Wu Jian's face changed greatly in response to Hao Donglei's words, and his grip on his sword tightened as he lowered his head. There was a short spell of silence as the tension built up slightly, but Wu Jian sighed tiredly and raised his head.
He seemed to age rapidly in an instant, and his previous sharp aura disappeared, leaving a lost soul. He cupped his fists to everyone and walked out of the building slowly, his back seeming to convey a thousand words alone.
The others watched him go with complicated expressions. Pei Luo, the young woman in charge of external affairs, did not seem too happy.
"Brother Hao, was there a need to go so far?" She whispered with a hint of worry.
Hao Donglei shook his head calmly. "As the Acquisition Elder, Wu Jian has contributed greatly and spends most of his time fighting for resources for us on the outside by killing demon beasts."
"But all that killing has warped his mind to the point where he is ready to kill anyone even slightly suspected of negativity? Is that how a sword user should behave?"
"The reason he was dejected was not because he was offended, but because my reminder pointed out the flaw in his actions. If he too were to be judged solely by the element his inner force was affiliated with, would he be here today? What right does he have to execute Disciple Dante?"
Hao Donglei's words made the eyes of the various elders flicker as they felt it made sense. Ling Qi smiled and decided to mediate by saying.
"Alright, whether it is the Vice Hall Master or the Acquisition Elder, they are both mature people and know how to handle their own matters. We also have our own pending tasks to deal with, so let's sort out today's situation as soon as possible."
The rest nodded and focused on Dante. Hao Donglei patted his shoulder and smiled. "So, Hellfire Internal Force and halberd External Art? Luckily for you, we have a perfect combination of both."
Hao Donglei led the group to a section of the Internal Arts that was filled with bright red books that seemed to radiate heat. Dante saw many manual names like 'Inferno Palm,' 'True Blood Fire Method,' and 'Record of the Blazing Source.'
At the end of the row were books that radiated heat but were blacker in color and had hints of sinister power. The group felt a bit uncomfortable, except Dante who felt refreshed and warm, as if he was in the embrace of Beatrice.
Hao Donglei didn't even need to prompt him. The moment he came here, his entire body was alive, and he walked up to the various techniques. After casting a cursory glance, his pupils constricted when he stopped on one, and his entire body seemed to scream for it.
He resolutely pulled the technique manual from the shelf and held it in his hand. On the cover was a picture of a man kneeling in regret before a mountain that was terraced into nine levels with different horrors on each level. At the top was a dissonant paradise where utopia existed.
Dante's expression changed greatly. How could he not know what this was referencing, especially since his mind had been on it ever since he heard his elemental affiliation?
The mountain in the background was obviously purgatory with the nine levels of hell and paradise at the top. The man kneeling outside could only be the legendary man who rushed through all nine levels to face Satan himself and rescue the soul of his virtuous wife, Dante.
ραΠdαsΝοvel.cοm "The Inferno Ascension technique? That's a pretty good choice, especially among the Internal Arts. It stands within the top 50 of all our techniques since it has 10 levels, allowing you to harness great power," Ling Qi stated while stroking his white beard with a smile.
Dante listened and nodded, keeping his thoughts to himself. Hao Donglei led the group back toward the External Arts section and began speaking on the way.
"As I told you previously, Dante, I will tell you more about Internal Arts cultivation if we discover that you have the talent for it."
"Internal Arts allow us to cultivate Internal Force, a special and near-magical energy that is formed by our life essence coalescing within our dantian."
"Unlike External Cultivation which only uses raw external energy consumed through eating and digestion to enhance the body and increase the density as well as the power of blood energy, Internal Arts use our own natural energy to condense Internal Force."
Hao Donglei smiled. "You could say that Internal Arts work strictly by talent. If you do not have the talent, you cannot condense the energy needed to form Internal Force because it's not there in the first place. It's also not something that resources can make up for."
"It's basically like trying to play chess without hands. The level and strength of your talent also decide how far you can go on your path with Internal Arts, and I believe your talent is very strong."
Hao Donglei turned and smiled at Dante. "In fact, it's very possible for you to perfect that technique and reach its highest level given your affinity, but we'll see."
His words made a strange light flicker in the eyes of the other elders, but they quickly hid it. As for Dante, he didn't take it too seriously as no one in this world would be his match after he stabilized his genes and went for another round of Absorption in the Apocalypse World.
At that time, any funny thoughts they harbored in their hearts would only become clouds and a fart. Of course, it didn't mean that he would throw caution away as he decided to interact with these fellows less and even think of ways to weaken them ahead of time.
Whether it was cold and callous was up for debate. Personally, even before he transmigrated here, Dante had always preferred pragmatic and proactive people whether it was in real life or in fiction, so he would naturally be proactive in solving troubles without burdening himself with cheap morality.
After they reached the External Arts section, they led Dante to the halberd part. Here, Dante once again scrolled through techniques, but there was no affinity pull. He had to look at the introduction of each manual and see which one he wanted.
Among them were the Crimson Tempest Halberd Technique, which embodied the explosive force of the halberd, allowing martial artists to channel their refined blood energy and blood Qi into devastating blows. By focusing on abrupt and powerful movements, practitioners create a whirlwind of crimson energy with every swing, making it a formidable choice for quick and intense engagements.
There was also the Ironheart Guarding Stance, which was centered around the concept of hardness and durability, teaching martial artists to become unyielding fortresses on the battlefield. By adopting a defensive stance that maximizes the halberd's reach, practitioners can absorb and redirect incoming attacks.
Apart from that was the Flowing Silk Halberd Dance which seemingly drew inspiration from the softness of silk, making this art focus on fluid and graceful movements. Martial artists learn to wield the halberd with finesse, utilizing its weight and momentum to execute precise strikes. The technique promoted a blend of offense and defense, enabling practitioners to weave a dance-like pattern of strikes that confounded opponents while slightly reducing stamina consumption.
Then there was the Raging Inferno Halberd Art which directly embraced the sub-element of fire, attempting to infuse the martial artist's
movements with the scorching intensity of flames. Each swing of the halberd leaves behind trails of residual heat, adding a burning quality to every strike. Through brutal training and a very specialized diet, martial artists learn to harness the fire energy by boiling their own blood Qi and energy.
Finally, there was the Eternal Gale Halberd Method which focused on stamina conservation and prolonged endurance. This art sought to teach martial artists to wield the halberd with calculated efficiency by blending fluid movements with controlled bursts of energy, allowing martial artists to engage in protracted battles without succumbing to fatigue. This technique emphasized tactical precision and mindful strikes, ensuring that every swing of the halberd counted and minimized wasteful energy expenditure.
From them, Dante made his choice of the Raging Inferno Halberd Art. It was the obvious choice given his affinity and that affinity would even play a big role according to Hao Donglei. As for how, he only smiled cryptically, and the other elders didn't say either.
Dante was left speechless.
In the end, he could only take the two arts out of the pavilion and borrow them for 7 days to get familiar with their texts. After doing this, Dante was led to the practice area where everyone was undergoing their various cultivation practices.
When he came back, the other elders bid farewell as they had things to tend to, while Hao Donglei spent an hour or so telling Dante many more important things to note, as well as what to maximize and what to minimize in order to seek the most benefits.
This chapt𝒆r is updated by free(w)ebnovel(.)com