Chapter 13

Shen Lian had cultivated the "Supreme Clarity Spirit Treasure Natural Heart Locking and Spirit Stabilizing True Explanation," which had greatly strengthened his divine soul, almost to the point of being able to leave his body.

It is said that once the divine soul leaves the body, one can cultivate various magical abilities, and many notorious figures in history who caused chaos in the world possessed this skill.

A living person's divine soul, also known as a living soul, is constrained by the physical body.

Although the physical body protects the living soul, allowing it to exist stably, it also limits various magical transformations.

Shen Lian had never tried to separate his divine soul from his body, but he knew that his soul power was far stronger than that of ordinary people. However, apart from making him mentally strong, having a photographic memory, and being able to control his body with great precision, it had few other practical uses.

Although these benefits were already quite good and could help him avoid hidden injuries while exercising, they were still far from enough to ensure his safety.

Even though he could throw knives with perfect accuracy, if several or even dozens of people approached him, he wouldn't be able to take them all down at once.

Moreover, he had a very faint desire to kill, and using his flying knives would likely result in taking lives, which was not what he wanted.

If the man in the green robe used soul power to attack, Shen Lian could certainly leverage his own strengths and gain additional protective abilities.

The soul power the man in the green robe used was not much to Shen Lian, even though they had not actually compared their powers. Shen Lian was not unduly modest and believed that the man's divine soul was definitely not as strong as his.

Otherwise, with the man's prowess, he could certainly have his divine soul leave his body without the risk of energy depletion, and he would have many powerful transformations, almost like a celestial being, not just an ordinary person.

Although the man in the green robe was strong, he had not yet made the Golden Saber Wang despair.

The so-called "God-Slaying Sword" he had used earlier did not show the ease and composure he had displayed.

Shen Lian clearly felt that the man's spirit had weakened somewhat.

Suddenly, the sound of hooves echoed from all directions, responding to each other.

The man in the green robe's expression turned cold, and he struck the leader of the Green Bamboo Gang with a palm, saying, "I underestimated you."

He meant that he hadn't expected the leader of the Green Bamboo Gang to be able to command the elite troops of Qingzhou.

If it were just a mob, he wouldn't be afraid at all, but now, although he didn't know how many soldiers had come, his cultivation of the God-Slaying Sword had made his divine soul more sensitive, and he could sense the blood and qi outside, which, though not as intense as a raging war, was still formidable.

In this situation, it would be extremely difficult for him to use his ultimate move, the "God-Slaying Sword."

This was because the divine soul grows stronger due to blood and qi but is also restrained by them. This is the subtle interplay of yin and yang, the principle of generation and overcoming.

If there were hundreds or even thousands of elite soldiers, their blood and qi would form a powerful force, like a raging fire.

If the man's soul power left his body, it would be like pouring oil on the fire, not only useless but also damaging his own soul power.

Faced with the man's powerful palm strike, the leader of the Green Bamboo Gang struggled to dodge, using a rolling technique to narrowly escape.

The man in the green robe had only wanted him to move out of the way and couldn't afford to tangle with him, or he would be trapped by the encircling troops and have no way to escape.

The "Golden Saber Wang" laughed and said, "You won't be leaving today."

He was a martial arts master and knew that the man in the green robe no longer wanted to fight, but he couldn't let him go. Otherwise, once he left Qingzhou, if he retreated into the mountains, it would be impossible to find him again.

Suddenly, the light of the sabers grew bright, like willow catkins dancing in the wind, filling the sky, as if about to fall on the man in the green robe and the young beggar.

The man in the green robe regretted being too overconfident and wondered why he had to test the young beggar's character.

Although he looked young, he had already passed the age of fifty and knew that his future was limited. Even if he obtained the item from the Green Bamboo Gang, it might not lead to immortality, and he had already decided to take on a disciple.

The young beggar had good potential and reminded him of his younger self, which made him consider passing on his legacy.

However, he still had doubts about the young beggar's character, so he gave him money to become his servant and an opportunity to handle his father's affairs, to see if he would return.

Although the man in the green robe was not a righteous person, he adhered to the principles of a wandering knight, "words must be kept, actions must be consistent, and promises must be honored." If the young beggar didn't return today, he would find him and kill him, then leave.

Encountering Shen Lian today was an accident. Reflecting on it, Shen Lian's composure and demeanor were very similar to his senior brother, "Ling Chongxiao." If Shen Lian practiced martial arts, his future would be boundless.

Although he had always resented Ling Chongxiao for surpassing him, he had to admit that Ling Chongxiao was stronger. If he hadn't already decided to take the young beggar as his disciple, he might have considered making Shen Lian his successor.

The man in the green robe's thoughts raced, but his body's reaction was not slow. His body, which had been leaning forward, spun like a top, kicking up dust, and he rose into the air, landing on the tip of a saber.

The cunning and vicious force flowed along the blade, causing the Golden Saber Wang's palm to tingle.

This move was not his full strength; it was just to keep the man in the green robe from escaping.

He didn't expect the man's skills to be so high that he could discern his intentions, see through the feint, and break his saber technique.

The man in the green robe's foot touched the roof, and he was already on top, ready to take the young beggar and leave, like a fish leaping in the sea and a bird flying in the sky.

However, many archers appeared on the rooftops from all directions, and a thousand arrows were fired at once.

The man in the green robe coldly snorted, his inner energy forming a protective force field around his body, causing the arrows to glance off.

But he was forced to jump down from the roof and land under the eaves on the opposite street, inevitably falling into the encirclement of the troops.

The Golden Saber Wang did not dare to charge in, as the troops did not know him, and his family was large and influential. If he charged in, he might be attacked by the troops, and he would have to decide whether to fight or not.

Rebelling against the government had never been a good idea, and he did not want to become an outlaw or wander alone like the man in the green robe.

The troops surrounded and attacked the man in the green robe, and a group of soldiers rushed into "Yuekelai," led by Shen Qingshan.

He immediately saw Shen Lian and hurriedly approached, saying, "Why did you come here, child? Do you know how dangerous it is?"

The Shen family had many informants, and Shen Qingshan was both shocked and angry to learn that Shen Lian was in the same inn as the man in the green robe.

Although he had sent guards to secretly protect Shen Lian, he hadn't expected Shen Lian to come here.

By the time he discovered it, it was too late to stop him.

Only when the man in the green robe left "Yuekelai" and was surrounded did he lead his men in, risking danger to protect Shen Lian.

Shen Lian thought, "This second uncle is quite sincere towards me."

He then asked, "Second Uncle, why are you here too?"

Shen Qingshan did not want to hide it from Shen Lian and said, "That man in the green robe is the murderer who killed your two cousins. Our Shen family will not let him go."

At this moment, the leader of the Green Bamboo Gang also arrived and smiled, "Second Master Shen, who is this person with you?"

Shen Qingshan replied, "This is my nephew, Shen Lian."

He then said to Shen Lian, "This gentleman is the leader of the Green Bamboo Gang, Master An."

The Green Bamboo Gang and the Shen family, one black and one white, were both powerful, but the Shen family was even more influential. Master An glanced at Shen Lian, recognizing him as the rumored wild child of the Shen family.

He was indeed handsome, and the fact that Shen Lian remained calm in such a dangerous situation impressed him greatly.

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PS: Thank you to Han Han for the 588 reward, and to Kong Ji, Zijian, Jian Ming Jiu Xiao, and Yue Luo for their support. The next update will be during the day.