Chapter 113: Bone Stele, a strange epiphany!

Fang Xu hesitated for a moment, then followed the steps of several mermen again, advancing several hundred meters; after turning a corner, the passage ahead seemed to have reached its end.

Several mermen stopped, all turning their heads to look at Fang Xu.

Roar!

One of the mermen let out a low roar, so Fang Xu moved forward a bit.

Squeezing past the mermen, Fang Xu came before six mermen, looked down through the passage's exit, and his face instantly showed a hint of shock!

The exit of this passage seemed to be in the middle of a cliff; about thirty to forty meters below the exit lay a not-too-large flat area, resembling a miniature plaza.

Around the plaza stood twelve huge stone pillars, each tied to a huge iron chain; the twelve iron chains extended to the center of the plaza, suspending a huge bone stele.

This is……

Seeing this, Fang Xu immediately recalled the information he had seen earlier in the legacy guide.

The guide recorded that at a certain point in the second stage of the legacy, this miraculous bone stele exists; martial artists with high comprehension can, through the dense patterns on the bone stele, actually gain some decent martial techniques and secret arts.

This time Fang Xu understood.

"What do you mean… what is pressing down under the bone stele?" Fang Xu seemed to somewhat understand, asking doubtfully.

The merman in front nodded, pointed his finger at the bone stele, then pointed at the twelve surrounding stone pillars, making a series of vague gestures.

"I can agree to your request, but I cannot guarantee success."

As Fang Xu was about to sit down, he suddenly heard Huang Qingzhou's voice from behind his back; he immediately turned around.

"Do you want me to help and rescue your people?"

Hearing this, the broken-horn merman waved his hands repeatedly, took down the bone on his head, pointed at the bone and made a continuous wiping motion?

Smack!

Another merman, whose horn was half broken, seeing this, slapped the head of the gesturing merman with a palm, striking it with a look of grievance, and quietly stepped aside.

Fang Xu was dazed.

What does this mean again?

Seeing that he seemed not to understand, the broken-horn merman grew a bit anxious, its huge hand continuously pointing at the bone on its head, making a pressing-down motion.

"You mean I can go down, but you cannot?"

Seeing that Fang Xu had landed safely, the several mermen all retreated.

Seeing this, Fang Xu had roughly imagined the rest.

Fang Xu…

The broken-horn merman quickly nodded, then pointed at Fang Xu, pointed downwards, then pointed at himself and his companions, then pointed downwards and waved his hand.

Having done that, it picked up the middle bone, placed it on its own head, slowly squatted down, its face full of pain.

Fang Xu frowned, also not knowing what it wanted to express.

Fang Xu turned his head to look at the mermen behind him and spoke.

These mermen had just helped me; now they have a request of me, so I naturally cannot refuse.

The broken-horn merman came before Fang Xu, picked up twelve stones from the ground, and arranged them in front of him according to the pattern of the plaza's twelve stone pillars.

Fang Xu stretched his head to look down at the plaza, his gaze fixed on the huge bone stele, and said with some difficulty: "That bone stele is too large; I don't know if I can move it."

Master Ku Lun?

Then he picked up an unknown bone from the passage entrance and placed it in the middle.

These mermen brought me here, wanting me to contemplate the bone stele?

"Do you want me to go down?"

That merman grinned, his expression full of praise, as if saying "Even a child can be taught."

"Roar roar……"

The broken-horn merman nodded again, meanwhile looking at Fang Xu with a pleading expression.

The broken-horn merman quickly nodded.

After arranging everything, it let out a low roar while looking at Fang Xu, as if asking, "Do you understand now?"

"Does this represent the stone pillars below and the bone stele?" Fang Xu spoke.

"Roar roar……" The broken-horn merman was very pleased, quickly nodding.

Seeing this, Fang Xu said: "Alright, I'll go down now; you all be careful."

Standing on the small plaza, Fang Xu looked around, seeing many martial artists casually sitting cross-legged in various spots, silently contemplating the patterns on the stone stele; he also dared not make much movement, preparing to casually find a place to sit.

Senior Brother Huang!?

Fang Xu looked at it, completely bewildered, unable to understand what it wanted to express.

After landing, he raised his head to look at the few heads extending from the passage entrance, and waved at them.

Huang Qingzhou turned his head and pursed his lips: "Lucky enough, I met Master Ku Lun and came along with him."

"Roar?"

After bidding farewell to the six mermen, Fang Xu stood at the passage entrance, looked at the not‑far stone pillars, lightly jumped, steadily landed on a stone pillar, then slid along the huge iron chain all the way to the bone stele, flipped, and landed in the lower plaza.

The broken-horn merman nodded.

With a look of surprise, he came before Huang Qingzhou and whispered: "Senior Brother Huang, how did you get here?"

"Is what's pressing down under the bone stele your people?"

Fang Xu turned his head to look at the thin old man sitting cross‑legged not far away—indeed the ascetic Ku Lun from Northern Border Liangzhou whom he had met on the street of Maple Forest Town that day.

Master.

Seeing Ku Lun also looking at him now, Fang Xu hastily clasped his hands in salute.

The bronze broken sword in his aperture space was precisely the gift Ku Lun gave him.

Ku Lun did not speak, merely smiling and nodding.

Fang Xu, seeing that, directly sat cross-legged beside Huang Qingzhou.

"Fang Xu, where is Yushan Tianyi?" Seeing only Fang Xu present, Huang Qingzhou felt a bit curious.

Fang Xu shook his head and said: "After the terrain changed, we encountered an attack by the Yanshen Sect's followers and got separated."

Having personally seen Yushan Tianyi being taken away by that minor leader of the Yanshen Sect, Fang Xu guessed her fate would not be good.

"It's good that we got separated, it's good that we got separated!"

Huang Qingzhou, face lit with joy, pointed at the huge bone stele before him and said: "Your martial arts talent is not bad; study it well. After you gain something, we will leave the ruins, taking Miss Chu and Miss Lu directly to Central Province."

Maple Forest Town is too chaotic.

Whether it's the Yanshen Sect, Yushan Tianyi, or Assistant Su and his people, in Huang Qingzhou's view, none are something Fang Xu can handle.

For now, the plan is to hurry to Central Province.

As long as they reach Central Province, see their own master, and have the master step in to protect them, at least safety concerns need not be worried about.

Fang Xu heard this and nodded.

Having personally witnessed the strange power displayed after those Yanshen Sect people took the so-called God's Blood, he knew the Yanshen Sect was far more complicated than it appeared on the surface.

The other side was obviously targeting him.

If he continued to stay in Maple Forest Town, something would eventually happen.

It is already late July, with more than four months left until the entrance examination of the Ascension Society; rushing to Central Province now is about right.

"Hurry up and study it well, I heard that just yesterday someone gained a suspected third-grade martial technique from the bone stele!" Huang Qingzhou spoke.

Fang Xu frowned, third-grade martial technique?

Is that person an idiot, to have comprehended a third-grade martial technique and then flaunt it?

You should know that ordinary martial practitioners can only train up to seventh- or eighth-grade techniques; those with a bit of influence might possibly get access to sixth-grade techniques.

As for techniques above fifth grade, only core disciples of major powers or martial venerable experts can train them; for example, the Lu family's Cloud Wave Strength, though only fifth grade, can serve as a foundation.

Third-grade martial techniques, Fang Xu felt that even if placed in the entire Great Yu Dynasty, probably only the royal family could possess them.

Buzz!

While Fang Xu was wondering, the bone stele before him suddenly emitted a slight tremor, and then the twelve iron chains hanging from the bone stele made a soft clattering sound.

Suddenly, a faint blue light shot up from the huge bone stele; after the blue light appeared, it flew straight toward a tall purple-clad woman not far to Fang Xu's left.

The blue light entered her body; the tall purple-clad woman's face showed a hint of a smile, and she quickly rose and walked toward the nearby exit beside her.

In the square, some ill-intentioned people, seeing this, all quietly followed after her.

"Did you see that? That woman comprehended a sixth-grade martial technique." Huang Qingzhou whispered: "It is said that martial techniques of different grades have different colors; first and second grade have not yet been comprehended by anyone, so we don't know for now."

"Third and fourth grade are red, fifth and sixth grade are blue, seventh and eighth grade are green, and ninth grade and unorthodox martial techniques are white."

Fang Xu suddenly realized, that's how it is.

Since there is such an obvious characteristic, if one lacks strength, truly comprehending something good is not necessarily a good thing.

An innocent man is blameless, but to hold a jade is to invite guilt.

That woman just now had only comprehended a sixth-grade martial technique, yet many people in the square already coveted it and followed after her.

If she had comprehended a fourth- or third-grade technique, I suspect even those old martial venerable masters would not be able to resist being tempted.

Never mind, let's first try to comprehend it.

Suppressing the thoughts in his heart, Fang Xu immediately focused his gaze on the huge bone stele before him.

This bone stele is about three zhang tall; I don't know what creature's bones it is, its whole body is snow-white like jade, emitting a faint fluorescence; the surface of the bone stele is densely covered with many strange patterns, looking……

Staring at the patterns on the bone stele, Fang Xu felt them increasingly familiar.

These patterns…… Flame Spirit True Explanation stone tablet!?

Fang Xu suddenly realized that the patterns on the bone stele before his eyes were exactly the same as the stone tablet Lu Zhiyuan had previously given him!

However, the patterns on the bone stele are more numerous and carry an indescribable charm.

It would be great if we could bring Mu along.

Thinking back to when Chu Mu merely glanced at the stone tablet and completely comprehended the Flame Spirit True Explanation technique from it, Fang Xu felt that if we brought Chu Mu to the bone stele, she would certainly be able to comprehend something even greater.

When the opportunity arises in the future, we must bring Mu along for a trip!

Having this thought arise in his mind, Fang Xu immediately discarded distractions and began to contemplate.

Buzz!

Buzz!

The patterns on the bone stele entered his view, and Fang Xu suddenly sensed a faint tremor coming from his chest.

Immediately after, a scorching sensation appeared, as if someone had shoved a red-hot branding iron into his embrace!

He wanted to reach out to grab it, but suddenly discovered his body could not move!

The scorching feeling in his chest grew stronger and stronger; Fang Xu clearly felt his clothes had been burned through, and that "branding iron" was searing his skin!

Pain!

Piercing heart pain!

He could feel the "branding iron" in his chest melting, turning into scorching iron water that was drilling into his chest!

Thereafter, that extraordinarily hot iron water flowed along his meridians and blood vessels, slowly toward his limbs and bones!

As the iron water flowed, Fang Xu felt that every one of his meridians was being scorched!

This torture made him want to shout loudly, but he simply could not open his mouth.

The speed of the iron water's flow was very slow, spreading from his chest outward to his abdomen, shoulders, limbs, hands and feet, head……

Not knowing how long had passed, Fang Xu felt he was like Sun Wukong being refined in Laozi's Eight Trigrams Furnace, every cell of his body enduring high-temperature smelting!

The outside world.

Huang Qingzhou had originally been observing the bone stele, preparing to comprehend something, when he suddenly noticed that Fang Xu nearby seemed off.

In his eyes, Fang Xu's eyes were tightly shut, his brows furrowed, his whole body slightly trembling, looking extremely painful.

Huang Qingzhou was somewhat worried, preparing to call out to wake him.

But unknown when, Ku Lun had already come to his side and stopped him.

"Master Ku Lun, what's wrong with him?" Huang Qingzhou said.

Ku Lun's eyes flashed with light, smiling with a deep meaning: "Through hardship tempering, enduring this calamity, little friend Fang's future is limitless."

Huang Qingzhou didn't understand, and could only silently watch Fang Xu's body gradually turn red, like a fully cooked shrimp.

Time passed bit by bit; within the ruins there was no day or night, Huang Qingzhou merely estimated by feeling that Fang Xu had been in this state for at least over ten days.

During these over ten days, he had maintained this posture without the slightest movement.

If it weren't for being able to sense his faint breathing, Huang Qingzhou would truly worry that he had just passed away in meditation.

That day, Huang Qingzhou awoke from his comprehension, instinctively turned his head to glance at Fang Xu, only to horrifyingly discover that Fang Xu's blood qi was depleting at a terrifying speed!

"Master Ku Lun!"

Huang Qingzhou shouted in alarm, Ku Lun slowly opened his eyes; when his gaze fell on Fang Xu, a hint of solemnity appeared on his face.

For a martial artist, blood qi is fundamental.

At this moment, Fang Xu's blood qi was draining at a visible speed; if this continued, it wouldn't be long before his blood qi was completely exhausted.

By then, even if an immortal came, it would be hard to save him!

"Master, quickly wake him up!" Huang Qingzhou said.

Ku Lun's eyes flashed with light, staring intently at Fang Xu.

"No need."

Practicing the path of austerity, Ku Lun could clearly sense that although Fang Xu's blood qi was rapidly declining, his spiritual power remained vigorous.

In Ku Lun's view, this situation shared a wonderful similarity with the path of austerity.

"But..." Huang Qingzhou couldn't perceive these things; he only felt that Fang Xu's blood qi was nearly exhausted, and if it continued, there would be death, no survival.

Just as he hesitated whether to wake Fang Xu——

Hum!

The bone stele before him suddenly trembled slightly, then——

Clatter!

Clatter!

The twelve chains connected to the bone stele rang, and the bone stele emitting a fluorescent glow suddenly burst forth a beam of white light, directly enveloping Fang Xu.

The movement of the bone stele immediately drew the attention of the other martial artists in the square.

But seeing that the bone stele emitted only white light, all the martial artists instantly lost interest.

Aside from Fang Xu, any martial artist able to come here had a cultivation no lower than the seventh realm of Martial Master.

Martial techniques, cultivation methods, secret arts below the seventh rank basically had little appeal.

Many martial artists glanced at Fang Xu, preparing to continue contemplating the bone stele, when someone unexpectedly discovered that the bone stele had been continuously pouring white light onto Fang Xu.

Moreover, as time passed, this white light actually became increasingly dense!

Such a strange sight naturally drew the attention of some people.

They really wanted to know what Fang Xu had actually comprehended.

Beside Fang Xu, Huang Qingzhou and Ku Lun watched this astonishing sight, neither daring to speak.

Having interacted with Fang Xu for a long time, Huang Qingzhou knew his martial talent was strong; he didn't believe Fang Xu could only comprehend a ninth-rank martial technique from the bone stele.

As a martial arts expert comparable to an elder of the Ascension Immortal Association, Ku Lun could perceive things far more than Huang Qingzhou could.

At this moment, in his eyes, Fang Xu was like a rotting piece of dead wood, yet contained endless vitality.

Moreover, Ku Lun also sensed within Fang Xu's body a terrifying blood qi power that seemed to be sealed!

Once this blood qi power erupts……

Just as Ku Lun thought of this, Fang Xu's body before him actually burst forth a terrifying blood qi power!

This blood qi power was extremely terrifying; at the moment of eruption, it directly formed a blood-colored shell on Fang Xu's surface, quickly enveloping his body!

At the same time, the color of the light pillar connecting the bone stele to him also gradually changed!

Within the extreme white light, a faint hint of green began to appear gradually.

"It changed color!"

"Green!"

"Is this eighth rank?"

"Really strange; after so long, this is the first time I've seen someone's comprehended martial technique able to upgrade."

"Who is this kid?"

"I don't know, but the two beside him are both extraordinary figures!"

"That's Master Ku Lun, and the other young man seems to be a disciple of Steward Xu from the Ascension Immortal Association……"

The square wasn't large; the commotion from Fang Xu's side instantly drew everyone's attention, and the martial artists present no longer had the mood to contemplate the bone stele, all staring eagerly at Fang Xu, wanting to see what he had actually comprehended.

On Fang Xu's side, his body endured an indescribable smelting, causing his blood qi power to be rapidly consumed.

Just as his own blood qi power was about to be exhausted, the divine attendant hidden within his body finally stirred.

Earlier, using the Yin Yang Mysterious Classic, he had absorbed nearly ninety percent of Yu Shan Tianyi's cultivation and blood qi power.

But later, when facing pursuit from the Divine Expansion Sect, he hadn't had time to refine that blood qi power, so he directly let the divine attendant devour it.

Now, the divine attendant sensed the crisis and immediately released those blood qi powers.

With the supply of ninety percent blood qi power from a third-realm Martial Lord cultivator, Fang Xu's own consumed blood qi was quickly replenished, and moreover, the blood qi power continuously released by the divine attendant exactly offset this consumption.

Maintaining the fullness of his blood qi, although Fang Xu kept his eyes closed, the patterns on the bone stele before him could still easily be reflected in his sea of consciousness.

At this moment, he finally saw the playful text that Chu Mu spoke of.

The complex patterns, like individual earthworms, slowly twisted and gradually transformed into characters that Fang Xu could read and understand.

These characters, accompanied by a strange artistic conception, were infused bit by bit into his mind.

Outside, the light pillar connecting to Fang Xu had now completely turned pale green.

Seeing this, all the martial artists were astonished.

"Have you noticed that the light pillar's color is gradually deepening?" a martial artist said.

A martial artist spoke.

Other martial artists, upon closer look, noticed that the originally light green light pillar was actually turning dark green.

This meant that what Fang Xu had comprehended was transforming from eighth rank to seventh rank.

"How strange, will the light pillar turn blue later?" a martial artist murmured.

The Bone Stele seemed to have understood his words; after the light pillar's color changed from light green to dark green, a faint blue suddenly burst forth in the middle!

Seeing this, everyone could no longer remain calm!

Sixth rank!

The appearance of blue signified that whatever Fang Xu had comprehended—whether martial technique or cultivation secret—had reached sixth rank!

If it were a sixth-rank martial technique, that would be fine; most martial artists who could come here possessed sixth-rank martial techniques, but if it were a cultivation secret, it would be different.

Even at sixth rank, cultivation secrets and techniques are far rarer than martial techniques.

Watching the light blue in the pillar grow denser, many martial artists' eyes showed greed, but when they glanced at Ku Lun and Huang Qingzhou beside Fang Xu, that greed instantly vanished.

Ku Lun's strength, plus the prestige of the Ascendant Immortal Society, made them dare not harbor any other thoughts.

(End of chapter)