274: Chapter 275 Unfettered Martial Arts, Ascending to Immortality on the Wind

The seven treasures ring, like parched earth meeting sweet rain, emitted a clearer vibration. The gemstone on the ring's face lit up once more, the speed of its flowing radiance visibly accelerated, and the shifting colors within became even more brilliant.

At the same time, Lu Chen felt the connection between his Divine Thought and the ring deepen countless times over in an instant.

The vague resonance from before had now become as inseparable as milk and water.

His Divine Thought seemed to be guided by the ring, probing into a strange place.

It was not the outside world, nor was it the interior material of the ring, but rather...

"A space?" Lu Chen's eyes flickered.

His Divine Thought seemed to pass through a thin curtain of water, entering a hazy space about ten zhang square.

The space was not large and was empty, with only a thin booklet quietly floating in the center.

"It really is a spatial ring!?"

The Xiaoyao Sect truly had its roots in immortal cultivation.

Lu Chen's mind stirred.

Almost the instant his thought fell, the booklet in that hazy space trembled slightly.

The next moment, Lu Chen felt a slight weight in the palm of his empty right hand.

An archaic booklet lay silently in his hand.

The cover of the booklet was not made of paper or silk, but of a dark golden animal skin he had never seen before. It was supple to the touch, felt warm and cool at the same time, and emitted a faint, strange fragrance that was neither like vegetation nor metal and stone.

Having endured long years, the edges of the animal skin were slightly curled, yet there was no sign of decay; instead, it exuded an indescribable sense of weight and vicissitudes.

On the cover, written in archaic seal script, were four vigorous and powerful characters—Carefree Wind Riding.

The handwriting did not seem to be written with ink, but rather branded directly onto the animal skin. Between the strokes, a faint flowing light flickered, seemingly containing some kind of profound charm.

"Carefree Wind Riding..." Lu Chen weighed the thin booklet.

It was very light, as if it had no weight.

But holding it in his hand, it felt heavier than a mountain.

This must be the most profound Legacy of the Xiaoyao Sect, right?

Lu Chen opened the booklet.

The first page was not the content of the Cultivation Technique, but a passage of text similar to instructions.

The handwriting was the same as on the cover, also branded on.

"To open this ring and view this book, one must first master three arts."

"North Dark, Formless, and Eight Desolations—these three arts must be brought to Major Achievement, with none missing."

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed.

North Dark Divine Art, Small Formless Skill, and the Everlasting Spring Art.

The three great peerless skills of the Xiaoyao Sect.

As expected, the threshold for this "Carefree Wind Riding" was ridiculously high.

It required bringing all three of these top-tier divine arts—any one of which could stir up blood and carnage in the Jianghu—to the Realm of Major Achievement.

This difficulty was simply shocking.

Lu Chen continued to read.

"The three arts are the foundation of the Dao."

"North Dark gathers the hundred rivers, Formless performs the ten thousand Laws, and Eight Desolations holds me as the sole sovereign."

"When the three arts are united, Yin and Yang support each other, and the circulation is harmonious, only then can one transform the Acquired Qi within the Dantian into the Innate Yuan."

"When Qi transforms into Yuan, Spiritual Power is born naturally; this is the Realm of 'Spirit Movement,' and only then can one touch the threshold of Wind Riding."

"If one lacks Spiritual Power, even possessing this book is in vain."

Seeing this, Lu Chen's fingers paused slightly.

Transforming Qi into Yuan? Condensing Spiritual Power? This...

He raised his head abruptly, a flash of shock in his eyes, which then turned into realization.

"Damn it!" Lu Chen couldn't help but curse under his breath.

After all this time, the Xiaoyao Sect wasn't a Martial Forest School at all! This was an immortal cultivation sect!

The North Dark Divine Art absorbing others' Internal Energy, the Small Formless Skill imitating all martial arts in the world, the Everlasting Spring Art restoring youth...

These skills, which appeared miraculous and almost demonic to people in the Martial Forest, were not martial arts at all! Or rather, they were not just martial arts!

They were more like... introductory methods for immortal cultivation?

Through specific methods, absorbing energy (Internal Energy), understanding the Law (imitating), and tempering oneself (the sole sovereign), the ultimate goal was to break the shackles of martial arts and transform Acquired Internal Energy into a higher level of energy—Spiritual Power!

Once Spiritual Power was generated, one stepped into the Realm of "Spirit Movement," which was the only way to truly push open the door to immortal cultivation and seeking the Dao!

And this "Carefree Wind Riding," perhaps, recorded the cultivation methods after the Spirit Movement Realm!

"No wonder..." Lu Chen muttered, "No wonder the Xiaoyao Sect acted so strangely, had so few successors, and was so secretive."

A group of immortal cultivators seeking longevity and transcendence, mixed in with a bunch of Jianghu people fighting and killing for fame and profit—they had to keep a low profile, otherwise, wouldn't they be treated like monsters?

"Xiaoyao, Xiaoyao..." Lu Chen rubbed his chin, a strange smile appearing on his face.

"This name is truly apt."

"Perhaps they were thinking that one day, riding the wind and leaving, Ascending to become an Immortal, would be true freedom and ease?"

He looked down at the "Carefree Wind Riding" in his hand, his eyes complex.

If this thing had been obtained a few hundred years earlier by Wuyazi, Tianshan Tonglao, or Li Qiushui...

No. Lu Chen shook his head.

Wuyazi, Tianshan Tonglao, and Li Qiushui—which of these three Xiaoyao Sect successors was not a genius?

North Dark Divine Art, Small Formless Skill, and Everlasting Spring Art—each of them had inherited one or two of these and had trained them to an extremely high Realm.

But, then what? Lu Chen curled his lip.

Then, they started getting trapped by love, hurting each other, and fighting to the death.

Wuyazi was ambushed by Ding Chunqiu, crippled for life, and hid on Leigu Mountain feigning death.

Tianshan Tonglao and Li Qiushui were even worse enemies, fighting from youth to old age, only realizing before death that the portrait of the "love rival" they had fought over all their lives was actually Li Qiushui's younger sister.

How ironic! How pathetic!

"Really..." Lu Chen couldn't help but laugh, with a hint of mockery, "Guarding a Secret Manual that could lead to Immortal Ascension, yet fighting for decades over some petty romantic drama."

"They used their earth-shattering cultivation entirely on internal strife."

"North Dark, Formless, and Everlasting—if the three divine arts were practiced together, one could become a Land Immortal."

"Yet none of the three of them could gather these three arts and master them."

"Having a treasure mountain but unable to find the entrance."

"The 'Carefree Wind Riding' inside this seven treasures ring has probably been waiting for hundreds of years, almost molding, without waiting for a qualified successor to inherit it."

"As for Huang Shang..." Lu Chen recalled that letter of self-reproach filled with regret.

This legendary figure who compiled the "Wanshou Daozang" and created the "Nine Yin Manual," although he obtained the seven treasures ring, did not seem to have fully inherited the three great peerless skills of the Xiaoyao Sect.

Or perhaps, although he inherited them, he did not realize the true mystery behind these three Cultivation Techniques, failing to integrate them and reach the Realm of "transforming Qi into Yuan."

In the end, relying on partial Xiaoyao martial arts and the Nine Yin Manual he later created, he became a top-tier Great Grandmaster and avenged his deep hatred.

But the true Legacy of the Xiaoyao Sect was broken in his hands.

Finding this place in his later years and leaving behind the letter of self-reproach and the seven treasures ring was perhaps a form of relief, a form of... resignation?

"What a pity." Lu Chen sighed.

If Huang Shang had been able to see through the mystery back then, condense Spiritual Power, open the ring, and obtain "Carefree Wind Riding," perhaps history would have been a different scene.

The Xiaoyao Sect would not have vanished like that.

And he himself might have truly been able to ride the wind and leave, being carefree between heaven and earth.

Lu Chen shook his head, casting aside these chaotic thoughts.

History has no "what ifs."

The regrets of predecessors are already set in stone.

Now, this seven treasures ring was worn on his hand.

This "Carefree Wind Riding" had also fallen into his palm.

Of course, he was able to open the ring not because he had mastered the three great peerless skills of the Xiaoyao Sect.

But because the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art, Vajra Indestructible Body, Nine Yang Divine Skill, and others that he practiced had long since surpassed the scope of ordinary martial arts, and by chance, he had already condensed an energy even purer than Spiritual Power within his body—the Ziwei True Essence.

By some twist of fate, he skipped the step of "transforming Qi into Yuan" entirely, meeting the conditions to open the ring and take out the Secret Manual.

The fated successor that the Xiaoyao Sect had waited bitterly for hundreds of years for had been snatched away by an "outsider" like him.

Lu Chen held "Carefree Wind Riding" in front of his eyes, examining it carefully once more.

The four characters on the animal skin cover seemed a bit clearer than before, with faint flowing light.

He took a deep breath and slowly closed the booklet.