"Brother Huang! Brother Huang! Look, the new edition of the Grandmaster Roll is out, and you're on it!"
In the Funing County seat, inside the Martial Restraint Guard's Company Office, within a massive drill ground, Huang Tian, Xu Shu, and Long Zhang sat cross-legged on prayer mats, discussing their respective insights into the martial Dao. Just then, Xie Zheng hurried over holding a document scroll aloft.
"The Grandmaster Roll?"
Huang Tian raised an eyebrow. He remembered this ranking; Zhou Miaosu had previously gifted him a copy of the Grandmaster Roll annotated by Zhou Tu, which recorded the names, battle records, and details of more than two hundred Rank One Grandmasters and dozens of Rank Two Grandmasters.
Long Zhang stood up with a smile and took the scroll from Xie Zheng's hand. "Even Xiahou Yin died at Brother Huang's hands. It's hardly surprising that Brother Huang made the Grandmaster Roll."
After erupting with his secret technique, Xiahou Yin had possessed absolute Rank One combat strength. Within Great Gan, nearly every Rank One Grandmaster earned a place on the roll, so Huang Tian's inclusion was naturally to be expected.
Long Zhang unrolled the Grandmaster Roll and turned to the page concerning Huang Tian. The others crowded around to look.
[Rank 219: Huang Tian]
[Originates from Kunyun Commandery, Qin Province. Fourth son of Huang Xunjiu, Patriarch of the commandery seat's Huang family. Birth mother was once a maidservant, disfavored by Huang Xunjiu, and died of melancholy several years after giving birth to Huang Tian; Huang Tian was likewise shunned by the members of the Huang family...]
[Entered the Kunyun Commandery Martial Restraint Guard Academy, displayed transcendent talent, and soared to prominence: broke through three realms in a single month, entered Rank Six in half a month, entered Rank Five in one month, and reached Rank Four in just over a month...]
[While in Rank Five, repeatedly slew Rank Three Grandmasters. After reaching Rank Four, successively cut down the Three Elders of Qin Province, Niu Kuanyu, and Xiahou Yin, possessing Rank One...]
[Evaluation: The martial fortune of an entire province gathered over a millennium; possesses the bearing of a supreme Celestial Being.]
"Hiss—"
Having read through it, they all drew in a cold breath.
A province's martial fortune accumulated over a thousand years!
The bearing of a supreme Celestial Being!
Such a description...
was truly not an exaggeration!
Xu Shu thought to himself, *For a thousand years, not a single Celestial Being expert has emerged in our Qin Province. Yet Huang Tian genuinely possesses the bearing of a Celestial Being. How could one say it isn't a millennium of martial fortune gathered together?*
Long Zhang clicked his tongue twice. "Pity that the Grandmaster Roll ranks strictly by strength. If it were ranked by potential, Brother Huang would surely be among the top three!"
Even then, he was speaking conservatively. Given Huang Tian's potential, claiming the top spot would be well within reason.
Facing these praises, Huang Tian was neither falsely modest nor overly proud; he merely smiled.
Xie Zheng remarked with emotion, "I wonder when I'll ever make the roll. If I ever do, my father will probably be so delighted he won't know which way is up."
Long Zhang chuckled. "Whenever you enter Rank Two and cultivate that Withering-Thriving Birth-Death Sword Technique of yours to great mastery, you'll probably be close."
"Rank Two is too difficult!"
Xie Zheng shook his head. "Reaching great mastery in the sword technique is just as hard. I've practiced swordplay for decades, yet I've only reached minor mastery. Great mastery is monumentally difficult, let alone perfection."
The Withering-Thriving Birth-Death Sword Technique was one of the sword techniques passed down by the Heavenly Sword Villa's old villa master, a Celestial Being. It was also an esoteric sword art widely circulated throughout the five states—he did not mind his sword arts spreading outward, and had intentionally disseminated various techniques to gather the wisdom of millions of martial artists to inspire himself.
Cultivating the Withering-Thriving Birth-Death Sword Technique to perfection allowed one to comprehend the transformations of withering and thriving, which could then serve as a stepping stone to comprehend divine intent!
Divine intent was the greatest threshold separating Rank One from Celestial Being!
Once a martial artist comprehended and nurtured their own unique divine intent, the Celestial Being realm would be right before their eyes!
And for a Celestial Being expert seeking to break through into the legendary Void Realm, they also had to continually allow their divine intent to grow, ultimately condensing a true "Spirit."
That is to say, a Soul!
Yet that was far too distant. Aside from the five great Void Realm experts of ten thousand years ago, no one in the Five Directions Realm had ever unraveled the mysteries of the "Soul."
Long Zhang's eyes held deep yearning. "I've heard that with one sword strike, the old villa master could make withered trees burst into brocades of blossoms bathed in myriad rays of twilight glow, and with another strike, send every flower cascading down, reducing branches and leaves to ash... What an astounding realm that must be."
Hearing him mention his grandfather, Xie Zheng felt proud to share in the glory, but then grew somewhat despondent.
Compared to his grandfather, he fell far, far short.
"I'll continue practicing my sword!"
Announcing this, he walked into the center of the drill ground and took his stance with sword in hand.
*Clang!*
The longsword unsheathed, ringing out like the cry of a dragon and the call of a phoenix.
Xie Zheng moved like a darting dragon, the sword following his form. In an instant, a dazzling cluster of sword light blazed across the air.
At first, the sword light was dense and continuous, like spring silkworms spinning silk, weaving an intricate, glittering net of light.
A moment later, the momentum of the sword shifted into grand, sweeping strokes. Sword light streaked across the sky like silver silk cloth or a surging river spilling across the earth; expansive, crisscrossing sword qi pierced through the air with piercing shrieks.
He leaped and shifted, at times like an eagle striking the skies or a roc soaring with the wind, at other times like a divine axe cleaving a mountain with immense force.
Under the warm, melting sunlight, the ceaselessly circulating sword light resembled arcs of rainbow brilliance.
Within his sword light, faint traces could be seen—the withering and flourishing of vegetation, the rising and setting of the moon, the emergence and fading of rainbows...
The three sat quietly watching, each gaining their own insights.
Especially Huang Tian; over recent days, he had watched Xie Zheng practice swordplay multiple times, deepening his comprehension of the rhyme of withering and thriving embedded in this sword technique.
*Drip, drop... drip, drop...*
Ripples stirred upon the lake of inspiration.
Huang Tian suddenly shut his eyes, focusing his mind and calming his breath as he attempted to guide the vital blood in his body.
*Gurgle, gurgle...*
Vigorous, surging vital blood converged toward his muscles and bones, compressing tightly.
Gradually, the flesh on his face slowly withered. His skin lost its luster, clinging tightly to his cheekbones; his eye sockets sank deep, resembling an emaciated invalid suffering from a long illness.
Beyond his face, his body was also slowly withering, though shielded beneath his garments it could not be seen; only his exposed hands revealed that they had turned dry and shriveled.
Yet beneath this emaciated, skeletal exterior, the interior presented a completely different scene.
All the condensed, compressed essence of vital blood, like hundreds of rivers returning to the sea, poured fully into his muscles and bones to temper them. His bones emitted a soft, lustrous radiance, like vajra glazed glass!
At the same time, the aura upon him grew lower and fainter. Without looking with the naked eye, one could not detect his presence at all.
*This is the withering of withering-thriving. It can make bone like vajra, grant the strength to hurl dragons and elephants, and also conceals breath and qi...* Huang Tian understood in his heart.
"Eh? Brother Huang is..."
Sitting nearby, Long Zhang pulled his gaze back from Xie Zheng's swirling sword dance. When his eyes fell on Huang Tian and saw his utterly withered face, he was startled at first, then his eyes flashed with wonder.
He noticed Huang Tian, and Xu Shu saw it as well, his heart jolting in shock. *Withering and flourishing?!*
To become this emaciated and skeletal, unless Huang Tian was severely wounded with decaying vital blood, it meant he had comprehended the rhyme of withering and flourishing they had just discussed.
Long Zhang and Xu Shu exchanged a glance and stood up in tacit understanding, putting some distance between themselves and Huang Tian to avoid disturbing him.
The two backed away more than twenty zhang, watching the changes occurring on Huang Tian from the side.
By now, Xie Zheng also noticed something was amiss, sheathed his sword, and looked over, his face twitching. *He comprehended the rhyme of withering and flourishing?!*
An intense sense of defeat washed over him. He had practiced the sword arduously for decades without comprehending the transformations of withering and flourishing, yet Huang Tian had merely watched him practice a few times and understood it!
How vast was the gulf in their comprehension! The heavens were simply too unfair!
Despite his decent temperament, he could not help feeling a pang of resentment. Yet within moments, he adjusted his mindset: *Father said aptitude and comprehension are ordained by heaven. There are myriad geniuses under heaven, each with their own strengths. I have no need to envy others; I need only focus on walking my own Dao and practicing my sword!*
*Besides, Huang Tian is my friend. If I envied my own friend, wouldn't I be no better than a beast?*
Having collected his thoughts, he walked over to Long Zhang and Xu Shu, exchanging looks with them.
Long Zhang shook his head and sighed softly. "I had long heard Brother Huang's comprehension was extraordinary. Today, I've truly witnessed it."
Xie Zheng nodded slightly and made a quiet joke, "Pity my father isn't here, or seeing Brother Huang comprehend the transformations of withering and flourishing would probably make him tremble with excitement."
As they conversed, another change occurred on Huang Tian's side.
The vital blood compressed between his muscles and bones, seemingly dormant, suddenly boiled up as if oil had been poured onto a fire!
Like spring thunder awakening the earth or river waters shattering ice, rolling vital blood surged rapidly into his limbs and hundred bones.
His withered face filled out in an instant. The vital blood beneath his skin flowed abundantly, not only restoring elasticity to his skin but also bestowing a jade-like luster.
His eyes regained their radiance, his lips grew rosy, and his whole being seemed reborn, radiating a warm, jade-like luster as if sculpted from fine jade.
A moment later, another change appeared on his body.
The left cheek shriveled once more like air-dried tree bark, the left eye socket sinking deep and the gaze turning dim, while the right cheek remained unchanged, plump and radiant like jade.
At this moment, on his body, one could see one part withering and one part flourishing, one part living and one part dying.
Moreover, this state was not static; it shifted at an extremely slow pace.
Within the withered left half of his body lay a hidden trace of vitality waiting to burst forth.
Within the lustrous, plump right half of his body was embedded a subtle hint of wilting and decay.
"One withering, one flourishing, mutually begetting each other—it's perfected!" Xie Zheng said admiringly.
Long Zhang and Xu Shu clicked their tongues in marvel, at a loss for words.
Meanwhile, sitting cross-legged on the prayer mat, Huang Tian quietly experienced the changes within his body.
*This withering and flourishing primarily manifests in the body and vital blood.*
*First is withering. It allows me to converge my vital blood, concealing my breath and cloaking my form. Whether for evading pursuit or carrying out assassinations in secret, it is immensely useful.*
*In addition, it can mold bones of vajra jade. While looking completely emaciated on the outside, in truth my muscles and bones are like vajra glazed glass, greatly increasing my defense. Furthermore, in this state, the speed at which I absorb spiritual qi and medicinal efficacy will increase considerably.*
*Then comes flourishing. It can unleash the vital blood in my body to the absolute maximum, similar to the secret technique Xiahou Yin used when fighting me. However, after erupting, one cannot sustain a prolonged battle; it is only suitable for life-and-death clashes.*
With these thoughts passing through his mind, Huang Tian mobilized his vital blood to restore his body to its original appearance while musing silently.
*With the comprehension of withering and flourishing, my Wood-phase move finally has an embryonic form.*
*Fire-phase: Tushita Heaven!*
*Metal-phase: Lingxiao Heaven!*
*Wood-phase: Samsara Heaven!*
The Samsara Heaven here did not mean that once created, it could send people into reincarnation. Though legends of reincarnation existed in the Five Directions Realm, no one had ever truly accomplished it; even Celestial Being experts died when their lifespans expired.
This was also why no one suspected Huang Tian of being the reincarnation of a mighty expert despite his astonishing cultivation speed.
Samsara Heaven was actually a technique that tempered both body and spirit simultaneously. Its embryonic form was the comprehension of withering and flourishing, using the method of withering-flourishing to further temper the body to attain indestructible vajra toughness.
Its perfection lay in weaving illusions—not only to face enemies, plunging them into layers of illusion as though cast into an endless cycle of reincarnation, but also to temper one's own spirit and cultivate divine intent!
In other words, when Samsara Heaven reached perfection, divine intent would arise naturally, breaking through the threshold of a Celestial Being. Once his vital blood and true qi accumulated to fullness, he could step into the Celestial Being realm!
*Unfortunately, I've seen too few spirit-type secret techniques, leaving me lacking in inspiration. I wonder if there will be more in the provincial city...*
*Exhale...*
Gently exhaling a breath, Huang Tian opened his eyes to see Long Zhang and the other two gathered beside him, looking on with curiosity.
Xie Zheng praised, "If my grandfather saw Brother Huang comprehend the transformations of withering and flourishing in just a few days, he would surely be full of praise."
Long Zhang also remarked, "Brother Huang ingeniously translated the withering and flourishing of sword intent into the withering and flourishing of the physical body. A truly wondrous idea."
Huang Tian smiled faintly and replied with a few words. Afterward, the four sat down and discussed the transformations of withering and flourishing—though naturally, it was mostly Huang Tian speaking while the other three listened.
About an hour later, the four parted ways, and Huang Tian returned to his residence.
Standing in the courtyard, he ingested a Dragon-Tiger Great Restoration Pill "captured" from Ke Rujing.
*Boom!*
As soon as the Dragon-Tiger Great Restoration Pill entered his belly, its majestic medicinal power detonated. Unhurried, Huang Tian sank his waist and dropped his hips, his spine bowing like an arch as he assumed the Cloud Dragon Stance.
*Let's test the utility of the withering-flourishing method during cultivation...*
With a stir of his mind, his skin lost its luster at a pace visible to the naked eye, turning shriveled, dull, and even showing fine wrinkles.
Under these conditions, the Dragon-Tiger Great Restoration Pill's vast medicinal efficacy unleashed at an even more ferocious pace, nourishing every meridian in his body. At the same time, the spiritual qi of heaven and earth seemed drawn by an irresistible pull, pouring madly into his body!
Irrigated by the tremendous medicinal power and abundant spiritual qi, his muscles, bones, and meridians grew increasingly lustrous and translucent, shining like glazed glass.
After a long time, when the last shred of medicinal power was thoroughly refined, Huang Tian's will guided his vital blood.
*Swish—*
From withering to flourishing!
Vast vital blood surged from his muscles, bones, and internal organs. His withered form instantly radiated a soft luster; his hide and membranes became noticeably tougher than before, while beneath his skin, vital blood flowed heavy as liquid mercury, faintly rumbling with the sounds of wind and thunder as it rushed.
"It tempers muscle, bone, and vital blood while also accelerating cultivation speed. Not bad, not bad at all!"
Huang Tian was quite pleased. "My cultivation was already fast, and now it will be even faster. By my estimate, I should be able to break through again and attain Rank Three in about a dozen days!"
Once in Rank Three, his strength would surely soar once more. While standing against a Celestial Being expert might be unrealistic—the chasm between Rank One and Celestial Being was simply too vast—even if he could not rival a Celestial Being, few in Rank One would be his match. When that time came, across the vast world, he would have almost nothing to fear!
"Back to cultivating!"
Huang Tian sliced off another piece of root from a centuries-old spiritual herb, consumed it, and resumed the Cloud Dragon Stance. Applying the withering-flourishing method in tandem with the thunderous body tempering secret technique, he cultivated at extreme speed...
*Screeech!*
A vigorous goshawk streaked across the sky, soaring past hills, plains, and forests, before finally coming to a halt above a sprawling villa nestled against mountains and rivers, wheeling on spread wings.
This villa was called Wind and Cloud Villa.
Its master, Yue Dingshan, was a dignified Rank One Grandmaster with spear skills that bordered on the miraculous and formidable strength. Boasting thousands of disciples, he enjoyed immense renown throughout the pugilistic world of the State of Lan.
Yet at this very moment, his expression was exceptionally grim. For outside the villa, a man had arrived.
Clad in fine purple brocade robes, standing tall with a saber hung at his waist, he possessed an ordinary face, yet within his gaze burned an intense ferocity, as if ready to incinerate everything in sight to ash!
With a solemn countenance, Yue Dingshan subconsciously tightened his grip on the coiled-dragon spear in his hand, uttering word by word, "Xia! Hou! Yang!"
Chapter 124