Chapter 22  : Chapter 022: Enlightenment Stele

In the palm of Yang Zhen’s outstretched hand, a small cloud was floating, exactly like the white clouds in the sky, constantly changing in shape. It emitted a terrifying surge of vital energy.

“Did Yang Zhen understand some heaven-level martial skills?”

“That white cloud in his hand, it’s giving me a palpitation feeling. What kind of martial skill is this, it’s so strange?”

Everyone inside Ghost Sees Sorrow looked at Yang Zhen with startled faces. Although Yang Zhen looked like a fool at the moment, this kind of foolishness was a state that everyone had been pursuing all their lives.

Insight!

There were many kinds of insight. Some people could understand the true meaning of power through insight, some people could feel the ultimate truth of life, and some people could even realize the martial skills and cultivation methods they had been unable to successfully practice through insight. Regardless of the type, insight was a state that all practitioners on the Nether State continent were diligently pursuing. This pursuit did not distinguish between talent, power, or even gender.

Among everyone inside Ghost Sees Sorrow, the one who felt the deepest was no other than Zhang Zongjin. Yang Zhen had been talking to him, and the two were openly and secretly opposing each other. It looked like they were just chatting casually, but the conversation had already taken on the implications of a battle of wits.

Even though Zhang Zongjin had extremely high talent and cultivation, and was recognized as the world’s number one swordsman, he still lost to Yang Zhen in this clash. However, this did not affect his mentality too much.

Zhang Zongjin cultivated the state of mind. If the heart was calm, the sword intent would be invincible. Therefore, even if he lost to a person whose cultivation was far inferior to his, he just smiled slightly. Victory or defeat was common for a soldier.

But Yang Zhen not only completely crushed him in realm but also gained insight while in their open and hidden battles. Moreover, he realized a cultivation method that was at least of the heaven-level grade.

This is a bit too much to bear!

Zhang Zongjin turned red and nearly vomited blood out of anger at Yang Zhen. He wasn’t sure if comparing others would kill, but it would definitely make one spew blood.

The cool wind blew against Zhang Zongjin’s neck, causing him to shudder and break out in a cold sweat. He woke up completely, feeling as if he had narrowly escaped a great danger. If he didn’t wake up, he would have fallen into mental demons.

For some reason, all the sounds that Zhang Zongjin heard at this moment seemed to be mocking him, ridiculing his ignorance and arrogance.

If Zhang Zongjin knew that Yang Zhen had not realized some heaven-level cultivation method but had created a martial skill, he would have vomited blood in anger already.

Yang Zhen woke up from his insight, looked at the white cloud in his hand and said to Zhang Zongjin with a strange expression, “Do you know a palm method that descends from the sky?”

Upon hearing Yang Zhen’s words, everyone’s hearts shook, and they instinctively looked up at the white cloud in mid-air.

Zhang Zongjin’s face also changed, he squinted his eyes and said, “Just who are you, and which Great Sect’s disciple?”

Yang Zhen shook his head and replied, “I’m just a nobody. It’s just that I look a bit handsome, so people tend to remember me. I’m not a disciple of any Great Sect.”

Zhang Zongjin took two steps back, looking at Yang Zhen uncertainly, “Good, so you want me to test that ‘palm method that descends from the sky?”

Yang Zhen stood up, looked at Zhang Zongjin, and said, “No!” “You…” Zhang Zongjin took another step back, suddenly considering turning around and leaving. Speaking with Yang Zhen was too uncomfortable. This guy never played by the rules, it was enough to make one feel stifled and want to vomit blood.

Everyone felt a bit sorry for Zhang Zongjin, having provoked such an evildoer like Yang Zhen, it must be a very painful experience.

Then, Yang Zhen casually closed his hand, packing up the white cloud, and said with a grin, “Once I’ve perfected this martial skill, I’ll find you to test it.”

Perfected?

“You created a martial skill?” Zhang Zongjin took three horrified steps back, and a mouthful of old blood uncontrollably spurted out. He looked like all the strength had been drained from him as he muttered disorientedly, “No, this is impossible. You lied to me, you must have tricked me.”

Everyone was terrified. Creating a martial skill, how was that possible?

Let alone disciples from small clans, even the leaders of the Great Sects didn’t dare to just arbitrarily create martial skills. All martial skills had specific paths for Qi circulation. A mistake would end in death or injury. Practicing martial skills were undertaken with great caution, as if walking on thin ice. Creating martial skills outright was akin to seeking death.

Seeing Zhang Zongjin spit out blood because he was deceived by Yang Zhen’s words, everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Their gaze towards Yang Zhen was filled with fear.

It was horrifying. This Yang Zhen was like a monster.

It wasn’t Yang Zhen’s shamelessness they feared, but that his shamelessness was always accompanied by his cutting words. Without caution, it could traumatize someone, possibly even leading to a mental haunt.

Yang Zhen shook his head and sighed, looking skywards with a melancholic expression, “Alas, life is indeed as lonely as the snow. No one believes the truth, can we still cultivate happily together?”

Splutter!

Everyone almost choked. Show-off, show-off again, and you might just show flowers raining from the sky.

After spitting out blood, Zhang Zongjin regained his calm, and coldly said, “No matter how eloquent or deceptive you are, the revealing monument at the’ Nether State convention will expose your true nature. I hope you will not disappoint me then!”

At Zhang Zongjin’s words, everyone suddenly understood.

The highlight of the Nether State convention was not the wilderness trials, but the revealing monument afterward. The monument contains the mysteries of heaven. Every year, some heavenly talents would comprehend the truth of the universe, get a powerful cultivation method or martial skill, or even acquire a complete inheritance from it.

That was the real moment when everyone would display their divine powers.

Those with low talents wouldn’t even get a chance.

Yang Zhen had boldly claimed to create martial skills at this time. Everyone naturally didn’t know whether this was true or false, but once in front of the revealing monument, they could immediately judge whether Yang Zhen was pretending to be mysterious or was actually monstrous.

Eh?” Yang Zhen paused, looking at everyone’s expression, and asked the Princess Changyang in surprise, “Does such a thing exist?”

If what Zhang Zongjin said was correct, then the revealing monument was made precisely for his astronomical talents. Yang Zhen immediately became interested.

Seeing Yang Zhen’s gaze towards her, Princess Changyang responded with a bitter smile, “What Master Zhang said is true. After the trials of the Nether State convention, there truly is a revealing monument. It contains countless cultivation methods, martial skills, and martial arts inheritance. It’s been said someone even comprehended a Heaven-level cultivation method there!” “Heaven-level cultivation method?” Yang Zhen’s interest was further piqued.

Hmph!” Zhang Zongjin sneered, watching with growing bitterness as Princess Changyang patiently explained to Yang Zhen, “Does a clapping jester also deserve a Heaven-level cultivation method? When the time comes, every Tom, Dick, and Harry will be exposed. I hope you can hold out then. Oh, I forgot, with your thick-skinned nature, how can you not?”

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Zhang Zongjin’s words might have been harsh, but they were undoubtedly true. The revealing monument wasn’t something just anyone could comprehend.

Yang Zhen, with a surprised look on his face, pointed at Zhang Zongjin and said, “Oh, you’re calling us every Tom, Dick, and Harry?”

Zhang Zongjin’s face changed suddenly as he was about to explain, but then he heard Yang Zhen continue, “Guys, it’s not me who’s causing trouble here, but this ‘world’s number one cheap guy’ is being too arrogant. He said that we’re all every Tom, Dick, and Harry. So arrogant, we can’t afford to provoke him.”

“I… When did I say that?”

“You said it, you just said it!”

I didn’t!” Zhang Zongjin broke out in a cold sweat. As arrogant as he was, he dared not insult others by calling them every Tom, Dick, and Harry. He had basically offended everyone present.

Among the crowd, Fang Shenhe watched Zhang Zongjin disappointingly, “Is this still Zhang Zongjin? Why did he become like a fool after meeting Yang Zhen?”