Chapter 135 – White Clouds and Grey Dogs Rise Like Startled Swans

The ancients said: White clouds shift like fleeting hounds, worldly affairs are unpredictable; clouds swirl mysteriously and waves deceive, while winds rage and rains sweep horizontally.

Had Ye Kuang not learned of Southern Yuan Northern Ma’s intentions earlier, he might have continued attending classes as usual. But now, the situation had subtly escalated beyond his expectations.

If these people dared act so brazenly in the open, who could fathom how ruthless they might be in the shadows.

“Heaven’s transgressions may be avoided, but self-wrought calamities are inexcusable… If heaven won’t tolerate me, then I, Ye, have no choice but to draw my sword and challenge the azure skies.”

Only this long sigh remained in the alley, echoing endlessly, and from that moment on, the martial world gained one who would never return!

N City, outskirts, an unnamed mountain range.

As the moonlit night faded into emptiness and the morning sun gradually rose, this mountain forest abruptly welcomed an uninvited guest.

“Caw, caw, caw…”

Countless forest birds cried out in succession, creating an atmosphere that conveyed “blossoms fall and leaves scatter out of season, yesterday’s scenery never to return.”

Ye Kuang trekked through the mountain forest, preparing for the impending challenge.

Though he didn’t understand why others treated him this way, since both sides were enemies, they must always be ready to face destruction.

His mindset gradually matured, causing his idealized world to undergo earth-shattering changes that collided violently with reality.

This also brought about a subtle shift in his perspective, leaving him particularly conflicted.

Was the martial world always this turbid, its original form long distorted, where any means justified the ends?

Some might ask: What exactly is the martial world?

Previously, Ye Kuang might not have fully understood.

It was only at this moment that he grasped a truth: Where there are people, there is the martial world—nothing more than a song of broken hearts, searching endlessly for a final resting place.

You simply cannot escape it, nor break free from it.

Without stepping into it, one could never know how the martial world could make one so helpless against their will.

Ye Kuang’s hands involuntarily clenched into fists. To shoulder the “legacy” baton, he must shatter all rotten roots.

Even if it meant being crushed to pieces, he wouldn’t so much as frown. Otherwise, how would he differ from those twisted origins? They’d merely be jackals from the same lair.

Ye Kuang: “Aaaah…”

It could be said that the blow he suffered was utterly beyond words.

If it had to be described in one phrase, it would be: “White clouds shift, a startling swan rises—unknown, is this rugged and uneven path; known, is the road beneath my feet.”

He inevitably had to reacquaint himself with the martial world, confronting its true face head-on.

Regardless of its light and darkness, he would only be his own guide, treating all shadows as jokes that could be annihilated with a snap of his fingers.

To be reborn in the city, one must rise and resist stubbornly.

And once his slumbering heart awakened, it became unstoppable. If he had been overly merciful before, now he had awakened the nature of a formidable hero.

Whether this rebirth was good or bad, the world might not care—they only focused on results. But as a mere mortal, how could he ignore this darkness continuing to fester?

If he won, there would be no more shadows in this world; if he lost, it would merely mean starting over twenty years later.

It could be said that for Ye Kuang, striving for a pure heart was rarer than drifting with the currents.

And now, unlocking the secrets of the Nine Yin Manual was the key!

Ye Kuang then took out the remaining six secret manuals, and suddenly found himself abruptly sinking into an inescapable trance.The Body Concealment Art is divided into three major levels, yet it cannot be mastered overnight.

The Lingbo Steps are similarly divided into three realms: Treading Flat Ground, Scaling Walls and Vaulting Ridges, akin to crossing treacherous rivers; Indistinguishable Reality and Illusion, where truth becomes falsehood and falsehood becomes truth, with forms shifting unpredictably; Transcending to Immortality, Ascending Clouds with Ease, where Lingbo Steps soar into the heavens.

In contrast, the Thirty-Six Heavenly Legs are renowned for their power, speed, and variability… yet they are like distant water unable to quench immediate thirst.

Not to mention the Seventy-Two Earthly Punches, which appear immensely powerful but are overly time-consuming. If he were to gradually comprehend them, the gains and losses would be predictable.

It wasn’t until Ye Kuang picked up the Ethereal Art and the Jade Void Creation Art that he became perplexed.

According to the Nine Yin Manual, the Ethereal Art is actually a mental cultivation method specifically designed to unblock the Ren and Du meridians. Didn’t that mean reaching the Innate Realm would remove all shackles?

At this thought, Ye Kuang couldn’t help but feel exhilarated.

But the Jade Void Creation was described as the core cultivation method—what did that imply?

Or was the Jade Void Creation Art the true cultivation method all along!

And though the Nine Yin Manual appeared to be a collection, it actually formed its own school. How could it be understood as having core and branch concepts?

One could say countless doubts swarmed in, giving even our protagonist a headache.

For a moment, he pondered: should he systematically increase his power step by step, or attempt to break through realms through alternative means?

This was both a question and a difficult choice.

Yet according to Sage Qiankun’s words: “Once the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms are perfected, they can serve as a medium for gradual progression, allowing deeper penetration into this rainforest!”

Although Ye Kuang hadn’t reached mastery, Sage Qiankun never specified it had to be complete mastery. Moreover, he had indeed achieved some proficiency—couldn’t this be considered the right moment?

Action followed thought—this might be his unique quality.

He soon found a cave and, after confirming it was safe, began contemplating the Jade Void Creation Art!

He didn’t choose the Ethereal Art because of two introductory lines in the Creation Art:

“See mountains as mountains, see water as water, see wind and clouds changing yet remaining elusive. Formless, colorless, and without appearance; without heaven, earth, or self—when all can be harnessed, it transforms decay into wonder.”

“This is an extraordinary path, seizing creation from heaven and earth, invading the mysteries of sun and moon. Once the elixir is formed, even ghosts and gods cannot tolerate it. Though there are methods to preserve youth, five hundred years mark a calamity—divine thunder descends, Yin fire scorches. One must understand their nature and clarify their heart. Those who evade it gain longevity rivaling the heavens; those who fail perish instantly.”

Reading this, Ye Kuang’s eyes sharpened. These opening words alone revealed how heaven-defying this cultivation method was.

It was easy to imagine how incredible the subsequent contents would be.

He didn’t stop there but continued delving into its profound mysteries.

Unbeknownst to him, he had gradually become deeply enthralled, beyond words or description.

Just as all things in this world are ever-changing and unpredictable, who could guarantee the present situation is absolute?

Since he refused to be the phoenix’s tail, why not be the rooster’s head?

This seemingly fleeting glimpse of life’s unpredictability was, in fact, another turning point in the rises and falls of Ye Kuang’s early life…