Volume One: The Changshui County Handyman Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Great Sun Guiding Art

Zhong Zhengming felt a deep resonance with those words. When the Zhong family’s old patriarch was still alive, everyone treated him with the utmost deference. Even in Anxi Prefecture, the great and powerful had once associated with him as equals.

But after the old patriarch was schemed against and killed, after the Zhong family fell from grace, countless people began to close in on him, all of them eager to see him dead.

“The fish in a small pond always want to glimpse the world beyond,” the manor lord said after a pause. “Just like all of you, aren’t you staying here against your will? You’re simply trying every possible means to get out.”

That was true enough.

No matter how perilous the outside world might be, Lu Jiuzhang could not possibly remain here forever.

“Has no one really managed to leave this place all these years?” Lu Jiuzhang asked, steering the conversation to the heart of the matter.

“I’ve never heard of anyone getting out,” the manor lord replied. “Only that in the core of the ruins there stands an ancient tower a thousand zhang high. If one can pass through that tower, perhaps one may leave.”

“I once tried it myself, but that tower is far too terrifying. I could only make it to the ninth trial before I was completely unable to go any farther.”

“Perhaps there are other ways, but I do not know them. I imagine the difficulty would be no less.”

“What if someone’s cultivation reached a heaven-defying level, attaining first-rank martial mastery or even surpassing it, enough to shatter this entire space? Would that still not allow an escape?” Big Black Dog asked.

“Haha, that method is far too difficult,” the manor lord said, shaking his head. “To become a first-rank martial artist, let alone one beyond first rank, is probably impossible to achieve in a place like this.”

“A ruined relic has limited resources. It is hard for anyone to grow strong here.”

“Then what exactly is the origin of these ruins?” Lu Jiuzhang asked.

“I do not know much either. This place was likely called the Heaven-Treading Sect. The surviving records indicate that it was one of the most powerful sects of its age. Within the sect were several first-rank martial experts, and there were even rumors that the supreme sect master had gone beyond first rank and reached the peak of the martial path, becoming one of the strongest people in the world at that time.”

“What puzzles me is this: how could such a powerful sect be annihilated overnight, with every expert in the sect dead or wounded to the last?”

“Oh, right. We once estimated that the Heaven-Treading Sect must date back more than thirty thousand years!”

Hiss...

Everyone drew in a sharp breath.

More than thirty thousand years. What did that even mean?

Earlier, they had guessed that this place might be a thousand years old, perhaps even ten thousand. They had never imagined their estimate was still too conservative.

By the reckoning of twenty years to a generation, this sect had existed for at least fifteen hundred generations.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had only been founded a little over five hundred years ago.

A sect with a cultivator beyond first rank and several first-rank martial artists was absolutely not weaker than the Great Zhou Dynasty.

For a sect to be somewhat stronger than the imperial court of the present day was, to everyone present, simply inconceivable.

“There are some martial techniques and records stored in the pavilion. If you wish to learn more, feel free to take a look. I will later inform the guard to let you in,” the manor lord said. “If there is anything else you wish to know, you may also come to the manor and ask me.”

“Only one thing, though. If you truly cannot leave, would you be willing to join our Severing Sword Manor?”

“The Blazing Flame Sect is eyeing us hungrily and has long wanted to swallow us whole. If we had your help, our odds would surely improve.”

After saying so much, the manor lord of Severing Sword Manor was plainly trying to recruit the people before him.

A seventh-rank martial artist, an eighth-rank martial artist, a ninth-rank martial artist, and a ninth-rank demon being.

That kind of strength was by no means weak.

Especially that seventh-rank martial artist. If they could win him over, they would have one more source of confidence in resisting the Blazing Flame Sect.

“I’ll consider it. Manor Lord, please rest first. We’ll take our leave for now.”

Zhong Zhengming did not give an immediate answer. Instead, he led Lu Jiuzhang and the others away.

After leaving the manor, the group found themselves momentarily unsure of where to go.

“I’m exhausted, this divine beast is. Since the chance of getting out is slim anyway, why don’t we rest first and, once we’re full and refreshed, go have a look in the library pavilion?” Big Black Dog asked.

“You all rest first. I’ll go take a look,” Zhong Zhengming said in a low voice.

“I’ll go too,” Lu Jiuzhang echoed.

“I’m going with Young Master,” Steward Xue naturally supported Zhong Zhengming’s suggestion.

“Damn it, aren’t you all tired? It’s not like there’s any rush... Ninth Master, wait for me, and don’t walk so fast!”

Big Black Dog hurried after them.

The stronghold was not large, so they soon arrived at the library pavilion.

Everything here, from the stronghold itself to the pavilion, had been built by the people of Severing Sword Manor. The pavilion was not tall, only about three stories high. Each floor was roughly a zhang high, making the entire structure only about three zhang tall.

The first floor held various records and documents.

There were probably several hundred books arranged here. Zhong Zhengming casually opened one and found that most of its contents recorded conditions from the outside world.

It seemed these people had long since realized there was no hope of leaving, so they had recorded the world beyond. If their descendants ever had a chance to get out, perhaps those records would prove useful.

After browsing for quite a while, Zhong Zhengming finally came upon materials related to this place and began reading them carefully.

Lu Jiuzhang, meanwhile, went straight up to the second floor.

There were around a few dozen martial manuals stored here.

With abundant spiritual energy and an ancient ruin as the setting, it was only natural that these people had managed to acquire some good things.

Lu Jiuzhang pulled out one at random and discovered it was a cultivation method called the Great Sun Guiding Art.

The technique Lu Jiuzhang had originally practiced was one given by Zhou Cheng, called the Ninefold Chaos Art. Despite its imposing name, it was in truth nothing remarkable.

After being revised by the Kui Star Tower in his mind, the Ninefold Chaos Art had leapt to an entirely different level.

The difficulty of cultivation had increased, but its power had risen greatly as well.

That was precisely why, after so many years of cultivation, Zhou Cheng still was no match for Lu Jiuzhang.

If Zhou Cheng’s version of the Ninefold Chaos Art had a difficulty of ten and power of ten, then the corrected version Lu Jiuzhang practiced had a difficulty of one hundred and a power of one hundred.

Thus, Zhou Cheng had been left far behind by Lu Jiuzhang long ago.

Lu Jiuzhang only glanced through the Great Sun Guiding Art briefly before a circulation route for spiritual energy emerged in his mind of its own accord.

Then, within his consciousness, the Kui Star Tower began to continually refine and correct it.

The Great Sun Guiding Art grew more and more intricate, and the routes of circulation multiplied.

Lu Jiuzhang could barely control himself. He sat cross-legged in the pavilion and began cultivating on the spot.

With each inhale and exhale, the surrounding spiritual energy began to stir, surging toward Lu Jiuzhang in waves.

The spiritual energy within several hundred meters converged on him.

And it was not satisfied there. The range kept expanding until it reached five or six hundred meters, then seven or eight hundred, and finally about a thousand meters before slowly coming to a stop.

A vast torrent of spiritual energy was drawn into Lu Jiuzhang’s body.

Within his sea of consciousness, the Kui Star Tower flickered on and off, as though it too were drawing in and refining that spiritual energy.

At this moment, Lu Jiuzhang was like a whirlpool. All the spiritual energy was sucked into his body, then circulated through him, continuously cleansing his flesh and strengthening his frame.