Chapter 113: Nine Heavens Blade, Second Level of the Martial Marquis Realm

Wang Lin was the first to react. Li Quan, Zhang Jun, Cao Hu, and Wen Yuan soon came to their senses as well, all staring at Lu Yan in bewilderment.

There was no doubt about it: this was the legendary Divine Intent Diagram.

A moment earlier, they had stared intently at the figure within the diagram. After a while, the figure had actually begun to move in their eyes, practicing a martial art with the speed of thunder.

But why had Lu Yan shown them the Divine Intent Diagram?

Wang Lin, Li Quan, Zhang Jun, and Cao Hu had all been with Lu Yan for a long time. They knew that he had come from the Red-Clothed Guard, and although they were curious about how he had mastered a first-rate martial art, they had never asked.

Wang Lin and Zhang Jun, in particular, knew Lu Yan’s background inside and out. They knew that he was merely the son of an ordinary hunter.

But they were both tactful. If Lu Yan did not speak of it, they did not ask.

That was Lu Yan’s secret.

They and Lu Yan were already all in the same boat. The stronger Lu Yan became, the greater the benefit to them. All they needed to do was follow him wholeheartedly.

They knew perfectly well what should be asked and what should not.

“From this day forward, I will teach you first-rate martial arts,” Lu Yan said slowly.

The five men were shaken to the core.

He was going to teach them first-rate martial arts?

Did they truly have the chance to practice such martial arts?

An indescribable excitement surged through their hearts.

They had never imagined that they would one day be able to practice a first-rate martial art.

Within a Martial Marquis-level aristocratic clan, first-rate martial arts were as important as bloodline cultivation. They were regarded as the foundation of the clan. Only members of the clan’s direct bloodline, and those among them with exceptional talent, were qualified to practice such arts.

Within a Grandmaster-level aristocratic clan, outsiders serving as retainers might also have the opportunity to practice first-rate martial arts, but they were invariably people who had shown absolute loyalty to the clan, passed layer upon layer of trials, and won the recognition of its higher-ups before being granted that privilege.

And now, they would be able to practice first-rate martial arts?

Wen Yuan was especially overwhelmed. He was merely an apprentice at a martial academy and had not even joined it long ago. What had he done to deserve standing alongside these veterans?

With a thump, he dropped to his knees and bowed repeatedly.

“Your disciple pays respects to his master!”

“I am only teaching you a first-rate martial art, not taking you as a disciple. Get up. You are still an apprentice of the academy.”

Lu Yan helped Wen Yuan to his feet.

Wen Yuan felt a trace of disappointment, but the thought that he would be able to practice a first-rate martial art soon filled him with joy once more.

“The Divine Intent Diagram is of great importance and must not be shared with outsiders. Some time ago, I had a secret chamber built underground. From now on, the diagram will be kept there. The five of you may enter and study it at any time. If there is anything you do not understand, come and ask me.”

“Yes, Academy Master.”

The five men bowed and accepted his order.

Lu Yan then passed on the method of cultivating the Indestructible Vajra Art to them as well.

Recently, he had been handling everything personally, and he had come to appreciate more and more the importance of having capable subordinates.

As the academy expanded and its numbers increased, he would need people capable of standing on their own to share his burden.

He had to cultivate his own Martial Marquises.

Although Zhou Zhengkong was also a Martial Marquis, he was not truly on the same side as Lu Yan, and could not yet be completely trusted.

Lu Yan also knew that among the five, Zhang Jun, Li Quan, and Cao Hu possessed only average talent and would probably never reach the Martial Marquis realm.

Wang Lin still had a chance.

Wen Yuan’s chances were excellent.

For now, he would teach them and see what came of it.

Later, he would select several people of good character and talent from among the laborers and apprentices, then cultivate them together with Wen Yuan as his principal disciples.

As expected, Wen Yuan soon displayed astonishing martial talent. Of the five, he was the first to enter the beginner stage.

To reach the beginner stage of a first-rate martial art in three months was enough to call him a martial prodigy.

The other four were still struggling to find their way. They might never succeed in entering the beginner stage in their entire lives.

Cultivating a first-rate martial art required talent.

As for Lu Yan, after the Thunderclap Saber and Bone-Transforming Saber had both reached the Unity of Man and Weapon, he began cultivating the Canglang Saber.

His progress with second-rate martial arts was clearly much faster than before.

“Once the Canglang Saber reaches the Unity of Man and Weapon, I will have mastered six second-rate saber arts. Three will still be missing.”

Lu Yan murmured to himself.

He had Li Quan search everywhere for second-rate saber arts, while he personally went to the Hundred Herbs Merchant Guild and other small merchant guilds to purchase them.

Unfortunately, after searching the entire city, he managed to buy only one second-rate saber art that he had not practiced before.

Fortunately, Li Quan also purchased one from a saber fighter.

That brought the total to eight. Only one more was needed.

Lu Yan ordered Li Quan to continue searching.

In the blink of an eye, half a year passed.

Lu Yan had cultivated all eight second-rate saber arts to the Unity of Man and Weapon, but there was still no news of the ninth.

Although he failed to obtain another saber art, Li Quan did manage to buy a second-rate archery manual from a Martial Army Commander whose aristocratic clan had been destroyed.

“Only one saber art remains. Where can I find it? Some Martial Marquis-level clans should have second-rate saber arts in their collections. I wonder if any of them would be willing to sell one.”

Lu Yan pondered as he reviewed the information he had on various Martial Marquis-level clans.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

Was there not a ready-made second-rate saber art right in front of him?

The master of the Black Saber Academy, Liu Zong, known as Soul-Severing with One Saber, practiced a second-rate saber art, did he not?

Why search far and wide when the answer was close at hand?

That very night, Lu Yan used the Shifting Form Technique to infiltrate the Black Saber Academy.

Bang!

Lu Yan seized Liu Zong by the throat and lifted him into the air.

Liu Zong struggled desperately like a chicken awaiting slaughter, but it did him no good.

“M-Master, spare me!”

Liu Zong’s face flushed crimson as he forced out a few words.

A Martial Marquis!

From the bone force surging through Lu Yan’s palm, there could be no doubt that he was a Martial Marquis.

Liu Zong frantically racked his mind, trying to remember when he had offended such a person.

He had not.

In the presence of powerful figures, he had always been meek and submissive.

Lu Yan released him, and Liu Zong collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.

“Your saber art is not bad. Write it out for me from memory. If you get even one character wrong, I will pay you another visit tomorrow night.”

Lu Yan’s hoarse voice drifted through the pitch-black night like the whisper of a demon.

So he had taken a fancy to my saber art.

But why would a Martial Marquis be interested in a second-rate martial art? Should he not be cultivating a first-rate one?

Besides, second-rate martial arts were not difficult to purchase on the market. Why resort to such methods?

Could this Martial Marquis truly be so poor?

The thoughts flashed through Liu Zong’s mind, but his face was filled with obsequious smiles.

“Your Excellency has taken a liking to my saber art. It is my honor. I am certain that my Black Fiend Saber will shine brilliantly in your hands. I will write it down at once.”

Liu Zong fetched a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, then obediently transcribed the Black Fiend Saber. Afterward, he checked it twice to ensure that not a single word was wrong.

Lu Yan put it away and vanished into the darkness after a few leaps.

Only after Lu Yan had disappeared did Liu Zong release a long breath and collapse into a chair. That was when he realized that his entire body was drenched in cold sweat.

“From now on, I must keep a lower profile. I must not offend even the smallest of figures.”

Liu Zong secretly warned himself.

After returning to the academy, Lu Yan immediately began studying the Black Fiend Saber.

Only one more second-rate saber art was needed before they could merge into a first-rate saber art.

When that happened, his combat strength would take another great leap forward.

After a month and a half, the Black Fiend Saber reached the Unity of Man and Weapon.

At the instant it did, the nine saber-art clones collided with one another, fusing into an entirely new saber art.

First-Rate Martial Art Clone: Nameless, Unity of Man and Weapon.

Within Lu Yan’s body, the auxiliary channels opened through saber cultivation began to be reforged as well. In the end, 3,456 auxiliary channels remained, forming a new Grand Circulation.

It was entirely distinct from the Grand Circulation formed by the Indestructible Vajra Art.

“What should I call it?”

“It was formed by merging nine saber arts, and carries the meaning of the nine returning to one. Why not call it the Nine Heavens Saber?”

Lu Yan murmured to himself.

At once, the words above the saber-art clone changed.

First-Rate Martial Art Clone: Nine Heavens Saber, Unity of Man and Weapon.

“My first-rate saber art is complete. Next, I will focus on archery and related martial arts.”

Lu Yan made up his mind.

Time passed day by day. Lu Yan’s strength continued to grow, and the martial academy developed steadily.

More than two years had passed since its founding. The first group of laborers who had passed the examinations had begun to receive martial instruction.

At the same time, Lu Yan selected three people from among the laborers and three from among the apprentices, teaching all six the first-rate Indestructible Vajra Art.

These six had passed layer upon layer of investigation and were people he could trust without reservation. Together with Wen Yuan, they became the academy’s primary candidates for cultivation.

During this period, Lu Yan also sought instruction from the Zhou Clan’s Martial Chef and learned how to prepare two kinds of martial food. He successfully condensed a Martial Chef clone.

His plan was first to cultivate those two martial foods to the Unity of Man and Food. Once his horizons had broadened, he would begin practicing the “Level-Two One-Promise Lizard Meat.”

Only after mastering the preparation of Level-Two One-Promise Lizard Meat himself would he be able to cook it freely without fear of exposing the secret.

In the blink of an eye, another year passed after Lu Yan completed his first-rate saber art.

Inside the training chamber of the Three Extremes Academy, Lu Yan circulated six streams of bone force through his skeleton. They trembled faintly between his bones, and before long, a node appeared.

It was the node leading to the second layer of bone space—the inner bone space.

That was right. Lu Yan was preparing to break through to the second stage of the Martial Marquis realm.

Only two years and three months had passed since he broke through to the Martial Marquis realm, yet his six streams of bone force were already full, reaching the peak of the first stage.

That speed was astonishing.

Two first-rate martial arts at the Unity of Man and Weapon had not only given him tremendous combat strength, but had also made his cultivation speed many times faster than that of ordinary people.

Although he could not consume second-level martial food to his heart’s content, his conversion rate for first-level martial food was extraordinarily high.

An ordinary Martial Marquis often needed ten years or more to break through a single stage.

Lu Yan, on the other hand, possessed six streams of bone force and needed only two years and three months. The difference was beyond measure.

Moreover, with six streams of bone force as his foundation, breaking through into the next layer of bone space was not difficult.

Once the node appeared, the bone force surged toward it. Using the node as its center, it tore through the spatial barrier.

A new and far broader space emerged. Starlight glittered throughout it, countless and boundless.

This was the inner layer of space within the bones.

When Lu Yan’s bone force entered the inner space, the countless points of starlight converged upon the six streams of bone force and merged into them.

The six streams of bone force rapidly grew stronger.

The transformation did not stop until roughly an hour later, when the bone force finally stabilized.

Each of the six streams had grown by approximately thirty percent.

Of course, just as when he had broken through the Sealed Gate, the improvement was far from over. The following ten-odd days would be a period of rapid advancement.

Lu Yan went to the martial kitchen and brought out a large basin of Level-One One-Promise Lizard Meat. It weighed a full twenty pounds, and he devoured it heartily.

Soon, the entire basin of martial food had entered his stomach.

Naturally, first-level martial food alone was not enough. Lu Yan also consumed several pounds of second-level martial food he had purchased long ago as a supplement.

Clang!

The Crimson Blood Saber left its sheath, and its radiance leaped through the training chamber like blood-red lightning.

Ten days later, the period of rapid advancement ended. Lu Yan’s six streams of bone force were now twice as robust as before the breakthrough.

His combat strength underwent another leap. If he were to face an expert like Li Wenlong now, he could kill him with ease.

Lu Yan emerged from seclusion refreshed and invigorated.

But at that moment, Li Quan arrived with a report.

Outside Longwind City, the war between the Liu Clan and the Wei Clan had undergone a major change.

End of Chapter