Chapter 233: To Train or Not to Train, It’s Too Sinister!
Continuing, the Prince of Northern Hebei elaborated on the situation.
“A month ago, a renowned escort agency in the martial world, the ‘Pingwei Escort Agency,’ was annihilated by their enemies, the ‘Jindao Sect,’ all because of the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual.’ The young master of the agency has fled and his whereabouts are unknown.”
“The ‘Golden Dragon Lake’ and the two major gangs, ‘Jiaolong’ and ‘Flying Fish,’ also got entangled in a battle over the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual.’ In the conflict, the ‘Flying Fish’ sect suffered a devastating defeat because none of them had cultivated the sword manual. Only a few managed to escape. It is said that later, those survivors also started practicing the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual’ and sought revenge on the ‘Jiaolong’ gang.”
“And there’s more…”
The Prince of Northern Hebei recounted one event after another.
“The situation has become increasingly dire. The abbot of Shaolin Temple convened a martial arts congress, urging everyone not to cultivate the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual,’ but this did not halt its spread. Consequently, conflicts and bloodshed escalated in the martial world, resulting in a brutal struggle!”
After hearing all this, the Master of Tianmen burst into laughter, filled with delight. “This is retribution, retribution has come! Back then, they dared to unite and annihilate our Tianmen. They should have expected this day to come! They call me a devil and claim our ways are twisted? Hmph! They are the true devils and possess twisted ways! Devils and those who walk crooked paths should die! All of them should die, hahaha!”
The laughter was infused with satisfaction, with the pleasure of avenging blood grudges.
Glancing at the Prince of Northern Hebei beside him, he asked boastfully, “Your Highness, do you know what kind of technique the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual’ is?”
The Prince of Northern Hebei hurriedly replied, “It is said to be a demonic art. Those who practice it must first undergo castration to cultivate it. Afterward, their strength increases rapidly, reaching the third level in three days, eighth level in a month, and seventh level in three months! The speed of cultivation is unimaginably fast, so many people lose control and become practitioners of demonic arts!”
“However, it is said that after practicing this technique, their temperament undergoes a drastic change, becoming bloodthirsty and killing without mercy. As a result, many vendettas and grudges in the martial world are triggered by this technique.”
The Master of Tianmen chuckled and shook his head, “Your Highness, you only know part of it, but not the whole truth! The consequences of this technique are far more severe than you can imagine.”
“Please enlighten me!” The Prince of Northern Hebei sat down attentively, ready to listen earnestly.
“The strength is not attained out of thin air; there is always a price to pay for gaining something! The ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual,’ although allowing rapid progress, exacts a toll on one’s life force!”
“Based on my long-term observation and speculation, cultivating the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual’ to the ninth level would shorten one’s lifespan by 10 years! Reaching the eighth level would cost 30 years of life! At the seventh level, there wouldn’t be much time left, probably less than a year! If one possesses exceptional talent and reaches the innate realm, the day of success will be the day of death!”
The Prince of Northern Hebei was shocked and drenched in cold sweat, “Isn’t this too sinister?”
“Indeed, there is no need for me to deceive you, Your Highness!” The Lord of Tianmen smiled slyly, “In other words, the faster you cultivate this technique, the quicker you’ll die! But if you don’t practice it, you’ll be left at the mercy of others who might come to your door to bully and annihilate your entire clan! Hahaha!”
The Prince of Northern Hebei was completely chilled, realizing that this was truly a sinister art. Whether one practiced it or not, everyone was destined to meet a calculated end! Since the emergence of the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual,’ it had only brought slaughter and nothing else!
“Master Tianmen, did you create this sword manual?” asked the Prince of Northern Hebei.
The Master of Tianmen shook his head with regret, “No, it wasn’t created by me. I came across it by chance! Originally, with the power of this technique, I had the opportunity to dominate the martial world, but I fell short, what a pity!”
“Indeed, it’s a pity!” The Prince of Northern Hebei nodded, but he didn’t think that way in his heart. If you weren’t finished, then his path to kingship would have a massive threat!
The entire Tianmen sect cultivating the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual’ was terrifying!
At this moment, the Master of Tianmen suddenly asked, “Your Highness, do you want the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual’? As long as all your subordinates cultivate it, your strength will undoubtedly increase significantly in a short period! Even the position of the ruler might not be unattainable!”
“Tianmen Master jests. How could I let my subordinates practice such wicked arts?” The Prince of Northern Hebei said righteously.
Although he wanted it badly, he couldn’t risk such a grave consequence in the world. Since his debut, he had been building an image of a wise and heroic prince, which had attracted numerous heroes and gallants to support him in a short time. If others knew that his subordinates also practiced demonic arts, his reputation would be ruined, and who would continue to support him?
Perhaps he would face a joint attack from the martial world, just like Tianmen. Moreover, he dared not take the risk now. This was a technique that shortened one’s lifespan—the faster one practiced, the quicker one would die. If he managed to conquer the world but all his people died in the process, what would be the point?
Therefore, despite being tempted, he restrained himself.
The Master of Tianmen seemed to see through the Prince of Northern Hebei’s thoughts and smiled as he took out a secret manual from his sleeve and handed it over, saying, “Your Highness, take this!”
Curiously, the Prince of Northern Hebei accepted it and asked, “What is this?”
The Master of Tianmen smiled, “This is another technique I adapted based on the principles of the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual,’ known as the ‘Sunflower Treasure.’ Compared to the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual,’ the cultivation speed is three to four times slower, but it doesn’t require castration!”
Shocked, the Prince of Northern Hebei exclaimed, “Three to four times slower but doesn’t require castration?”
“Yes!” The Master of Tianmen grinned, “Indeed, this ‘Sunflower Treasure’ doesn’t require castration! However, that’s precisely why the cultivation speed is slower. It takes ten days to reach the ninth level, three months to reach the eighth level, and a year to reach the seventh level! But compared to ordinary techniques, it is still much faster!”
“Yes, much faster!” The Prince of Northern Hebei nodded enthusiastically, but then he asked with a clear mind, “Such an excellent technique, isn’t there any flaw?”
“Of course, everything has its origin, and there will always be a trade-off for gains!” The Master of Tianmen chuckled, “Cultivating this technique will also shorten one’s lifespan. Reaching the ninth level will cost three to four years, the eighth level about a dozen years, and at the seventh level, one might have only three to four years left to live! If you manage to touch the innate realm, you’ll have less than a month of life remaining! However, compared to the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual,’ it’s already much better!”
“Yes, much better!” The Prince of Northern Hebei’s eyes lit up, and his hands trembled. This secret manual was like a winning treasure for him to achieve his ambitions!
First of all, he didn’t need to undergo castration, which disassociated him from the infamous demonic technique, the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual,’ that was being widely circulated in the martial world.
Secondly, this technique could be cultivated rapidly as well! In just one year, he could cultivate a significant number of seventh-grade experts! A year was a time he could afford to wait!
Even if this technique would shorten their lifespan, there were still several years of buffer time. In those years, he could fully establish his dominance and cultivate another batch of strong individuals to replace those who would be affected. The process could be carried out stealthily, making it unlikely to be easily discovered!
The Prince of Northern Hebei was extremely tempted. He raised his head, a bit trembling, and asked, “Master Tianmen, what is your intention? Why are you giving such an excellent technique to me?”
The Master of Tianmen smiled and said, “Consider it a token of gratitude for your assistance, Your Highness! At the same time, I hope that when everything is accomplished, Your Highness won’t forget about me.”
Excitedly, the Prince of Northern Hebei proclaimed, “Sure, Master Tianmen! When everything is accomplished, I will treat you with the status of a national teacher!”
The Master of Tianmen bowed his hand, “Thank you, Your Highness!”
“Hahaha!” The Prince of Northern Hebei laughed loudly.
Then, he left, holding the secret manual, brimming with excitement.
He didn’t fully trust the Master of Tianmen. He decided to have a few people start practicing the technique first and then expand it later if there were no issues.
The Master of Tianmen watched the figure of the Prince of Northern Hebei departing, his gaze flickering. He certainly wasn’t that benevolent. This technique had a hidden control mechanism, and anyone who practiced it would eventually be under his control. He wanted the Prince of Northern Hebei to help him cultivate talents and lead the way in conquering the world. When the Prince of Northern Hebei succeeded, he could seize the throne for himself.
At this moment, he had a few more copies of the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual.’ “Since the martial world is already chaotic, let’s make it even more chaotic. Otherwise, how can I vent my heart’s hatred?” He sent these manuals out through special means.
With the support of the Prince of Northern Hebei and the manipulation of the Master of Tianmen, the martial world became increasingly chaotic. Various factions were fighting each other incessantly. The leader of the Martial Art Alliance, the abbot of Shaolin, had to convene another martial arts congress, urging everyone not to practice the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual.’ But in the end, it had no effect, and they could only let things take their course.
Finally, due to the large number of martial artists practicing the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual,’ the situation became extremely chaotic, severely threatening local stability and causing great trouble and harm to the common people. Consequently, the Ministry of Justice had to take action.
The experts from the Ministry of Justice made their move, and instantly, they overwhelmed all the troublemakers from the martial world, arresting them all.
They caught one after another, leaving almost no escapees!
People from all walks of life in the martial world were dumbfounded! When did the Ministry of Justice become so powerful? Those seventh-grade experts who practiced the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual’ couldn’t even defeat an eighth-grade expert from the Ministry of Justice!
If it were an eighth-grade expert from the Ministry of Justice, they could catch the practitioners of the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual’ with certainty, making it impossible for them to escape!
The Ministry of Justice’s reputation skyrocketed!
Afterwards, people from various factions in the martial world investigated the situation and discovered that things were not as they seemed. The Ministry of Justice hadn’t become stronger; they had mastered a technique that perfectly countered the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual.’ Even if one’s strength was weak, as long as they learned this technique, they could defeat those who practiced the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual.’
The truth shocked the entire martial world!
“The imperial court actually mastered a way to counter the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual’?”
“So, are those who practice the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual’ doomed?”
“Of course, if you commit any wrongdoing, you’ll have to wait to be dealt with by the imperial court. There is no other way!”
“Why did this happen?!”
…
Many martial artists who had practiced the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual’ were almost driven to madness! They had struggled with their determination, only to find that their sacrifice hadn’t brought them the expected benefits. Instead, the imperial court ruthlessly suppressed them, leaving them at a loss on how to continue living.
Will they have to live with their tails between their legs in the future?
Even if they wanted to, they couldn’t do it anymore!
As a result, many of them were on the verge of a breakdown!
“Why does the imperial court have a way to counter the ‘Evil-Repelling Sword Manual’?”
“Why did I only find out about all this now?”
“It’s too late! Why didn’t this come earlier when I was wielding my sword just now!”
“Oh heavens, what did I do wrong? Why are you treating me like this?”
“I don’t want to live anymore!!!”
…
…
