Eight Methods of the God of War

A stone statue descended from the sky, landing before Fu Yi. Fu Yi's face was etched with sorrow. Feeling his mind violently cluttered with discordant information, his heart tightened, and he lowered his head, not daring to look at the statue. Meeting a heavenly god's gaze was supreme irreverence; worse, coming into direct contact with a heavenly god's eyes brought the risk of being overwhelmed by the deluge of Heavenly Dao information, which could shatter one's Dao heart into madness. The statue was not Heavenly Will's true body, merely a vessel carrying a fraction of his will and power, and was not particularly formidable in its own right. In terms of raw strength, Fu Yi was actually superior to this statue of Heavenly Will. Even so, the sheer pressure the Heavenly Dao exerted upon him was overwhelming, leaving him utterly unable to muster any thought of resistance. "Besides, this heavenly god doesn't exactly have the best reputation. People often say that Heaven's will toys with mortals, and Heaven's will is fickle," Fu Yi thought to himself. The statue's triangular head shifted slightly with a creak. Tilting its head, it appraised him. "You summoned me. What is the matter?" Fu Yi bowed and recounted the recent events, concluding, "High God, Xu Ying has escaped once more. I await Your Divinity's judgment." The statue was crudely carved, its face resembling a child's clumsy doodle. Its stone lips parted into a smile. "The Taichu World possesses no worldly yuan qi, yields no spirit herbs, and offers no way to gather qi for cultivation. His cultivation is sealed by the Heavenly Dao, and his secret depositories cannot be opened. Internally and externally, he is incapable of cultivating. There is no need for alarm." Suddenly, brilliant radiance erupted across the sky. A halo of light descended and swirled around the statue with a soft whir. Within that halo were countless scenes depicting Xu Ying being deceived by them and lingering in Prince Xiang Manor. The statue flicked its hand, causing the imagery to flow forward in time. Abruptly, the statue pointed a finger, freezing the scene at the moment Xu Ying emerged from seclusion and the three-legged firebird flew toward him. The earthworm-like ridges serving as the statue's eyebrows twitched. It advanced the vision slightly, watching as the firebird threw itself into the glabella between Xu Ying's brows and vanished. Staring at the thunder pattern on Xu Ying's forehead, the statue's expression turned grave. "Fu Yi, you little ghost, you have rendered a service. Xu Ying is indeed problematic. That thunder imprint in his forehead must be the key to how he broke the demon-quelling runes. I fear even my Heavenly Dao runes sealing him may not be secure." A plump, tender white silkworm poked out from the statue's shoulder. Heavenly Will raised a palm and reached toward the sky. The sky cracked open, revealing the lofty Heavenly Dao world above! Within that realm stood an ancient mulberry tree circled by stars. The statue reached in, plucked a mulberry leaf, and fed it to the silkworm. Delighted, the little silkworm devoured it in a flash. Eating until its belly was round and taut, the silkworm opened its mouth and spat silk, weaving a tapestry in midair that depicted the exact moment the thunder pattern manifested on Xu Ying's forehead. The thunder pattern was rendered with exquisite detail. Even the internal structures Fu Yi had failed to perceive were spun into existence by the heavenly silkworm's threads! Looking closer, Fu Yi noticed even deeper nuances: winds and clouds churned within the lightning's grain, outlining miraculous arrays. He drew nearer for a better look. Suddenly, an ominous premonition seized him, and he felt his tribulation fortune stir violently—his Heavenly Tribulation was on the verge of erupting! Alarmed, he looked up to see the sky churning in sudden turmoil, dark clouds rolling in, and thunder crashing wildly! His Heavenly Tribulation had been triggered merely by taking an extra look at that thunder pattern! The statue of Heavenly Will waved a hand, dispelling the tribulation clouds in the sky. The suffocating dread hanging over Fu Yi gradually ebbed away, and he secretly wiped cold sweat from his brow. When he was chosen to oversee Xu Ying, the reward promised by his superiors had been a talisman to shield him from Heavenly Tribulations. For thousands of years, he had remained untouched by them. Who could have guessed that merely examining the lightning pattern would provoke his Heavenly Tribulation, rendering even his shielding talisman useless? The statue's brow furrowed once more. Rolling up the silk tapestry, it handed it to Fu Yi. "The secret of controlling Heavenly Tribulations is hidden within the thunder pattern between his brows. Take this tapestry to High God Tianquan. He will surely devise a way to decipher it." "Understood," Fu Yi replied, reverently putting the tapestry away. Many orthodox gods of the Heavenly Dao world descended into the mortal realm through the statues of the Palace of Heavenly Gods, reluctant to leave its pleasures behind. High God Tianquan was among them. The statue continued shifting through the visions, witnessing the appearance of Zhai Wuxian. Zhai Wuxian took the martial path as his Dao, plucking a branch to grow a pear tree, then turning the pear tree back into a branch. Next, the images showed Zhai Wuxian taking Xu Ying away, flying tens of thousands of li, and blasting open the seal of a primordial battlefield with a single punch. "Huh? Such a place exists within the Taichu World?!" The statue was visibly taken aback, utterly astonished. The vision began to blur, distorted by the primordial baleful energy born from the Underworld's invasion. "I am Heavenly Will, tasked with chronicling events great and small across the heavens and the myriad worlds! Nothing escapes my eyes and ears! Why was I unaware of an ancient battlefield here, let alone an invasion by the Underworld?" Suspicion and confusion gnawed at it. Heavenly Will was omniscient; that was the authority bestowed upon it by the Heavenly Dao. Yet it had known nothing of this primordial battlefield. Could it be that this place lay beyond the purview granted by the Heavenly Dao? Steeling its resolve, the statue said to Fu Yi, "Go find High God Tianquan. I will go investigate that place myself!" Fu Yi complied. By the time he raised his head, the statue had already transformed into a streak of light, tearing through the sky and vanishing without a trace. Before long, the statue entered the primordial battlefield. Even as a heavenly god, it could not help feeling a prickle of unease. *Crack.* Its foot crushed a bone that gleamed with bright runes. Picking up the bone to inspect the carvings, the statue shuddered inwardly. "Heavenly Dao runes! Then the master of this bone was..." A chill ran down its spine, and it hastily tossed the bone aside. It ventured deeper. The baleful qi here was dense, stirred up by the restless winds of the Underworld. Where the two merged, hordes of demonic fiends spawned. Heavenly Will paid them little mind. Heaven's will was like a blade; before the fiends could even approach, they were severed by its blade qi. "The Underworld truly has no restraint, invading everywhere. Then again, the Nether Court doesn't seem to answer to the Heavenly Dao, and the Underworld seems to harbor many immortal old monsters." The statue narrowed its eyes. To heavenly gods like them, the Underworld was an enigmatic place, an arena into which they could rarely project their influence. "Even the higher-ups seem helpless against the Underworld and simply choose to leave it alone. What secrets is that realm hiding?" Venturing further, it saw that more than half of the ancient battlefield had been overrun by the Underworld. Up ahead lay a pure land resembling an isolated island, radiating potent martial essence and qi that suppressed the ancient battlefield's disturbances and resisted the Underworld's encroachment. Seeing this, the statue could not help chuckling. "And here I wondered what mighty beings were lurking here. It's just a few martial brutes! Gave me a fright for nothing!" Abandoning all hesitation, it unleashed astonishing Heavenly Dao fluctuations that surged toward the martial pure land. It thought, *These thick-necked, broad-faced brutes have brains smaller than almonds. Under the influence of my Heavenly Dao will, they'll be tearing each other to pieces in no time...* Just as the thought crossed its mind, a fist punched through space, folding the primordial battlefield into overlapping layers, and appeared right before its face! *Boom!* The statue's head blew apart, and Heavenly Will instantly dispersed. The headless stone body collapsed. The shattered pebbles that had made up its head timidly bounced across the dirt, gathering together to piece the head back into shape. Crawling along the ground, the statue dared not make a sound as it scrambled away from the martial pure land. It thought, *Those martial brutes have turned their brains entirely into muscle. There isn't an ounce of intellect in them, so Heavenly Will can't affect them at all. I'd better just wait here for Xu Ying to come out...* Meanwhile, Xu Ying was walking alongside Zhai Wuxian through the Other Shore of the Martial Dao. Zhai Wuxian had suddenly spun around and unleashed a punch, eyes gleaming with murderous intent as his aura surged. That punch shook Xu Ying to his core. He had the distinct impression that even if he were at the peak of his strength, that single blow would have pulverized him! "Heretical fiends waiting for an opportunity to invade the Other Shore of the Martial Dao, trying to taint me with pathetic evil thoughts," Zhai Wuxian remarked nonchalantly, retracting his fist. "I blew its head off." Puzzled, Xu Ying looked back, wondering to himself, *That brief sensation just now... it felt like Heavenly Dao noise. Could a heavenly god have come here?* He chuckled and shook his head. *If it were truly a heavenly god, how could Zhai Wuxian blow its head apart so effortlessly? It was probably some ghostly deity of the Underworld causing mischief.* They continued forward. This place had once been a primordial battlefield, and the killing intent and battle fury left behind by ancient combatants still saturated the air. The ringing clash of saber and sword qi echoed through the void from time to time! When Xu Ying's martial spirit brushed against this battle fury and killing intent, it nearly shattered. He hurriedly embraced the origin and held fast to the One, steadfastly guarding the Taiyi as he mobilized his innate true qi to withstand the onslaught. Zhai Wuxian offered an approving look and led him onward. The deeper they ventured into the Other Shore of the Martial Dao, the fiercer the battle fury became, tempering Xu Ying's essence, qi, and spirit. Suddenly, through the lens of his martial spirit, Xu Ying glimpsed his Realm of Xiyi! Within the vision granted by the martial spirit, the Realm of Xiyi appeared vastly clearer and far more tangible! He saw the black iron mystic pass once again. At this moment, however, the pass was sealed by the Heavenly Dao, branded with various Heavenly Dao runes that barred entry. Keeping pace with Zhai Wuxian, Xu Ying felt his spirit grow stronger and stronger amid the resistance. After a short while, they arrived before a stone cliff. Carved into the cliff was a complete martial fist routine outlining the sequence for mobilizing essence, qi, spirit, intent, blood, and body. Having never systematically studied the martial arts, Xu Ying was instantly entranced by a single glance and stopped in his tracks. Zhai Wuxian paused as well, making no move to rush him. "This fist technique was left behind by the very first martial myth who set foot here. It articulates his martial spirit and is called the Eight Methods of the God of War. You may take a look." Without realizing it, Xu Ying seemed to behold an unyielding god of war driving his martial cultivation to an impossible peak, only to find the path ahead stretching on without end. That warrior had already stood at the pinnacle of his world, devoid of rivals or opponents, unable to take another step forward. He refused to wither away of old age; he refused to die in brooding stagnation. Furious and defiant, he struck out against the heavens. Until one day, his fist blazed past mountains ten thousand fathoms high, shattered the vault of heaven, and unsealed this long-forgotten ancient battlefield. People saw him soar into another realm and believed he had entered the Dao through martial arts, ascending to become an immortal. Yet when he reached this land, he discovered it was merely another mortal domain, not a paradise of immortals. Fortunately, he found adversaries here. The baleful energy of the primordial battlefield tempered his martial dao, helping him forge a martial golden core and refine a martial golden body, until he finally carved out a martial pure land in this world. Blood and qi roiled within Xu Ying. Unconsciously, he began mobilizing his vitality and solidifying his spirit according to the Eight Methods of the God of War on the cliff, practicing punch by punch and kick by kick. His blood flowed like liquid mercury, his qi rose like a rainbow, and the power behind his moves escalated with every heartbeat. A simple punch stirred howling gales that hurled concussive force dozens of yards away, while a sweeping kick left trailing phantoms, shattering stone and rending rock! Zhai Wuxian looked on in surprise. He had only told Xu Ying to look, not to practice the Eight Methods of the God of War. Yet Xu Ying was learning with astonishing speed, far exceeding his expectations. Just then, a figure descended from the sky and landed beside Zhai Wuxian. It was a sharp, capable-looking woman. Looking toward Xu Ying, she asked in astonishment, "He's practicing the Eight Methods of the God of War? Wuxian, who is he?" Zhai Wuxian answered, "A promising seed I found while wandering the mortal realm, named Xu Ying." Watching Xu Ying gradually fuse his essence, qi, spirit, intent, blood, and body into a unified whole, his martial spirit swelling and driving his vitality and physique to grow ever stronger, the woman was filled with wonder. The Eight Methods of the God of War was the supreme art created by the very first founder of the Other Shore of the Martial Dao. It held the most formidable martial spirit, far surpassing anything later generations had achieved. Its forms appeared simple, yet it was the most difficult martial art to learn and master, and the martial spirit within it was an achievement out of reach even for others who had attained the extreme heights of the martial realm! As the saying went, preserving an inheritance was easy, but blazing a trail was arduous. In the founder's era, no one knew whether a path existed ahead in the martial dao, when cultivation would reach its end, or who could ever match him. Relying solely on his indomitable Dao heart, he had shattered the ancient seal. His spirit, Dao heart, blood and vitality, and physical flesh had become one! With his own hands, he had forged the Other Shore of the Martial Dao! Suddenly, another imposing figure flew over. His essence, qi, and spirit were as steady as an immovable boulder. Yet upon seeing Xu Ying cultivating the Eight Methods of the God of War, that boulder-like spirit suddenly turned like a millstone. "Wuxian, where did you find this one?" the tall figure asked in amazement. "This level of aptitude and comprehension is not inferior to yours!" Zhai Wuxian smiled faintly. "Picked him up while passing through Great Xia." Another person walked over, their vitality and spirit shining so brilliantly that they felt like ten thousand blazing suns—though that was merely the oppressive aura born of their blood and qi. "If people with such outstanding aptitude and comprehension are so easy to pick up, I'd like to pick one up too," the newcomer said, laughing as they reined in their vitality. Zhai Wuxian chuckled. "Master Yuan, wasn't I picked up by you?" Yuan Shidao burst into hearty laughter. It was indeed he who had discovered Zhai Wuxian and guided him to the Other Shore of the Martial Dao, enabling his continuous breakthroughs. "In a mere two hundred years, you reached the realm it took me a thousand years to cultivate," Yuan Shidao said with pride, grinning. "Your aptitude and comprehension are far superior to mine. Still, this boy you brought back might be even more gifted than you." Abruptly, another person approached and remarked, "The martial dao relies not only on aptitude and comprehension, but also on a resolute Dao heart... Wait a moment. Has he still not broken through to the thousandth level of the Innate realm?" Hearing this, the crowd turned their eyes toward Xu Ying, their brows furrowing in unison. They could all see that Xu Ying had not truly broken through to the thousandth Innate level. Entering the Other Shore of the Martial Dao under such conditions went against the rules. Zhai Wuxian frowned as well. The path here was lined with various supreme martial arts left behind by past masters of the Other Shore; he had hoped the inspiration along the way would lend Xu Ying a helping hand in breaking through the mystic pass. Yet Xu Ying had shown no signs of breaking through. *He has already comprehended an art as profound as the Eight Methods of the God of War. Logically, he should have shattered the mystic pass by now. Why is there still no movement?* Zhai Wuxian wondered in bewilderment. Having thoroughly mastered the Eight Methods of the God of War, Xu Ying brought his strikes to a halt. His surging blood, vitality, and spirit gradually calmed. Only then did he realize he was surrounded by onlookers. They looked genial, their auras gentle and their bearing poised and graceful, each carrying the cultured demeanor of deeply learned, courteous scholars.