Killing with a Borrowed Blade

"Send someone to make a trip to the Tyrant Blade Sect."

After pondering for a moment, Qin Sihai gave the order to the trusted spy below.

"The Tyrant Blade Sect?" The spy responded in a deep voice, hesitation coloring his tone. "Guild Master, we do not seem to have any dealings with the Tyrant Blade Sect. Will they take action?"

"You only need to truthfully inform the Tyrant Blade Sect's sect master of the matter." Qin Sihai said, "The Vajra Sect was destroyed by the Tyrant Blade Sect. This is a fact known throughout the martial world. And Chen Xuan rescued a Vajra Sect disciple from the hands of Tyrant Blade Sect disciples. Now that he has achieved success in cultivating the Vajra Technique, do you think his relationship with that Vajra Sect disciple was truly no more than standing up for justice when he saw injustice?"

"Guild Master, you mean...?"

The spy's pupils contracted slightly. He had roughly grasped the deeper meaning.

"The Vajra Sect was exterminated, and that remnant bears a blood-deep vendetta. Chen Xuan saved him and even cultivated the Vajra Technique. Perhaps he has already struck some kind of deal with him." Qin Sihai said, "Think about it. If you were Lei Hu, the Tyrant Blade Sect's sect master, and learned that an outsider had successfully cultivated the Vajra Technique, what would you think? Might this involve something like vengeance?"

"This subordinate understands." The spy nodded. "The Tyrant Blade Sect Master is suspicious by nature. If Chen Xuan has mastered the Vajra Technique, he will certainly believe that Chen Xuan may seek revenge for the Vajra Sect in the future."

"Exactly." Qin Sihai nodded, then said, "However, there is no need to report some things truthfully—for instance, how Chen Xuan took Wan Guiyun's Ultimate Sword Art head-on with his fleshly body and emerged completely unscathed."

The spy's heart trembled.

Who was Wan Guiyun?

A Direct-Line Disciple of Ten Thousand Sword Villa, at the Peak Ninth Layer of Body Tempering, who cultivated an Ultimate Sword Art.

The power of that sword was enough to kill an ordinary First Layer of Qi Casting expert, yet it could not break Chen Xuan's defenses?

If that information were reported truthfully, Lei Hu of the Tyrant Blade Sect might not dare to act.

"Understood. This subordinate knows what to say."

The trusted spy nodded.

"Go. Set out immediately." Qin Sihai said, "The Tyrant Blade Sect is more than three hundred li from Lianshan City. Ride at full speed. It would be best if Lei Hu acts against Chen Xuan tonight. Delay breeds change."

"Yes!"

The spy accepted the order and departed.

"Lei Hu of the Tyrant Blade Sect alone is not enough."

Qin Sihai muttered under his breath.

Lei Hu of the Tyrant Blade Sect had only just broken through to the First Layer of Qi Casting. The Tyrant Blade Art he cultivated was a Superior Technique, making him somewhat stronger than an ordinary First Layer of Qi Casting martial artist. But the Ultimate Sword Art used by Wan Guiyun, a Direct-Line Disciple of Ten Thousand Sword Villa, was powerful enough to kill an ordinary First Layer of Qi Casting expert.

Yet it still could not break Chen Xuan's defenses.

There was a possibility that Chen Xuan had already reached the Zhuqi Realm.

To cultivate a top-tier technique to the Zhuqi Realm in such a short time was somewhat unbelievable, but Qin Sihai had no choice but to consider it.

Thus, having Lei Hu of the Tyrant Blade Sect make a move was merely the first link in his scheme of killing with a borrowed blade. With Lei Hu's strength, even if he could not kill Chen Xuan, he could at least force out some of Chen Xuan's hidden cards.

The second link was to have the Inner Disciple Liu Feng take action.

According to the information previously sent back from the Blood Fiend Devil Sect, Liu Feng had asked Zhou Kang, an Outer Disciple at the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering, to make a move. Yet Chen Xuan was still alive and well, while Zhou Kang had vanished without a trace. There was no need to say what his fate had been.

Liu Feng cultivated a Superior Technique. Judging by the time, he should have emerged from seclusion after breaking through to the Zhuqi Realm Third Layer.

With him taking action, success would be guaranteed beyond all doubt.

Baishui Town Branch, discussion hall.

"Senior Brother Zhao, if I wanted to exchange for an Ultimate Art or a Divine Art from the sect, how much Great Merit would I need?"

Chen Xuan asked.

Having just fought Wan Guiyun, he had witnessed the power of an Ultimate Sword Art with his own eyes. Wan Guiyun had used the Yiyuan Sword Art with Ninth Layer of Body Tempering cultivation, and the sharpness of that strike had already made Chen Xuan feel threatened.

If Wan Guiyun reached the Zhuqi Realm and cultivated true qi, then used true qi to drive an Ultimate Sword Art, the outcome would truly be hard to predict.

"What, Junior Brother Chen? After seeing Wan Guiyun, the Direct-Line Disciple of Ten Thousand Sword Villa, display an Ultimate Sword Art, are you feeling restless as well? Do you wish to cultivate an Ultimate Art or a Divine Art?"

Zhao Yuanshan smiled.

"I do have some thoughts about it." Chen Xuan nodded. "Though I blocked that sword strike, its power left a deep impression on me."

"That Wan Guiyuan could cultivate an Ultimate Art truly showed that he was a peerless genius. So long as he did not die young, he would certainly become one of Ten Thousand Sword Villa's top fighting forces in the future." Zhao Yuanshan nodded, then said, "Our sect's Scripture Pavilion has five floors. The first contains Ordinary Techniques, the second Superior Techniques, the third top-tier techniques, the fourth Ultimate Arts, and the fifth Divine Arts."

"The techniques on the first three floors can be exchanged with Merit Points. As for the Ultimate Arts on the fourth floor and the Divine Arts on the fifth floor... they can be perused without Merit Points."

"No Merit Points required?"

Chen Xuan revealed a puzzled expression.

Ultimate Arts and Divine Arts stood at the pinnacle of martial arts.

Yet the sect allowed disciples to peruse them without requiring Merit Points.

"That is right." Zhao Yuanshan nodded. "Because Ultimate Arts and Divine Arts are far too difficult to cultivate. Even if ordinary disciples obtained them, they simply could not master them. Thus, the sect's rule is that once one becomes an Inner Disciple, one may freely enter the fourth and fifth floors and browse Ultimate Arts and Divine Arts at will."

"Browse them freely?"

Chen Xuan was somewhat surprised.

"Freely." Zhao Yuanshan nodded firmly. He picked up the teapot from the table and poured a cup for himself and Chen Xuan each. "The sect would love nothing more than for a disciple to master an Ultimate Art or Divine Art. Do you know how many Divine Art manuals are recorded on the fifth floor of our sect's Scripture Pavilion after more than eight hundred years since the sect was founded?"

"I do not."

Chen Xuan shook his head.

"Five!" Zhao Yuanshan said. "At first, our sect possessed only the Divine Art manual cultivated by our founding patriarch. But over these eight hundred-odd years, Divine Art manuals were gradually added to the collection, until there were a full five. Yet no one has ever been able to cultivate a Divine Art to great completion.

"Ultimate Arts are somewhat better. In the past century, more than ten people have cultivated them to great completion. But Divine Arts... without a special constitution, a Spirit Body as it is called in legend, it is simply impossible to cultivate one to great completion."

"A Spirit Body?"

Chen Xuan fell into thought.

"A Spirit Body is born with All Meridians Connected. Cultivating any technique is as simple as breathing and drinking water." A look of yearning flashed through Zhao Yuanshan's eyes. "Our sect's founding patriarch possessed a Spirit Body. That was precisely why he could cultivate a Divine Art to great completion, and why Guiyuan Sect has maintained its foundation for more than eight hundred years."

"Other than those with Spirit Bodies, no one can cultivate a Divine Art?"

Chen Xuan asked.

"Not necessarily." Zhao Yuanshan shook his head. "With Superior Bone Aptitude, if one is willing to invest painstaking, water-grinding effort, one can still cultivate a Divine Art to the entry level.

"However, after reaching the Zhuqi Realm, the time required for every additional layer doubles. Most people stop at the Sixth Layer of Qi Casting and struggle even to reach the Seventh Layer of Qi Casting, Tuotai Realm."

"The time required doubles with every additional layer?"

Chen Xuan's tone was astonished.

That reminded him of a martial art from his previous life.

The Dragon-Elephant Prajnaparamita Technique likewise required twice as much time for every additional layer. To cultivate it to the thirteenth layer of perfection would take a thousand years.