The First Sword of the Universe

Chapter 323 is about to be formed and born.
As the sun rose in the east, it dispelled the rosy drowsiness and reluctantly climbed into the sky.

The crimson sunset faded, turning back into ethereal white clouds.

In the peach grove, broken trees and branches lay scattered in disarray, pink petals falling to the ground, which were then blown about by the sea breeze.

As Xu Xingchen flipped through the yellowed pages of the Nine Yin Manual in his hand, he nodded and said, "That's right, I do recognize these Sanskrit characters!"

Zhou Botong's eyes lit up like two light bulbs, and he quickly leaned closer, grinning as he said, "Tell me, tell me!"

Then he complained, "Oh dear, Brother Xu, you have no idea! These past years, I've been trapped on this Peach Blossom Island by that old Huang Yaoshi, and I've been so bored every day that I've practically worn this book out. I can recite the rest of the content by heart, but I don't recognize these few pages of Sanskrit, which is really bothering me."

Xu Xingchen teased, "If it weren't for the predicaments you've faced over the years, I'm afraid you wouldn't have been able to calm your mind to cultivate; and you wouldn't have achieved what you have today, would you?!"

Zhou Botong lowered his head, frowned, and rolled his eyes at Xu Xingchen, saying, "Your tone of voice is exactly the same as my senior brother's, which is annoying."

Xu Xingchen laughed and said, "Alright, I won't say anything more. Zhou Botong, just listen carefully, I'll translate these Sanskrit texts for you."

During the night he spent with the old rascal, he couldn't bring himself to call him "Senior Zhou," feeling that the other man's temperament was really no different from that of a child.

Mischievous, naughty, playful, and fond of pranks.
Therefore, he couldn't bring himself to say the elder's name, but he could pronounce "Zhou Botong" very smoothly.

"The way of Heaven is to take from the surplus to give to the deficiency; therefore, emptiness overcomes fullness, and deficiency overcomes surplus."

"Its meaning is profound, its principles are abstruse, and its interest is deep. It distinguishes the phenomena of heaven and earth, arranges the signs of yin and yang, reveals the causes of change, and manifests the omens of life and death."

Xu Xingchen translated the general outline of the Nine Yin Manual word by word, while Zhou Botong, who was listening nearby, scratched his head and was overjoyed, shouting repeatedly.

"Wonderful! Wonderful!"

"So that's how it is; the harmony of Yin and Yang, the balance of strength and gentleness."

"In this way, my Empty Fist technique can reach an even higher level."

A general outline of over a thousand words was eloquently explained by Xu Xingchen, transforming it into a vast reserve of knowledge stored in his martial arts library.

Although both the Nine Yang Divine Skill and the Nine Yin Manual are divine skills that combine yin and yang and balance strength and gentleness, they explain the mysteries of martial arts from different perspectives.

The Nine Yang Divine Skill is characterized by its masculine appearance and feminine essence, making it an unparalleled and powerful fighting style.

The Nine Yin Manual, throughout its entirety, embodies the principle of "the extreme of Yin at its peak," employing ruthless and vicious martial arts techniques designed to kill without hesitation. While the Sanskrit general outline contains elements that correct this weakness, overall, it still maintains the principle of Yin on the surface and Yang on the core.
Xu Xingchen's acquisition of the supreme divine skills of the Nine Yin and Nine Yang sects led to a rapid increase in his understanding of Yin and Yang energies. Countless sparks of wisdom burst forth and shone in his mind, as brilliant as fireworks on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

One sings, the next takes the stage!

The Yin-Yang Qi Gong he cultivated was a supreme divine skill that combined the essence of Yin and Yang energies, containing not only the power of primordial magnetism but also the power of ice and fire.
He has always focused on the power of Yin-Yang Elemental Magnetics. His later Martial Godhood and the power transformations he underwent three breakthroughs were all based on the power of Yin-Yang Elemental Magnetics.

As for the power of ice and fire
Since he comprehended these two powers, he has always used them only as support. His most glorious moment was when he buried the Xuanming Elders.

Xu Xingchen also had many ideas about the application of the power of ice and fire, but his own knowledge base was somewhat lacking, and he had the will but not the ability.

Now, having thoroughly read the general outline of the Nine Yin Manual, and combining it with the chapters he had learned from Zhou Botong the previous night, he compared it with the Nine Yang Divine Skill. His knowledge base began to expand rapidly once again, and many ideas that had previously only existed in his mind seemed to have the potential to be implemented.

After Xu Xingchen finished translating all the Sanskrit text on the first few pages, the peach blossom grove fell silent for a moment.

Xu Xingchen closed his eyes and pondered, the sparks of wisdom in his mind constantly flashing and bursting forth.
Zhou Botong was like a hyperactive child, sometimes sitting down and frowning in deep thought, sometimes standing up and pacing back and forth. When he finally figured something out, he couldn't help but dance with joy and laugh heartily.

The two, one active and one still, seemed to share an invisible boundary, coexisting without interfering with each other.

Time slips away quietly.
The sun gradually climbed overhead from the eastern sky, and then slowly set in the west.

The sparks of wisdom in Xu Xingchen's mind grew brighter and brighter, as if they were about to coalesce into something.
The Nine Yin Manual is the culmination of martial arts principles in this world, encompassing everything and meticulously explaining many of the world's secrets and rules.
Xu Xingchen didn't need to study the entire Nine Yin Manual thoroughly. The chapters he obtained last night, as well as the Sanskrit outline he saw during the day, were enough for him.

As for the other chapters on the application of fist and palm weapons such as the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, Heart-Shattering Palm, Great Subduing Demon Fist, and Spiral Nine Shadows, they are all minor details and insignificant. If Mei Chaofeng knew what he was thinking, she would probably be so angry that she would grind her teeth to dust; if the already dead Chen Xuanfeng heard it, the coffin lid would probably burst open!
Xu Xingchen has studied countless divine skills and martial arts techniques, possessing an extremely rich knowledge base. Even though this world is one or two dimensions higher than the previous two, the martial arts system is still consistent, making it possible to integrate and master them.

The Nine Yang Divine Skill from the previous world was originally a level lower than the Nine Yin Manual of this world.

After Xu Xingchen studied the Nine Yin Manual, he understood many things and his Nine Yang Divine Skill, which he had improved upon himself, was now fully formed.

The contents of the Nine Yin Manual and the Nine Yang Divine Skill collided and churned violently in his mind, and it seemed that something was about to condense and be born.
Just then, someone suddenly burst into the nearby peach grove, startling the two people who were deep in thought.

Xu Xingchen felt the thing that was about to take shape inside her body, and calmly suppressed it into her heart, leaving it for later study.

Zhou Botong slapped his forehead in frustration, scratched his beard, and upon seeing the person who barged in, immediately beamed and shouted, "The food is here!"

The newcomer was a thin, middle-aged man carrying a food box. He strode over to the vicinity, ignored Xu Xingchen standing to the side, put down the food box with a blank expression, and then turned and left.

As Zhou Botong was opening the box, he saw Xu Xingchen still looking at the departing middle-aged man and said, "Don't mind him. He's a deaf-mute who can't hear or speak. He's Huang Yaoshi's servant on Peach Blossom Island!"

Xu Xingchen withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "This person's martial arts skills are not bad. If he were to set foot in the Central Plains, he would surely become a master in his own right."

As Zhou Botong took out the vegetables, rice, and porridge from the food box, he said, "Of course, although Huang Yaoshi is a villain, his martial arts are extremely exquisite and extraordinary!"

Then, he chuckled and exclaimed, "That old Huang Yaoshi really knew you were coming! There's been a lot more food, and he even brought an extra pair of chopsticks!"

Xu Xingchen pondered for a moment, knowing that this matter was probably related to Ouyang Feng and his nephew, but he didn't take it seriously. He took the chopsticks Zhou Botong handed him and picked up a bowl of rice to eat.

After finishing their meal, the two shared some porridge and then put their utensils back in the food box.

As darkness fell, the two men lit another campfire and sat down on the ground.

Xu Xingchen had no time to study the thing that was about to take shape in her body, so she chatted with Zhou Botong.

"Old rascal, you've now become a top-tier expert. Is it possible for you to escape this peach blossom formation?"

Zhou Botong scratched his messy hair and said smugly, "I've been here for over ten years and have figured out half of this Peach Blossom Formation. Now, as a top expert who has broken through to the fourth realm, my eyesight is sharp and my mind is clear. This Peach Blossom Formation can no longer deceive my eyes."

Xu Xingchen said thoughtfully, "So, Peach Blossom Island can't hold Hong Qigong and Ouyang Feng anymore?!"

"Old Beggar and Old Poison Master don't come to Peach Blossom Island, so how could they be trapped?" Zhou Botong joked with a laugh, but halfway through his sentence, he suddenly realized something, and his eyes widened in surprise: "Brother Xu, are you saying that the two of them are on Peach Blossom Island right now?"

Xu Xingchen nodded and said, "That's right, they've all come to Peach Blossom Island."

"What are they doing here? Could they be joining forces to cause trouble for Huang Yaoshi?" Zhou Botong muttered to himself, making wild guesses. After a moment, he looked up and asked, "By the way, I still don't know why you came to Peach Blossom Island. Oh, and how do you know who I am? How do you know about Ying... Ying Gu?"

Xu Xingchen smiled and recounted the story of how his disciple Guo Jing and Huang Rong, Huang Yaoshi's daughter, were in love. He also explained the master-disciple relationship between Guo Jing and Hong Qigong.
Finally, there was the momentous event of Hong Qigong bringing Guo Jing and Ouyang Feng bringing his nephew to Peach Blossom Island to propose marriage.

And the story of how he came to help, only to accidentally wander into the peach blossom forest.
When Zhou Botong heard that so many familiar faces had suddenly appeared on the island, he was both surprised and frightened. He jumped up from the ground and started shouting that he should leave Peach Blossom Island as soon as possible and not run into the old poisoner Ouyang Feng.

Xu Xingchen then suddenly remembered something: the old rascal wasn't afraid of Ouyang Feng, but rather the poisonous snakes that Ouyang Feng summoned.

This fear is almost ingrained in the old man's bones, and he can't change it no matter what he tries!
In the end, Zhou Botong was temporarily calmed down by Xu Xingchen, who said, "You have already become a master of the same level as that old poisoner, so why would you be afraid of him now?"

"Even if something happens, your three brothers can stay behind and hold them off for a bit, right?"

Zhou Botong muttered, "I'm not afraid of that old poisoner at all, it's just that he's surprised that he used a snake to scare me."

A thought flashed through Xu Xingchen's mind, and she said with a smile, "Then do you want to get revenge on him?"

Zhou Botong looked over in surprise.
(End of this chapter)