Chapter 573 - 569: Netherworld Guide
Chapter 573: Chapter 569: Netherworld Guide
Fang Han stood up, stretching his slightly stiff and sore muscles, and pushed open the door of the Quiet Chamber.
The autumn morning air was tinged with a slight chill.
In the courtyard, the bamboo forest rustled in the gentle breeze. A few yellowing leaves spiraled down, blanketing the ground in a thin layer.
Qiu Lan was in the side hall with two maids, setting out breakfast. Hearing footsteps, she looked up and hurriedly bowed in greeting.
"Senior Brother."
Fang Han gave a slight nod, walked into the side hall, and sat down at the table.
He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat slowly.
After finishing breakfast and setting down his bowl and chopsticks, Fang Han rested for a moment to digest before rising and walking toward the Cultivation Field in the rear courtyard.
The Obsidian-paved ground gleamed with a deep luster, its surface crisscrossed with clearly visible sword marks.
He came to a stop in the center of the open space, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
SHINK—
The Cloud Splitting Sword left its sheath. Its dark cyan blade shimmered with a reserved brilliance.
He took a deep breath, channeled his Wind Sword Intent, and unleashed the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique, which he had mastered to the Great Success Realm.
He thrust his sword.
The sword light was like a silken thread, tracing a nearly invisible path through the air.
Wherever the tip of the sword passed, the air silently split open, leaving a fine, stable fracture that lingered for a long time, like a tear in space itself.
A Sword Intent, filled with terrifying sharpness, permeated the entire Cultivation Field.
This Sword Intent wasn’t violent, but rather possessed the keen edge of a Divine Weapon.
He retracted his sword, then struck again.
A second strike, a third, a fourth—
Flashes of sword light crisscrossed the Cultivation Field like sudden claps of thunder, peerlessly sharp and fierce.
The Powerful Qi generated by his practice alone was enough to leave marks on the Obsidian ground, which was several times harder than steel.
After practicing for a while, Fang Han’s movements suddenly stopped.
He frowned slightly, his gaze shifting to the edge of the Cultivation Field.
A figure stood there silently.
Qiu Lan.
She stood under the corridor, her hands by her sides, a hint of anxiety on her face.
Fang Han sheathed his sword, turned, and fixed his eyes on Qiu Lan.
"Didn’t I tell you not to come near the Cultivation Field when I’m practicing?"
Qiu Lan quickly bowed in apology.
"Forgive me, Senior Brother. I did not mean to disturb you, but... a disciple from the Sect Leader’s Hall has arrived. He said the Sect Leader has urgent business and requests your immediate presence at the Sect Leader’s Hall."
Fang Han’s brows twitched slightly.
’The Sect Leader is summoning me?’
"I understand."
Fang Han nodded slightly, straightened his robes, and walked out of the courtyard.
Walking at a steady, unhurried pace, Fang Han followed the bluestone path toward the mountain’s peak.
The thin mountain mist had yet to disperse completely. The distant, resonant toll of a bell echoed, long and drawn out.
The imposing silhouette of the Sect Leader’s Hall appeared hazy in the mist.
The disciple on duty at the hall’s entrance saw Fang Han arrive and quickly bowed, gesturing for him to enter.
Fang Han stepped into the hall.
The scent of sandalwood smoke curled through the air inside.
Chen Tianyuan was seated at the head of the hall, holding a dark gray booklet.
"Disciple Fang Han pays his respects to the Sect Leader."
Fang Han took a few steps forward and bowed.
"No need for formalities."
Chen Tianyuan waved his hand dismissively.
"Catch."
He lifted his right hand, and the booklet flew from his grasp, tracing an arc through the air toward Fang Han.
Fang Han reached out and caught it.
The booklet felt slightly heavy in his hand. Its cover was made from some kind of animal hide, and on it, two words were written in ancient seal script—
Netherworld Guide.
It still smelled of fresh ink and looked quite new, likely a recent copy.
From the name alone, it was difficult to tell what kind of Secret Technique manual it was.
Slightly puzzled, Fang Han opened to the title page and quickly scanned the summary on the first page.
The next moment, a clear look of surprise flashed across his calm face.
’A top-level Tracking Secret Technique?!’
It was actually a top-Grade Tracking Secret Technique!
According to Elder Mo, the highest-Grade Tracking Secret Technique in the Qingxuan Sect’s Library Pavilion was only Top Grade.
He didn’t think Elder Mo would lie to him, so where did this top-level Tracking Secret Technique come from?
"Sect Leader."
Fang Han closed the booklet, looked up at Chen Tianyuan, and voiced the question on his mind.
"Where did this top-level Tracking Secret Technique come from?"
Chen Tianyuan picked up the teacup beside him, took a shallow sip, and set it down before speaking slowly.
"It came from the Netherworld Pavilion."
"The Netherworld Pavilion?"
The surprise in Fang Han’s eyes deepened.
’Considering the years of open and secret conflict between the Qingxuan Sect and the Netherworld Pavilion, their relationship is abysmal. How could the Sect Leader possibly obtain a top-level Secret Technique from them?’
It was almost unbelievable.
Noticing Fang Han’s confusion, Chen Tianyuan’s lips curved into a faintly cold smile.
"With the threat of Yan Wuji looming, the Netherworld Pavilion was willing to be so ’generous’ this time and contribute this precious Secret Technique."
He paused, his expression turning serious.
"However, the Netherworld Pavilion has a condition: only you may practice this technique. It is strictly forbidden to pass it on to others."
Fang Han came to a sudden realization.
’So it’s to track the escaped Grandmaster from the Tiejiang Gang, Yan Wuji. No wonder... No wonder even the Netherworld Pavilion was willing to pay such a high price.’
That made sense.
The fugitive Yan Wuji was like a giant boulder weighing on the hearts of the Seven Sects. They were desperate to find and eliminate him.
In the face of a common enemy, even rivals with long-standing grudges could find it possible to cooperate and make exchanges temporarily. The Netherworld Pavilion was, in a way, looking at the bigger picture this time.
"Finding Yan Wuji, and by extension, devising a way to eliminate him, is the top priority for the Seven Sects right now."
Chen Tianyuan’s voice was low and solemn.
"For the foreseeable future, you must devote all your energy to comprehending and practicing this technique. You need to master it to a level where you can track Yan Wuji as soon as possible."
"This disciple understands."
Holding the Netherworld Guide, Fang Han bowed solemnly in acknowledgement.
"You may go."
Chen Tianyuan waved his hand.
"This disciple takes his leave."
Fang Han bowed once more, carefully tucked the Netherworld Guide into his robes, and turned to leave the Sect Leader’s Hall.
After leaving the Sect Leader’s Hall and returning to his residence, Fang Han pushed open the door to his Quiet Chamber and stepped inside.
Thin wisps of smoke drifted from the Sandalwood Incense Burner, its faint fragrance mingling with the cool air and circulating slowly through the Quiet Chamber.
He latched the door shut behind him, walked to the meditation cushion, and sat down cross-legged.
’Panel.’
Without rushing to take out the Netherworld Guide from his robes, Fang Han lowered his gaze and summoned the system panel in his mind.
A translucent screen silently materialized before his eyes.
[Host: Fang Han]
[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 512x (100,000,000 Gold for Level 10 Amplification)]
[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 256x (10,000,000 Gold for Ninth Level Amplification)]
[Stepping Talent Amplification: 256x (10,000,000 Gold for Ninth Level Amplification)]
[Secret Technique Talent Amplification: 128x (1,000,000 Gold for Level 8 Amplification)]
[Body Hardening Talent Amplification: 256x (10,000,000 Gold for Ninth Level Amplification)]
[Wealth: 1,210,000 Gold]
’I originally had no intention of activating the Level 8 Amplification for my Secret Technique Talent...’
Fang Han’s gaze fell on the "Secret Technique Talent Amplification" line.
Compared to the four Talents directly related to increasing one’s strength—Root Bone, Swordsmanship, Step Technique, and Body Hardening—the Secret Technique Talent was undoubtedly less critical.
He hadn’t planned on activating the Level 8 Amplification for his Secret Technique Talent anytime soon, preferring to save up his wealth for the next Ninth Level Amplification.
But things were different now.
The Sect Leader had given him a mission: comprehend the Netherworld Guide and cultivate it to a level sufficient to track Yan Wuji.
Moreover, time was of the essence. There could be no delays; the faster, the better.
Once Yan Wuji recovered from his injuries, he would inevitably seek revenge on the Seven Sects.
Every day of delay meant another day for Yan Wuji to recover, and another degree of danger for the Seven Sects.
’Activate Level 8 Amplification for Secret Technique Talent.’
Fang Han focused his mind on the "Level 8 Amplification" option after Secret Technique Talent and did not hesitate.
[Wealth: 1,210,000 Gold → 210,000 Gold]
[Secret Technique Talent Amplification: 128x → 256x (10,000,000 Gold for Ninth Level Amplification)]
The numbers on the panel changed instantly.
’My comprehension of Secret Techniques...’
Fang Han closed his eyes, carefully experiencing the change in his aptitude for Secret Techniques.
As he thought about matters related to Secret Techniques, insights flooded his mind like a tidal wave.
His understanding of the mysteries of Secret Techniques suddenly became clear and transparent, as if an invisible hand had gently lifted a thin veil.
If he had enough time, he was now confident he could even deduce, improve, and elevate the "Thousand Mile Soul-Lock" into a top-level Tracking Secret Technique.
However, that would require a great deal of time and effort; it wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight.
And time was what he lacked most right now.
With the Netherworld Guide already in his possession, there was no need to spend a huge amount of time trying to improve the "Thousand Mile Soul-Lock."
’Netherworld Guide.’
Fang Han suppressed the swirling thoughts in his mind and took out the dark gray manual from his robes.
He opened to the title page, his eyes falling on the ancient and obscure text.
He read it carefully.
He scrutinized it word by word, sentence by sentence, repeatedly mulling over, verifying, and memorizing every chant, every Inner Qi Flow Chart, and every key point of Cultivation in his mind.
’It’s even more obscure and difficult to understand!’
Fang Han could clearly feel that compared to the "Thousand Mile Soul-Lock," the difficulty of understanding the Netherworld Guide had risen sharply.
And it was a very significant increase.
Many of the chants were far more subtle and abstruse than those in the "Thousand Mile Soul-Lock."
It wasn’t hard to deduce that the leap in difficulty from a Top-Grade to a top-level Tracking Secret Technique was much greater than the leap from a Middle Grade to a Top-Grade one.
However, with a 256x Secret Technique Talent Amplification, comprehension wasn’t difficult at all. He understood and memorized it with ease.
He became immersed, turning page after page.
The autumn sunlight filtered through the window lattice, moving slowly across the pages of the book.
By noon, he had already understood and memorized the entire manual.
’One leans toward scent, the other toward aura...’
Putting down the manual, Fang Han reviewed the Netherworld Guide in his mind.
The Netherworld Guide and the "Thousand Mile Soul-Lock" had both similarities and differences.
The similarity was that both were olfactory-based Tracking Techniques. The difference lay in their perceptive "focus."
The "Thousand Mile Soul-Lock" was more focused on perceiving "scents," capturing the subtle smells emitted by plants, earth, birds, beasts, and even human bodies.
The Netherworld Guide, on the other hand, was more focused on perceiving "aura."
Scents are emitted by both living and non-living things.
But an "aura"—that is the unique "breath" of life force, possessed only by living beings.
It might seem like the scope of perception was narrowed, but in reality, by eliminating interference from non-living things, his Perception Ability was effectively enhanced.