Chapter 74: Consecutive Harvests, Blood Heart's Astonishment

Chapter 74: Consecutive Harvests, Blood Heart's Astonishment

Blood Heart was frustrated, unwilling, and indignant, but he knew he couldn't continue the fight. Otherwise, he would be the one to exhaust himself to death!

"I'll heal my wounds and restore my full strength, then I'll come back for his life!"

Blood Heart glared at Xu Yan below, his eyes filled with malice.

"I've exhausted too much energy. I need to replenish my strength by sacrificing some people in a nearby city."

With that thought, Blood Heart flew away after delivering his slash.

"Don't run away! Keep fighting!"

Xu Yan hurriedly chased after him on the ground. He hadn't had his fill of the battle yet.

As the fight progressed, he gained more and more insights. He suddenly realized that a martial artist must engage in combat.

A martial artist who doesn't know how to fight is destined to go nowhere.

"That's Yunshan County. What's he doing there? My master is in Yunshan County."

Xu Yan watched as Blood Heart's figure disappeared from his sight, a puzzled expression on his face.

The direction the opponent was heading in was indeed toward Yunshan County!

...

Li Xuan observed Meng Chong's strength growing day by day, and he was extremely pleased, anticipating the gains that his second disciple's entry would bring.

It must be said that Meng Chong's talent was indeed extraordinary, especially in the realm of physical martial arts. In such a short period, he had already tempered his body to the level of Copper Bones, and he was nearing the level of Golden Bones.

However, there was a bottleneck between the stages of Copper Bones and Golden Bones that needed to be broken through.

Li Xuan believed that the Golden Bone bottleneck would not pose a significant challenge to Meng Chong. The only difficult part, perhaps, would be the Diamond Jade Bones.

"I've already reached the Innate Realm. Now that my second disciple has entered, he's still at the Qi and Blood Realm. Can he really contribute to my strength improvement?"

Li Xuan pondered.

"The Diamond Jade Bones will definitely be beneficial, and the Great Sun Golden Bell Cover should also be able to further enhance my physical body."

Combining the orthodox martial arts, physical martial arts, and his own strength, Li Xuan couldn't help but look forward to how powerful he would become.

Recently, Shi Er had made some progress in his cultivation and had even started to refine his skin. Although he was already a top-notch expert in the martial arts world, the process of refining his skin was not particularly difficult. However, his cultivation speed was much slower compared to Xu Yan and Meng Chong.

"Shi Er isn't that old, probably in his thirties. For him to have achieved such a high level of expertise in the martial arts world at this age indicates that he does have some talent."

Li Xuan was quite satisfied with this servant.

He was efficient in handling tasks, and his culinary skills were excellent. Even though he could go without eating, he still had a soft spot for delicious food.

Shi Er had gone out to buy chicken.

As Meng Chong diligently cultivated, Li Xuan sat leisurely in a chair.

Suddenly!

"Your disciple, Xu Yan, has realized the art of shifting positions in the midst of intense battle, and you have mastered the art of shifting positions!"

A golden light appeared.

In an instant, a pattern of the eight trigrams appeared in Li Xuan's mind, indicating that he had not only mastered the art of shifting positions but had also cultivated it to a high level.

Li Xuan stood up abruptly.

"What's going on?"

Had Xu Yan really comprehended the art of shifting positions during a fierce battle?

Where was he fighting? With Xu Yan's strength, he should have no rivals in Qi Country. Even an army of thousands should not have been enough to engage Xu Yan in a fierce battle.

This suggested that Xu Yan had encountered a formidable foe! "Is it a martial artist from this world or a ferocious beast like the Fire-Maned Wolf?"

Li Xuan frowned in thought.

"Will Xu Yan be in danger?"

The realization of the art of shifting positions during a battle indicated that Xu Yan had been at a disadvantage and had faced danger, which triggered this enlightenment at a critical juncture.

This shifting position technique was extremely subtle, based on the eight trigrams. It allowed one to instantly change positions to dodge attacks and strike back at the enemy.

In combat, it was superior to the Light Body Technique.

This was essentially a battle movement technique and had even transcended the realm of body techniques.

As one's cultivation improved and their realm ascended, the power of shifting positions would also increase.

"Your disciple Xu Yan has improved his Dragon Subduing Palm to perfection during an intense battle, and your Dragon Subduing Palm has reached its ultimate state."

The golden finger provided feedback once more.

Perfect Dragon Subduing Palm!

Li Xuan couldn't remain seated any longer. What kind of formidable foe had Xu Yan encountered that led to these consecutive breakthroughs during the battle?

"I have to go and see."

He was concerned about Xu Yan's safety, but he was also amazed by his disciple's talent, achieving breakthroughs one after the other in the heat of battle.

Indeed, martial artists needed to fight! Those who didn't know how to fight were not true martial artists.

"Your disciple is engaged in a fierce battle with a powerful enemy, constantly improving his combat experience, and your own combat experience has increased significantly."

The golden finger continued to provide feedback.

A combat consciousness seemed to awaken in his mind, and his combat experience surged tremendously.

"Let's go to Donghe County!"

Without hesitation, Li Xuan rose into the air and disappeared into the horizon.

Meng Chong, who was cultivating, was stunned. His master had just flown away! In the blink of an eye, he had vanished.

That speed was incredible!

"Innate Realm practitioners can fly through the air and cover a hundred miles in an instant. Is Master an Innate Realm expert?

"No, that's not right!

"Master's realm must be far beyond the Innate Realm. My senior brother once said that Master is a reclusive master, and his realm is probably beyond all martial arts realms, approaching the level of a Daoist existence."

Meng Chong felt a surge of excitement, as if he had been injected with adrenaline.

"I must strive to enter the door as soon as possible!"

His cultivation became even more diligent, and the Great Sun intent emerged. His entire being seemed to be tempered by the Great Sun, and his Copper Bones gradually approached perfection!

...

Li Xuan flew through the air, his first time doing so after breaking through to the Innate Realm.

"Being a powerful martial artist is truly amazing! In two lifetimes, this is my first time flying!"

Li Xuan marveled as he flew.

With his current strength, he could cover long distances in a short time. Soon, he arrived above Donghe County.

He didn't sense any signs of battle.

With a sweep of his gaze, he saw that within the Xu family mansion, Xu Yan's parents were cultivating, and the guards were either on duty or cultivating as well. Everything seemed peaceful.

"Is Xu Yan in the capital?"

Li Xuan's eyebrows furrowed.

The capital was too far from Donghe County. Even if he rushed there immediately, the battle would be over by the time he arrived, and the outcome would already be decided.

"Should I go to the capital?"

Li Xuan hesitated.

Xu Yan was his precious disciple, and with his current strength, he could easily destroy any enemy that Xu Yan was facing.

However, the capital was too far away. If Xu Yan was defeated before he could get there, it would be too late for him to provide any assistance.

"Your disciple Xu Yan has improved his Dragon Subduing Palm to the second level during an intense battle, and you have achieved a major breakthrough in your Dragon Subduing Palm at the second level."

The golden finger provided more feedback.

Li Xuan was taken aback. The second level of the Dragon Subduing Palm?

He was overjoyed. His disciple was incredible! He had forcibly raised the level of the Dragon Subduing Palm. Now that there was a second level, could there also be a third, fourth, or even fifth level...?

The second level of the Dragon Subduing Palm already possessed a hint of dragon might, stimulating the "anger" intent within the palm force, greatly increasing the power of the Dragon Subduing Palm!

The dragon-shaped palm force also became more condensed and dragon-like.

"The fact that Xu Yan can have realizations during battle indicates that he is not completely overwhelmed by his opponent. Now that he has comprehended the second level of the Dragon Subduing Palm, he should not be defeated."

Li Xuan mused.

"Is Xu Yan in the capital, or has he gone somewhere else?

"Who is he fighting? Is it a martial artist from this world or a ferocious beast like the Fire-Maned Wolf?"

Li Xuan frowned, deep in thought.

"With my current strength, what level of martial artist would I be considered in the martial world?"

"What is the state of martial arts in this world?"

Li Xuan gazed down at the Xu family mansion, silently waiting.

Thus far, there had been no disturbances from the Xu household.

This indicated that no urgent messages had arrived from the capital.

"When I return, I'll have Shi Er utilize Tian Mu Jiao's intelligence network to gather information on the capital's situation."

Li Xuan's mind was abuzz with calculations.

With that, he turned around and headed back to Yunshan County.

...

Blood Heart flew towards Yunshan County, feeling his body growing weaker and his breath becoming more labored as he covered the hundred-mile distance.

However, he dared not stop.

Xu Yan was chasing him from behind, and if he slowed down or descended from the sky, he would be in danger of being caught up to.

His injuries were worsening.

"Damn it! Even after reaching the border, I'm still in such a miserable state!

"No, I'm even more pathetic than I was in the Inner Realm."

Blood Heart felt frustrated and aggrieved, his eyes flashing with a bloodthirsty light.

"I'll perform a blood sacrifice on a city, devour their essence and blood, and restore my strength. Then, I'll take your life!"

Blood Heart made a vicious vow in his mind.

A small city appeared in his line of sight.

"This city isn't big; it only has a population of a few tens of thousands. Performing a blood sacrifice here should allow me to recover to about eight or nine tenths of my full strength."

A bloodthirsty light shone in Blood Heart's eyes.

"There shouldn't be any strong individuals in such a small city."

He was also puzzled. On his escape from the Inner Realm, he had encountered a group of people in the mountains, one of whom was the son of Qi's Minister of War.

Given his identity, he should have been protected by powerful individuals.

So why was there not a single martial artist among them?

And now, right after leaving the mountains, he had come across an incredibly powerful opponent. Could it be a coincidence?

Perhaps the borderlands truly lacked martial artists, and that youth was simply an anomaly?

Blood Heart's mind was filled with questions.

Now was not the time for contemplation, however. Restoring his injuries and strength was the priority.

He flew directly above Yunshan County.

With his keen senses, he immediately detected several individuals with robust vital energies, comparable to those he had devoured in the mountains.

"What is that place?"

Suddenly, Blood Heart sensed a vibrant surge of energy.

Within the county, there was a source of energy that outshone everyone else's, filling him with a strong sense of longing.

"A martial artist!"

He was astonished! How could there be a martial artist in this small county? The borderlands were supposed to be devoid of spiritual energy, making the existence of a martial artist unlikely!

He focused his senses, attempting to absorb the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, but he could not perceive anything.

The spiritual energy of the world remained dormant, still in a state of oblivion.

"Why is there a martial artist here?"

Blood Heart thought back to the unique cultivation technique of the youth he had fought, which was vastly different from those of the Inner Realm.

"Never mind, if I devour this martial artist's essence and blood, I'll be able to recover.

"Once I regain my Grandmaster-level strength, I won't believe that there could be a stronger opponent in these borderlands."

Grandmaster-level martial artists were considered peak powerhouses even in the Inner Realm.

It was impossible for the borderlands to harbor such a powerful expert.

"This martial artist's strength is far inferior to mine; dealing with him should be easy."

Blood Heart was thrilled at the prospect.

In an instant, he appeared above the small courtyard and laid eyes on Meng Chong.

Seeing Meng Chong's bald, gleaming head, his robust build, and well-developed muscles, Blood Heart's eyes lit up with greedy delight.

"Such vibrant vital energy! Although it's not as strong as that kid's, devouring his essence will definitely help me recover from my injuries, and my strength will return to its peak.

"Then, I'll kill that kid and devour his essence as well. I won't be far from breaking through to the Great Grandmaster level!"

The more Blood Heart thought about it, the more excited he became.

Once he reached the Great Grandmaster level, he wouldn't fear anyone, not even in the Inner Realm.

A Great Grandmaster was the pinnacle of martial arts in the Inner Realm!

"I'll devour his essence!"

Not wanting to delay, Blood Heart made his move.

He hadn't forgotten that Xu Yan was pursuing him, so he had to finish off the boy in front of him before his enemy caught up.

As long as he refined the boy's essence, his injuries would heal, and then he could show Xu Yan the true might of a Grandmaster.

He flicked his finger, shooting out a strand of Blood Devouring Silk, aiming straight for Meng Chong's heart.

Meng Chong was in the midst of his cultivation, and he had already perfected his Copper Bones.

His Golden Bell Cover was becoming increasingly resilient, and he was just a step away from achieving Golden Bones.

However, Meng Chong felt a bottleneck at this step, unable to break through to the Golden Bones stage for the time being.

Suddenly, he felt a sense of danger! What was the source of this danger?

Before Meng Chong could pinpoint the threat, he felt a sting in his heart, as if something icy cold had pierced his heart.

Along with this cold sensation, his heartbeat quickened, and his vital energy surged violently, as if a storm was raging within his body.

It was like a drop of water had been dropped into a pot of boiling oil.

As the storm of vital energy swept through him, his Copper Bones, which had been stagnant and unable to progress further, suddenly loosened under the violent onslaught.

"What is this?"

Meng Chong was shocked. What was this icy cold strand of silk?

He followed the silk strand with his eyes and saw Blood Heart hovering in the air.

In that instant, Meng Chong's scalp tingled, and his heart clenched with anxiety. "A Precelestial Realm martial artist? Where did a Precelestial Realm martial artist come from in Qi?

"My senior brother single-handedly crushed the Divine Might Army and trampled the Qi royalty underfoot!"

This mysterious martial artist clearly harbored malicious intent!

The strand of silk aimed at his heart was a deadly attack, and only because he cultivated the Great Sun Golden Bell Cover, which granted him an incredibly sturdy defense, had it failed to pierce his heart.

It had only pierced a bit of skin?

Meng Chong punched out, severing the silk strand with a single blow.

"Where did Master go?"

Meng Chong was drenched in cold sweat, worried sick.

He hadn't even entered the door of cultivation yet, so how could he possibly stand against the man in the sky? Where was his master? His master had left earlier and hadn't returned yet.

Had this attacker taken advantage of his master's absence to come for him?

"Could it be an assassin hired by Emperor Wu?"

In that moment, Meng Chong thought of Emperor Wu.

After all, he was on Wu's wanted list, with a bounty of 100,000 taels of gold! Blood Heart, who was hovering in the air, was also shocked.

Although he hadn't used his full strength with that strand of Blood Devouring Silk, even a stone should have been easily pierced! Yet, the silk had failed to penetrate the bald youth's heart! It had only managed to pierce a tiny bit of skin?

He found these borderlands very peculiar and even a little frightening.

Every person he encountered here seemed strangely powerful.

The youth below had an exceptionally robust physical body, something that defied common sense! "I must end this quickly!"

Blood Heart flicked his fingers, shooting out two more strands of Blood Devouring Silk.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end