HSSB113: Martial Repository
Supreme martial arts such as the Eight Extreme Arts were all stored on the third floor of the Martial Repository.
Yan Zhaoge was actually interested in the fourth floor of the legends, where there were stored the true best of Broad Creed Mountain’s martial arts.
Other than the second half of the Clear Qi Profound Art, there were also the three great martial arts of Broad Creed Mountain whose fame shook the entire Eight Extremities World.
However, according to the rules, the fourth floor of the Martial Repository could only be freely accessed by the Chief as well as the two First Seat Elders of the Martial Repository itself.
Everyone else, including Yan Zhaoge’s father Yan Di, Fang Zhun, Shi Tie and the two Grand Elders, were not allowed to go in there wherever they liked, and could only do so when granted special permission by Yuan Zhengfeng or when entering together with him.
With the amount of potential that Yan Zhaoge had displayed now, being granted permission to enter the fourth floor was only a matter of time.
According to common precedent, he first had to enter the Martial Grandmaster realm.
“Actually, it’s still that fourth floor that I’m rather more interested in,” Yan Zhaoge smacked his lips, “To see to what stage the peak martial arts of the current Eight Extremities World has developed to.”
Although the martial scriptures of the Divine Palace encompassed a wide range of fields and were incomparably profound in their teachings, Yan Zhaoge had always taken great care to properly assimilate into his current environment. That way, cultivating and being familiar with Broad Creed Mountain’s direct lineage martial arts had become something that was absolutely necessary.
This time, entering the third floor of the Martial Repository to select a martial art, Yan Zhaoge had long since come up with an answer.
Precisely the Wind Fire Calamities of the Eight Extreme Arts.
With the Wind Calamity being a movement technique and the Fire Calamity being a force exertion technique which allowed one to erupt with power, both of them, when trained in simultaneously till the point of proficiency, merging and assimilating them, a martial practitioner’s speed could reach a shocking level.
Basically, all of Broad Creed Mountain’s martial practitioners would, at some time or other, choose to cultivate in the Wind Fire Calamities.
Generally speaking, the stronger a martial practitioner, whilst possessing a fierce fighting style, their movement technique would also not be too weak.
If they couldn’t defeat their opponent, they could run. If they could but it was their opponent who ran, they could give chase.
In actual combat, many martial arts needed to be coordinated with movement techniques in order to unleash their greatest strength, in order to avoid being played around with in circles by opponents like a wooden target.
Of course, some martial arts which suppressed the active with the passive or countered the intricate with the rough did not fall within this radius.
Yan Zhaoge was already familiar with many powerful force exertion techniques as well as movement techniques. Looking at it this way, selecting the Wind Fire Calamities might seem a little overlapping.
However, it was not wasteful at all.
It was precisely possessing the concealment of the Wind Fire Calamities that Yan Zhaoge would be able to execute many other techniques without any reservation whatsoever.
After all, Yan Zhaoge had never lacked in profound martial arts, and, what’s more, the Wind Fire Calamites themselves weren’t bad at all.
Also, from before the Great Calamity and after, there existed a difference in the density of the world’s spiritual energy and how it flowed towards one’s body.
Cultivating in scriptures of the Divine Palace of before the Great Calamity as well as the new martial arts developed following the time of the Great Calamity and comparing the two could, conversely, be of benefit towards Yan Zhaoge’s improvements.
“The quality of the Wind Fire Calamities is actually also not bad,” Yan Zhaoge nodded satisfiedly, thinking within his heart, “The Wind Calamity can coordinate with the Divine Palace’s Aura Wind Heavenly Warping Qi, whereas the Fire Calamity can coordinate with the Mighty Ape Demonic Fist of the Six Spirits Demonic Fist.”
“En, the Howling Wind Stance of the Tiger Roar Demonic Fist, leaping and lunging out like a tiger, can also be matched with the Wind Calamity’s movement technique.”
“Let me see; a combination of these two techniques, it actually seems like it would be able to birth a whole new variation…”
After pondering for a moment, Yan Zhaoge quelled his thoughts and prepared to leave.
Looking at the Martial Repository before him, Yan Zhaoge’s thoughts wavered momentarily.
Although this wasn’t the Divine Palace’s book storage building, as a similarly constructed building, standing within it always made Yan Zhaoge think of the first time he had come to this world, standing within the book storage building of the Divine Palace.
“That Great Calamity that year; what exactly happened?” Yan Zhaoge wondered.
That scene of the very heavens and the earth seemingly decimated would forever be etched within Yan Zhaoge’s heart.
Even having been reborn now, it had always been affecting him, spurring him to move forward unceasingly, diligently working to become stronger with all his might.
Because he didn’t know: that terrifying tribulation of the heavens and earth-would it descend once more?
The ripples within Yan Zhaoge’s gaze gradually subsided, as all was calm once more.
“Striking iron requires one to be tough; I’ve got to continually strengthen myself, and at the same time also find a way to discover what exactly happened with the great tribulation of that year,” Yan Zhaoge murmured to himself, “Grab it with both hands; both hands must also be tough ah…”
In comparison to the people of this current world, as someone who had experienced the Great Calamity himself, Yan Zhaoge naturally knew more about it than they did.
That disaster known as the Great Calamity which descended that year; it was more possible that it was artificially induced, as opposed to having been a natural disaster…
And it was precisely because of that that this matter felt so pressing to him, causing him to feel that he just had to get to the bottom of things, with emotions far stronger than people of the current era.
Tapping his finger on one of the shelfs, Yan Zhaoge unconsciously raised his head, looking up towards the fourth floor of the Martial Repository, “Broad Creed Mountain’s legacy is extremely ancient, to the point that even some of the past Divine Palace has rubbed off on it. Perhaps there might be some clues up there.”
“Zhaoge?” Hearing his name suddenly being called, Yan Zhaoge swivelled his head, as a tall, handsome youth now appeared before his eyes.
The newcomer was around twenty-five, twenty-six years of age, his features quite resembling that of the King of the Eastern Tang Kingdom, Zhao Shicheng.
Wearing white clothes covered by a blue robe, he was garbed in the clothes of Broad Creed Mountain’s elite disciples. He lacked Zhao Shicheng’s deep steadiness, instead appearing rather unruly and high profile.
He was Zhao Shicheng’s fourth sun, Zhao Ming, who had officially entered Broad Creed Mountain to learn martial arts.
Of Zhao Shicheng’s sons, Yan Zhaoge was actually the most acquainted with him.
“Brother has performed a great merit?” Looking at him, Yan Zhaoge smiled.
An elite disciple like Zhao Ming could already freely access the first floor of the Martial Repository as and when he liked, while being granted a one-time access to the second floor as a form of reward.
Generally speaking, it would be hard for him to get a chance to come up to the third floor.
Zhao Ming said, “Don’t mock me, Zhaoge; I’m very clear that this reward was due to Royal Father.”
Zhao Shicheng having greatly supported Broad Creed Mountain in the Eastern Tang, even having nearly perished himself, Broad Creed Mountain naturally wouldn’t treat the Eastern Tang shabbily. Making an exception in granting Zhao Ming this reward was also a sign of their gratitude.
He said with a serious look on his face, “Speaking of which, I really have to thank you for saving Royal Father in the Eastern Tang.”
Yan Zhaoge smiled, “With the relationship between our two families, why’re you still saying this?”
Zhao Ming nodded, also smiling. Just like currently, meeting in private with only the both of them, neither would ever address the other as apprentice-brother, instead calling each other Brother based off the close ties between their families.
Although he was older, having entered the clan a little later, only after he had stepped into the Martial Scholar realm, in order of who had first become the clan’s disciple, he was to address Yan Zhaoge as senior apprentice-brother.
“This time, thanks to our clan making an exception, I gained the chance to come to the third floor for the first time,” Zhao Ming sighed as he came beside Yan Zhaoge, the latter asking, “Have you chosen yet?”
Zhao Ming nodded, “I’ve chosen the Big Dipper Sword.”
Yan Zhaoge laughed, “Magnificent and vast; I also guessed that you would choose the Big Dipper Sword.”
“The sword intent of the Big Dipper Sword is mysterious and profound, possessing innumerable variations; you’re in for much training this time.”
Before Zhao Ming had the time to say anything, a voice resounded from the stairway between the second and third levels, “A thousand mysteries, ten thousand variations; you just have to firmly keep in mind that the seven stars all worship the north. Within the north sky, the seven stars converge; that is its basis, from which all variations stem.”
Hearing these words, the corners of Yan Zhaoge’s mouth arched lightly upwards.
A person entered. Clearly seeing his appearance, Zhao Ming could not help but frown.
He also recognised the other party: he was actually Fang Zhun’s direct disciple, a member of Broad Creed Mountain’s core direct lineage alongside Yan Zhaoge, a leading figure of their younger generation, Lu Wen!
Zhao Ming suddenly recalled that amongst Broad Creed Mountain’s younger generation, in terms of attainment in this Big Dipper Sword, Lu Wen was the undisputed number one.
In the past, for the person beside him who had similarly cultivated in the Big Dipper Sword, it was precisely because he had been unable to best Lu Wen in it that he had switched to creating his own sword art, resulting in the birth of the Coiling Dragon Sword…
Zhao Ming looked first at Yan Zhaoge, then at Lu Wen who had just come up by route of the stairs, the wariness within his heart instantly surging.