Called to Account

"Later, the Evil Dao sects, who had been suppressed and driven to the brink of despair by the Mohist Knight Guard, joined forces to launch a counterattack. Some forces that saw the Mohist School as a thorn in their side took advantage of the chaos. In addition, there was an invasion of demons causing trouble, as well as natural disasters such as floods and droughts. That period was the most difficult time for the Su State since its martial arts were made public. Thousands of innocent people lost their lives every day. The Dinghu Sect, which regards the Yellow Emperor as its founder and takes it as its responsibility to save the people, resolutely decided to enter the world..."

Yan Jinghong couldn't help but frown, a faint sadness showing in her eyes.

"Gradually, fewer and fewer people accompanied me to watch the sunrise. Until one day, I found myself alone waiting for the sunrise, with no one to practice swordsmanship with me anymore. I couldn't help but feel extremely sad. From then on, I loved watching the sunset. Whenever I did, I would think of my old senior brothers, and I always felt that they were still by my side, just like me, drinking and fighting with swords. Every sunset brought me a special peace..."

Si Ming quickly interrupted Yan Jinghong's recollection, saying, "Master is overthinking things. I think you're just too tired from work and your nerves are too tense, to the point that your body is protesting to your brain. What you need to do now is get some rest."

"Isn't that what I'm doing right now?"

"Who rests while still studying sword techniques? It's not like I haven't created my own martial arts. The pain of having strength but nowhere to use it, of racking your brains and squeezing every last drop of energy, is even more torturous than fighting a powerful enemy. Master, if you feel tired, just put everything aside. Work is never-ending. As the saying goes, 'Life is finite, but work is infinite. To use the finite to pursue the infinite is futile!'"

Yan Jinghong chuckled and said, "What you're saying is Daoist School nonsense; we Mohist School don't subscribe to that kind of thinking."

"Even the Mohist School acknowledge the principle of 'sharpening the axe before chopping wood,' because a bowstring that's always too taut will break. Master, I suggest you take a spontaneous trip, go out and see the mountains and rivers, instead of just staring at the sunset here all the time. Hmm... it's easy to get lonely alone, you need someone to keep you company. I think Martial Uncle Ling would be happy to travel with you."

"Don't joke about your elders."

Since it concerned his sworn sister's reputation, Yan Jinghong was very serious. After giving her a warning, he asked, "What brings you to me today?"

"Master, what are you saying? Can't I come to you to show my filial piety even if there's nothing wrong?"

"Think about it yourself, clutching your chest. Have you ever sought me out to show filial piety when you had nothing else to do?"

Si Ming thought for a moment and realized he really didn't, but immediately retorted, "It's because you didn't give me a chance to show my filial piety, Master. I can't even find the person to show my filial piety, so where am I supposed to go? Besides, you're so busy, and I'm afraid of interfering with your important matters."

"Alright, I'm not trying to interrogate you. Just tell me why you came."

Si Ming immediately said, "No! I have to clear my name. I can't bear the blame for disrespecting my elders for no reason. I won't talk about serious matters today, since it's not urgent anyway. Tomorrow I'll accompany you to watch the sunrise, Master, and feel the vigor of youth."

After saying that, without giving Yan Jinghong a chance to stop him, Si Ming leaped off the cliff. After gliding for hundreds of meters, he plunged into the sea, splashing up a wave more than twenty meters high.

"That kid."

Yan Jinghong smiled wryly as she looked at the familiar scene.

The next morning, Yan Jinghong arrived at the top of Five Grains Peak as promised and heard someone singing loudly.

"Proudly laughing amidst a thousand waves, my passion burns brighter than the sun, my courage is as strong as iron, my bones as sharp as steel, my heart is as vast as a hundred thousand feet, my vision stretches ten thousand miles. I vow to strive and be a hero, a true hero, to be strong every day. My passion burns brighter than the sun, let the sea and sky gather my energy, to create a new world, to forge ahead for my ideals..."

The song exuded boundless elegance and a heroic spirit that invigorated Yan Jinghong, making him feel excited and eager to draw his sword and practice.

The only subtle point is that the singing actually has an echo. You have to know that one side of Five Grains Peak is the sea, without towering mountain walls, so there is no natural condition for sound to bounce. Moreover, each echo is the last three words, such as "arrogant and laughing at the waves (waves~)", which makes it feel like a music video.

This move was actually learned by Si Ming from Netherworld Insect Princess. A big shot's words should have an echo, that's more classy.

With the music playing, Yan Jinghong felt that the scenery she was used to seeing had taken on a different charm. Looking up, the sky was clear and blue, and the reddish sunlight shone through the gaps in the dense pine needles, forming beams of light of varying thickness. The sunlight illuminated the Mengmeng and illustrating what dawn meant.

After Si Ming finished singing, Yan Jinghong commented, "This song is good. Although it is straightforward and uses simple words, it is unrestrained and passionate."

He came to the edge of the cliff and looked into the distance. He saw hundreds of the Dinghu Sect disciples practicing martial arts on the beach. They were all sweating profusely, shouting and yelling. The hot sweat was as red as the sunset, making people who saw it wish they could join in.

Yan Jinghong laughed and said, "Now I've discovered that watching the sunrise is quite nice; it really boosts my spirits and makes me feel much younger."

Si Ming nodded repeatedly, agreeing, "That's right, that's right. That's why Master should watch the sunrise more and the sunset less. With your current appearance, strangers would definitely call you 'Young Hero.'"

"Loquacious."

Yan Jinghong laughed and scolded, then pointed and said, "Look at the hills on the eastern island, bathed in sunlight, as if bestowed by heaven, blending seamlessly with the clouds in the sky and the mist on the sea, everything is natural. I have observed them for a long time but cannot find a single flaw or weakness. From any angle, they are impregnable."

Si Ming, "My feeling is that the ocean embraces all rivers, and its vastness lies in its inclusiveness. The clouds in the sky and the fog on the sea will eventually turn into water and fall into the ocean. The islands and hills are all surrounded by the ocean. It is boundless and limitless, welcoming all who come."

Yan Jinghong said, "Most people who heard what I just said will try to think from a natural perspective. Those with high comprehension may be able to improve, but you have always been very opinionated, have your own ideas, and do not blindly follow authority."

Si Ming took out a small booklet from his pocket and said, "Since Master wants to learn new moves, why not learn from a variety of sources, taking the best and discarding the worst? This will definitely be better than reinventing the wheel. This is a martial arts technique that I created myself, and I hope it will be of help to Master."

If possible, Si Ming also wanted to write down Swordsmanship he had learned through the Sacred Sword. Only in this way could he truly learn from all schools of thought. If his master could absorb all the essence, he might even create a move called "Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Source".

Unfortunately, he only thought about it. Firstly, he simply didn't have that much time, and secondly, he knew how but not why. He could use the Swordsmanship at will, but he didn't understand why it had to be used that way, since he had skipped the cultivation stage and directly obtained the results.

Of course, Si Ming could also use his martial arts experience to deduce the cause from the effect, but doing so would also take a lot of time; it certainly wouldn't be something that could be done in one night.

Finally, he thought about it and realized that other people's martial arts were ultimately theirs. No matter how deeply he understood them, he was still just a student. In comparison, he had truly understood the martial arts he created himself and could clearly explain their principles.

Si Ming's most prized move was naturally "Return Evil, Turn Radiance, Shift the Stars." Even the Netherworld Insect Princess praised it after using it. Therefore, he spent an entire night summarizing the techniques, secrets, and principles of the move in writing.

Chapter 864 Arriving at the Door to Demand Justice

Yan Jinghong wasn't the kind of person who would risk everything to maintain his master's dignity in front of his apprentice, even at the cost of his pride. He had already decided that Si Ming had surpassed his master, so he didn't refuse this kind offer and immediately opened the booklet and quickly browsed through it.

"I see. It's a defensive counter-attack move. This kind of technique, similar to using someone else's force against them, is quite common in martial arts combat, but few people would use it as an ultimate move. After all, ultimate moves are killing moves that exceed one's own limits. Even a Nascent Spirit Transformation Grandmaster can be killed by an ultimate move from someone who is not at the Spirit Transformation stage, and it's even more irresistible to someone at the same level. Therefore, few people would think of using it to counter an ultimate move. Only a Body Refining martial artist would dare to use this move. Ordinary martial artists cannot withstand the impact of an ultimate move."

Even so, Yan Jinghong only wanted to learn from it, not to cultivate it exactly as it was. Anything that could help him broaden his thinking was good, so naturally, he didn't solve it.

Si Ming, "Recently, I've been thinking about improving the moves. For example, I could transfer the impact pressure from the first step to the weapon. That way, even non-body-cultivating martial artists could use it—as long as they have a sufficiently sturdy divine weapon."

Despite its many limitations, such as the ability to only deflect pure Primal Qi ultimate moves and not to combine fists, feet, and weapons, Yan Jinghong believed that "Return Evil, Turn Radiance, Shift the Stars" was indeed a rare and wonderful move. As long as it was successfully used, it could basically determine the outcome of the battle. After all, a person cannot use an ultimate move twice in a row. Once the ultimate move is deflected, there is no other way but to obediently withstand it with one's own body. It is normal for such a decisive move to have limitations.

But now was not the time for careful examination. Yan Jinghong closed the booklet and asked, "Alright, now you should tell me the purpose of your visit."

Si Ming nodded and recounted the events of his trip to the Barbarian Continent, ending with his suspicions about the Holy Maiden Tu Wangyue, as well as the analysis from Si Jingyu and Yu Shuying.

"... The matter of Martial Uncle Xiao's madness back then must have been related to the Holy Maiden."

"I understand. You did the right thing. Given the Holy Maiden's reputation in the country, even if you had direct evidence, as long as she denies it, you can't convict her. The world won't believe your one-sided story either. Rushing to her door might just lead to you being falsely accused, and then you won't be able to defend yourself even if you're in the right."

"Yes, so I plan to find my master and a few seniors to confront the Holy Maiden together, so as not to give her a chance to distort the truth."