Chapter 911: The True Wu Dao Path, Eighteen Martial Schools

Dagukou is a commercial port open to the sea, just half a day's journey from the capital, and thus thrives in all trades.

Just the martial arts schools stretch from Dongda Street all the way to Beiguan, not counting the performers and itinerant fighters beneath Tianqiao…

All sects and streams, every fist and foot technique from the north, has planted its banner in Dagukou; anyone who makes a name here is inevitably a master of some unique skill.

From east to west along Hebei Street, there are eighteen martial arts schools: Dongda Street Wu Ji Sister Guan, Primordial Taiji Men, Hebei Hui Sister Guan, Chuojiao Men, Xinyi Men, Baguazhang, Jingye An…

Before the two martial disciples, their foreheads marked with blood talismans, could stagger back to their senses, news of the incident at Luomiao outside the city had already reached the martial community.

Since all eighteen schools lined two streets, the news spread from one end to the other.

Hebei Hui Sister Guan was originally established by merchants from Hebei, who donated funds to provide free lodging and meals for fellow provincials—scholars and traders alike. Later, because the donor He Chang rescued the destitute, traveling martial artists flocked to stay there. And since Hebei was the homeland of martial arts, after Dagukou opened as a port, countless martial artists had passed through seeking their fortune.

They left their fist and weapon styles behind in the lodge, turning what was once a desperate refuge for wanderers into a famed martial arts school!

Especially its master, He Chang, who entered martial arts through Xinyi Quan, mastered twelve styles including Tongbi, Bagua, and Chuojiao, and could rightly be called a grandmaster of martial learning.

He Chang lifted his teacup, brushed off the foam, sipped, then set it down: "It's said a strong dragon doesn't suppress local snakes—even if the old founder of All Xuanzhen Jiao came here, he'd still need to greet his fellow martial masters, spar three rounds with them, before they'd yield Luomiao outside the city."

"All Xuanzhen Jiao, in plain terms, is merely a fringe sect that picked up scraps from the Paper Man Dao, Incense Dao, Fu-Luan Dao, and Mingzun Dao. They claim to revere the Dao of Xiao Xie Xuan Jun and Mingzun from the Twelve Celestial Lords, but they've never received true transmission. Their secret scriptures are patched-together fragments—where's their own original doctrine?"

He Chang sneered: "Not even close to our True Wu Dao Path!"

"At least our True Wu Dao Path was passed down by the Three Creators, bestowed directly by the True Wu Emperor, and has produced several Earth Immortals—just one step away from ascension!"

"In Dagukou's three teachings and nine streams, there's no room for All Xuanzhen Jiao to plant its banner…"

The martial disciple who brought the news bowed deeply, cautiously saying: "Master, the All Xuanzhen Jiao leader's magic is sinister! Two of our scouts had blood talismans drawn on their foreheads and lost their minds—they're coming this way now…"

"Magic…"

He Chang blew on his teacup and smiled: "Magic? It's all secret! All magic in this world comes from demons and devils. This stage is called 'harvesting herbs.' While the orthodox three teachings ascend to gather spiritual herbs and refine great elixirs, our scattered paths all risk stealing 'true herbs' from demons and devils, then refining them within our bodies—naturally granting extraordinary abilities."

"The magic of fringe sects and our martial arts converge at this point—both revere the 'secret.' There are three secrets: oral, bodily, and mental. When united, they open the Mystic Gate and enter the true path of cultivation."

"For martial artists, the oral secret is the technique's incantation, the bodily secret is the stance training, and the mental secret is visualization."

"At that stage, when the three secrets unite and the great herb is swallowed, one achieves Secret Martial Arts…"

He Chang parted the hair beside his ear and revealed another ear nestled inside—layered, nested, two ears fused together.

He tugged his ear; all four ears moved at once, making his disciple stumble back three steps in terror.

He laughed heartily: "What are you afraid of? This is the 'Four Ears' body anomaly, achieved after perfecting the Great Sage's Armor Fist and absorbing the great herb 'Mi Shen.'"

The four ears moved together, capturing every sound within a ten-li radius.

He Chang sat calmly in the main hall, listening as the unsteady footsteps halted at the door of Wu Ji Sister Guan next door.

He knew Wu Ji Sister Guan was a Daoist branch of the Three Teachings that worshipped the Three Creators; its practice combined the Golden Yang Fist, the Golden Rooster Crowing at Sunrise visualization, and the Golden Rooster Standing on One Leg stance—united, they could absorb the great herb 'Su Ri Jing' and cultivate the qi anomaly—Golden Yang Sword Qi.

In origin, their foundation was even deeper than his own.

Though he had mastered a hundred styles and accumulated five body anomalies, he was only one step away from completing the Six Roots, achieving divine martial mastery.

But in purity, He Chang feared he was no match for the master of the neighboring Wu Ji Sister Guan.

At that moment, a thud echoed from next door—the sound of a human body crashing onto stone. In a single glance, the blazing Golden Yang Sword Qi in his spiritual sense shattered completely; the Wu Ji Sister Guan master collapsed, unconscious, his disciples crying out in panic, too terrified to move.

The stumbling figure spoke in a rhythmic, unnatural tone: "Our sect master says: We give you this magic—let you judge its worth. Where our master goes, no one dares defy him."

"If you can't face our master, best step aside! If you think you can, take this blood talisman and try…"

With that, the two men walked out of Wu Ji Sister Guan.

At that moment, Master Jing of Jingye An entered Hebei Hui Sister Guan, hurried to the main hall, and swept back his robe's hem: "Master He!"

"These visitors mean trouble!"

He Chang frowned: "What realm is the All Xuanzhen Jiao leader in? A single talisman felled Master Zhao of Wu Ji Sister Guan?"

"One step beyond is apprentice, two steps through the door is guest, three steps into the courtyard observe the moon, four steps to the hall pay homage to officials… likely the Fourth Realm."

He Chang's eyes widened, then he chuckled bitterly: "Martial mastery to divinity reaches only three realms! Perfecting the three secrets is the First, gaining the great herb and manifesting anomalies is the Second, magic reaching divinity is the Third—only Divine Martial Fusion is the Fourth. We've barely crossed the threshold of Secret Martial Arts—how did we draw the attention of a Dan Realm master? This All Xuanzhen Jiao leader is utterly unreasonable!"

Master Jing shook his head and sighed: "The former All Xuanzhen Jiao leader was a man of rules. How did this new one become so… this way?"

"Martial skill—two characters: one horizontal, one vertical!"

Outside the door came that same eerie, rhythmic tone—as if a yellow weasel had possessed the speaker. Two disciples with blood talismans on their foreheads suddenly shoved the door open; the thick wooden bolt shattered under their force.

The other disciple, his forehead marked with the blood talisman, rolled his eyes in a grotesque, unnatural circle, taking in everyone in the room.

He grinned: "Want to talk rules? First, stay alive! Dead men know no rules…"

Master Jing leaned close to He Chang and whispered: "I don't recognize that talisman—it's not ordinary incense Dao. But the blood on it smells foul—must be the blood of an ancient yellow weasel demon!"

"A hundred-year-old yellow weasel can refine the great herb 'Bai Li Xiang'—that's low-grade Jianghu magic. After using it, the body emits a stench that induces hallucinations. Once, a lone fighter in Dagukou used this Secret Martial Art to prey on many girls; we martial community Lianshou crushed him and drowned him in the sea!"

He Chang murmured: "All transformations return to the same root—this talisman is likely an illusion."

As he spoke, his vision blurred—a handsome youth, expression casual and cold, appeared before them, calmly asking: "What do you think I resemble?"

The youth was profoundly sinister; since appearing, their gaze could not leave him, drawn into a vast black hole, their spirits entirely seized.

Then his long robe gradually transformed into a sacred imperial robe; in his hand, a long sword unsheathed, hanging slightly downward, pointing remotely—and it severed all courage and spirit within He Chang.

He Chang collapsed to his knees.

"So you think I resemble the True Wu Emperor," Brother Qian Chen said calmly. "Not an exaggeration…"

Master Jing stared, feeling his essence and spirit being drained into the youth—his sword art, his martial path, everything stemmed from that figure.

Brother Qian Chen nodded again: "So you think I resemble your master? You're mistaken—he can't even carry my shoes."

"The Spell of Calling the Divine Name!"

He Chang broke into a cold sweat. In the wild, yellow weasels call out names, asking the same question, to harvest the great herb from humans and forge demonic magic. But he never imagined such a calling spell could be used like this?

"It seems none of you can shatter the gods in your hearts—let alone dare attack me!" Brother Qian Chen said coolly. "This magic—you cannot withstand it. From now on, when you see me, treat me as a god. Worship me as you worship a god. Leave."

With a cold snort, both He Chang and Master Jing collapsed to the floor.

Brother Qian Chen's spiritual essence returned to the blood talisman and moved on to the next martial school.

He Chang and Master Jing took a long time to rise. By then, the two disciples had passed twelve martial schools—no one had shattered the gods in their hearts. He Chang slumped in his chair when a creak sounded—the broken door opened, and Master Zhao of Wu Ji Sister Guan, bent and aged, shuffled in.

Seeing the two men slumped in chairs, his face, now deeply wrinkled, twisted into a bitter smile.

"The All Xuanzhen Jiao leader will sweep through Dagukou's three teachings and nine streams—we eighteen schools can't stop him. When the sky falls, tall men must hold it up. We True Wu Dao Path are merely rough men with minor anomalies—let the Daoists handle this!"

"What temples, nuns, monks, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, the Six Gates? We just teach a few fist styles to earn our meals—why be the first to stand up?"

He Chang hesitated, then finally gathered a sliver of courage: "Master Zhao—what did you see? How did your Golden Yang Sword Qi shatter so easily?"

Master Zhao smiled bitterly: "I looked up—and saw Mingzun watching me. How could I hold my sword?"

He sighed: "The Spell of Calling the Divine Name—called forth Mingzun! This All Xuanzhen Jiao leader is audacious beyond measure—even Fu-Luan spirit-invocation never dares summon deities of the Three Creators' caliber!"