VIP Volume, Chapter 150: Martial Saint

Both Ye Xiaoxuan and Jaran found it hard to believe their ears. These ten old men were immortals? Having lived for so many years, they must be at least two hundred years old, right?

Ye Xiaoxuan hurriedly asked her, "Then where are they?"
Little Yu'er replied, "They live in the Dragon Hidden Manor!"
Ye Xiaoxuan asked again, "Where is the Dragon Hidden Manor?"
Little Yu'er spread her hands, tilted her small head, and said, "I don't know either!"

The old shepherd laughed heartily, "And here I thought you really knew a lot!"
Jaran smiled and said, "She's still better than me; I didn't even know their names!"

The old shepherd said with a serious expression, "It's right that you don't know! Because this Council of Ten Elders can be considered living national treasures of the Central Kingdom, and the state arranges their residences. Not many people know about them in the first place, and even their names are deliberately kept under strict control!"

Ye Xiaoxuan asked in confusion, "What on earth do these ten people do? How can they live so long? No wonder the state attaches so much importance to them!"

The old shepherd snorted and said, "They aren't valued because of their longevity! Let me ask you, how much do you know about the martial arts ranks of our Central Kingdom?"

Biting on a blade of grass, Ye Xiaoxuan cursed dismissively, "Old man, you use martial arts ranks every day to show off your sense of superiority! I'm not even at the martial disciple level, so what?"

The old shepherd cursed angrily, "What am I showing off?! I'm asking you, aside from those five main ranks, what else do you know?"

Ye Xiaoxuan thought for a moment and told him, "I also know that each rank is divided into three tiers: primary, intermediate, and advanced!"

The old shepherd rolled his eyes and said, "Not those, I mean beyond the five ranks!"
At this, even Yu'er and Jaran were somewhat baffled. Yu'er asked him, "Grandpa Shepherd, legend has it that the Martial Emperor has already transcended mortality into divinity. Could there possibly be other paths?"

The old shepherd nodded and said, "There are! But it's not about becoming a deity, it's about attaining sagehood! When a Martial King's cultivation advances further, they transform into a Martial Sage! They open the heavenly eye, yet can never fully ascend to divinity, becoming beings halfway between gods and mortals!"

Ye Xiaoxuan let out a sudden "Pfft!" of laughter, grinned widely, and said, "That's truly pathetic. After practicing martial arts for a lifetime, they end up as monsters that are neither fish nor fowl!"

The old shepherd was so angry his stomach felt like it was going to burst. He pointed at Ye Xiaoxuan and cursed, "Discussing martial arts with a martial idiot like you is a desecration of the martial world! Do you know how many people want to become a Martial Sage? Out of a hundred people, only one wants to be a Martial Emperor, but the remaining ninety-nine all set the Martial Sage as their ultimate goal!"

Little Yu'er immediately nodded and said, "Because the Martial Emperor is a legendary existence, while the Martial Sage has tangible role models!"

The old shepherd took a sip of wine, looked at Little Yu'er approvingly, and said, "This little girl has a nimble mind and is just as clever as Jaran. I like her! If I had a grandson, I'd definitely snatch her for him. Following this brat is just a waste!"

Little Yu'er and Jaran both blushed and spat lightly in his direction. Accustomed to bickering with him, Ye Xiaoxuan wasn't angry. With the blade of grass still between his teeth, he retorted, "I curse your ancestors, with your looks, even if you had a grandson, he'd just be a mountain goat spirit reeking of musk—it's a wonder anyone would ever follow him!"

Jaran had no appetite to listen to this old man and young man grinding their teeth with such nonsense, so she curiously asked the old shepherd, "Grandpa Shepherd, do you mean to say that all the members of the Council of Ten Elders are Martial Sages?"

The old shepherd nodded and said, "Correct! Martial Sages possess semi-immortal bodies. Just like the Martial Emperors, they represent the absolute pinnacle of martial arts. Moreover, they have transcended the cycle of life and death, and their combat power is astonishing. Of course the state must strictly protect them!"

Ye Xiaoxuan spat out the blade of grass, rubbed his chin, and said, "That raises a curious question! Since these ten old monsters have supposedly transcended worldly affairs and freed themselves from greed, why would they be interested in a mere martial arts tournament?"

The old shepherd sighed and shook his head, "No one can truly free themselves from greed; it's just that what they seek is different! I suspect the Council of Ten Elders supports the martial arts tournament because of the Golden Silk Brocade! They probably want to find someone capable of opening the Golden Silk Brocade!"

Ye Xiaoxuan said mockingly, "What? Aren't Martial Sages supposed to be these incredibly badass figures in your martial world? Can't even they open that thing?"

The old shepherd gave him a sideways glance and said, "You wouldn't understand the twists and turns behind this even if I explained them to you! You just need to know that the Golden Silk Brocade is something left behind by the Martial Emperor before his ascension, and only someone destined can open it. Didn't you always boast about being the reincarnation of a Martial Emperor? Maybe you can open it!"

Ye Xiaoxuan leaped up and cursed furiously, "I curse your ancestors! From the very beginning, I've only ever admitted to being a small-time hoodlum. It was you who kept blathering on, insisting that I have Dragon Seal Armor, or Dragon Saliva Fragrance, and now you claim I boasted about it. I boasted about your sister!"

Ignoring him completely, the old shepherd hugged his wine gourd, lay down on the grass, and said lazily, "Anyway, I've told you the situation. Whether you go participate is your own business! Even if you go, you'll just be joining in the excitement. The martial arts tournament has strict rules, and the kung fu of the three of you..."

The old shepherd stopped there, sighing and shaking his head.
Little Yu'er said anxiously, "Grandpa Shepherd, then why don't you hurry up and give them some intensive training for a while?"

The old shepherd simply crossed his legs and said leisurely, "He's not my disciple, so I have no qualifications to train him! Besides, given his comprehension of martial arts... ahem, to put it politely, I'd rather train Qi the Fool!"

"Bah!" Ye Xiaoxuan spat hard in his direction, wanting to unleash a torrent of abuse. But on second thought, a wicked smile curled the corners of his mouth. He reached out, pulled Little Yu'er and Jaran into his arms on either side, lay down on the grass, let out a comfortable yawn, and said lazily, "I have zero interest in participating in that tournament anyway!"

The old shepherd fell silent on the other side.
Ye Xiaoxuan winked at Yu'er, signaling her not to ask any more questions. Jaran, however, playfully tapped him on the forehead with a coquettish pout and softly scolded, "You, ugh! After all, he is Big Brother's master!"

Sure enough, it wasn't long before the old shepherd couldn't hold back anymore. He propped himself up on his elbow and asked, "Don't you want to see those ten Martial Sages?"

Ye Xiaoxuan sneered, "I don't care what kind of sages they are. Are they great beauties? If not, why on earth would I yearn to look at a bunch of wrinkled old men?"

The old shepherd sat up abruptly, glared at him, and asked, "Then don't you want to witness the Golden Silk Brocade?"

Ye Xiaoxuan was even more dismissive, "Even Martial Sages can't open that thing, what ability do I have to pry it open? I've never had any interest in things that don't belong to me."

Panic finally set in for the old shepherd. He stood up, walked over to Ye Xiaoxuan, and said almost pleadingly, "Then surely you must consider your brother! The top three positions grant qualification to enter the Martial Glory Hall! The Council of Ten Elders entrusted the Ancient Martial Sect to host this tournament, so I have to show some results! If..."

Ye Xiaoxuan waved his hand and said, "Stop right there! Old man, I've told you before, don't treat me like a tool to be ordered around. I answer to no one! I don't do things that offer no benefit, and right now, this matter holds zero advantage for me. I..."

"There are benefits!" The old shepherd grew frantic as well, and told Ye Xiaoxuan, "There are definitely benefits!"

Ye Xiaoxuan curled his lip and asked, "What benefits? Don't talk to me about being disciples of your Ancient Martial Sect or stuff like that; in my eyes, those things aren't worth a fart!"