Chapter 26: The Martial Arts of the Ten Greats

The three of them immediately began to inspect the open space. After a short while, Bu Jingyun made a discovery:

"Junior Brother Feng!"

Qin Shuang and Nie Feng hurried over to where Bu Jingyun was standing. Beneath a layer of overgrown vines lay a pile of bleached bones. Nie Feng knelt on one knee, reached out to pull away the withered vines and branches, and immediately touched something icy cold. Pulling it out, he couldn't help but exclaim, "The Snow Drinker saber!"

"Father!"

Nie Feng stuck the Snow Drinker into the ground nearby and hurriedly gathered up the remains, weeping inconsolably. Qin Shuang and Bu Jingyun each placed a hand on one of his shoulders, patting them gently. While Nie Feng processed his grief, the two of them read the "Six Forms of Cold-Defying Truth" and the "Heart of Ice Manual" carved into the walls. Once they had finished helping Nie Feng with the funeral rites, they continued deeper into the cave.

As for the Fire Qilin fruit, they found quite a few. The three of them gathered some, consuming a few each to bolster their internal energy. As they delved deeper, even their powerful cultivation began to feel the stifling heat, and they were soon drenched in sweat. Qin Shuang silently circulated his Ice Jade Essence to ward off the searing temperature.

Qin Shuang certainly wasn't acting out of pure altruism by helping Nie Feng find his father's remains, nor would he have left even if he hadn't obtained the Ice Heart and Cold-Defying manuals. In the world of *Wind and Cloud*, the Lingyun Cave was merely the most basic of treasure troves; these manuals were trivial to him, useful at best as concepts to be absorbed and used as fuel for his future growth. What Qin Shuang truly sought was the "True Martial Arts of the Mysterious Turtle" and the "Invincibility of the Ten Directions."

Even though the *Wind and Cloud* world might not compare to the *Ne Zha* world, it was still a complete realm containing the four mythical beasts—the Dragon, Phoenix, Qilin, and Mysterious Turtle. While Qin Shuang could not yet determine the exact power level of this world, it was by no means low; in his previous life, many novelists had classified *Wind and Cloud* as a high-martial or even celestial-martial world. Of course, the *Ne Zha* world was superior, being a derivative of the primordial universe.

As top-tier martial arts, the techniques of *Wind and Cloud* would certainly be applicable in the *Ne Zha* world, especially the "Invincibility of the Ten Directions." While the internal energy-based "True Martial Arts of the Mysterious Turtle" might not translate, the external combat techniques of the "Invincibility of the Ten Directions" would be universal. Every world might have different energy systems, but the fundamental ways of using the physical body in combat remained constant.

Martial arts were originally developed by the ancestors of humanity as a means of survival against harsh environments and external enemies. Yet, as they were passed down to later generations, they evolved into a means for humans to destroy one another—a development that was as absurd as it seemed inevitable.

Perhaps the Fire Qilin had sensed the dragon aura on Qin Shuang, or perhaps, adhering to the nature of mythical beasts avoiding one another, it was deliberately hiding. Or, perhaps it simply felt it had not yet reached maturity and would be no match for a dragon, and thus refused to appear.

As they wandered the maze-like cave, the three remained under the constant pressure of the heat. Qin Shuang noticed that the Fire Qilin was keeping a consistent distance, neither leaving nor approaching. Time did not pass noticeably within the labyrinth, and after a long while, Bu Jingyun grew impatient.

"Senior Brother Shuang, what exactly are you looking for in Lingyun Cave? If we keep wandering like this, we're going to get lost!"

Nie Feng looked over as well, but because Qin Shuang had helped him find the remains of his father and ancestors, he remained polite and did not press the issue.

Qin Shuang remained calm and unhurried. "Do not be anxious. A great calamity is coming to the martial world, and your current strength is far too low."

He spoke with such infuriating nonchalance; if the masters of *Wind and Cloud* were considered weak, then there were few in the world who could be called experts.

Bu Jingyun flexed his Qilin Arm, looking at Qin Shuang with a grim expression. "It has been a long time since I sparred with you, Senior Brother. Why don't we have a go right here and now?"

Qin Shuang smiled and placed a hand on Bu Jingyun's shoulder. Instantly, Bu Jingyun felt a chill that pierced his very heart. In the sweltering heat of the cave, Bu Jingyun felt as if Qin Shuang’s hand were made of ten-thousand-year-old ice, yet there was no outward sign of it. Had Qin Shuang not been touching his Qilin Arm, Bu Jingyun felt that if his hand had been on his other arm, it might have shattered from the cold.

"There is no need for such haste, Junior Brother Yun," Qin Shuang said, pulling his hand away. "It is coming. We are almost there."

The strands of hair wrapped around Qin Shuang’s fingertips were burning. Guided by a faint resonance, the destiny that belonged to Nie Feng—the "Ten Great Martial Arts"—was finally sensed by Qin Shuang. It was never easy to discover such destinies ahead of time; only by using his Great Dao Karma Seed and the Nine Calculations Heavenly Scripture, combined with Nie Feng’s presence, had he managed to locate what was rightfully his. As for the Dragon Pulse, which was nearly impossible for others to find, it was as clear as day to Qin Shuang.

The cold pool was also one of his targets; he had actually discovered its location long ago, but it was not suitable to bring Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun along. Thus, Qin Shuang had a plan: once he found the Ten Great Martial Arts, he would send the two of them out, then return to claim the Dragon Pulse and go into seclusion in the cold pool.

Bu Jingyun did not speak again, following silently behind Qin Shuang. Although neither he nor Nie Feng understood Qin Shuang’s intentions, they trusted that he would never harm them. After all, if Qin Shuang had truly meant them ill, he had had more than enough opportunities to finish them off.

After passing another thirteen forks in the road, when Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun could no longer distinguish their path, Qin Shuang finally stopped.

"We have arrived."

"Arrived? Where is the thing you were looking for?" Bu Jingyun stepped forward and looked around. The area was barren and empty, visible in its entirety at a glance.

Nie Feng walked around the perimeter and sensed something different. He tapped the wall on his right, though he heard nothing in response. Yet, he was certain that what Senior Brother Shuang was looking for lay behind that wall.

"Did you discover something, Junior Brother Feng?" Qin Shuang asked, feeling both curious and unsurprised. Since this destiny belonged to Nie Feng, it was only natural that he would sense it when brought before it.

"I have a feeling that there is something wrong with this wall." Nie Feng turned to look at Qin Shuang. "Senior Brother, am I correct?"

"Your intuition is truly sharp, Junior Brother. You are right; what I seek is behind this wall." Qin Shuang looked at the sword in Bu Jingyun’s hand and the saber on Nie Feng’s back. "Lend me the Snow Drinker."

He reached out, and Nie Feng unslung the saber and handed it to him. As Qin Shuang gripped the hilt, it felt incredibly natural. The Snow Drinker was a family heirloom of the Nie clan, three feet and seven inches long, the coldest object in the world, forged from "White Dew," the material left over from when the goddess Nuwa mended the heavens. Qin Shuang’s own Ice Jade Nine-Fold Heaven was also a supreme cold-based technique; holding the Snow Drinker, he felt his combat power surge by thirty percent.

"Watch closely, both of you!"

With the blade in hand, Qin Shuang’s spirit soared, and he unleashed the full power of his Ice Jade Nine-Fold Heaven. With two swift strokes—one a mountain-splitting strike, the other a sweep across the horizon—there was no sound or flash of light. The blade simply sliced into the wall as if it were cutting through water, without the slightest resistance.