Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

"This book contains the techniques and mental cultivation methods for the subsequent moves of the Dragon Subduing Palm. I have also added a book on the lightness skill of the Cloud Ladder Leap. I will leave it to you two brothers."

"This volume of Zhiruo's is a selection of martial arts techniques from the Nine Yin Manual. Unlike the fierce Dragon Subduing Palm, the martial arts recorded in this volume are more suitable for women to practice."

"After you return, study diligently. Every afternoon, I will set aside two hours to answer your questions. At other times, you can practice on your own or refer to the materials together."

………………

Time flies, and more than a month has passed in no time.

Aside from instructing his three disciples, Su Yuchen spent the rest of his time in seclusion cultivating. In this life, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was abundant, making his cultivation twice as effective. His martial arts progressed by leaps and bounds.

On this day, Su Yuchen awoke from his seclusion. A golden luster, like ripples on water, flashed across his skin before fading away, leaving only skin with a delicate, ivory-like sheen.

As he stretched his waist, his entire body emitted a crackling sound like popping copper beans, the sound explosive yet not harsh, soft yet not limp, forming a wonderful rhythm that captivated listeners.

"Although I don't yet have hundreds of years of internal energy, through constant practice, I have already achieved a preliminary level of Vajra Immortality. Next, I should go and travel around the world."

"The other volumes of 'The Heavenly Demon Manual' are mostly about techniques, and many of them have flaws, which is not surprising. The first volume, 'The Great Method of Planting Demons in the Dao Heart,' is worth a look."

"Dini's 'Compassionate Sword Manual' is derived from the notes of the Demonic Sect, and it combines the Buddhist and demonic paths. In essence, it is more inclined to the methods of the Heavenly Witch. It's better not to read it."

"The only thing that can still interest me is the Jingyan Palace. The palace that Bi Xuan encountered in the desert is very likely the Jingyan Palace."

After thinking about it, Su Yuchen suddenly realized that these things were no longer important to him; they were just a hobby. He shook his head, got up, and left the quiet room where he had been in seclusion.

"What happened?"

Su Yuchen sat in his study, looking at his three disciples with strange expressions, and couldn't help but frown.

Jiang Wenzheng's expression was a mixture of excitement and dazedness as he said...

"News came from Lingnan. The Song Clan Chief destroyed his own sharpening hall with his own sword energy. Afterwards, he personally destroyed all the names on the sharpening stones, leaving only the name of my master."

“‘Earth Sword’ Song Zhi said personally that the Song Clan leader admitted that his swordsmanship was not as good as his master’s and would not allow anyone to call him the number one swordsman in the world.”

"In addition, there is news that Song Shidao has set off from Lingnan, bringing with him a letter from the Song Clan Chief to Master."

"The martial arts world is in an uproar right now, everyone says that Master has surpassed the three grandmasters. Otherwise, Lord Song would never have treated Master with such great respect."

Su Yuchen nodded, unconcerned. "Song Shidao's martial arts are not weak; his Heavenly Blade Eight Techniques are extraordinary. If you don't want to embarrass your master, you might as well practice diligently and spar with him when he arrives. Test your skills." With that, he waved for them to leave.

………………

Lingnan.

When Song Shidao and Song Lu suddenly changed course and returned to Lingnan, Song Zhi, the "Earth Sword," immediately led a group of people to inquire about their whereabouts.

After the two finished recounting their experiences in Danyang, Song Zhi looked at the table covered with cloth and, not daring to make a decision on his own, relayed the news to the Sharpening Hall.

Inside the Sharpening Hall, Song Que hadn't paid any attention at first, but when he casually lifted the cloth and saw the Xuan paper on the table, his expression immediately changed. Almost the instant the ink on the paper turned a jet black, a fierce sword intent also rose from Song Que's body.

In Song Que's eyes, the sword light on the paper stretched across the sky and earth. The falling sword light was like the radiance of the sun. As soon as Pu appeared, he suppressed all his changes and could only wait for the sword light to come.

Song Que was not one to sit idly by and wait for death. Faced with this seemingly divine sword technique, he immediately unleashed his strongest Heavenly Sword Nine Questions, using a tangible method to enter the intangible. The sword light was like the vanished 'one,' formless and traceless. Then, the formless transformed into a tangible method, instantly appearing beyond heaven and earth, slashing out thousands upon thousands of swords, like a celestial river of swords, rising to the heavens, vowing to use the sword of man to break this sword of heaven.

Outside the Sharpening Hall, Song Shidao, Song Yuzhi, Song Zhi, Song Lu, and the others who had not yet left felt a chill in their hearts, as if they were being slowly sliced ​​to death, and could only retreat further into the distance.

For the next three days, the sword intent within the Sharpening Hall not only did not weaken, but instead grew stronger.

On the fifth day, a deafening roar erupted within the Sharpening Hall. The Sharpening Hall, which had stood for many years, collapsed with a crash, leaving only Song Que holding a knife in both hands. Within a radius of ten feet around him, knife marks were everywhere, and the energy of the blades crisscrossed. The ground, paved with thick rock, was littered with rubble.

Chapter 350 Hearing of the Stone Master Again

"father!"

"Valve Master!"

"Big brother!"

When the smoke cleared, the four men were shocked to see Song Que standing motionless. Although they had faith in Song Que, his safety was tied to the lives of the Song clan and hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Lingnan, so how could they not worry?

Unfortunately, the rampant sword energy and terrifying sword intent in the arena made the four of them lack the confidence to venture forward. Anyone would know that if they stepped in now, they would only be torn apart by the remaining sword energy.

Fortunately, Song Que did not disappoint them. As everyone exclaimed in surprise, Song Que had already thrown the long sword in his hand, which landed on the sword rack next to him. It was the only intact thing left at the scene.

As the longsword fell, the swords on the rack emitted a series of hums, their aura and intent swirling and lingering, as if the souls within the swords had been stirred.

"Was this made by Shi Long himself?" Song Que pointed to the ground in front of him. With a flick of his sleeve, dust rose up and revealed a complete sheet of Xuan paper on the ground.

The four looked at each other in bewilderment. They saw that the vertical line 'l' on the Xuan paper was shimmering with ink-colored luster, but the luster was gradually fading. As the luster disappeared, with a soft 'snap', the Xuan paper tore apart inch by inch and turned into ashes that drifted away.

Song Shidao was the first to come to his senses. He replied, "Yes, Father, Mr. Shi made this himself in front of me and Uncle Lu. I even brought the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone myself."

Song Que stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distant void, his eyes flashing with a bright, gleaming light, and said…

"If that's the case, his swordsmanship is even superior to mine. I can only achieve the state of having nothing but the sword, while he has already attained the state of having the sword yet forgetting the sword, where everything in heaven and earth can be a sword—the realm of the Heavenly Sword."

"However, I also benefited greatly from fighting him from a distance. Now that I have understood the difference between the tangible and the intangible, my swordsmanship will soon be able to advance further."

“His sword is the sword of heaven, my sword is the sword of man. But I cannot be stingy. Master, later you can send a letter to Yangzhou for your father, and let him see my swordsmanship as well.”

Seeing Song Que's fighting spirit, the group finally realized for the first time how powerful Shi Long was. And it was definitely not the kind of secret they had guessed, obtained from the "Longevity Manual."

In the days that followed, Song Que had already gone into seclusion while the Sharpening Hall was being rebuilt. When he emerged from seclusion, the first thing he did was to personally reshape the sharpening stone, leaving only the name of the stone dragon on it.

As Song Shidao left Lingnan, the news spread like wildfire throughout the land.

Although some still doubted the authenticity of Shi Long, no one dared to question Song Que's statement. The stone carvings within the Sharpening Hall signified that Song Que had already placed Shi Long above the three Grandmasters.

………………

On Weishan Lake, a giant ship sails at full speed through the vast expanse of misty waves toward a certain destination. Amidst the clouds and fog, the ship's hull is occasionally glimpsed with the inscription "Dongming".

Inside the ship's main hall, a woman dressed in a light veil sat in the main seat, and beside her were Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, who had been missing for a long time.

Besides these three, there were also three women in tight-fitting clothes, an old man, and a young man seated at the same time. The three women and the young man glanced at Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling with disdain, but they could only keep quiet because of the woman in the main seat.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was extremely strange. Fortunately, the woman in the main seat and the old man occasionally exchanged a few words, talking about the current power dynamics in the world, which quickly attracted everyone's attention.

When the topic of Yangzhou came up, the young man interjected...

"Who would have thought that Shi Long would have such strength? Even with the martial arts of Tian Dao Song Que, he still regarded him as his only opponent, and even erased the names of Ning Daoqi, Fu Cailin and Bi Xuan from the whetstone."

"Song Que praised his swordsmanship as being superior to his own, but I wonder if it's true or not. If it is, I wonder why he never revealed his strength before?"

"Now Shi Long is holding Yangzhou by himself. Du Fuwei and Li Zitong dare not invade Jiangdu because of him. Yang Guang also stopped halfway and dared not go to Yangzhou."

Upon hearing this, the old man who was still drinking paused, his right hand holding the wine cup suspended in mid-air, and everyone looked on with expressions of listening intently.

This was the first time Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling had heard the name Shi Shi since leaving Yangzhou. The two exchanged a silent glance, listening to the conversation.

The elderly man sitting next to him paused for a moment, then silently resumed drinking his wine, showing that he would not offer any opinion.

One of the women in tight-fitting clothes said, "Given Song Que's character, he wouldn't stoop to lying. His martial arts are no less than those of the three grandmasters. As for the specifics, since they haven't been compared, no one knows."

Another woman said, "Although we have never fought, we can tell how high Song Que's martial arts skills and how sharp his swordsmanship are just from the fact that Ning Daoqi, the 'unaffiliated man,' dared not claim victory."

The young man shook his head and said, "It's a pity that Shi Long's attitude is unclear. If he joins forces with Song Que, the chances of the Song Clan gaining control of the world will increase infinitely."

Another woman, who had never spoken, said, "I've heard that Shi Long is devoted to the Dao and is determined to remain single. Just by the fact that he never leaves Yangzhou, I know he has no interest in the world. I suppose as long as no one goes to Yangzhou to provoke him, he won't bother with other forces."

The young man was silent for a moment, then said, "That's probably why. All the major powers are withdrawing their tentacles from Yangzhou, leaving only some spies behind. Before his attitude becomes clear, no one dares to offend such a super expert. After all, he has no ties."

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were thrilled. They had never imagined that the aloof Stone Master could be so intimidating in the eyes of others. They really wanted to shout it out so that everyone present would know.

Unfortunately, the two did not exchange a single word until the end of the banquet.

Just as the two were about to take their leave, the old man who had been drinking silently suddenly asked, "Who taught you two martial arts?"

The two were terrified, almost thinking the old man was going to interrogate them about their martial arts skills. But after asking his questions, the old man simply left.

The two took the opportunity to slip away. Back in the cabin, Xu Ziling nudged Kou Zhong with his shoulder and said, "I thought you would tell us that we were taught by Master Shi, so that we could teach that arrogant guy a lesson."

Kou Zhong lay on the bed and said helplessly, "Compared to slapping his face, I'm more afraid that Master Shi will suddenly appear and break my legs."

Upon hearing this, Xu Ziling said, "Xiao Zhong, have you ever regretted not returning to Yangzhou and shamelessly becoming a disciple of Master Shi? You wouldn't be suffering such scorn now."

Kou Zhong snorted twice: "I regret it every moment."

Then he added, "It's a pity that our skills are so poor that even if we were to guard the gate for Master Shi, he would still look down on us. Once we've learned real skills, we'll definitely go back to Yangzhou and give Master Shi a big surprise."

Xu Ziling sighed and said, "But since we entered the martial arts world, none of the martial arts we have learned can compare to Lingbo Weibu."

“But those are more suitable for us, aren’t they? Master Shi’s Lingbo Weibu is good, but it’s too effeminate and doesn’t suit my temperament,” Kou Zhong said.

After a moment of silence, Kou Zhong said, "Alright, alright, let's get some sleep and prepare to steal the ledger tonight."

"Alas! But wouldn't that be too unfair to Madam? She treats us like her own children," Xu Ziling sighed.

Kou Zhong was silent for a moment: "But we've already promised Li. A man can't go back on his word. Let's help him force his father to rebel first, and then we'll apologize to Madam."

Chapter 351 Song Shidao Enters Yangzhou

On this day, the restaurants at the gate of Yangzhou were packed with customers. Strangely, despite the large number of customers, the restaurants were quiet, with everyone sitting silently in the street-facing seats.

Until someone rushed into the city gate, shouting all the way, "They're here!"

A moment later, a carriage bearing a special flag slowly passed through the city gate, heading east. Until it was quite far away, a series of loud crashes came from the window seats facing the street…

"They're here, they've really come. It's the eldest son of the Song Clan Chief."

"Song Que, the Heavenly Blade! Shi Long, the Yangzhou Swordsman! The two most skilled swordsmen in the world both come from the South."

"Master Shi's swordsmanship is so strong that it has truly been recognized by Master Song. From now on, the world has gained another grandmaster."

"Let's go! Let's go! Yangzhou is a place where hidden talents reside; it's not a place we can stay for long."

The scene became chaotic, with some people discussing the matter and others rushing downstairs to leave.

………………

The General Administration Office of Yangzhou.

Upon hearing his trusted servant's report, Yuchi Sheng waved his hand, signaling him to leave. He then sat alone in his study, lost in thought.

After an unknown amount of time, he couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Yangzhou has a dragon, so who would dare to make a move? Our previous plans are now ruined. The stone dragon... the stone dragon..."

Yu Chisheng shook his head bitterly, picked up a pen and began to write. He then sealed the envelope and called to his trusted guard: "Send this letter secretly to Lord Yuwen."

After his men left, Yuchi Sheng sat for a while, let out a long sigh, and then fell silent again.

………………

Shilong Dojo.

Jiang Wenzheng stood at the door with his junior brothers and sisters to greet them. Looking at the carriage approaching in the distance, he seemed dazed, as if he had not yet come to his senses.

As the carriage drew near, a pair of elegantly beautiful men and women, along with an elderly man with silver beard and hair, stepped out from behind the curtain.

"I am Jiang Wenzheng, accompanied by my junior brother Lei Haibin and junior sister Yang Zhiruo. We greet Senior Song, Young Master Song, and Miss Song."

"Brother Jiang, you are too kind. I am here on behalf of my father to pay my respects to Master Shi."

"Young Master Song, please. My master is already waiting in the backyard."

After exchanging pleasantries, the group headed together toward the small training ground in the backyard of the martial arts school.

Looking at this perfect couple, Jiang Wenzheng felt that they truly possessed the demeanor of a distinguished family; every move they made was so pleasing to the eye. The man was gentle and refined yet possessed a heroic air; the woman was elegant yet youthful and lively.

Song Shidao sized up Jiang Wenzheng and the other two, and couldn't help but sigh that they were indeed descendants of famous families. The three men had bright eyes and brows, clear as autumn water and gentle as jade, without any turbidity, which showed that their internal strength had reached a very high level.

As I crossed the front yard and entered through the moon gate, I saw Su Yuchen sitting next to the small training ground.

The arrival of Song Shidao has confirmed your status as a Grandmaster to the world.

Song Que sent Song Shidao in person to deliver a message, wanting to know if you can comprehend the true meaning behind his sword.

Are you willing to help Song Shidao unify the north from the south and become a wise and benevolent ruler?

Song Shidao hurried a few steps, cupped his hands and said, "Shidao greets Master Shi. This is a letter my father asked me to deliver."

As he spoke, Song Shidao took out the letter and sized up Su Yuchen. He felt that this person was still very ordinary, no different from the one he had seen in Danyang. The only difference was that he was too indistinguishable from the crowd, and could be completely overlooked if one was not paying attention.

“Mr. Shi is more like a heartless immortal, while my father is a living, breathing human being.” At this moment, Song Shidao had a strange realization and understood what Song Que meant by the sword of heaven and the sword of man.

Looking at Song Shidao, Su Yuchen nodded, reached out and took the letter from Song Shidao's hand, then smiled at Song Yuzhi who looked curious, and looked at Song Ludao: "I didn't expect to meet Brother Song again so soon. Please sit down, everyone, no need to be polite."

Song Lu bowed in thanks and sat down with Song Shidao and his sister.

Su Yuchen unfolded the envelope, inside which was only a thin sheet of Xuan paper. He smiled slightly, already knowing what it was. Sure enough, after unfolding it, there was the same vertical 'l' in the center of the letter.

As Su Yuchen's primordial spirit shone forth, a blade of light appeared in his eyes. The blade energy gathered into a sea, rising against the heavens, determined to challenge even the heavens. Then, the blade light dissipated like flowing water into mist.

From the moment he unfolded the letter, everyone watched him curiously, Song Lu especially looking at him nervously. Unfortunately, Su Yuchen simply looked down and then up, everything calm and collected, as if what Song Que had delivered was truly just a letter.