Chapter 264
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Ma Rulong was quite satisfied as he watched Qin Shiyue’s astonishment. He spoke unhurriedly: “Surprised, aren’t you, Lord Qin? Who would have thought that the Heaven’s Way Alliance would covet even the modest possessions of my Ma family? Even with all the rare medicinal herbs they sent today for the birthday celebration, it was nothing more than an attempt to strengthen ties, hoping that I would return the favor. Tell me, can you guess what it is that the Heaven’s Way Alliance desires?”
Qin Shiyue shook his head.
Ma Rulong raised his head and gazed at the ever-changing white clouds in the sky. “White clouds shift like fleeting dogs, the stars revolve, and life is so short. Yet, the affairs of this world are ever so unpredictable. By the way, Lord Qin, what did you think of the Three Talents Flag Gate Formation that the Auspicious Three Treasures used in the inner hall earlier? I heard you call out its name, so you must know its origins. And having personally experienced it, what’s your impression?”
“It’s formidable. If not for an unexpected flaw, I likely wouldn’t have made it out of that inner hall today.”
“The Three Talents Flag Gate Formation is indeed powerful, but setting up a formation isn’t just about having people; you also need an array stone.”
“Array stone? You mean that jade stone in the hands of the Auspicious Three Treasures?”
“That’s right, Lord Qin. That jade stone is the foundation of the Three Talents Flag Gate Formation. Without it, as you saw, the three small flags are nothing more than useless trinkets. If not for the energy in Second Treasure’s array stone being depleted, you wouldn’t have been able to break through.”
“I see now. So what you’re offering to the Heaven’s Way Alliance is this array stone.”
“Correct, Lord Qin. However, this jade stone isn’t just called an array stone—it’s known as a Divine Stone. In ancient times, it had another name: Yuan Stone.”
Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua, who was standing at a distance, raised his eyebrows. As expected, it was indeed a Yuan Stone.
So that’s how it is, Qin Shiyue suddenly understood. However, he quickly grew doubtful—while this Divine Stone was certainly valuable, without a formation to use it with, what purpose would it serve?
“Old Ma, your Divine Stone is indeed precious, but if it’s just for the sake of the Three Talents Flag Gate Formation, would the Heaven’s Way Alliance really go to such lengths to win you over? That seems a bit petty of them.”
“Oh? Haha, Lord Qin, I thought you knew. So it turns out you don’t know anything at all.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The Three Talents Flag Gate Formation—did your master personally tell it to you?”
“No, that’s not it. I just overheard my martial uncle and the others discussing it in passing.”
“Hmm, I see. How about this? Today, I’ll share with you some of the hidden secrets of the martial world. I don’t ask for anything in return—just the usual condition. Swear an oath that you will never harm the disciples of my Ma family. What do you say?”
“Old Ma, you sure know how to bargain. If I take this oath, won’t I have to back away every time I see one of your Ma family’s disciples?”
“Lord Qin, you misunderstand. How could this old man dare to demand such a thing? I merely wish to preserve my family’s bloodline.”
“Fine. I swear that from this day forth, as long as the Ma family’s disciples do not provoke me, I will not take the initiative to harm them. If I break this vow, may the Poisonous Dragon consume my flesh, leaving me to die in agony.”
This oath was considered one of the most vicious in the Garuda lineage. Only after hearing it did Ma Rulong finally nod in satisfaction.
He then continued: “In truth, the Divine Stone’s purpose extends far beyond the Three Talents Flag Gate Formation. It is the foundation of all formations, and more than that, it is also…”
At this point, Ma Rulong paused in thought before asking: “Lord Qin, do you know where the martial arts of this world originally came from?”
“This…?” Qin Shiyue scratched his head. “Isn’t martial arts something that has been passed down from generation to generation? What mystery could there be?”
“Think carefully, Lord Qin. You have a master who taught you. Your master had a master as well. If you keep tracing back, who was the very first person to teach martial arts?”
“Well… perhaps some heaven-gifted genius who attained a sudden enlightenment?”
“Haha, there have been geniuses who created their own supreme techniques in every era, but they all had existing martial arts to reference. But if martial arts never existed in the first place, how could anyone create them?”
Qin Shiyue remained silent, listening intently. In the distance, Zhang Xiaohua also stood still, quietly absorbing every word.
“In truth, long before the path of martial arts, there was the Dao of Immortality—the path of cultivation. The so-called fairy tales you hear nowadays are actually exaggerated accounts of past cultivation practices. Cultivators could split mountains, part rivers, summon the wind and rain, and even attain eternal life, living in true freedom.”
“Eternal life?” Qin Shiyue couldn’t help but ask, “Then why don’t we see any immortals today?”
“Lord Qin, please hear me out first. Cultivation is different from martial arts. Martial artists temper their bodies and inner strength, but cultivators refine the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth. And this Divine Stone—once known as the Yuan Stone—was the foundation of their cultivation. It even served as their form of ‘currency’…”
Ma Rulong then proceeded to explain, like a wise elder imparting knowledge, detailing the rise and fall of the Dao of Immortality, the events leading to the extinction of immortals, and how the martial world evolved afterward. Qin Shiyue listened, enraptured, while Zhang Xiaohua, standing in the distance, felt his heart race. The old man’s description of the Dao of Immortality—wasn’t that precisely what he was practicing? No wonder his Carefree Heart Sutra was so different from the inner cultivation methods his second brother had described! Even the way his inner strength formed was completely different. It turned out he was practicing an entirely different path of cultivation!
Ma Rulong continued: “Lord Qin, you may see the Heaven’s Way Alliance as an unparalleled force in today’s martial world, but in the end, it is not a sect of ancient heritage. It simply cannot compare to the likes of the Incense-Spreading Cult, the Great Forest Dalin Temple, or the Piaomiao Sect in terms of true foundation. As for my Ma family, we were once a small offshoot of an immortal sect in ancient times. Even with such a minor background, we still surpass the so-called Heaven’s Way Alliance. Otherwise, do you think I could stir their greed simply by offering a few Divine Stones?”
Seeing Qin Shiyue’s dumbfounded expression, Ma Rulong’s lips curled into a mocking smile. He added: “Emperor Shitian of your Divine Cult surely knows these hidden truths. That’s why he regards my Ma family highly. Yet, you mortal fools constantly oppress us, leaving us with no path to survival. How could we not be enraged?”
Qin Shiyue smiled helplessly and said: “Old Master Ma, what’s the point of saying all this now?”
Ma Rulong nodded. “Indeed. A drawn bow cannot be undone. Words are meaningless at this point. In truth, for ten thousand years since the extinction of immortals, the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth has remained abnormally thin. But in recent years, there have been signs of resurgence. Why do you think Emperor Shitian ordered you to collect ancient jade artifacts?”
Qin Shiyue shook his head once more, inwardly cursing: This old man always speaks in riddles! If you’re going to explain, just explain! Why keep asking me questions? I’ve shaken my head more times today than I have in the past year—my neck is getting sore!
“All of the cultivation methods, formation techniques, alchemy, artifact refining, and talisman arts of the Dao of Immortality were recorded on a special kind of jade artifact known as jade slips. These can only be read using the divine sense of a cultivator. Your Divine Cult likely possesses some of these, but even more have found their way into the martial world. Emperor Shitian must have sensed the shift in Yuan Qi and is making preparations in advance. There’s also another possibility—spiritual artifacts of the Immortal Dao may be resurfacing.”
“Artifacts?” Qin Shiyue was stunned again. “You mean like the wooden fish those monks at the Dalin Temple use?”
Ma Rulong shook his head. “A wooden fish as a so-called spiritual artifact? That’s just a name those bald monks of the Dalin Temple borrowed. True spiritual artifacts of the Dao of Immortality are like the weapons in our martial world. In fact, swords, sabers, and all other weapons in martial arts originally evolved from immortal artifacts. But unlike martial weapons, the variety of immortal artifacts is endless. Even a simple jade hairpin could be an immensely powerful artifact.”
“Hmm, if it were a gold hairpin instead, it could be used as a hidden weapon.”
“There are also feather fans, jade rings, belts—you name it. Anything you can think of can be refined into an artifact.”
“Jade rings?” Zhang Xiaohua’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. Didn’t he have a pair of jade rings in his money pouch? Could they be artifacts? No wonder they emitted traces of Yuan Qi! They weren’t just for decoration—they were meant to be used! But how exactly were they supposed to be wielded? Zhang Xiaohua immediately paid closer attention.
Qin Shiyue, on the other hand, was thoroughly baffled. He asked: “Old Ma, don’t try to fool me. What kind of spiritual tool could a feather fan be? Are you saying there’s some hidden mechanism inside it?”
Ma Rulong replied: “I don’t know the specifics, but I do know that these artifacts must be activated using special incantations and driven by one’s own True Qi.”
“I see… But didn’t you just say that cultivation and martial arts follow completely different paths? The inner strength of martial artists has long since changed—how could it still drive these artifacts?”
“Haha, isn’t the Three Talents Flag Gate Formation also a formation? And yet, how is it that the Three Auspicious Treasures can control it?”
“Well… that…”
“There’s no shortage of brilliant minds in the martial world. Ever since the Dao of Immortality perished, many have studied its remnants, and some have even found ways to exploit them. The flag formations you see today, for example, do not rely on a person’s True Qi but rather borrow the power of the Divine Stones. Perhaps someone has already figured out how to wield so-called immortal artifacts using these stones.”
“Then! Wouldn’t they be invincible?” Qin Shiyue was utterly shocked.
Ma Rulong let out a bitter laugh. “If that were the case, do you think my Ma family would still be bullied by others? The Divine Stones of this world were already nearly exhausted when the Dao of Immortality was wiped out. Where would anyone find enough to use freely? Whatever few remain have long been hoarded as priceless treasures. If a problem can be solved with martial strength, who would waste precious immortal energy? Besides, immortal energy is not something we naturally possess—it comes with many drawbacks. The Three Auspicious Treasures are a prime example, aren’t they?”
Qin Shiyue finally nodded in understanding.
“Moreover, the artifacts and jade slips of the Dao of Immortality have gone without replenishment from the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth for ten thousand years. Most of them could not withstand the gradual depletion of their own energy and have long since turned into ordinary jade stones and trinkets. How could they be easily found? Even if one were to find them, they might no longer be usable. Some of them may still be hidden in mysterious locations, protected by the Dao of Immortality’s restrictions. How could martial artists hope to retrieve them?”
“Restricted places? Are you referring to forbidden grounds?”
“Lord Qin, you are mistaken. Forbidden grounds are merely places where entry is not allowed, but locations protected by restrictions are different. The restrictions of the Dao of Immortality are, in simple terms, powerful formations. I believe your Divine Cult has forbidden grounds as well, yes? Some of those might very well be places safeguarded by such restrictions.”
“Old Ma, you mentioned that the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth has been increasing. But as a martial artist, how could you possibly sense it?”
