Chapter 243 Part 2

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Chapter 243 Part 2: Martial Saint Makes a Comeback (2)

Even though the sun was shining brightly, it seemed unable to fully illuminate his figure, a strange chill enveloping him.

"Greetings, Martial Saint."

Wu Qiankun and the others unconsciously said in unison.

Many of them, like Hai Wuya, didn’t believe that the Martial Saint was still alive. They wanted to see for themselves to be sure.

But when they saw the Martial Saint appear, they believed, knowing he was not pretending.

The sensation of the Martial Saint’s Spiritual Technique was proof enough.

This made them tremble all over, feeling powerless against such immense strength that was unmatched except by the Martial Saint.

The Martial Saint, however, didn’t respond, only gazing up at the sun.

It seemed like he had lived in a cave for so long without seeing sunlight, closing his eyes at that moment.

Memories of the past flashed before his eyes, one by one.

The first half of his life was spent for over forty years as General Li at the court, and the second half as the Martial Saint for forty years in martial arts.

"Forty years," he murmured.

"I have waited for forty years."

Forty years, from Li Changge’s special technique, to Martial Saint special technique, and then to Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill.

The Martial Saint special technique allowed him to break through to the highest level of spiritual refinement, becoming a leader in martial arts.

Later on, he united the martial world, sacrificing a generation of people, using the top martial families as fuel, achieving a level of progress in spiritual refining unseen before by any Martial Saint.

But that was not enough.

Because there were almost no more resources in the martial world to help him advance further.

If we say Martial Saint is a fierce tiger.

Then ordinary people are like grass, low-tier martial artists are like insects, and mid-to-high-tier martial artists are like deer, wolves, and other wild animals.

A fierce tiger looks down on eating insects, let alone eating grass.

Now, after forty years of practice, the Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill has reached completion.

He opened his eyes and then reached out towards the sun in the sky, as if trying to grab hold of it.

He was no longer a fierce tiger, about to transform into a Taotie.

As a Taotie, he had the ambition to swallow the heavens.

"On the day when the Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill is perfected, I shall swallow the sky and sun." He turned around and looked at Hai Wuya, Wu Qiankun, and the others behind him.

"From now on."

"Wuji Association, will use Martial Arts to defeat Immortals, and exterminate the Immortal Gate’s inhuman deeds."

The Martial Saint’s eyes were like dark abysses, making everyone avoid direct eye contact and unconsciously lower their heads.

Only Hai Wuya felt a sense of sorrow in his heart.

Because he was different from others, he was more familiar with General Li from the past than Martial Saint.

For thirty to forty years, Hai Wuya was a scholar devoted to a career, considering martial arts as a shortcut to success.

Present-day Hai Wuya, who is already a high-ranking official, has put aside his career ambitions to focus on perfecting the "Human Path Sutra" in his old age after spending thirty years in the heavenly prison.

Time is the most relentless, and people’s hearts are fickle. Who can stay true till the end?

Hai Wuya looked worried; he didn’t doubt the Martial Saint’s martial skills but was concerned about his mental state.

The Martial Saint’s gaze was like a deep abyss. He saw Hai Wuya in the crowd but didn’t pay much attention.

At that moment, he had only one simple thought in his mind.

What should he eat next?

Although Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill had been mastered, it only provided techniques without food. How could he progress further?

"Wu Qiankun, what’s been happening at the Nine Immortal Gates in Jiu Province?" Martial Saint licked his lips.

"The Nine Immortal Gates have been quiet in the past few months. The reason might be related to the Martial Arts League," Wu Qiankun reported.

"Moon Xuan Envoy Li Gongde from Zhong Province informed us earlier that he uncovered the truth about the Martial Arts League… It’s a scam. They are not practicing real martial arts but a Taoist soldier cultivation method using their bodies," he continued.

"And behind them are the Nine Immortal Gates…"

Among the Wuji Association’s Moon Xuan Envoys, there are a total of nine, with one stationed in each region of Jiu Province for overseeing intelligence matters.

Zhong Province is located in the central region where the Great Yan Imperial Court’s Imperial Capital lies. It is known for its fertile lands and bustling population. Both the Immortal Gates and Wuji Association members in this region are extraordinary individuals.

Therefore, the Zhong Province Moon Xuan Envoy is subtly superior to the other eight Moon Xuan Envoys, holding a higher position within the Wuji Association.

"Taoist soldiers? I thought the Martial Arts League was exploring new Superb Martial Arts, but it turns out they are a bunch of useless people." Martial Saint narrowed his eyes.

"This is what they call martial enlightenment?"

…………..

"Actually, soldiers like Luohan and Iron Wolf who joined the Martial Arts League were once strong martial artists in their prime, otherwise they wouldn’t have reached the 3rd rank in the Spiritual Refining Method."

Li Gongde and Star Xuan Envoy walked down the street, talking as they went.

He used a disguise, blending in with the bustling crowd, yet no one noticed anything strange about him or heard his words.

"If one’s heart stays young, their spiritual refining abilities won’t decline," whispered Li Gongde.

"But many people are not like that."

"As they age, their strength wanes, their spirit weakens, and their will falters, they truly aren’t like they used to be, so their spiritual refining abilities naturally weaken as well."

"People’s hearts change easily, it’s really difficult to stay true to one’s original intentions."

"What did you want to say?" asked Star Xuan Envoy beside him.

"I want to check if a person’s spirit has changed, it’s not that difficult," lightly said Li Gongde.

"Don’t just listen to what they say, watch what they do."

"So…"

"Before leaving, I have one last personal matter to attend to," Li Gongde spoke, gazing into the distance at the market square execution ground.

At the market square execution ground, there was an "Li Gongde" turned into a stick figure, burned to ashes by the Etching Bones Li Fire, all flesh and bones gone.

There was also an elderly man claiming to be Qiao Gui from the Qiao family, charging into the execution ground to fight against the golden body of King Qin.

Li Gongde wouldn’t risk his life to save others.

But the thought of pretending nothing happened, watching Qiao Shui and Qiao Gui, the two brothers, die at the hands of King Qin, didn’t sit right with him.

So he had something to do.

He took big steps towards the marketplace of Great Qin City.

The closer he got to the marketplace, the denser the crowd became.

When he arrived at the marketplace, he saw layers of people surrounding the area, making it exceptionally lively, even more so than during the usual gatherings.

"Look, King Qin is about to kill the old man who barged into the court."

"Who is that old man, and why is he fighting with King Qin?"

"Who cares who he is? Just watch the show. Wasn’t that fight really exciting? It’s rare to see King Qin personally step in."

"That old man, isn’t his name Qiao Gui?"

"Didn’t he forcefully enter the law court to save that wealthy man? What kind of person is this Li Gongde? I’ve known for a long time that he’s not a good guy, a rich man with a wolf’s heart and a dog’s lungs."

"With such a good reputation, that rich man must have done many dirty deeds behind the scenes, or else how could he live with himself, just giving us money so easily."

"The old man surnamed Qiao is up to no good, partnering with him doesn’t seem like a good idea!"

The crowd buzzed with excitement as they discussed.

King Qin not only didn’t drive away the crowd but also openly fought in front of them, treating the battle as a performance. Among the onlookers, piece by piece, Qiao Mu’s flesh was sliced off.

He looked like a skilled butcher, with each swing of his sword bringing forth a spray of blood.

Li Gongde watched the scene unfold, unaffected by the many discussions around him.

He had successfully deceived the crowd with a diversion. Though surrounded by people, no one noticed his peculiarity.

With a swift motion of his sleeve, a water droplet emerged and floated in his palm.

This Art of Water Mirror was actually not the talisman of King Qin he spoke of, but a technique he performed.

As a spy for the Wuji Association in the Zhong Province, his status was not low. It was not just because of his meticulous thoughts and skill in disguises.

Because he knows a few magical spells, he is good at hiding and passing on information secretly.

Besides the Water Mirror Art, there is another kind.

He flicked his finger.

The floating water droplet quickly rose into the sky, then burst open into a mist, spreading in the sky above the market.

The sunlight shone through the mist, revealing images on it.

This Mirage Gate can bring back memories from a cultivator’s mind, reflecting a past moment.

At this moment, the mirage mist above the market slowly took shape, showing a faint image.

This sudden phenomenon naturally caught the attention of many people.

King Qin rarely uses his power, but this mirage mist is an unheard-of magical method.

In the mist.

Qiao Shui’s face suddenly appeared again.

In the scene, Qiao Shui was in a mansion, fighting fiercely with Iron Wolf.

A streak of light from afar transformed into the figure of Dao Xu, a disciple of the Great Dao Sect, standing in the sky.

What Li Gongde wanted to show was the memory of that night – Qiao Shui breaking into the mansion, discovering Taoist soldier Iron Wolf conspiring with disciple Dao Xu from the Great Dao Sect, using martial arts to defeat immortals, and killing Dao Xu!

"Dao Xu? Iron Wolf? What’s going on?" This sudden change also startled the composed King Qin, he looked up at the sky, furrowing his brows for the first time.