Chapter 257

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Chapter 257: Emperor Yonghe’s Perfect Opportunity

"Hero Island? Is it a faraway island beyond the lands of Jiu Province?"

The leader of the Great Dao Sect pondered deeply after hearing this.

This information, reportedly revealed by a Qiao family member named Qiao Zhong, mentioned the secretive origins of the Qiao family.

It’s not unreasonable, considering that while the martial arts of the Qiao family and those in Jiu Province share the same roots, there are many differences when examined closely.

For example, the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, which the Qiao family is famous for, is practically two completely different explosive forbidden techniques despite sharing a similar name.

"Senior sect leader, in my opinion, we should be cautious of this Qiao family member even though they are an ordinary martial artist," Elder Qingzhuo said solemnly.

"A dike may collapse because of an ant hole. Although this ordinary martial artist may not be comparable to us cultivators, their actions have already harmed the great cause, hence we must be wary," Elder Qingzhuo cautioned.

Elder Qingzhuo had changed his mind now.

Before, he was always worried that his mistake would be discovered, which would damage the reputation of the Elder at the Immortal Gate.

After all, as a Nascent Soul Elder who had lived for over a thousand years, having his mistake exposed by ordinary people who hadn’t even lived a fraction of his years would be too humiliating.

But now the truth can’t be hidden, he had to inform the sect leader about this matter, and he had to come up with a new excuse, trying to make it sound more exaggerated.

Above all, he just couldn’t lose to ordinary people.

What if he did lose?

If he lost, then it would mean that the opponent was not an ordinary person at all!

Elder Qingzhuo said solemnly, "In recent decades, Jiu Province martial artists have indeed changed compared to forty years ago, with the presence of Martial Saints and members of the Qiao family, they are not to be underestimated."

Elder Qingzhuo was indeed qualified to say this, considering that forty years ago, the renowned Earth Sword Immortal, who was the best in the world, was defeated by his subordinate.

However, when his words reached the ears of the sect leader, the sect leader just looked at him quietly, with eyes as deep and silent as an abyss.

"What you said is not unreasonable." the sect leader said lightly:

"Among the ordinary people in the Qiao family, they are known for protecting each other. If one Qiao family member is killed, another person quickly comes to avenge them, seeming endless."

This kind of behavior is similar to powerful groups like the Nine Immortal Gates.

But the problem is… Qiao family members practice martial arts, while the others are just ordinary people.

"In theory, the Qiao family’s martial artists can defeat even the golden core disciples. So next, they should send a deacon from the Golden Core period, or even a Nascent Soul Elder, to eliminate those Qiao family members with wrong intentions completely," pondered the leader of the Great Dao Sect.

"But this… is too slow."

Why would he, as the leader of the Immortal Sect, play by the rules?

"We should directly find the main base of the Qiao family member on Hero Island, uproot their entire family, this way it will be faster," said the leader of the Great Dao Sect calmly.

"For the overseas Hero Island… let’s head to the southeastern seaside town, find the origin of that Qiao family member, and eradicate them at the root!"

Haizhou, also known as Southeast Province.

As everyone knows, Jiu Province is the collective name for nine provinces.

Since there are Zhong Province, Nan Province… it is easy to see that the other seven provinces are Dong Province, Bei Province, Western Province, in addition to Southeast Province, Southwest Province, East Bei Province, and Northwest Prefecture, which is very reasonable.

"Brother sect leader has considered everything thoroughly, with great insight," Elder Qingzhuo nodded and smiled.

In front of the sect leader, feeling guilty for his damaged reputation and repeated mistakes, he was slightly nervous and showed a humble attitude.

The more Elder Qingzhuo felt guilty, the more he sensed the stern gaze of the sect leader fixed on him.

"Could it be that Brother sect leader’s intention is… for me to go?" Elder Qingzhuo asked belatedly.

"If not you, then who?" sect leader snorted coldly, his face frowned:

"After doing so many good deeds, do you still have the face to stay behind closed doors in the sect’s cave dwelling?"

Elder Qingzhuo’s face turned slightly pale, hesitantly remaining silent.

"The Immortal Gate in the Southeast Province specializes in divination known as the Soul Predicting Path," the sect leader calmly stated.

"We only know of a Hero Island, but not its exact location. We can’t just search blindly like headless flies, right? We have to deal with cultivators of the Soul Predicting Path," he continued.

"As you are an elder of our Immortal Gate, your visit to the Southeast Province naturally represents our Great Dao Sect…"

The matter concerning the Qiao family member ended there, which also caught the attention of the sect leader, along with a Martial Saint.

"The Martial Saint had long perished at the hands of the elder of Xuantian Sect. How could another Martial Saint emerge here?" The sect leader furrowed his brows, finding it all very suspicious.

Several years ago.

This world still belonged to cultivators, even during the so-called "Inhuman War" when the Great Yan Imperial Court’s fortune declined. Not many cultivators died in battle. So why is there a Martial Saint now, followed by a Qiao family member?

It all happened too suddenly. Within just a few decades, barely half a human’s lifespan…

If the two golden core cultivators hadn’t really died, the sect leader wouldn’t have believed it.

"Could it be that someone from Xuantian Sect is up to something? The Martial Saint was killed by their people, and now the Martial Saint has reappeared, there must be something fishy going on." The first thought that came to the sect leader’s mind was Xuantian Sect.

In this world, cultivators’ biggest enemies are each other, and Great Dao Sect’s biggest enemy is naturally the other Immortal Gates.

Instead of believing that ordinary people can suddenly use Martial Arts to defeat immortals, it’s better to consider whether there are other Immortal Gates causing trouble behind the scenes.

Remember, Xuantian Sect has always been bold and reckless. They almost forced Emperor Yonghe to worship a god before, which led to the emergence of the Human Emperor Sword.

If the people from Xuantian Sect are not satisfied and secretly do something to harm the Great Dao Sect, then that would make sense.

"Qingzhuo, please tell us more about the Martial Saint who was able to kill your Nascent Soul Dharma Body," the Great Dao Sect sect leader suddenly asked.

"This person indeed doesn’t seem like those ordinary martial artists who only know martial arts. He is very strange," Elder Qingzhuo recalled.

"The Martial Saint’s methods are very different from the martial arts that ordinary people talk about. I doubt if it can be called martial arts at all."

"Maybe this so-called Martial Saint is just a cover," thought Elder Qingzhuo quietly.

"Perhaps he is the ‘South King’ supported by the Xuantian Sect?"

Each of the Nine Immortal Gates focuses on different immortal cultivation paths. The Great Dao Sect’s immortal cultivation techniques, known as the method of refining Taoist soldiers, are highly regarded. The top method for refining Taoist soldiers is called ‘Bean Breaks Through the Sky.’

So the Martial Arts King supported by the Great Dao Sect is the golden-bodied Taoist soldier, Qin Shiqing.

Although King Qin appears human, he is actually a complete immortal creation. Therefore, he easily overwhelms ordinary Spirit Refining martial artists.

The specific background of the so-called ‘Martial Arts Kings’ from the other Eight Immortal Gates remains unclear to the leader of the Great Dao Sect.

However, Martial Arts Kings are definitely not ordinary martial artists. They simply take on the appearance of one to gain trust from the people. By carrying the banner of martial arts like King Qin, they aim to establish the Earthly Immortal Kingdom for their grand endeavor.

"If this Martial Saint truly has only a human form as you say, but is inwardly different from regular people, he could indeed be the ‘South King’," the sect leader nodded slightly.

Seeing the sect leader’s reaction, Taoist Qingzhuo felt a bit relieved.

People cannot lose the battle.

He was injured by Qiao family member and Earth Sword Immortal when he was in the Hundred-mile Desert. It can be said that he was careless at that time. He thought that if he had another chance, he would definitely make Earth Sword Immortal and Qiao family member pay the price.

When Nascent Soul Dharma Body died at the hands of Martial Saint, he had learned from past mistakes and was not careless.

However, if Martial Saint turned out to be the Martial Arts King of Immortal Gate, then things would be different.

Losing to the so-called Martial Arts King was essentially losing to the secret plots of Xuantian Sect, losing to other Immortal Gates that could compete with Great Dao Sect.

Even though Xuantian Sect had been suppressed by other Eight Immortal Gates after Emperor Yonghe worshipped the gods, it was still a formidable force.

As cultivators, winning and losing is normal.

When you think about it this way, things start to make sense.

"But losing face in this matter is unacceptable…" said the serious Great Dao Sect leader.

He had a plan to deal with a member of the Qiao family and the Martial Saint.

But when trouble happened in Great Qin City, King Qin died, many cultivators also died, and the truth of everything was revealed to the believers in Zhong Province. The plan of the Earthly Immortal Kingdom failed.

"Forty years, still too short," said the leader of the Great Dao Sect quietly.

"Short enough for many ordinary people to have already passed a generation, the new generation has forgotten about the war back then, and there are fools in this world who underestimate their own strength."

"So what comes next… naturally is to make sure these ordinary people remember."

Regardless of whether the Martial Saint or the Qiao family member are involved with another Immortal Gate, since they are enemies of the Great Dao Sect, the outcome is destined to end them completely.

The plan of the Earthly Immortal Kingdom was a scheme prepared by the Great Dao Sect to step back behind the scenes.

Now that this plan has been ruined, the Great Dao Sect must once again step forward just like during the Inhuman War forty years ago.

…………..

Outside the Great Qin City, in a deserted mountain forest.

"Did you lose a member of the Qiao family?"

The Martial Saint walked towards Wu Qiankun with firm steps, every bone in his body crackling. As he approached, his body grew taller and more imposing.

By the time he stood in front of Wu Qiankun, he appeared over three meters tall, like a towering iron tower.

The Martial Saint looked down at Wu Qiankun expressionlessly from above.

Wu Qiankun remained silent, his face slightly turning pale.

The Wuji Association’s arsenal housed martial arts from all over, including the Eye Attacking Technique practiced by Spirit Refining martial artists.

Without using any special techniques, the Martial Saint’s gaze alone made Wu Qiankun break into a cold sweat, feeling as if facing a mountain that almost suffocated him.

After a while, Wu Qiankun saw a faint smile appear at the corner of the Martial Saint’s mouth. Was he actually smiling?

"You have some courage, but this behavior is not to be repeated, we must focus on what’s important and not be distracted by bloodlust," said Martial Saint coldly.

He was willing to pass on the Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill to Wu Qiankun, and he had no intention of hiding it.

While Wu Qiankun’s actions may seem like a mistake, in the eyes of Martial Saint, it wasn’t a bad thing, and it even brought him some joy.

Among the three thousand disciples, Wu Qiankun was the strongest and most similar to Martial Saint.

Since he and Martial Saint were similar, how could he willingly become a sycophant following behind Martial Saint?

It could be said that this actually pleased Martial Saint.

Having fangs is a good thing.

In the Martial Saint’s sect, there were all kinds of people, but no weaklings, as the weak had already become food for the strong.

"Within the Wuji Association, you are known as ‘Little Martial Saint’, let’s see if one day in the future, you can make me become ‘Great Universe’," Martial Saint said slowly.

If Wu Qiankun was a mediocre person, how could he be entrusted to lead the Wuji Association?

"Wu Qiankun’s adoptive father was joking," a shiver ran down Wu Qiankun’s spine.

He also knew that this matter was closed, then he continued:

"It’s actually easy to find a Qiao family member, they like to meddle in other people’s business and often cause trouble. To find the trace of a Qiao family member again is not difficult, just go to where the trouble is."

"This is a minor issue. Our main enemy is the Immortal Gate, not martial artists," the Martial Saint nodded lightly.

For the past forty years, the Martial Saint has been hunting down Spirit Refining martial artists and superb martial artists, also trying to train superb ranks.

But now that the Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill is perfected, after experiencing the taste of the Nascent Soul Dharma Body, his vision naturally goes beyond just the mortal world.

So even though Qiao family’s martial arts are strong, they are not the focus of the Martial Saint and the Wuji Association.

What the Martial Saint has to do is very simple, it’s not fundamentally different from what he has been doing for the past forty years, just the target has changed—–

"The cultivator has been hunted." He whispered.

Both him and Wu Qiankun, among others, need the essence of cultivators to make breakthroughs.

Mortal armies can easily defeat Spirit Refining martial artists, and even superb martial artists can be outlasted, but when it comes to dealing with cultivators who can fly and disappear, it’s a different story – this was something Martial Saint understood forty years ago.

In reality, the cultivators from Great Dao Sect can summon soldiers effortlessly, they understand naval warfare better than Great Yan Imperial Court, and Martial Saint had learned this lesson long ago.

Therefore, the second Inhuman War forty years later, was not a battle of tens of thousands on the battlefield, but a deadly game of hide and seek between hunters and prey deep in the forest.

……………

In the Imperial Capital, in the Imperial Study of the Great Yan Palace.

Emperor Yonghe overturned the pile of documents on the long table, causing them to scatter all over the floor.

He lifted his gaze towards the shimmering Human Emperor Sword hanging on the wall, feeling lost and confused.

King Qin was actually a Taoist soldier from the Immortal Gate… Several members of the Qiao family died again, but they really succeeded in using martial arts to defeat immortals, able to contend with immortal cultivators on their own, and even frighten away Nascent Soul Elders?

When did such an unbelievably strong martial artist suddenly appear in this world?

Emperor Yonghe was very confused. Great Qin Prefecture was clearly in Zhong Province, yet he knew so little about such a big event happening there. He didn’t know about the plans of the Great Dao Sect, nor did he understand where the powerful martial artists from the Qiao family came from.

"Sometimes I envy how freely the Qiao family members can act," he said.

"But as the Great Yan Emperor, I bear the weight of the Great Yan state and all its people, so I must always prioritize the bigger picture. However, this time…" Emperor Yonghe shook his head.

"It’s too soon."

"I am not ready yet, Great Yan is not prepared to start a war again. It’s not the right time."

Flying Fish Guard Chu Xing stood quietly at the entrance of the Imperial Study, observing his breath and heartbeat as usual.

At this moment, a slightly rebellious idea crossed his mind:

"The king always says to wait for the right time, that we shouldn’t act without proper consideration for the country and its people. But is there really a perfect moment to act in this world?"

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