Chapter Nine: The Origin of the Arcane War

More than half a month had passed, yet Hu Mo had not stepped a foot outside the Hu residence. He locked himself away in his room, immersing himself in study night and day, refusing all distractions as he feverishly crammed knowledge.

Hu Yihu, whose worries had once weighed heavily on him, now felt most of his concerns dissipate. The stern expression he wore daily began to soften; he would occasionally venture out to fish, ride his horse through the grounds, or put the soldiers through their drills. He seemed utterly at ease, wholly relaxed, his spirit revived a hundredfold from before. Still, he did not disturb Hu Mo, sending only discreet watchers to keep an eye on him. Hu Yihu could feel it—his heart, once cold and lifeless, was slowly regaining its vitality. Everything would get better, little by little.

"Ah—I'm exhausted! Finally, it's done..." Hu Mo leaned back and collapsed onto the floor, the long sheepskin scrolls strewn beneath him like a vast carpet. He lay there, a living character, his mind turning over all he had learned. "Heaven and earth split, and the Xuan War began. What a strange world this is! Xuan Land and War Land were once a single continent, forcibly sundered in two. Good heavens, what unimaginable power that must have been!"

Indeed, as he had just read, the lands now known as Xuan Land and War Land were, in ancient times, united as the Xuan War Continent. Two great races dominated this world: the Xuan and the War. Within both, humans and beasts formed united fronts—Xuan Beasts for the Xuan, War Beasts for the War. Their relentless battles ravaged the land until the gods themselves, enraged, struck down divine might and cleaved the continent in two. Then, through celestial means, the gods separated the halves by millions of miles and, setting the Devil's Sea between them, isolated the survivors, allowing life to recover and civilization to develop as it had to this day.

Records of Xuan Land were nearly nonexistent—barely a mention of Xuan Force and Xuan Beasts, with no detail to speak of. By contrast, the chronicles of War Land were detailed and thorough, greatly satisfying Hu Mo's curiosity.

On War Land, both humans and War Beasts cultivated their battle power, each with its own elemental attribute. These corresponded to the five elements—Wood, Metal, Water, Earth, and Fire—each generating or overcoming another. It was for this reason that War Land was divided among five great nations.

In the east lay the Divine Wood Empire; to the west, the Auspicious Gold Empire; to the north, the Cold Water Empire; at the center, the Sacred Earth Empire; and to the south, where Hu Mo now dwelled, the Heavenly Fire Empire.

The mystery that Uncle Fu had dangled before him was explained clearly in "The Annals of the God of War." This was a wild history, full of myth and legend. Though the world said such unofficial histories could not be trusted, Hu Mo believed the opposite.

Official histories, in his view, were nothing but songs in praise of peaceful reigns, or slanders against past dynasties—history, after all, is written by the victors. If so, what truth could there be in them?

Unofficial histories were another matter. They filled the gaps left by official records; their authors might use pseudonyms, but their stories were often grounded in reality. Compiled from the accounts of private citizens, they sometimes proved more trustworthy than the sanctioned chronicles. For this reason, Hu Mo preferred to believe the unofficial histories.

According to "The Annals of the God of War," a million years ago, the Xuan War Continent was split by the gods, with the Devil's Sea dividing the lands. After a hundred thousand years of uneasy peace, a peerless figure arose on War Land, known as the God-Slayer. His cultivation reached the ninth level of the God of War realm. Under his iron-fisted rule, all warriors were united, and strife ceased. Yet before long, he surpassed even the ninth level and shattered the boundaries of the world itself, vanishing into the void.

Chaos reigned for ten thousand years, then gradually subsided as great clans carved out their own domains, balancing and checking one another, and peace returned. Over time, more legendary heroes appeared, just as Uncle Fu had described; their feats were beyond the reach of ordinary men—shattering mountains with a single punch, creating canyons with a single step—tales so marvelous that Hu Mo could not help but salivate with yearning.

From these books, Hu Mo realized something crucial: on War Land, battle cultivation was universal—so much so that even commoners knew the basic methods, which had spread widely across society.

Anyone who practiced even the ordinary techniques could achieve something, though it took more hardship and time. Naturally, the great clans and sects possessed superior martial methods and powerful battle skills, but these were closely guarded secrets, not easily obtained.

"Martial methods and techniques are divided into Heaven, Earth, and Human ranks," Hu Mo mused. "The Hu family is a mighty clan; they should possess some fine martial arts and battle skills."

But then another thought gave him pause. Given how strained things were between him and Hu Yihu, how could he possibly ask for such treasures? He recalled how boldly he had once shouted at Hu Yihu, "Let's stay out of each other's business!"—how dashing he had felt then.

Now, however, he truly found himself at a loss. Martial arts and battle skills were so vital; if he were forced to practice only the commoners' techniques, how many years would it take to advance? He was not young anymore—he had no time to waste. Torn between options, he could not decide what to do.

A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.

He frowned in annoyance. "Who is it? Lunch was just brought in, wasn't it? Is it time for dinner already?"

Still lying atop the sheepskin scrolls, he couldn't be bothered to get up.

These days, aside from eating, sleeping, and relieving himself, all he did was read. His little courtyard had become a lady's boudoir—apart from the servant girls bringing meals, no one ever visited.

"Young master, this old servant Ah Fu has something to discuss with you. Might you open the door?" came a familiar voice from outside. Who could it be but Uncle Fu?

Hearing that, Hu Mo felt a jolt. "Him again? Why is he here? Good heavens, that old man is a walking powder keg—he could explode at any moment!" He remembered the last incident all too well, and the thought still made him shudder.

But then another idea struck him, and he muttered to himself, "I promised not to bother the old man, but I never said anything about Uncle Fu. He has high standing here and frightening strength—he must know about martial methods and battle skills."

A sly smile crept across Hu Mo’s lips as he considered this.

"But I really need to be careful this time. Clearly, he's been through some serious trauma. If I'm not mistaken, he might be at the Slaughter King realm—his emotions are dangerously unstable. I mustn't say anything that might set him off again," Hu Mo thought, wiping a nervous bead of sweat from his brow. Without the help of the Sacred Water King and the Soft Silk Lock last time, he would have been pounded into paste.

"Coming, coming!" Hu Mo called, springing to his feet. He straightened his clothes, gathered his composure, and then opened the door.

There, as before, was that familiar smiling face. But Hu Mo was warier now than ever. Behind that smile lay a heart of deadly instability; he couldn't count on luck to save him every time.

Uncle Fu looked him up and down, from head to toe, left to right, until Hu Mo's skin crawled.

Of all the things he feared—this life, the last, and the one before—it was being scrutinized like this. If it were a beautiful woman, he might endure it, but being stared at by a man well into his sixties? It turned his stomach.

"Uncle Fu, I assure you, I am a decent and upright person," Hu Mo said warily, smiling with forced politeness as he instinctively took a step back. The pitiful look on his face sent a cascade of black lines down Uncle Fu’s forehead. This boy was simply too much to handle!