Chapter 2: The Blood Sabre Manual

"Three stars? Finished product?" Faced with these suddenly emerging terms, both familiar and strange, Ning Xiu subconsciously asked in his heart.

"System prompt: The star rating corresponds to the grade of the treasure chest—damaged chest, wooden chest, ancient bronze chest, silver chest, and golden chest. Different chests yield items of varying values; the chest's grade determines the upper limit of the item that can be drawn."

"System prompt: A finished product refers to a complete item. Items drawn from treasure chests may appear as finished products, fragments, or shards. Fragments and shards can be combined by the host to form a finished product. Generally, the higher the grade of the item, the lower the probability of obtaining a finished product, and the more fragments required for synthesis."

No wonder these terms felt both familiar and distant. This Martial Deity System was exactly like a mobile game from his previous life called Grand Wuxia—down to the identical treasure chest grading.

He glanced at the interface and, as expected, found the ten-draw option in the lottery section, which left Ning Xiu momentarily speechless—after all, he himself had been the planner for that game.

Originally, he had wanted to create a truly immersive martial arts world for players, aiming to develop a sandbox game. But in those days, fast-paced mobile games dominated half the market, making his idea both difficult and thankless, not to mention unable to attract investment.

Later, a gaming company expressed interest in his project and was willing to invest—on the condition that he first develop a martial arts mobile game to test the market. The lottery system was forcibly added at the strong suggestion of the company, which was consistent with their usual philosophy: creating happiness through "paying" for it.

Who would have thought that what he had fiercely opposed back then would now, by a twist of fate, become his greatest asset?

If this Martial Deity System truly came from the game he once developed, then this life, facing those monsters, he might have a fighting chance.

Suppressing his excitement, he drew back the carriage curtain and gazed at the world outside, a faint smile playing at his lips.

Sunlight poured down, glinting off the first snow by the roadside, where several children played joyfully, building snowmen.

Though it was the depths of winter, the sun was gentle. A breeze brushed his clothes, making him shiver slightly, yet he felt the first trace of warmth in this cold season.

Upon returning to the Ning Residence, Ning Xiu paid his respects to his grandfather, the family patriarch, and then headed straight to his room. After locking the door, he summoned the Martial Deity System.

"Does the host wish to draw?" The cold mechanical voice sounded in Ning Xiu's mind once again.

"Draw," Ning Xiu intoned silently.

With his confirmation, the ancient bronze chest floating before him suddenly radiated a dazzling light.

Click!

The bronze lock fell away, the chest opened, and an old, thread-bound book appeared out of thin air in Ning Xiu's hands, with the title "Blood Sabre Sutra" written on it.

At the same time, the system's notification chimed, "Congratulations, you have obtained a mid-tier, second-class martial art."

Just as there were five grades of treasure chests, the martial arts within were likewise divided into five ranks: third-class, second-class, first-class, supreme, and divine. Each rank was further split into upper, middle, and lower grades. Theoretically, an ancient bronze chest could yield a top-tier, first-class martial art—but that remained only a theory.

As the planner of the game, Ning Xiu knew the lottery system all too well. If not for the first-draw protection mechanism, one would often receive nothing but fragments and shards.

Thus, though a mid-tier, second-class saber technique was not the best outcome, it was at least acceptable. As the ultimate skill of the Blood Sabre Patriarch, the most notorious evil expert in the city, this saber art was by no means weak.

More importantly, the Blood Sabre Sutra, as the signature skill of the Blood Sabre Sect, encompassed both internal energy cultivation and saber techniques—a two-for-one deal, a genuine windfall. This was also why the system classified it as a martial method.

But how was he to learn it?

Even the most basic martial arts in the world required hard training to master, let alone an advanced skill like the Blood Sabre Sutra.

Ning Xiu had been full of concern, but as he opened the book, all his worries vanished. Suddenly, the key points of the Blood Sabre Sutra surged into his mind.

A splitting pain filled his head, followed by agony throughout his entire body.

The process lasted a full quarter of an hour. When Ning Xiu finally opened his eyes again, they shone with an inner brilliance, and he was a changed man.

"System prompt: Congratulations, host has mastered the Blood Sabre Sutra (Internal Arts): First Level."

"Note: Since the host has not learned basic saber techniques, the Blood Sabre saber art cannot be comprehended."

"The first level, is it?" Sensing the faint flow of energy in his lower dantian, Ning Xiu murmured.

The Blood Sabre Sutra’s internal arts consisted of three levels. It seemed the Martial Deity System could only bring the host quickly to the entry stage, not grant instant mastery.

This was just like the game—if you wanted to max out a martial art quickly, you paid for it. But now, in this real world, how should he proceed?

Knock, knock, knock—

A sudden knocking at the door interrupted Ning Xiu’s thoughts.

"Young master, the master summons you to the main hall."

He carefully tucked the martial arts manual into his inner robe and stood up. "Coming," he replied.

Creak—

He opened the door and glanced at Xiao Cui, the maid quietly waiting outside. A faint smile appeared at his lips as he said, "Let’s go."

...

Though the Ning Residence was one of the three great families of Shouchun, its furnishings were exceedingly understated, dominated by dark tones that gave an impression of grandeur and weight, especially the council hall before Ning Xiu.

Dusk had fallen. In the dim corridor, candlelight illuminated the passing figures. Their hurried steps betrayed a sense of worry etched on many faces.

The current head of the Ning family was Ning Xiu’s grandfather—a man of steady character. As family patriarch, he rarely gathered everyone at this hour unless something significant had occurred.

"Uncle Wang."

"Young Master Xiu, the master is waiting for you inside."

After a brief exchange, Ning Xiu, escorted by a maid, entered the council hall. Upon seeing the white-haired elder within, he bowed respectfully. "Grandfather!"

The old man wore a dark cotton robe and sat quietly at the head seat, half-dozing. Seeing Ning Xiu enter, a faint smile touched his lips. "You’re here, Xiu’er. Sit."

Ning Xiu glanced at the elderly man, confirmed his identity, and then found a seat at the end of the hall.

This was his grandfather, Ning Mingfeng.

In his youth, he had passed the imperial examinations and been awarded the title of xiucai. Later, he navigated the currents of commerce, establishing the Ning family as one of Shouchun’s three great clans, holding the reins of power for decades and commanding immense prestige. Though now advanced in age and his health much declined, none within the clan dared harbor dissent.

Thus, Ning Xiu was able to sit in council with his uncles and elders—no one questioned it, for this was the arrangement decreed by the head of the Ning family, Ning Mingfeng.