Chapter 236

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Chapter 236: Exploring the Limits of Martial Arts

The blade on Iron Wolf’s wrist glinted coldly, like a thunderbolt cutting through the night sky, aimed at Qiao Mu’s throat.

Similar to the previous Copper Body Arhat, his blade was simply fast and strong, without any internal strength.

After abandoning his ordinary flesh, Iron Wolf used his martial arts skill at the 2nd rank of Spiritual Refining Period to control his iron body, becoming even stronger than when he was a regular martial artist.

Despite his speed, Qiao Mu had also reached the 2nd rank of Spiritual Refining Period.

Although he tried to sneak attack, Qiao Mu’s intuition allowed him to predict and dodge the attack with a quick step back.

"Faster than the previous Copper Body Arhat? Is this the characteristic of a 2nd rank Iron Bone Taoist soldier?"

This thought crossed Qiao Mu’s mind.

Copper Body Arhat possessed immense strength and a body as hard as Cloud Patterns Mountain Copper, almost equivalent to a humanoid magic treasure, making it challenging to confront even before using the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method.

But his speed was not as fast as usual… faster than an ordinary Spirit Refining martial artist, but he still couldn’t catch up to him.

The Iron Wolf in front of him was different.

Although he attacked first, his speed was only slightly faster than Qiao Mu’s.

They were both at the 2nd rank of Spiritual Refining Period, and their speeds were similar, which meant that Qiao Mu couldn’t escape as easily as he did when facing the Copper Body Arhat.

"It’s not time for the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method yet…"

Qiao Mu let his mind go blank, moving like a ghost on the eaves, blending with the night breeze.

The Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method was not long-lasting, and Qiao Mu didn’t intend to trade his own life for a Taoist soldier’s life.

What if he appeared too strong and scared off Dao Xu?

His target was the cultivator Dao Xu, so his plan was to… startle the snake in the grass.

First, Qiao Mu fought with the Iron Wolf without using the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, to show he was a strong opponent that the Iron Wolf couldn’t handle, which might alert the people behind the Iron Wolf.

"This is a bit difficult…"

Qiao Mu dodged to the side, narrowly missing the long blade in the Iron Wolf’s hand, leaving a long bloodstain.

The injury was minor, no direct hit, but it made Qiao Mu more cautious.

"He’s almost as fast as me, but since this Iron Wolf is a tough Taoist soldier, he might be stronger than the Copper Body Arhat…. In other words, as an ordinary martial artist with flesh and blood, I probably can’t withstand his attacks head-on."

Before using the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, Qiao Mu was in a precarious situation, relying on his instincts to dodge constantly, occasionally releasing internal strength with a Fragmented Virtual Finger strike towards the Iron Wolf, but it only resulted in a few dull thuds with no effect.

Fighting with the Iron Wolf was like dancing on the edge of a knife, but for a Spirit Refining martial artist, the battle was not just about techniques and power, but also about mental strength and willpower.

"Iron Wolf, more like a mantis than a wolf."

"Look at yourself, you’ve forsaken your physical body and all the hard-earned internal strength, what kind of martial artist are you now? You’re walking the wrong path," Qiao Mu shouted.

But Iron Wolf didn’t care.

"The path of a martial artist is too narrow," he said with a slow smile spreading across his face.

"The mortal body is too fragile."

"The skin is not tough enough, as one ages, the blood flow decreases, strength declines, and the body weakens."

"After practicing martial arts for decades, one still ends up aging and weakening like ordinary people, eventually losing teeth and becoming unable to walk."

In the moonlight, his upper body clothes suddenly tore open.

Beneath his tough body, long blades emerged alternately from under the skin, glinting with a chilling light.

Not only did he have long blades on his wrists, but astonishingly he had a total of ten long blades distributed across various parts of his body.

"I am exploring the limits of martial arts! How could you, an old conventionalist, understand?"

"My powerful and beautiful posture now…"

"This is the symbol of martial arts in the new era!"

Iron Wolf leaped, moving as fast as the wind and spinning like a top, as ten long blades struck out in turns.

"New Praying Mantis Fist – Cross Hand Strike."

His ten long blades didn’t swing randomly, but followed a pattern, coordinating with each other to strike from different angles, surrounding Qiao Mu.

For a moment, Qiao Mu felt like he was not fighting one person, but being attacked by seven or eight people. The alternating strikes of the long blades made him run for his life, as he was grazed on the side again, leaving another blood mark.

"Iron Wolf, do you know what you are? You are just a soldier in the hands of a cultivator!" Qiao Mu shouted as he dodged.

"What? I’m just a soldier?"

Iron Wolf was shocked by Qiao Mu’s words, his mind in turmoil. He looked at his hands, realizing his inhuman nature too late, his face shrouded in shadows in the darkness, making it hard to see his expression.

"I am a soldier of the Taoist clan, I can’t believe I am a Taoist soldier…" he murmured, looking distressed, but secretly raising a knife in his hand.

But in the next moment, he suddenly leaped, moving like lightning, turning into a black shadow in the wind, the blade in his hand shining coldly. His face was no longer uncertain but cold and hard.

"So what if I am a Taoist soldier? In today’s world, how can ordinary people fare well?"

The long blade sliced through the night sky, aiming not only at Qiao Mu’s body but also slashing through the roof under his feet as if it were brittle twigs.

Suddenly, with no time for Qiao Mu to dodge instinctively, in the next moment, his feet slipped, and he fell down along with the shattered tiles.

Amidst the resounding sound of shattering, Qiao Mu felt like something shattered behind him, and his entire back was soaked in cold water.

He quickly stood up, looking around, only to realize that he was now in a spacious warehouse.

The warehouse was quite roomy, with water barrels placed all around, dozens of them.

When Qiao Mu fell down, he smashed two or three water jars, causing water to spill all over the floor, and a few fish were flipping and struggling in the water puddles on the ground.

"Are all these dozens of water tanks used to raise fish?"

Qiao Mu was puzzled but didn’t think much of it, assuming that the wealthy merchant Li Gongde was also involved in aquaculture.

In the next moment, Iron Wolf’s figure had already pounced forward.

"Shadow Sword." Qiao Mu’s face was serious, he leaped onto the edge of the water tank, and with a flick of his long sword, under the moonlight, it seemed as if hundreds of sword shadows emerged.

This was the sword technique of the former Yan City Lord Guo Yan, focusing on intricate and exquisite moves, with sword shadows constantly changing in countless ways.

The Shadow Transformation Sword Technique had been perfected over the past two centuries. When Qiao Mu unleashed this sword, the room was filled with countless changing sword shadows, even more so than the ten long blades in Iron Wolf’s hands.

Even Iron Wolf’s expression changed slightly. His ten long blades continuously swung, but they only cut through air, not reaching Qiao Mu’s sword.

Despite the multitude of sword shadows, the real sword was ultimately just the one in his hand.

His long sword infused with internal strength, the hundreds of sword shadows converged into one, piercing Iron Wolf’s chest and abdomen with a single sword thrust.

But the sword only pierced about three or four inches, making Iron Wolf stumble for a moment before regaining his balance. He then swung his longer blade again, and unexpectedly chopped Qiao Mu’s sword into three or four pieces in one swift motion. The broken pieces clattered into the water tank at their feet, causing the tank to shatter from the powerful impact.

"He’s also a tough guy, if he was just a normal fighter, he would have been dead a long time ago.." Qiao Mu’s gaze turned slightly icy.

If he hadn’t let go of the sword in time, he might have lost his arm.

Meanwhile, urgent footsteps could be heard outside the warehouse, followed by the voices of the household servants.

"Master, you can’t go in, there’s an assassin inside!"

"Iron Wolf, the warrior, is currently fighting with the assassin…"

"Out of the way! Move!"

The warehouse doors burst open, and a chubby, wealthy-looking middle-aged man walked out, none other than Li Gongde, whom Qiao Mu had seen before.

As Li Gongde entered the room, he saw the shattered water tank on the floor, with a few struggling fish in the puddle, causing his eyes to widen in shock.

"Oh my goodness…."

"Li Gongde, stop crying. If someone tries to harm you, I will protect you." Iron Wolf noticed Qiao Mu’s gaze shifting towards Li Gongde and coldly snorted.

Li Gongde holds a high position, which is crucial for rebuilding the city. That’s why King Qin ordered him to protect this person’s safety.

But in the end, he’s just a regular man who happens to be very rich.

Iron Wolf, as an Iron Bone Warrior under King Qin’s command, believes he is not on the same level as Li Gongde. So, if Qiao Mu tried to harm him, Iron Wolf wouldn’t be too concerned.

"Don’t delude yourself. These fish were just bought from the market. Even if you release them tomorrow, what good deed does it really count as?"

This Li Gongde, is quite a peculiar person.

He is a wealthy man from Zhong Province, but he values doing good deeds. He often talks about doing good and being virtuous, and over the years, who knows how much wealth he has donated.

If he didn’t repeatedly donate his wealth, he wouldn’t be the second richest merchant in the Imperial Capital. Perhaps he would have been the wealthiest in Zhong Province, leading in wealth and influence.

The fish in these storerooms were actually bought by him from the fishmonger at the market, but instead of eating them, he released them back into the wild. He told others he was accumulating good karma, hoping to become a immortal in a hundred years…

Li Gongde also had a cold expression towards Iron Wolf and snorted:

"Don’t bark, do you understand the saying ‘Do not disregard small acts of kindness’?"

"And you… if you can’t even defeat this martial artist who is ruining my karma, when I inform the immortal leader, once she knows you are useless, will you still survive?"

"Who are you calling Iron Wolf?" Iron Wolf’s anger flared up, his attacking stance becoming even faster, almost impenetrable.

Li Gongde didn’t respond this time, he actually knew the situation was dangerous, just hesitated at the door, not daring to approach Qiao Mu and the other person already fighting at the other end of the storeroom.

The storeroom was spacious, and the water tank was far from Qiao Mu. So, he urged the servants beside him, "What are you waiting for? Save my good karma fish, they can’t die easily."

The servants looked at each other and with courage, walked slowly towards the tank, picking up a few fish that were still alive on the ground and throwing them back into the intact water tank.

"Sir, a few of the good karma fish are dead… what should we do?" asked a servant cautiously.

"The dead fish… let’s braise it." Li Gongde licked his lips and walked slowly out of the storeroom with a few servants.

After leaving the storeroom, his expression became serious.

"Send someone agile to the North Ridge Mountains in the city."

Li Gongde spoke in a low voice.

But Qiao Mu was sharp, and he caught this order with intent ears.

"Li Gongde seems like a good person, he must be going to invite the Elder of the Great Dao Sect, right?"

Qiao Mu granted him a ‘good person’ card in his heart, feeling more certain.

However, Iron Wolf next to him visibly darkened.

"With my strong body, I can’t kill a weak old man… if the Elder comes, where should I hide my face?"

Even King Qin, who is very strong, practiced the "Golden Body Technique" at the 1st rank of Spiritual Refining Period, becoming the first Taoist soldier with a golden body in the Martial Arts League. He could use his strong fists to suppress magic powers, showing that his strength was far above others.

But due to his own status, King Qin still had to obey the orders of the Immortal Gate.

This is not a difference in strength, but in status.

Because behind Dao Xu is Elder Qingyi, and behind Elder Qingyi is the Immortal Gate Great Dao Sect.

Even King Qin’s body was created by the Immortal Gate, so how could he rebel against them?

"Thirty seconds, and I will defeat you."

"Thirty seconds?" Qiao Mu replied with a mysterious smile.

Iron Wolf’s ten long blades sliced through the air, making sharp sounds.

His attacks were suddenly fierce, like a violent storm, relentless as he chased Qiao Mu through the warehouse wall into the courtyard of the house.

Twenty seconds.

The battle was on the edge, at this moment Qiao Mu was covered in long, narrow wounds, blood pouring out, flesh turned inside out – all from his desperate efforts to dodge.

Facing an opponent with similar speed and spiritual refinement, simply relying on evasive maneuvers was like playing with one’s own life.

Qiao Mu relied on his perfected technique, Shadow Step, but no matter how good his skills were, there would always be moments of failure.

Ten seconds.

At that moment, a rainbow light shimmered in the sky, coming closer and closer.

It was Dao Xu, standing on a spinning orb, looking down coldly from above.

Iron Wolf’s face darkened once again, clearly noticing Dao Xu’s proximity.

"Take my Praying Mantis Fist – Seven Star Combo!"

He roared like a tiger, then lunged towards Qiao Mu. Suddenly, two long blades shot out from his wrists, flashing two cold lights in the air, shooting towards Qiao Mu’s chest and abdomen.

But it wasn’t just him who saw Dao Xu appear.

A powerful force emanated from him, stopping the flying blades temporarily with a burst of energy, then gently grabbed by two palms.

"Can’t hold on for thirty seconds?" Qiao Mu held two blades and said slowly:

"I have endured your face overnight, do you know why?"

Iron Wolf frowned. He wanted to keep attacking, but suddenly felt a bit scared. He subconsciously stopped his steps.

"Because you are just a humble Taoist soldier…"

Qiao Mu let go of his hands, allowing the two long blades to fall to the ground, making a clear sound.

"Bowing to Immortal Gate, losing the fighting spirit of a brave warrior, lacking the courage to draw a sword against immortals, admitting weakness and giving up the physical body… You don’t even have the qualification for me to use the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method."

A flowing stream of blood-colored energy emerged continuously from Qiao Mu’s body, his gaze sharp like a sword, aiming directly at the depths of Iron Wolf’s soul.

Without throwing a punch, his gaze was like two sharp swords, piercing through him in an instant.