Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 244: Chapter 168: The Divine Sword in Place, Heaven and Earth Can Be Slain

When Wan Ze found Zhai Yu and Zhai Jia, the two were still buried in the pile of materials they had brought back from the research institute.

The materials were spread all over the table and floor, and the ashtray was overflowing with cigarette butts.

”Ah Ze, did you make any progress?” Zhai Yu looked up, rubbing his sore eyes.

”I have some news.” Wan Ze sat down in a chair and recounted the Female Sword Immortal’s arrangements from beginning to end.

”She needs us to pick a fortuitous location for her, and she said she’ll grant us a great opportunity once it’s done.”

”A great opportunity?” Zhai Jia blinked.

’Eat... take a bite of her?’

But he didn’t dare say it out loud, terrified that the formidable lady would pay him another visit in the night.

Zhai Yu nodded and asked, ”Are there any requirements for this fortuitous location?”

”Yes. She said it needs to be the kind of place with a clear view in the front and a solid backing...” Wan Ze nodded, relaying everything he knew. ”We need to buy a bunch of things: Yellow Paper, Cinnabar, realgar, a Peach Wood Sword, copper coins, and Five-Colored Silk Threads... Finally, we have to find a rice urn, fill it with Glutinous Rice, place her physical body inside, and then... invoke a deity. After that, we stand guard for three days and three nights. Oh, and the date is set for the eighth of next month, so we have to get everything ready before then.”

After Zhai Jia heard all this, his mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg. ”Invoke a deity? Ah Ze, don’t you think this whole business is getting more and more bizarre?”

First, it was a female ghost visiting us in a dream, then it was negotiating in that dream, and now we’re straight up invoking a deity?

Even the ever-calm Zhai Yu was visibly moved. ”These things... I’ve read about them in ancient texts... I believe they’re called ritual protocols. But I always thought they were just legends. I never expected...”

He didn’t finish, but his meaning was obvious.

’This stuff is actually real.’

”Just what are the origins of that powerful predecessor?” Zhai Jia scratched his head. ”First a Sword Immortal, then invoking a deity, now some ’place of convergence’... I feel like we’ve stumbled into a world way beyond our league.”

’Her origins must be immense.’

The two brothers looked at each other, silent for a few seconds.

Zhai Yu stood up, brushing the cigarette ash off his clothes. ”Alright, enough about that. I’ll ask someone to find the fortuitous location...”

Just as the two were about to leave, Wan Ze suddenly stopped them. ”Brother Yu, Brother Jia, wait a minute.”

Zhai Yu turned back.

Wan Ze considered for a moment, then said in a low voice, ”That powerful predecessor... she taught me another Swordsmanship technique today.”

Zhai Jia’s eyes lit up. ”Another... Swordsmanship technique?”

”The last Swordsmanship technique was too high-level for any of us to cultivate,” Wan Ze explained with a smile. ”I gave her some feedback, so this time she taught one with a lower barrier to entry. It’s called Heaven and Earth Sword Pulling Slash, and the three of us can cultivate it together.”

He didn’t hold back, quickly relaying the incantation and Heart Method for the technique.

Zhai Yu found it abstruse at first... His brow furrowed slightly as he mentally simulated it a few times. Then, his eyes gradually lit up.

He nodded in deep agreement. ”This Swordsmanship... it looks simple, but it’s actually ferocious to the extreme. You draw and slash, then sheathe your blade, with no extraneous movements. Every strike is a killing blow, delivered with full force.”

He looked at Wan Ze, his tone carrying a rare note of admiration. ”The quality of this Swordsmanship might be far beyond High Tier.”

Zhai Jia was stunned as he listened from the side. ”Beyond High Tier?”

He swallowed hard, completely astounded.

’Just what is that formidable lady’s background?!’

’We’ve really latched onto a powerhouse!!!’

Zhai Yu nodded and mulled it over for a moment before saying, ”Ah Ze, I won’t hold back either. You’ve taken a risk interacting with that powerful figure and have brought back two exceptionally high-quality Swordsmanship techniques. In return, I’ll tell you about all the Martial Skills I cultivate.”

I won’t go into Iron Mountain Fist, Dragon Eagle Secret Martial Arts, the Dragon Eagle Combat Skill, or Wave-Treading Shocking Swan. Master taught us all of those, and every disciple knows them.

But on top of those, I’ve also cultivated the Twelve Divine Intentions Fist and a Leg Technique.

”The Fist Technique I practice is the Twelve Divine Intentions Fist. It’s a High Tier Fist Technique I won as the first-place prize in the Blood Tempering Group of the Jiangnan League nine years ago. It emulates the combat postures of twelve animals—Dragon, Tiger, Monkey, Horse, Alligator, Rooster, Swallow, Sparrowhawk, Snake, Goshawk, Eagle, and Bear—to achieve Unity of Form and Spirit. Cultivating the Twelve Forms is difficult. Even after nine years, I haven’t fully mastered all of them.”

”I also have a technique called Mountain Shattering Leg, which I came across by chance during an external mission. In terms of quality... I’d say it’s Intermediate. There’s nothing flashy about it. You just kick, concentrating your body’s entire Power to explode from a single point. I’ve practiced it for years and have gained considerable insight, so feel free to ask me about anything you don’t understand.”

After he finished speaking, he looked at Zhai Jia.

Zhai Jia scratched his head and admitted honestly, ”I’m not as strong a fighter as Brother Yu. I only have one technique from outside our school... It’s called Cloud-Breaking Fist, and it’s a very direct and ferocious style.”

After he finished, he added, ”Dragon Eagle has a rule against disciples teaching Martial Skills to one another without permission. That’s why most of us martial brothers have to acquire new techniques from outside sources... It’s not that our school lacks High Tier techniques, but those are typically passed down directly from master to disciple as part of a lineage. Our master’s path is centered on the Dragon Eagle Secret Martial Arts and Fist Techniques, and we’ve already learned all we can from him in that regard...

As for Low Level Martial Skills, Master and the others look down on them, so they haven’t bothered to collect many...

However, Ah Ze, Master saw your performance in South City. If you make a few more contributions, and you happen to set your sights on a Martial Skill belonging to one of the Elders, you can have Master put in a good word for you. Then you’ll be able to cultivate other High Level Martial Skills.”

Zhai Yu nodded in agreement. ”There’s a reason it’s difficult to learn another Elder’s High Level Martial Skill... They are hard to cultivate and consume a massive amount of time, so very few people try to acquire them. Besides, the Elders’ High Level Martial Skills are strongly colored by their personal styles and might not necessarily suit us.”

Wan Ze grew thoughtful. ”Speaking of which... doesn’t our master have an ace up his sleeve?”

Zhai Yu smiled. ”Master certainly does. He’s the head of Dragon Eagle, after all. How could he not have a few trump cards? But what he’s already taught us is more than enough to keep us busy cultivating for the next ten or twenty years.”