Da Xuan Martial Saint

Xu Hongyu's merits were not as numerous as his, but being in charge of a region, coupled with her early savings and some leftovers, was sufficient to exchange for two Bone Tempering Pills. She had come through the demon chaos with stable Qi-Blood, and it wouldn't be long before she could attempt Bone Tempering.

Soon enough.

Chen Mu arrived at the main courtyard on the east side of the Yu Family.

Xiao He signaled Chen Mu to enter the courtyard and then stood quietly beside.

Chen Mu strode into the courtyard with a composed expression, and instantly saw the figure standing inside, temple hair tinged with gray, dressed in a green brocade robe. The man's identity went without saying; it was none other than the current Yu Family patriarch, Yu Zuyi.

Yu Zuyi was not only Xu Hongyu's maternal grandfather but also the Metropolitan Commander of the Yu County Salt Affairs Bureau, overseeing the salt affairs of an entire county, a rank equal to that of the Metropolitan Commanders of both Inner City and Outer City. In his youth, he had also served as the Metropolitan Commander of the Demon-Slaying Office.

This individual, besides the Yu Family's first-generation ancestor, was the one with the highest realm of strength, standing at the peak of Bone Tempering and mastering both the Kan Water and Dui Ze Artistic Conceptions. He was a household name in Yu City's Inner City.

"Lord Yu."

Chen Mu gave Yu Zuyi a bow, still addressing him by his official title.

Yu Zuyi had already turned around and now, as he looked at Chen Mu, his eyes lacked the dignity of the head of the Yu Family, showing instead the kindness of an elderly man. He said, "No need for formalities. Your sister is practicing martial arts at the Yu Family Martial Arts Institute, and you and Hongyu support each other, having long become one family. I have also been informed of everything.

I, this grandfather, will decide on your marriage to Hongyu."

The head of the Yu Family was quite direct.

Chen Mu, looking at Yu Zuyi, was about to say something when he heard Yu Zuyi continue in an even tone, "In today's world, birth is irrelevant; what matters are one's capabilities. You stepping into Tendon Changing and perceiving an Artistic Conception, you're no different from the likes of Hongyu's father.

You are already a significant figure in Yu City, among its millions of people, influential wherever you go. Thus, in marrying Hongyu, there is no need to change your surname or to marry into the family. Your descendants can also carry your surname."

Was this the treatment that Xu Hongyu's father had received in the past?

Chen Mu couldn't help but murmur inwardly.

Xu Hongyu's status as the legitimate part of the Yu Family's core lineage, despite her surname 'Xu,' was not solely because her mother was the direct daughter of the family head, Yu Zuyi, but rather, what was crucial was the talents her father, Xu Yichuan, revealed in the past and his status within the Yu Family.

Now, Chen Mu was given the same treatment.

Even then, Chen Mu realized that Xu Hongyu probably hadn't told Yu Zuyi more about him; otherwise, if Yu Zuyi knew he not only comprehended an Artistic Conception but had also cultivated Wind and Thunder and had reached the stage before Bone Tempering with the Body Refining Method, his attitude might have had even more changes.

But Chen Mu had no desire to boast, so he didn't volunteer any additional information.

"However..."

Yu Zuyi's words dipped slightly, as he continued, "You must know that when the four Sects will be stationing in Yu County, now is no ordinary time. The Yu Family should not attract too much attention, so your marriage to Hongyu will not be a grand occasion. This is for your own good and for the Yu Family's. Do you understand the importance of this?"

If it had been the past, a marriage of the Yu Family's legitimate lineage, especially an influential one like Xu Hongyu's, would have been celebrated with grand feasts and miles of bridal decorations, but now in an extraordinary time, such conspicuous actions were to be avoided at all costs.

Chen Mu shook his head slightly, responding, "I don't mind at all. It's just that Hongyu will be wronged by such a simple arrangement."

Upon hearing this, Yu Zuyi smiled and said, "Although the Yu Family can barely count as a noble clan, it still rose from obscurity, starting from the martial world itself. A hundred years ago, the patriarch of the Yu Family also once used the heavens as his cover and the earth as his bed. Later, after being mentored by the Seven Profound Sect, he gradually rose and finally took root in Yu County.

In reality, we are all children of the martial world, with no need for such grandeurs. If you feel you are wronging Hongyu, then treat her well in the future."

With that said,

Yu Zuyi paused before adding, "I heard from Hongyu that you need the Artistic Conception Map of the Xun Wind lineage. Unfortunately, the Yu Family doesn't have this map at present. We only have a Superior Grade Kan Water Map, as well as the imprint maps of Separating Fire, Dui Ze, and Gen Mountain lineages.

If you wish to advance further on the path of Qiankun Eight Phases, you can try the Separating Fire Map. If that doesn't suit you, then you might attempt the Kan Water Map."

Chen Mu fell silent, reflecting upon hearing this.

He had no immediate plans to cultivate additional Artistic Conceptions, as, according to his current understanding, even cultivating three different Artistic Conceptions at their first stages combined would still not compare to advancing a single Artistic Conception to the second stage.

Therefore, for him, focusing on cultivating the Thunderclap Diagram, advancing the Thunderclap Artistic Conception to the second stage as soon as possible, was the most critical step for increasing his strength.

Of course.

By now, he had also learned many things about the Qiankun Artistic Conception.

For example, within the Qiankun Artistic Conception, wind, thunder, and fire belong to 'Qian Heaven'; mountains, marshes, and water belong to 'Kun Earth'. To cultivate the Qian Heaven Artistic Conception, one must cultivate the three phases of wind, thunder, and fire. Similarly, to cultivate the Kun Earth Artistic Conception, one must master the three phases of mountains, marshes, and water.

The reason lies in

the Qiankun Eight Phases Map, where the Qian Heaven Diagram and the Kun Earth Diagram are not standalone diagrams. They are comprised of a 'general Qian Heaven map' as the main part, with the additional collection of wind, thunder, and fire diagrams to complete the Qian Heaven Diagram.

It can be said that the six phases of wind, thunder, fire, mountains, marshes, and water are themselves included within Qian Heaven and Kun Earth, belonging to a part of Heaven and Earth.

In Yu Zuyi's view, since he had mastered the Xun Wind Artistic Conception and Xun Wind was similar to Separating Fire, he had suggested that he first try to comprehend Separating Fire. If the quality of the Separating Fire Diagram was too poor—being merely an imprint version—and he could not apprehend it, then he should attempt to understand the Kan Water Diagram.

"I want to try if I can cultivate a single artistic conception to the second step..."

Chen Mu thought for a moment and still replied with a sentence.

As of now, he could contemplate any of the Yu Family's various Artistic Conception Maps whenever he wanted; there was no need to rush.

"Ambitious."

Yu Zuyi smiled kindly, then sighed and said, "Cultivating multiple artistic conceptions certainly makes it harder to step into the second phase. In fact, many people are trapped before the threshold of the second step, utterly unable to make any progress, and are forced to cultivate various artistic conceptions."

"However, in truth, for the truly elite geniuses, cultivating multiple artistic conceptions is also a path. In the end, they all proceed towards the convergence of the Qiankun Eight Phases, touching the path of Heaven and Earth...

But even in the Da Xuan Dynasty Court, the most orthodox Qiankun Eight Phases is among the most difficult of all artistic conceptions, even during the prime days of the Imperial Court, not many could truly cultivate all eight phases, master the Qiankun Artistic Conception.

Even for those who did, each step forward was as difficult as eight steps for others; each step was as hard as ascending to the heavens, and even fewer could reach the pinnacle."

Chen Mu listened quietly to Yu Zuyi's explanation.

After browsing through many of the Yu Family's classics, he understood that the Qiankun Eight Phases was not the only Martial Arts Artistic Conception in the world, but it was the most widely spread, the most official, and the most orthodox one—and undeniably, it was also the strongest artistic conception without dispute.

But this 'strongest' doesn't refer to a single artistic conception; at the very least, one had to cultivate Qian Heaven or Kun Earth to dominate all directions, and only by cultivating the complete Qiankun Artistic Conception was one truly the strongest in the Martial World's Martial Arts.

Rising above all other artistic conceptions such as 'Yin Yang', 'Five Elements', and so on!

Of course,

Yin Yang, Five Elements, and other such artistic conceptions are also quite difficult, each being divided into several parts. For instance, the Five Elements are divided into five different artistic conceptions; one has to cultivate each one individually to master the complete Five Elements. Yin Yang Artistic Conception also has many extended branches.

This includes those focused exclusively on the Sword Dao, like the Heavenly Sword Sect, with 'Sword Dao Artistic Conception', which has many branches such as Heart Sword, Heavenly Sword, and so on; those focused on the Slaughter Dao's 'Slaughter Artistic Conception,' and so forth.

However, these are generally held within Great Sects and never circulated in the Martial World, unlike the Qiankun Eight Phases Map, which after thousand years have passed, has split again and again and circulated among the common people, even evolving countless blade techniques and sword techniques.

For the present Chen Mu,

it was much more advantageous to cultivate a single artistic conception to an advanced level.

But when one's artistic conception is cultivated step by step to the extreme, reaching the third step of the ladder, then in the measurement of superiority and inferiority between contemporaries on the third step, it's the 'quality' of the artistic conception itself that counts.

As for why the Qiankun Artistic Conception is acknowledged as the strongest in Martial Arts, Chen Mu indeed knew about it—that is the still-standing Da Xuan Dynasty!

The Da Xuan was able to sweep across the wastelands, pacify the four seas, and achieve universal recognition, eventually establishing a unified dynasty that prospered for nearly a thousand years, keeping numerous sects from raising their heads. Its origin lay with the founding ancestor who cultivated the Qiankun Artistic Conception, reaching the pinnacle of Martial Arts!

But a thousand years have passed.

Today's Da Xuan Dynasty no longer had such figures.