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墨書 Inktalez
After Randal reported the anomalies of the Bagua Mountain Range to the Sect, Kalan Saint merely instructed the messenger to relay a message, urging him to focus on the martial arts tournament and not to worry about other matters. Kalan Saint immediately confirmed Fang Lin Kong's identity and sent him a letter. To Fang Lin Kong's surprise, the content was nothing more than ordinary pleasantries, yet it was written entirely in pure Chinese characters. The Gouli Continent naturally had a culture distinct from Earth, and the Lihan Empire had not unified its written language; there were hundreds of official and unofficial languages. Usually, Fang Lin Kong and others from Earth would communicate by finding an ordinary person to search their memories and copy down what they needed, thus learning one or several languages. Now, discovering that someone understood Earth's language, especially Chinese, left Fang Lin Kong filled with suspicion.
In the following days, the First Martial Arts Tournament proceeded without any disturbances and soon reached Fang Lin Kong's first match. However, times had changed; as the master of Celestial Gate, Fang Lin Kong was in a position far superior to Bi Daruo's secret disciple from Froda Religion, who was also Kalan Saint's junior. With Randal as his attendant and having recently summoned the Great Evil God to obliterate mechanical foes, he felt a surge of confidence. When he arrived at the tournament with great enthusiasm, he waited for a long time before the host awkwardly announced that his opponent had absconded, seemingly forfeiting the match, resulting in Fang Lin Kong winning without a fight.
Feeling as though he had been made a fool of, Fang Lin Kong erupted in anger. The Great Evil God manifested behind him once more, incinerating the stone platform of the arena. The immediate consequence was that his next two opponents came to seek apprenticeship under Fang Lin Kong that very night; as for facing him in battle, they didn't even dare to mention it.
Celestial Gate accepted disciples without questioning their backgrounds or character; only talent mattered. As long as one showed exceptional aptitude, they would be granted access to advanced martial arts within the sect. This policy attracted many ordinary individuals. The First Martial Arts Tournament already drew numerous down-and-out warriors seeking a place that could provide food and shelter; thus, Celestial Gate's base at Four Seas Inn met these needs effortlessly. In just over ten days, Fang Lin Kong's followers grew into the hundreds. Aside from the young experts from Red Army whom Fang Lin Kong hesitated to assign duties to, Southern Fire and Jiugui Yuzhai were promptly promoted to head and vice heads of Celestial Gate's Eastern Capital branch. Each day above Four Seas Inn, divine figures appeared in the sky, radiating endless brilliance and attracting many diners, making it a notable sight in Eastern Capital.
With fewer matches on his schedule, Fang Lin Kong found himself at leisure. He spent several days contemplating how to break down Nine Earths Demon Strategy's poison cultivation techniques into over a hundred unique skills. He also systematically categorized divine techniques according to their divine rank levels and published them for distribution among his disciples. Establishing Celestial Gate's Spell martial arts system focused on dual cultivation of poison techniques without deviating from traditional paths. He immediately took some idle disciples to Hundred Poison Ridge to hunt poisonous creatures for training.
The First Martial Arts Tournament also featured many prominent disciples competing together—a delightful sight indeed. However, after Celestial Gate emerged as a dark horse, nameless warriors who joined Celestial Gate would experience rapid advancements in their martial arts within just a few days; those who barely scraped through their first matches could summon powerful illusions by their second match and wield potent poison techniques by their third match. Such extraordinary occurrences served as live advertisements for Celestial Gate—who wouldn't want to stand out and surpass others? Even if some were reluctant to heed their master's commands or faced off against Celestial Gate disciples in upcoming matches, they could still join to learn skills. Although some looked down upon these unconventional methods, they joined Fang Lin Kong’s ranks with hopes of learning more for self-defense against potential threats from Celestial Gate.
To facilitate his disciples' trips to Hundred Poison Ridge, Fang Lin Kong established five teleportation arrays there for easy access. In no time at all, fearsome creatures like thousand-year-old scorpions, hundred-foot-long venomous pythons, fire-and-water centipedes, and deadly spiders became sought-after targets. Fang Lin Kong personally led several expeditions to eliminate particularly fierce poisonous beasts, significantly accelerating his disciples' mastery of poison techniques. Techniques such as Five Poison Claws, Corrupted Bone Palm, Essence Extraction Technique, Blood Transformation Blade, Thousand Spiders Ten Thousand Poisons Hand... each disciple became increasingly formidable day by day.
As the fourth match approached, his opponent—initially quite bold—refused to concede before the competition began. However, after several days of encounters with newly initiated Celestial Gate disciples who had mastered poison techniques but lacked restraint due to their narrow-mindedness and insufficient training on the arena floor led to several fatalities among opponents. The deceased suffered from skin rot or turned into pus-filled corpses; others displayed signs of severe poisoning with bruises or colorful stripes across their bodies or endured unbearable itching or excruciating pain throughout their organs—some wailed all day long while others collapsed offstage never to rise again—this left Dongguo Tianxia’s nerves frayed as he experienced mental breakdowns after facing such opponents at the tournament.
After encountering two consecutive matches against Celestial Gate disciples with great difficulty—if not for his profound skills—Dongguo Tianxia nearly succumbed after defeating an opponent due to poisoning afterward. Despite this ordeal becoming essential post-battle work for him every time he fought off toxins afterward. Dong Guo Xue shared a deep bond with her brother since childhood; after Dongguo Tianxia warned her not to get too close to Fang Lin Kong she indeed refrained from seeking him out. Yet seeing her brother face opponents who were utterly unworthy yet still troublesome made her anxious; when she heard that her brother’s next opponent was another expert from Celestial Gate she could no longer contain herself and secretly slipped out intending to find Fang Lin Kong.
Upon arriving outside Four Seas Inn—now refurbished since being purchased by Fang Lin Kong—it still bore signs of wear but now hosted many young experts emerging prominently at World's Greatest Martial General Conference coming in and out freely. From afar she noticed disciples practicing divine possession techniques gathering together creating magnificent illusions filled with radiant colors.
Recalling how things were when she last visited Fang Lin Kong—before he attained such status—now he was renowned throughout Eastern Capital causing Dong Guo Xue inexplicably anxious while lingering outside when a young warrior from Red Army spotted her knowing her ambiguous relationship with Fang Lin Kong rushed inside reporting her presence immediately upon which Fang Lin Kong came out personally to greet her.
Remembering previous failures made Fang Lin Kong feel restless like ants crawling under his skin upon seeing Dong Guo Xue smile shyly back at him despite being reassured by his warm demeanor yet hearing him mention her brother’s recent victories made her only smile bitterly: “In this tournament who else can overshadow Brother Huanhuo? Winning four matches without fighting has terrified opponents into submission—a spectacle unseen since Lihan Empire’s founding.”
Fang Lin Kong replied proudly: “If my information is correct then for matches five through seven my opponents won’t need to show up either! Someone got drunk last night impulsively betting that no one would dare face me in those three rounds throwing down an enormous wager! This morning upon sobering up regretted it immensely fearing someone might take risks just so they wouldn’t lose money—they’ve already gone out trying persuade my next three opponents into forfeiting!”
Dong Guo Xue found this amusing asking: “How can Brother Huanhuo be so sure those people will heed that gambler’s advice?”
Fang Lin Kong chuckled: “Although Jiugui Yuzhai isn’t much of a talker he has been under my wing longest; those three opponents wouldn’t stand against him even if tied together! A fist speaks louder than words.”
Realizing how brutally straightforward this truth was made Dong Guo Xue’s complexion pale because she understood that Fang Lin Kong’s ninth match opponent was none other than her brother Dongguo Tianxia! If Fang Lin Kong sent his disciples repeatedly harassing him it seemed likely Dongguo Tianxia wouldn’t even make it onto the arena stage—he might very well perish outside its confines!
Fang Lin Kong greeted Dong Guo Xue as she entered the Four Seas Inn. Following him inside, she soon realized that he did not lead her to the same room as last time, but instead to a separate courtyard at the back, where a uniquely designed building stood. It was a five-story structure, and with each ascending level, it seemed to evolve through the ages. The lowest floor still retained a standard rustic style, while the top floor had transformed into a luxurious seaside mansion reminiscent of America.
Fang Lin Kong pondered, "Should I immediately use force to subdue her? Or perhaps offer her a drink laced with sleeping pills? These methods seem rather despicable. The question is, what tactics do others use to woo girls?" After a moment's thought, he finally concluded that he lacked the genes of a playboy. Although Dong Guo Xue was undeniably attractive, he couldn't bring himself to resort to any vile or sordid means. He could only sigh inwardly, "Maybe next time will present an opportunity. The atmosphere isn't right this time..."
However, Dong Guo Xue's attention was not on such matters. Unbeknownst to her, she had developed a strong trust in Fang Lin Kong. Thus, after accepting the iced flower tea he offered and taking a hesitant sip, she spoke up, "Brother Huanhuo! My brother wants to ask how to cultivate poison techniques. Would you be willing to teach him?"
Fang Lin Kong burst into laughter and replied, "At Celestial Gate, we welcome all who are eager to learn. Anyone can come as long as they are willing."
Dong Guo Xue hesitated and asked, "The major sects in Gouli Continent are usually cautious about accepting disciples for fear that their skills might fall into the wrong hands. Aren't you worried about that, Brother Huanhuo?"
Fang Lin Kong chuckled, "Those who lack insight cannot be compared to me. Whether someone is good or evil has nothing to do with their martial prowess. Even if someone possesses extraordinary skills, they cannot defy the law. A person who wields great destructive power will be suppressed in a just society; conversely, in an unjust society, it provides them an opportunity to resist."
Dong Guo Xue found herself at a loss for words against Fang Lin Kong's reasoning. However, her main concern was whether Fang Lin Kong would teach her brother the poison techniques and the incantations for summoning deities. She had little interest in debating such topics that could go on for centuries. She said to Fang Lin Kong, "My elder brother has a solid foundation; can he cultivate advanced martial arts?"
Fang Lin Kong nodded and said, "Dong Guo Xue's brother is indeed quite remarkable. However, some of my methods carry a hint of darkness; I fear he may not wish to learn them. If your brother is willing, I would gladly impart my most supreme techniques from Celestial Gate: Wahuang's Method of Mending the Heavens and Nine Earths Corruption Immortal Technique."
Upon hearing this from Fang Lin Kong, Dong Guo Xue's eyes lit up with joy as she hurriedly prepared to take her leave. Fang Lin Kong did not stop her but felt regretful inside: "What a wonderful girl! It's such a pity I don't know how to charm her! Otherwise, wouldn't I have succeeded by now?"
As soon as Dong Guo Xue left, Randal rushed in behind her. Upon seeing Fang Lin Kong, he exclaimed loudly, "Master Uncle! I've made up my mind to cultivate Nine Earths Corruption Immortal Technique and Jade Emperor's Secret Technique!"
Fang Lin Kong spread his hands and asked, "Have you communicated with your master, Kalan Saint? Is there truly no problem?"
Randal's expression turned serious as he replied, "My master said that Master Uncle is also a disciple of Froda Religion; thus the martial arts you teach are rooted in our true teachings. Learning them does not count as straying from our path!"
Fang Lin Kong thought to himself: "What connection could my skills possibly have with Froda Religion? Kalan Saint speaks nonsense; he's even better at lying than I am." However, he did not express his complaints to Randal and simply said calmly: "The martial arts spell I teach only considers talent and does not inquire about one's background. Randal, you possess exceptional talent and are born with solar bronze bones; cultivating Jade Emperor's Secret Technique will complement your abilities perfectly. However, summoning techniques at advanced levels are not easy like those at lower tiers; ordinary people are simply unqualified for such profound methods. Even if they receive genuine teachings, most cannot succeed."
Randal nodded vigorously in agreement. After Fang Lin Kong imparted the incantations to him, he added: "You can begin cultivating Jade Emperor's Secret Technique in these few days; once you have established a foundation in it, you can then proceed with Nine Earths Corruption Immortal Technique without delay. Nine Earths Corruption Immortal Technique is extremely sinister; without pure Yang energy protecting you, practicing it could be not only unhelpful but even harmful. However, you also know that once the poisonous creatures from Hundred Poison Ridge break out of their no-man's land, their rampage will be fierce. Ordinary martial arts spells cannot withstand these poisonous creatures; one must first endure the harm of their toxins which would greatly diminish one's strength. Only by cultivating poison techniques can one counter poison with poison; at least when confronting these creatures, one need not suffer damage to their own abilities."
Upon hearing this matter, Randal's face showed great concern as he repeatedly nodded and said: "I have already mentioned this matter to my master; he has sent out the poison cultivation methods organized by Master Uncle to all our fellow disciples. Froda Religion has already begun anti-poison training throughout."
Fang Lin Kong felt like spitting blood internally upon hearing this: "The things I've painstakingly organized have been taken away for training his subordinates; Kalan Saint is truly benefiting without effort." Yet he could not voice his grievances and could only feign comfort towards Randal: "Kalan Saint is one of the Four Great Saints of Lihan Empire; his wisdom is unparalleled and he must have prepared for this disaster long ago. You need not worry; just focus on preparing well for the World's Greatest Martial General Conference."
Randal forced a bitter smile and said: "Master Uncle is joking! My next match is against you! Although I won't flee in fear of battle, my chances of victory are slim indeed. I am definitely no match for you."
Fang Lin Kong chuckled and said, "Why would I care about such empty titles? I've already declared my defeat in this competition. Would I still compete with the younger generation for something so trivial?"
Randal was initially taken aback, but then he spoke with a hint of shame, "I am not as cultivated as Master Uncle. I still have ambitions for fame and fortune. If it weren't for my master's strict order to give my all, I would want to follow in Master Uncle's footsteps, refuse fame and fortune, and retreat to the mountains for quiet cultivation."
Fang Lin Kong smiled and patted Randal on the shoulder, saying, "Randal, you don't need to feel disheartened. You must understand that this world is vast, and once your horizons are broadened, it becomes difficult to narrow them again. I do not covet this reputation; it has nothing to do with cultivation—it's just that I truly do not care. Once you officially finish your studies and leave the mountain, I will take you out of Gou Li World to see the outside world. Soon enough, you will understand why I am indifferent to these matters."
Upon hearing that he could leave Gou Li World, Randal was slightly surprised. However, considering his Master Uncle's mysterious background and profound abilities, being able to travel beyond Gou Li World didn't seem too far-fetched. He managed to keep his composure, though his hands trembled with excitement.
After Dong Guo Xue left Four Seas Inn and returned home to see her elder brother, she found her brother's master, Vivi Ra, engaged in conversation with Dongguo Tianxia about something unknown. No matter how naive Dong Guo Xue was, she understood that it wouldn't be appropriate to persuade Dongguo Tianxia to practice other martial arts in front of her brother's master. Just as she planned to wait for a better moment, Vivi Ra spotted her and waved her over. Dong Guo Xue had no choice but to approach them and sweetly called out, "Master Vivi Ra, are you teaching my brother martial arts again? I wonder if you could take me as your disciple when you have the time?"
Vivi Ra smiled slightly and replied, "As a girl, learning these rough martial arts isn't ideal. Why not let me introduce you to Xuan Nu Sect? Their techniques are light and graceful, more suitable for you."
Hearing that Vivi Ra genuinely intended to recommend her to a sect made Dong Guo Xue anxious. She quickly changed the subject; she had no desire to endure such hardships. "How could the skills of Xuan Nu Sect compare to yours? I don't want to leave home and go somewhere as cold as Ice Snow Peak."
Vivi Ra smiled faintly and said, "In this world, there may be martial arts masters who claim to be the best, but there is no such thing as the best martial art itself. The power of any technique depends on the practitioner rather than the technique itself."
Dongguo Tianxia did not want his sister arguing with their master and said lightly, "Sister, where have you been? Didn't I tell you that it's dangerous outside lately? You should stay indoors for now."
Dong Guo Xue stuck out her tongue and made a silly face, pretending not to hear her brother's scolding. Dongguo Tianxia could only helplessly give up on lecturing her. Suddenly, Vivi Ra spoke up from the side: "Little Xue'er! Did you just come from Four Seas Inn?"
(To be continued)
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