Chapter 41

PS: Fellow seniors, it's midnight again, time to push for the rankings!

Last week, I was always hovering at the threshold of the weekly click rankings, but never managed to cross it. I was always just about a hundred points short, who could be as unlucky as me?!

Tears streaming down my face! Fellow seniors, for the sake of the party and the country, give me a hand.

I beg for points, I beg for recommendation votes!

I beg you...

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"Only one martial technique can be learned?" Yang Dingtian asked in surprise.

"That's right. Because martial techniques determine a martial artist's mystic qi path and attack attributes, a martial artist can only learn one martial technique in their lifetime. However, after reaching the Great Mystic Warrior level, multiple mystic techniques can be learned," Dugu Fengwu said. "Through martial techniques, one's mystic qi cultivation is determined. Mystic techniques, on the other hand, determine one's attack power. Martial techniques are the foundation, while mystic techniques are the branches and leaves."

Then, Yan Yan picked up a scroll and said, "This is the Flame Demon Sword Technique, an eighth-grade lower-level secret manual, with a powerful area of effect. Mystic qi automatically carries a destructive aura, and once the enemy is hit, they will suffer continuous damage."

After saying this, Yan Yan looked at Yang Dingtian to see if he was interested.

Yang Dingtian took the secret manual, closed his eyes to feel it, and after a while, put it back.

Yan Yan then picked up another scroll and introduced it, "This is the Prison Splitting Mad Saber Technique, an eighth-grade mid-level technique. It has a powerful penetration ability, converting mystic qi into a powerful force that can destroy anything."

Yang Dingtian said, "I want to practice the sword, so I will only choose sword techniques."

"Why?" Yan Yan asked. "Other weapons are not much worse, right?"

"Because I want to cultivate a sword soul," Yang Dingtian said, thinking of how powerful Ximen Wuyan was when he used the sword soul 'Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Source,' and that was just a growth-stage sword soul.

"Ah..." Yan Yan exclaimed in surprise. "The sword soul is the king of martial souls, and it is extremely, extremely difficult. In the world, only three people have cultivated a sword soul. You must think carefully."

"Which three people?" Yang Dingtian asked.

"My father, the Eastern Sect Master, and the Hidden Sect Master. Even Zhu Qingzhu did not cultivate a sword soul," Yan Yan said. "In this world, out of a hundred people who want to cultivate a sword soul, less than half a person succeeds. For ordinary martial souls, as long as you capture a powerful demon beast and directly refine it, you can have it. Therefore, any Mystic-level expert can have a martial soul to assist in battle. However, for a sword soul, even a Master-level expert might not be able to refine it, and they might not even have the materials to forge a soul sword."

"Are the materials for a soul sword that difficult to obtain?" Yang Dingtian asked.

"The sword soul is to make a sword have life and soul. Therefore, the best body is needed, and for a yang bloodline, blood gold is required, at least 99 blood golds. Just these 99 blood golds alone, a martial artist would have to travel tens of thousands of miles across the world and spend at least a dozen years to find them," Yan Yan said. "Not to mention the heaven's treasure, the mystic pulse essence, and the even rarer and more precious sea soul crystal. If not for luck, a person might spend their entire life and still not gather all these materials."

Yang Dingtian immediately drew a deep breath and asked in his heart, "Master, is this true?"

"It's true," Dongfang Niemie said. "I spent ten years traveling the world to find enough blood gold. As for the mystic pulse essence and sea soul crystal, that's entirely up to fate. Therefore, cultivating a soul sword is almost the most difficult thing in the world, even more difficult than reaching the Great Master level."

Yang Dingtian was stunned and asked again in his heart, "How powerful is a sword soul?"

"The king of martial souls!" Dongfang Niemie said. "Whoever cultivates a powerful sword soul will be invincible in the world. Your Uncle Ximen's sword soul is only at the growth stage, yet it is already so powerful. In another ten years, no one in the world will be able to match him. Because he chose the most difficult path, and the sword soul he chose is the most difficult and most powerful sword soul."

Yang Dingtian was immediately filled with excitement.

"You are short on time, and cultivating a sword soul will be even more difficult," Dongfang Niemie said. "Therefore, cultivating an ordinary martial soul will make you very powerful much earlier. You have the Nine Yang Mystic Pulse, so you can refine a very powerful demon beast martial soul. But... if you do not cultivate a sword soul, you will never reach the peak of this world, and you will never be able to kill Zhu Qingzhu or defeat Dongfang Bingling, because she also chose the most difficult path, and she is cultivating a sword soul!"

"I know what to do, Master," Yang Dingtian said.

Then, he looked at Yan Yan and said, "I have chosen to learn the sword, so I only need to pick a sword technique."

Yan Yan looked at him for a while and said, "You and my father are both crazy."

Then, she walked to the second shelf and picked up one of the scrolls.

This was an eighth-grade mid-level secret manual, the Demon Devouring Sword Technique!

"This sword technique has the most radiant mystic qi energy, as pure as the twin suns in the sky. It has a fatal killing power against dark and evil experts," Yan Yan introduced.

Yang Dingtian had not yet taken it when Yan Yan put the scroll back, because the opponents he would face, whether now or in the future, were not from the dark and evil path. Whether it was the experts of Cloud Peak City, Dongfang Bingling, or even the Mystic Heaven Sect, they were all famous major sects in the world.

Yan Yan came to the last shelf and said, "If you didn't like any of the previous ones, then this secret manual is your only choice."

"An eighth-grade upper-level secret manual, the Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword! The most resolute and yang sword technique in the world, the most iron-blooded and hardest sword technique. It can destroy anything, fear nothing, and counter both hardness and softness. It is tyrannical and has a king's aura."

Yan Yan almost used all the words to describe this secret manual.

"Since you didn't like any of the others, you can only choose this Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword," Yan Yan said, handing the secret manual to Yang Dingtian.

Yang Dingtian took the secret manual and indeed felt a powerful and vast energy that instantly numbed his entire body. His entire mystic pulse seemed to become somewhat thirsty, eager to try.

However, Yang Dingtian looked at the door with some reluctance. Next door was the ninth-grade secret manual, the highest-grade secret manual in Cloud Peak City.

"Which secret manual did Uncle Ximen cultivate?" Yang Dingtian asked.

Yan Yan said, "He cultivated the only ninth-grade secret manual in Cloud Peak City, the Tribulation Crossing Bitter Sword Technique!"

Yang Dingtian asked again, "What is the highest-grade secret manual in the world?"

"Ninth-grade," Yan Yan said. "The highest-known mystic technique secret manual in the world is ninth-grade. Ninth-grade secret manuals are extremely rare, even the Yin-Yang Sect has no more than two or three. In our Cloud Peak City, there is only one."

Yang Dingtian said, "I want to see this ninth-grade secret manual, the Tribulation Crossing Bitter Sword Technique."

Yan Yan's breath caught, and she said bitterly, "It's gone, stolen. Five years ago, it was stolen."

Yang Dingtian felt a lump in his heart. Five years ago, Yan Yan was injured, and her cultivation was completely destroyed. The only ninth-grade secret manual in Cloud Peak City was also stolen five years ago. Could there be a connection?

This seemed to be the most painful place in Yan Yan's heart. She did not want to talk about it anymore and directly changed the subject, "My father, who only has an eighth-grade mid-level mystic pulse, chose to learn a ninth-grade mid-level secret manual, transcending the grade to cultivate. It almost led him to a dead end. For several years, he made no progress, and his genius talent was almost destroyed."

"You have no choice now. This Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword is already the strongest secret manual in Cloud Peak City," Yan Yan said.

Yang Dingtian took a deep breath and asked, "How strong can one become by learning this eighth-grade upper-level Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword?"

"War Saint!" Yan Yan said. "The first Cloud Peak City Lord, Yang Yunxiao, gave up the ninth-grade secret manual and chose this eighth-grade upper-level Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword. In the end, he advanced to the War Saint level and became the last War Saint in the world."

"So strong?" Yang Dingtian could hardly believe it. "An eighth-grade upper-level secret manual can also advance to the War Saint level?"

"Yang Yunxiao City Lord did it. He fell in love with the Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword at first sight, as if it was made for him," Yan Yan said.

Yang Dingtian took a deep breath, and his heart was suddenly filled with excitement. This was the martial technique that War Saint Yang Yunxiao learned. If he could use this sword technique to become a War Saint, why can't I?

"Have you made up your mind? Once you decide, you cannot change it," Yan Yan said.

Yang Dingtian held the scroll in his hand and asked, "Once I choose a secret manual, how should I learn it?"

Yan Yan said, "Open it, then input a stream of mystic qi into the scroll. Once your mystic qi enters the secret manual, it will blend with the martial technique. The mystic qi will circulate within the secret manual and then bring all the information of the martial technique back into your body, and you can start learning the martial technique."

So amazing? It's not text or diagrams.

Yang Dingtian held his breath and opened the scroll of the Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword. It was made of a special material, and there were indeed no words or pictures on it, only very complex patterns, some indented and some protruding. These patterns were extremely complex and had several layers, far more complex than the watermarks on paper money on Earth.

"Master, where do these secret manuals come from? Were they written by top experts hundreds of years ago?" Yang Dingtian asked in his heart.

"No, they were dug up from underground, written by the top experts of the ancient era. The Great Nirvana destroyed the entire world, and most things were destroyed, including these secret manuals, which were buried underground," Dongfang Niemie said.

"Great Nirvana? What is the Great Nirvana?" Yang Dingtian asked.

Dongfang Niemie said, "Several thousand years ago, or perhaps more than ten thousand years ago, there was a world-ending event, and the entire world was completely destroyed. The entire martial path collapsed, and the Chaos Continent was completely submerged. The land became the sea, and the sea became the land. No one knows why the Great Nirvana happened. But almost all the strongest secret manuals are relics from the ancient era."

Yang Dingtian was greatly shocked after hearing this. If the ancient era was so prosperous, what kind of energy could have destroyed that world and caused the Great Nirvana?

However, the Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword in his hand came from the ancient era, making it even more extraordinary.

Yang Dingtian's gaze became even more intense, and he placed his palm on the secret manual, ready to input mystic qi. Yan Yan held her breath, filled with worry and anticipation as she watched Yang Dingtian.

Time passed minute by minute.

Yang Dingtian, who had already made up his mind, did not input mystic qi. Yan Yan was puzzled, and Dongfang Niemie was also puzzled, "Child, didn't you already choose this secret manual? Why haven't you input mystic qi yet?"

"I don't know, Master," Yang Dingtian said. "I was very enthusiastic, and this is already the highest-grade secret manual in Cloud Peak City. I was filled with the desire to learn, but I just can't take the final step. I can't find the soul resonance that Yang Yunxiao felt when he saw this secret manual, the spark that ignited his passion."

Then, Yang Dingtian couldn't help but ask, "Master, what grade of secret manual is Dongfang Bingling learning?"

Dongfang Niemie was silent for a moment and then said, "The supreme, ninth-grade upper-level, the Supreme Demon Sword Technique! In the past four hundred years, she is the only one to have learned this sword technique."

Yang Dingtian immediately drew another deep breath.

Dongfang Bingling's sword technique was three grades higher than Yang Dingtian's, making it many times more difficult.

However, in Cloud Peak City, the highest-grade secret manual was the Chaos Heaven-Slaying Sword in his hand. What should Yang Dingtian choose?

"Child, listen to your innermost instinct," Dongfang Niemie said slowly.

Seeing that Yang Dingtian was still hesitating, Yan Yan couldn't help but say, "What are you waiting for?"

Taking a deep breath, Yang Dingtian made his decision. He immediately rolled up the secret manual and put it back, saying, "Yan Yan, are there any other secret manuals? For example, in the tenth room, the room with no words on the door, what secret manuals are stored there?"

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