Devour

Chapter 440 The Strongest Sword Technique

All the laughter and chatter abruptly ceased, and the students involuntarily gasped, their eyes filled with awe and shock.

Mr. Xiao blinked hard to confirm that the other party's power of all things was correct, and hurriedly asked Cheng Bai in detail: "Who recommended you to Taowu Academy? Was it An Yiren, right?"

Cheng Bai shook his head and said, "It was Master Li who brought me into the academy. I just came from Qingyun Tower."

Mr. Xiao was startled. He cautiously took a few steps forward and bowed slightly, saying, "Uh... when you went to Qingyun Tower, which floor did you go up to?"

This question, like a boulder dropped into water, stirred up a thousand waves in everyone's hearts. Lin Zhengyuan and Chu Kangzhi, especially those in the front row, listened intently.

Cheng Bai ignored the intense gazes around him and told the truth: "The master took me to the second floor to wait. Mr. Su Si in the building gave me a painting called 'Nine Dragons'."

As soon as he finished speaking, the students in the hall erupted in an uproar!

"what?"

"The Nine Dragons Diagram, the legendary key to unlocking the secrets of the Dragon Tomb!"

"Someone got it so quickly!"

In an instant, a cacophony of exclamations, doubts, and envy erupted, and the crowd's excitement was barely contained.

"It's him?" Lin Zhengyuan frowned, staring intently at Cheng Bai, his expression suspicious. He whispered, "Only those with a special invitation or who pay with a 'Questioning Card' can enter and exit Qingyun Tower. I had the chance to go up to the first floor once, but Chu Kangzhi didn't have the opportunity. How... how could he go to the second floor?"

Mr. Xiao was increasingly alarmed as he thought about it: "The second floor is a secret and important place in the academy, guarded by that miserly fourth brother, yet he was willing to personally paint the 'Nine Dragons Picture' for him?"

Cheng Bai continued, "At that time, Brother Yiren happened to arrive and enthusiastically acted as my guide, so I took the liberty of visiting you, sir."

An Yiren, who was standing to the side, said with a smile, "Senior Brother Xiao, among all the students here, this is the White Emperor Saint Master of the Devouring Heaven Sect, who is highly regarded by our teacher."

The students found the name impressively grandiose, but few had ever heard of it, and they looked at each other in bewilderment.

Chu Kangzhi was stunned for a moment, then muttered to himself, "Brother Bai, it's only been a short time since we last met, and you've gone from a musket to a cannon, and even have bodyguards now."

Mr. Xiao straightened his back and no longer hesitated. His gaze swept over the several people in the first row, finally landing on the student with the lowest cultivation and status. He solemnly instructed, "Student Zhu Bin, please stand up and move to the back of the row to give your seat to Student Bai Di!"

Zhu Bin's wide eyes flashed with a hint of surprise. He glanced at Cheng Bai and Bei Tingjun with difficulty, and obediently replied, "Okay." He then got up, picked up his own prayer mat and the writing brush, inkstone and books on his desk, and quickly moved them to the back row to sit with another student.

With the front row seats already empty, Cheng Bai casually took out a futon made of arrow grass and placed it in front of him, then sat down steadily, not forgetting to wave to Chu Kangzhi at the next table.

Chu Kangzhi quickly returned the greeting: "Brother Bai, please forgive my rudeness."

Seated behind Chu Kangzhi was an acquaintance—Xu Buwei of the Zhongji Yuquan Sword Sect. He smiled and nodded to Cheng Bai in greeting.

Bei Tingjun sat quietly beside Cheng Bai, his composure as steadfast as a mountain, subtly calming the restlessness in the room. Meanwhile, An Yiren, sitting on the other side, wore a smug, self-satisfied expression, as if to say, "I knew this would be the result."

Cheng Bai caught sight of a yellow-robed Taoist priest sitting silently across two tables from Chu Kangzhi and Lin Zhengyuan at the edge of the first row. His gaze sharpened, a sense of unease creeping into his heart: "Huang Yunzi? No... it's the Bone Emperor's puppet, he's actually here too."

Mr. Xiao San took a deep breath, regained his usual carefree demeanor, gently waved his fan, and loudly brought the students' thoughts back to the classroom: "The discussion on the essence of the Vast Sword Qi is over. Now let's change the subject. Students, do you know what the strongest sword technique is, throughout the entire Great Sumeru Mountain and the vast Five Continents and Four Seas?"

Without hesitation, An Yiren replied, "I heard it's the 'Ling Shuang Ao Xue Sword Technique' of the Bei Ling Sword Sect."

Mr. Xiao was slightly displeased with An Yiren's casualness. He glared at him and scolded, "That's completely wrong! All students, please raise your hands to answer the question."

Chu Kangzhi was eager to try, and just as he raised his hand, he regretted being the first to stick his neck out and quickly put it down again.

Mr. Xiao San took in all the subtle reactions in the room, lightly waved his Wind and Thunder Banana Leaf Fan at him, and said, "Student Chu, don't be shy, just speak boldly."

Chu Kangzhi stood up, composed himself, and, fearing he might say the wrong thing, bowed to everyone present before saying, "My Dragon Vein Sect has a wide circle of friends and knows a little about its secrets. If we're talking about the depth of swordsmanship, the two peaks in the world are the foremost!"

Then, he said in a loud voice: "First, Master Li, the dean of Taotie Academy, is skilled in the 'Free and Unfettered Spiritual Sword Technique,' but he adheres to the Li family rules and does not pass it on to outsiders, so few people know about it. Second, the leader of Tianmen, the Sword-wielding Heavenly King, uses the 'Heavenly Annihilation Sword Intent,' which is a superior martial arts sword technique that surpasses the former. However, because he has few rivals under his sword, no one has asked him to use it to see its power, so its strength has become a mystery."

After his extensive and insightful explanations, the students in the lecture hall were filled with admiration. They usually only paid attention to the contemporary masters on the list of sages and knew nothing about these ancient and secret anecdotes.

Mr. Xiao waved his fan, gesturing for Chu Kangzhi to sit down. He nodded slightly and said, "Student Chu's spirit is commendable, but it's a pity he didn't answer correctly!"

"Wrong?" Chu Kangzhi looked bewildered, finding it hard to believe. The other students were even more confused, and the lecture hall fell silent for a moment.

Mr. Xiao paused briefly, and seeing that no one present could answer, he stroked his beard with one hand and fanned himself with the other, and said loudly, "I asked about the strongest sword technique, not the strongest swordsman of today."

Cheng Bai nodded silently, thinking, "Chu Kangzhi deduced the strongest sword technique based solely on known experts. How can he know that there isn't a more advanced sword technique in the Five Continents and Four Seas, but it just hasn't been mastered yet?"

Mr. Xiao San continued, "In fact, looking around the world, let alone 'Heavenly Extinction Sword Intent,' even 'Frost-Covering and Snow-Proud Sword Technique' has not been seen to help anyone truly break through to the supreme sword realm."

Lin Zhengyuan, who was sitting closest to the podium, was very interested and couldn't help but ask, "Please enlighten me, teacher."

Mr. Xiao cleared his throat and continued, "The strength of a sword technique depends on how much power the swordsman can unleash. Therefore, it is not surprising that a low-level sword technique can defeat a high-level one. However, there is indeed a highest-level sword technique hidden in the Five Continents and Four Seas, which no one has mastered to this day... or rather, no one has ever 'cultivated' it into a sword technique."

Cheng Bai could hear the emphasis he placed on the words, and he was secretly surprised: "Why does it sound like you're playing word games?"

Mr. Xiao San vividly described, "You might find it strange to hear this. Why do I say this? It's because this martial art is extremely unique. If you want to master it as a sword technique, it becomes a sword technique; if you want to master it as a spear technique, it becomes a spear technique; and if you want to master it as a fist technique, it becomes a fist technique. It is flexible and unpredictable, varying from person to person!"

These words piqued the students' interest, and everyone listened intently, afraid of missing a single word.

Mr. Xiao was in high spirits, shaking his head and saying, "This is the secret technique of the World Honored One Sect, the 'Six Paths of Bliss,' a divine skill passed down through generations of the Bliss lineage, and its rank is Martial Origin Venerable."

Cheng Bai was slightly taken aback, thinking to himself, "The Six Paths of Bliss Technique? What does this have to do with my Six Paths of Bliss Fist?"

Chu Kangzhi slowly raised his hand again.

Mr. Xiao called out, "Student Chu, do you have any questions?"

Chu Kangzhi stood up in response and said solemnly, "I have heard of a Six Paths of Bliss Fist, which is said to be a peerless fist technique comprehended by the Great Emperor Yunmen and passed on to a meritorious official. I wonder if it is related to the Six Paths of Bliss Technique?"

"It's a very important relationship!"

After Mr. Xiao finished speaking, he gestured for Chu Kangzhi to sit down, and then said in detail: "Back then, Emperor Yunmen once studied the Six Paths of Bliss in the depths of the Great Snow Mountain in Ximang Tuozhou. After going through many hardships, he finally understood the mystery and mastered the Six Paths of Bliss Fist. Later, the Emperor fought in the south and north, and then created the Six Paths of Supreme Skill, laying the foundation for his unparalleled achievements!"

The students were immediately filled with excitement and listened intently, not daring to even breathe.

With a dignified gaze, Mr. Xiao San surveyed everyone present and said slowly, "This martial art is both orthodox and extraordinary. It is said that only a peerless genius has the opportunity to immerse himself in the ultimate mysteries and comprehend his own unique path. According to historical records, only the Great Emperor Yunmen mastered the unparalleled fist technique from it, rather than the sword technique."

Cheng Bai quickly raised his hand and asked, "May I ask, sir, who originally passed down this skill? Including the founder, surely it couldn't have been practiced by only one person?"