Chapter 193:
Chapter 193:
Chapter 193:
Zhong Province.
A small town on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.
This town is not big, located several tens of miles from the Imperial Capital, just one of the many towns outside the Imperial Capital with a small population.
Only the stations, teahouses, and restaurants near the main road often attract passing merchants and travelers, making it a lively and bustling place.
Inside the teahouse, there was a storyteller who captivated the audience by telling popular stories from the Imperial Capital.
Some passersby didn’t care about the storytelling and instead discussed the latest news and rumors in a corner.
They talked about one of the Ten Mysteries of the Imperial Capital – the tenant who was found hanged in the middle of the night.
They also talked about the recent Inhuman Disaster that happened in front of the market. There was an old man named Qiao who used his own body to shield others, but froze to death in the snowstorm.
There were also rumors about martial arts secrets in the Imperial Capital. Some claimed to have mastered martial arts and defeated many skilled martial artists, even almost defeating the renowned Condor Wei En, who was known for his exceptional lightness technique.
In a corner of the teahouse, several female cultivators in Taoist robes listened to the storyteller in excitement. They whispered to each other, clearly very enthusiastic.It had been a while since they arrived in the bustling Zhong Province Imperial Capital area from Nan Province, but their excitement was still evident.
Qiao Canxue, however, remained silent. She closed her eyes and listened quietly, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.
She came from a family of martial arts experts, but she didn’t understand inhuman things. She had heard too much about the secrets of the martial arts world since she was young, and she didn’t feel as excited as her fellow martial sisters.
Her heart was calm like still water, yet there was also a sense of confusion.
The Martial Saint had died.
This was something she had heard about only a few months ago.
The Martial Saint had wiped out her entire family, and Qiao Mu died because of it. So she took it upon herself to take up the mantle of seeking revenge, no longer seeking help from others. She focused solely on training to achieve her revenge.
But before she could have her revenge, the Martial Saint died.
Although this could be considered a major vengeance, it had left her feeling lost recently.
"Since you have avenged your great revenge, Candice, it is time for you to seek your own path." Lingling Taoist Priest said this when she was feeling confused.
So what would her path be?
Her life had come to a halt due to the annihilation of the Martial Saint sect. From then on, she lived as a blind girl in the impoverished land of Nan Province, where things were even worse for her than for the ordinary refugees, until she met Qiao Mu.
And Qiao Mu had long been dead.
However, when she arrived in Zhong Province, she discovered that the story of Qiao’s family had already spread far and wide.
Unconsciously.
The mysterious Qiao family that Qiao Mu was a part of had already gained a reputation that could rival that of Heyang City’s Qiao Family, the martial arts clan before its downfall.
"I wonder if Qiao Sen, the one who assassinated Yan City’s Lord Guo Yan… I wonder if he’s still alive," she murmured to herself.
"Qiao Zhong and Qiao Shuanglin, the elders of the Qiao family, also seem to have passed away. But as for Master Qiao Sen, it seems his fate is still unknown."
Each deceased member of Qiao’s family held significance in her heart.
After all, in the beginning, Qiao Mu had only crossed paths with City Lord Guo Yan and the Wuji Association because of her.
Later on, even though it wasn’t strictly related to her, she naturally wouldn’t just stand by and watch.
"Let’s set a small goal, find Grandpa." she whispered to herself.
"If I can protect Grandpa or any other Qiao family elders, it would be a way to resolve this entanglement."
Searching for Qiao’s family shouldn’t be too difficult.
Where there is injustice, there must be traces of Qiao’s family… It’s just that ever since the last member of Qiao’s family died in the Wan Ronghua family, Qiao’s family hasn’t appeared for a very long time.
Thinking of this, the confusion in her heart faded slightly.
At this moment.
An old man with white hair covered his mouth and coughed lightly, walking into the teahouse.
As he entered, he unconsciously glanced at Qiao Canxue in the corner and felt slightly surprised in his heart: She’s quite remarkable, but it’s a pity she’s blind.
The latter seemed to notice something and turned his face, closing his eyes to look at him.
The old man instinctively turned his head, and then the four nuns went upstairs. Following their intuition, they arrived at the door of a private room in the corner of the second floor and pushed the door open.
"Hai Wuya? Weren’t you convinced that you couldn’t conspire with the current Wuji Association? Why are you still contacting me?"
The person speaking was the current leader of the Wuji Association, Little Martial Saint Wu Qiankun.
He put down the teacup in his hand and looked up at Hai Wuya with a slightly complex expression.
Hai Wuya joined the Wuji Association very early, and he was among the first group of elders who responded to the Martial Saint. However, shortly afterward, he was imprisoned in heavenly prison and cut himself off from worldly affairs.
Although the Martial Saint counted him as the sixtieth person among the seventy two wise men, he is not actually a disciple of the Martial Saint. They can only be considered as senior and junior in the official circle.
In terms of qualifications, he is actually higher than Little Martial Saint.
Even the current helmsman, Little Martial Saint, lacks understanding of this old man who has been confined in heavenly prison for a long time.
"I don’t have much time left," said Hai Wuya calmly.
"In urgent matters, we don’t have time to hesitate."
"To accomplish this, it’s best to use the power of the Wuji Association."
He slowly took out a book from his pocket, and the cover of the book read "Xumi Mountain King Sutra."
"Martial Saint ranked you as the sixtieth among the seventy-two wise men. It seems he underestimated you."
"But if you plan to selflessly hand over this secret manual to the Wuji Association, with the condition that they distribute this martial arts technique widely through their channels, have you made up your mind?" Wu Qiankun asked seriously.
Little Martial Saint, who was the closest person to the Martial Saint within the Wuji Association, was entrusted with an important role and became the second leader of the Wuji Association. He was certainly not an ordinary person.
With his insight, he could naturally see the extraordinary nature of this martial arts technique.
Hai Wuya didn’t explain further, his mind was filled with various thoughts.
If Martial Saint is around, the martial arts world becomes silent, like a stagnant pool.
But after Martial Saint’s death, the martial arts in Zhong Province have turned into muddy waters.
Among the recently famous figures, there is the mysterious Qiao’s family, and there are also those who claim to have achieved enlightenment through martial arts, equally mysterious.
As for Qiao’s family, the idea of achieving enlightenment through martial arts has always been a folk legend, but strangely enough, it emerges after Martial Saint’s death, sweeping away the long-established renowned high-level martial artists, as if inheriting the banner of martial arts leadership and saving a collapsing building.
Acting so openly has obviously attracted a considerable number of martial artists, showing great momentum.
However, the more high-profile this "Martial Arts League" becomes, the more doubts arise in Hai Wuya’s mind.
It emerges at a time when it could have easily gone unnoticed, but instead, it shows clear signs of trying to recruit people.
"The martial arts world has already become a muddy situation, and I can’t see what’s happening behind the scenes. I just have a sense that a storm is coming," Hai Wuya deeply expressed.
"These individuals who achieve enlightenment through martial arts are clearly up to something… If I wait any longer to spread my techniques, I’m afraid all the high-level martial artists will be practicing that ‘Golden Body Technique’ instead."
"Xumi Mountain King Sutra" is a type of human power practice. Many martial artists need to practice it together in order to gather the collective strength of all the martial artists and make up for the imperfections of this technique.
But now the martial arts world is in chaos, and Hai Wuya can’t wait any longer.
………………..
Solitary city in the desert.
In the afternoon, inside a dilapidated Taoist temple, Qiao Mu and Earth Sword Immortal chatted casually.
Since arriving in the city a month ago, every morning Qiao Mu gave lectures in the military camp, and in the afternoons, he would mix with Earth Sword Immortal inside the Taoist temple, teaching and learning from each other.
It must be said that Earth Sword Immortal has extraordinary comprehension, something Qiao Mu has rarely seen in his lifetime.
In just a month’s time, Iron Crotch Skill has already been practiced to a considerable level by him. With just a thought, he can move his energy and blood, and his practice is fast and efficient.
Although not as accomplished as Qiao Mu, who has practiced for nearly a century, his achievements are still impressive.
And as for the "Pure Yang Wuji Skill," Earth Sword Immortal doesn’t keep it a secret.
"Practicing martial arts, regardless of one’s skill level, is ultimately limited to weapon techniques. Only by delving into spiritual refining can one bring forth more supernatural abilities," Earth Sword Immortal explained the martial arts, revealing a hint of strength, and proceeded to discuss the Spiritual Refining Method:
"Being strong both physically and mentally is the path of us martial artists."
"If one enters spiritual refining, they can try to cultivate the Eye Attacking Method, which allows them to subdue opponents without fighting…"
In reality, the special martial arts that Qiao Mu can only learn after spiritual refining is not limited to just the "Eye Sword Technique." There is also the "Flesh Changing Skill."
The essence of Qiao Mu’s "Flesh Changing Skill," obtained from Wu Qizheng, lies in manipulating one’s own flesh and blood with one’s mind and willpower. Therefore, it can only truly be mastered after reaching the 3rd rank of the Spiritual Refining Period.
Before reaching the 3rd rank, one can only grasp tricks such as disguises and shrinking bones.
Although Wu Qizheng’s "Flesh Changing Skill" is slightly different, it allows Qiao Mu to grasp the basics of the skill before reaching the 3rd rank. He can slightly change his appearance. However, since he hasn’t entered spiritual refining, he cannot master the essence of it.
While the two were happily chatting, they suddenly heard the distant sound of trumpets blowing.
"Did Inhuman finally come?!"
"Inhuman is here again…"
The two of them looked at each other, with different expressions.
"Yannan, are you really not joining the battle?" Lu Yanbei looked towards the direction of the city wall and couldn’t help but ask again.
He had originally harbored some hope, thinking that Qiao Mu’s attitude may have changed since he became close with Earth Sword Immortal this month.
"No, there’s no point in going."
Earth Sword Immortal seemed uninterested, losing enthusiasm in an instant, just waving his hand at Qiao Mu.
Lu Yanbei let out a slight sigh.
Earth Sword Immortal had already been in this city for a full thirty years, and nobody had any expectations of him… except for his elder brother, Lu Yanbei.
But he also knew deeply that his own younger brother, who seemed to have many close friends, actually only loved himself mercilessly.
Only as his older brother could he make his own younger brother pay attention to him, but that was all.
"Mr. Lu, I’ll go first." Beside him, Qiao Mu stood up resolutely, eager to give it a try.
Whether Earth Sword Immortal goes or not is not important to him.
What’s important is that he needs to go.
"I’m in a hurry, I’m so anxious. There are only three hundred old soldiers left in the city. If I go late, someone else will take the job of delivering death ahead of me. What should I do?"
Qiao Mu’s heart was burning, his figure leaped up and disappeared in a blur, already far away.
In this rundown Taoist temple, only Lu Yanbei and his brother were left, silent and unspoken.