The Reticent Blade
Chapter 323 - Sky-supporting Arhat

Chapter 323 - Sky-supporting Arhat

"Did your master ever tell you... that you are sick?" Grandma Xi’s enigmatic smile carried a trace of cunning.

Xue Qiming froze in an instant. The room fell into sudden silence, and the atmosphere grew tense.

The three others in the room turned to look. Grandfather Lan Zhuo furrowed his brows tightly, watching Xue Qiming with wary vigilance. Xue Niang’s delicate brows knit slightly, her eyes thoughtful. Only Grandma Xi maintained her same cunning expression, her gaze unfathomably deep.

Xue Qiming slowly narrowed his eyes, then suddenly broke into a carefree grin. "Sick? Does an addiction to alcohol count?"

Grandma Xi didn’t answer his question. Her gaze drifted downward, settling on the gourd at Xue Qiming’s waist. In a soft voice, she said, "That gourd wasn’t always used for holding wine..."

Xue Qiming tapped his fingers against the table, the rhythm unconsciously growing faster and faster.

"Metal from beyond the heavens, drawn from the boundless deep sea..." Grandma Xi’s voice was barely a whisper, as though she were murmuring to herself. Then, suddenly shifting her tone, she looked at Xue Qiming with a kindly gaze and said, "I once heard a tale while I was in the jianghu..."

The rhythm of Xue Qiming’s tapping quickened.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud...

Grandma Xi continued speaking at her own pace, as if she hadn't noticed Xue Qiming's reaction.

"Xue Yinlong, the Sovereign of Strength, had already made a great name for himself in the jianghu at a young age.

"His unparalleled strength was known far and wide. Then, at the age of forty, he broke through the gates of heaven[1] with a single kick, forcing his way into a legendary realm with sheer brute force. That same year, a celestial phenomenon occurred—a meteorite of otherworldly iron streaked across the sky, wreathed in flames, and crashed into the Eastern Sea. The entire Central Plains witnessed this miraculous sight.

"The jianghu was thrown into a frenzy. Countless martial masters set out for the Eastern Sea, hoping to seize this divine artifact. But at the time, the Ghostbane Association had its main stronghold in the region and took advantage of their proximity to claim the treasure first. Before the martial world’s experts could arrive, the Ghostbane Association had already sealed off the area, barring anyone from entry.

"Yet, with thousands upon thousands of powerful figures eager to claim the meteorite, how could they simply stand by and let the Ghostbane Association hoard it alone? Just as a massive battle was about to break out... the Ghostbane Association did something unexpected—they voluntarily stepped aside."

"Why?" Grandfather Lan Zhuo couldn’t help but ask. He was not truly of the jianghu, and he had never heard of this secret event before.

"Hmph—" Xue Qiming let out a cold laugh. "Because those fools couldn't do anything to the meteorite."

Grandma Xi smiled faintly and continued, "That’s right. The meteorite had fallen into the sea, making it difficult to retrieve. It was taller than a man and weighed no less than ten thousand catties. Even with the full force of the Ghostbane Association, not a single person could so much as shift it.

"Meanwhile, the gathered martial artists were causing a commotion. No matter how domineering the Ghostbane Association was, they couldn’t afford to offend the entire jianghu. So, they decided to open the way.

"It was a clever move on their part—they believed that no one could lift the meteorite, so they weren’t worried about it being taken. And as expected, even though countless martial artists took their turns diving into the sea, all of them failed."

"Just when everyone was ready to give up, believing that such a divine object was never meant to belong to mortals, a steel-plated boat slowly approached..." Grandma Xi took a deep breath, her face showing a distant expression of reminiscence.

"With such an overwhelming presence, everyone knew it was Xue Yinlong, but he didn’t even spare a glance at the gathered crowd. Before their very eyes, the Sovereign of Strength tied iron chains to himslef and leaped into the sea alone.

About the time it takes to burn one incense stick later, he resurfaced. Seeing his empty hands, everyone thought he had failed like the rest. But then, Xue Yinlong took a deep breath and dove back down.

He was already a hundred meters farther away the second time he emerged. And then, each time he surfaced for air, he was always farther than before—steadily moving toward land.

It wasn’t until this had been repeated several times that people finally realized—he was dragging the meteorite across the seabed toward shore!"

Grandfather Lan Zhuo sucked in a sharp breath and marveled, "What kind of monstrous strength would that take?!"

Grandma Xi shook her head. "What happened next was simple—when Xue Yinlong finally dragged the meteorite ashore with his chains, the gathered martial artists immediately blocked his path."

Grandfather Lan Zhuo frowned and shook his head. "Such shameless greed."

"Well, it was a celestial treasure, after all. Who wouldn’t covet it?" Grandma Xi gave a bitter smile. "Even I felt a flicker of greed when I first heard of it."

"And what was the outcome?" Grandfather Lan Zhuo asked.

Grandma Xi sighed, shaking her head with a wry smile. "The outcome? What else could it be? When Xue Yinlong found his path blocked, he wasn’t the least bit angry. He simply threw the chains and the meteorite at his feet and said, ‘If any of you can take it, go ahead.’"

"Xue Yinlong was a man of his word. One after another, martial masters stepped forward to try—but not a single one could budge the meteorite an inch.

"Only then did they truly grasp the extent of his strength.

"No one dared to humiliate themselves further.

"Xue Yinlong wrung the seawater from his soaked robe, draped it over his shoulder, and stood bare-chested. His gaze swept across the crowd as he let out a thunderous roar:

"‘A bunch of rats! Are you not going to clear the way!?’

"Not even the Ghostbane Association dared to stop him.

"And so, before the eyes of the entire martial world, he carried the meteorite away."

"Carried it... carried it?" Grandfather Lan Zhuo’s eyes widened in shock. "Can a human's strength reach such a level?!"

"Most people can’t"—Grandma Xi glanced at Xue Qiming—"but that doesn’t mean his lineage can’t. It’s said that Xue Yinlong practiced a supreme martial art that allows sheer strength to overcome all techniques. If mastered to the extreme, one could supposedly lift themselves off the ground just by grabbing their own hair..."

Bang! Xue Qiming slapped the table and stood up abruptly.

"Enough with the riddles." Xue Qiming tilted his head, his bones cracking ominously. "After all that, I don’t see how any of this has anything to do with me. And you keep insisting I’m sick—I think you’re the one who’s sick! Disciple, we’re leaving!" He grabbed Xue Niang’s hand and turned to go.

"I’m not finished yet..." Grandma Xi chuckled. "What I’m about to say next might just have something to do with your so-called illness."

"More nonsense! I don’t have time to play games with you..."

Xue Qiming was just about to push the door open when Xue Niang tugged on his sleeve.

Xue Qiming turned to look at Xue Niang, but she spoke to Grandma Xi instead. "Grandma Xi, go ahead. What’s wrong with him?"

Grandma Xi rubbed the head of her bamboo cane. "In his youth, Xue Yinlong earned the title of Sovereign of Strength. But for reasons unknown, he later took refuge in Buddhism, shaved his head, and secluded himself in the Lesser Arhat Temple of Lingnan. The world lost a Sovereign of Strength but gained a Sky-supporting Arhat. It wasn't until nine years ago, when the Sky-supporting Arhat passed away at Lesser Arhat Temple that the name Sovereign of Strength resurfaced amongst the jianghu."

At this, Grandma Xi paused, her tone growing solemn. "After Xue Yinlong’s death, his ashes were enshrined in the Lesser Arhat Temple’s ancestral hall. He had made many enemies in his lifetime, but none dared to take revenge while he was still alive. Only after his death did they finally muster the courage... They set fire to the temple, burning it and his ashes to the ground."

"The strange thing is..." Grandma Xi turned to Xue Qiming. "Not a single one of those who sought revenge left the Lesser Arhat Temple alive.

"According to rumors, that night, the inferno painted half the sky red. A bloodied figure emerged from the flames, dragging the arsonists back into the fire one by one.

"Some said it was Xue Yinlong’s vengeful spirit, while others believed it was an evil entity sealed within the temple.

"But very few people know the truth—Xue Yinlong had a disciple.

"After his master’s death, that disciple remained at Lesser Temple, keeping vigil for a full year.

"This disciple had yet to fully master his martial arts. But to avenge his master, he forcefully activated his techniques at the cost of his own bones, shattering his body in the process and leaving himself with an incurable sickness.

"Xue Yinlong’s lineage practiced a martial art of unparalleled ferocity, one that relied entirely on an unbreakable skeletal structure as its foundation.

"Now, with a broken body, the deeper this person cultivates, the closer he inches toward death—like a high tower built on a fragile foundation, the higher it rises, the closer it comes to collapse."

At some point, Xue Qiming had calmed down. He loosened his grip on Xue Niang’s hand and said, "Weren’t you going to take her to change clothes? What’s the delay?"

Grandma Xi gave a signal, and someone entered from outside, preparing to take Xue Niang away.

Xue Niang hesitated at first, but after some reassurance from Xue Qiming, she finally agreed.

Once Xue Niang had left, Xue Qiming let out a deep breath, sat down across from Grandma Xi. Locking eyes, he asked, "You seem to know quite a lot. So tell me... who exactly are you?"

1. Not literally the gates of heaven, but meaning he broke through to an apex realm of martial arts. ☜