Chapter 371: Martial Arts Competition to be Held-in Five Years
Translator: Novel Saga Editor: Novel Saga
“Sixth Brother, Third Brother said that you’ve comprehended the ‘Hidden Star Scripture’? Huang Wuji stared at Ye Xiwen. A trace of excitement appeared on his face. Yes, he was excited. The news he had heard from the Third Brother that the newly arrived Sixth Brother had possibly comprehended the ‘Hidden Star Scripture’ had compelled him to return to the True Martial University.
This new disciple was another addition to the people on this peak who had comprehended the ‘Hidden Star Scripture’. One must know that this comprehension had nothing to do with one’s talent; nor with one’s strength. It was purely dependent on one’s luck. In fact, a person might be able to mysteriously and inexorably comprehend it.
The Hidden Star Peak had a huge population back in time. They had experimented by allowing millions of people to try and comprehend it. The ‘Hidden Star Scripture’ had been successfully mended to some extent countless years down the line. It may not have been the complete version, but it was usable.
However, the ‘Hidden Star Peak’ had a very few disciple at present. Their Master was the only one to have comprehended some of it from his generation. He was the sole line of descent in several of the past generations’ to have accomplished this. He had begun the process of mending it with all his effort ever since. Then, the Big Brother Huang Wuji turned up several years later. Afterwards, they’d mutually verify each other’s comprehension of the scripture to reach a better understanding. They had been looking for the whereabouts of a real copy of the ‘Hidden Star Scriptures’ in the foreign territory.
Therefore, he couldn’t help but be excited with the unexpected addition of the Sixth Brother. This could be regarded as a huge day for the Hidden Star Peak. In fact, only a handful of disciples would be able to comprehend the ‘Hidden Star Scripture’ even when the inheritance was at the pinnacle of its glory.
They had less than ten people on this peak at present. However, three of them could comprehend the ‘Hidden Star Scripture’. How could this not be the biggest day for the Hidden Star Peak?
“En!” Ye Xiwen nodded. He didn’t conceal anything. He read aloud his entire comprehension of the scripture; little by little.
Huang Wuji didn’t find anything-off in the beginning. However, he became rather astonished as Ye Xiwen continued to describe further. He soon found himself pleasantly surprised since Ye Xiwen was reading-out the ‘complete’ version of the ‘Hidden Star Scripture’.
The ‘Hidden Star Scripture’ that he and the Master had comprehended was incomplete. They hadn’t even comprehended one-third of it. In fact, many things were unclear to them. Not everything had been mended. The outstanding ancestors had tried their best to comprehend and patch the existing ‘incomplete’ version of the scripture. But, the ‘patched’ version couldn’t be compared with the ‘original’ one.
The incomplete version was like a piece of cloth. But it had many holes. The low-level experts had been able to patch it here-and-there and repaired it little-by-little. However, it was covered with patches in its entirety. Even the high-level experts who understood it better could only use flowery-patterns to patch the ragged cloth. Therefore, it was riddled with patches, and couldn’t possible compare with the ‘original’ version.
The Big Brother hadn’t seen the complete version of ‘Hidden Star Scripture’. However, he could sense it with his vision. He had figured-out the extent of Ye Xiwen’s comprehension by listening to him. Everything had suddenly become clear to Huang Wuji; it was like a burst of enlightenment. Initially, parts of it had been hidden and uncertain. But, everything had suddenly become clear and coherent. His knowledge had been vague in many places, but that had become clear suddenly. He had understood everything. It seemed as if the Real Elemental Energy had been divided to separation inside the body. But it had suddenly condensed to form a huge cycle.
Huang Wuji’s aura surged-up slightly, and became more and more ethereal.
Huang Wuji was extremely shocked. However, Ye Xiwen was unaffected since he knew the ‘complete’ version of the ‘Hidden Star Scripture’. Therefore, he had understood the profound mysteries of the scripture. In fact, missing a single point would make it impossible for one to practice it.
However, Huang Wuji and the Master whom Ye Xiwen had never met had mutually relied on their own incomplete comprehensions to attain such a big fighting prowess. Moreover, they had been able to mend one part of ‘Hidden Star Scripture’ while going-about their own cultivations. It was impossible for an average person to have achieved these feats.
Ye Xiwen barely finished when Huang Wuji left in a hurry. His doubts had suddenly cleared-up after he had listened to the complete version of the ‘Hidden Star Scripture’. Several inconsistencies in his understanding had been smoothened-up and had instantly become coherent. There wasn’t enough time for him to say anything. He needed to proceed for a closed-door training to prepare for the incoming breakthrough.
Ye Xiwen had to admit that it was astounding to have come across a genius who could reach on the verge of a breakthrough by merely listening to a compilation of concepts.
The Third Brother felt excited. He said, “Sixth Brother, you’ve done a great service towards our Hidden Star Peak. Ha ha, I can see the Master passing on the position of the chief disciple to you!”
Ye Xiwen’s complexion turned a bit dark. He had no interest in the position of the chief disciple. In fact, he had no interest in the entire Hidden Star Peak. It was one of the ‘Top 100 Inheritances’, but none of the members looked serious. Their Master was perennially absent. The same went for the Big Brother. In fact, it would’ve been hard to tell their whereabouts if it weren’t for the mending of the ‘Hidden Star Scripture’. The Second Sister was a ‘closed-door training maniac’. The Third Brother was always in predicament to manage the peak, and couldn’t leave even if he wanted to. The Fourth Brother and Fifth Sister were merely at legendry’s great complete realm, and hadn’t even entered the sage realm despite their ages. There would be no one to guard the Hidden Star Peak if Bai Jiang Song would be gone. He must’ve thought of putting this burden on Ye Xiwen’s shoulder since the newcomer was very talented genius.
“I have the least of qualifications amongst all. I cannot carry this burden!” Ye Xiwen promptly refused.
It seemed as if Bai Jian Song had seen through Ye Xiwen’s mind. He smiled brightly and said, “No matter what; you’ve comprehended the complete version of the ‘Hidden Star Scripture’. If the Hidden Star Peak is to revive in the future — then it will be remembered as your achievement!”
“This brother has been greatly benefited by you. I shall begin the closed-door training in two days’ time. I shall do my best to step into the great sage realm!” There was a look of perseverance on Bai Jian Song’s face.
If the legendary and sage realm were as distinguished as the Heaven and Earth… then the difference between sage and great sage realm was beyond that. The powerhouses of great sage realm held true value and status inside the True Martial University. They had authoritative powers. Many among the ‘Top 100 Inheritances’ had great sage experts as their chief disciples. However, having a sage realm expert as the chief disciples was a big-thing for several of the other inheritances.
Ye Xiwen secretly pondered. This Hidden Star Peak didn’t have too many people, but every person was as elusive as a crouching tiger and as powerful as a hidden dragon. The Third Brother had reached the peak of the sage realm. The Second Sister had been undergoing closed-door training. She was said to have crossed the threshold of the great sage realm. The Big Brother had once killed an expert of great sage realm a thousand years ago. It was hard to predict his current strength. And the Master might have surpassed the great sage realm altogether.
But Ye Xiwen hadn’t seen them. So, he could only guess.
Suddenly, it was no wonder that the ‘Hidden Star Peak’ had been steadily ranked among the ‘Top 100 Inheritances’ all those years. It wasn’t without a reason. It would be wrong to think that the Hidden Star Peak was a push-over since it had fewer disciples.
However, it wasn’t surprising why many of the low-ranked disciples were unable understand this fact. Most people were used to seeing Yang Wen Jun and Deng Shui Xin only, and these two were merely at the legendry’s great complete realm. Bai Jian Song would appear from time to time, but he wasn’t much of a deterrent force either.
Bai Jian Song wasn’t talking nonsense. The ‘Hidden Star Scripture’ obviously held great importance for the Hidden Star Peak. The martial art techniques of the ‘Hidden Star Peak’ and the Daoist concepts had evolved from the ‘Hidden Star Scripture’. It was their foundation.
Not everybody on this peak could comprehend the ‘Hidden Star Scripture’ even in its most flourishing time. However, the powerhouses who had walked on this peak, and comprehended it at that time, were said to have been completely transformed by it.
The ancient Masters of successive generations had successfully mended the ‘Hidden Star Scripture’. It was then ranked one of the top five ‘biggest internal achievements’ of the True Martial University. Thereafter, the martial arts arteries (1) of the ‘Hidden Star Peak’ had evolved over-time and had spread out. This had splendidly stirred-up the entire True Martial University. That used to be the glorious phase of the ‘Hidden Star Peak’.
“But before that… I have to tell you some important things!” Bai Jian Song stated. “There is going to be a martial arts competition between the new disciples of our university, Xuan Yuan Palace Hall, East Sea’s (2) Muddy Sky Island, and the South Barbarian Fire Cloud Cave in five years’ time!”
“With the same Xuan Yuan Palace Hall from the underground world…?” Ye Xiwen asked. It was needless to mention that the True Martial University and the Xuan Yuan Palace Hall had been furious at each other. How could they convene for a Martial Art Competition?
It seemed as if Bai Jian Song had understood the issue Ye Xiwen was stuck-on. He smiled and said, “The relations are poor, but it’s important to conduct such competitions in the True Martial World. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Xuan Yuan Palace Hall, True Martial University, or East Sea’s Huntian Island. These are colossus foundations… with each having tens of millions or even more in their ranks of disciples. The probability of the outbreak of a war isn’t large even if one harbors enmity for the other… lives would burn like charcoal if these colossus forces started a real war!”
“Therefore, these small scale Martial Arts Competitions occur often. They are means to probe each other’s strengths. It’s like a small battlefield for young geniuses. You’re one of the young geniuses of the True Martial University. One can try to test-out the strength of the other forces. One can try to kill the young disciples of the opposite party in this process if possible… to limit their growth. In fact, this is the real reason for conducting this Martial Arts Competition. An ‘open-war’ situation is unlikely to happen, but this trick can still be used to weaken the strength of the opposite party!” Bai Jian Song explained, “Of course, the other parties carry the same idea. Thus, our outstanding young geniuses become thorns in the eyes of the enemies. You will be at the top of their list! You’ve killed many of the Xuan Yuan Palace Hall’s experts; in fact, the list included that heaven’s pride level expert Fan Ming. How will they not hate you? They may try to ambush you when the time comes!”
Ye Xiwen nodded. He knew that Bai Jian Song was telling the truth. It was public-knowledge that he had killed the experts of the Xuan Yuan Palace Hall. Hence, it was bound to bring such fate upon him. However, he had no other option at that time. If he had not killed them… then they would’ve killed him instead. It was a ‘you die or I die’ situation.
“I’m not some weakling. I will butcher them if they so much as try to mess with me!” A mysterious light flickered in Ye Xiwen’s eyes.
(To be continued)
Arteries (in this context) mean the influence, name and fame of the peak that spreads via its alumni.
East China Sea: This sea is called the East Sea in Chinese, being one of the Four Seas of Chinese literature. There are three other seas, one for each of the four cardinal directions. In Chinese literature, the Four Seas are a metaphor for the boundaries of China. It contains modern day East China Sea as well as the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea.
In Chinese mythology, East Sea is the domain of Ao Guang ‘the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea’ who is responsible for controlling its storms and tides. Supposedly, the Dragon King resides in a large ‘dragon palace’ located at its bottom.