My name is Huang Tian, ​​what the hell is this "Heaven is dead" nonsense?

Chapter 125 A Thousand Years of Martial Fortune: A Cycle of Rise and Fall, Life and Death
"Brother Huang! Brother Huang! Look, the latest Grandmaster Ranking is out, and you're on the list!"

In the town of Funing, inside the Zhenwuwei Hundred-Household Office, in a huge training ground, Huang Tian, ​​Xu Shu, and Long Zhang were sitting cross-legged on a futon, discussing their respective understandings of martial arts. At this moment, Xie Zheng suddenly walked over quickly, holding a document.

"Grandmaster Ranking?"

Huang Tian raised an eyebrow. He remembered this list. Zhou Miaosu had previously given him a list of grandmasters annotated by Zhou Tu, which recorded the names, achievements, and so on of more than two hundred first-rank grandmasters and dozens of second-rank grandmasters.

Long Zhang stood up with a smile and took the document from Xie Zheng's hand. "Xiahou Yindu died at Brother Huang's hands. It's not surprising that Brother Huang has made it onto the Grandmaster List."

After Xiahou Yin unleashed his secret technique, he would definitely possess the combat strength of a first-rank master. Within the Great Qian Dynasty, almost every first-rank grandmaster could be listed, so it was only natural that Huang Tiandeng would be included.

Long Zhang unfolded the Grandmaster Ranking, turned to the page with Huang Tian's name on it, and the group gathered around to look at it.

[Chapter 219: Huang Tian]

Born in Kunyun County, Qin Prefecture, he was the fourth son of Huang Xunjiu, the head of the Huang family in the county town. His birth mother was once a maidservant and was not favored by Huang Xunjiu. She died of melancholy a few years after giving birth to Huang Tian, ​​who was also disliked by the rest of the Huang family...

[Upon entering the Zhenwu Guard Academy in Kunyun County, his extraordinary talent was revealed, and he soared to great heights. Within a month, he broke through three realms; within half a month, he reached the sixth rank; within a month, the fifth rank; and within a little over a month, the fourth rank...]

[He once killed several third-rank grandmasters while only holding a fifth-rank rank, and after reaching the fourth rank, he successively killed the Three Elders of Qinzhou, Niu Kuanyu, and Xiahou Yin, possessing the strength of a first-rank...]

[Evaluation: A province where martial prowess has converged for a thousand years, possessing unparalleled divine qualities]

"Hi~"

After reading it, everyone gasped in shock.

A province where a thousand years of military fortune converge!
His appearance is that of a supreme being!

Such a description...

'That's definitely not an exaggeration!'

Xu Shu thought to himself, 'In the past thousand years, not a single Celestial Realm expert has appeared in Qin Prefecture, yet Huang Tian truly possesses the qualities of a Celestial Realm expert. How can this not be considered a convergence of martial fortune over a thousand years?'

Long Zhang clicked his tongue twice, "It's a pity that the Grandmaster Ranking is based on strength. If it were based on potential, Brother Huang would definitely be in the top three!"

He was being a bit conservative with his assessment; given Huang Tian's potential, first place was definitely within reach.

Faced with these praises, Huang Tian was neither modest nor arrogant; he simply smiled.

Xie Zheng sighed, "I don't know when I'll be on the list. If I am, my father will be overjoyed."

Long Zhang laughed and said, "When you reach the second rank and master that Withering and Flourishing Life and Death Sword Technique, that will probably be about right."

"Second rank is too difficult!"

Xie Zheng shook his head, "It is very difficult to master swordsmanship. I have practiced swordsmanship for decades and have only achieved minor mastery. Mastery is extremely difficult, let alone perfection."

The Withering and Flourishing Life and Death Sword Technique is one of the sword techniques passed down by the old master of Tianjian Manor. It is also a mysterious sword technique that is widely circulated in the five kingdoms. He did not care about the sword technique being leaked out. On the contrary, he intended to pass down various techniques, gather the wisdom of millions of martial artists, and bring inspiration to himself.

Once the Withering and Flourishing Life and Death Sword Technique is perfected, one can comprehend the changes of withering and flourishing, and then use it as a stepping stone to comprehend the divine will!

Divine will is the greatest threshold between the highest rank and the realm of the celestial beings!
Once you comprehend and cultivate your own unique divine will, the realm of heaven and man will be within reach!
For a Celestial Being to break through to the legendary Void Realm, they must continuously grow their divine will and eventually condense into a true "god".

That is, the primordial spirit!

But that's too far off. Apart from the five Void Realm experts from ten thousand years ago, no one in the Five Realms has yet been able to fathom the mysteries of the "Primordial Spirit".

Long Zhang's eyes were filled with longing. "I've heard that the old master once used his sword to make a withered tree bloom like brocade, with rays of light shining everywhere. And with another sword, all the flowers fell and the branches and leaves turned to ash... What a realm that was! It's truly amazing."

Hearing him mention his grandfather, Xie Zheng felt proud, but then became somewhat dejected.

Compared to his grandfather, he was far inferior.

"I'll continue practicing my sword!"

He said something and then went to the middle of the training ground, where he stood with his sword in hand.

Clang!
The longsword was drawn, and a sound like the roar of a dragon and the cry of a phoenix rang out.

Xie Zheng moved with the grace of a dragon, his sword following his movements. In an instant, a dazzling sword light shone in the air.

At first, the sword light was dense and continuous, like silkworms spinning silk, weaving a fine and shimmering net of light.

A moment later, the sword's momentum changed, becoming more expansive and powerful. The sword light, like a silver ribbon, swept across the sky, like a long river pouring down. The crisscrossing and expansive sword energy pierced the sky, emitting sharp whistles.

He leaps and bounds, sometimes like an eagle soaring through the sky, sometimes like a roc soaring high, sometimes like a divine axe splitting a mountain, with immense power.

The ever-flowing sword light, illuminated by the warm sun, resembled streaks of rainbow light.

From the glint of his sword, one could vaguely see traces of the withering and flourishing of vegetation, the rising and setting of the moon, and the appearance and disappearance of rainbows...

The three sat quietly and watched, each gaining their own insights.

Huang Tian, ​​in particular, had watched Xie Zheng practice his swordsmanship several times in recent days and had gained a deeper and deeper understanding of the interplay of life and death in this sword technique.

Tick-tock~Tick-tock~
Ripples spread across the Lake of Inspiration.

Huang Tian suddenly closed his eyes, focused his mind and tried to guide the flow of qi and blood in his body.

gurgling~

The powerful and surging qi and blood converge and compress into the muscles and bones.

Gradually, the muscles on his face shrank, his skin lost its luster, tightly wrapped around his cheekbones, and his eye sockets became sunken, making him look like a withered person who had been ill for a long time.

Besides his face, his body was also slowly withering away, but it was not noticeable because of his clothes. Only his exposed palms showed that they had become dry and brittle.

However, beneath this gaunt exterior lies a completely different story.

All the condensed and compressed essence of qi and blood, like rivers flowing into the sea, merged into and tempered his muscles and bones, which radiated a shimmering light, like diamond and crystal!

At the same time, his aura became increasingly faint and subtle, to the point that it was impossible to detect his presence without looking with the naked eye.

'This is the withering of withering and flourishing, which can make one's bones as strong as diamond and one's strength as great as a dragon or elephant. At the same time, it also has the effect of concealing one's breath and energy...' Huang Tian understood.

'Oh, Brother Huang, what's this...?'

Long Zhang, who was sitting to the side, turned his gaze away from Xie Zheng, who was wielding his sword, and looked at Huang Tian. When he saw Huang Tian’s extremely gaunt face, he was first startled, and then his eyes lit up with surprise.

He noticed Huang Tian, ​​and Xu Shu also saw him, his heart leaping in surprise, 'Withered and Flourishing?!'

His emaciated appearance suggests either that Huang Tian has suffered severe injuries and his vital energy is depleted, or that he has grasped the essence of life and death they were just discussing.

Long Zhang and Xu Shu exchanged a glance, then stood up in unison, keeping a distance from Huang Tian. They did this so as not to disturb Huang Tian.

The two walked more than twenty feet away and stood aside, observing the changes in Huang Tian.

At this moment, Xie Zheng also noticed the strange behavior of the group. He sheathed his sword and looked over, then a chill ran down his spine. 'He's grasped the essence of life and death?!'

A strong sense of frustration instantly swept over him. He had painstakingly practiced swordsmanship for decades without ever understanding the cycle of growth and decay, while Huang Tian had only watched him practice swordsmanship a few times and yet he had already grasped the essence!
The difference in comprehension is so vast, it's too unfair of God! Even with his good temperament, he couldn't help but feel a little unbalanced at this moment. But after a moment, he adjusted his mindset: 'Father said that talent and comprehension are determined by heaven. There are thousands of geniuses in the world, and everyone has their own strengths. I don't need to be jealous of others. I can just focus on walking my own path and practicing my sword!'
Besides, Huang Tian is also my friend. If I were to be jealous of my friend, wouldn't I be a beast?

Composing himself, he walked over to Long Zhang and the other man, exchanging a glance with them.

Long Zhang shook his head and sighed softly, "I've long heard of Brother Huang's extraordinary comprehension, and today I've witnessed it firsthand."

Xie Zheng nodded slightly and joked in a low voice, "It's a pity my father isn't here, otherwise if he saw Brother Huang comprehend the changes of decay and prosperity, he would probably be trembling with excitement."

While the group was discussing, something else happened on Huang Tian's side.

The blood and qi, compressed between the muscles and bones and seemingly dormant, suddenly boiled up as if fuel had been poured on a fire!
Like spring thunder awakening the earth, and river water breaking ice, surging blood and energy rapidly flow to every part of the body.

The withered face instantly became plump, and the blood and energy under the skin flowed freely, not only restoring the skin's elasticity but also giving it a jade-like luster.

His eyes regained their sparkle, his lips were rosy, and he seemed to have been reborn, radiating a warm and jade-like glow, as if he had been carved from fine jade.

A moment later, another change occurred in him.

The left cheek shrank back to its original state, like dried tree bark, and the left eye socket became sunken, with a dull look in the eyes. The right cheek, however, remained unchanged, smooth and round.

At this moment, one can see the cycle of withering and flourishing, life and death in him.

Moreover, this state is not static, but changes at an extremely slow rate.

Beneath the withered left side of his body lurked a glimmer of life waiting to burst forth.

The crystalline fullness of the right half of the body also contained a hint of withering and decay.

"One withers, the other flourishes, they coexist and thrive, it's perfect!" Xie Zheng said enviously.

Long and Zhang clicked their tongues in disbelief, unsure of what to say.

Huang Tian, ​​sitting cross-legged on the futon, was quietly experiencing the changes occurring within his body.

The effects of this cycle of decay and flourishing are primarily manifested in the body and in the flow of qi and blood.

First, there's the withering effect, which allows me to control my qi and blood, enabling me to conceal my breath and hide my form. This is very useful whether I'm trying to evade pursuit or assassinate someone in secret.

In addition, it can be shaped into a Vajra Jade Bone, which looks withered but is actually as strong as Vajra and glass, greatly increasing its defense. Furthermore, in this state, my absorption of spiritual energy and medicinal power will increase significantly.

Next is Rong, which can unleash the maximum amount of Qi and blood in my body, similar to the secret technique Xiahou Yin used when fighting me. However, after unleashing this power, it cannot be used for prolonged battles; it is only suitable for life-or-death struggles.

As the thought crossed his mind, Huang Tian began to circulate his qi and blood to restore his body to its original state while deep in thought.

'Having understood the cycle of growth and decay, my wood-element techniques have taken shape.'

Fire element, Tushita Heaven!

Gold, soaring to the heavens!

Wood element, the cycle of heaven!

The "Reincarnation Heaven" mentioned here does not refer to the ability to send people into reincarnation after creating this technique. Although there are legends of reincarnation in the Five Realms, no one in the world has ever truly achieved it. Even a powerful celestial being will die when their lifespan is exhausted.

This is why no one doubts that Huang Tian's rapid cultivation is due to the reincarnation of a powerful being.

'The Cycle of Reincarnation is actually a method that simultaneously tempers the body and spirit. Its prototype is to understand the changes of flourishing and decay, and then use the method of flourishing and decay to further temper the body and achieve indestructibility.'

Perfection, on the other hand, allows one to weave illusions, both to combat enemies, plunging them into layers of illusion, as if they were falling into an endless cycle of reincarnation, and to temper one's own spirit, cultivating divine will!

In other words, when the Reincarnation Heaven is perfected, divine will arises spontaneously, and the threshold of the Celestial Being is broken down. Once the blood and true energy are fully accumulated, he can step into the Celestial Being realm!
'Unfortunately, I've seen far too few mental techniques, and I lack inspiration. I wonder if there are more in the capital city...'

Call ~
Huang Tian let out a soft breath and opened his eyes, only to see Long Zhang and the other two people gathered around him, looking at him curiously.

Xie Zheng praised, "If my grandfather had seen Brother Huang understand the changes of prosperity and decline in just a few days, he would have been full of praise."

Long Zhang also said, "Brother Huang has ingeniously transformed the withering and flourishing of sword intent into the withering and flourishing of the body. It is truly a wonderful idea."

Huang Tian smiled and responded with a few words. Then the four of them sat down and talked about the changes of prosperity and decline. Of course, Huang Tian did most of the talking while the other three listened.

About half an hour later, the four parted ways, and Huang Tian returned to his residence.

Standing in the courtyard, he swallowed a Dragon-Tiger Great Rejuvenation Pill that he had "seized" from Ke Rujing.

"boom!"

As soon as the Dragon Tiger Great Rejuvenation Pill entered his stomach, its immense medicinal power exploded. Huang Tian calmly lowered his waist and hips, his spine arched like a bow, and began practicing the Cloud Dragon Stance.

'Let's try the effects of the method of withering and flourishing during cultivation...'

A thought struck him, and his skin visibly lost its luster, becoming dry, dull, and even developing fine wrinkles.

Under these circumstances, the immense medicinal power of the Dragon-Tiger Great Rejuvenation Pill was released at an even more surging speed, nourishing every meridian in his body. At the same time, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth seemed to be drawn in, frantically pouring into his body!
The bones and meridians, nourished by the immense medicinal power and abundant spiritual energy, became increasingly lustrous and translucent, as radiant as glass.

After a long while, when the last trace of medicinal power was completely refined, Huang Tian used his will to guide his qi and blood.

Wow~
From barren to flourishing!

A surge of vital energy and blood welled up from the muscles, bones, and internal organs, instantly giving the withered body a radiant glow. The skin was even more resilient than before, and beneath the skin, the vital energy and blood flowed heavily like mercury, with the sound of wind and thunder faintly heard as it surged.

"It can both temper muscles, bones, and blood, and increase cultivation speed. Not bad, not bad!"

Huang Tian was quite satisfied. "I was already fast at cultivation, and now I'm even faster. I estimate that I'll be able to break through again in about ten days and reach the third rank!"

Once you reach the third rank, your strength will definitely increase again. I dare not say that you can fight against a Celestial Realm expert, that's unrealistic, because the gap between the first rank and the Celestial Realm is too big!
However, while he cannot contend with the Celestials, he will be virtually invincible at the First Grade Realm, and at that time, he will have no worries about the vast world!
"Continue to practice!"

Huang Tian cut off another piece of the root of a centuries-old spiritual herb, consumed it, and continued practicing the Cloud Dragon Stance, using the Withering and Flourishing Technique, combined with the Thunder Sound Body Tempering Secret Technique, cultivating at an extremely rapid pace...

……

……

"Wow!"

A powerful eagle soared through the sky, over hills, plains, and forests, finally landing above a sprawling mountain villa nestled against the mountains and beside the water, circling and flapping its wings.

This mountain villa is called Fengyun Villa.

The master of the manor, Yue Dingshan, is a grandmaster of the first rank, with superb spear skills and extremely strong strength. He has thousands of disciples and enjoys a high reputation in the martial arts world of Lan Kingdom.

But at this moment, his face was particularly grim, because someone had arrived outside the villa.

He stood tall in a purple brocade robe, a sword at his waist. His face was plain, but his eyes held a fierce intensity, as if he wanted to burn everything he saw to ashes!

With a solemn expression, Yue Dingshan subconsciously tightened his grip on the coiled dragon spear, and said, word by word:

"Xia! Hou! Yang!"

(End of this chapter)