109. A Celestial Omen (4)

In this land of Shenzhou, every corner is teeming with individuals hailed as brilliant talents. Qi Fei does not consider himself a genius; he has survived in this unforgiving world of the strong preying on the weak only through his own unsung diligence and a touch of good fortune. It may seem incredible, but it is precisely these incremental efforts that have allowed Qi Fei to travel further than others.

Yet, in this cave, Qi Fei glimpsed a far broader horizon. From this place alone, one could discern that the master of this cave abode possessed a level of genius that bordered on the monstrous. Even so, despite reaching such heights and living far longer than the average person, the master ultimately could not avoid turning into a mound of dust, failing even to preserve his primordial spirit as Tong He had. This realization left Qi Fei feeling deeply wistful, his mind unable to settle for a long while.

No matter how magnificent your life, no matter how revered you are by thousands, if you cannot pierce the barrier of life and death, you end up as nothing more than a handful of soil. Take, for instance, martial arts; there are many skills that still strike fear across the Shenzhou continent, including the "Spirit Rhinoceros Finger," a high-grade Yellow-tier technique known to all, yet restricted to the male descendants of the Ye family.

There are, of course, other coveted arts, such as the Long family’s "Hua Ting Scripture," the Hou manor’s "Tiger Roar Fist," and the Xuanxin Sect’s own version of the same, all considered powerful legacies by major families and sects. Opening the brocade box, Qi Fei flipped through it briefly and withdrew three books, their pages yellowed with age.

Of these three Profound-tier martial arts, one was a saber technique, two were sword styles, and one was a fist technique. Qi Fei had no current interest in the saber technique, so he set it aside after a cursory glance. The remaining three, however, piqued his curiosity: the two sword styles were named "Ten Thousand Swords Returning to Origin" and "Savage Charge," while the fist technique was called "Heavenly Dragon Dark Cloud Fist." Holding these three secret manuals of Profound-tier arts—things that only exist in legends—it would be a lie to say Qi Fei was not stirred. Any one of these three manuals, if revealed, would send every sect and noble family on the continent into a frenzy of life-and-death struggle.

In fact, three hundred years ago, a single Profound-tier manual sparked years of bloody conflict across the entire continent. Though it ended with the manual’s disappearance, the number of innate-level experts who perished in those years reached into the hundreds. This shows what kind of storm a Profound-tier art could stir up if it appeared in the world.

"If anyone knew I had these in my possession," Qi Fei whispered, his voice trembling, "I would likely face pursuit from the entire continent." His hands shook slightly as he held the books, his eyes filled with intense joy. Regardless of whether he achieved the innate realm on this journey, these manuals alone made all his recent hardships worthwhile.

These manuals were valuable enough that trading them for the service of dozens of innate experts would not be difficult. Even the saber technique he didn't need could likely be traded for enough resources or pills to elevate ten ordinary martial artists to the innate realm. Thinking this, Qi Fei felt the magnitude of his windfall.

Joy aside, he knew he needed to clear his head and study the techniques that interested him. After taking several deep breaths to calm his racing heart, he sat on the ground and began to read the three books that would drive most martial artists in Shenzhou mad. He didn't rush to learn them, instead browsing through each to understand their unique traits.

"Ten Thousand Swords Returning to Origin" seemed unremarkable at first, but after careful study, Qi Fei’s expression changed to one of astonishment. It shared characteristics with his "Broken Sword Style." While it wasn't a multi-target attack like the latter, it possessed a terrifying power: it could stack the strength and true energy of every strike. If a standard strike was the baseline, the third strike could be four or five times stronger, and so on. While he had seen stacking techniques before, the strongest had only reached three times the original power. Theoretically, "Ten Thousand Swords Returning to Origin" could stack up to eighty-one times.

This was a terrifying number. Even a third-rate martial artist using this could force an innate expert to flee. However, it was limited by the user’s physical reaction time and the durability of their weapon. If the body or weapon couldn't withstand the surge of energy, they would simply shatter.

Still, the prospect was intoxicating. Even if he could only stack his own power twice, it would give him the strength to contend with innate experts. This was a super-attack method beyond his trump card of Tong He.

Next, Qi Fei examined "Savage Charge." Unlike the complex "Ten Thousand Swords," this was an aggressive, single-use technique. It was a desperate strike that consumed all one's true energy and strength in one go. While it seemed inferior at first, the manual revealed that this was only the entry-level method. By utilizing secret techniques to tap into one's remaining lifespan, talent, and life force, the power could be multiplied exponentially. By consuming his future lifespan, Qi Fei calculated that, at his current peak first-rate level, he could unleash an attack over a hundred times his normal strength—enough to cleave mountains and split the earth.

"A Profound-tier art truly lives up to its name," Qi Fei sighed in admiration. Though it was essentially a self-destructive move, it was an invaluable trump card for a final stand.

Finally, he looked at the "Heavenly Dragon Dark Cloud Fist." It was not focused on raw power but on overcoming spatial constraints, similar to his "Broken Sword Style," allowing him to bridge the gap between himself and an enemy instantly.

While he felt a bit disappointed that only one of the three was suitable for daily combat, he realized he was being ungrateful. Without Tong He’s guidance, he would never have had access to such treasures. He had gained a wonderful start, one that would have been impossible for even the scions of the great families to match. Everything he had achieved, he owed to the path Tong He had opened for him.