Chapter 167

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Chapter 167: The Strange Qiao Family, With 500 Years of Astonishing Power

"Lord Qin has really come…"

Wan Ronghua truly breathed a sigh of relief.

Both he and Qin Shiqing actually had a mysterious relationship with the Great Dao Sect.

In theory, as a wealthy person in the Imperial Capital, he had to pay a large amount of money to the Great Dao Sect every month, and the Great Dao Sect wouldn’t disregard his life.

But in reality, cultivators were beyond understanding, and Wan Ronghua couldn’t figure out what the cultivators of the Great Dao Sect were thinking.

Now that Qin Shiqing had come as promised, there was no need for him to worry about trivial matters.

Qin Shiqing is extraordinary. Although the name "Kill Wife to Prove Qin Shiqing" is not particularly prestigious, this ruthless person undoubtedly earns fear and awe from many people in the martial arts world.

The old man in black helped Wan Ronghua to leave, but Wan Ronghua waved his hand to stop him.

He cannot leave.

It’s not that Wan Ronghua is daring, wanting to witness the fight between the two top martial artists on the scene. The main reason is that he dares not leave.

Qin Shiqing, being such a ruthless person, is naturally someone he doesn’t dare to offend.

The fact that the other party is willing to come and help already gives Wan Ronghua a great deal of face.

If Wan Ronghua hurriedly leaves the mansion to save his life, leaving Qin Shiqing to fight the old man from the Qiao family, Wan Ronghua worries that Qin Shiqing will kill everyone and then turn around to stab him.

Though Wan Ronghua didn’t leave, Qiao Mu no longer has the leisure to deal with such a rich man.

Because all of his attention is focused on Qin Shiqing.

"This person called Qin Shiqing seems to have something special."

Qiao Mu furrowed his eyebrows, looking down at his own arm. The hairs on his arm were standing up, and goosebumps had appeared.

Spirit Refining martial artists have sharp intuition, allowing them to anticipate their opponents.

As for Qiao Mu, who has been practicing the "Martial Saint Spiritual Technique" up until now, he could be considered a half Spirit Refining martial artist. However, his intuition was unreliable at times.

But this time, his body sensed a great danger.

And in that instant…

Qin Shiqing made a move.

He held a stone in his hand and lightly threw it towards Qiao Mu. The throwing motion was identical to Qiao Mu’s, clearly meant to deliberately use the same move against him.

Hiss!

The stone flew through the air like an arrow, aimed directly at Qiao Mu’s forehead, but it wasn’t very fast.

This actually matched Qiao Mu’s understanding of Spirit Refining martial artist.

The strength of a Spirit Refining martial artist lies in their "spirit," rather than their physical strength or the level of their internal power, which may not necessarily be stronger than a 4th rank practicing martial artist.

Even if it was a stone thrown by a 1st ranked martial artist named Qin Shiqing, it wasn’t very fast and posed no threat to Qiao Mu.

With this thought in mind, Qiao Mu quickly turned his head to dodge, but his heart was filled with a sense of impending danger.

Thud.

In a blink of an eye, the stone actually made a small arc in the air and hit the side of Qiao Mu’s face, causing his skin to break and blood to flow.

"The stone changed its course?" Qiao Mu wondered.

When he had fought Saintess Wu Qingxin, who practiced both the Dao and martial arts in Nan Province, Wu Qingxin, who was in the Qi refining period, displayed a sword technique that had nothing to do with martial arts, but rather belonged to the realm of immortal cultivation.

At this moment, Qin Shiqing, the best martial artist, skillfully maneuvered the stone in a manner similar to the sword technique of the Qi Refining cultivator.

"Is this surprising? You’ve lived long enough to see it all, haven’t you?" Qin Shiqing smiled, taking a few steps forward.

"The ‘godly’ power of the best martial artist is now so powerful that it can control objects independently. The path to greatness may differ, but the end result is the same. What is there to be amazed about?"

Qin Shiqing’s gaze was sharp as a knife. With his green longsword, he swiftly sliced through the night, releasing a blaze of light as it slashed diagonally towards Qiao Mu’s left shoulder.

In that moment, Qiao Mu felt a chill run down his spine, and goosebumps erupted on his right shoulder.

"He seems to aim for my left shoulder, but my instincts warn me about my right shoulder. Is he planning a trick?"

Thoughts raced through Qiao Mu’s mind, but he had no time to ponder. He acted based on his body’s instincts and quickly lowered himself, while twisting his right shoulder.

Swish!

Qiao Mu’s left shoulder was struck by the sword, tearing open a long gash in his robe. The fierce force of the blow widened the wound, causing blood to flow profusely.

Qiao Mu was surprised that his instinctive warning was wrong. He wasn’t trying to strike my right shoulder?

Although his instincts were sometimes accurate and sometimes not, this was the first time they had been so off during his martial arts training.

Qin Shiqing didn’t give Qiao Mu any time to think. His gaze remained sharp as a knife, and he continuously swung his long sword, like relentless waves in the ocean.

What made Qiao Mu uncomfortable was that his half-hearted instinctual perception kept making mistakes in this process.

In a short amount of time, Qiao Mu had already been struck by six or seven swords, with blood flowing from all over his body.

Even though Qin Shiqing was a 1st rank Spiritual Refining Period practitioner, with superior speed, strength, and the internal strength infused into his blade, he still couldn’t match Qiao Mu, who had already reached the age of a hundred.

Despite this, Qiao Mu was being constantly suppressed by Qin Shiqing’s continuous onslaught of sword strikes, and new wounds kept appearing on his body.

Qiao Mu was already accustomed to getting injured, and his physical training was not low. With his whole body protected by internal strength, although he had many wounds, they were not severe.

"The fight between Spirit Refining martial artists is not just physical, but also a battle of mind and spirit…" Qin Shiqing chuckled to himself as he effortlessly swung his sword.

The first-ranked martial artist, "god," has become so powerful that it can influence tangible things. It is easy for him to suppress Spirit Refining martial artists who are weaker than him and make them misjudge their intuition.

All the martial artists above the third rank are spiritual refining.

The difference in strength and weakness between martial artists from the third rank to the first rank lies in their proficiency in the Spiritual Refining Method.

The nine ranks of martial artists are a human-made distinction. One of the reasons why a first-ranked martial artist is stronger than a second or third-ranked martial artist is that they can form a Qi traction against weaker opponents and exert pressure during mental confrontation.

Although Qiao Mu has not yet embarked on true Spiritual Refining Method, he can still be considered as a half Spirit Refining martial artist.

His intuition is sometimes accurate and sometimes not, but at this moment, it turns out to be an advantage. If Qiao Mu were an ordinary third-ranked Spirit Refining martial artist, he would be suppressed by Qin Shiqing in a mental confrontation.

Ding, ding, dong.

Sparks flew as the swords clashed. Qiao Mu sustained another wound, but Qin Shiqing was getting a little impatient.

Although he is aware that his strength surpasses Qiao Mu’s, this old man, despite his weakened vitality and inability to last in a fight, is surprisingly tougher than he imagined.

He was cut and covered in blood, but he didn’t react at all. He didn’t even frown or slow down.

"Why are you just standing there? Let’s go together," he waved to the many guards surrounding Wan Ronghua.

There were dozens of guards by Wan Ronghua’s side, including several Spirit Refining martial artists. However, they only stood by and watched without joining the fight between Qin Shiqing and Qiao Mu.

Startled by Qin Shiqing’s urging, the old man in black beside Wan Ronghua asked:

"Lord Qin is powerful enough to deal with this old thief, right? Can we just stand by and support from the sidelines?"

It’s not that they want to slack off.

In their eyes, the 1st ranked martial artist Qin Shiqing clearly had the upper hand and could overpower Qiao Mu.

The martial artists of the world are divided into 9 ranks, with the 1st rank being the very best.

Such a strong person should naturally have the dignity of a strong person.

Qin Shiqing was clearly in a dominant position, bullying the weaker ones. If they were to interfere, it might only upset Qin Shiqing more.

After all, Qin Shiqing has a bad reputation and is known for being a mean and unpredictable person. They can’t afford to provoke him.

Qin Shiqing glanced at them from the corner of his eye and quickly guessed what they were thinking. He smirked:

"What? Do you think I rely on my strength to bully the weak, and by outnumbering them, I would lose my status and dignity as a strong individual?"

"Instead of easily surrounding and killing this beast, you choose to play a one-on-one game, acting all high and mighty. That’s just foolish."

"Wan Ronghua, if your people don’t come forward soon, I will leave."

Wan Ronghua hesitated for a moment, and then quickly ordered the nearby guards and attendants to step forward.

In no time, the courtyard was filled with people, each holding weapons and shouting as they moved forward.

The only person who remained still in the corner of the courtyard at the Qin Mansion was the steward, Luohan.

He is Qin Shiqing’s protector, stronger than the other, and saves Qin Shiqing’s life, not one of his subordinates.

But at this moment, he nodded secretly after hearing Qin Shiqing’s words.

"He’s clear-minded and not burdened by his identity… Is this what the Immortal Master of Great Dao Sect values?"

…..

Seeing the guards surrounding him, Qiao Mu frowned.

"It’s like being treated as the main boss."

Qin Shiqing doesn’t have an advantage in pure strength and speed, but he can predict his moves, avoid them in advance, and control the rhythm of the battle, making it his own domain.

Isn’t this like a player with low-level equipment fighting a powerful boss monster alone?

"I originally wanted to test my strength in normal mode, but since it’s outnumbered, I won’t hold back. I’ll go straight to the second phase…" Qiao Mu thought to himself.

"Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method！"

In an instant, Qiao Mu activated the Magical Demon Breaking Technique. His whole body was filled with an intense power, like a raging force flowing through every part of his body.

With the complete mastery of the Magical Demon Breaking Technique, Qiao Mu could unleash four or five times more internal strength in a short amount of time. His meridians were now filled with a swollen and throbbing internal strength, causing a faint sensation of swelling and tearing throughout his body.

He swung his sword, clashing with Qin Shiqing’s knife. In an instant, his internal strength surged forth, four or five times stronger, causing Qin Shiqing’s hand to tremble and almost lose grip of his knife. His body even slightly staggered.

Even though Qin Shiqing had a premonition… Qiao Mu’s punches and kicks, powered by the overwhelming strength of the Magical Demon Breaking Technique, were impossible for him to resist.

At the same time, Qiao Mu extended his other hand and pointed it towards a spot in front of him.

"Fragmented Virtual Finger."

Invisible and powerful internal strength burst out from his fingertip, condensing into an arrow-like projectile that shot through the air with a chilling force.

Qin Shiqing quickly moved his body backward, appearing ten meters away. But to his surprise, the Splitting Palm Strike’s piercing finger force crossed that ten-meter distance, leaving a finger-sized hole in his shoulder.

With a loud "thud", Qin Shiqing stumbled and his face became serious.

"To have such power, even with internal strength projecting ten meters away? How many years of rigorous training did it take? Eighty years? One hundred years? Just how old is this strange Qiao family elder?"

When projecting internal strength at a distance, its power quickly diminishes.

Spirit Refining martial artists are slightly stronger in this aspect compared to martial artists who only train their inner strength, possessing a longer attack range but still limited to ten meters.

However, the power Qiao Mu displayed at this moment astonished him.

The maximum limit of a martial artist’s internal strength is just the 4th rank.

To progress further, one can only rely on the passage of time, slowly accumulating strength and internal strength.

Therefore, martial artists beyond the 4th rank devote themselves to the Spiritual Refining Method.

Continuing to train inner strength is a long and arduous path, with no qualitative breakthroughs in internal strength, only the accumulation of quantity. Compared to the Spiritual Refining Method, it can be said to be half as effective, a foolish method that has long been eliminated from the martial arts world for hundreds of years.

And the strange Qiao family person appeared in front of him, but according to the current classification of martial artists, he was only at the 4th level of training, not yet at the level of spiritual refinement.

But he was able to forcefully penetrate Qin Shiqing’s shoulder, even though Qin Shiqing was a 1st ranked martial artist, using his strong internal strength.

"So he’s also a skilled fisherman."

Qin Shiqing frowned and stepped back behind the others.

Even though he believed his strength was still superior to Qiao Mu’s, it was still better to avoid getting injured if possible.

"Can you escape?"

Qiao Mu’s eyes widened, he stomped his feet forcefully, and activated his abundant internal strength. The blood vessels in his lower legs were on the verge of bursting as he swiftly moved through the air and disappeared into the wind.

Before unleashing the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, the hundred-year-old Qiao Mu already possessed nearly a century of pure internal strength, accumulated from relentlessly training day and night for a hundred years.

Solely considering the extent of his abundant internal strength, the hundred-year-old Qiao Mu could dominate the martial arts world, with very few who could match his skill.

Under the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, internal strength skyrocketed to four or five times its original power.

The explosive force in an instant is comparable to the rich internal strength cultivated through four or five hundred years of arduous training.

Martial artists in the mortal world have a similar lifespan to ordinary people.

The accumulation of internal strength can only be achieved through the practice of countless years.

Except for a few exceptionally talented geniuses or those who are lucky enough to consume extraordinary treasures…

Even if an ordinary person starts practicing from the womb and trains for four or five lifetimes, it is unlikely to attain the power of four or five hundred years.

At this moment, Qiao Mu’s level of internal strength has already surpassed the comprehension ability of Qin Shiqing, a first-ranked martial artist.

As he ran and threw himself forward, Qiao Mu’s invisible and incorporeal internal strength burst forth, causing his entire body’s blood vessels to rupture and turn him into a bloody figure.

The inhumanly powerful internal strength naturally signifies an explosive load that far surpasses the capacity of a human body. Qiao Mu’s life will be shorter than before, but it will also be more brilliant!

Boom!

With a powerful burst of internal strength, Qiao Mu’s figure rushed forward like a cannonball, causing a strong gust of wind even with just this simple action, making several guards stumbling.

"Witness my Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method Shadow Sword!"

The Shadow Transformation Sword Technique is a sword technique that was famous for its complexity and sophistication in Yan City, once practiced by City Lord Guo Yan.

Under Qiao Mu’s current display, the overlapping sword shadows were no longer illusory trickery, but a series of images formed by the extremely fast sword speed.

With a single swing of the sword, layers of overlapping sword shadows enveloped the surroundings, violently cracking the air in front!