Chapter 409: Chapter 408 Half Moon Lake
Before he came, Zhang Qiuhua had thought that there was a possibility that he might lose, but he had never imagined that his loss would be to an obscure, insignificant character. He had not been able to muster any form of resistance, he was repeatedly struck from beginning to end.
This was the most shameful battle of his life.
"His strength might not be inferior to that of Young Master Xuanmu," one of the three acclaimed geniuses watching the battle said.
The other two shuddered but couldn’t manage to voice a rebuttal.
Young Master Xuanmu, undeniably the number one prodigy among the top ten talents, is also recognized as the first genius in Mirror State in a hundred years. He started his career at 15 and has been victorious over countless masters in the last ten years, with an unequalled brilliance.
To compare Shi Xiaole to a prodigy of the same caliber as Young Master Xuanmu was the greatest compliment the three had for him.
"The talent of this child is something I’ve only seen once in my lifetime."
Yu Cheng admitted that he had misjudged him.
But one can’t blame him; when cultivation reached the Spiritual-Passage Realm, there were many factors that determined one’s strength. Martial arts realm, true intention, combat skills; any of these, if vastly different, would result in significant disparities in strength.
Moreover, even a master of the Dragon Gate Realm wouldn’t be able to discern another’s cultivation level without them making a move.
The person after Zhang Qiuha was Young Master Aoyun, Lin Aotian.
Before this, Lin Aotian had without a doubt been the most closely watched person. This was not just because of his powerful martial skills, but also due to his unique appearance and temperament among thousands.
In terms of popularity among the young women of the martial world, he even surpassed Young Master Xuanmu, who ranked first.
Unfortunately, when standing next to Shi Xiaole, Lin Aotian’s aura was immediately suppressed; he was constantly overshadowed.
"Brother Shi, Lin would like to learn a few moves from you."
With a bitter smile, Lin Aotian made his move to attack Shi Xiaole.
Distinct from Zhang Qiuhua’s aggressive and fierce style, Lin Aotian adopted an elegant and unpredictable approach. As he moved his fingers and palms, he was surrounded by mist, his techniques were full of technicality, often catching his opponent off guard and achieving victory against stronger foes with his perceived weakness.
In Shi Xiaole’s view, Lin Aotian’s strength was a notch above Zhang Qiuhua’s. However, his style, when matched against his own, resulted in an even quicker defeat.
After 16 moves, Lin Aotian lost.
By this point, all the young talents who had participated in the martial competition had stepped onto the stage, but none had managed to pass the third round.
"This ill-bred girl!"
Upon seeing Yu Wenxiu laughing so heartily on the case table, Yu Cheng couldn’t help but feel both amused and annoyed, his heart a tumult of emotions.
After today, forcing his daughter into marriage would undoubtedly become more difficult. Plus, if he crossed a line, he could risk damaging his father-daughter relationship, something Yu Cheng did not want to happen.
But was he truly supposed to let this ill-bred girl remain unmarried for the rest of her life?
"The children’s blessings are with the children themselves. My husband, considering Wenxiu’s martial skills, it’s not impossible for her to break through to the Dragon Gate Realm and live up to three hundred years. She’s not at an age where she’s desperate to get married. Let’s put this matter aside for now."
Yu Cheng’s wife advised him at this moment.
Yu Cheng gave her an odd look. Normally, she was more anxious than he was. What had made her change her mind today? But when Yu Cheng saw his wife’s gaze fixed on Shi Xiaole, he understood at once, shaking his head in secret resignation.
Being a sect leader for several decades, he had the basic ability of foresight.
In Yu Cheng’s view, while Shi Xiaole appears humble on the surface, anyone with the ability to hone their martial arts to such a level must possess the heart of a tiger. Such people would not be captivated by a woman’s outer beauty, nor would they easily agree to marry.
The martial competition ended in a way no one expected.
But everyone remembered one person: Shi Xiaole.
...
"Young Master Shi, I truly owe you my gratitude this time. You spared me from falling into the bitter sea."
Inside the Orchid Pavilion, Yu Wenxiu was beaming happily, showing her perfectly aligned, white teeth.
"I merely did a little to help," Shi Xiaole said.
To equate marriage with a bitter sea, this woman was truly unconventional.
Her gaze fixed on Shi Xiaole’s face, Yu Wenxiu said, "Brother Shi, I wonder how you practice usually. Your martial arts have reached such an incredible level at such a young age. I am really envious."
The disciples of the Heavenly Jade Sect stood in awe next to Shi Xiaole. After defeating the two young masters in one day, it was inevitable that he would become famous throughout Mirror State.
Shi Xiaole smiled, saying nothing.
"You may leave first, younger brother. I have something more to talk with Young Master Shi about."
Achieving mastery in martial arts requires both innate talent and fortuitous opportunities. Yu Wenxiu’s question was merely an expression of her feelings, not really in pursuit of some special method.
After Yu Fei and the others left, Yu Wenxiu said, "The 5800 Mystic Crystal Stones promised to Young Master Shi have been delivered to your room already. Also, regarding the secret of the Maple Forest Red Leaves, I hope Brother Shi can keep it confidential."
"Of course."
"Three years ago, by chance, I saved a strange martial arts expert. The expert did not have the habit of taking disciples, and their teaching was restricted by the rules of my sect, they couldn’t teach me their martial art. So, they taught me how to find the Maple Forest Red Leaves as a way of expressing gratitude."
"According to what this demi-human elder said, there is an incredibly rare Maple Leaf Stone to be found at Half Moon Lake in Mirror State, the place closest to the moon. Nestled inside this stone are Maple Forest Red Leaves from the Maple Forest Cottage."
Yu Wenxiu smiled while saying this, "After learning about it, my parents and I secretly visited Half Moon Lake. Regrettably, after more than half a year of searching, we’ve found nothing. Perhaps it’s as that elder said, we are not predestined to encounter the Maple Forest Red Leaves."
"However, you have to be careful, Brother Shi. Although the number of people who know this secret is very few, there are still some people in Mirror State who know it."
Shi Xiaole nodded.
If Yu Wenxiu could know this secret, then naturally others might know about it too.
However, his curiosity about Maple Forest Cottage cannot be satisfied, and he wanted to know more about the rumored unrivaled martial artist, who made it into the land rankings and is the Cottage Master, in relation to Mr. and Mrs. Shi Xuanzhong.
Hence, he must go to Half Moon Lake.
Originally, Shi Xiaole wanted to stay a couple more days, but upon witnessing the enthusiastic demeanour of the Sect Master’s wife from the Heavenly Jade Sect, he felt a sense of unrest, and bid his farewells to Yu Wenxiu and the others that day.
Donned in his red robe, he claimed hundreds of Mystic Crystal Stones collected by the Demon Alliance in Mirror State. He also absorbed the five thousand eight hundred stones he got from Yu Wenxiu, and felt a slight, almost unnoticeable increase in his internal power.
In reality, the spiritual energy value from over six thousand Mystic Crystal Stones was not as insignificant as it seemed. The main reason is that when a martial artist’s internal power is converted into Inborn Gang Qi, the quality increases drastically and the ordinary Mystic Crystal Stones have not much influence.
Only those Mystic Crystal Stones which have been cultivated for a very long period of time, and have absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, have remarkable effects. Such Mystic Crystal Stones are given the name Sun-Moon Crystal Stones in the martial world.
If Mystic Crystal Stones are hard to come by, Sun-Moon Crystal Stones are rarer. You might find one Sun-Moon Crystal Stone among one hundred thousand Mystic Crystal Stones.
The Sun-Moon Crystal Stone cannot increase the conversion rate, but it does increase internal power quantity. Once a martial artist breaks through to Dragon Gate Realm, their strength will undoubtedly be stronger than other martial artists at the same level.
"A man cannot be distracted, I shall focus on finding the Maple Leaf Stone."
Half Moon Lake is located on the extreme western side of Mirror State. For an ordinary person to travel from the city of Heavenly Jade to there, it would take at least twenty days of non-stop journeying.
For Shi Xiaole however, this is not a problem.
Qingfeng was always sensitive to his energy. Following him secretly for the past few days, Qingfeng appeared as hoped for after waiting in an outskirt forest for quite a while.
Travelling unhurriedly, Shi Xiaole reached the nameless range where Half Moon Lake was situated after six days.
The range was vast, and for some unknown reason, the branches and leaves of the trees there were shorter than other places. The colour was also a grey-brown, giving off a gloomy feeling.
"Grey Mist Miasma!"
Not long after entering the mountain range, Shi Xiaole quickly observed a patch of grey fog ahead.
The fog was so clear and pure, it’s as if it was made up of grey pigments. The mountain winds didn’t affect the shape. At times it would expand, at others it would contract, as if it possessed its own consciousness.
Shi Xiaole immediately took a detour.
According to Yu Wenxiu, the Grey Mist Miasma was extremely dangerous. Even masters from the Spiritual-Passage Realm could be invaded by the gloomy aura if they inadvertently wander into it, affecting their health.
Riding Qingfeng, and journeying through the mountain range for a full three days, he gradually penetrated deeper. On the fourth day, he saw from a distance a grey water surface approximately three hundred feet wide, shaped like a crescent moon.
The grey water surface was like it was frozen, impervious to the violent wind blowing over it. There were no ripples on the water, and even less fish and shrimp. Even with Shi Xiaole’s sight, he could only discern about ten feet below the surface of the water.
Here lies the Half Moon Lake.
After sending Qingfeng on its way, Shi Xiaole went into hiding and disbursed his spiritual power. The surroundings were silent. He reached the vicinity of Half Moon Lake without encountering anyone.
Given Shi Xiaole’s spiritual power, ordinary masters from Dragon Gate Realm wouldn’t be able to avoid his senses, allowing him to heave a sigh of relief as he approached the lakeshore.
The possible existing Maple Leaf Stone would be in this lake, but Shi Xiaole didn’t go into the water.
Because according to Yu Wenxiu, the Maple Leaf Stone encapsulates the Maple Forest Red Leaves, which contain a whiff of the mysterious, phantom-like aura of the Array System from Maple Forest Cottage.
When the Maple Leaf Stone is meant to appear, it will naturally appear. But, when it isn’t supposed to appear.you would find no use in even overturning the entire Half Moon Lake.
The Yu couple had searched here before. Given Yu Cheng’s capabilities, searching through the Half Moon Lake wouldn’t be a difficult feat.
Starting from that day, Shi Xiaole stayed near Half Moon Lake. He practiced during the day and observed the lake surface at night so he wouldn’t miss the Maple Leaf Stone.
Unfortunately, he didn’t even see the shadow of the Maple Leaf Stone even after half a month.
There were however, a few unfamiliar auras that made appearances every night. They probably belonged to martial artists who arrived before Shi Xiaole. Knowing the existence of others, these martial artists hid very well, lurking near and far.
On the eighteenth day,
A fair-skinned young man dressed in a green robe arrived.
As soon as he neared Half Moon Lake, under the refraction of the moonlight, a red stone the size of a hen’s egg suddenly emerged out of nowhere.
Swish.
The young man in the green robe caught the red stone with a single stretch of his arm.
"Hahaha, the Maple Leaf Stone has finally appeared, I have not waited in vain for half a year."
A white-haired old man descended next to the green-robed young man amidst his hoarse laughter, his eyes filled with fervour. He reached out towards the red stone, bringing about an incredible suction force.
A sword flashed, and the young man in green stumbled and avoided it.
"Eh?"
Shi Xiaole was slightly surprised. The white-haired old man’s internal power was actually far above his own. Yet, one strike was not enough to capture the green-robed young man.
