Chapter 862
Three Great Skills
Perhaps due to priority, the scriptures and books stored in this library are much richer than those hidden at the Crescent Lake. It should be a complete backup of the Chen family's heritage. For example, the three great martial arts of the Chen family mentioned by Chen Tianxing were not recorded at the Crescent Lake hiding place.
He was so certain because he hadn't found many impressive inheritances in the hiding place below Crescent Lake, but they certainly weren't at the level of "ultimate skills".
As a powerful family that has dominated the cultivation world for tens of thousands of years, its unique skills are the foundation of its existence and must have something special about them.
"Our family's secret techniques are on the top floor of the Scripture Pavilion. We are of lowly status and not qualified to enter. We await your arrival outside the pavilion," Chen Tianxing said respectfully.
With a group of Chen clan members as hostages, Song Changsheng wasn't worried about them playing any tricks. He used his waist token to break the array outside the Scripture Pavilion and entered the pavilion. What came into view was a dazzling array of scriptures and books. The first floor alone contained at least tens of thousands of volumes.
Having witnessed the vastness of the Star-Picking Tower, being in such an environment no longer brought him any shock or emotion. Moreover, he could easily imagine that most of the buildings on this floor overlapped with those in the Crescent Lake hiding place. Therefore, he ignored these details and went directly to the top floor of the Scripture Pavilion.
Once again, Song Changsheng used the waist token to open the restriction, and he couldn't help but sigh that it was fortunate that he had kept the waist token, otherwise it would have been much more troublesome.
The fact that this waist tag has been preserved for so long must be due to the meticulous care of the Chen clan. Perhaps on the eve of the Chen clan's demise, they were still hoping that their ancestor, who had dominated the world ten thousand years ago, could live a second life and lead them to create new glories.
But reality is cruel. At that time, the spirit body was still in the process of turning into a corpse and had not yet reached the state that the Reincarnation True Lord had envisioned.
If nothing unexpected happens, the Chen family bloodline should only exist in the small world. At least the bloodline has been preserved, but forget about relying on powerful figures; they still have to rely on themselves. Fortunately, the Chen family has left behind a rich legacy.
Upon entering, one finds a jade platform ten feet long, upon which three orbs of light of varying sizes are suspended by an invisible force, hovering one foot above the platform.
Apart from that, the place was completely empty.
As soon as the footsteps landed on the smooth floor tiles, specks of fluorescent light appeared from all directions, converging in the center to form a slightly illusory human figure.
This man was dressed in brocade robes and jade belts, with a refined and scholarly appearance. He wore a double-layered purple-gold crown, and his eyes resembled the stars in the universe.
"Projection?" Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow. Although he did not perceive any threat from it, he still became secretly on guard.
"I never imagined that the family would end up like this. Which generation of the family are you from?"
Never mind, none of that matters anymore. When I founded this pavilion, I foresaw this scene.
No family in this world can remain unchanged forever. Ups and downs are the norm. Don't be discouraged. Even if you fall into a deep valley, as long as you still have the will to strive, you can climb back to the top.
What remains here are the three great secret techniques of our clan, the foundation upon which our clan stands. They are the culmination of generations of cultivators' efforts. Even if we lose everything else, we can reclaim everything our clan has lost with these techniques.
As soon as he finished speaking, the three orbs of light on the jade platform flew automatically to Song Changsheng's front, giving him no chance to interrupt, mainly because he was unsure whether the projection possessed any sentience.
The magic power condensed into a large hand behind him. Just as it touched the sphere of light, the projection suddenly spoke: "You are not a member of my Chen clan."
Song Changsheng suddenly raised his head, staring into the other person's eyes and said, "You are indeed more than just a projection."
"It's just a lingering remnant from back then. You don't need to worry that I will threaten you." With a wave of his hand, the three orbs of light in front of Song Changsheng instantly turned into radiance and dissipated.
"What's on the table is actually a smokescreen. I was careless. May I ask your honorable title, senior?"
"I am Haoyang Zhenjun, and I wonder if anyone in this world still remembers me." The projection stood with its hands behind its back, its eyes shining brightly.
Song Changsheng was quite familiar with this name. He had seen it in the memories of the spirit body of the Reincarnation True Monarch. This person was active in an era earlier than the Reincarnation True Monarch and belonged to the early batch of True Monarchs of the Chen Clan. However, the influence of his name was not as great as that of the Reincarnation True Monarch.
He was the one who spearheaded the development of this little world.
It must be said that this person's vision was very far ahead of its time. At that time, the Chen family had just dominated the cultivation world of the Eastern Heaven and was at the height of its power. This person had already begun to prepare a way out for the Chen family.
Ten thousand years later, although the expected results were not achieved, the Chen family bloodline has indeed been preserved.
"What guidance do you have for me, senior?" Song Changsheng asked calmly.
What he saw before him was merely a lingering remnant of a Nascent Soul True Monarch. Even if it was left behind by a Nascent Soul True Monarch, it could not pose a threat to him. He only wanted to know where the so-called three great secret techniques of the Chen family were. According to his calculations, they were most likely in the hands of True Monarch Haoyang.
Since the other party is still stalling for time, there might be some conditions waiting for him, so he might as well listen to them first.
"I have been gone for countless years. May I tell you about my current situation, young friend?"
Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng recounted the entire incident in detail. Apart from not revealing his own identity and background, he did not conceal any other information, including that he had been to Crescent Lake and that the spirit body of the Reincarnation True Monarch was in his hands.
Anyway, only one of them will be able to go out today, so there's no worry about the news leaking out.
He was actually quite curious to know what this True Lord would think of the current situation.
The once powerful family that dominated the entire Eastern Heaven cultivation world is now reduced to a group of collateral bloodlines barely surviving in the small world. The spiritual bodies of the younger True Monarchs have even fallen into the hands of outsiders and changed hands several times. This is simply a great disgrace.
After a moment of silence, Haoyang Zhenjun said quietly, "Indeed, this is the will of Heaven. The Chen family has prospered for tens of thousands of years, which is enough. How can we be greedy and insatiable?"
"Speaking of which, I must thank you, young friend, for eliminating an enemy for my clan."
Song Changsheng smiled slightly and said, "True Lord, are you joking? In the eyes of the Chen family, I am no different from a bandit."
"When a common man possesses a treasure, trouble will inevitably arise."
"The younger generation is unfilial, possessing great treasures yet lacking the ability to protect them. Sooner or later, they will become the source of destruction. It is much better for them to fall into the hands of our young friend than into the hands of our enemies. It is their fate." Haoyang Zhenjun said slowly.
"Does the True Lord believe in destiny?"
"Everything in the world has its own destiny; what difference does it make whether you believe it or not?"
Song Changsheng smiled faintly and said, "The lives of everyone in the Chen family are now in my hands. Whether to kill or release them is entirely up to me. May I ask, True Lord, what will their ultimate fate be?"
Haoyang Zhenjun shook his head and said, "How could I, a deceased person, know their fate? However, I am certain that they will not die."
"Does the True Lord have such faith in my character? What I said before was merely my opinion."
“Killing them would indeed be very easy for you, but I have a way to make you give up that idea.” “Oh, I’m all ears.”
"The Three Great Skills of the Chen Family"
The Great Divine Power [Flower Blooms in an Instant], the inherited mental cultivation method "Nine Profound Void Scripture", and the contract technique [Spirit Control Manual].
The former is the most powerful defensive divine power, while the latter is the culmination of the Chen family's thousands of inheritances. The Contract Technique may seem insignificant, but it is the foremost of the Chen family's three great arts.
Although it can only be used once in a lifetime, it can forcibly establish a contract with a living being, regardless of race. Once the contract is established, it can never be broken and the being will completely obey you. Even after you die, the contract will still exist, just like the earth spirit outside.
The Chen clan originated from the front lines of the war against alien races. Relying on this method, they contracted with a large number of alien races as vanguards, and were able to rise so rapidly after migrating to the Eastern Heaven Cultivation World.
These three methods form the foundation of the Chen family's teachings.
"How about I use these three teachings as bargaining chips to make a deal with you, young friend?" True Monarch Haoyang stared at him intently.
Song Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded, saying, "Please speak frankly, True Lord."
"What I seek is nothing more than the continuation of my family's bloodline."
"Does the True Lord wish for me to protect the remaining members of the Chen clan, or to find them a new place to settle down?"
"Whatever method you choose, as long as both of you can accept it, that's fine. My only request is that when the time is right, you choose a disciple from the Chen family to teach my Chen family's unique skills. Once they have the ability to protect themselves, let them fend for themselves."
"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings; no one can protect them forever. In the end, they still have to rely on themselves. After you complete your training, just follow your heart," said True Lord Haoyang calmly.
His terms were undeniably attractive; such a deal would be a sure-fire profit for anyone.
Song Changsheng could simply pick any Chen family disciple with a bit of talent, give them a cramming-style education, and once they had mastered the three great skills, he could kick them out and settle things once and for all. It sounds very simple.
But he always felt that things weren't that simple; he guessed that the so-called three great skills were definitely not so easy to master.
As long as no one has complete control over the Chen family, he will continue to protect them.
Putting aside everything else, to master great supernatural powers, one must at least reach the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm. Anything slightly more profound requires a Golden Core cultivator to master. It's far from as simple as it seems.
However, Song Changsheng still chose to accept his conditions, which was a very worthwhile deal.
He originally had the idea of subduing this remnant branch of the Chen family, using it as a pawn in the Tianshan Mountains. If he could also obtain the three unique skills of the Chen family, that would be even better.
At that time, the Chen family was an affiliated family of the Song family. If there were any truly talented individuals, he wouldn't mind taking them under his wing, just like Chi Li did.
"I, Song Changsheng, hereby swear..."
Song Changsheng made a vow to Heaven, and Haoyang Zhenjun, seeing this, did not break his promise. He opened his hand, and a ball of light had already condensed in his palm, floating in front of him.
With just a light touch, the contents recorded inside flooded into Song Changsheng's sea of consciousness. After reading the contents, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration that the Chen family's three great skills were indeed worthy of their reputation.
【Flowers Bloom in an Instant】is definitely one of the most exquisite divine abilities Song Changsheng has ever seen in his life. It is no exaggeration for Haoyang Zhenjun to describe it as the strongest defensive divine ability.
He had witnessed this supernatural power in both the memories belonging to the True Lord of Reincarnation and the memories of the Corpse Raiser.
In the corpse raiser's memory, the one who performed the spell was the patriarch of the Chen clan, who was at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage. When he used this technique, dozens of golden flowers would appear around him, which could protect him from any attacks.
Using this method, he actually withstood a blow from the Great Sun True Lord without being seriously injured.
When the Reincarnation True Monarch unleashed his power, it was even more exaggerated. Thousands of golden flowers surrounded him, covering the entire sky. Almost no attack could get close. He fought three cultivators of the same level alone without being at a disadvantage, and at that time he was already a Nascent Soul Great Perfection cultivator.
Unfortunately, there are only a few fragments, so we cannot see the full picture of this supernatural power.
This shows that the upper limit of this supernatural power is extremely high, and it is no wonder that it can be called the Chen family's unique skill.
The 【Spirit Control Manual】is even more exquisite. Everyone in the cultivation world knows the art of contracts, but they all have great limitations. They either restrict the race, or the cultivation level, or both parties to the contract must agree.
The [Spirit Control Manual] does not discriminate based on race or cultivation level. As long as the other party integrates the contract into their body, it can forcibly sign a contract. Moreover, the contract will not disappear due to the death of the host and will accompany them for life, which is its most terrifying aspect.
Haoyang Zhenjun's statement that the Chen family used this technique to gain momentum is absolutely not an exaggeration; it truly possesses such an ability.
No wonder the earth spirit remained loyal after all these years. If that's the case, then it makes sense. Because of the contract, it would not be loyal to a second person and would only faithfully carry out its master's orders.
The development potential of this method is exceptionally amazing; this deal is definitely worthwhile.
In contrast, the [Nine Mysteries Cave Void Scripture], which is the Chen family's inherited mental cultivation method, did not bring him as much surprise.
Of course, this is not to say that this mental cultivation method is not exquisite enough. On the contrary, this mental cultivation method is extremely exquisite, far surpassing any mental cultivation method he has mastered. Moreover, it has a very high degree of adaptability, and anyone with any aptitude can quickly master it. It has no outstanding aspects, nor any obvious weaknesses, and is very well-balanced.
For geniuses, this mental cultivation method may seem mediocre, but it will never hold them back.
Although it is not applicable to the Song family, it has strong reference value.
Song Changsheng had been trying to create a cultivation method suitable for Song clan cultivators. He had been working on this for many years and had gone through several versions, but he always felt that something was missing.
Chen's mental cultivation method was quite in line with his expectations.
The transaction was completed, and everyone was happy. But at this moment, Song Changsheng raised a very untimely but necessary question: "May I ask, True Lord, what should be done with the spirit body of True Lord Reincarnation?"
...(End of chapter)