The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 521 Overview of the Four Great Books

"The world is filled with martial arts as numerous as the stars. Not only are martial artists divided into different realms, but martial arts also have different levels. If you practice a martial art that suits you, there are few bottlenecks before reaching Grandmaster, and you can simply follow the steps. After Grandmaster, it depends on the individual to comprehend the world. Cultivation is like walking in the dark, and martial arts are the guiding light. Ordinary martial arts can only reach a limited level of realm. Without the support of advanced martial arts, it is extremely difficult to reach a higher level."

"Feng'er, do you know the four great skills that can shatter the void and are passed down in the Sui Dynasty?" Yang Xuyan's question made Dugu Feng slightly stunned, and then he fell into deep thought. Although the Dugu clan was a clan, its martial arts inheritance was not ranked among the four major clans. Not to mention the Song clan where Tiandao Song Que was, even the Yuwen clan and the Li clan could completely crush his own clan in terms of martial arts.

Thinking it over, Dugu Feng suddenly realized that relying solely on the imperial family seemed dangerous. With war raging across the land, if it weren't for the prestige of Emperor Yang Guang, who could suppress the aristocratic families, the Dugu family would be in dire straits. However, now that he had become a disciple of Yang Xuyan, the hidden Xiaoyao Sect, he seemed to have gained a powerful leg, which could help him offset some of his family's disadvantages.

"I will listen carefully to Master's teachings." Dugu Feng was quite serious about things he didn't know, and didn't make random guesses.

Yang Xuyan nodded slightly and said, "There are countless martial arts in the world, but few can break the void. Among them, there are also many that are deliberately concealed from the public. There are only a few that can be brought out or are willing to be publicized. These are the four great skills that are secretly circulated in the martial arts world."

"Last among the Four Great Skills is the Cihang Jingzhai's treasured classic, the Cihang Sword Canon. Legend has it that it was created by the founder, Di Ni. The sword canon consists of thirteen chapters, divided into three realms: from Heart to Heart, then to Sword Heart to Death Gate, which may have the potential to shatter the void. However, only a few of Cihang Jingzhai's successors have ever achieved Sword Heart to Death Gate, and the only one who has reached Death Gate is the founder, Di Ni. Therefore, it's uncertain whether this unique skill can actually shatter someone, but it's only a slight possibility."

"The current owner of Jingzhai, Fan Qinghui, and the famous extraordinary woman Bi Xiuxin are both at the level of telepathy and possess the combat power of senior masters." Yang Xuyan's words left Dugu Feng speechless. It seemed that his master knew the Cihang Sword Classic very well and could even tell such a secret.

"Of the three realms, the first one possesses the power of a Grandmaster, but the name 'Death Level' seems..." Dugu Feng was a little puzzled. Yang Xuyan smiled and said, "Feng'er has discovered the key. The last level of the Cihang Sword Canon is probably a desperate struggle for survival. It's extremely dangerous and not the right path."

Some things need to be touched upon briefly. Yang Xuyan didn't want his disciples to pursue unorthodox paths like the Cihang Sword Classic, so he continued, "Ranked third is the Taoist 'Eternal Life Secret,' a skill that can't be mastered. This skill is a Taoist secret, passed down orally through generations. It originated from Guangchengzi, the ancient teacher of the Yellow Emperor. Written in oracle bone script, it is profound and difficult to fathom. Although many sages have read this book, some are extremely wise, no one has ever been able to fully comprehend and decipher the entire text."

Hearing Yang Xuyan say that the Taoists couldn't cultivate magical skills, Dugu Feng couldn't help but frown and couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that this miraculous skill is just a cover for the Taoists and is fake?"

Yang Xuyan shook his head and said, "This divine skill was indeed passed down from the ancient sage Guangchengzi. It's not only a sacred text for healing, but if practiced successfully, it can also prolong one's youthful appearance and life. If one can fully master it, one may have a chance to glimpse the ultimate truth and even shatter the void. However, this skill is quite strange and requires extremely high aptitude and physical fitness. Only those with a predestined affinity can practice it. If a divine skill could be practiced by everyone, would it still be a divine skill? Putting aside other things, even if I gave you the Xiaoyao Sect's supreme martial art, 'Xiaoyao Yufeng', which I practice, and gave you a hundred years to master it, I'm afraid you would still find it difficult to master it."

Dugu Feng was furious when he heard this and couldn't help but retort, "Master, my aptitude is not that bad."

"Indeed, it's not bad. Otherwise, I wouldn't have accepted you as my disciple. The most important thing for Xiaoyao Sect disciples is aptitude, and the second is appearance. Both are indispensable. It's just that this 'Xiaoyao Yufeng' is too difficult, so our ancestors split it into three unique skills: 'Beiming Divine Art', 'Eternal Spring Art', and 'Small Wuxiang Art'. You also learned the third one, 'Small Wuxiang Art', which is the simplest one."

Yang Xuyan's words left Dugu Feng speechless. He had not yet mastered the simplest of the three unique skills. Every time he recited it, he felt it was mysterious. What if it was "Xiao Yao Yu Feng"?

"Disciple has already felt it. I believe I will be able to enter the door soon." This was Dugu Feng's last stubbornness. Yang Xuyan laughed and said, "Don't compare the difficulty of practicing "Small Wuxiang Gong" with "Xiaoyao Yufeng". They are originally not on the same level. Otherwise, the ancestors would not have separated them. The difficulty is not ten times, not a hundred times, but a thousand times, ten thousand times higher."

Dugu Feng: Master, I know you are a genius, but is it really okay to brag about yourself like this?

"Ranked second is the Demon Sect's 'Heavenly Demon Strategy.' This is the Demon Sect's supreme treasure, with origins dating back to ancient times. Legend has it that it is the secret magic technique left by the God of War Chi You. The treasure consists of ten volumes, involving the mysteries of heaven and earth, and its power is earth-shattering. According to my research, this book was compiled by the Han Dynasty's peerless genius, Heavenly Demon Cang Qu, who searched the world for rare and unique books, eliminating the dross and retaining the essence of all the schools of thought to create this classic."

At this point, Yang Xuyan paused slightly, then shook his head gently. "This book is profound and extensive, but due to wars, natural disasters, and other factors, it has been scattered and lost. Furthermore, it was disintegrated into the two factions of the Holy Sect, the Six Paths, and other branches, so the Heavenly Demon Strategy has also been scattered and incomplete. The highest level of the Heavenly Demonic Art practiced by the Yingui Sect, the leading contemporary demon sect, is Grandmaster. However, to advance further, one needs the assistance of the Purple Blood Art to have any hope of breaking through the void."

"As far as I know, there's a man in the Demon Sect named Xiang Yutian, also known as the Evil Emperor. He was a peerless master during the Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, the leader of the Evil Extreme Sect, and was as famous as Ning Daoqi of the Taoist sect. He was friends with Lu Miaozi, the world's number one craftsman. He cultivated the 'Dao Heart Demon Planting Great Method' to the highest level, and ultimately shattered the void and passed away."

"Wait, Master, you said that this Evil Emperor Xiang Yutian was a master during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and that he was friends with Master Ning and Master Lu. Could it be that this man lived for more than two hundred years?" Dugu Feng was shocked after a careful calculation.

Yang Xuyan laughed heartily and said, "Feng'er has finally figured it out. There's a reason why 'The Heavenly Demon Strategy' is ranked second among the Four Great Skills, and above 'The Compassionate Sword Canon' and 'The Secret of Eternal Life'. Although it was officially written during the Qin and Han dynasties, its origins can be traced back to the ancient times of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, to the supreme magic skills left behind by the so-called God of War, Chi You. Its content is extensive and profound, and it bears a strong resemblance to my Xiaoyao Sect."

"The core magical skills of my Xiaoyao Sect have the effect of prolonging life and keeping the face young. The 'Heavenly Demon Strategy' is unconventional but also has many unknown secrets. Xiang Yutian was able to live from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties to the present day, and finally had to break through the void and leave when he had no further to go. What did Feng'er think he relied on? Was it just martial arts?" Yang Xuyan smiled and told the story of the Evil Emperor's relic, which made Dugu Feng's beautiful eyes shimmer. She wished she could get the Evil Emperor's relic immediately and become the world's top master.

"Master knows where the evil emperor's relics are, but this thing is ultimately just an external force. It can prolong life, but it is not necessary to enhance power. External force is still external force, not to mention such mixed true essence. If Feng'er is determined to break the void, rather than just become a grandmaster, it is best not to use the evil emperor's relics. This thing is unknown." Yang Xuyan did not say what the unknown was, but Dugu Feng heard it. Judging from his master's attitude, it seemed that this thing was just so-so and not worth risking his future.

"Master is so domineering, doesn't he even take the Grandmaster seriously?"

"Why do you think I made the nine-year agreement on the Yalu River?"

"You are worthy of being my master, Dugu Feng. You have the confidence to become a Grandmaster before you are thirty. Amazing! Master, my disciple's path to becoming a Grandmaster depends on you."

"Haha." Yang Xuyan chuckled and continued, "After talking about the 'Cihang Sword Canon,' 'Eternal Life Secret,' and 'Heavenly Demon Strategy,' I will tell you about the world's number one martial art. It is the legendary 'War God Atlas.' 'War God Atlas' is the supreme martial arts metaphysics of Taoism from ancient times. The author is unknown and it is hidden in the underground War God Temple."

"The War God Temple is a mysterious and self-contained entity, capable of autonomous movement and changing location. Only those with a predestined connection can see it. Legend has it that the ancient sage Guangchengzi once entered the War God Temple. Upon returning to the surface, he passed this knowledge on to the world through the Yellow Emperor and wrote the 'Secret of Immortality' in oracle bone script."

"Xie Tiao, the first evil emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, wrote about the 'War God Atlas' in his 'Random Thoughts on the Devil'. He said he found a description of the 'War God Atlas' in an ancient tomb dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. He was able to glimpse the secrets of the atlas and thus created the 'Dao Heart Demon Planting Great Method'."

"Dini, the founder of Cihang Jingzhai, was able to read the 'Record of Devil's Path' and thus learned the secret of shattering the void, and created the 'Cihang Sword Canon'."

"Wait, Master, I seem to have heard something shocking. You said that the highest martial arts of Cihang Jingzhai originated from the Demon Sect?" Dugu Feng was stunned and could not believe his ears.

"That's not the case." Yang Xuyan shook his head slightly and said, "That extraordinary talent of Di Ni only saw a corner of the "War God Atlas" indirectly through the Demon Sect's "Demon Path Random Thoughts". The root cause is still the "War God Atlas."

Dugu Feng: After all, all the martial arts in the world that can break the void actually come from the mysterious "War God Atlas" that cannot be seen at all?

Wait, why did the topic suddenly turn to the Four Great Achievements? It seems I'm asking about Master's purpose for coming to Yangzhou, right? Could it be...