Elder, what level is this knife technique? Why is it so difficult to cultivate? Is it even harder than the Nine Transformations Battle Body?"
Ye Tian inquired, his gaze directed curiously at the elder guarding the battle hall, intrigued by the peculiar martial arts he had encountered. Previously, no one had succeeded in cultivating the Nine Transformations Battle Body, and now this "Burial of Heaven's Three Styles" had only been mastered by one individual. Was he destined to practice such bizarre martial arts?
"Hehe, it certainly cannot compare to the Nine Transformations Battle Body. According to the Great Elder's classification, it should be slightly above the top-tier Xuan-level martial techniques, yet still falls short of the low-tier Earth-level techniques, roughly within that range," the elder replied with a smile.
Ye Tian nodded, acknowledging that this knife technique was indeed inferior to the Nine Transformations Battle Body, which was a divine-level martial art, the pinnacle according to the standards of the Divine Continent.
In a place as small as the Great Yan Kingdom, even heavenly-level martial techniques were rarely seen, let alone the formidable divine or sacred-level techniques.
Ye Tian had merely asked out of curiosity, yet he remained fascinated by this technique known as "Burial of Heaven's Three Styles."
"The martial arts created by the Great Elder must be extraordinary." Ye Tian suddenly recalled the silver-robed Great Elder he had seen during the arena competition, whose overwhelming presence filled him with admiration; that was the true embodiment of strength.
"Ye Tian, devote yourself to your training. Perhaps, like the Nine Transformations Battle Body, you will create another miracle," the elder encouraged, having been thoroughly impressed by Ye Tian's martial arts talent after the success of the Nine Transformations Battle Body.
"I will strive for it!" Ye Tian replied with a wry smile. He understood that the Nine Transformations Battle Body required both martial soul and martial arts talent, and he was confident in his ability to master it. However, he had yet to assess the "Burial of Heaven's Three Styles" and could not be certain of his capability to cultivate it.
After conversing with the elder for a while longer, Ye Tian took his leave, carrying the "Burial of Heaven's Three Styles" back to his palace.
The elder watched Ye Tian depart, a knowing smile playing on his lips, before murmuring, "What do you think? Do you believe this young man can master the Burial of Heaven's Three Styles?"
Swish!
A figure suddenly appeared beside the elder guarding the battle hall.
"Impossible!" It was an old man clad in a silver starry robe; if Ye Tian were present, he would recognize this person as the Great Elder.
Elder Zang's eyes were profoundly deep as he gazed at the departing Ye Tian, sighing and shaking his head, "This boy's talent is indeed rare; he is likely among the top in the entire Great Yan Kingdom. He may very well revitalize our Divine Star Sect, but the conditions required for this knife technique are exceedingly harsh."
"Harsh? What exactly are the requirements for this knife technique? Why have you kept this secret hidden?" the elder guarding the battle hall asked curiously.
"It requires the comprehension of knife intent!" Elder Zang spoke solemnly. "Only by grasping a fraction of knife intent can one cultivate this technique. Without it, no matter how high your martial arts talent, it is futile."
The elder guarding the battle hall's face immediately registered realization. No wonder no one had succeeded in cultivating it all these years; there were only so many martial monarchs in the Divine Star Sect, and among them, only Elder Zang had comprehended knife intent.
"The Martial Spirit realm... to comprehend knife intent is indeed difficult. In the entire Great Yan Kingdom, I only know of the Seventh Prince from the Nanlin Kingdom," Elder Zang lamented.
The elder guarding the battle hall nodded. Even some martial sects found it challenging to comprehend martial will, let alone martial artists at the Martial Spirit realm.
Even the Seventh Prince had achieved his understanding of spear intent through extraordinary fortune, and he was still far from mastering a fraction of it.
...
Upon returning to the palace, Ye Tian discovered Lin Fei still immersed in his training. He then entered his chamber alone and opened the "Burial of Heaven's Three Styles," studying it meticulously.
"A knife technique that ranks just below low-tier Earth-level martial arts. If I can master it, I will have a solid grasp of victory in the upcoming battle against the Mad Blade," Ye Tian thought with anticipation as he examined the technique closely.
However, when he saw the contents of the book, astonishment overtook him.
"Hmm? What is this? The Taiji Diagram?"
Gazing at the enormous Yin-Yang fish pattern on the first page, Ye Tian was momentarily dumbfounded. He was all too familiar with this image; it was none other than the universally recognized Taiji Diagram from his previous life on Earth.
Ye Tian recalled having studied Taijiquan in his past life and even hung a large Taiji Diagram on the wall of his family's hall.
Yet, after so many years on the Divine Continent, this was the first time he had encountered the Taiji Diagram; he had never even heard of it before.
"Wow, I didn't expect that this world would have someone researching the Taiji Diagram, and that they could create a knife technique based on it," Ye Tian marveled. In his previous life, he had researched much about the Taiji Diagram online and knew that this seemingly simple Yin-Yang fish image contained profound universal truths that many scientists had failed to fully comprehend.
Thus, Ye Tian held great admiration for the Great Elder of the Divine Star Sect. Regardless of the merit of this knife technique, the mere ability to draw this diagram was not something ordinary intelligence could achieve.
"It seems this knife technique is anything but simple."
With a serious expression, Ye Tian began to read the text beneath the Taiji Diagram, and information about the knife technique flooded his mind.
At first, surprise flickered across Ye Tian's face, which soon transformed into shock, and ultimately, he was left utterly astounded. However, amid the astonishment, a glimmer of excitement shone in his eyes.
"Taiji generates the two forms? I never expected the Great Elder to delve this deeply, and even create the Three Styles of Taiji Knife Technique by complementing knife intent with true essence. Truly remarkable!"
After thoroughly examining the text, Ye Tian was left in awe, completely captivated by the wisdom of the Great Elder.
The Taiji Diagram, which had eluded countless scientists on Earth, had been created by a martial artist in this world. If the Great Elder was not a fellow transmigrant like him, then this person's intellect was indeed terrifying.
If such wisdom were found on Earth, the individual would either be a sage or a leading scientist.
To be honest, if he had not witnessed it with his own eyes, Ye Tian would find it hard to believe that someone could create the Taiji Diagram and this knife technique, which seamlessly integrated knife intent—truly a marvel of nature.
Ye Tian suspected that this knife technique's level exceeded that of Xuan-level, perhaps even surpassing Earth-level, as the divine-level martial art he had practiced, the Nine Transformations Battle Body, seemed to be slightly inferior.
However, he quickly dismissed this notion, realizing that the Great Elder was merely at the Martial Monarch realm. Even an invincible powerhouse at that level could not possibly create a martial technique comparable to divine-level.
Ye Tian believed that his cultivation of the Nine Transformations Battle Body was only at the initial stage, hence not particularly formidable. If he were to master the subsequent levels, he would surely grow stronger.
With that thought, Ye Tian began to revisit the Burial of Heaven's Three Styles, having just grasped its essence.
If Elder Zang were to learn of this, he would surely be incredulous that Ye Tian could comprehend the technique after just one reading. Was it a testament to Ye Tian's unparalleled martial talent, or was the knife technique merely superficial?
This knife technique had left the entire Divine Star Sect, aside from Elder Zang, utterly helpless, which certainly indicated it was not merely superficial.
So, was Ye Tian's martial talent truly extraordinary?
In reality, while Ye Tian's martial talent was indeed impressive, it was impossible to claim that he could understand a martial technique nearing the Earth-level after just one glance.
However, the Burial of Heaven's Three Styles was different; it seemed tailor-made for Ye Tian, to the extent that he himself believed it was his destined martial art.
The reason why many geniuses of the Divine Star Sect had struggled to cultivate the Burial of Heaven's Three Styles boiled down to two factors.
First: the necessity of comprehending a fraction of knife intent, which was essential. Without this, no matter how exceptional one's talent, mastering the Burial of Heaven's Three Styles would be impossible.
Second: the profundity of the Taiji Diagram.
This second point was also exceedingly challenging. Despite Elder Zang's annotations and even his direct instruction, the depth of the Taiji Diagram was something anyone from Earth would understand. It was impossible to grasp its intricacies in an instant.
In fact, Ye Tian believed that this second point was the most daunting requirement.
Individuals who grasped a fraction of knife intent were not rare; after all, the Divine Continent was vast, and there were certainly many who comprehended knife intent.
However, finding someone who also understood the Taiji Diagram would be far more difficult—perhaps even impossible.
Yet Ye Tian was different. He possessed memories from his previous life, where countless scientists on Earth had studied the Taiji Diagram, and many of its mysteries could be found online.
Fortunately, when Ye Tian had learned Taijiquan, he had also perused some information about the Taiji Diagram, allowing him to quickly grasp the Burial of Heaven's Three Styles.
Ye Tian had effectively combined the research achievements of countless scientists from his previous life, giving him a significant advantage. For someone from this world, relying solely on personal study of the Taiji Diagram would not yield results even after hundreds or thousands of years.
With this in mind, Ye Tian couldn't help but question whether the Taiji Diagram was truly created by the Great Elder.
If it indeed was the Great Elder's creation, then his wisdom could hardly be described as impressive; "extraordinary" would be more fitting.
"Achoo...
Within a palace of the Divine Star Sect, the elder known as Zang, who had just returned from the battle hall, suddenly sneezed.
"Hmm? What is this? Is someone thinking of me?" Zang mused, rubbing his nose and furrowing his brow. How could a formidable powerhouse at the pinnacle of the Martial Sovereign realm catch a cold? Surely, someone must be conspiring against him.
"Hmph, it would be best if I do not discover your identity; otherwise, hmph!" Zang snorted disdainfully before closing his eyes.
Meanwhile, within the palace nestled on the mountainside, Ye Tian had drawn forth his bloodied blade and was gradually practicing the Three Styles of Burial.
A tremendous aura of blade intent began to permeate the entire hall, resonating with every movement Ye Tian made.
Lin Fei, who was cultivating at the entrance of the palace, could not help but open his eyes in astonishment, gazing toward the great doors. He was puzzled, as he sensed a terrifying pressure emanating from the cracks of the palace entrance.