Chapter 873 - 605: The Path of Secret Martial Arts

Several years later.

The desolate valley is silent, with deep and secluded vegetation.

The young man’s clothes are tattered, his body covered in dust, but there is a fire burning in his eyes.

A blood feud, devouring his heart day and night!

Zhou Chen stands before him, his gaze indifferent as ice, yet his tone carries a hint of allure:

"Young friend, I have a cultivation technique here. Do you want to learn it?"

The young man trembles, hardly daring to believe his ears.

The next moment, he falls heavily to the ground with a "thud," his forehead hitting the gravel, blood seeping out, his voice hoarse and resolute:

"Disciple is willing to learn! I beg Master to impart the cultivation technique!"

Zhou Chen nods slightly, flicks his fingers, and an ancient, yellowing scroll falls into the young man’s hands.

On it are three words, dazzling as flames—Heaven-Burning Divine Skill.

"This is an innate supreme skill, the cultivation technique is domineering..."

Zhou Chen says this nonchalantly and nothing more, as the young man receives it like treasure, practicing day and night, not daring to slack off even a bit.

Time flies, and several more years pass.

The once youthful and weak young man’s cultivation advances a thousand miles a day, his progress visible to the naked eye, surrounded faintly by fierce fire Gang Qi, with an imposing aura.

Yet, as his martial arts improve, the hidden side effects of the cultivation technique quietly erupt.

...

The setting sun is like blood, not yet set in the west, and Roaring Mountain Villa has been completely engulfed by a bloodbath and storm.

Between the eaves and archways, flames soar into the sky, beams crack and splinter in the high temperature, black smoke billows up to the clouds, painting half the sky a sinister inky hue.

Screams, cries, and the sound of weapons falling mix and tumble in the waves of fire.

The martial arts noble family, once known for their prosperity, is now a purgatory on earth.

A figure in a black robe hovers in mid-air, like a frozen silhouette, surrounded by wildly swirling air currents, his robes fluttering, yet untouched by the slightest smoke or fire.

He rides the air, his body floating unpredictably, like a ghost or demon, each time he raises his hand, the innate Gang Qi lands as if an invisible giant palm crashing down.

Those disciples struck by the Gang Qi instantly erupt with eerie blue flames, flesh and skin scorching inch by inch amidst their tragic wails, before they fully scream, they have already become a dancing fireball.

"Riding the air!"

"It’s... it’s innate Gang Qi!"

"An innate expert!!"

Someone in the crowd screams in disbelief, fear enveloping everyone’s heart.

Roaring Mountain Villa has practiced martial arts for generations, the best of them no more than first-rate in the acquired realm.

They know better than anyone—the divide between innate and acquired is like that between clouds and mud, between the mortal and the divine.

Faced with such an unbeatable existence, all resistance is like throwing eggs at a rock, everyone’s fighting spirit shatters instantly, only wanting to flee in all directions.

The black-robed elder stands in the sky, expression indifferent.

He snorts coldly, waves his sleeve, and an overwhelming Gang Qi blasts out from afar.

"Boom—!"

The main gate of the villa collapses along with the flanking rooms, shattered wood and stones fly, fierce fire follows the Gang Qi and swiftly builds a fire wall, sealing off all escape routes.

The flames roar, casting his robe as black as ink, his gaze as sharp as a blade.

The villa master Lin Xiaotian’s face turns ashen, cold sweat soaking his back as he suppresses fear and questions forcefully:

"Who are you? Our Roaring Mountain Villa has no enmity with you. Why are you exterminating us?!"

No sooner had the words fallen.

A shadow flashes.

So fast it is but a trailing phantom.

In the next instant, a skeletal hand like a ghost’s claw has firmly grasped Lin Xiaotian’s throat.

The force is so great, it’s nearly crushing his throat bone.

Lin Xiaotian’s eyes bulge, breathing becomes difficult, limbs stiffen, not even a thought of resistance emerges.

The black-robed elder leans down, cackles eerily, voice raspy and piercing, like a night owl crying blood:

"My dear second uncle, after all these years, don’t you recognize your nephew?"

"Nephew... nephew?"

Lin Xiaotian’s pupils contract suddenly, staring dead on at the old, haggard, sinisterly wrinkled face, somehow finding traces of familiarity in its contour.

But... how is it possible?

That child was but fourteen back then, even if he survived, he wouldn’t yet be twenty now; how could he appear so aged?

"It’s... Lin Chen?!"

The elder’s laughter grows increasingly deranged, laced with chilling hatred:

"Yes, it’s me! Didn’t expect it, did you?!"

"You colluded with outsiders back then, murdered my parents, seized the villa’s foundation, discarded me at a pit to feed wild dogs—you reap what you sow now!"

Lin Xiaotian’s mind shakes severely, his mouth hurriedly defends:

"Chen’er! Listen to your uncle’s explanation! It was a misunderstanding back then! Someone framed us; I was forced as well..."

Yet deep in his eyes, at this moment, swirls greedy madness.

Innate!

That’s a realm he couldn’t reach even after a lifetime of cultivation!

His lowly qualified nephew, who should have died long ago, has become an innate expert in just a few years!

It must be an extraordinary divine skill!

The sight of his premature old age—it’s not divine skill, it’s demon technique! A sinister demon cultivation that yields quick results!

Just capture him, force out the technique...

Lin Xiaotian’s wicked thoughts grow wild, yet his face still plays sorrowful repentance.

Lin Chen sees through his filthy thoughts clearly, his gaze suddenly as cold as ice.

"Misunderstanding?"

"Hahahahaha—!"

He laughs wildly, his laughter filled with savagery and cruelty:

"Lin Xiaotian, you really think I’m still the child you could manipulate at will back then?!"

The knuckles suddenly exert force.

"Crack—"

A crisp bone-splitting sound, piercingly jarring.

Lin Xiaotian’s eyes roll back, his neck twists, dying on the spot.

Lin Chen tosses the corpse into the fire carelessly, letting the flames consume it.

He lifts his gaze across the grieving villa, his eyes devoid of empathy but filled with chilling indifference and brutality.

"Today, let the entire villa be a burial sacrifice for my parents."

With a swipe of his black robe, Gang Qi sweeps forth, flames soar.

The once illustrious Roaring Mountain Villa becomes thoroughly a charred wasteland.

...

A few days later.

The tea stall by the barren road was set up under an old locust tree, with dust swirling around and tea smoke curling up.

The rickety wooden tables were crowded with traveling merchants, bodyguards, and idle men. The tea master weaved through them with a copper kettle, shouts and clinking of bowls and plates blending into a chaotic din.

The people at the tables huddled close, their conversations inevitably revolving around the recent events that had shaken the Southwest Martial Arts world.

"Have you heard? Whispering Hills Villa is completely gone."

"Burned to a wasteland, not a single man, woman, or child left—truly ruthless."

"The one who did it, could it be that kid Lin Chen from years back? I heard he’s not even twenty, how did he end up looking like an old man?"

"It’s definitely Demon Technique, the Innate Gang Qi catches fire as soon as it touches the body, turning people into faceless beings—if that’s not a Demon Technique, what is it?"

Someone immediately chimed in, eyes gleaming:

"I heard that Lin Chen turned from a useless kid into an Innate all because of a Heaven-Burning Divine Skill, and it was the old demon Xu who passed it on to him!"

"That cultivation technique is extremely sinister; the faster your power grows, the sooner you die, and the older you look!"

"Hiss—that’s just burning life essence, isn’t it?"

"But no matter how sinister, it’s still an Innate cultivation technique!"

Someone swallowed nervously, their tone betraying undisguised greed:

"Many people spend their entire lives diligently cultivating and never touch the threshold of Innate. This cultivation technique can do it in a few years! If I could get my hands on it..."

"You’re courting death! Is that something you can covet?"

An old man beside them rebuked:

"Do you think Grandmaster Ling acted just because Lin Chen killed people? How many people die in the martial world each day?"

"Are you saying..."

"Yes, I heard too, Grandmaster Ling chased Lin Chen into Black Wind Ridge and defeated him in a single move to seize that Demon Technique!"

"What about the old demon Xu?"

"He fled! They say he never shows himself after passing on a technique, he can’t be caught—the grandmaster only killed the pawn Lin Chen."

"Tsk tsk tsk, revenge is taken, but the life is gone."

Everyone chimed in, some with lingering fear, some with sighs, but mostly with hidden greed—they all regretted not meeting the old demon Xu themselves.

In a corner sat a gentleman in a blue robe, his garments spotless, sitting upright, tapping the tabletop with his fingers, quietly listening all along.

Upon hearing "Heaven-Burning Divine Skill," his eyebrows moved imperceptibly.

Upon hearing "old demon Xu," there was no ripple in his eyes.

But when the discussions turned to "Grandmaster Ling killed Lin Chen for the cultivation technique," a subtle, profoundly cold, and faint inexplicable meaning flashed in the gentleman’s cool and detached eyes.

It wasn’t sympathy, nor surprise, but more like... everything was within his calculations.

"Heh, righteousness and Demon Dao?"

"Who can truly distinguish them?"

...

The wind swept through the tea stall.

The gentleman in the blue robe slowly raised his tea bowl and took a sip of the slightly cool tea.

Others couldn’t see, but clearly in his mind appeared a mysterious, cold panel —[Martial Arts Furnace].

He was Xu Chen, disguised and changed in appearance.

"Celestial Secrets Secret Manual," it was a cultivation technique he had newly deduced for concealing one’s identity, already surpassing the Innate Level, stepping into the realm of divinity.

Ordinary, Innate, Divine Realm, Celestial Being.

His gaze swept over the mysterious glow swirling in the furnace, his expression momentarily complex and hard to read.

This Martial Arts Furnace could deduce all Martial Arts in the world, but every cultivation technique deduced carried bizarre backlash.

"Heaven-Burning Divine Skill?"

He sneered inwardly: "It should be called the Life-Burning Divine Skill."

Cultivation for five years, forcibly cutting off a hundred years of life span, cultivation barely advancing to Innate.

And that Instant Shadow Sword Manual, with speed reaching its extreme, at the cost of gradually crippled legs, inevitably leading to disability.

"Truly peculiar indeed."

Xu Chen frowned slightly but soon relaxed.

The fortunate thing was—he himself could avoid those side effects and enjoy the achievements of the Martial Arts Furnace in peace.

No longer thinking deeply, his gaze fell back on the numbers rapidly jumping at the top right corner of the [Martial Arts Furnace]—reputation value.

Following the destruction of Whispering Hills Villa, Lin Chen’s demise, the Heaven-Burning Divine Skill... spreading across the martial world, these numbers were skyrocketing crazily.

Xu Chen’s lips slowly curled into a satisfied smile.

Compared to righteous heroes steadily building fame step by step, the notoriety of Demon Path demons increased far quicker.

In these years, he randomly picked "destined ones" across the martial world, secretly passing down deduced cultivation techniques.

For a time, bloodshed and chaos erupted, and along with it, the notorious reputation of "old demon Xu" rose with the tide.

"Selecting destined ones one by one is ultimately too slow."

A flash of ruthlessness appeared in Xu Chen’s eyes:

"I should find a publishing house, mass print, and forcefully spread them."

"Especially the Heaven-Burning Divine Skill—it cultivates the fastest, only costing some lifespan, best suited for those desperate, lowly people looking to overturn their fate."

"The more they go mad, the more bloodshed, the greater the fame of me, the old demon Xu..."

...

Time flows, hundreds of years passed.

At the river of Slot Gang, on a fishing boat.

Ren Tianxing gazed at the apprentice cultivating secret martial techniques beside him—one-eyed, armless, sallow-skinned, deaf...

He turned his head towards his celestial air-like master, with a tone of resignation:

"Master, is there really no cost-free cultivation technique?"

His master stroked his beard with a smile:

"Silly child, you can’t have gain without loss; there’s no perfect cultivation technique."

He looked towards the sky, speaking with a complex tone:

"To transcend the ordinary, a price must be paid; this is an unchangeable ironclad rule!"

"There are old techniques from hundreds of years ago, with minimal cost, but even if you practice for twenty years, it can’t compare to cultivating a secret martial technique for an hour—do you want to learn?"

Ren Tianxing firmly shook his head, then asked: "But Master, you’re just fine, without a hint of cost?"

His master laughed heartily: "That’s a cost you can’t see."

"What cost?" Ren Tianxing pursued.

His master smiled mysteriously: "Dietary supplements."

Ren Tianxing was puzzled.

His master suddenly took out a scroll of cultivation technique from his bosom—on it were no orderly characters, only twisted, bizarre patterns, writhing like living beings, a single glance making one’s spirit tremble.

"This is the ’Stone Man Sutra,’" the master’s voice was deep, "a Celestial Secret gleaned upon my advancement to Divinity, cultivating it grants an indestructible Stone Buddha body, free from the suffering of defect."

He handed the cultivation technique out, eyes brightly shining: "Willing to learn?"

Ren Tianxing’s eyes flashed with wild joy, quickly nodding: "Willing to learn! I am willing to learn, Master!"