Novel Full Chapter 63: Secret Art
Chapter 63: Secret Art
Just at that moment several notifications appeared on his vision.
——
[Quest Level: A]
– Objective: [Meet your parents.]
– Reward: [100k top grade spirit stones, 100k EXP.]
——
“What?” Li Yun exclaimed in shock. A hundred thousand EXP was an almost unimaginable reward, especially when it was offered for a single mission. At the same time, he could tell at a glance that this was not a task that could be completed casually or without risk.
Before he could fully process it, another mission notification appeared.
——
[Quest Level: D]
– Objective: [Join Martial Ascension Gate.]
– Reward: [10k low grade spirit stones, 10k EXP, a top grade profound rank fist martial art]
——
“Hmm? The system wants me to join the Martial Ascension Gate?” Li Yun frowned slightly. He had not yet decided which of the four peak sects of the Southern Martial Domain he intended to join, and he had planned to discuss this matter with his grandfather. It seemed, however, that the system had already made that choice for him.
He did not doubt the system’s judgment. Since it had pointed him toward the Martial Ascension Gate, that sect was undoubtedly worth joining in his eyes.
At that moment, Li Zhen spoke. “Li Yun, which of the Southern Martial Domain’s four peak sects do you wish to join? These four sects are located in different regions. Once you make your decision, I can give you the map needed to travel there.” As he spoke, Li Zhen took out four maps, each one clearly marked with the route to one of the four great sects.
A sharp light flashed through Li Yun’s eyes as he replied in a steady voice, “I choose the Martial Ascension Gate.”
“Good,” Li Zhen said with a nod. He handed Li Yun the map leading to the Martial Ascension Gate and then added, “Although there is still half a year before the Martial Ascension Gate begins accepting disciples again, Moonriver County is quite far from that place. The journey alone will take more than three months, and if you encounter delays, it could easily take the entire half year. Li Yun, there is no time to waste. You should set out as soon as possible.”
“Understood,” Li Yun replied firmly. “I will depart in one week. Grandfather, please take care of yourself and the family after I leave.”
He put away the map and bowed respectfully to Li Zhen.
“Do not worry about me,” Li Zhen said with a hearty laugh. “I will be just fine.” Having finally told Li Yun everything, his heart felt lighter than it had in years.
After a brief pause, Li Zhen continued, “Before you leave, there is something you should take with you.” As he spoke, he handed Li Yun a jade slip.
Li Yun accepted it and looked at his grandfather with curiosity. “What is this, Grandfather?”
“It is a secret art your father left behind for you,” Li Zhen said with a gentle smile. As he spoke, he took out a storage ring and placed it into Li Yun’s hand. “Li Tian had already foreseen that your mother’s family would eventually come for them. Before that day arrived, he prepared these things for you, just in case.”
Li Zhen sighed softly. “The worst possible outcome still came to pass. They were taken away by your mother’s family.” He looked at Li Yun with complicated eyes and continued, “I was meant to give you the secret art and this storage ring when you turned fifteen. However, because you were unable to cultivate at that time, I felt that it was not yet appropriate to hand them over to you.”
As Li Yun accepted both the jade slip and the storage ring, a strong sense of curiosity rose within him. “What kind of secret art is it?” he asked.
He understood very well that secret arts were fundamentally different from cultivation arts and martial techniques. Cultivation arts followed clear stages of progression, while martial techniques advanced through defined levels of mastery.
Both were built upon fixed structures and established paths.
A secret art, however, had no such framework. Each one was entirely unique, shaped by its creator alone. Because of this, secret arts were often far more powerful than ordinary martial techniques, yet they were also exceedingly rare.
Secret arts were classified into nine tiers, from the first tier at the lowest level to the ninth tier at the highest.
“Your father never told me the exact details of this secret art,” Li Zhen said with a slight frown. “What he did say was that it demands an extremely strong physical body. He warned that you should only cultivate it after mastering a top grade mortal rank body refining technique to a high level.”
He then added, “That body refining technique is stored within the ring I just gave you. There are also many other martial arts and cultivation resources inside. Use them wisely.”
“I will,” Li Yun replied solemnly, his voice steady with resolve.
“By the way, Grandfather, make sure Li Yao and the others manage to enter the Sword Hall,” Li Yun said after a moment of thought. “Even though the Sword Hall cannot be compared to the Martial Ascension Gate, it will still be more than sufficient for the younger members of our Li Family.”
“Do not worry,” Li Zhen replied as he stood up, nodding calmly. “I have already discussed everything with Li Jinyun. I will also speak with City Lord Bai and arrange for you to leave Azure Wind City discreetly. Chen Yishen still has not given up on you, so it is better to be cautious.”
With that Li Zhen left Li Yun alone in his room.
Li Yun nodded and let out a quiet sigh. He had originally planned to leave Azure Wind City openly, travel through other cities and counties of the Crimson Sun Empire, and gradually make his way toward the Sword Hall to participate in its disciple selection.
However, after learning that his parents were still alive, the Sword Hall no longer held any real importance in his eyes.
There was no denying that the Sword Hall was the strongest force within Moonriver County, but its influence stopped there. Beyond that single county, it held little prestige or authority.
The Four Great Sects of the Southern Martial Domain were entirely different. They stood far above the Crimson Sun Empire itself. To them, the difference between a county and an empire was meaningless.
The Crimson Sun Empire was merely one of many empires within the Southern Martial Domain, all of which fell under the influence of the Martial Ascension Gate.
A week passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, Li Yun devoted himself completely to cultivation, pushing his cultivation arts and martial techniques to their limits.
He even set aside the refinement of Body Tempering Pills, choosing instead to focus solely on strengthening himself as much as possible before leaving Azure Wind City. Immersed in training, the days slipped by almost unnoticed.
Because of this his refinement of Body Tempering Pills halted at excellent grade Body Tempering Pills unable to refine even one perfect grade Body Tempering Pills.
A day later, Li Yun found himself coming through a cave and standing before a vast mountain range wrapped in hazy white mist. The cave he had exited was a hidden passage beneath the City Lord’s mansion, a secret tunnel normally used by the city lord’s covert guards to enter and leave Azure Wind City without being detected.
Since Li Yun needed to depart quietly, Bai Xueqin had no choice but to allow him to use this passage.
Li Yun unfolded his map, studied it briefly, and spoke softly to himself. “Once I cross the Misty Mountains, I will enter Flame County. From there, I will pass through Raging Cloud County, Spirit County, and Ironwood County before finally reaching the Martial Ascension City.”
Each of those counties was among the most powerful regions within the Crimson Sun Empire, and Li Yun knew that the true journey had only just begun.
“There is still half a year before the Martial Ascension Gate begins its disciple recruitment assessment,” Li Yun muttered as he pondered his situation. “During this time, my priority should be to cultivate the top grade mortal rank body refining art to its limit. As for cultivation, at the very least, I must reach the ninth level of the Body Tempering Realm, and if possible, directly break through to the Xiantian Realm.”
His thoughts then shifted to his martial arts. Both of his high grade mortal rank cultivation arts, the Crimson Flame Scripture and the Azure Wind Method, had already reached the ninth layer.
In addition to that, his high grade mortal rank sword arts, the Burning Sky Sword Art and the Skybreaker Sword Art, had both advanced to the true meaning stage. Only his movement technique, Phantom Gale Steps, remained at the perfection stage of mastery.
He reflected further on his other techniques. “The only high grade mortal rank fist art I possess is the Blazing Dragon Fist, and that has only reached the advanced stage so far.”
There was a clear reason his sword arts had improved so rapidly within a single week. Li Yun had raised his comprehension to the third tier, allowing his understanding of sword arts and techniques to deepen at an astonishing speed.
With these thoughts in mind, Li Yun summoned his status panel to review his current condition.
—
[Name: Li Yun]
– Cultivation: [5th level of Body Tempering Realm]
– Physique: [Primal Chaos Body]
– Eye: [Nine Tribulations Divine Eye(Dormant)]
– Spirit Soul: [Yellow Soul]
– Comprehension: [3rd Tier]
– Experience: [700]
—
Raising his comprehension to the third tier had not been simple. To make that breakthrough, Li Yun first needed to advance his Spirit Soul from the Orange Stage to the Yellow Stage, a step that alone consumed 3000 EXP.
After that, upgrading his comprehension from the second tier to the third tier required an additional 1500 EXP. In total, he had spent 4500 EXP to reach the third tier of comprehension.
Li Yun had not wasted that hard earned opportunity. During the entire week he stayed at the City Lord’s mansion, he devoted himself fully to cultivation, steadily raising the mastery of his cultivation arts and martial techniques.
Li Yun let out a quiet sigh. “I need to find a way to gain EXP quickly,” he murmured to himself as he began moving deep into the Misty Mountains.