Chapter 144: Chapter 143: Supplement
Three days later, Zhao Xuanqi gave the Black Tortoise and White Tiger Sects his answer. He accepted their offers to become an Honored Guest Elder for both sects but also made his own set of demands.
For instance, he required access to Rare Beast Materials and intelligence, and he demanded that both sects hand over their core Secret Transmissions.
The two sects agreed to most of his terms. However, Rare Beast Materials were in short supply. Although both sects had their own procurement channels, Zhao Xuanqi would have to cover the cost for any materials that exceeded the standard allotment for an Elder.
Zhao Xuanqi had no objections to this. By serving as an Honored Guest Elder for two sects, he was entitled to a double share of resources. For any ordinary Inner Cultivation master, this would have been more than enough. But his body’s ability to absorb these resources was extraordinary, meaning his needs far surpassed those of a typical Martial Artist. He couldn’t expect the sects to unconditionally supply his every need.
He had already used up all the savings he had from his time in the Celestial Sea Prefecture. However, his profile had steadily risen after competing in multiple arena matches. Even though he was fighting in relatively low-level rings, he still managed to earn a considerable income.
However, these savings wouldn’t last long, not when a single portion of Rare Beast Materials could cost over a hundred silver coins—or even more. And that was if they could be found at all, as many were available in name only.
「Gaul Concession. Zhao Xuanqi’s residence.」
"Elder Zhao, the Secret Transmissions of our Black Tortoise and White Tiger Sects, from Sound Force all the way to the peak of Inner Cultivation, are all here. Please review them with care, and do not let them be leaked."
Xu Ji and Peng Weishan arrived together, carrying two Black Wooden Boxes. When opened, they revealed scroll after scroll.
If they wanted Zhao Xuanqi’s help in perfecting their Secret Transmissions, they had no choice but to show them to him. The two sects had long been prepared for this.
"Don’t worry. I know the rules."
Zhao Xuanqi nodded. He was, in fact, quite interested in the contents of the two sects’ Secret Transmissions.
"You mentioned before that you wanted to borrow our ancient texts. However, some of our sects’ Ancient Secret Scriptures are stored at our respective headquarters and aren’t easily shown to outsiders. If you’re interested, Elder Zhao, you can choose a day to travel there and view them."
Xu Ji said to Zhao Xuanqi.
"That’s not urgent for now. What can you tell me about the Holy Beast Divine Generals?"
Zhao Xuanqi asked.
"Honestly, there are very few records left about the Holy Beast Divine Generals and their era. After multiple purges—the Mie Wu—most of the history was lost. All we know is that it was an age when Divine Generals emerged in great numbers, but it was also an age of widespread chaos. Out of fear of the Divine Generals’ power, records of that time were almost completely destroyed. They’re nearly impossible to trace, lost to the river of time."
"The White Tiger Sect and the Black Tortoise Sect have suffered repeated disasters during the Mie Wu purges. We even lost parts of our core Secret Transmissions, to say nothing of historical records. When it comes to ancient archives, the Cyan Dragon Sect’s are likely the most complete among the Four Saints Sect. Their lineage has a tradition of remaining hidden from the world, only sending a successor out when the world is on the brink of a major upheaval. As a result, they’ve suffered the fewest disasters, and their Secret Transmissions are the best preserved. However, we have no way of knowing what their attitude might be. Especially after that incident a dozen or so years ago, the Cyan Dragon Sect went back into seclusion and has been impossible to find."
"The Vermilion Bird Sect, which controls the Phoenix Army, likely knows many secrets as well. Lin Quelan aims to gather the Secret Transmissions of all four sects and re-walk the path of the Holy Beast Divine Generals. She must have collected vast amounts of information about that era. Given the current power of the Phoenix Army and Lin Quelan’s own strength, their archives might be even more complete than the Cyan Dragon Sect’s. The only problem is, getting that information from them would be next to impossible."
Peng Weishan said to Zhao Xuanqi with a hint of resignation.
’The Cyan Dragon Sect and the Vermilion Bird Sect, then?’
Zhao Xuanqi nodded slightly at his words. It seemed contact with those two sects was inevitable.
"By the way, can I still compete in the Jinmen Martial Arts Arena?"
Zhao Xuanqi asked.
"You can rest easy about that. The tier of that last match wasn’t actually that high, so it didn’t attract the attention of many top-tier powers. We’ve managed the situation, so the intel hasn’t spread widely—certainly not enough to catch Lin Quelan’s eye. Besides, even if you were exposed, our two sects have been operating in Jinmen for many years. We have some influence within the Martial Arts Association and could find a way to protect you."
"We recommend you avoid using the Holy Beast Form until you reach the A-rank arena. Once you get there, the matches are often tied to resolving commercial disputes for various business powers. At that level, you can apply for private, unpublicized matches. This would delay the exposure of your Holy Beast Fist for as long as possible. But even so, it will be revealed sooner or later. You must be prepared for that."
Xu Ji said, his expression grave.
"I understand."
Zhao Xuanqi nodded. He knew that with his current strength, being targeted by the Phoenix Army would be a huge problem.
"Gentlemen, I will begin working on the Secret Transmissions right away. As for the Rare Beast Materials I requested, when can I expect them to be delivered?"
Zhao Xuanqi asked.
"They should arrive within a couple of days. Well then, we won’t disturb you any further. We look forward to your good news, Elder Zhao."
Hearing that Zhao Xuanqi was about to begin working on the Secret Transmissions, Xu Ji and Peng Weishan immediately cupped their fists and took their leave, afraid they might delay his progress.
Watching them leave in such a hurry, Zhao Xuanqi chuckled softly. He then sat down in his study and began to examine the two sects’ Secret Transmissions.
He started with the White Tiger Sect. As expected, the essentials of their Pile Skill were remarkably similar to the Fierce Form, but there were still significant deviations in the finer details, such as the Meditation Profound Technique and the Qi Flowing Technique.
The White Tiger Sect’s Cross-Training and body-conditioning Secret Technique was called the "White Tiger True Form." Even without the support of the Soaring Form, it allowed a practitioner to achieve Qi Circulation Throughout the Body.
However, Zhao Xuanqi could see that this so-called "White Tiger True Form" was actually just a broken-down component of the Hundred Beasts Mystic Gate. It isolated the muscle-modification methods associated with the characteristics of Walking Beast Form Strength—such as Ba, Fierce, Yong, and Firm. Once mastered, it could produce an amplification effect equivalent to a Second Stage Qi Surge, albeit with a Weak Blood Essence.
And, just as Zhao Xuanqi had predicted, the White Tiger Sect’s Secret Transmission regarding the Exotic Beast Form was severely incomplete. This was true for everything from its Force application to its Spiritual Momentum Configuration. Many of the Exotic Beast Forms had subtle flaws.
As for the White Tiger Sect’s Inner Cultivation method, it was an entirely original creation based on the Fierce Form—likely the work of a Holy Beast Divine General from that ancient era.
The Black Tortoise Sect’s Secret Transmission, on the other hand, had a Pile Skill based on the Turtle and Snake Form. This Form wasn’t part of the original Hundred Beasts Fist; it seemed to have been specially created by a Holy Beast Divine General for the turtle-and-snake lineage, though it still bore some traces of the Hundred Beasts Fist.
The Black Tortoise Sect’s Cross-Training and conditioning method was named the "Black Tortoise True Form." Its focus was on transforming the body and muscles, allowing for shifts between firm and soft states. However, this part of the Secret Transmission was also incomplete. It even contained errors in its Acupoint Striking Technique, likely dead ends pursued by later generations in their attempts to reconstruct the art. This was why the Black Tortoise Sect had never been able to use the Six-layered Training Method.
Furthermore, he discovered that the higher-level realms of the sect’s Inner Cultivation method were also flawed. These flaws made it extremely difficult for their members to cultivate the final two Qi in the Five Qi Tongxuan stage, forcing them to overcome many unnecessary hurdles. This, too, was likely due to the incomplete Secret Transmission.
Time flew by. The more Zhao Xuanqi read, the more his admiration grew. To have taken the single Hundred Beasts Fist and split it into four independent sects, each with a complete and profound martial philosophy... It was incredible. Each branch was fully equipped with its own Training Methods, combat applications, and Secret Techniques. Even he doubted he could have accomplished such a feat.
The martial prowess of that "Holy Beast Divine General" was far beyond his own. Studying the Secret Transmissions of the White Tiger and Black Tortoise Sects gave him considerable inspiration, and his own understanding of the Hundred Beasts Fist deepened as a result.
"Holy Beast Divine General..."
Zhao Xuanqi murmured, an inexplicable light glinting in his eyes.
’Is that the realm of the Hundred Beasts Fist I pursued in my past life?’
After long deliberation, he drew upon his own vast experience with the Hundred Beasts Fist and made several modifications to the two sects’ Secret Transmissions.
He made some adjustments to the White Tiger Sect’s "White Tiger True Form" and also filled in details for the Force and Spiritual Momentum Configuration of several of their True Forms of the Exotic Beast.
As for the Black Tortoise Sect, he corrected some of the errors in their "Black Tortoise True Form." He also fixed some of the flaws related to one of the final two Qi of the Mystic Tortoise Inner Breath, and then he stopped.
He wanted to give them enough to see clear results, but he didn’t fix everything.
Never intend to harm others, but never let your guard down.
Until he saw long-term, genuine sincerity from them, he couldn’t possibly teach them everything he knew all at once.
