Chapter 246 Part 1

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Chapter 246 Part 1: Invincible Spirit (1)

Li Gongde and the Star Xuan Envoy were walking through the streets, and with a flick of their fingers, a strong wind suddenly appeared, lifting three or four carriages in the middle of the street up into the air.

The few carriages in the middle of the street were brought by the strong Copper Clad Generals to block the roads around the market, in order to silence the witnesses.

In the middle of the road, a carriage overturned, and the trapped people were immediately excited and cried tears uncontrollably.

"The magical beings have appeared…"

"We prayed to the gods every day, offering incense and showing respect to all the deities."

In the dark, Li Gongde’s eyes twitched.

He was the one who took action, but in the end, the people thanked the "immortals." So, did he gain merit once again?

"Never expected to see the day when someone would step in to save the civilians," the eyes behind Star Xuan Envoy’s mask flickered slightly, landing on Li Gongde.

Li Gongde wasn’t a fortune-telling immortal, so how could he predict King Qin’s actions to be so extreme as to close the city and kill people?

But they couldn’t just stand by either, because if news of the events in Great Qin Prefecture didn’t spread, it would be for nothing, which didn’t align with Wuji Association’s interests.

The soldiers under King Qin’s command were quick to react.

Soon, two Copper Clad Generals heard the sound and rushed over swiftly.

"Do you know where the people from Tide Listening Building are? If King Qin is planning to eliminate all the onlookers at the market square, there must be some people from Tide Listening Building among them," Star Xuan Envoy found it tricky upon seeing the two Copper Clad Generals.

"You can’t rely on anyone from Tide Listening Building. When they hear rumors, they run faster than anyone else. When things get tense, they run even faster," Li Gongde casually remarked.

The motto of Tide Listening Building has always been to only listen to the tides and not cause any disturbances.

In the new city of Great QinCity, King Qin, a mighty ruler, presides not like a usual town. Following the tradition of the Tide Listening Building, there are sure to be skilled storytellers hiding in the shadows.

"Without the help of Tide Listening Building, just relying on the two of us…" Star Xuan Envoy looked at the two Copper Clad Generals, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

With the power of the Wuji Association, they should have no problem dealing with two Copper Skin Soldiers.

However, since the Martial Saint faked his death, the Wuji Association has been hiding in the shadows and keeping a low profile.

In the past, only individuals like Moon Xuan Envoy Li Gongde and Star Xuan Envoy were active in the martial arts world on behalf of the Wuji Association.

Star Xuan Envoy is a spy who gathers intelligence. While not weak, he prefers not to engage in direct combat.

"Copper Skin Soldiers also have their weaknesses," said Li Gongde.

"Don’t try to fight them head-on. Even cultivators at the Foundation Building stage would find it difficult to deal with these tough opponents. Taoist soldiers were originally created by cultivators for combat."

"The Great Dao Sect easily deals with martial artists. However, Spirit Refining martial artists who abandon their physical bodies and serve inhuman beings show weaknesses in their mindset."

"But using Spirit Refining martial artists’ ‘Eye Attacking Technique’…"

Li Gongde had witnessed how the Qiao family members dealt with these Taoist soldiers firsthand, so he knew what he was talking about.

"Using only the ‘Eye Attacking Technique’ may not be enough; we also need the power to break through the ‘Cloud Patterns Mountain Copper’." Star Xuan Envoy hesitated.

Although the Eye Attacking Technique is rare, the Wuji Association, with its vast collection of martial arts, naturally possesses various techniques.

In battles of spiritual refining martial artists, the Eye Attacking Technique is generally used to impact the opponent’s mind, causing a moment of confusion and slowing down their movements… For skilled spiritual refining experts, even a slight delay in movement can determine victory or defeat.

However, the Taoist soldiers have surpassed the realm of martial artists.

Even with just one layer of the Golden Body Technique, a Copper Skin Soldier who has achieved the level of a 3rd rank Spirit Refining martial artist would be impervious to blades and spears. Not to mention a brief moment of distraction, even if the Copper Skin Soldier stood still without fighting back, a regular martial artist would not be able to harm them.

"If they were easy to deal with, why would the Great Dao Sect go through so much trouble to create these Taoist soldiers? The human body has its limits, unable to withstand gold and iron, let alone materials from the immortal path," Li Gongde shook his head.

Luckily, he is also a cultivator, so there is a way to deal with this Copper Skin Soldier.

In this world, cultivators are the main characters, while martial arts are just tricks for ordinary people to survive in the world, not worthy of attention.

While Li Gongde was preparing to secretly deal with the two Copper Skin Soldiers, a loud noise suddenly came from afar.

Suddenly, a tea house next to them collapsed with dust and a tall dark figure flew out, landing at the feet of the two Copper Clad Generals.

The two generals looked closely and immediately recognized the newcomer at their feet: a round-faced big man, just like them, a Copper Skin Soldier.

However, the round-faced general’s skin was cracked like a spiderweb, with a fist-sized hole clearly visible on his stomach.

"Who attacked him?" the two Copper Clad Generals asked in shock.

Since they had mastered the Golden Body Technique, even a 1st rank of Spiritual Refining Period was no match for them. Seeing their comrade fallen before their eyes truly surprised them.

"It seems like a… white-haired martial artist?" The round-faced general hesitated, unable to describe the person who pierced his chest and abdomen.

"Could there be a traitor among us?"

"A martial artist? Impossible, there are no traitors under King Qin’s command," the generals countered.

At that moment, under the collapsed tea house, footsteps could be heard approaching.

This is a middle-aged man with white hair, his eyes calm like a deep pool, as if looking at them, yet also looking into the distance.

"It’s him!" The round-faced military officer who was stabbed in the chest and abdomen coughed up blood as he spoke.

Li Gongde’s gaze sharpened, "This person… looks a bit like Qiao Shui and Qiao Gui’s younger generations?"

"Qiao family member? Qiao family member has Taoist soldier too?" Star Xuan Envoy was surprised.

"What nonsense, Qiao family is a mysterious martial arts clan, how could they have Taoist soldier—" Before Li Gongde could finish his sentence, there was a sharp snap.

Turning his head, Qiao Mu, who had just been standing in the distance, appeared next to the fallen round-faced military officer, stepping on his chest with one foot and holding his head with one hand, pulling his head off his neck.

"…." Li Gongde fell silent for a moment, then said:

"Clearly, Qiao family is an ancient, vast clan with a rich heritage, so it’s reasonable for a few cultivators to emerge from this clan."

"But why did this Qiao family make their Taoist soldiers look similar to Qiao Shui and Qiao Gui, the two elder members of the clan?"

Li Gongde was surprised, but the two Copper Clad Generals who Qiao Mu approached were instantly terrified, feeling a strong sense of danger through their instincts.

"Who are you?!" one of the Copper Clad Generals shouted, his voice booming like thunder, echoing in all directions.

In reality, he was not shouting but pretending to, actually loudly calling for help in hopes that others would come to their rescue.

King Qin had also given orders that there might be a Qiao family member hiding near the vegetable market, now that Qiao Gui was dead. If any Qiao family members were to seek revenge, he would naturally have to eliminate them all.

At that moment, the white-haired man finally spoke:

"Physical body…."

"Physical body? What is he talking about? He can’t possibly be named ‘physical body’, he’s not answering the question at all." Each of the two Copper Clad Generals tried to escape using their light skills, but the white-haired man’s figure was like a ghost, constantly following just three steps behind them.

"The vitality of the physical body is the foundation of a martial artist," the white-haired man continued to explain:

"The level of vitality can generally be seen as the physical strength of a martial artist."

"The beginning of the 9 ranks of martial artists starts with building up physical strength. When muscles are full and energy is abundant, internal strength will be built up."

"As people reach old age, it’s inevitable that their energy levels decline and their bodies weaken. The human body has its limits in the end."

While speaking, he reached out and pierced through the chest of a Copper Clad General, who immediately fell to the ground and didn’t get up.

"Why is this person talking to himself all the time, acting so strangely? Is he a madman?" Just as this Copper Clad General had this thought in his mind, suddenly his whole body shook, everything spun around, and he saw a hand passing through his chest.

Two Copper Clad Generals lay on the ground, already lifeless.

Qiao Mu stood beside their bodies, his eyes looking slightly empty.

Around the thirtieth year in his dream, he realized that his mind was clouded and something was different, he understood one thing:

The eighty years in the dream equated to a lifetime for an ordinary person, and it was a lifetime without rest.

During these eighty years, emotions within would magnify when alone.

In the first thirty years, Qiao Mu was able to focus on studying martial arts techniques, but in the following fifty years, his restlessness made it difficult for him to concentrate.

If one regrets helping others and getting trapped in an eighty-year-long dream, those emotions will slowly consume him during the long period of solitude, leaving him no peace.

Ordinary people cannot spend a whole lifetime in a dream while maintaining their sanity, so when Qiao Mu woke up again from the dream, there were only two possible outcomes.

Either he would be tormented by regret until he goes mad.

Or he would find an answer that would give him strength.

And now… he actually already had the answer in his heart.

So when he woke up from the dream, he reached the 1st rank of Spiritual Refining Period.

"How can a mortal flesh withstand gold and iron? That’s not wrong at all."

"But I am no longer just a mortal." His eyes focused slightly, and at this moment he just managed to snap out of the lifetime in the dream.

With a thought, information emerged from the Ouroboros Long Life Lock submerged in the sea of his heart.

This Death Assessment: A (Using Martial Arts to Defeat Immortals)

Life Consumption from Death: 80 (16*5) years

Remaining chances of revival this week: 3/5

Current age: 295 years old

Vitality: 60%

Skills:

Techniques—Human Path Sutra (half, seventh level) Pure Yang Wuji Skill (ninth level) Military Martial Arts Classic (mastered)

Martial arts—Fragmented Virtual Finger (mastered) Ripple Stacking Wave Strength (fourth level: Fourfold Wave)

Weapons—Shadow Transformation Sword Technique (mastered) Heavenly Slashing Swordsmanship (mastered) Military Martial Arts Classic Weapons section (mastered)

Light body technique—Shadow Step (mastered) Heavenly Dragon Eight Steps (mastered)

Strength training—Iron Crotch Skill (mastered) Golden Bell Shield Iron Cloth Shirt Skill (mastered)

Forbidden Techniques – Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method (Perfect), Red Moon Burning Blood Technique (Completion), Bloodthirsty Skill (Completion), Blood Sword Technique (Proficient)

Mystical Techniques – Eye Sword Technique (Completion), Shape Changing Skill (Completion), Martial Saint Spiritual Technique (Proficient)

…………

During these eighty years in his dreams, Qiao Mu did many things.

For example, he discovered that the information appearing in his mind was actually a type of "inner vision" related to himself.

Similar to controlling his lucid dreams, this information could actually change based on Qiao Mu’s thoughts, leading to unexpected developments.

In his dream of eighty years, he focused on practicing martial arts and searching for answers to support his inner self. In a way, it was also a further exploration of the Spiritual Refining Method.

Other martial arts training was not his main focus in the dream; at most, it served as a distraction after practicing martial arts became tiring.

Despite that, eighty years was too long, and he made breakthroughs in various martial arts, such as the superb rank light skill Heavenly Dragon Eight Steps.

As for the seventh level of the Human Path Sutra, it was actually derived from the Xumi Mountain King Sutra already at the seventh level.

The prototype of the Human Path Sutra deduced by Qiao Mu was different from the Xumi Mountain King Sutra, but it still retained some characteristics of the latter.

Each level he advanced, the time needed almost doubled.

For ordinary martial artists with average aptitude, as long as they persist in training, the first level requires 2 years, the second level requires 4 years, the third level requires 8 years, and so on.

If Qiao Mu could practice it, ordinary martial artists could too; it was not a martial arts technique that required high aptitude.

With this thought, the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard in the distance.

Two Copper Clad Generals’ cries for help before their death were heard by others. Far away, King Qin led his many generals and hurried towards them.