Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 637 Willingness to Give (Part 1)

The head of the Nine Lives Academy looked intently at Li Huade and said seriously, "What I mentioned the other day about the situation in Huayang City, could you please give it a thorough consideration, senior brother?"

I've inquired around; in Huayang City, the so-called three major martial arts schools—Fire Ape, Gale, and Spirit Fox—are backed by the Fang family of Fire Ape, the You family of Swallow Falcon, and the Hu family of Spirit Fox, respectively. Looking at it this way, the original intention behind these martial arts schools… is simply that these bloodline families want to openly manipulate martial artists.”

He paused, then continued, "Therefore, we can deduce from this why these bloodline families are willing to spend a lot of resources to support martial arts schools... they have no good intentions at all."

According to my calculations, if this new policy is implemented and covers an entire state, sects will become martial arts schools, driven solely by profit and money, while the principles of chivalry among martial artists will fade away. Not only will the foundation of martial arts be shaken, but our Yuanmiao Sect will also be in danger. Li Huade frowned even more deeply.

"Nine Lives, this is just your calculation. Judging from the current situation, after martial arts schools became popular in Huayang City, the practice of martial arts has become increasingly popular."

Compared to the previously exclusive martial arts schools, the widespread adoption of martial arts schools has led to increased public willingness to pay for training, making the transmission of martial arts much more active and convenient. From this perspective, the promotion of martial arts schools clearly does more harm than good.

Emperor Yuanmiao is currently in a state of closed mountain gates, but the closure of the mountain gates does not mean that the country is closed off from the world or that news is cut off.

After all, which of those within the Yuanmiao Sect who could cultivate to the highest level wasn't a shrewd and capable individual? Could they not know the dangers of isolationism?

Therefore, they continued to send people to keep an eye on major events happening in various parts of Yunzhou, which was equivalent to secret supervision rather than substantive management.

"I disagree with what you're saying, senior brother," the head of the Nine Lives Academy retorted. "Once martial arts schools are widely adopted, the original sense of community among sects will fade away, replaced by profit-driven schools. The close relationship, cohesion, and rules between masters and disciples will disappear. They will become more snobbish, pragmatic, and purely based on money."

Martial arts refers to both martial arts skills and principles of conduct. The popularity of martial arts schools, however, only teaches martial arts techniques, which superficially suggests a flourishing of martial arts. But in the long run, without teaching principles of conduct, people become accustomed to using force to oppress others, and the principles of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness gradually become outdated and pedantic, leading to a decline in moral values.

"At that time, what martial arts will remain? All that will be left is a bunch of brute force, forever suppressed by the bloodline families. And I've calculated it using tortoise shell divination; if this continues, it will absolutely escalate to this state within sixty years!"

"Divination by tortoise shell?" Li Huade scoffed upon hearing this. "Nine Lives, I'm not laughing at your divination skills. But in the field of divination, things like finding inanimate objects and exploring the location of secret realms might actually be quite accurate."

But how can you accurately predict people's hearts when you use it to calculate people and events? Especially the major developments of the next sixty years? You can't calculate the heavens and the earth to fully comprehend people's hearts. Even if the He Luo River were to reappear, or Fuxi were to reappear, it would still be impossible to calculate these things clearly.

Looking at the somewhat somber face of the Nine Lives Academy Chief, he couldn't bear it any longer and sighed, "I know you mean well and are concerned about the future of the Yuanmiao Sect. But the Autumn Killing Policy wasn't decided by you, nor is it up to me."

"If the new policy has problems, it will affect our Yuanmiao Sect, damage the foundation of our martial arts, and the sect leader and lineage leaders... how could they possibly agree to implement it? They didn't see the problems back then, so how can we discover such major flaws now?"

“But…” The head of the Nine Lives Academy was speechless and could not continue.

In his view, those high-ranking members of the Upper Three Peaks might be powerful enough, but they have long been detached from worldly affairs and aloof, so they might not be as insightful as he is.

But some things are fine to say in private, but if said in this kind of setting, he might be accused of serious disrespect. He might even end up like Yang Huawu, having to reflect on his mistakes and regret his actions in the Repentance Cave.

"Alright, alright. Stop talking. Let's leave it at that. I'll report this to my superiors when I have the chance, and I'll let you know if there's any result."

Li Huade also noticed something was wrong and quickly changed the subject: "The more important thing right now is to focus on the gap in the great formation. After the Black Smoke Fortress was broken, you are urgently needed to dredge the earth veins, plug the gap again, and repair the great formation."

“Nine Lives Academy Leader, let’s leave it at that. Senior Brother is right. If there really was something fishy going on, the elders of the three upper peaks couldn’t have been unaware of it,” Cao Xuanzhen advised.

'That's right, Headmaster Xuanzhen is right...' The other heads nodded in agreement. 'Nine Lives, you're overthinking it...'

"..."

Seeing the unmoved attitude of the crowd before him, the head of the Nine Lives Academy sighed, hesitated to speak, and had no choice but to turn and leave.

He was the only one sober while everyone else was drunk, and he couldn't really explain much about this situation that was misunderstood by others.

Saying too much might lead to misunderstandings.

Watching the Nine Lives Institute Chief leave, everyone remained unperturbed and exchanged a few pleasantries.

"Speaking of Huayang City, I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse. I heard that Jingtian Manor seems to be declining now," said the head of Xuanwei Academy.

He has a square face, a resolute and stern appearance, and is somewhat unsmiling.

"Your information is outdated. Jingtian Manor has completely fallen apart, with only Zhao Ziyang's main branch remaining," Yan Xuanji said with a smile.

She was dressed in a bright red Taoist robe. Her face was a classic oval face, but her sunken cheeks gave her an inexplicable sense of ruthlessness.

So even though she was just smiling, it felt like she was mocking her.

"It's a pity... Jing Tian Manor used to be quite famous, but it made a mistake and ended up like this..." Headmaster Xuanwei sighed, "Simply implementing a new policy is enough to determine the fate of a major power."

"What great power? Others may not know, but you do?" Yan Xuanji retorted. "The so-called five great powers of Yunzhou are just five entities that my Yuanmiao Sect has supported to help share the affairs of Yunzhou."

Since the new policies were decided by the elders of the three peaks, the decline of Jingtian Manor was certainly within their expectations. Moreover, a power of Jingtian Manor's size is easily rebuilt by us; it's no big deal.

For the people of Yuanmiao Sect, the five major powers in Yunzhou were nothing more than fleeting clouds.

Times change, and things change.

Everything changes, the only constant is Qingjiang Mountain, with its three upper peaks and six lower peaks. Everything else in Yunzhou is merely an accompaniment.

Not worth mentioning.

The only force supporting the overall situation in Yunzhou and suppressing everything has always been their Yuanmiao Sect.

Therefore, no matter how the other five major forces change, it has no impact on the entire Yunzhou or the Yuanmiao Sect.

This idea was not only held by Yan Xuanji, but also by every member of the Yuanmiao Sect.

They were born to stand at the top of Yunzhou, high above everyone else.

The head of Xuanwei Academy was actually aware of this matter.

But the truth is the truth.

Being interrupted by her repeated rebuttals would inevitably make even the most good-tempered person feel unhappy.

Moreover, he is the head of Xuanwei Academy.

He served as the head of the Dragon Tiger Academy, the most dangerous and bloodthirsty place in the entire Yuanmiao Sect.

The Dragon Tiger Academy is responsible for external conquests.

Any conflict with Yuanmiao Sect, or matters of territorial expansion, would fall to the head of Xuanwei Academy.

At that moment, he said with a hint of sarcasm, "It's true that Jingtian Manor has declined. But I heard that there is one person among them who has shone brightly in this reform. It is said that this person is no more than thirty years old, yet he was able to fight against a Grandmaster of the Condensing Fiend Sect, kill three hundred soldiers in one go, and forcibly save a branch of Jingtian Manor."

"Slaying a Grandmaster before the age of thirty? Such talent would make him a top disciple even in our Yuanmiao Sect," a headmaster exclaimed in admiration.

"Yes... such a talented disciple, yet he was previously regarded as mediocre... the eyes of some people... tsk tsk tsk..." Headmaster Xuanwei mocked, looking at Yan Xuanji.

Yan Xuanji remained calm and composed: "The person you're talking about... is he known as the Beast Demon Han Yi? I've heard about his deeds. Although they sound frightening at first, once you delve deeper, you'll find that he mostly relied on external forces."

This person merely practices some unorthodox methods, possessing only a trivial beast-taming technique that would crumble under attack against a strong enemy. Moreover, his ability to repel a Grandmaster of Qi Condensation was not due to his own martial arts skills…

Intelligence suggests he possesses a powerful bloodline, but his strength lies solely in the awakening of that bloodline.

"Even so, to have such achievements at the age of less than thirty is something to be proud of. He is still young and has enormous potential for improvement." Headmaster Xuanwei sneered. "I have checked the records. This boy was originally intended to join my Yuanmiao Sect and be assigned to your class."

But you flatly refused, and instead left the mountain to join Jingtian Manor. If one day this person makes rapid progress and breaks through to become a Venerable, I wonder if you'll regret it.

"That's impossible," Yan Xuanji said seriously. "His true martial arts cultivation is only at the Martial Master level. Even if he were a Grandmaster, one would need to unite his spirit and will, introspect, and achieve harmony between heaven and man to advance to the Grandmaster level. Reaching that level requires unwavering focus and determination."

However, Han Yi also practiced those unorthodox and heretical methods. Bloodlines, heterodox paths, beast taming... these unorthodox methods can indeed greatly improve combat power in the early stages, but once it comes to the later stages, he becomes overwhelmed and can never achieve the Great Dao.

He's pursued too many skills, exhausting his potential. I dare say this: forget Grandmaster, even Grandmaster level is beyond Han Yi's reach in this lifetime. After all, sufficient combat power doesn't equate to future potential.

She has seen many such examples.

The man from the foot of the mountain was impatient for quick success. Because of his temporary increase in strength, he suddenly resorted to all sorts of unorthodox methods. In a short period of time, he was able to achieve astonishing combat power and become famous overnight.

But soon after, they will fade away, their innate resources will not keep up, and they will gradually become just another face in the crowd, declining into obscurity. "So, you still think your theory is correct?" The head of Xuanwei Academy sneered.

"That's natural. If your innate talent is poor, your cultivation will be slow, and you can only sigh at the bottlenecks in your cultivation. If you come from a poor family and lack support, you will lack staying power. Only those with superior innate talent and background can lay an unparalleled foundation and climb to the peak. So, even if I had to choose again, I would not want Han Yi."

Yan Xuanji said proudly.

Seeing the arrogant expression on her face, the head of Xuanwei Academy suddenly smiled.

"Enough, enough. It's pointless to argue with a little girl like you. If good birth and innate talent could determine a person's future path, then what's the point of working on one's character? Apart from these, without the blessing of good fortune, one will die sooner or later."

He shook his head and strode away.

"Hmph, old man..." Yan Xuanji muttered, and left as well. Watching the two depart, the others exchanged glances, bid each other farewell, and then dispersed.

"Han Yi... is that the person who has a teacher's recommendation letter, but whose temperament, physical constitution, and blood circulation are all subpar?" Cao Xuanzhen muttered to himself.

With his keen hearing and the distance not far, he naturally heard the argument between the head of Xuanji Academy and the head of Xuanwei Academy clearly.

Yan Xuanji was born into a noble family and was naturally arrogant and looked down on others.

Xuanwei, the head of the academy, had climbed up from the bottom and had always been at odds with Yan Xuanji.

It's not surprising that the two of them would argue.

However, the content of their argument, especially the name Han Yi, caught Cao Xuanzhen's attention.

This person came to the mountain to apply for entry into the sect, carrying a letter of recommendation from his teacher, Wang Yunkai.

After Yan Xuanji refused to accept the man, he had originally intended to take him under his wing. After all, he had been taught by Wang Yunkai since childhood and had received much kindness from him, so he couldn't refuse his teacher.

However, after being persuaded by Yan Xuanji, he still gave up on Han Yi.

He was simply afraid of getting himself into trouble.

Wang Yunkai is indeed his teacher, but the two have not seen each other for so many years, and their ideas and concepts have long since diverged.

In recent years in particular, Wang Yunkai has become too close to the Tantai family.

Cao Xuanzhen had only just become the head of the academy and established himself within the Yuanmiao Sect.

If these things attract criticism from others, thereby damaging his status and reputation, then it would be a loss that outweighs the gains.

Therefore, he decisively gave up on Han Yi and also cut off contact with his teacher, Wang Yunkai.

This is a sacrifice that must be made to achieve the goal.