with Chen Fan's mind, changing his level of martial arts comprehension, while the other part transformed into small golden characters that emitted the teaching of the Great Dao; it echoed in his mind continually.
Chen Fan finally woke up, but it was already late at night.
Chen Fan examined himself. His clothes were shredded and stained with blood. Apart from that, he noticed the noxious black residue that emitted a strong odor, threatening to render him unconscious again.
"This is... the impurities in my body!"
Chen Fan came to a realization, his face revealing a pleasant look of surprise.
Chen Fan examined his meridians and dantian, and immediately let out a cheer of wonder and joy.
"This is... primeval qi! I've broken through to the first level of the Qigong realm!"
He realized his blocked meridians had become incomparably wide, its flow smooth and unobstructed. His iron-like dantian had also opened up, and he could see a strand of primeval qi coiled in the middle of his dantian.
"I remember getting struck by lightning, and then..."
Chen Fan's eyes moved as he tried his best to recall what had happened. With an odd expression on his face, he said, "Could it be that I became like this after I was struck by lightning?"
Boom!
Chen Fan's mind suddenly erupted with an infinite amount of golden light, accompanied by the sound of the Great Dao ringing out. The golden characters within his mind flew out, effortlessly integrating into his consciousness.
"Ah..."
Chen Fan shouted in pain, pressing both his hands against his head. He felt as if his brain was about to blow up.
Wave after wave of intense pain assaulted him. Chen Fan gritted his teeth tightly, trying not to faint from it.
Half an hour later, Chen Fan exhaled a long breath of turbid air.
"Heaven Seizing Art..."
In the dark of the night, Chen Fan's eyes shone bright like stars as he uttered those three words softly.
The teaching of the Great Dao echoing in his mind was a qi cultivation technique called Heaven Seizing Art. One would know just from its name that this qi cultivation technique was very formidable.
To seize was to plunder.
To plunder the primeval qi of heaven and earth for their own use. To plunder the force of heaven and earth to strengthen their physique. To plunder even the cultivation talents of martial artists, thereby becoming increasingly demonic.
"What a domineering cultivation technique!" Chen Fan's eyes shone.
Compared to the Heaven Seizing Art, the Guiding Art basic cultivation technique he currently practiced was simply trash of the trash.
"Could all of this be the great fortune bestowed to me by that lightning bolt?" Chen Fan mumbled to himself.
He realized that after lightning struck him, his meridians were now clear, his dantian had opened, and he had gained a powerful cultivation technique. This was simply paving the way for his rise to power.
Chen Fan was feeling incomparably ecstatic inside. He clenched his fists tightly, trembling with excitement.
For three years, cultivating had been extremely difficult for him due to his blocked meridians and iron-like dantian.
Consequently, the primeval energy he absorbed wouldn't circulate well, and his rigid dantian couldn't accommodate it, causing him to remain stagnant at the peak of the Body Refinement realm for three years. Despite his efforts, he failed to progress to the Qi Gathering realm, making him an easy target for bullies.
Now, his meridians were clear, his dantian was open, and he had reached the first level of the Qigong realm. T/his chapter is updat/𝓮d by n𝒐v(ê(l)biin.c/o/m
"Haha, I can now cultivate! My meridians are clear, and my dantian is open! I'm no longer trash! I, Chen Fan, will rise from this moment on!"
Chen Fan roared with laughter at the sky, venting all the pent-up grievances in his heart.
It had been three whole years. Today, he felt the clouds were especially clear, and the moon was dazzling.
"I want to trample everyone who ever bullied me!"
"I want to reach the peak of martial arts, rule over all martial artists, and overlook the world while reigning supreme!"
"I want to pierce the heavens with my gaze and shatter the earth's limitations on my ambition!"
Tears streamed down his face. Only those who had experienced such sorrows could ever understand his pain.
With everything fresh and new, he could now cultivate properly. But before that, he wanted to vent to his heart's content.
After venting, Chen Fan could no longer endure the pungent smell. The black, oily impurities not only smelled, but they also made him feel terrible.
"I should go take a bath and clean myself up first. This is unbearable."
Chen Fan stood up. His figure flashed under the moonlight as he made his way to a nearby river and jumped in to wash himself.
Chapter 2 - Breaking Through to Second Level
Chen Fan sat cross-legged on a large limestone rock near the river after taking a refreshing bath in its waters.
In the Tianwu Continent, martial arts were revered.
Martial arts practitioners absorbed the primeval qi of heaven and earth to strengthen themselves, enabling them to unleash immense strength measured in thousands of jin. Experts could even transcend spatial constraints to reach celestial bodies like the sun and the moon. At the highest levels, they could even destroy heaven and decimate earth, commanding supreme power.[1]
Despite receiving blessings from a disaster that unblocked his meridians, opened his dantian, and allowed him to break through to the first level of the Qigong realm, Chen Fan was still at the beginning stages of his martial arts journey, existing at the lowest level.
In martial arts, the first step was Body Refinement, followed by Qi Gathering. In the Qi Gathering realm, a martial artist absorbed primeval qi by practicing qi cultivation techniques. This stage was also commonly known as the Qigong realm and had nine levels.
Having obtained the Heaven Seizing Art, Chen Fan wished he could immediately become an exceptional expert under the heavens, standing above the sun, moon, and stars, reigning supreme.
"Does the Heaven Seizing Art really forcibly plunder the primeval qi of heaven and earth? So domineering! Let me give it a try."
Chen Fan mumbled to himself and immediately shut his eyes, focusing on the cultivation passage of the Heaven Seizing Art.
As he began to practice, anomalies started to manifest in the surrounding space.
Chen Fan seemed to have become a black hole, giving rise to a terrifying suction force that made the air in the surrounding area rush toward him.
Whoosh, whoosh.
The air surged with incredible force, like a category ten typhoon was raging through the area. Whirring noises rang out in the area, the surrounding trees rattled, and the gale ripped off their leaves.
A huge funnel-shaped vortex appeared above Chen Fan. The heaven and earth primeval qi present in the air came rolling in, surging into him along this funnel-shaped vortex.
The instant he began cultivating, Chen Fan felt warmer and lighter and as comfortable as could be. This was something he had never experienced before.
A warm current flowed into his limbs and skeleton. His flesh and blood seemed to revel in the warmth, eagerly absorbing it like a delicious feast.
Chen Fan was very aware that this comfortable, warm current was the primeval qi of heaven and earth—a great tonic for martial arts practitioners.
As such, he began guiding the warm current in his meridians, following the path specified in the Heaven Seizing Art to complete a cycle.
If one observed from the outside, they would find that the circulating path of the Heaven Seizing Art resembled a human figure, precisely tracing the outline of a person.
After the strand of primeval qi had completed a cycle, the much-condensed primeval qi returned to the dantian, increasing the size of the coiled primeval qi in his dantian.
Chen Fan opened his eyes; the excitement in them was on the verge of overflowing.
Although he had been cultivating with his eyes shut, he could hear the commotion rising around him. That was certainly an unusual phenomenon in cultivation. If they were to witness this scene, people would definitely receive a big scare.
"To directly plunder the primeval qi in heaven and earth... The Heaven Seizing Art is indeed domineering. With this, my cultivation speed will be more than ten times faster than others!"
Chen Fan's heart thumped excitedly.
His old cultivation technique was the most basic cultivation technique. Heck, it could be found in roadside stalls. Due to that art, he usually had to spend a long time guiding primeval qi into his body; ultimately, he could only absorb a minuscule amount that was thousands of times less than the Heaven Seizing Art.
"I absolutely can't tell others about this. Otherwise, I would lose my life!"
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. The Heaven Seizing Art was too shocking. He knew that if news of its power spread, it would stir up greed in others.
Given his current strength, even a third-level Qigong martial artist would be able to kill him.
"I have to continue cultivating. I can only protect myself when I'm strong!"
Chen Fan's eyes flashed brilliantly. Closing his eyes, he started cultivating the Heaven Seizing Art again. The unusual phenomenon appeared once more.
Fortunately, this area was very remote, not to mention it was late at night. As such, Chen Fan didn't have to worry about being discovered by others, and he could cultivate without worries.
The golden light had expanded Chen Fan's dantian to ten times its original size. As a result, the amount of primeval qi needed to break through to the second level of the Qigong realm was rather huge, sufficient for others to advance two minor realms.
Fortunately, the Heaven Seizing Art was domineering enough to extract primeval qi from a several-mile radius, rapidly filling Chen Fan's dantian with heaven and earth primeval qi.
The night was dark and still, and the moon's soft glow cast a silvery sheen over Chen Fan.
Despite the beautiful night scenery, Chen Fan had no time to appreciate its beauty as he was fully immersed in cultivating.
The primeval qi surged into Chen Fan like a clay ox entering the sea, strengthening his innate breath[2]. A small portion of it was devoured and absorbed by his flesh and blood. It healed his physical injuries and made him stronger.
The following morning, the sky lightened, signaling the start of a new day.
Chen Fan shook violently. All his meridians hummed, and the primeval qi in his wide meridians rushed like the sea waves.
Shockingly, he had broken through to the second level of the Qi Gathering realm.
Chen Fan clenched his fists, feeling the surging power.
He suddenly punched out, and the air boomed.
The air shook, forming a raging air current, and rushed forward, hitting a tree as wide as a bowl. The attack snapped the tree in half.
Chen Fan could tell that his punch earlier contained a force of 2,300 jin.
In the nine levels of the Qi Gathering realm, the first level possessed a force of 1,000 jin, and the second level possessed a force of 2,000 jin. With every small realm advancement, a martial artist's strength would further increase by 1,000 jin.
Although he was only on the second level, the power of his punch was at 2,300 jin. His strength was comparable to a mid-stage second-level Qigong practitioner.
"This..."
Chen Fan looked at his palms, a little lost in thought.
He couldn't understand why his strength surpassed a second-level Qigong martial artist's by this much. After thinking about it, he attributed all of it to him being stuck in the Body Refinement realm for three years.
Moreover, his enlarged dantian gave him an advantage in terms of primeval qi storage. Although his capacity was still in the early stages of the second level of the Qigong realm, it was ten times greater than that of his peers, effectively making it comparable to a late-stage, second-level Qigong practitioner. As a result, his primeval qi would last longer during battles.
"If I see that scumbag Liao Feng again, I'll definitely have the strength to fight back, unlike before!" Chen Fan didn't bother thinking too deeply about it as a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
Liao Feng's purpose for robbing his primeval stones was the Outer Sect Grand Competition in three months.
The Spring Autumn Sect's outer sect had more than ten thousand disciples. They held recruitments every three years, along with a grand competition where the bottom 1,000 disciples were expelled from the sect.
If Chen Fan hadn't had the fortuitous encounter with the lightning strike, he would have been undoubtedly expelled. However, now... Ne/w novel chapt𝒆rs are p/u/blished on no/vel(/bin(.)c/o/m
"Three months. In these three months, I must raise my cultivation to the fourth level of the Qigong realm or above to ensure I won't be expelled from the sect. Otherwise, I'd really be letting my father down."
In cultivation, the amount of primeval qi required to advance to the next level increased exponentially as one progressed. As such, even though Chen Fan practiced the Heaven Seizing Art, he only set his target at the fourth level of the Qigong realm.
Reaching the fourth level of the Qigong realm guaranteed him a place in the top 10,000 of the competition.
"Now that I have broken through to the second level of the Qigong realm, I can head to the Martial Arts Pavilion to pick out a martial skill. After learning a martial skill, I'll definitely get back at Liao Feng for yesterday's beating if I see him again!"
After a period of dedicated cultivation, Chen Fan stabilized his cultivation at the middle stage of the second level, boosting his strength to 2,600 jin. Feeling ready, he finally headed toward the Martial Arts Pavilion.
1. 1 Jin is rounded to 500 grams, or 1.32 pound ?
2. Also known as natal breath, the purest state of breathing achieved when highly immersed in cultivating, not needing to physically breathe in or out, instead done through the skin. ?
Chapter 3 - Forcing Through to the Second Floor
Chen Fan followed a pathway and arrived at the Martial Arts Pavilion.
The Martial Arts Pavilion sat on a cliff, surrounded by blossoming mountain flowers and green trees. It was a tranquil place.
Chen Fan had come across several fellow outer sect disciples on his way there. They were each carrying a manual in their hand, treating them like treasures as they left. These people had just picked out a martial art they fancied from the Martial Arts Pavilion and were in a hurry to go practice.
A few onlookers cast mocking glances at Chen Fan, and a teenager in yellow clothing jeered, "Trash, what are you doing here at the Martial Arts Pavilion? Are you trying to slip in and steal martial arts while the Pavilion Guard Elder is drunk?"
"Audacious! You dare look down on the Pavilion Guard Elder? You should be punished for your crime!" Chen Fan shouted back.
The retort caught the teen in yellow by surprise. Not only the teen but even the other passersby got caught off guard.
"Trash, you dare shout at me!?" shouted the teen after returning to his senses, looking embarrassed and angry. He had intended to ridicule Chen Fan, but the latter had unexpectedly shouted back in retaliation, stunning him.
"Hmph, what kind of a place is the Martial Arts Pavilion? And have you forgotten how formidable the Pavilion Guard Elder is? Even a fly wouldn't dare try to sneak past him, let alone someone like me. And yet, you accuse me of trying to steal martial arts while the elder is drunk? What are you, if not looking down on the Pavilion Guard Elder!?"
The yellow-clothed teenager turned pale, glancing at the old man guarding the Martial Arts Pavilion's entrance.
The old man was leaning against the steps, his head hung low, and his hand holding a gourd filled with wine. They could smell the strong scent of alcohol emanating from him, but they weren't sure if he was truly drunk or just sleeping.
The teen in yellow released a sigh of relief after realizing that the elder was paying them no attention. Chen Fan's words sounded true, but the teen really wasn't looking down on the elder.
"Slander! Trash, don't you dare accuse others! My respect for the Pavilion Guard Elder is endless, with no contempt toward him! You're just slandering me!"
Chen Fan said in disdain, "Slander? You? Do I need to? Pavilion Guard Elder is magnanimous, so I won't bother with you this time. Get lost!"
"Trash, just you wait!"
The yellow-clothed teenager glared at Chen Fan with hatred, then shifted his gaze toward the elder. Worried that continuing to argue would disturb the elder and lead to severe consequences, he hastily departed, leaving behind a threatening remark.
Chen Fan didn't take the yellow-clothed teenager's words to heart. He was no longer the same person as before; he wouldn't let anyone humiliate him. Upstodatee from n(0)/v𝒆/lbIn/.(co/m
He strode forth in the Martial Arts Pavilion's direction. Some people still hadn't left, waiting to watch Chen Fan embarrass himself. After all, a Body Refinement trash wanted to enter the Martial Arts Pavilion. It was nothing but wishful thinking!
The Pavilion Guard Elder guarded the Martial Arts Pavilion, but its entrance and each floor were protected by a layer of light that only allowed those with the required cultivation level to pass through.
Chen Fan was only in the Body Refinement realm, which wasn't even enough to enter through the Martial Arts Pavilion's gates. So, they all waited eagerly for Chen Fan to embarrass himself.
"Hey, Kid, your brown-nosing is a little too much," the elder blurted when Chen Fan approached him, his head still hanging low.
Chen Fan rubbed the tip of his nose upon hearing the elder's words.
Indeed, he had borrowed the elder's name to humiliate that teenager earlier, but he had no idea that the elder had heard it all. The elder had been pretending to be asleep and completely drunk.
"Please judge wisely, Elder. This disciple said nothing but the truth," Chen Fan hurriedly explained.
The elder snorted, waved his hand dismissively, and said, "No need to get nervous. While you went a bit overboard with your flattery, I found it quite amusing. Anyway, according to our sect rules, those below the third level of the Qigong realm can only choose martial arts on the first floor."
"This disciple understands," Chen Fan nodded, saluted the elder, and stepped into the pavilion.
The outer sect disciples waiting to watch Chen Fan embarrass himself were stunned when they saw him talking briefly with the Pavilion Guard Elder before entering the Martial Arts Pavilion.
What had happened?
The trash of the outer sect had actually entered the Martial Arts Pavilion. Had he advanced to the first level of the Qigong realm?
"The Pavilion Guard Elder must have let him enter as a favor!" said someone viciously.
The Martial Arts Pavilion was enormous, spanning several hundred meters in diameter. It housed countless bookshelves, stacked row upon row, containing a staggering variety of martial arts manuals and cultivation techniques—at least ten thousand volumes in total.
Martial art manuals had four main tiers— Dirt, Profound, Earth, and Heaven. And each tier was further divided into Lower, Middle, and Upper.[1]
The outer sect's Martial Arts Pavilion was restricted to the outer sect disciples and primarily contained martial arts manuals for the Qi Gathering realm. The highest-tier martial art manuals available were at the upper-dirt tier, located on the third floor, and required a seventh-level Qigong realm cultivation to access.
The first floor only had lower-dirt tier manuals, and it had them in abundance. Chen Fan browsed through them roughly. Their powers were limited, so he felt they weren't good enough. He glanced at the stairs leading up to the second floor, desiring more.
The higher the martial art manual's tier, the greater its might. Chen Fan wanted to pick a middle-dirt tier martial skill to practice. Since he had started at a disadvantage compared to others, he sought to catch up as quickly as possible.
"Although I am only at the second level of the Qigong realm, my strength is at 2,600 jin, comparable to a late-stage, second-level Qigong martial artist. The elder said only third-level or above Qigong martial artists can enter the second floor, but... Let's give it a try. If I fail, I'll just choose a martial skill from this floor."
After pondering briefly, he walked toward the stairs to the second floor.
Just as Chen Fan started up the stairs, he encountered an obstacle. A transparent barrier materialized in front of him, blocking his path.
Chen Fan was not surprised by this.
With so many disciples coming in and out of the Martial Arts Pavilion every day, the Pavilion Guard Elder couldn't possibly keep an eye on all of them and determine who should be allowed on the second floor and who should stay on the first floor
This membrane functioned as a filter, allowing only those who met the required cultivation level to pass through. Chen Fan's second-level Qigong cultivation fell short of the standard, preventing him from advancing to the next floor.
Chen Fan wasn't discouraged, however. His primeval qi swelled and surged out, pushing the membrane, trying to penetrate it and enter forcibly.
Chen Fan pressed forward, step by step, indenting the membrane with each step. However, the membrane was incomparably tough and wouldn't break. Moreover, the force of the recoil kept increasing, trying to eject Chen Fan.
Chen Fan gritted his teeth and pushed forward with all his might, fighting against the rebounding force. His veins bulged, his face flushed, and his blood pumped rapidly as he summoned every last bit of his strength.
Outside the Martial Arts Pavilion, the Pavilion Guard Elder lifted his wine gourd and took a swig. Some wine spilled out from the corners of his mouth. A strange light flashed in his eyes as he mumbled, "Strong-willed and resilient. A decent seedling. Seeing as you tried to suck up to this elder, I'll help you a little..."
Chen Fan was about to reach his limits; suddenly, he heard something rupturing and saw fissures appearing in the membrane, spreading like spiderwebs. Immediately after, he noticed the rebound from the membrane diminishing rapidly, so he took a fierce step forward.
With a poof, the membrane holding him back shattered. Due to the inertia, Chen Fan staggered forward, nearly falling.
Chen Fan steadied himself and realized he had already reached the second floor. As he glanced back, a peculiar light flickered across his eyes.
Earlier, Chen Fan had clearly almost reached his limits and would have been repelled by the membrane's accumulated rebounding force. However, the membrane's rebounding force had unexpectedly weakened, dropping to a level comparable to a third-level Qigong cultivator. This allowed him to pass through the membrane unhindered.
"What's going on?"
Chen Fan was a little confused. However, overcoming the membrane's resistance and being able to pick out a martial skill on the second floor was great news to him.
He didn't bother thinking too deeply about it and rushed up to the second floor in just a few steps.
1. The martial arts tiers are based on the excerpt "天玄而地黄" found in an ancient Chinese divination text, Yi Jing or I-Ching, usually translated as Book of Changes or Classic of Changes. Multiple meanings can be understood here. The Heaven is colored Black (A very deep blue close to black), incredibly distant, or deeply Profound, unable to be comprehended, while the Earth is Yellow. Yellow could be interpreted as the color of Dirt, human skin, and millet (ancient China's most important food grain). Here, I have to decide which word to represent the two lower ranks. Black or Profound, and Yellow or Dirt. Profound sounds good and is a common word in cultivation novels, but calling a martial art Dirt rank sounds a little iffy, and using Profound/Yellow seems odd to have a random color in the rankings. What are your thoughts?
Chapter 4 - Thousand Hand Seal
The second floor was just as big as the first one, but it had half as many books as the first. Therefore, the space seemed rather empty.
Since Chen Fan had the Heaven Seizing Art, he naturally didn't need any other cultivation techniques. So, he made a beeline to the martial skills section.
"Golden Stone Fist. This punching technique is fierce and overbearing. When practiced until major mastery, you can break stone slabs with your bare hands. But training your fists to be as hard as metal and stone won't be easy. It will take a lot of effort and endurance."
Chen Fan quickly glanced at the manual and then returned it, his expression remaining neutral.
Although Golden Stone Fist was powerful, with more than enough explosive power, it lacked sustainability. It wasn't the martial skill he wanted.
"Raging Flames Blade Art. When practiced to the peak, one can deliver nine slashes almost simultaneously, each slash as fierce as a blazing fire. It has high attacking power but requires a large amount of primeval qi to execute. Suitable for martial artists with robust primeval qi."
Chen Fan took the Raging Flames Blade Art and flipped through its pages, feeling quite impressed; ultimately, he returned this manual to the shelf, too, as he didn't have a blade. Given his current circumstances, he couldn't afford to support his cultivation and buy something precious like a blade.
"Venom Dragon Drill Whip Technique. Turns a long whip into a venomous dragon, entangling one's enemy and strangling them. Can also deal a fatal strike, penetrating the enemy like a drill and killing them instantly."
Chen Fan didn't pick this one either because the Venom Dragon Drill Whip Technique's requirements for a weapon were too high.
Very few martial artists chose whips as their weapons. Although their long-range attacks were very powerful, their power fell sharply in close combat. Also, whips were rarer than other weapons; consequently, they had become costly items.
"Flying Sword Technique. This sword technique is faintly discernible and unpredictable. Its form is like a breeze—light and elegant..."
Chen Fan pursed his lips and said, "Excessively elegant, but lacking in power. Will look good, but won't be potent."
"Clear Wind Palm..."
"Plum Blossom Breaker..."
Chen Fan perused martial arts manuals one after another, returning them after briefly scanning their contents. In doing so, he inadvertently discovered their shortcomings.
"Hmm? When did my comprehension become so keen and my thoughts so agile, allowing me to assess the merits and flaws of these martial arts?"
Chen Fan suddenly realized, having gone through tens of martial arts manuals.
In the past, not only were Chen Fan's meridians blocked and his dantian rigid, but his understanding of martial arts was also merely average.
However, Chen Fan had realized that his mind had become remarkably agile, as if his Governor Vessel and Conception Vessel acupoints had opened, giving him a sense of rebirth.
"Did the lightning strike perhaps alter my martial arts comprehension?"
Chen Fan felt elated. Getting struck by lightning had pretty much improved his talents in all areas.
"As if the Heaven Seizing Art alone wasn't tyrannical enough, the lightning bolt also elevated my other talents. I should use it in the future," said Chen Fan, thinking about the Heaven Seizing Art.
Not only could it plunder the primeval qi of heaven and earth, but it could also pillage other martial artists' martial talents and comprehension, allowing its user to become even more demonic. However, there is a limitation—it could only target martial artists who had recently passed away.
Chen Fan looked around the second floor's martial skill area; in the end, he failed to find anything satisfactory.
Suddenly, a creaking sound came from under his feet.
Looking down, he noticed that one of the floor tiles was slightly elevated, suggesting something lay hidden beneath it.
Chen Fan's curiosity was piqued. He crouched down, moving this loose, raised floor tile to the side. He immediately discovered a manual lying there, hidden from everyone. The pages of the book had turned yellow with age.
"This is..."
Chen Fan picked up this secret manual and flipped it open. On the first page, three big golden words were written: Thousand Hand Seal. The golden light emanating from the letters was almost blinding.
"It's actually a martial skill. I wonder who hid it here."
Chen Fan muttered as he flipped through its pages; suddenly, something caught his eye.
The Thousand Hand Seal turned out to be a lower-profound tier martial skill, consisting of four different seal styles: the Vajra Seal, Chakravarti Seal, Yama Seal, and Avalokitesvara Seal.
Regrettably, this Thousand Hand Seal manual contained only the first two styles, greatly reducing its powers. So, it was now comparable to a middle-dirt tier martial skill.
Chen Fan thought it was a pity and continued turning the pages.
The first style, Vajra Seal, was characterized by its extreme forcefulness and firmness, with seemingly boundless power. After practicing it, one's primeval qi would condense into golden hand seals, like the hands of the Vajra Buddha, possessing incredible durability and an astonishingly potent offensive capability.
The second style, Chakravarti Seal, was characterized by its wave-like motions, combining both force and gentleness to provide seemingly endless power.
Chen Fan's heart blossomed with joy when he read the introductions of these two styles.
After browsing through so many martial skills, the Thousand Hand Seal was the one that impressed him the most.
Although executing these skills required large amounts of primeval qi, Chen Fan wasn't worried since his primeval qi was very robust.
"Although this Thousand Hand Seal manual only contains the first two styles, it's certainly a great middle-dirt tier martial skill. If I can obtain the two remaining styles in the future, practicing them will be much easier, too."
"This is the one. Since it was hidden, no one ever discovered it, but I found it today. It seems fate has brought the Thousand Hand Seal and me together. Maybe it's been waiting for my arrival."
Chen Fan held the Thousand Hand Seal manual close to his chest and put the floor tile back in its place. He hurried to the first floor, greeted the Pavilion Guard Elder, and left.
He planned to find a remote place to practice this new martial skill, but before he could go far, the yellow-clothed teenager from before stopped him.
"Trash, I didn't expect you to actually break through to the first level of the Qigong realm. What surprising news."
Chen Fan had scared off the teen in yellow by using the Pavilion Guard Elder's name, but the teen hadn't gone far. How could he not deduce Chen Fan's cultivation level after seeing him enter the Martial Arts Pavilion?
"You waited here for so long just to tell me this?" Chen Fan looked at the yellow-clothed teenager indifferently.
"Woah, nice one, trash. You think you're qualified to talk back to me now that you are a first-level Qigong master?"
The yellow-clothed teenager sneered coldly and took a step forward. The power of his second-level Qigong cultivation surged, creating a whirlwind that swept toward Chen Fan. With a fierce smile, he said, "You have two choices before you. First, kneel and kowtow to me three times, calling me your grandfather, and I will spare you this time. Second, I will beat you until you accept option one. Which option will you choose?"
"I choose the third option," Chen Fan responded, a cold glint flickering in his eyes.
"The third?" The yellow-clothed youngster was confused.
Chen Fan suddenly raised his fists and viciously said, "Screw you!"
Chen Fan's fist went flying with those words toward the yellow-clothed teenager.
"You wanna die!" shouted the yellow-clothed teenager angrily. Unexpectedly, Chen Fan had decided to fight the second-level Qigong martial artist. What a daring move! Since that was the case, the yellow-clothed teen decided to teach Chen Fan a lesson and make him understand his place. Even if Chen Fan had advanced to the first level of the Qigong realm, he was still nothing more than trash.
"Break!"
The yellow-clothed teenager roared. He also sent out a punch, and his primeval qi surged. Two thousand jin of strength rushed out like a flood, his face carrying a ferocious smile. He had already imagined the scene of his punch breaking Chen Fan's arm.
Bam!
However, the teen's complexion instantly changed when his and Chen Fan's fists struck.
He felt a force far exceeding his 2,000 jin pushing against him. Chen Fan's terrifying strength surged into his arm like a torrent, causing a tearing sensation within his limb.
"Did you think shouting will make you stronger?"
Chen Fan's voice rang out coldly. An even more ferocious force rushed into the yellow-clothed teenager's arm. Immediately, the sound of bone cracking rang out.
"Ah!"
The yellow-clothed teenager released a miserable scream and flew backward, crashing into the ground. His right arm was bent into a weird shape, his bone broken.
Chen Fan strode over and looked down at the yellow-clothed teenager, making the teen tremble with a face full of horror.
He simply couldn't comprehend how someone like Chen Fan, whom everyone considered trash, had undergone such a sudden and significant growth in strength.
"Now... What should you be doing?"
The chilling voice rang in the yellow-clothed teenager's ears, making him shiver. He immediately bottled up his pain, kneeled, and kowtowed to Chen Fan three times. "Grandfather..."
Bang! Thê sourc𝗲 of this conte/nt n/o/v/(𝒆l)bi((n))
However, as soon as the first "grandfather" left his mouth, Chen Fan sent him flying with a kick. "Get lost. I don't have a stupid grandson like you."
With confident strides, Chen Fan departed from the scene.
Chapter 5 - Unexpected Boon
Instead of returning to his residence, Chen Fan took a few detours along the way and eventually arrived at a secluded grove far removed from the bustling city.
Within the heart of the grove, there was a clearing approximately ten meters in radius, where massive stones, around two meters high, stood scattered haphazardly,
Adjacent to the grove, there was a magnificent waterfall. A torrent of water, resembling a white dragon, cascaded down from a cliff that stood tens of meters tall. The spray of water droplets filled the air, occasionally creating the enchanting sight of a rainbow.
Chen Fan had accidentally found this serene and picturesque place hidden from the main thoroughfares and immediately recognized its potential for cultivation.
Sitting down atop a limestone, Chen Fan took out the Thousand Hands Seal manual, which he had previously tucked away in his bosom. He couldn't contain his excitement as he prepared to practice this martial skill for the first time.
Earlier, he had taken a quick look at the manual in the Martial Arts Pavilion. Now, he had to dedicate his time to carefully reading and comprehending the profound teachings within the Thousand Hands Seal.
The golden light had altered his martial arts comprehension level, but even he found the passage and its small, densely packed words quite complicated.
In the past, it would have taken him days, if not weeks, to fully grasp their meaning. However, his mind now worked like a machine, allowing him to comprehend many aspects with just a single glance. He could even understand the more intricate sections after some thoughtful consideration.
About an hour later, Chen Fan flipped over to the last page of Thousand Hands Seal.
Suddenly, he realized that something was off with the last page—it was thicker than all the other pages.
Curiosity piqued, Chen Fan carefully examined the edges of the page and noticed that they were thinner than the middle portion. Narrowing his eyes, he muttered, "Is something hidden here too?"
Chen Fan picked up the Thousand Hands Seal manual and held it against the sun, revealing the item concealed within the pages. Had he not examined the page, he would have failed to detect the hidden item.
Using a bit of saliva on his finger, Chen Fan delicately moistened a corner of the thin sheet of paper, allowing him to lift it. As he slowly unfolded it, a golden piece of paper slipped and fell to the ground.
Chen Fan picked up the golden paper at his feet. He discovered that it contained nearly a thousand minuscule black words, densely written. Each character was no larger than a mosquito. It took him the better part of a day to decipher the contents.
The golden paper recorded a body refining method called the Myriad Elephants Divine Art. It was an earth-tier body refining cultivation technique with a total of fifteen layers.
After mastering it, a cultivator's physique would become as strong as an ancient ferocious beast, with each move carrying the might of ten thousand elephants.
The first to third layers were called Strength Refining.
The fourth to sixth layers were called Bone Tempering.
The seventh to ninth layers were called Body Strengthening.
The tenth to twelfth layers were called Divine Strength.
The thirteenth to fifteenth layers were known as Myriad Elephants.
After reading the contents of the golden paper, Chen Fan was shocked beyond words. His expression reflected his astonishment and disbelief.
An earth-tier technique?
Body refining technique?
The strength of myriad elephants?
The mere concept of possessing the strength of ten thousand wild elephants seemed unfathomable to him.
Not even a Yuanfu realm expert would have the strength of ten thousand elephants!
"What is this, a two-for-one deal?"
Chen Fan looked incomparably excited when he came back to his senses.
The Myriad Elephants Divine Art hidden within the Thousand Hands Seal secret manual was simply an unexpected and extraordinary blessing.
Furthermore, if he advanced to the seventh layer, the realm of Body Strengthening, his body would become so tough that it would become impervious to swords and blades. And in the Divine Strength realm, he would become so powerful that he could destroy a mountain with a punch.
As far as Chen Fan understood, body-refining cultivation techniques were scarce. Each manual held immense value, and the Myriad Elephants Divine Art, being an earth-tier martial art, was an unparalleled treasure. Even if one searched his sect from end to end, they wouldn't find another manual like this.
According to rumors, ancient body cultivators specialized in strengthening their physiques. With their immense strength, they could effortlessly demolish mountains, surpassing even ancient Qi cultivators in terms of power. However, the body cultivation path had gradually declined over time, and the inheritances passed down to the present era had greatly diminished.
The physique of a martial artist served as their foundation, but cultivating it was an arduous task, as it required enduring unimaginable pain repeatedly.
Ordinary people couldn't endure such pain, leading to the gradual decline of the body cultivation path over the years. Consequently, qi cultivation had become quite prevalent in the current era.
However, one couldn't deny that body cultivation was very powerful.
This was particularly evident for cultivators who practiced both qi and body cultivation simultaneously. They stood out among their peers at the same cultivation level and could effortlessly contend with those of higher cultivation levels. Nevertheless, such individuals were few and far between.
"My primeval qi is much thicker than those in the same cultivation level, so my combat strength will also be above them. If I top it off with the Myriad Elephants Divine Art by refining my physique, I will become something like a divine weapon with infinite strength, invulnerable to blades or spears. I'll be able to jump ranks and fight martial artists who are a small cultivation realm or maybe even two above me." Ne/w novel chapt𝒆rs are p/u/blished on no/vel(/bin(.)c/o/m
Chen Fan's eyes shone brilliantly. He was really loving this unexpected boon.
Although body cultivation was hard and painful, it was nothing compared to the humiliation he had endured in the past three years. It reminded him that those without strength would forever be humiliated, while the strong would be respected.
If he couldn't endure this bit of suffering, how could he even talk about stepping onto the peak of martial arts or becoming a sovereign, looking down on all the experts under the heavens?
...
In the grove, the sound of wind and thunder rang as if a level ten typhoon was blowing, sweeping up all the gravel on the ground.
Chen Fan was practicing the first style of the Thousand Hands Seal: the Vajra Seal.
His shirt was already drenched in sweat, and white smoke rose from his head.
He had already spent half a day practicing here, but there was no sign of fatigue on his face; instead, he looked extremely energetic and excited.
Primeval qi surged into Chen Fan's hands and soon gained a faint golden color, emitting a faint yellowish light.
"Go!"
Chen Fan suddenly struck a large stone ahead with his palm. With a boom, the air shook, and he saw a faint golden palm materialize.
This faint golden palm instantly flew and landed on that large rock. A deep handprint was imprinted into the surface, accompanied by tiny cracks radiating from the impact.
Seeing the outcome of this palm strike, Chen Fan furrowed his brow and shook his head, extremely dissatisfied.
Even though he was only practicing a remnant of the complete manual, the Thousand Hands Seal should possess far greater power as a lower profound tier martial skill.
In his imagination, that palm strike should have pulverized the large stone into fine powder, rather than merely leaving a palm print several inches deep.
Of course, the half of the Thousand Hands Seal Chen Fan had was only a middle dirt tier martial skill at best, but it still wasn't easy to practice. Even with the enhancements to his cognitive abilities granted by the golden light, Chen Fan still needed to dedicate considerable time and effort to practicing the skill.
The palm strike from before was merely at the basic level of mastery, not yet reaching the level of minor mastery. He could only display the Vajra Seal's true might after reaching the minor mastery stage.
Chen Fan started practicing again.
He directed his primeval qi along the same path as before when he executed the Vajra Seal, channeling it into his palms. With each strike, he bombarded the large stone, palm after palm.
Every time Chen Fan practiced, he would notice the areas he was lacking in and improve them. As a result, each palm strike became stronger than the last; soon, he had mastered the Vajra Seal to a higher level.
Practicing the Vajra Seal required substantial amounts of primeval qi. Despite having abundant primeval qi, Chen Fan couldn't keep up with endless practice. Therefore, he would switch to the Myriad Elephants Divine Art whenever his primeval qi was depleted.
The Myriad Elephants Divine Art didn't consume much primeval qi at the Strength Refining layer. It only needed a minimal amount of primeval qi to nourish his body after borrowing external forces to temper it.
Upon reaching the fourth layer of Bone Tempering, he would need to transform his primeval qi into wild elephants and integrate them into his blood, flesh, tendon, and bones. At that time, the consumption of primeval qi would become very high.
As for using external forces to temper his flesh, Chen Fan chose a self-mutilation method without hesitation. He exposed his torso and charged toward the surrounding large stones, slamming into them repeatedly.
Chen Fan could feel his organs shaking with each slam, feeling like he would vomit them out soon. He felt woozy from the impact; every inch of his body was in pain and covered in bruises.
However, all this pain made Chen Fan think of strength, becoming stronger. He gritted his teeth and persisted.
After all, body cultivation demanded unwavering perseverance. If Chen Fan could endure all of it, all his efforts would be rewarded.
Every time he was about to crumble from the impact, Chen Fan would sit down with his legs crossed and activate the Heaven Seizing Art. By doing so, he would guide more Qi into his body, replenishing the primeval qi in his dantian. Consequently, a portion of this primeval qi would also nourish his physical form.
As a result, he grew stronger with each practice session.