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Thirdly, I confess that this book was inspired by Big Pig Knight's "Empire of Beasts." Initially, I intended to incorporate the Nine Yin Manual into its world, but as I started writing, it evolved into Guchanghai's (do you still remember my name?) grand adventure in a world of fantasy. It has indeed deviated from my original intention, but I believe it has become more intriguing this way.

Moreover, Huapo won't be the protagonist's weapon for life. Various martial arts and divine weapons will emerge, along with magical arrays and formations. The fourteen supreme techniques outlined in the Nine Yin Manual will also make their appearances one by one. The reason they aren't introduced all at once is to avoid potential inconsistencies in future plot developments. After all, the more one speaks, the more likely mistakes occur; less talk means fewer errors, and no talk means no error.

Regarding the Martial Arts in This Work - Part Two

A comparison of combat power based on human standards, specifically focusing on human Sword Masters, Sword Grandmasters, and Sword Emperors. This excludes the aid of divine weapons and magic.

Black Iron Warrior - Yellow River Four Ghosts.

Bronze Warrior - Young Guo Jing and Yang Kang (during the martial arts competition for a bride).

Silver Warrior - Ke Zhen'e, Lu Chengfeng (injured).

Gold Warrior - Seven Masters of Quanzhen Sect.

Sword Master Level 10 - Qiu Qianren (at the Second Mount Hua Sword Summit), Old Fool (at the time of Wang Chongyang's passing).

Sword Grandmaster Level 10 - Five Elders (at the Third Mount Hua Sword Summit, which coincides with the end of "The Sculptor in the Wind"), Golden Wheel King (at the tenth level of Elephant and Horse Strength Meditation).

Sword Emperor Apex —— The Nameless Elder Monk (a power equivalent to effortlessly defeating Xiao Yuanshan with a single move, as per the book's depiction).

Sword Sage —— Full Mastery of the 'Violet Grass Treasure Book' (speculated to be at least ten times stronger than Dongfang Bubai)

These classifications are based solely on combat strength, considering factors such as techniques, agility, strength, and endurance. They serve as rough estimates and aren't entirely precise. Although it might appear that the martial arts of the Divine Land are weaker, given the setting, if the humans of the Xinghai Continent possess comparable bone quality and wisdom to the Chinese people, cultivating Battle Aura wouldn't be more challenging than castrating oneself to learn the 'Violet Grass Treasure Book' in Jin Yong's world. Thus, such martial power designations are relatively reasonable within this context.

The foundation for these combat power assessments lies in the influence of martial arts on battlefields. Before reaching the Sword Master level, experts can't significantly impact large-scale battles. However, if this remains true even at the Sword Grandmaster realm, it would defy explanation why beasts are so fervent about martial arts, and the book would merely become a historical military novel. Drawing from Guo Jing and Yang Guo's feats in the 'Mighty Sampan' during the final battle of Xiangyang, the above evaluations seem accurate.

Another criterion is that the beasts' martial skills must rival the elves' magic. The book's depiction of the power of Forbidden Spells comes from 'The Apprentice Mage.' While elves can't cast Forbidden Spells, they can unite tens of thousands of mages to unleash super-magical attacks of similar potency. If the beasts were truly inferior, their race would have been eradicated long ago. In 'The Apprentice Mage,' the decline of the knight era was announced precisely because magic surpassed martial arts in power. So-called Holy Knights were merely at the Sword Master level, which led to their decline. Hence, this book introduces subsequent settings, but not excessively, lest it turns into a complete martial arts showdown like 'The Poem of the Wind and the Style,' where magic is reduced to fireworks and a few individuals determine the fate of the world. Therefore, the pinnacle of power on the Xinghai Continent likely lies around the Lesser Heaven Rank, with a single move capable of destroying a city being too disruptive to the balance. The "Lunar Affinity" concept serves to enhance narrative intrigue while also balancing the diversity of magic.

In selecting Chen Xuanfeng as the protagonist, this book pays homage to the martial arts setting of "The Eagle-Shooting Heroes." However, as an otherworldly fantasy novel, it would be incomplete without dragons and forbidden curses, which are integral to the author's vision. Thus, after much deliberation and seeking balance, the story has evolved into its current form.

Furthermore, considering the human population of roughly five to six hundred million, one would expect nearly ten million Black Iron Warriors to emerge. However, that's practically impossible. Most individuals need to devote their time to production and labor. Also, while females with innate talents are fewer than males, they are still numerous. Most of them don't pursue martial arts, which further reduces the count.

However, for those with higher potential who could advance to higher ranks, the likelihood of them becoming Warriors was greater. Therefore, if we were to consider the ratios, humanity should have had ten million Black Iron Rank warriors, two million Bronze Rank warriors, four hundred thousand Silver Rank warriors, eighty thousand Gold Rank warriors, eight thousand Sword Masters, eight hundred Sword Grandmasters, and eighty Sword Emperors. In reality, there were approximately three million Black Iron Rank warriors, one million Bronze Rank warriors, twenty-five thousand Silver Rank warriors, fifty thousand Gold Rank warriors, five thousand Sword Masters, five hundred thirty-four Sword Grandmasters, and sixty-three Sword Emperors. These forces were scattered across more than a hundred human nations, with no overabundance of experts in any single country. Of course, the number of lower-ranking Warriors could still be increased through conscription and training during wars as a supplement.

The case of Sword Saints is rather unique. One must possess exceptionally extraordinary talent to ascend to such a rank. Hence, in a century, there would often be no more than one or two individuals who could become Sword Saints. Fortunately, upon becoming a Sword Saint, one's lifespan significantly extends. As such, there are currently seven Sword Saints in the human world; however, most of them are rather elderly individuals.

In the Battle of Fontainebleau, the "Iron Cross" possessed a Silver Warrior Battalion called "Iron Wall," numbering two thousand, which was supported by the Temple. Its members were all chosen from among the most talented youths by the Temple and underwent specialized training. Though they didn't end up in the Temple's direct command, they were still exceptional. Furthermore, the Temple and certain nations possessed secret arts that could elevate those of mediocre aptitude to the level of a Sword Master. However, the cost was exorbitant, and these individuals could not advance any further. Among the hundred knights of the Holy Sword Order who appeared, many were of this ilk—noble offspring who did not inherit titles but received a share of the family estate. Only they could afford such expenses, and these quasi-Sword Masters were not counted within the five thousand official Sword Masters of humanity.

The "Thunder Knights" numbered five thousand, but not all were experts at the Silver rank or above. Only the elite knights on the front lines generally possessed Silver or even Gold cultivation. In truth, the Duchy of Langton had fewer than four thousand Silver Warriors in total, who had to be distributed among the five major knight orders, as well as officers and court guards. In reality, only slightly over six hundred knights actively fought within the "Thunder Knights."