High Martial Arts: Invincible Starts from Basic Archery novel Chapter 367

Chapter 367: Chapter 358: More Powerful than Supreme Martial Arts (Please Subscribe)

The old man showed a hint of envy on his face.

"Later, my ancestor also found some good things from other palaces, such as elixirs."

"Of course, he didn’t dare to take them immediately 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 emerged in the martial world. For the next two generations, thanks to my ancestor’s cultivation and their extraordinary talents, our family gained increasing fame, 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 members 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 mediocre. 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 mediocre, 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 time, I didn’t take it seriously until now, after experiencing ten years of apocalypse and seeing you before me, 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 time, 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 became a mark of a top expert. In recent hundred years, even those experts became scarce. Most self-proclaimed 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 times, all to no avail. This convinced me 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 formed 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 me. Even if I’m less talented, if others can cultivate True Qi in ten or twenty years, surely I can in double that time."

"You misunderstood me."

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!"

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