In this world, when a martial artist opens the eighth meridians and reaches the Godly Monarch realm, they’ve hit the peak. From there, they must step onto the Immortal Dao Bridge, cross to the other shore, and reach a higher world.
Reading this, Xu Zimo was fairly certain that the Eternal Lands, whether in terms of its experts or landmass, were a smaller world compared to the Primordial Heartlands.
He had once talked with Demon Thirteen, who had been on the Eternal Lands’ God-Demon Battlefield. Demon Thirteen had followed the founder of the Black Demon Temple from that battlefield to the Primordial Heartlands. If Xu Zimo wanted to find the Ancient Demon Race’s ancient ruins, he would first need to locate the God-Demon Battlefield.
Xu Zimo spent the entire afternoon quickly finishing the thick book. While he wouldn’t say he fully understood the Eternal Lands, at least he now had a grasp of the basics.
After putting the book away, he decided to check out the Martial Tower. Now that he was officially a disciple of Grand Heaven Mountain, he figured he should at least learn some of their techniques.
When Xu Zimo exited the Scripture Repository, he passed by the ancient tree. The old man beneath it slowly lowered his book and looked at him.
“Lin Old Bastard’s kid,” the old man said.
Xu Zimo turned his head, a little confused.
“Yes, I’m talking to you. The sun must be rising in the west if you’re visiting the Scripture Repository I manage,” the old man said.
“What, can’t I read?” Xu Zimo replied.
“You? Reading? Ask around Grand Heaven Mountain, who’d believe that?” the old man snorted.
“Senior, no need to be so harsh. I had a sudden awakening, determined to change my ways and walk the martial path with pride. One day, I’ll become a Godly Monarch and cross the Immortal Dao Bridge,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.
“Alright, alright, the more you talk, the more nonsense it is,” the old man waved him off and tossed a book toward Xu Zimo.
“Now get lost.”
Xu Zimo caught the book. On its black cover were three characters: Strange Meridian Sutra.
The book looked old, possibly made from beast skin, soft to the touch.
“What is this?” Xu Zimo asked.
“A few years back, your meridians were sealed and couldn’t be opened. Your grandfather worked hard to get this book for you. But then you went off the rails and gave up on everything. So I’ve been holding onto it,” the old man explained.
“Thanks,” Xu Zimo said as he put the book away and left.
Watching Xu Zimo’s back, the old man shook his head slightly and muttered, “Old Lin, let’s hope the boy really turns things around. In the end, the road has to be walked by him alone.”
…
The Martial Tower was located to the west of Grand Heaven Mountain, not on the peak itself, but on a floating jade building nearby.
A white stone path stretched through the sky, connecting Grand Heaven Mountain and the floating palace. The path floated midair like a stairway in the clouds.
No one was allowed to fly to the Martial Tower, not even those at the Celestial Image realm.
Xu Zimo walked along the floating path, surrounded by open sky. After about ten minutes, the grand hall came into view.
It held the accumulation of countless martial techniques collected by the Nine Heavens Imperial Sect over hundreds of thousands of years.
The massive hall was built entirely of gilded gold. Statues stood guard: a fierce warrior holding a blade, a glaring Vajra, and mythical beasts howling to the sky. The Nine Heavens Grand Formation protected the area.
The hall had three floors. To enter, you needed an identity token. Since Xu Zimo’s token had no merit points, he simply used Lin Beisheng’s identity token.
Inside the first floor, rows of small connected cabinets were filled with martial and meridian techniques.
Xu Zimo glanced over them. They were all basic techniques, not worth learning.
But next to the stairs leading to the second floor was a “signature” technique of the first level: Heavenly Derivation Blade.It caught Xu Zimo’s attention.
The technique’s intro had just one line: “A technique has no form. Comprehension makes the form. Derivation makes the technique.”
The meaning was clear: all techniques were born from personal insight. There were no original martial techniques, people comprehended the Dao, and techniques followed.
Heaven Derivation Blade only taught a single basic move. Any further development depended on the user’s own understanding.
Intrigued, Xu Zimo decided to come back to it later.
He continued to the second floor. It was smaller, with fewer cabinets.
Hurricane Palm, Heavenly Dragon Roar, Asura Battle Blade…
Xu Zimo skimmed through them and found them all fairly average.
Even the “signature” second-floor technique didn’t interest him.
Finally, he reached the third floor, where the apex techniques of Grand Heaven Mountain were kept.
It was dimly lit, with only one cabinet in the entire room.
On it sat four books:
Nine Heavens Ancient Scroll, A Speck In The Vast Sea, Six Cuts of Ghost Zen, Sky Scar Heaven Slash
Xu Zimo browsed their intros.
The Nine Heavens Ancient Scroll was left behind by the founding ancestor, the Nine Heavens Sage.
It was the most commonly practiced technique in the sect, with nine moves, each corresponding to one of the Nine Heavens.A Speck In The Vast Sea was a high-level water-based technique. “With torrents descending from the heavens, flowing into the sea never to return.”
At its peak, the user could command all oceans and seas. Water had no form, it could become anything.
Six Cuts of Ghost Zen was interesting. The intro began with a big warning: “Caution.”
The sect considered it dangerous.
Those who practiced it often went insane or became crippled. It was said that this technique was obtained from killing a Buddhist cultivator, and no one had successfully mastered it since.
Sky Scar Heaven Slash was a pure sword technique.
After thinking it over, Xu Zimo chose A Speck In The Vast Sea and Six Cuts of Ghost Zen.
…
The Martial Tower had its own rules.
The high-level techniques on the third floor were only samples. If you wanted to learn them, you had to submit a formal request.
The third floor only let you browse and make a selection.
Xu Zimo walked back down. In the lower-left corner of the first floor was a small room.