Chapter 389: Chapter 388: The Disappeared Blood Battle Origin (Extra for the Alliance Master ’Raised Little Dragon Lady’, 1/9)
Shi Xiaole stayed a few days in Jade Town.
Besieged by the constant disturbance, Shi Xiaole chose to live secretly in a separate residence bought by the Jade Moon Palace. His days were spent in tranquility, either catching up with old friends Lan Xiaodie and Tao Xingyu or cultivating his skills in meditation.
Of course, it was inevitable that the female disciples of the Jade Moon Palace would seek his guidance on martial arts questions. These disciples were immensely curious about Shi Xiaole, initially holding back their questions for fear of coming off as intrusive.
However, after the first female disciple took a chance and approached him for advice, receiving a warm and humble response, the others gained courage and started consulting Shi Xiaole whenever they had a chance.
Shi Xiaole welcomed all questions, thoughtfully providing his answers after a much-needed reflection. His answers were always insightful and enlightening, leaving the female disciples in admiration and awe.
"Currently, with my strength accounting for both the Righteous and Devil Paths, the number of people capable of challenging me should not exceed ten," Shi Xiaole thought.
The famous martial artists from both paths roughly numbered sixty to seventy, and their strengths were comparable. Hence, by ascertaining the overall strength of those from the Devil Path, Shi Xiaole could infer the strength and abilities of those from the Righteous Path.
From his covert observations in the Black Devil temple, Shi Xiaole was convinced that there were only five individuals in the Devil Path who were his equals, excluding the infamous pair of elderly martial artists.
Of these five, two supported the Demon Marquis and one was neutral. These individuals posed as obstacles to his efforts to unify the Devil Path. Naturally, even those who support him could not be taken lightly, as a betrayal could be costly.
However, with the notable demise of Kong Datong and others, Shi Xiaole’s influence within the Devil Path had established a clear advantage. A unification of forces was almost in the offing, with his action being the only thing pending.
The day before his departure, Shi Xiaole remembered the words of Nine Mysterious Elder Ge Jiao and made a solo trip to Wangyuan Residence.
The other’s strength was not much different from his own. It would be advantageous for both of them to exchange knowledge about martial arts.
Surprisingly, Zhihua Hermit Pan Yiheng was also present.
"Hahaha, so this is why there was a magpie chirping today. We have a distinguished guest. Friend Shi, please have a seat,"
Ge Jiao and Pan Yiheng stood up to welcome Shi Xiaole.
"Senior Ge, Senior Pan, please forgive my abrupt visit,"
Shi Xiaole greeted them, folding his hands in politeness, a gesture that earned him appreciative nods.
Youths often inflate their sense of self after achieving something substantial. However, in Shi Xiaole, the pair perceived an unexpected maturity and a modest demeanor, undoubtedly contributing to his achievements.
Once seated, Ge Jiao’s female apprentice prepared tea for all three. She then perched herself to the side, casting covert glances at Shi Xiaole.
"Friend Shi, how did you achieve the understanding of Wind True Intent?" Pan Yiheng asked after exchanging pleasantries.
This question was rather forthright. After all, it was probing into the core secret of Shi Xiaole – almost akin to prying into another’s privacy, especially crucial for a martial artist.
Answering could mean giving away too much. Not answering would seem petty.
Ge Jiao drank his tea, hiding his smile behind the cup.
Pan Yiheng was well-known for his frankness, which was probably why he had so few friends.
Having pondered for a moment, Shi Xiaole said, "Instead of trying to explain it, how about I give you two a demonstration?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Shi Xiaole gestured with his finger, releasing strands of Internal Power. This energy automatically formed a breeze that passed through the houseplants, moved around the furniture, and varied in strength with the natural winds.
Ge Jiao and Pan Yiheng watched in fascination as they felt they were observing the creation and characteristics of the wind, even the insights Shi Xiaole had gained on his journey.
People comprehend True Intent differently. Indeed, their understanding is precious and often corresponds to their core martial concept.
Ge Jiao and Pan Yiheng were taken aback by Shi Xiaole’s unexpected generosity. They had not imagined that he would virtually reveal his insights and approaches without any reservation.
Shi Xiaole had his thoughts.
The Wind True Intent was just one of the True Intents he had mastered. Even if others could see through his principles, they wouldn’t necessarily be able to learn them. Each understanding would only increase their strength. Besides, what would be the point of this meeting if he held back anything?
"Since young friend Shi is so open, I shouldn’t act miserly with my resources either."
Ge Jiao erupted into laughter, dipped his fingers in his cup, and flicked out a few droplets of water.
He’d achieved the Droplet True Intent. Though it originated from the Water True Intent, it was distinct and superior.
While pondering on Ge Jiao’s learning principle, Shi Xiaole grew thoughtful.
Clearly, Ge Jiao prioritized the explosive power, compressing the enormous Internal Power into tiny water droplets. When they reached their limit, they would burst open, inflicting damage. His compression was not simple, as he seemed to use a unique type of vibrational force to speed up the process.
"Now, look at mine."
Pan Yiheng, being straightforward, demonstrated his understanding without hesitation. As he sat upright, an odd vibe emanated from his eyes.
He had grasped the Heart Capture Intent.
From its name alone, it is known that it is a True Intent similar to illusion techniques, yet it is not an illusion. Instead, it is like a suppression of will, like purple energy coming from the east, able to continually weaken the opponent’s fighting spirit.
From Pan Yiheng’s insights, Shi Xiaole was greatly struck.
The opponent’s method was similar to hypnosis, first positioning oneself as the strongest, and then destroying the opponent on a mental level.
So, wouldn’t his Vicious True Intent, and even the Enchanted Moon Intent Realm, be deduced in the same way?
Of course, it is easier said than done, as the process of hypnosis is definitely not simple. It must be a subconscious deepening process, even extending outwards mentally, needing countless training.
The three of them confirmed and learned from each other, from early morning until dusk, only returning to their senses when Ge Jiao’s female disciple called them for dinner.
Throughout the day, Shi Xiaole benefited greatly. From the thoughts of the other two, he found many ideas and directions he had not thought of or overlooked in the past.
Both Ge Jiao and Pan Yiheng had joy across their faces. Their understanding was not as good as Shi Xiaole’s, but they had some realization that exceeded the efficacy of their own contemplation over several months.
"You two, in this joyful occasion, I have a secret to share."
After three rounds of drinks, Pan Yiheng looked at the night sky outside the window, and suddenly said.
"Oh, Brother Pan is so mysterious. Are you going to get married to a young lady?"
Under the influence of the wine, Ge Jiao let loose a bit.
Pan Yiheng shook his head, speaking alarmingly: "Twenty years ago, I learned of the locations of a few Blood Battle Plains from my teacher."
"What, the Blood Battle Plain?"
Ge Jiao almost knocked over the cup on the table, clearing up his intoxication immediately.
The Blood Battle Plain was the battleground where experts from the Righteous Path and the Devil Path had fought to the death six hundred years ago, with countless experts burying their bones there.
Legend has it that because of the large number of dead and the heavy resentment, a layer of thick bloody aura formed in the air above the plain. Ordinary people who inadvertently entered would, at best lose their sanity, or at worst, become mentally ill or go insane.
Strangely enough, after the great war between the Righteous and Devil Paths ended, whether by coincidence or not, the canal above the Blood Battle Plain suddenly burst, submerging everything with a flood that lasted ten days and ten nights.
When the flood receded, the many experts who originally planned to go to the Blood Battle Plain suddenly found that the entire Blood Battle Plain had disappeared!
At that time, the Righteous forces of the Martial World mobilized everyone possible in the search for that holy land. However, after searching for dozens of years, they found no trace of it.
After a few more decades, the previous generation of experts had all died out, and the people of the Martial World lost their deep obsession with the Blood Battle Plain. Gradually, the Blood Battle Plain became a distant legend.
People of later generations, for the most part, only heard about this place from senior Martial World figures or from ancient books.
"In fact, there are many people looking for the Blood Battle Plain, but most are doing so secretly."
"That place is a burial ground for countless top-tier experts of the Righteous and Devil Paths, and many Spiritual Weapons are left behind. It is even said that after the blood of numerous experts merged, an extraordinary Exotic Fruit formed, ranking one of the top ten Exotic Fruits of the Flying Horse Dynasty... Just getting one of these treasures would benefit a Martial World expert for life."
Pan Yiheng murmured.
According to him, his teacher had loved to travel from a young age and was deeply interested in the Blood Battle Plain. He even used valuable items such as martial arts secrets, Exotic Fruits, treasures, and more in trades for ancient books on the Blood Battle Plain.
This led to his family fortune, comparable to that of a nation, being completely depleted.
But this sacrifice also brought fruit.
After consulting many types of data and careful scrutiny, his teacher listed several suspicious locations, believing that one of them was the displaced Blood Battle Plain.
Unfortunately, before he could act, Pan Yiheng’s teacher died suddenly due to mental exhaustion. Before dying, he finally told this secret to his lone disciple, hoping that he could fulfill his unfulfilled wish and find the Blood Battle Plain.
Ge Jiao said: "Brother Pan, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but this is a major secret, why tell Shi and me?"
Shi Xiaole also looked at Pan Yiheng.
He once heard Lan Tian mention the Blood Battle Plain. At that time, the Twin Devils of Wind and Rain had miraculously survived and had thoughts of finding the Blood Battle Plain, but after numerous searches all ended in vain.
"It’s not that I am generous, but the Blood Battle Plain is truly terrifying. To admit without embarrassment, I lost courage to go any further after reaching the periphery. But I can’t give up the opportunities inside, so I’ve always been thinking of finding trustworthy friends to accompany me."
Shi Xiaole noticed that when Pan Yiheng spoke, there was a hint of irresistible fear on his face, as if recalling something terrifying.
A man who could comprehend Mind-Stealing True Intent, showed that Pan Yiheng himself was strong-willed. What was it that could make him so afraid?
"You’re saying, you’ve been to the Blood Battle Plain before?"
Ge Jiao whispered, eyebrows jumping in surprise.
Pan Yiheng nodded, whispering, "That place must be the legendary Blood Battle Plain."
In the room, silence descended, the only sound being the slight burning of the candle, along with the breathing of the three men.
"Brother Pan, can you truthfully tell us what is inside that caused you to be so... disturbed?"
Ge Jiao couldn’t resist asking.
Searching for treasure is a good thing, but if there’s no life left to enjoy it, then it would be best to forget it.
Pan Yiheng shook his head: "I can’t describe it, it’s just a feeling. If you two don’t want to go, just forget what I said. I will not go again either."
