Chapter 241 - 239: Refined by Fire, Unveiling the Third Grade Martial Technique
"Explore the Outer Domain?" Song Changming didn’t expect the fight to stop halfway. Nan Wuji suddenly cut to the chase and invited him to join a team.
Feeling a bit dazed.
The fight just now seemed more like an assessment. Nan Wuji and Su Yaoguang wanted to see if he was qualified to be their teammate.
Suffice it to say, they wanted to develop a path to the Ancient Abyss Country. This alone was enough to intrigue him.
In fact, he had long wanted to go to the Ancient Abyss Country.
For the past few years, he had been exploring the Outer Realm.
However, the vast range covered by the fog in the Outer Realm is almost boundless. The deeper you go, the more likely you are to encounter unimaginable dangers and crises.
Without sufficient strength, there is only a dead end, basically a delivery of lunch to Fog Beasts miles away.
Moreover, the deeper you go into the fog, the easier it is to lose your way and not easily return the same way. At that point, you might not even be able to return to Da Han!
Precisely due to these concerns, Song Changming had been eager yet cautious in venturing into the Outer Domain over the years, never daring to make the full commitment to open a path to the Ancient Abyss Country.
If he were to gain the support of Nan Wuji and Su Yaoguang, two of Da Han’s top warriors, and team up for exploration.
This would undoubtedly provide the greatest degree of security, far more stable than venturing into the Outer Domain alone!
"Why do you want to risk going to the Ancient Abyss Country?" Although Song Changming couldn’t find a reason to refuse the invitation, he didn’t immediately agree, but instead continued to ask.
"Naturally, to pursue the Martial Tao..." Nan Wuji didn’t intend to hide anything from Song Changming. He explained clearly the limitations of the Da Han environment on Martial Arts Cultivation.
Nan Wuji wanted to continue making achievements in Martial Tao and refine his cultivation. He must leave Da Han and head to the Ancient Abyss Country.
From another perspective, Da Han could no longer accommodate a strong fighter like him!
In the past, the Da Han Martial Realm always had powerful Martial Artists who were obsessed with the Ancient Abyss Country, resolutely choosing to venture deeply into the Outer Domain, eventually crossing the fog to reach the Ancient Abyss Country.
Presumably, those powerful Martial Artists had similar motivations to Nan Wuji’s: seeking the path ahead that Martial Tao hadn’t reached...
"How is it?" Nan Wuji asked Song Changming again.
"Okay." Song Changming didn’t think twice, agreed immediately, deciding to try venturing into the Outer Domain with Nan Wuji.
"Alright, I will notify you later." Su Yaoguang nodded.
Song Changming’s straightforward acceptance was certainly welcome.
She acknowledged Song Changming’s strength, particularly his formidable Body Refining Cultivation, believing he could be of significant help in the Outer Domain.
With that, Nan Wuji, accompanied by his son Nan Chen Guang and Su Yaoguang, departed.
Before leaving, Nan Wuji suddenly looked at Song Changming, who was already mounted, and said: "If your Qi Refining Cultivation and Sword Technique mastery were stronger, perhaps I would not be your match."
As soon as he said this, Nan Chen Guang was stirred again, deeply gazing at Song Changming on horseback.
He knew his father would not say such complimentary or false words!
The world linked him and Song Changming together, calling them rivals and born enemies.
Little did they know Song Changming had quietly grown strong enough to compete with his father, the world’s number one!
Such external commentary seemed amusing now.
Nan Chen Guang felt unwilling but had to temporarily abandon his plans to challenge Song Changming.
Without great opportunity, he saw no hope of defeating Song Changming in at least the next ten years or so.
Su Yaoguang was also somewhat amazed; proud Nan Wuji actually said such words.
This was the highest compliment he could give to Song Changming!
Song Changming shook his head and replied: "The future is unpredictable, at least now I know I’m far inferior to you, sir."
He’s not concerned about future prospects; he might even live forever.
He only cares for the present; indeed, his blade is no match for Nan Wuji’s sword.
...
Watching Nan Wuji and Su Yaoguang leave, Song Changming took the spare clothes from the side of his horse and returned to the Liu Residence in the city.
"Sir." Su Qingqing welcomed Song Changming as soon as he returned.
"The scroll has been placed in your room."
"Hmm, has the doctor checked?" Song Changming nodded and immediately asked.
This time, Su Qingqing was trapped and got hurt.
"Grandpa Qiao checked, gave me healing ointment and medicinal soup, and I’m fine now." Su Qingqing replied.
Grandpa Qiao, whom she referred to, was Liu Dingsheng’s top physician, skilled in medicine.
Reportedly, Liu Dingsheng’s longevity owed no small favor to this physician.
On regular days at the Liu Residence, anyone injured would seek treatment from this physician.
"Hmm, stay at the Liu Residence for the next few days and focus on healing your wounds first." Song Changming felt at ease, gave this advice, and then returned to his room.
Taking off his shirt, Song Changming examined the numerous sword wounds on his body, which had now mostly faded into scars nearing complete healing.
The traits of the Dragon Body not only endowed him with extraordinary skin and muscle resilience but also granted him remarkable self-healing abilities.
These minor flesh wounds—he only needed a hearty meal to replenish his body’s energy and nutrients, and after a night’s rest, he’d mostly recover by the next day, without needing a physician.
Reflecting on today’s engagements outside.
The group led by Zhang De, who plotted against Su Qingqing, was completely annihilated by him.
The duel with Nan Chen Guang wasn’t worth reviewing, merely a one-sided domination.
Only the battle with that Sword Venerable, Nan Wuji, was worthy of careful analysis and repeated study.
The opponent’s powerful sword energy, refined to a tangible level, left the deepest impression on him.
If the opponent exerted full force, Song Changming would have been defeated even quicker.
Even if he activated the Blood Burst Secret Technique, he wasn’t sure if victory was possible...
This Nan Wuji truly deserved the title of Sword Venerable.
Facing an elite opponent of this caliber, Song Changming’s only reliance was his thoroughly tempered, powerful physique.
His Inner Qi Cultivation and mastered Martial Techniques had become his shortcomings—even magnified weaknesses!
In such circumstances, if his physical strength also failed to decisively influence the battle, his chances of victory would plummet.
In a direct clash, Nan Wuji indeed couldn’t withstand his immense power, but Nan Wuji was able to deflect Song Changming’s overwhelming force with exquisite sword forms, always keeping it within bearable limits.
This mastery in swordsmanship left Song Changming momentarily in awe.
It also made Song Changming realize that his mighty strength wasn’t indefensible!
Thinking this, Song Changming couldn’t help but mutter to himself.
"Still not strong enough!"
If he possessed the Giant Strength of ten elephants, twenty elephants, with a single slash, he didn’t believe Nan Wuji could deflect it with sword forms!
This is the most straightforward and brutal way to win; raw power overcomes all techniques!
Of course, if his Inner Qi Cultivation and Swordsmanship Mastery could further improve, reducing the gap with Nan Wuji, it would also make it much easier for him in the duel.
Thinking of this, Song Changming took out the two scrolls he obtained, laid them on the table, and opened them side by side.
One was the Mountain and River Painting, the other the Star River Map!
Observing them together, it wasn’t hard to notice that both paintings were likely from the same author, quite lifelike!
But a painting is just a painting, showing no trace of Martial Techniques; no matter how good the painting was, Song Changming wasn’t interested.
Nan Chen Guang once said it requires fire to reveal the Martial Techniques.
He previously noted that this scroll wasn’t made of ordinary paper.
For ordinary people, tearing this scroll apart was impossible; even scissors couldn’t cut through, evident by the paper’s toughness!
Nan Chen Guang didn’t seem to lie to him, so perhaps it really did require roasting with fire to reveal the techniques within the paintings!
Song Changming glanced at the candle flame on the table, cautiously holding it close to the scroll to test it.
Soon, he keenly noticed something unusual.
The scroll wasn’t damaged by the fire; rather, on it, amidst the mountains and star rivers, characters began to surface!
Song Changming focused his sight; seeing the characters were blurry, he brought the candle flame even closer.
The next moment, lines of characters emerged on the scroll, neatly arranged.
But they were still somewhat blurry.
Seeing this, Song Changming directly placed the entire scroll over an open flame in a large fire basin.
This had an immediate effect; not only did the characters become clear, but even the mountains and star rivers in the painting transformed!
They became vivid and expressive diagrams of human meridians.
Combining them with row upon row of ancient characters, they composed a complete set of Third Grade Martial Techniques!
"They sure knew how to hide..." Song Changming murmured.
If unaware of the need for fire to unveil this information, others possessing these two scrolls would rack their brains yet remain clueless about how to access the techniques.
It could only be said it’s just like imperial family products, fond of embellishing things.