Chapter 139:
Chapter 139:
Chapter 139:
Qiao Mu has an insatiable thirst for death.
He finally realized that after the Martial Saint’s death, his ultimate goal was to become the current martial arts leader, and his smaller goal… was to fully understand the "Human Path Sutra".
The "Human Path Sutra", or the "Xumi Mountain King Sutra", was taught by Hai Wuya in the heavenly prison.
The reason for teaching the martial arts technique was the promise made by the Martial Saint in the past. It was a transaction between the two parties, but it didn’t mean that Qiao Mu could simply accept Hai Wuya’s teachings.
Wuji Association belongs to Wuji Association, and Hai Wuya belongs to Hai Wuya.
Being born immortal, one must repay gratitude and fulfill debts, that’s how a fulfilling life of avenging and repaying unfolds.
"Hai Wuya is already old, almost eighty years old," thought Qiao Mu, who was ninety years old.
"He had a great ambition to develop the "Human Path Sutra"."
"As an immortal, I can accelerate the progress of developing the "Human Path Sutra" and try to make sure that Hai Wuya can see the day when the real "Human Path Sutra" is born during his lifetime."
This is the method that Qiao Mu came up with to repay Hai Wuya.Of course, developing the "Human Path Sutra" also naturally benefits Qiao Mu himself.
Now that he is ninety years old and destined to continue aging, he and Hai Wuya’s "Human Path Sutra" have become inseparable.
This is the reason why Qiao Mu is taking a risk.
He is extremely eager for fame and is obsessed with the idea of death.
Therefore, when he met the renowned Condor Wei En, he not only didn’t avoid him, but instead felt a slight competitiveness.
"I have already experienced the taste of being a 3rd rank martial artist. What about the top-ranked 1st martial artist in the world?" This thought flashed through his mind.
"If the Spiritual Refining Method reaches the 1st rank, how strong would it be?"
"Wei En, are you also here to steal my ancient painting?" Qiao Mu leaped forward, not only evading but also swiftly charging towards Wei En.
He didn’t know much about Wei En.
Wei En was a calm person. In the past, he was instrumental in connecting the "Wuji Association" and "Qiao Zhong", and played a crucial role in teaching martial arts to Hai Wuya and Qiao Zhong.
However, Wei En didn’t reveal his strong ties to the Wuji Association in front of Qiao Mu. In Qiao Mu’s presence, he remained the number one imperial detective belonging to the Great Yan Imperial Court.
Qiao Mu didn’t have a good opinion of government officials, so he took the initiative at this moment.
As he swiftly dashed past, his fist struck Wei En’s chest with great force. In an instant, it went straight through, but there was no sensation in his hand.
Looking up, Wei En had already turned into a blur and dissipated right in front of Qiao Mu’s eyes.
At the same time, Qiao Mu’s pupils shrunk as his instincts fluctuated, sensing a hint of danger.
"Frostbite God Claw!"
Wei En’s tall figure had appeared behind him without Qiao Mu noticing. His hands turned into claws, leaving a chilling claw mark on Qiao Mu’s shoulder as it forcefully struck through the air.
Qiao Mu quickly dashed out more than ten meters and stood still in the distance, looking down at his shoulder.
They didn’t fight for long, just a brief touch and separation.
"Is this the power of a martial artist ranked first?" Qiao Mu looked down at the claw marks on his shoulder, blood trickling out and staining it red.
Although the wound is not shallow, it’s not deep either. While the skin is broken, it hasn’t reached the bone, so it can’t be considered a serious injury.
As the claw marks formed, a chilling internal strength started to seep into the wound. Although it wasn’t a big problem, it made him feel uncomfortable.
With the agile movements of a third-ranked martial artist and instinctive spiritual refining, Qiao Mu was completely defenseless.
The first-ranked martial artist’s swift movements, combined with their first-ranked intuition, already surpassed Qiao Mu’s speed.
And Wei En’s claw skill, although not bad, is clearly inferior to his light skill.
Just like a moment ago.
When Qiao Mu’s sometimes unreliable intuition sensed danger, he actually had a chance to dodge Wei En’s attack.
He was just too stubborn, thinking of using his own hard work to test the depth of Wei En’s claw skill.
So he intentionally stayed in place without dodging, secretly using his own physical body to resist this claw.
Although he got injured, Qiao Mu also saw the truth of Wei En’s abilities.
"Wei En’s strength is worthy for me to use the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, but his light skill is too good. Even with the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, it’s unlikely to catch up, can’t hit, and there’s no point in getting entangled…"
This thought crossed Qiao Mu’s mind and he immediately stopped thinking about fighting Wei En.
He wasn’t afraid of death.
But how to die, when to die, and the quality of death, are all very important questions worth exploring.
So, he swiftly disappeared into the night using his lightness skills.
The voice of the old man echoed in the darkness.
"Remember, my name is Qiao Shuanglin. I came to this Imperial Capital to seek justice for my son Qiao Zhong!"
Qiao’s family always repays their debts!
However, when people like Wei En hear the name Qiao Zhong and know the whole story, they feel an immense sense of heaviness in their hearts.
Who killed Qiao Zhong?
It was Emperor Yonghe, the current ruler, along with the two powerful Immortal Gates: The Great Dao Sect in Zhong Province and the Xuantian Temple in Nan Province.
Although Qiao’s family is known for standing up for their loved ones, this is quite bold. It’s like declaring war against the Great Yan Imperial Court and the Immortal Gates…
"Why is Qiao’s family so fearless and brave?"
Wei En sighed softly, watching Qiao Mu walk away, but he didn’t chase after him.
This Qiao Shuanglin harbored hostility towards him, and he understood because he was an official of the Great Yan Imperial Court, seen as a henchman in the eyes of the martial arts community.
However, Qiao Shuanglin’s hostility didn’t affect his admiration for Qiao’s family.
The reputation of Qiao’s family was built upon the sacrifice of countless lives, this was a solid fact, naturally resounding and renowned.
"Is the hidden sect of Qiao’s family really exist? This Qiao Shuanglin is truly extraordinary."
Wei En glanced at his right hand.
He had just used his claw technique to push back Qiao Mu, although he had held back, he had no intention of taking Qiao Mu’s life.
"Not only is his martial arts skill impressive, but his internal strength is also incredibly strong? Although my claw technique can cut through his flesh, it is difficult to make further progress."
"The extent of his inner strength was even more surprising than his physical body."
As the Imperial Capital’s chief detective, Wei En had encountered countless cunning and wicked criminals, among them, there were no lack of powerful Spirit Refining martial artists.
The displayed power that Qiao Shuanglin showed tonight left him amazed.
Qiao Shuanglin’s lightness skill and body movements were not as good as his, but it didn’t mean Qiao Shuanglin was weak.
Because the Martial Saint had passed away, he was now considered the best in lightness skill.
In addition to Qiao Shuanglin’s intuition as the top-ranked spiritual-refining martial artist, it was difficult for anyone to get close to him.
"How did Qiao Shuanglin cultivate his martial arts? It seems that he’s not a true Spirit Refining martial artist, but rather someone who has practiced the ‘Martial Saint Spiritual Technique’. Is his intuition unreliable at times?"
Wei En furrowed his brows.
Being knowledgeable and having encountered the Wuji Association before, he could see through Qiao Mu’s true and false.
So he was even more surprised.
Ever since the appearance of the Spiritual Refining Method, the path of the martial artist has expanded to include the 3rd rank.
After reaching the upper limit of the 4th rank, no one foolishly focused on cultivating internal strength for physical growth. Instead, they all worked hard towards mastering the Spiritual Refining Method.
Because the intuition of a Spirit Refining martial artist far surpasses that of a traditional martial artist, this is a fact proven through fist fights!
The current version of martial artists has long been focused on refining their intuition, but suddenly an opposite version of Qiao Shuanglin appears?
There are no shortcuts to cultivating strength and power, only years of accumulation and perseverance can lead to results.
Even so, compared to the Spiritual Refining Method, this path can be said to be half the effort for half the result. It is a path that has been obsolete for hundreds of years.
And now… at the age of ninety, Qiao Shuanglin effortlessly defeats a 3rd rank Spirit Refining martial artist, Sword Ghost, as if a master defeats an apprentice.
If Qiao Shuanglin has extraordinary talent, then it is understandable.
After all, Jiu Province was full of talented people and amazing adventures.
People with natural divine power, astonishing talents, unique physical abilities, or those who have consumed special fruits to enhance their internal strength… Although they were rare, Jiu Province was very big.
According to what he knew, the Martial Saint’s disciples, known as the "seventy-two wise men," were a gathering of extraordinary talents like these.
But Qiao Shuanglin was different from them.
Because he belonged to the Qiao’s family.
"The Qiao’s family was never just one person. If Qiao Shuanglin’s exceptional physical body and internal strength were not solely his own talents, but instead a result of the mysterious Qiao family from Taoyuan Land, who had truly discovered an effective path, then?" This thought crossed Wei En’s mind.
If that’s really the case… then how could he just watch Qiao Shuanglin walk towards a path of self-destruction?
He shivered with a sudden surge of killing intent.
"Qiao Shuanglin, I know you want revenge for your son and wanted me to help you become famous, but facing Immortal Gate and the current emperor, your strength is like hitting a stone with an egg, without any way out!"
"But I, Wei En, have always been righteous and hate evil. How could I sit back and watch you die miserably?"
He naturally kept silent and didn’t mention Qiao Shuanglin’s audacious words tonight.
But that’s not enough.
Wei En’s gaze was sharp like a blade, once again using the Eye Attacking Technique, deeply intimidating the nearby Flying Snow Blade, forcing him not to reveal anything.
Then he shot an arrow into the air, and soon the Six Gates’ pursuers hurriedly arrived, escorting Flying Snow Blade away, and also took the time to clean up the bodies of Flying Snow Blade’s brother and the Sword Ghost.
After doing all this, Wei En didn’t stop there.
He knew this was only the beginning, there was more to be done tonight.
The Imperial Capital’s hidden talents are not just empty words.
Qiao Mu was selling ancient paintings loudly on the street, and those who were attracted to him were probably not just the Sword Ghost and the Flying Snow Double Blades brothers.
Moreover, from Wei En’s perspective, the Sword Ghost suddenly collapsed halfway through speaking, which was obviously abnormal.
There may be other people lurking around here… It is very possible that they are from the "Martial Arts League," so they made a move with unknown means at a critical moment, killing the Sword Ghost to prevent him from revealing the secrets of the league.
"There are so many rats in the gutter." Wei En’s gaze turned cold. He spread his cloak and disappeared into the night like a big bird.
"Qiao Shuanglin was honest and straightforward, talking to himself about avenging his son. But I cannot let him die like this."
"So, I will put the glory of being the number one divine catcher in the world at stake. I want to catch all those rats lurking in the dark, to prevent the information from leaking out and causing Immortal Gate to be hostile towards Qiao Shuanglin."
"The second half of the night will be busy." He muttered, his voice low.
Wei En was extraordinary, his lightness skill unrivaled in the world.
In the past, when he was not in the Imperial Capital, he had served in the city of Gottang in Zhong Province.
And so, overnight, he single-handedly rid the entire city of the gang of thieves. The prisons were overflowing, and when it was all over, the sun hadn’t even risen yet. It seemed as if time had frozen in that one night.
Wei En became famous because of this battle and was known as the greatest bounty hunter in the world. When Emperor Yonghe heard of his reputation, he specifically appointed him to the Imperial Capital, where he has been for many years.
As the greatest bounty hunter in the world, he now risks his own honor to deal with these insignificant rats in the gutter. Isn’t it a piece of cake for him?
…………..
One hour later.
Wei En was bleeding profusely, his face pale as paper. However, his expression was extremely serious as he used all his strength to perform light-footed techniques, moving through the night like a wisp of smoke.
"Qiao Shuanglin, my power is limited this time. I cannot prevent your fame from spreading in the Imperial Capital… even though that is your wish." Wei En’s lips had lost their color, and his injuries were severe.
If it weren’t for his unparalleled light-footed skills, he would have lost his life at the hands of that mysterious person just now.
"Is he the ‘martial arts enlightenment’ that the Sword Ghost mentioned? From the Martial Arts League?"
Wei En didn’t quite understand what "martial arts enlightenment" meant.
However, after a brief encounter with the mysterious person known as "martial arts enlightened one," Wei En was seriously injured and narrowly escaped death.
"That person’s physical body doesn’t seem like an ordinary human… Is this what they call the Martial Arts Golden Body?" Remembering the mysterious man from earlier, Wei En’s face became extremely serious.
"I can’t die yet…"
He used his lightness skills and quickly disappeared into the darkness of the night.
………..
The night gradually grew darker.
Inside a house on the outskirts of the city, Clairaudience, who was listening to the movements on the ground with his ears, suddenly raised his head.
Wherever there are troublemakers, there is a Tide Listening Building.
"Tonight, it is surprisingly lively." It was already late at night, but Clairaudience showed no signs of tiredness and was actually very energetic.
"This Qiao Shuanglin just arrived in the Imperial Capital, and he’s already causing a stir… Not only him, but the effects of Martial Saint’s death have also stirred up the hidden currents in the darkness…"
The name Clairaudience was not randomly chosen.
As a transcendent and mysterious force in the martial world, Tide Listening Building must have something to rely on in order to survive Martial Saint’s hands.
Clairaudience, among the storytellers of Tide Listening Building, is a naturally gifted genius.
He has exceptional hearing ability since birth, and with training, he can perceive even the subtlest details. He can even hear the sound of martial arts from a distance, making him a remarkable figure in the world.
"Qiao Shuanglin?Martial Arts League?"
"Heh, with the death of Martial Saint, the stagnant martial arts world has indeed brought about many changes, but whether they are good or bad, it’s still unpredictable."
Clairaudience’s eyes sparkled as he heard the secret rumors of tonight. Keeping it to himself was simply impossible.