"I didn't expect this to be the first thing I'd find."
After subduing the Fire Kirin, one of Daniel Davis's shadow clones returned with news of a discovery. However, it wasn't the Blood Bodhi, the Ao Han Six Techniques, or anything else Daniel specifically wanted. Instead, they had stumbled upon the Dragon Vein and what was believed to be the remains of the legendary Emperor Xuanyuan.
"Greetings, Ancestor."
Whether or not these remains truly belonged to Emperor Xuanyuan, no one could be certain. But one thing was clear—they were undoubtedly the remains of a great predecessor of humanity. With a solemn expression, Daniel bowed respectfully before the ancient skeleton.
Only after paying his respects did he turn his attention to the Dragon Vein, which resembled an unremarkable bone fragment lying beside the skeleton. At first glance, it appeared ordinary. Even holding it in his hands, Daniel felt nothing special. But the moment he injected energy into it, he immediately sensed a mysterious and extraordinary power emanating from within.
"The Dragon Vein seems capable of suppressing Nie Feng's berserk state." Holding the Dragon Vein, Daniel remembered one of its notable uses. His gaze then shifted to a golden sword resting near the skeleton. Although some legends claimed it was the Xuanyuan Sword, Daniel immediately realized it wasn't the famous blade—at least not the one he knew from other sources. Nevertheless, the moment his hand touched the sword's hilt, he could feel it was still an extraordinary weapon.
"Leaving the Dragon Vein in this place isn't really protecting it."
Though the Dragon Vein and the golden sword were rare treasures, Daniel had no intention of taking them. If it had been something else, he wouldn't have hesitated. But removing the Dragon Vein might cause serious complications.
After examining the mysterious power of the Dragon Vein and glancing once more at the skeleton and golden sword, Daniel placed the Dragon Vein back beside the sword. Then, pressing his hands together, he activated his Earth Release jutsu.
"If these things are meant to be unreachable, then they should be hidden where no one can find them." With this thought in mind, Daniel used his Earth Release technique to sink the Dragon Vein, skeleton, and golden sword nearly two thousand meters beneath the surface. This way, no one seeking the Dragon Vein would even think to look there.
"This place is really tough."
After burying the treasures deep underground, Daniel took several deep breaths to recover. The rock formations in Lingyun Cave were incredibly solid, making the use of Earth Release far more energy-intensive than usual. The deeper he dug, the greater the energy consumption.
"Better reinforce it a bit."
After resting for a while, Daniel used Earth Release again to further solidify the surrounding rock layers. Earth Release techniques not only allow for transforming soil into rock but also reinforce existing rock to make it even sturdier.
"Let's see anyone try to get their hands on the Dragon Vein now. Not even Xiao Sanxiao would anticipate something like this."
With the Dragon Vein buried so deeply, anyone searching Lingyun Cave, even if they turned the entire place upside down, would never find it. If they knew what Daniel had done, they'd probably be furious enough to die from sheer frustration.
"Finally found it."
With the help of his shadow clones, Daniel eventually located what he had been searching for: the Blood Bodhi, the Xueyin Mad Blade, the Ao Han Six Techniques, and Wu Wudi's Xuanwu True Power.
Wu Wudi was a martial arts genius, so much so that even the thousand-year-old Empyrean Deva lost to him. While this was partly due to Empyrean Deva's weaker martial talent, it also highlighted Wu Wudi's extraordinary abilities.
That said, Empyrean Deva's "weaker talent" was relative. Compared to ordinary people, Empyrean Deva was far from untalented. His self-created Sacred Heart Technique was also a peerless skill. Though it might not match the combat effectiveness of the Xuanwu True Power, it far surpassed it in uniqueness.
To create the Sacred Heart Technique on his own was already proof of incredible talent. If that's considered "mediocre," what does true talent look like?
In Daniel's opinion, the so-called "thousand-year power" of Empyrean Deva was greatly exaggerated. While he might have immense power, it was unlikely to truly span a millennium. Strength does not necessarily correlate with longevity. If that were the case, there'd be no need for martial arts battles; people could simply compete by age.
Take the Ancient One from Marvel, for example. Her age was nowhere near Odin's, not even a fraction of it, yet Odin had no way to defeat her in combat.
Similarly, a low-ranking disciple in Tian Xia Hui practicing for one year could never compare to a year's worth of training for someone like Bu Jingyun or Nie Feng. In fact, even a single day of training for someone like Bu Jingyun would yield greater results than years of effort from a common disciple.
Bu Jingyun's progress was evident. In earlier stages, he couldn't break the Time-Sealed Stone even with the Peerless Sword. Later, without the sword, he shattered it with a single palm strike. That's growth.
By the later stages of Wind and Cloud, either Wind or Cloud could easily defeat Empyrean Deva in a one-on-one fight.
"So this is the Xuanwu True Power? Wu Wudi really was incredible. This technique is astonishingly powerful."
Naturally, the first technique Daniel practiced was the Xuanwu True Power. Once he started, he immediately recognized its immense strength. No wonder it allowed Wu Wudi to defeat Empyrean Deva—it was worthy of being one of the Ten Supreme Martial Arts.
The Xuanwu True Power is divided into external and internal techniques.
The external techniques represent the Ten Supreme Martial Arts, encompassing swords, spears, sabers, halberds, staffs, fists, palms, legs, claws, and finger techniques. Mastering even one of these is enough to secure a place in the martial arts world.
Of course, this is only true in theory. In practice, a person's true strength still depends on the depth of their inner power. When inner power is limited, external aids like special pills—such as the Real Man Pill, Immortal Gathering Pill, or the Blood Bodhi—become valuable. At the pinnacle are items like Phoenix Blood and Dragon Essence.
"So this is the Xueyin Mad Blade. Impressive, indeed."
The Xueyin Mad Blade is a weapon comparable to the Shuihan Sword, though its grade is undeniably higher. Even more remarkable is that the Xueyin Blade doesn't emit cold when inactive. Only when infused with inner power does it unleash its chilling, bone-piercing frost.
The blade brings snow with every swing, killing without spilling blood. That's the Xueyin Mad Blade.
"Ao Han Six Techniques."
Swinging the Xueyin Blade, Daniel slashed forward into the tunnel. With frost spreading out, the next few dozen meters instantly turned into an ice-blue wonderland—this from just a single probing strike.
"With this kind of power, armies are useless. No wonder martial supremacy holds so little authority here."
To gauge the power level of martial arts in a world, one must first see if it can counter armies. In Wind and Cloud, there is no shortage of martial artists capable of fighting armies.
When Nameless first confronted Absolute Godless, he held off both Godless and his 5,000 elite soldiers alone. Those soldiers weren't ordinary men but carefully selected experts, yet Nameless stopped them all by himself.
The TV adaptation of Wind and Cloud fails to convey the true might of its martial arts, much like how Marvel movies can't fully capture Thanos's original power.
"I really do prefer the Ao Han Six Techniques."
While the Ten Supreme Martial Arts include excellent saber techniques, Daniel still preferred the Ao Han Six Techniques. Among all the amazing skills in Wind and Cloud, he remained particularly interested in the Frost Fist, Cloud-Palm, and Wind God Leg techniques.
The only disappointment was that the Blood Bodhi had no noticeable effect on him. Its healing properties were unclear, and its ability to boost power didn't seem to work on him. The only thing he could appreciate was its flavor—it tasted delicious.
"Time to leave."
After spending several days in Lingyun Cave, Daniel decided it was time to leave. Having obtained everything he wanted, there was no reason to stay. He would leave the cave to the Fire Kirin.
"Keep up the good work. I'll come back for more Blood Bodhi next time." After freeing the Fire Kirin, Daniel patted its scales and smiled. His seemingly kind smile made the Fire Kirin instinctively retreat in fear.
During his time in Lingyun Cave, Daniel had not only trained but also studied the Fire Kirin, collecting a fair amount of its blood, scales, and fur. The creature was now genuinely terrified of this strange human.
"Finally out." Standing at the entrance of Lingyun Cave, Daniel looked up at the clouds in the sky and took a deep breath. Before leaving, he had destroyed the Ao Han Six Techniques manual and the Xuanwu True Power manual. Even if someone were fortunate enough to enter the cave, they'd only find the Blood Bodhi.
As Daniel was preparing to leave, he noticed a handsome young man with a red sword sheath staring at him intently from his left.
After sizing up the youth, Daniel slung the Xueyin Blade over his shoulder and began to walk away. While he could have stored the blade in his spatial ring, he decided to follow the customs of the martial arts world and carry his weapon openly. Since the
Xueyin Blade had no sheath, he had crafted one using alchemy.
Just as Daniel turned to leave, the young man suddenly called out in an arrogant tone, "Stop right there."
"Are you talking to me?" Daniel halted and turned to look at the youth.
"You just came out of Lingyun Cave." The young man's voice was cold and demanding.
"Why should I tell you?" Daniel's response was equally unyielding.
"Speak, or die." As the young man spoke, his sword suddenly left its sheath, sending a flash of crimson light through the air. The surrounding atmosphere grew noticeably hotter.
"That's a fine sword," Daniel remarked, not as a compliment but as an honest observation. A weapon capable of raising the surrounding temperature just by being unsheathed was far from ordinary.
"The Fire Kirin Sword doesn't draw blood in vain. If you don't want to die, tell me how you entered and exited Lingyun Cave."
"The Fire Kirin Sword… You must be Duanlang." Upon hearing the sword's name, Daniel immediately recognized the young man before him. A smile appeared on Daniel's face as he looked at Duanlang.
In Wind and Cloud, Duanlang was undoubtedly a skilled martial artist. However, the unfortunate setting of the story made him a perpetual victim. Even after his rise to power, it didn't last long before he was defeated again.
In the end, Duanlang's tragic fate was his own doing. His thirst for power and ambition drove him to betray and even attempt to kill Nie Feng.
"So, this is the true Fire Kirin Sword. It's far more impressive than how it was portrayed on TV." The blade, entirely crimson, radiated a faint, eerie heat. Near the hilt, a Fire Kirin scale was embedded, adding to its ominous aura.
"I wonder where Xiao Sanxiao ended up putting the Black Tortoise Shell." Seeing the Fire Kirin scale on the sword made Daniel ponder the whereabouts of the Black Tortoise Shell. If the Fire Kirin scale was this powerful, the Black Tortoise Shell must be equally extraordinary.
"You're courting death!" Seeing Daniel smile after recognizing him, Duanlang assumed he was being mocked. With a flick of his wrist, the Fire Kirin Sword erupted into intense crimson flames, sending countless fiery sword shadows toward Daniel.
This single strike showcased Duanlang's formidable skills—his Sun-Eclipsing Sword Technique was no empty boast.
"This world sure places a lot of importance on weapons," Daniel mused as he observed the incoming attack. While Duanlang's technique was impressive, it relied heavily on the Fire Kirin Sword. The ancestors of the Broken Sword Clan, for instance, owed much of their fame to the weapon rather than their own skill.
Similarly, the Ao Han Six Techniques required the Xueyin Mad Blade to reach their full potential. Even Nameless, the so-called Martial Arts Legend, benefited greatly from the Hero Sword when performing his Nameless Sword Technique.
During his days in Lingyun Cave, Daniel had reviewed much of what he knew about Wind and Cloud's martial arts. He noticed a recurring pattern: while these techniques were undeniably powerful, many came with side effects. Even the Xuanwu True Power was no exception.
Duanlang himself was a prime example. While his character traits played a role in his downfall, the Fire Kirin Sword's malevolent aura also contributed to his changes.
As Duanlang's fiery sword shadows closed in, Daniel's right hand moved. The Xueyin Mad Blade cut through the air in a brilliant blue arc. With a loud clang, the two weapons collided. The Xueyin Blade's icy aura suppressed the flames of the Fire Kirin Sword, neutralizing the scorching energy transmitted through the blade.
Of course, the Fire Kirin Sword's heat also countered the Xueyin Blade's chilling aura.
"The Xueyin Mad Blade."
Unlike Daniel, who needed an introduction to identify the Fire Kirin Sword, Duanlang immediately recognized the Xueyin Blade.
"That's right," Daniel said with a slight nod. His earlier strike had been intentionally restrained. He could have ended the fight in a single blow but chose not to.
The reason for his restraint was simple: he wasn't sure whether or not to kill Duanlang. Encountering him so suddenly had caught Daniel off guard, leaving him momentarily uncertain.
"Almost forgot about the Peerless Sword," Daniel thought, suddenly alarmed. According to the information he had gathered, the Peerless Sword had not yet been forged. If Duanlang died now, the Peerless Sword might never come to exist.
The Peerless Sword required the Sword Hearts of Greed, Lust, and Attachment to be created. Duanlang embodied the Sword Heart of Attachment. Killing him would make it extremely difficult to find someone to replace him.
The Peerless Sword was crucial for Bu Jingyun. Since Daniel had entered this world, he intended to deviate from the original storyline—Empyrean Deva, for instance, was undoubtedly doomed. However, he didn't want to disrupt key elements that were vital to Wind and Cloud. The Peerless Sword was one such element, deeply tied to Bu Jingyun's growth.
"Looks like you're lucky this time."
------------------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get early access to chapters by joining my Patre@n!
Find me at: patre@n*com/Mutter
You can read each novel for $5 or get them all for just $15.
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]