Soul Emperor Martial God

Chapter 2239: Chapter 2236: Hidden Master, Xia Yifeng

"Heh heh." Xia Yifeng looked at Xiao Yi’s slightly puzzled face and smiled gently.

Seeing this, Xiao Yi immediately furrowed his brows.

"Why the frown?" Xia Yifeng asked with a light laugh.

Xiao Yi furrowed his brows even tighter, "From my experience, whenever you elders show this kind of smile, it usually means..."

Xiao Yi paused, frowning, "I’ve been tricked."

"Heh heh." Xia Canglan chuckled, "It’s not quite a trick."

"Though Senior Luo instructed you to visit the Ice Emperor Palace, apart from entering the Ice Palace’s fourth floor for cultivation, there are indeed other purposes."

"Of course, it’s not a trick; rather, knowing your disposition, instead of explaining much to you, it’s better to let you truly experience it."

"Oh?" Xiao Yi relaxed his frown, still looking puzzled.

Xia Yifeng gradually became serious, "In today’s battle, I believe you’ve seen the issues with yourself."

"The most critical issue for you right now, and your own shortcoming."

"Shortcoming?" Xiao Yi murmured.

Xia Yifeng said in a deep voice, "Your various battle achievements are indeed astounding."

"A year and a half ago, at the Holy Moon Sect, your mere presence could deter countless Wind Jiao Luans."

"With a swing of your sword, you could directly slay hidden powerhouses, including those above the Sixty Thousand Dao level."

"Afterwards, you could even rival numerous Eighty Thousand Dao powerhouses with your Qi and Blood Dao, slaying several family heads of the hidden clans."

"But what about today?" Xia Yifeng questioned, his tone a bit heavier.

"Back then, you were so spirited and majestic, causing a ruckus at the Holy Moon Sect all by yourself with a single sword."

"Your opponents were all renowned hidden powerhouses from the Central Region, living for hundreds of thousands of years."

"You still managed to fight fiercely, with astonishing combat prowess."

"But today? Your opponents were merely young heavenly talents around your age, yet you couldn’t easily defeat them."

"Facing the Ice Barbarian, you defeated him, but it was with some tricks."

"You seemed relaxed, and indeed you were, but you fought with all your might."

"Without the sword in your hand, without the enhancement of a top-grade Holy Artifact, and without other desperate measures, your combat power would plummet several levels or more."

"Uh." Xiao Yi awkwardly rubbed his nose.

In fact, he always set his goals and opponents at the level of those old monsters.

He never feared other young heavenly talents.

But in today’s battle, although he didn’t suffer, it wasn’t as easy as it appeared on the surface.

"Your cultivation has significant issues." Xia Yifeng directly pointed out the problem.

"For a martial artist, everything else is empty; only one’s own cultivation is fundamental."

"By rights, cultivation shouldn’t be an issue for a monstrous talent like you, yet in this year and a half, your cultivation has completely stagnated."

Xiao Yi wanted to say something.

Xia Yifeng spoke first, "You don’t need to argue with me; I know that you haven’t wasted this year and a half."

"I’m aware of your recent appearance and stalemate with Xie Ruhai."

"Your cultivation hasn’t increased, but your strength has soared greatly, and that’s your reason."

"But as I said earlier, cultivation is the foundation of a martial artist."

"Do you understand what I mean?" Xia Yifeng paused slightly, asking.

Xiao Yi remained silent for a moment.

Xia Yifeng stated gravely, "Let me put it more simply."

"If I were to face Xie Ruhai, I wouldn’t need to use any means, not even any martial techniques. I could simply suppress him with cultivation and slay him within a few breaths."

"He wouldn’t even have the chance to fight back or escape."

Xiao Yi nodded; he had no doubt about Xia Yifeng’s words.

The three Great Protectors of the Ice Emperor Palace were all extraordinarily powerful.

From Xiao Yi’s perspective, the strength of these three was possibly even more formidable than the Black Demon Six Evils.

Only the Changtian Wine Demon and the Heartless Inn Master could be compared with these three Protectors.

And Xia Yifeng, in Xiao Yi’s eyes, seemed even slightly stronger than the other two Protectors.

With Xia Yifeng’s strength, effortlessly defeating someone like Xie Ruhai, of the Nine Thousand Dao Initial Level, was easy.

Xiao Yi spoke, "Senior Xia means that I should focus more on my cultivation rather than on martial techniques and methods."

Xia Yifeng nodded, his tone even more serious, "A year and a half ago, your cultivation was enough to stand out among any youth on the continent."

"Yet curiously, in this year and a half, your cultivation has not advanced."

"This generation of young martial artists is hailed as the most monstrous generation. During this time, many other monstrous talents have surpassed you."

"According to what I know, there are several such individuals."

"In other words, your advantage has completely vanished."

"And even more importantly, it’s not just this," Xia Yifeng said gravely, "For martial artists, the younger they are, the higher their potential for growth."

"This is why any young heavenly talent, once showing extraordinary potential, is immensely valued and actively nurtured by their factions."

"The golden time for young heavenly talents must not be wasted at all."

"But you’ve wasted it. This year and a half might take three years or more to make up for in the future."

"The result is not only the erasure of your current advantage but also a greater setback in the future."

Beside him, Xia Canglan chuckled, "Kid, do you now understand why Senior Luo wanted you to go to the fourth floor of the Ice Palace for cultivation but actually tricked you into coming here?"

"Uh." Xiao Yi furrowed his brows.

At this moment, Xia Yifeng took out a dossier.

"This is the dossier that Senior Luo passed on to me, containing almost all the information about you as a martial artist."

"After reviewing it, I roughly understand your issues."

Xiao Yi realized, surprised and suspicious, "Senior Luo gave you my entire dossier?"

Xia Yifeng nodded.

Beside him, Xia Canglan rolled his eyes, "Kid, you can’t be unaware of the prestige of the patriarch of the Xia Family, can you?"

"What?" Xiao Yi blurted out.

"You..." Xia Canglan’s face darkened.

Xia Yifeng shook his head and laughed.

Xia Canglan said in dissatisfaction, "But you surely know that Elder Huoo, right?"

"Of course." Xiao Yi nodded, "Dean Huoo is renowned throughout the Central Region, with countless students worldwide."

"In terms of martial arts guidance and teaching, he is second to none in the Central Region."

"He even taught a Soul Emperor and is acclaimed as an Emperor Master."

Xia Canglan proudly smiled, "However, all of Huoo Zhongtian’s disciples are martial artists from ordinary factions in the Central Region."

"He’s only ever instructed these ordinary martial artists."

"But the Xia Family Patriarch, when seen by countless hidden powerhouses, is respectfully addressed as a teacher."

"Perhaps you can understand it this way: the Xia Family Patriarch in the Hidden Forces has the same status as Huoo Zhongtian in the Central Region."

"Oh?" Xiao Yi’s expression was shocked.

Xia Canglan proudly declared, "Among the upper echelons of the Central Region, there’s a saying."

"Emperor Master Huoo Zhongtian, Hidden Master Xia Yifeng, Emperor’s disciples are delusions, Hidden Master’s unfathomable."

"The Hidden Master is our Xia Family Patriarch."

...

The first update.