The old man showed a hint of envy on his face.
"Later, my ancestor also found so good things from other palaces, such as elixirs."
"Of course, he didn’t dare to take them imdiately upon getting his hands on them. In case any of them were poisoned, the consequences would be unimaginable. So, he first gave half an elixir to the family’s pet dog. After confirming it was non-toxic, he took it himself."
"While taking the elixirs, he practiced the martial arts recorded in the books. Not many years passed before a top expert erged in the martial world. For the next two generations, thanks to my ancestor’s cultivation and their extraordinary talents, our family gained increasing fa, even alarming the ruling emperor."
"What a pity."
The old man sighed deeply. "No family can prosper forever. Even the strongest dynasty will decline. In less than three hundred years, the family founded by my ancestor fell apart. Nearly ninety percent of the clan mbers perished in the ensuing chaos. The survivors went into hiding, living low-profile lives."
"In a flash, centuries passed. Despite the devastating calamity that befell our family, the important things were carried away and hidden, in hopes that future generations could revive the family using those martial arts secrets. Unfortunately,"
the old man smiled bitterly. "Unfortunately, each generation was weaker than the last, and the family dwindled until now, where I am the only one left."
Chen Fan nodded.
Had it been anyone else, he might have consoled them with a few words.
But this old man... he let it be.
Besides, his ancestors once dominated the martial world. What was there to be unsatisfied about?
He then asked, "Logically, during your family’s golden age, the cultivation techniques they practiced should have been the ones brought from the Divine Martial Sect, right? These techniques should be authentic. How is it that each generation grew weaker? In several hundred years, were there no outstanding individuals among your ancestors?"
"Well, it’s quite complicated."
The old man frowned, his face showing a look of reminiscence.
"After the family’s decline, my ancestors were all determined to seek revenge. Unfortunately, their talents were diocre. Even their children were average, and it was an arduous task for them to reach the Small City Realm with those powerful martial arts. Reviving the family’s glory was out of the question.
Another hundred years passed. At one point, a genius appeared in the family. Before adulthood, he had already surpassed all the elders in the family, leading to a period of prosperity. Of course, this prosperity was limited to a single city and far from alarming the dynasty.
Regrettably, even that ancestor’s martial cultivation was diocre, only slightly better than the ancestors from a hundred years prior. The frustration in his heart can be imagined. But he made a discovery. At the ti, I didn’t take it seriously until now, after experiencing ten years of apocalypse and seeing you before , I suddenly recalled it."
"Oh? What did he discover?"
Chen Fan asked curiously.
"He discovered that not only he, but even the descendants of other prominent families had severely declined in strength. Hundreds of years ago, the strongest in the world could cut rivers with a sword or shatter mountains with a palm strike. By his ti, the strongest could only split palaces with a sword or break boulders with a palm."
Chen Fan’s pupils contracted sharply.
"And then?"
"After that, the decline continued. Being able to leap across roofs and walls beca a mark of a top expert. In recent hundred years, even those experts beca scarce. Most self-proclaid Qi Gong masters were frauds."
"That’s precisely why my grandfather and his grandfather treated these inherited secret manuals as worthless papers and burned most of them for warmth. Of the remaining manuals, most are incomplete versions.
When I was young, I, too, harbored a martial arts dream and tried practicing those martial arts many tis, all to no avail. This convinced that they were all fakes."
Chen Fan nodded. "Indeed, it can be cultivated. But since you don’t have True Qi within you and your realm is too low, possessing these manuals is pointless."
"I see."
The old man looked relieved. "No wonder I recognized every character in those manuals but got no results from following them. If I start practicing now, would I have a chance to cultivate True Qi?"
Chen Fan looked into his eyes and shook his head.
"..."
The old man sighed deeply and muttered to himself, "Had I practiced more diligently in my youth, perhaps I might have ford True Qi long ago."
"Doubtful."
Chen Fan glanced at him.
"?"
Angry and excited, the old man retorted, "Young man, I know you’re formidable, but you don’t have to look down on . Even if I’m less talented, if others can cultivate True Qi in ten or twenty years, surely I can in double that ti."
"You misunderstood ."
Chen Fan stood up, walked to the bedside, and looked at the sky. "If not for the worldly change ten years ago, you could have practiced to death, yet True Qi would never form within you."
"What!"
The old man’s eyes widened.
Suddenly, realizing sothing, he asked, "Young man, are you saying True Qi is related to the event ten years ago?"
"It should be." Chen Fan said. "Uncle Zhang told , ten years ago, even the great experts could only cultivate up to Ming Jin. There were few Dark Power martial artists, let alone Transforming Force.
But now, not only Transforming Force but even Celestial Realm Martial Artists exist."
"Celestial Human Realm? What’s that?" the old man asked instinctively.
"Nothing." Chen Fan glanced at him.
"Cough cough." The old man coughed awkwardly, knowing Chen Fan deliberately withheld the information, finding him annoying.
"Actually, your family’s rise and fall illustrate it well," Chen Fan murmured. "Your ancestor who revived the family and could split rivers with a sword must have been at least Celestial Human Realm, or even beyond. The subsequent strongest could only break boulders, probably True Essence Realm,
Later, those who could leap over roofs and walls were likely ridian Refining Realm or Entry Force Martial Artists. In recent hundred years, even Entry Force Martial Artists were rare. Most martial artists were at the Muscle Refining Realm."
"Yes, that’s right."
The old man nodded repeatedly.
"As for the Divine Martial Sect your ancestor discovered, it was likely more powerful than the Celestial Human Realm, even beyond it. But,"
Chen Fan frowned, "How could such a powerful sect be abandoned? Where did its people go? What exactly happened?"
"Indeed."
The old man pondered.
Chen Fan locked his brows.
He had a suspicion: Could a similar worldly change have occurred centuries, if not millennia ago?
After the change, with the revival of Spiritual Qi, humans, beasts, even plants broke their limits.
Thus, strong individuals capable of splitting rivers erged.
But over ti, the limits of martial artists gradually lowered.
Until ten years ago...
"Heavenly Calamity!"
The old man suddenly shouted.
"What did you say, Heavenly Calamity?"
Chen Fan looked at him in confusion.
The old man was stunned, face full of confusion, seemingly unaware of why he spoke those words.
Seeing Chen Fan fixated on him, the old man smiled bitterly, "Young man, I don’t know why I said that. I vaguely rember seeing those words, possibly in an ancestor’s last words, and blurted them out."
Chen Fan watched him for a mont, then slowly looked away.
He could tell the old man wasn’t lying.
Heavenly Calamity?
The term matched the current situation.
Did the Divine Martial Sect, such a powerful existence, perish in the calamity? The ruins may have existed for over a millennium and were only discovered centuries ago.
The martial arts passed down now were likely their creation. After all this ti, they must have long turned to dust, lost in history’s river.
"If possible, it would be worth visiting. Perhaps there are secrets stronger than Supre Martial Arts." Chen Fan thought, sighing silently.
Even the creators of Supre Martial Arts couldn’t resist ti. Would he also face such an end?
"Is it too early to lant this?" he chuckled bitterly. Instead of worrying about that, he should worry about whether Anshan City could withstand the fifth beast tide.
"Anyway, the information you’ve provided is valuable."
Chen Fan turned to the old man and nodded slightly, "Tianshan Mountain Range, right? I’ll visit if I have the chance."
"Good, good," the old man bead, "If I can be of help, that’s wonderful. If there’s anything else you want to know, just ask. I’ll tell you everything I know."
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