C14 The Lost Ancient Sword Technique

In today's world, martial arts techniques and skills are classified into four levels: Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. Each level is further divided into four subcategories: Extreme, Upper, Middle, and Lower.

The Ancient Sword Technique doesn't fall within these categories because, back then, such distinctions didn't exist. It's said that the world once faced an unprecedented catastrophe, causing all martial arts techniques and skills to vanish without a trace. The manuals we have today were compiled by later generations from memory, evolving over countless years and through the innovations of many, leading to the structured classifications we now have.

Even if Woo Zhengyang was somewhat naive, living in this ancient martial world, he had heard various rumors about that great calamity. The significance of the term "Ancient Sword Technique" was self-evident—lost to time.

Suppressing his excitement, Woo Zhengyang turned to the second page of the "Sword Sacrificing Spell."

The "Sword Sacrificing Spell" involves sacrificing oneself, one's soul, the universe, and the vast sea of stars to the sword. The sword is the warrior's weapon, and the warrior is the soul of the sword. With a sword in hand, one can split the heavens, carve the earth, and decide life and death; with a sword in the heart, the spirit remains unbroken, the soul unmoved, and invincible!

Each character felt like a sword, piercing Woo Zhengyang's heart with unstoppable force. Just the preface alone was profoundly enlightening, drawing him in without him even realizing it!

“Ah...”

Woo Zhengyang suddenly woke up with a gasp, cold sweat instantly covering his body.

The last sentence of the preface read: “If your will is not strong, you cannot fully comprehend the mind and spirit. Those who cannot finish reading the preface should not practice, or they will be shattered, their soul lost!”

Every word before this carried profound insights into the way of the sword, while each word of this sentence wielded a truly lethal intent.

The mastery of swordsmanship by the person who wrote the Sword Sacrificing Spell was evident in how they infused sword force into the writing.

Woo Zhengyang had only read three of the twenty-seven characters when he felt as if he was being torn apart by a thousand blades, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Steadying his mind, Woo Zhengyang continued reading. A tremor from deep within his soul seeped through the lines, making him feel trapped in a dire situation, his body trembling slightly.

The eighth character!

The eleventh character!

The fifteenth character!

Woo Zhengyang's clothes were soaked with sweat, his jaw clenched tight, and his hand gripping the ancient book firmly. Fortunately, the book, though seemingly ordinary, was exceptionally resilient; it was difficult to even crease, let alone destroy.

“If others can write it, I can read it! Just twenty-seven characters—what can they do to me?”

With this thought, the pressure around him eased significantly, and Woo Zhengyang continued to read on.

Eighteenth character!

Twenty-first character!

Twenty-seventh character!

"Boom... rumble..."

After reading the last character, Woo Zhengyang felt as if his mind had split in two, unable to bear it any longer, and he passed out!

In his unconscious state, Woo Zhengyang seemed to have a hazy dream. In the dream, a figure in white wielded a fiery red sword, swinging it repeatedly. With each swing, the sword's energy would form a character, flying toward Woo Zhengyang...

Lifting his groggy head, Woo Zhengyang awoke from the dream. In his hand, the "Sword Sacrificing Spell" seemed lifeless, dissolving into white light and disappearing into the air.

Woo Zhengyang felt no regret, as every character from the "Sword Sacrificing Spell" was now deeply etched in his mind. It was a magical feeling, as if his mind had been filled with new knowledge. Even more amazing was that this knowledge retained an immortal sword essence, though Woo Zhengyang could only access the preface and a few opening chapters.

The "Sword Sacrificing Spell" appeared to be a martial technique by name, but it was actually a cultivation method, fully titled "Sword Sacrificing to Shatter the Void." Besides this, there was a simple, almost rudimentary, four-character sword technique, consisting only of the words: thrust, lift, spin, slash.

Time is incredibly important for those stepping into the realm of ancient martial arts. From the moment one becomes a Martial Disciple, a seed of time is planted, intertwined with their heartbeat and breath, becoming instinctual. Upon waking, without any need for measurement, people inherently know how much time has passed, until death.

The profound teachings of the Sword Sacrificing Spell captivated Woo Zhengyang, making him lose track of time. When he finally awoke, he realized that most of the night had slipped away.

With dawn approaching, Woo Zhengyang couldn't afford to waste any more time. He began reviewing the first section of the Sword Sacrificing Spell stored in his mind: the Vein Refining Chapter.

Refining veins with energy is the first step in ancient martial cultivation. The term "Martial Disciple" is a modern label; this stage was originally known as the Vein Refining Stage. Following this is the Reality Condensing Stage, known as the level of a Martial Master, and then the Shape Gathering Stage, known as the level of a Grandmaster, among others.

The cultivation techniques of the Sword Sacrificing Spell are invaluable, not just for their methods but for the insights woven into every word. Including breakfast, Woo Zhengyang reviewed the Vein Refining Chapter six times before he was satisfied.

However, Woo Zhengyang didn't rush into practice. Despite the allure of the ancient sword spell, it was the only technique he had encountered. He decided it was best to visit the Profound Arts Pavilion first to explore further.

The Profound Arts Pavilion is massive, occupying an entire mountain peak situated between the areas where the inner and outer disciples reside. It has entrances on both the front and back, but the entrance on the outer disciples' side only allows access to the first three levels.

To get from Six-union Valley to the Profound Arts Pavilion, Woo Zhengyang must pass through the gates of five valleys: Five-elements Valley, Four-symbols Valley, Three-talents Valley, Yin-yang Valley, and Taiji Valley. Yin-yang Valley and Taiji Valley are rarely visited, while the other three valleys often have people pointing and whispering about Woo Zhengyang. His reputation as the last-ranked disciple is almost as notable as the top-ranked one.

Amidst the chatter and sighs, these people won't follow him like they did yesterday to watch the spectacle. It's early morning, and most are heading to the outer disciples' main hall to receive their assignments. Even fewer are going to the Profound Arts Pavilion, as Woo Zhengyang is the only new disciple this year, and everyone else has already chosen their techniques.

With his identification card in hand, Woo Zhengyang easily enters the Profound Arts Pavilion. However, given his status, he can only select techniques from the first level. Despite being just the first level, it's the largest in the pavilion, with rows upon rows of technique manuals, divided into cultivation techniques and martial arts techniques.

The martial arts techniques area is further divided into three sections: movement techniques, defensive techniques, and offensive techniques. Each section is meticulously categorized into several subcategories, offering detailed options.

Woo Zhengyang casually glanced around as he entered the area dedicated to cultivation techniques.

Basic Techniques: "Tide Technique," "Spirit Devourer," "Gentle Breeze Transformation," "Cloud Splitting Sun Technique."

Intermediate Techniques: "Golden Radiance Method," "Water's Graceful Embrace," "Spirit Condensation Fog Technique."

Unlike the "Sword Sacrificing Spell," these newer techniques were each a single volume focused on one realm. Woo Zhengyang skimmed through them, noting that the methods for the Vein Refinement stage were quite similar. Despite their thoroughness, he found himself uninterested.

"It seems the 'Sword Sacrificing Spell' has really taken root in my heart; I can't help but focus on it!" Zhengyang thought, deciding it wasn't the right time to choose a new martial technique.

As he turned to leave, something caught his eye, and he paused.

He hadn't noticed before, but the cultivation area was divided into two smaller sections. One of these sections was quite small, with only a dozen or so books. Yet, these few books piqued Woo Zhengyang's interest.

The name of that section was: Body Tempering Techniques!