Purple Mist Dao Master-Chapter 78 - 74: First Exploration of the Mountain and Sea Realm! Cheng Fengxiao’s Regret! [3rd Update!]
Chapter 78: Chapter 74: First Exploration of the Mountain and Sea Realm! Cheng Fengxiao’s Regret! [3rd Update!]
"Of course, it’s dangerous."
"But it’s not as terrifying as you imagine."
Cheng Fengxiao stood up, twisted his waist and hips, then remembered something and asked Yan Chuan, "Did you eat the ’Vermilion Fruit’?"
"Master just went to sleep, and I ate it right after."
Yan Chuan replied honestly.
Cheng Fengxiao immediately laughed, "That’s the way it should be. The Vermilion Fruit is hard to digest. The earlier you eat it, the sooner you benefit. The Martial Arts Competition will last for nearly half a month, and the climax is in the last few days. By then, the medicinal effects in your body will have fully processed."
"The ’Vermilion Fruit’ is a rare treasure, precious and valuable. Thank you, Master, for the gift!"
Yan Chuan thanked Cheng Fengxiao.
Cheng Fengxiao waved his hand, amused, and said, "Speaking of precious treasures, can the ’Vermilion Fruit’ compare to the ’Star Stone’? When you gave me the ’Star Stone,’ did I show any courtesy?"
"What Master says is true."
Yan Chuan laughed heartily; he was just being polite. After all, he swallowed the Vermilion Fruit the moment Cheng Fengxiao lay down, without a hint of hesitation.
It’s my own Master!
The Martial Arts Hall has been entrusted to me, no need to be formal.
After the laughter.
Yan Chuan looked at Cheng Fengxiao, "This time venturing into the Mountain and Sea Realm, you said you’d be back in ten days, was it the ’Vermilion Fruit’ that delayed you, Master?"
Nineteen days gone!
No word at all!
These days, especially the last nine, truly worried Yan Chuan sick.
Cheng Fengxiao could imagine Yan Chuan’s anxiety. He explained, "I went into the Mountain and Sea Realm and appeared in a deep mountain and vast marshland, unable to discern directions. In the first ten days, no people, no beasts, no rare treasures, nothing at all. I was unwilling at the time, hoping for a turn of luck. Just the night before coming back, I stumbled upon a group of aliens and alien beasts confronting each other, watching over a ’Vermilion Fruit Tree’ with six fruits, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, and the pure energy of the stars. I recognized it and naturally didn’t want to leave. I hid nearby, waiting for nine days and nights. When the ’Vermilion Fruit’ ripened, as the three aliens and three alien beasts fought, I sprang out—"
"Hahaha!"
"The three people and three beasts couldn’t react in time, and all six Vermilion Fruits were plucked by me."
"After that, they chased me."
"Fortunately, I have that ’Divine Movement Transformation.’ In the deep mountains and marshes, I jumped and fled. Moreover, consuming the ’Vermilion Fruit’ boosted my blood and qi, ultimately turning peril into safety."
Cheng Fengxiao spoke of this matter, full of exuberance.
In Guangling City, he had long since become a renowned master, a famous figure in the martial arts world. This journey to the Mountain and Sea Realm, to seize treasure, to fight and kill on the edge of life and death, with blood boiling, was a long-forgotten experience that seemed to rejuvenate him.
It’s just a pity—
"It’s a pity that the ’Vermilion Fruit’ is a rare treasure. Carefully refining it could be very beneficial, but I wasted most of it. Out of the five Vermilion Fruits, most were wasted, and only two or three were truly beneficial."
Cheng Fengxiao lamented.
Five Vermilion Fruits!
Theoretically, equivalent to fifty years of power!
But in his haste during that situation, Cheng Fengxiao ended up benefiting only three to five times more than Yan Chuan did from consuming a single Vermilion Fruit.
Three or four Vermilion Fruits, wasted.
"It’s not wasted."
"Master’s safe return is more precious than ten Vermilion Fruits!"
Yan Chuan, however, did not lament.
...
"Master."
"What is the Mountain and Sea Realm truly like over there?"
After chatting for a while, Yan Chuan couldn’t help but ask Cheng Fengxiao.
Cheng Fengxiao smiled upon hearing this, "I knew you couldn’t hold back."
The once serious boxing expert, after a trip to the ’Mountain and Sea Realm,’ became open-minded and relaxed: "Actually, it’s not much different from the Great Yan, the same mountains, the same waters, the birds, fish, and insects are also not much different. A sun in the sky, and stars and a bright moon at night, I didn’t see the legendary ’Mountain and Sea Pass.’ If we talk about differences, it’s the presence of aliens, alien beasts, and Vermilion Fruits."
In fact.
Even the aliens look just like humans, except their dress is more rugged, with unkempt hair and untrimmed beards, their bodies covered in animal skins, looking primitive and wild.
"The difference between them and us, they say, lies in the bloodline."
"I didn’t understand before, but this time I witnessed."
Cheng Fengxiao explained to Yan Chuan: "When I fought with those three aliens, their blood qi surged, Monkey Fist like a monkey, Tiger Fist like a tiger, truly rare in form and spirit. Even with our level in ’Tiger Form Boxing,’ meeting them, in terms of similarity in form and spirit, we are no match. Xun Guilan’s ’Mountain and Sea Geographical Record’ says that these aliens have the bloodline of Mountain and Sea Divine Beasts, covering everything from jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards. I used to think it was just an ancient legend, mysterious and far-fetched, like a totem or divine being, but after seeing it myself, I realized that they probably do have Divine Beast bloodlines flowing inside them."
Aliens!
Bloodlines!
Yan Chuan was fascinated as he listened.
Xun Guilan recorded in the ’Mountain and Sea Geographical Record’ that the ’aliens’ in the ’Mountain and Sea Realm’ are descendants of Mountain and Sea Divine Beasts, with divine beast bloodlines flowing through them. And these aliens’ cultivation seems like boxing and weapons training, without any spells or divine skills, but in fact, they are exploring their own bloodlines through martial arts—
Pigs, horses, cattle, sheep!
Jackals, wolves, tigers, leopards!
Sparrows, geese, eagles, hawks!
Shrimp, crab, fish, turtle!
From the sky flying, to the waters swimming, to the ground walking, they have it all.
By tapping into the Divine Beast bloodlines within themselves, these aliens’ strength grew far beyond that of Great Yan Warriors, and their martial arts techniques are bizarre.
In short, peculiar.
"Blood Transformation."
"Pure Blood."
"Blood Condensation."
"Alien Martial Artists are divided into three levels: ’Blood Transformation,’ the beginning of bloodline cultivation, with thriving blood qi, at this level they are called warriors; ’Pure Blood,’ where they start purifying the bloodline and clarifying their mixed bloodline, are called generals; ’Blood Condensation,’ where after purification, different bloodlines condense different ’Essence Blood,’ at this level they are called gods of war."
Blood Transformation Warrior!
Pure Blood General!
Blood Condensing War God!
The strength of the Mountain and Sea Realm lies in its alien beasts and aliens.
Not to mention the legendary ’War God,’ even a ’General’ can crush any Martial Arts Academy in the world. A first-level research student is like a child in front of them. A doctoral student, teacher, or professor encountering a general can only run.
"The three I met must have only been ’Blood Transformation Warriors,’ otherwise I couldn’t have countered."
When Cheng Fengxiao first encountered the three aliens, he thought of what was said in the ’Mountain and Sea Geographical Record’ and felt disheartened. But after careful observation, he discovered they were not stronger than him, merely scaring himself: "In fact, generals are already rare. Xun Guilan has been in and out of the Mountain and Sea Realm for nearly five years and hasn’t encountered one. How could I possibly meet one on my first time in?"
Cheng Fengxiao was simply too nervous on his first visit.
"A Pure Blood General can already crush the entire Martial Arts Academy of Great Yan."
"Going further up."
"What kind of terrifying strength does a Blood Condensing War God have?"
"Can’t even imagine!"
Yan Chuan marveled.
He is now considered a notable figure in Guangling County, and even at full power, there aren’t many who can surpass him.
But in the Mountain and Sea Realm, there are still those stronger!
"Indeed!"
Cheng Fengxiao also mused, "Thinking back now, the court never actively suppressed the Martial Arts Hall or sects, just broadly opened Martial Arts Academies, lowering their status, causing the Martial Arts Hall and sects to go bankrupt, unable to bear the burden. The court didn’t pursue victory, didn’t wipe them out completely. I used to be paranoid, suspecting the court wanted to use us old-school martial artists as sharpening stones for New Faction martial artists. But now I know, the court with its eyes on the Mountain and Sea Realm couldn’t care less about us old relics, their focus and experts are likely all invested in the Mountain and Sea Realm!"
Cheng Fengxiao smiled wryly.
Only then did he realize that all along, he was the only one treating his Martial Arts Hall as something significant, thinking he was being targeted.
In reality, the court didn’t even care to bother.
Their sole aim was strategizing for the Mountain and Sea Realm, opening academies was for the Mountain and Sea Realm, one policy after another targeted at the Mountain and Sea Realm, yet even so, thousands of Martial Arts Halls were already ruined.
Like a drought demon passing by, doing nothing, just its breath devastated everything for thousands of miles.
Thinking this.
The past eight years seem utterly laughable.
...
"Master, looking at it another way, now that we have ’Star Stones,’ as the court explores, we too can explore. Perhaps we can even establish a Martial Arts Hall in the Mountain and Sea Realm."
Noticing his master’s odd tone, Yan Chuan interjected jokingly.
Cheng Fengxiao, upon hearing this, snapped out of it, telling Yan Chuan, "You need not worry, I’ve come to terms with it. It’s just a pity, my previous ignorance, failing to see the bigger picture, wasted your promising future."
"Master overstates it. I am reborn within the Martial Arts Hall, raised in the Martial Arts Hall, I couldn’t bear to watch it collapse and be merged into an Academy."
Yan Chuan’s ’reborn’ was a pun, covering his ’reborn through time travel.’
But Cheng Fengxiao assumed Yan Chuan referred to when he was six and gravely ill, saved by him and brought back to Iron Wire Martial Arts Hall, thus being ’reborn.’
Not a self-betrayal.
"Indeed!"
"A nine-generation legacy of the Iron Wire Martial Arts Hall, passed to you, now the tenth generation, how could I let it go?"
Cheng Fengxiao sighed, then suddenly laughed: "But now, with Iron Wire Martial Arts Hall passed on to you, I won’t meddle anymore, handle it as you see fit. The burden is on you now, I am free to roam this vast world!"
Full of vigor!
Just like a youth!
Yan Chuan smiled, curiously asking, "What are your plans next, Master? Join the court, explore the secrets of the Mountain and Sea Realm together?"
Now that his mindset has changed, would Cheng Fengxiao be willing to join the court?
Zhenwu!
Cangwu!
Xuanwu!
Go to the Three Martial Divisions?
Cheng Fengxiao shook his head, "If I had known about this ten or eight years ago, I would have definitely thrown myself into it, willing to be utilized. But thinking back now, at that time, the court wouldn’t have even looked at someone like me, not even sects like the Songhe Sect or Immortal Mist Mountain, which are known across the county. Only the renowned ’Six Great Sects’ are worth the court’s effort to win over."
At the beginning of Great Yan’s establishment, the banner of the Jianghu Martial Arts — the Six Great Sects, immediately changed course, sending disciples to participate in the grand affair of opening an academy.
At that time.
The Jianghu was tumultuous, hearts trembling with fear.
The court, without expending a single soldier or wasting a single word, just by having the Six Great Sects align with them, caused half the figures and forces in the Jianghu Martial Arts to defect and participate.
The rest.
Were only those diehards like Iron Wire Martial Arts Hall and Songhe Sect.
And now.
Cheng Fengxiao has also seen the light!
If he had known about the Mountain and Sea Realm ten years ago, he would not have resisted and would happily join the court, actively welcoming and embracing the tide of change.
...
