Chapter 259 – The Eighteen Weapon Manuals

Hearing the commotion, Ye Kuang shifted his gaze and fixed his eyes on the Four Sages.

Though he had observed the changes in everyone’s expressions, he hadn’t yet grasped the key details.

Boom!

A deafening roar erupted as the Inkstone Elder suddenly set down the stone tablet he carried.

Ye Kuang had initially mistaken it for a replica, never expecting it to be genuinely so heavy.

Muttering to himself, he wondered, “What are they planning to do?”

The next moment left him utterly stunned.

As if pressing a hidden mechanism, the Inkstone Elder caused the stone tablet to split open, revealing its contents.

Creak…

Amid the gradual turning of gears, the raw materials of the “Four Treasures of the Study” emerged—paper, ink, brush, and inkstone.

Mo Daoba remarked, “Old friend, how many years has it been? Since Qing Ge last saw you, I thought no one in this world would ever witness this again…”

Bi Jianshen cut in, “Enough, enough. Stop dawdling.”

Zhi Qianxun declared, “I’ll go first.”

As the three Sages spoke in turn, all four of them began bustling about.

Right before everyone’s eyes, they demonstrated the entire process of crafting paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones.

Only after half an hour did the Four Sages grow slightly solemn.

Fully absorbed in their tasks, their dignified demeanor rivaled that of facing a supreme martial arts master.

Even Ye Kuang couldn’t help but feel a surge of reverence.

Though he had never before witnessed the creation of the Four Treasures, he was deeply moved by the authenticity of the moment, broadening his horizons.

The process, though seemingly intricate, was second nature to the Four Sages.

Their focused expressions conveyed profound meaning.

Their meticulous and rigorous attitude reflected a quality ingrained over millennia of tradition;

Their repeated refining motions embodied the craftsman’s spirit of honing ancient wisdom to perfection…

These elements complemented each other, giving rise to countless marvels of ingenuity.

As dusk fell, Mo Daoba’s words—”It’s done” and “We can begin”—snapped everyone back to reality.

Bi Jianshen proclaimed, “Since ancient times, it’s been said that mastering all eighteen martial arts is exceedingly rare—so rare that one might say no one has ever achieved it.”

Pausing, he continued, “Naturally, this gave rise to the eighteen weapons. I will now draft a manual of the eighteen weapon techniques for you. Study it carefully. What you glean from it depends entirely on your own ability!”

“Mo Yan, fetch some tables and chairs.”

“Right away,” Senior Brother Xiao replied promptly.

Admittedly, the dilapidated Banquet Hall was no place for the Four Sages to display their skills. The crowd had already lined up dozens of feet along the corridor.

Witnessing this, Ye Kuang couldn’t suppress his curiosity, feeling an inexplicable sense of anticipation.

Suddenly, his mind flooded with detailed explanations of the Eighteen Weapon Manuals, leaving him utterly astounded.

Bi Jianshen commanded, “Come here.”

Ye Kuang: “…”

Truth be told, though intrigued, he remained somewhat skeptical of Bi Jianshen’s claims.

But with circumstances beyond his control, he had no choice but to comply.With everything in place, Bi Jianshen then dipped his brush into ink, calming his mind and focusing his energy as he began to prepare.

At that moment, a trace of confusion appeared in Ye Kuang’s gaze.

He suddenly sensed an invisible force lingering around him, as if a pair of eyes were watching from the shadows, sending a chill down his spine and causing cold sweat to break out.

Just then, Bi Jianshen moved!

His commanding posture was like a general reviewing troops on an autumn battlefield, sweeping across with unstoppable momentum. The tip of his brush moved like a divine stroke, transforming the mundane into the miraculous.

As if aided by supernatural forces, the ink flowed effortlessly under the brush master’s control, and the outline of a blade quietly emerged at the center of the paper.

When Ye Kuang saw this, he couldn’t help but focus his gaze, only to immediately change expression.

The blade appeared vivid and lifelike, brimming with sharp dominance and bone-chilling coldness.

But what he never expected was what happened next.

On the diagram, fleeting human figures continuously appeared—slashing, stabbing, lifting, chopping—all without exception directed toward Ye Kuang.

In that instant, he instinctively took a step back.

For a moment, he had the illusion that if he allowed these blade shadows to strike him, he would surely bleed.

This sensation felt profoundly mysterious.

Yet as it washed over him, he broke out in a cold sweat.

This subtle reaction of Ye Kuang’s couldn’t escape the observant eyes of the others.

They understood this principle well: the concept of Realm speaks precisely of having intention in the heart, and the Realm will naturally become clear.

One could say that if Ye Kuang couldn’t comprehend even this basic principle, it would indicate his fundamental unsuitability for wielding blades.

But then, to everyone’s surprise, as Ye Kuang grew more astonished, his excitement became like a child spotting candy—showing hints of exhilaration.

He actually stepped forward again on his own initiative, widening his tiger-like eyes in a posture that suggested he had discovered some clue.

This scene naturally drew everyone’s intense attention.

Deep in Ye Kuang’s eyes, as old scenes reappeared, countless human figures interwove like thousands of troops sounding the charge.

Yet he suddenly spread his arms wide, as if embracing the universe, allowing them to pass right through his body.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

Only at this moment did he know his gamble had paid off!

This was clearly similar to the wonder of poetry—entirely dependent on the complete fusion of Realm. Beyond the sound, beyond the voice, lies the true essence.

Little did he know that this state of enlightenment was also cultivation of the heart. Where the blade pointed was precisely where the mind held blade intent. Once awakened to the blade’s origin and end, that would be the complete realization of the blade heart.

Though the two might seem unrelated, if “different paths leading to the same destination” were applied here, it would simply be four characters forming two concepts!

“Realm!”

“Intent!”

Only after reaching this understanding did Ye Kuang achieve true enlightenment.

Without a blade in the heart, how could blade-wielding thoughts arise?

Once the heart holds blade intent, the Realm naturally follows!

As Ye Kuang looked upon the various tables and chairs, all arranged objects became blades, spears, swords, halberds, axes, dagger-axes, hooks, prongs, whips, maces, hammers, claws, long spears, clubs, staffs, crutches, meteor hammers… clearly displaying the eighteen unusual forms of weapons, each with distinctive highlights!

Thinking this, even his last trace of doubt vanished like mist, replaced instead by growing excitement!