Chapter 75: Inner Realm and the Fringe, Crush Their Bones and Scatter Their Ashes

Chapter 75: Inner Realm and the Fringe, Crush Their Bones and Scatter Their Ashes

Two strands of Blood Devouring Ghost Silk, faster and more powerful than the previous one, easily piercing even a steel plate.

At this moment, Meng Chong felt a strong sense of crisis looming over him.

With a low growl, his muscles swelled, and his body resonated like a brass bell, even emitting a faint golden light.

He guarded his vital points by placing his fists in front of his chest.

Pu!

The Blood Devouring Ghost Silk instantly penetrated his fists, and the cold aura seeped from his fists into his arms and then his body.

Honglong!

The qi and blood in his body went berserk, sweeping through his entire body. He broke through the bottleneck and surpassed the limits of Copper Bones!

However, the danger was far from over.

Even if he immediately achieved Golden Bones, he would still be no match for his opponent.

He felt a piercing pain in his fists as the cold aura seemed to freeze them.

With another low growl, he channeled the storm of qi and blood within him, directing it toward his fists.

Pu!

His fists blasted out, shattering the Blood Devouring Ghost Silk that had pierced them.

Xue Wuxin was astonished. What kind of body was this? How could it block his Blood Devouring Ghost Silk?

"I don't believe you can block this attack!"

Xue Wuxin was now taking his opponent seriously.

He was a Grand Master, and although he hadn't used much strength, his previous two attacks would easily penetrate a third-rate warrior in the Inner Realm.

Even for a Grand Master, it would be impossible to block such attacks with just their physical body.

This bald youth before him was undoubtedly weaker than a third-rate warrior, but the toughness of his body was outrageously strong!

Xizi!

Xue Wuxin snapped his fingers, and a thicker strand of Blood Devouring Ghost Silk shot out, aiming straight for Meng Chong's heart.

This time, he truly exerted the power befitting a Grand Master warrior.

"Impossible to block!"

Meng Chong's heart sank. No matter what, he couldn't block this attack.

He hadn't even entered the threshold of martial arts yet. No matter how strong the Great Sun Golden Bell Cover was, it couldn't withstand an attack from a suspected Innate Realm warrior.

Even if he cultivated Golden Bones or even Diamond-Glass Bones, it would be futile.

The difference in their realms was just too vast!

As the crisis of death loomed, Meng Chong felt helpless. He was too weak compared to Xue Wuxin!

Hong!

Just at the critical moment, a golden dragon suddenly descended from the sky. The Blood Devouring Ghost Silk instantly disintegrated, and the golden dragon coiled around Xue Wuxin, pulling him down from mid-air and restraining him.

Meng Chong was overjoyed and felt like he had survived a calamity.

"Master!"

Li Xuan had just returned from Donghe County and was about to ask Shi Er to use the intelligence gathered from the Heavenly Mother Church to investigate the situation in the capital.

However, as soon as he arrived back in Yunshan County, he sensed a cold aura.

A warrior! And right in his courtyard!

He was taken aback and immediately used a displacement technique to appear in the small courtyard above.

Just in time to see Meng Chong in danger, he took action, saving his disciple and capturing the mid-air Xue Wuxin.

"Luckily I arrived in time, or I would have lost my second disciple!"

Li Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

Seeing his second disciple about to enter the threshold of martial arts, if he had been killed, it would have been a huge loss for him.

Where could he find another disciple suitable for cultivating the Great Sun Golden Bell Cover?

The thought made him furious.

He glared at Xue Wuxin, who was bound by the Dragon Subduing Palm Power, his eyes darkening with anger.

This person was a warrior, and not a weak one at that.

Seemed... to be in an injured state.

Moreover, the energy he cultivated was not qi and blood, but a sinister energy with a bloody aura, clearly indicating that he was not a good person.

"True Qi?"

Li Xuan frowned slightly.

"No, it's similar to True Qi, but the quality is inferior."

The "True Qi" within Xue Wuxin's body was far less refined than his Innate True Qi, and its power and quality were significantly lacking.

"Master, who is he? Why did he come to kill me? Did Wu Huang send him?" Meng Chong asked, his face filled with anger as he looked at Xue Wuxin, grateful to have survived.

Li Xuan sat down in a chair, and a mysterious aura emanated from him, making him seem even more inscrutable.

"How's the injury?"

Li Xuan glanced at the wound on Meng Chong's fist, which was surrounded by a cold aura.

But it wasn't serious, just a minor injury.

With Meng Chong's current physical recovery ability, he would be completely healed in a couple of days.

Moreover, stimulated by this cold aura, Meng Chong's qi and blood had gone berserk, breaking through the bottleneck and entering the stage of refining Golden Bones.

Perhaps a blessing in disguise?

Xue Wuxin lay on the ground, his heart filled with shock.

A golden dragon coiled around him, its terrifying pressure restraining him and rendering him immobile.

His inner energy seemed on the verge of collapse at any moment.

"Grand Master? How could there be a Grand Master in the Fringe?"

Xue Wuxin's heart sank.

Due to the dissipation of the heavenly spirit in the Fringe, the wild heavenly qi was violent and uncontrollable. Moreover, without the heavenly spirit, it was impossible to guide the qi into one's body, and the human body was unable to refine and withstand such violent qi.

Thus, the existence of a martial artist was impossible.

Precisely because of this, he had been relentlessly pursued in the Inner Realm with no means of escape, which was why he fled to the Fringe.

But he never expected that there would be such a formidable expert in the Fringe!

"Is this their master?"

The mysterious expert's strike had been a golden dragon, its might unstoppable, and its origin was clearly the same as the boy's palm technique. This person was undoubtedly the boy's master.

"What is going on in the Fringe?"

Xue Wuxin felt extremely aggrieved. At this moment, he felt like he had traveled a thousand miles to the Fringe only to meet his demise.

Li Xuan gazed at Xue Wuxin on the ground, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. Where had this martial artist come from, and why did he attack Meng Chong? Could it be true, as Meng Chong had said, that he was sent by the Wu Emperor?

If he was indeed sent by the Wu Emperor, his strength would be no weaker than that of the Qi Kingdom in the Wu Kingdom, and there should also be martial artists. Otherwise, it would have been annexed by the Wu Kingdom long ago.

However, Xu Yan had been stirring up trouble in the Qi Kingdom for so long, yet no martial artist had appeared.

"That's not right! Xu Yan fought with someone. Could it be that the Qi Emperor has recovered and invited a martial artist to come out?"

All along, the Qi Kingdom's military strength had been very low.

From all indications, there didn't seem to be any martial artists. Otherwise, if Xu Yan had believed the stories in the books and traveled everywhere in search of experts, wanting to cultivate true martial arts, he wouldn't have been ridiculed for having a not-so-bright mind.

Just as Li Xuan was about to interrogate Meng Chong about the origin and strength of Xue Wuxin in the martial arts world, he saw Xu Yan flying over.

His eyebrows twitched, and he suddenly understood something. Could the martial artist who fought with Xu Yan be this man before him?

Xu Yan followed the direction of Xue Wuxin's escape and chased him all the way to outside Yunshan County, where he saw a golden dragon flash by. He was startled, wondering if it was his master who had made a move.

He hurried over and indeed saw Xue Wuxin lying on the ground, a golden dragon coiled around him, binding him tightly.

"Master!"

Xu Yan bowed respectfully.

Then he noticed the injury on Meng Chong's hand and was surprised. "Junior Brother, was it him who hurt you?"

"Yes, Senior Brother. If Master hadn't returned in time, I would have died," Meng Chong said with lingering fear.

"This guy... was probably sent by the Wu Emperor to kill me!" Meng Chong said through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with anger.

"It's probably not," Xu Yan said, startled. Meng Chong had misunderstood.

"You fought him, so tell me about it," Li Xuan said, looking at Xu Yan.

"Yes, Master!"

Xu Yan nodded and proceeded to explain the whole story.

From going to the capital to investigate the origin of the dry corpses, he had initially thought it was the work of the legendary corpse demons, but then he discovered it wasn't. He was about to return and ask his master about the true nature of the demonic creatures that harmed people.

However, at a post station a hundred miles away, he found that all the station officials had been killed, their deaths caused by their blood being sucked dry. He encountered Xue Wuxin's attack, and after a fierce battle, Xue Wuxin fled, unable to withstand the fight any longer.

Li Xuan was astonished as he listened. This was a demonic cultivator!

Who consumed the blood of others; what else could he be but a demonic cultivator?

Where had this demonic cultivator come from?

He finally understood why the opponent had attacked Meng Chong. It was definitely because he saw that Meng Chong had vigorous qi and blood, with thick and abundant essence, containing immense power.

It could help him recover from his injuries and increase his strength.

However, he had underestimated Meng Chong's robust body, being careless with his first two strikes.

Fortunately, he had been careless, or else by the time he returned, Meng Chong would have been dead!

"Speak, where are you from, and what are your intentions?"

Li Xuan relaxed a little, and the golden dragon binding Xue Wuxin loosened, allowing him to speak.

This was a good opportunity to learn about the martial arts world in this world.

How strong was the martial arts world, and where did his strength stand in comparison?

"Speak quickly!"

Meng Chong clenched his fists and glared at Xue Wuxin angrily.

"Tell the truth, or I'll kill you!"

Meng Chong had almost lost his life, and he was still furious.

Xue Wuxin's heart sank as he looked at Li Xuan, feeling that he was mysterious and profound, his strength unfathomable, and definitely not someone a Grand Master could compare to.

Escape was impossible, so he could only think of a way to save his life!

"Senior, please forgive me. I, Xue Wuxin, am from the Inner Realm and was chased by my enemies, so I fled to this Fringe!" Xue Wuxin said cautiously.

The Inner Realm!

The Fringe!

Li Xuan now understood that the Qi Kingdom and the Wu Kingdom were located in the Fringe, and beyond the endless mountains was the Inner Realm!

There were martial artists in the Inner Realm!

Xue Wuxin was probably a demonic cultivator from the Inner Realm who had been injured while being pursued and had thus fled to the Fringe.

What level of strength did he possess in the Inner Realm?

These questions, Li Xuan, as a reclusive master, naturally wouldn't ask aloud.

As a master, he had to be thoroughly knowledgeable about this world.

If he were to ask such questions, wouldn't it expose him as someone who knew nothing about the martial arts world?

Besides, there was no need for him to ask. Xu Yan was already eagerly questioning Xue Wuxin.

"What is the Inner Realm? Is it the martial arts world? Master, you've always been mysterious, never speaking of the martial arts world, only saying that when our strength is sufficient, we will naturally know."

Xu Yan's eyes shone with fervor as he asked.

Xue Wuxin was taken aback, looking at Xu Yan in surprise. He didn't know about the Inner Realm or the Fringe?

He then turned to Li Xuan, the enigmatic powerful figure sitting in his chair, appearing nonchalant.

"He's a master!

A master from the Inner Realm, hiding in the Fringe.

Is he hiding from enemies, or is there another reason? He has two disciples but never mentioned the Inner Realm. Perhaps..."

Xue Wuxin's curiosity grew, and he began to speculate.

"The Inner Realm is beyond the mountains. This place is called the Fringe because the heavenly spirit is extinguished here, making the spiritual energy violent and uncontrollable. It's impossible to sense the heavenly spirit or absorb spiritual energy, and thus, no martial artists can be born..."

Xu Yan and Meng Chong listened intently, their brows furrowed. The Fringe, a place where the heavenly spirit was extinguished, and no martial artists could be born? How could that be?

Li Xuan was equally perplexed. "I can absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and I can cultivate. It must be because of the reason I fabricated for my cultivation method that I find this spiritual energy not gentle enough."

He finally understood why the spiritual energy felt harsh. It was due to the extinguished heavenly spirit.

"It's because of the Heavenly Bridge. It serves as a bridge between heaven and earth, allowing cultivation even without the heavenly spirit."

Li Xuan's eyes lit up as he understood.

"Continue. Tell us everything you know. How strong is the martial arts world in the Inner Realm? Are you at the Innate Realm? What level are you at?"

Xu Yan eagerly asked for more information.

The Innate Realm? Xue Wuxin was bewildered. What was the Innate Realm?

"Martial arts is divided into nine levels. Breaking through one level makes you a Refining Qi Grand Master or a Refining Qi Great Grand Master... I'm at the Grand Master level. This is inner qi, which senses the heavenly spirit, guides spiritual energy into the body, and transforms it into martial inner qi..."

Xu Yan and Meng Chong listened, their faces full of confusion. What were these nine levels, Refining Qi Grand Masters, and Refining Qi Great Grand Masters?

Xue Wuxin was a Grand Master-level warrior, and a Great Grand Master was considered one of the top powerhouses in the Inner Realm.

Li Xuan listened quietly. According to Xue Wuxin's explanation, in terms of realm, the Innate Realm was inferior to the Grand Master Realm.

And his current strength was comparable to, or even surpassed, a Great Grand Master!

With this realization, he felt relieved. With his current strength, he would be among the top figures in the Inner Realm, and it wouldn't take long for Xu Yan to break through to the Innate Realm.

His strength would definitely surpass that of a Great Grand Master!

"I've told you everything I know."

Xue Wuxin had revealed all he knew, and he now pleaded, "I was only fleeing my pursuers in a panic, and I had no intention to kill. I hope, Senior..."

It was time to beg for mercy!

However, Li Xuan's hand moved slightly, and the golden dragon suddenly unleashed a terrifying pressure.

Bang!

Xue Wuxin's body shattered into dozens of pieces. The golden dragon then rolled over the fragments, emitting a scorching aura, grinding the pieces into ashes, and then a gust of wind blew, carrying the ashes away without a trace.

There was no evidence left behind.

Only a bag and a sword fell to the ground.

The golden dragon coiled around, bringing the bag and sword into Li Xuan's hands.

Xu Yan and Meng Chong were stunned. Was that how he dealt with his enemies?

"Master, what..."

Xu Yan started to ask, perplexed.

Li Xuan stood up, his face solemn. It was time to teach his disciples a lesson.

"Disciples, remember this: for people with unknown origins who harbor malicious or hostile intentions, do not show mercy. Crush their bones, scatter their ashes, and annihilate their souls so that they leave no trace and cannot be traced.

"This will save you from unnecessary troubles, such as killing someone only to have their elders come seeking revenge, or eliminating one person only to have their sect come knocking on your door.

"Just crush their bones, scatter their ashes, and annihilate their souls, leaving no evidence.

"As long as no one knows it was you, then it has nothing to do with you!"

Xu Yan and Meng Chong listened intently. Their master was imparting his experience from the martial arts world!

"Crush their bones, scatter their ashes, and annihilate their souls. As long as no one knows it was me, it has nothing to do with me!"

Xu Yan murmured to himself, feeling like he had gained a profound insight.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end