Chapter 277: Six Paths and Five Arts

Chapter 277: Six Paths and Five Arts

Ning Xiaochuan chuckled, "I’ve been holding onto the Heavenly Emperor's Blade all this time, and it hasn’t brought me any life-threatening trouble."

The Heavenly Emperor's Blade was momentarily speechless before sighing, "Young man, you don’t yet understand the dangers of this world. The more precious a treasure is, the greater the calamity it invites. Hand the Phoenix Feather over to me, and I’ll bear all the misfortunes it may bring. I’ll even assist you ten times for free."

The more the Heavenly Emperor's Blade desired it, the more it proved the Phoenix Feather’s value. Naturally, Ning Xiaochuan had no intention of giving it up.

Gazing at the golden silk nest at the center of the lake and then at the Phoenix Feather in his hand, Ning Xiaochuan thought to himself, "This Phoenix Feather must have been deliberately left for me by the Mysterious Woman. She likely anticipated my return here. I bowed three times before the golden silk nest, and the feather flew out on its own. Had I not bowed, it probably wouldn’t have emerged from the palace."

He stored the Phoenix Feather inside the Heaven and Earth Bag, resolving to keep it hidden from others as much as possible. The Heavenly Emperor's Blade was right—the more valuable the treasure, the more likely it was to invite disaster.

Ning Xiaochuan spent the night in the valley, cultivating the Heaven and Earth Profound Qi.

Once he reached the seventh layer of this technique, he found himself unable to progress further. His absorption rate of Profound Qi was now fixed at sixty-four times the normal speed. Without the eighth layer’s cultivation method, his ability to absorb Profound Qi and refine pills had plateaued.

Though his current absorption speed already rivaled that of many Martial Venerables, Ning Xiaochuan wasn’t satisfied. He yearned to break through to an even higher realm.

He took out the White Bone Bead and placed it in his palm.

The Mysterious Woman had once told him that this White Bone Bead could aid his cultivation of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, meaning it undoubtedly held secrets.

So far, Ning Xiaochuan had only uncovered two of its mysteries: First, holding the White Bone Bead while cultivating Heaven and Earth Profound Qi increased his absorption speed.

Second, the White Bone Bead could release vast amounts of Profound Qi, forming a massive Spiritual Node.

However, Ning Xiaochuan still didn’t know how to activate the White Bone Bead. The last time it had transformed into a Spiritual Node was during his encounter with the Lingyi State Preceptor at the Crown Prince's Palace. In the midst of their battle, the White Bone Bead had erupted with power, shattering the "gilded cage" formation the State Preceptor had set up.

Ning Xiaochuan channeled a strand of Dragon-Tiger Profound Qi into the White Bone Bead, attempting to control it as he would a Mystic Artifact.

But the White Bone Bead seemed completely unresponsive to Profound Qi. No matter how much Dragon-Tiger Profound Qi he infused, it remained inert.

Next, he tried refining the bead with his blood—yet again, there was no reaction.

"Stay calm. Let me think carefully. Last time, the White Bone Bead reacted because of… the Spiritual Node. Yes, that’s it—the Spiritual Node!"

Clutching the White Bone Bead, Ning Xiaochuan silently circulated Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, attuning himself to the Spiritual Nodes in the surrounding air.

At the same time, the White Bone Bead in his hand began to change. It slowly levitated, hovering midair as it emitted a soft, milky-white glow.

With the bead at its center, an incredibly dense surge of Profound Qi poured forth—far richer than the valley’s natural energy, so concentrated it nearly liquefied.

The Black Little Tiger crouched at Ning Xiaochuan's feet, staring dumbfounded at the Bone Bead, its tongue licking its lips as if it desperately wanted to pounce and snatch the bead away.

Ning Xiaochuan remained seated cross-legged on the ground, his eyes closed, but his consciousness had already left his body, like a wisp of Soul Shadow floating in mid-air, fixated on the Bone Bead.

The surface of the Bone Bead was densely covered with tiny characters—millions, tens of millions, even billions of them—each so minuscule they were nearly impossible to discern.

Ning Xiaochuan pushed his mental focus to the limit, straining his eyes until they ached, barely managing to make out a few lines:

"The seventh level of 'Heaven and Earth Profound Qi' is visible to Martial Artists. Dao Techniques consist of the Six Paths and Five Arts. The Six Paths are: Talisman Path, Formation Path, Ordinary Item Path, Martial Path, Alchemy Path, and Heart Path. The Five Arts are: Curse Art, Spell Art, Five Elements Art, Mind Art, and Divine Ability Art. Each Path can lead to the Great Dao; each Art can become a Great Art..."

Ning Xiaochuan didn’t even finish reading the passage before his head throbbed violently, his consciousness nearly scattering.

The characters on the Bone Bead were simply too small—each one consumed an immense amount of mental energy to decipher.

When his consciousness returned to his heart, Ning Xiaochuan immediately felt dizzy, his brain swollen, nearly causing irreversible internal injuries.

He quickly circulated Heaven and Earth Profound Qi to regulate his breathing. By the time he opened his eyes again, the sky was already bright.

"Just reading a few lines took an entire night," Ning Xiaochuan muttered in astonishment.

This Bone Bead was terrifying—what it recorded was beyond belief, yet also awe-inspiring.

According to the Bone Bead, the "Martial Path" was one of the Six Paths, and "Divine Ability" was one of the Five Arts.

This was something Ning Xiaochuan had never heard before. If such knowledge spread, it would surely cause a massive upheaval in the Martial Path world.

For now, Ning Xiaochuan stored the White Bone Bead away, intending to study it further once his cultivation grew stronger. Last night had been perilous—he had nearly suffered severe damage. It was far too dangerous.

Ning Xiaochuan hurriedly returned to the Three Masters Martial Academy, where he, along with Yu Qianqian, Yue Mingsong, Ning Xin'er, Jin Quexi, and the others, set off for Emperor's City.

One of Ning Xiaochuan’s goals in returning to Emperor's Martial Palace was to test just how far his talent had progressed.

Challenging the Heavenly Bridge was the best way to measure it.

The last time Ning Xiaochuan had attempted the Heavenly Bridge, he had been at the seventh level of the Divine Body Realm. Now, he had reached the fifth level of the Transcendent Realm—his cultivation had improved by dozens of times, if not more.

The news of Ning Xiaochuan defeating Han Fu had already spread throughout Emperor's Martial Palace, causing a massive uproar. Many refused to believe it, but since the report had come from the mouths of several instructors, they had no choice but to accept it.

"He's here! Ning Xiaochuan and Princess Qianxi have entered Emperor's City and are heading toward the Heavenly Bridge. Ning Xiaochuan must be planning to challenge it!"

"I heard Ning Xiaochuan’s physique is heaven-defying—he even defeated Law Enforcement Team Captain Han Fu. In Emperor's Martial Palace, only the Spiritual Void Venerable could compare to him."

"The Spiritual Void Venerable is a celestial being descended to the mortal world—his physique isn’t human, so it’s not a fair comparison. Ning Xiaochuan, in just two years, has risen from the Profound Qi Realm to the fifth level of the Transcendent Realm, advancing over ten realms. That’s practically inhuman."

A talented young lady from the Ji Ling Marquis House said dreamily, "If our Ji Ling Marquis House could form a marriage alliance with the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, that would be wonderful."

"Eldest Sister, stop daydreaming. Ning Xiaochuan's heart belongs only to Yu Ningsheng, the Imperial City's top beauty. Haven't you seen how even Princess Qianxi's powerful advances couldn't win him over? Do you really think you stand a chance compared to her?" someone poured cold water on the idea.

Ming Yang stood on the second floor, carrying an iron sword on his back, staring at Ning Xiaochuan as he walked down the street.

A year ago, he could still stand toe-to-toe with Ning Xiaochuan.

But now, a year later, he no longer even qualified to be Ning Xiaochuan's opponent.

Ning Xiaochuan seemed to sense the burning gaze and looked up at Ming Yang. He smiled and nodded at him before continuing toward the Heavenly Bridge.

A year ago, Ning Xiaochuan would have killed Ming Yang to eliminate any future threats.

But now, he wouldn’t—not because his heart had softened, but because Ming Yang posed no threat to him anymore. As long as Ming Yang didn’t provoke him again, he wouldn’t take his life.

"Ning Xiaochuan's progress is simply too vast. There's no way we can catch up," Yu Tiadi sighed.

Not just Ming Yang and Yu Tiadi, the outstanding talents among the new students—even the Second and Third Year Senior Students could only sigh in resignation. Though they were all top-tier geniuses, compared to Ning Xiaochuan, they seemed like mediocrities.

"Rumble—"

Princess Lanfei's carriage arrived from another direction and stopped outside the Heavenly Bridge. She had brought many Martial Artists to guard both sides of her carriage, clearly still wary that Ning Xiaochuan might seek revenge.

Ning Xiaochuan merely cast a cold glance at Princess Lanfei's carriage, smirked faintly, and walked straight into the Heavenly Bridge.

Once Ning Xiaochuan entered the Heavenly Bridge, Emperor's City erupted in chatter once again, with everyone discussing fervently.

"How far do you think Ning Xiaochuan will go this time on the Heavenly Bridge?"

"I think he’ll at least pass the eleventh level. Han Fu just cleared the eleventh level."

"Han Fu is also incredibly talented—he cleared the eleventh level at the Seventh Level of the Transcendent Realm. I’ve heard that many Martial Artists at the ninth level of the Transcendent Realm couldn’t even pass the eleventh level."

Ning Xin'er, deeply concerned for Ning Xiaochuan and immensely proud of his achievements, asked, "Sister Qianxi, why can’t some Martial Artists at the ninth level of the Transcendent Realm pass the eleventh level of the Heavenly Bridge?"

Yu Qianqian explained, "The Heavenly Bridge doesn’t just test a Martial Artist’s cultivation level—it also measures their talent and potential. You must understand, even among those at the ninth level of the Transcendent Realm, combat strength can vary by more than tenfold. It’s perfectly normal for those with insufficient talent to fail the eleventh level."

"Then, can my brother pass the eleventh level?" Ning Xin'er asked.

Yu Qianqian’s gaze remained fixed on the Heavenly Bridge as she said firmly, "He definitely can."

She had absolute confidence in Ning Xiaochuan.

"Look! Ning Xiaochuan is clearing the levels so fast! Ten light pillars have already lit up on the Heavenly Bridge—he’s passed the tenth level!" a stunningly beautiful Heaven's Proud Daughter exclaimed in amazement.

In that brief moment just now, Ning Xiaochao consecutively cleared the first ten levels of the Heavenly Bridge at an unprecedented speed, causing immense shock among all the students present.

Not long after the voice of the Heaven's Proud Daughter faded, the eleventh light pillar lit up on the Heavenly Bridge.

Ning Xiaochuan had cleared the eleventh level of the Heavenly Bridge.

"So fast? He cleared the eleventh level already? This... this is too unbelievable!"

Many had assumed Ning Xiaochuan would struggle with the eleventh level.

But they were all wrong—Ning Xiaochuan took less than three breaths to conquer it.

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