Chapter 87

(First update of the day, seeking recommendations and new readers to follow. Two more updates to come today.)

At the summit of Blood Shackles Mountain.

In the depths of the boundless auspicious mist and light.

At this moment, two figures sat facing each other, a stone table between them, with a chessboard carved into it. They held black and white pieces respectively, engaged in a fierce battle, yet both wore smiles.

"Placing oneself in a desperate situation to achieve survival, the human military strategy has its merits."

"Back in the day, Hong Qi of the Beggar Sect was a formidable figure. It was rumored that his Dragon Subduing Palm was about to transcend, severing the lineage, shedding the mortal coil, and reaching a new realm. However, compared to Lord Moyaun, he was like an ant. After so many years of divination, his spiritual world has manifested in the mortal realm..."

The auspicious mist and light were too intense, and the two figures floated within, their true appearances unseen. Eventually, the mist surged, and even their voices became indistinct.

...

"Kill! Drink the blood of the human cavalry to build your foundation and break through the barriers!"

Several dozen demons emerged from the darkness, their demonic aura surging like a river. Several demon soldiers, like arrows, shot towards the young adjutant.

"Monsters! You dare to disrupt the peace of our empire! Kill!"

The adjutant coldly rebuked, drawing a long sword made of dense cloud-patterned iron from his waist. His feet moved swiftly, as if he had transformed into a gale, sweeping towards the demon soldiers.

"The Great Han Army's Gale Step and Eighteen Gale Swords!"

The demon soldiers' eyes flickered, instantly discerning the technique. Over the years, both humans and demons had gained deep insights into each other, especially in military matters. While they might not know everything, they were close to it.

The four demon soldiers seemed to be of the same race, with similar appearances. As they attacked, they wielded thin, crescent-shaped blades, their blade light intertwining to form a net. The greenish-white demonic energy condensed, transforming into a cage of blade light that enveloped the young adjutant.

"The Blood Vulture Clan's Arrow Step and Thirteen Blood Arc Blades."

The adjutant, clad in dense cloud-patterned armor, his eyes flickering, allowed the blade light cage to fall upon him.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A series of sparks flew, but not a single scratch appeared on the green iron armor.

"Bad, it's the dense cloud-patterned iron of the Great Han Army! At least a flawless treasure weapon is needed to cut through it!" The four demon soldiers immediately changed color.

"Too late!"

The long sword rose, a gale roaring as it cut through heaven and earth. The sword domain enveloped everything, and the four demon soldiers saw nothing but a sea of blood.

Thud!

Four heads flew up, landing and transforming into four bald vultures with blood-red feathers and eyes.

"Such a fierce sword technique, like a gale. This is a military killing sword technique, no wonder it carries such heavy煞气 (sha qi, a term for the aura of killing and violence)."

On a nearby hill, Su Qignian muttered to himself. He had concealed his presence with the Soul Seizing Technique, observing the battle. The young adjutant's martial arts were indeed extraordinary. His cultivation must have surpassed the point of unblocking four of the twelve main meridians. Otherwise, even with the dense cloud-patterned armor, he could not have withstood the attack from the four demon soldiers, each of whom had unblocked at least two of the twelve main meridians. The shock from their blades could have killed him through the armor, but the adjutant remained unharmed, which spoke volumes.

The battle ended in just half an incense stick's time. The cavalry, clearly battle-hardened, moved with precision and discipline. Despite being outnumbered two to three, they maintained their formation, and with the quick demise of the four demon soldiers, the demon army's morale crumbled, and they were swiftly annihilated. Out of a hundred cavalrymen, only three or four were lost.

After removing their fallen comrades' armor and burying their bodies and the dead horses, the cavalrymen left no trace and continued their march towards Blood Shackles Mountain.

At this moment, Su Qignian's figure materialized. Now, with the second level of the Soul Seizing Technique fully mastered, he had activated the second star point, greatly enhancing his mental power. The use of the Soul Seizing Technique had become even more unpredictable. Although the adjutant was strong, if Su Qignian did not wish to be detected, even standing right in front of him would not reveal his presence.

However, this was the limit of his ability. Attempting to assassinate the adjutant by getting close and striking suddenly was not realistic. His mental power needed to be further enhanced. At his current level, if he approached the adjutant, he would not be able to hide his aura, and at the Third-Class Heaven Realm, martial artists had a keen sense of perception, making it even more difficult to succeed in an ambush. Before fully understanding the adjutant's capabilities, Su Qignian could not act rashly.

"These soldiers follow orders without hesitation, which makes things easier for me now."

Su Qignian surveyed the hundreds of demon corpses scattered around, took a deep breath, and extended his hands towards the void. His aura suddenly became ancient and沧桑 (cang桑, meaning aged or weathered), as if he had been dormant for a long time.

Turtle and Snake Devour the Moon!

He silently recited, and a powerful suction force emanated from his embrace. The hundreds of fallen demons and the four demon soldiers' corpses immediately began to bleed, the blood converging into a torrent and flowing into his embrace.

Buzz!

In his embrace, a five-colored furnace appeared, hovering between reality and illusion. It had three legs and two handles, and it trembled, the lid opening to swallow the torrent of blood.

The blood was refined, the demonic energy purified, and the blood essence transformed into a pure form of energy, which infused the furnace walls. In a moment, the furnace, which had been only about 10% solidified, now solidified to about 20%, and a sense of indescribable authority rose from it, centered on Su Qignian, compressing the air within a ten-meter radius, creating fine ripples.

The transformed energy was immense. The hundreds of demons and the four demon soldiers had thick blood, and even after purification, the amount of energy was astonishing. Despite this, by the time the last bit of energy was exhausted, the five-colored furnace had only solidified to about 30%.

"No wonder among the over a thousand disciples of the Wudang Outer Sect, only about twenty can achieve the eighth level of the Turtle and Snake Technique, and those who reach the ninth level can be counted on one hand."

Su Qignian muttered. After the seventh level of the Turtle and Snake Technique, the realm of understanding was a significant barrier. After breaking through this barrier, the amount of energy required for advancement was enormous, far beyond what could be gained from daily meals of demon bear meat soup. It was simply not enough.

Now, Su Qignian was somewhat astonished. He found it hard to imagine how the few disciples who had reached the ninth level of the Turtle and Snake Technique had accumulated and replenished the required energy. It must have been a bottomless pit, and even prominent families might not have been able to provide it.

As for the tenth level, which no one in the current generation had reached, it was not something every generation of the Wudang Three Mad Daoists could achieve in their early martial arts journey.

The five-colored furnace dissipated, and Su Qignian took a deep breath. Even with just 30% of the furnace solidified, it had already generated such a powerful aura. He was looking forward to the day when he could fully solidify the furnace and see if it would help him break through to the fourth and fifth of the twelve main meridians, or even to a higher level of Third-Class martial artist.

Whoosh!

Su Qignian took another step, moving like a gale. With the solidification of the five-colored furnace, his internal organs became even more robust, and his qi and blood flow were so enduring that even a thousand-mile-per-day汗血宝马 (hanxue bao ma, a term for a legendary horse) could not compare. The cavalry ahead, no matter how fast they moved, could not outpace him.

Just a little over half an hour later, the young adjutant and his group faced another attack. This battle was more challenging, with two demon soldiers who had unblocked four of the twelve main meridians and about a hundred demons, moving in an orderly formation. Although they were not as well-trained as the cavalry, they still posed a significant threat.

The young adjutant struggled to kill the two demon soldiers. If not for his dense cloud-patterned armor, he would have paid a heavy price. At this point, Su Qignian could roughly gauge that the adjutant had unblocked about five of the twelve main meridians.

This battle cost the lives of thirteen cavalrymen, leaving only about eighty remaining. Su Qignian clearly saw that some of the cavalrymen gritted their teeth, their jaws clenching, as they buried their fallen comrades.

After about half a cup of tea's time.

Su Qignian stopped, and although the demon corpses appeared full-bodied, if anyone were to examine them, they would find that their blood and qi had been completely drained, leaving nothing behind. (First update of the day, seeking recommendations and new readers to follow. Two more updates to come today.)