Chapter Twelve: The Mysterious Black Jade

The moment he crossed the barrier, Hu Mo felt the battle force within him surge madly, startling him so much that he immediately forced it down with all his will. Sometimes, having too much battle force was a tragedy in itself—right now, he wished he could simply grab any battle manual and break through, consequences be damned. But reason prevailed, and he had to suppress the urgent desire for breakthrough.

The Clear Heart Wandering Technique combined with the Three Treasures only served to explosively increase his battle force. What he truly needed now was a superior battle manual to guide that force into a real breakthrough, setting him firmly on the path of a true warrior.

Yet amid this longing, a sliver of suspicion rose in his heart. Why had his previously dormant battle force begun rampaging the moment he entered the barrier? Was there something strange about this place?

“Young master, what are you thinking? Did you notice an increase in your battle force?” Old Fu asked with a smile. A faint white glow shimmered around him, radiating the same sharp aura as before.

“Ah? Yes, that’s right, Old Fu. What’s happening?” Hu Mo’s eyes glimmered with confusion. He didn’t dare relax for a moment—if that strange power surged again, he truly might burst from the force inside him.

Old Fu smiled gently. “Young master, your battle energy is not even at the fourth stage yet. You must be feeling it more keenly than most.”

“What? Not even at the fourth stage? Is he joking?” Hu Mo muttered inwardly. “This is absurd! I feel like I’m about to explode, and he says I’m not even at the fourth stage? Or maybe he simply can’t see my current level.”

Studying Old Fu’s cheerful face, Hu Mo became certain: Old Fu truly couldn’t discern his cultivation.

Old Fu continued, clearly enjoying himself. “When the master built this Martial Pavilion, he happened to acquire a piece of Skysteel Battle Jade. Young master, you must have read about Skysteel Battle Jade in those old chronicles.”

“Skysteel Battle Jade? You mean the rare cultivation treasure spoken in the same breath as the Earthshade Ice Crystal, capable of enhancing one’s cultivation speed?” Hu Mo’s interest was piqued at once. The moment he relaxed, the force within him nearly burst through again, forcing him to reel it back with trembling caution.

Old Fu didn’t seem to notice Hu Mo’s struggle, still beaming as he explained, “Exactly, young master! Your memory serves you well. That Skysteel Battle Jade is buried beneath the Martial Pavilion. Its power will last for fifty years without fading. Though it’s only the size of a fist, it can increase the training speed of anyone nearby tenfold. However, it’s not as effective for warriors above the Battle King level; for those below the Battle Master stage, though, it’s invaluable. So naturally, I deduced that you must already be benefiting greatly, am I right?”

Hu Mo smiled brightly but cursed inwardly, “Benefit? I’m about to lose my life here! I need to grab a battle manual and run before I burst!”

“Old Fu, let’s hurry inside. I can’t wait to witness those legendary combat techniques—I’ve been looking forward to this for so long!” Hu Mo said eagerly, his eyes full of expectation.

Inside, he was shouting, “Enough talk, let’s go in before I explode...!”

“Don’t be so hasty, young master. Let me tell you... Hey, why are you running so fast? Wait for me!” Old Fu called.

Hu Mo simply couldn’t hold out any longer. If he had to listen to this chatterbox a moment more, he’d become the most tragic cultivator on the continent—burst apart by his own battle force, a fate more pitiful than any other.

The Martial Pavilion itself was quite simple, much like the Book Repository—several shelves lined with parchment scrolls. However, these scrolls were much thinner than the books in the repository. No wonder, since most battle manuals and techniques contained only a few hundred words at most, rarely exceeding a thousand—there was no need for thick scrolls.

“These are all the available battle manuals and techniques?” Hu Mo asked softly.

Old Fu joined him, strolling over with a smile. “These are all low-level battle manuals and techniques, young master. The highest among them is only middle-grade human-level, meant for the guards of the household. Please, come with me.”

He led the way to a wall, placed his palm against it, and a faint white light spread from his hand, seeping entirely into the stone.

The unremarkable wall began to ripple with wave-like patterns, as if it had turned into a pool of clear water, undulating before Hu Mo’s eyes.

Before Hu Mo could ask, Old Fu explained, “Young master, come with me. Once inside, I’ll explain everything in detail.”

Hu Mo nodded silently and followed Old Fu into the ‘pool.’

The moment his foot crossed the threshold, he felt a powerful suction pull him in, and the ‘pool’ swallowed him whole.

Suddenly, his mind became extraordinarily clear, while the Three Treasures inside him grew excited, as if they’d sensed something delightful. This made the pressure in his meridians stab at him once more.

Hu Mo gave a bitter laugh, struggling to restrain the force, muttering inwardly, “You three, calm down a bit! I’m holding on by sheer will here!”

When his vision cleared, his eyes widened in astonishment.

Before him stood a massive slab of bluish-green stone, over two meters high, nearly filling half the stone chamber. The stone was carved with a dozen or so shallow grooves, each holding a colored jade slip.

“These are the most precious battle techniques and manuals in the Hu household, covering all five elements. The lowest among them is high-grade human level. Don’t underestimate these manuals—on the open market, even the least of them could fetch over a million gold coins. The Marshal went through untold hardship to collect these,” Old Fu said with emotion. He remembered clearly how, when Hu Yiho built this place, he boasted that he’d fill the entire Azure Spirit Stone with earth-level and heaven-level techniques. But after Hu Meng disappeared, he lost his ambition, and the collection had not grown since.

Hu Mo’s attention was entirely focused on the jade slips, excitement welling within him. If he hadn’t been wary of possible traps, he would have grabbed several at once.

“Young master, look—this set is the Fire Dragon Manual and the Fire Dragon Slash technique. If you cultivate them, you’ll achieve great things!” Old Fu pointed excitedly to two fiery red jade slips.

“No need to be so cautious. None of these manuals are warded. Take whichever you wish,” Old Fu added, noticing Hu Mo’s hesitation.

On the two red jade slips, a dragon-shaped pattern glimmered. Suddenly, Hu Mo felt an odd sensation, as if a mighty fire dragon was trapped within the jade, beckoning him to claim its power.

“What an extraordinary manual! No wonder it’s mid-grade earth level.” Smiling broadly, Hu Mo reached for the two jade slips.

Just as his hand was within three inches of the slips, it stopped—not by his own will, but by the unanimous resistance of the Three Treasures within him. Hu Mo had no idea what these three tyrants intended, but his body simply refused to obey, and he slowly withdrew his hand.

Old Fu was puzzled. He’d clearly seen Hu Mo reach for the manuals—why had he suddenly pulled back?

As Old Fu pondered, Hu Mo turned and walked to the far left corner of the Azure Spirit Stone, where, in the darkest shadow, a dull black jade sat, utterly devoid of energy.

Hu Mo felt the Three Treasures within him leap for joy, like lecherous wolves spotting prey, or wild cats catching the scent of meat.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the black jade. Only then did the Three Treasures release their control, and Hu Mo regained command of his body.

“Damn it! Is it me choosing, or you three?! You’re too domineering!” Hu Mo cursed inwardly, but the Three Treasures paid him no mind.

Despite his irritation, Hu Mo was deeply curious about the black jade. Anything that could make the Three Treasures so eager couldn’t possibly be ordinary.

“Young master, why did you pick that one instead of the Fire Dragon techniques? Did you sense something special about this manual?” Old Fu looked at Hu Mo in surprise, a hint of delight in his voice.

Hu Mo stared blankly at Old Fu, then uttered something that nearly made Old Fu spit blood: “Old Fu, this black jade is a battle manual?”

Old Fu’s face darkened. “Of course it’s a battle manual—why else would it be here? So you had no idea? I thought you’d discerned some secret!”

Hu Mo clutched the jade, reluctant to let go. In truth, he wanted to set it down, as its sharp edges stabbed painfully into his palm. Yet his hand felt glued to it—undoubtedly another trick from the Three Treasures.

He was frustrated. The jade caused him nothing but pain, and it emitted no trace of any battle manual or technique. Unlike the other meticulously polished jade slips, this one was fist-sized and jagged, something anyone would overlook if tossed into a pile of coal. That this was a battle manual left Hu Mo utterly at a loss.

Seeing Hu Mo’s lingering confusion, Old Fu shook his head. “Young master, I truly don’t understand. You don’t even know what this jade is, yet you’re holding on for dear life, ignoring the pain from the edges.”

Hu Mo felt like crying. “You think I want to grip it this tightly? I have no choice—these Three Treasures are too overbearing. It’s not their hand, so of course they don’t care about the pain!”

“Old Fu, what exactly is this battle manual, and why is it here?” Hu Mo forced a smile, inwardly shouting at the Three Treasures, “Fine! I won’t let go, all right? Must you torment me like this?”

His conflicted expression made Old Fu even more curious. He couldn’t fathom what Hu Mo was up to—if it hurt, just put it down; nobody was fighting him for it.

After a moment’s thought, Old Fu answered, “This manual is said to be called the Ripple Steps. The Marshal acquired it by chance. Its level is unknown, its element is unknown, and its cultivation method... also unknown.”