Chapter 228

Chapter 228: Qiao Family Members Are Born as Strange Elders of Several Hundred Years Old (1)

After the sacrifice of the heroic ceremony at Anxi Pass, Hai Wuya looked at the three hundred old soldiers in front of him.

He had already read out the decree of Emperor Yonghe and rewarded these three hundred old soldiers. He also followed Emperor Yonghe’s wishes by arranging a place for the remaining women, children, and elderly in the lonely city.

With Emperor Yonghe’s orders completed, it was now time for him to do what he wanted.

"These three hundred old soldiers are not ordinary, they are all strong." Hai Wuya moved his gaze away from his oldest son Hai Siyuan and onto the three hundred old soldiers under the night sky, feeling a sense of admiration.

The three hundred old soldiers were skilled warriors who emerged from the Hundred-Mile Desert.

Inhuman War was the fiercest battlefield in Jiu Province forty years ago, and they were the battle-hardened remnants who endured the harsh conditions of the battlefield for forty years, selected as the strongest from a hundred thousand troops.

The strong that Hai Wuya spoke of were not in terms of martial strength, but of willpower.

Soldiers with weak spirits would not have been able to endure the intense pressure of the inhuman conditions for forty years.

Even though they may have been ordinary soldiers forty years ago, after enduring forty years of hardship and bloodshed, they were no longer ordinary.

"Their martial abilities may not be very high, only my son Hai Siyuan has reached the 3rd rank of the Spiritual Refining Period… It’s not due to their limited talent but rather the lack of resources within the lonely city, making it difficult for their martial abilities to advance. One cannot make something out of nothing."

"The Hundred-Mile Desert is the nurturing ground of the Immortal Gate, also seen as a place of spiritual refinement for the soldiers to temper their spirits, hence these three hundred old soldiers…" Hai Wuya’s gaze wandered off into the distance.

"Are all seeds of spiritual refinement."

"No, an ordinary martial artist at 3rd rank of Spirit Refining probably can’t compare in determination with these three hundred old soldiers."

Hai Wuya isn’t highly skilled in martial arts, but after studying in the heavenly prison for thirty years and holding a high position, his insight and perspective are far beyond that of an ordinary martial artist.

Looking at the three hundred old soldiers in front of him, Hai Wuya really wanted to say one thing… bright future ahead.

But they are too old.

Yes, too old.

In the ghostly place like the Hundred-mile Desert, guarding the city for forty years, even skilled martial artists would likely exhaust themselves mentally and physically, aging prematurely.

Not to mention these old soldiers.

Most of them have declining strength, only their willpower remains steadfast.

If placed in the martial world of forty years ago, their unwavering determination would be in vain, as they are too aged.

Even if we walk out of the desert, how many good years are left for us?

But things are different now.

After forty years of the Inhuman War, the martial world has been silent because of the Martial Saint. In fact, the forefront of martial arts in Jiu Province has always been the Wuji Association.

The world of martial arts is changing, and there is indeed a difference between now and forty years ago.

Even prestigious martial arts schools like Wudang and Shaolin Temple have been eliminated, becoming the foundation of the new martial arts under the Wuji Association.

"Members of the Qiao family have been taught the ‘Xumi Mountain King Sutra,’ they just need time to practice."

"With their determination, if they are willing to train and resist, the ‘Xumi Mountain King Sutra’ will not be difficult for them. Growing old and strong is not just empty talk."

"The key is whether these old soldiers, after witnessing the decline of Jiu Province, still have the will to fight, or if they are indeed ready to retire as Emperor Yonghe thought," Hai Wuya thought to himself.

It’s actually quite normal for the old soldiers to retire.

After all, no matter how strong their determination is, they are not invincible.

Everyone gets tired and hesitant at times, so it’s completely normal for them to want to rest now, especially after forty years of bloody battles and their bodies aging.

Hai Wuya thought that these old soldiers were all talented individuals.

Considering the bigger picture, Hai Wuya believed that these old soldiers, by giving their all and continuing to improve in martial arts, could become the leaders of a new era of martial arts.

However, Hai Wuya, being an elderly man himself, felt sorry for them. Therefore, he wouldn’t force these old soldiers to continue fighting for the people of Jiu Province under the guise of righteousness.

"If they still have the will to resist against inhumanity, to not want to fade away, and to not want to retire…" Hai Wuya looked at his eldest son, Hai Siyuan.

"Bring them to Imperial Capital to see me. The martial arts today are indeed different from forty years ago."

Earth Sword Immortal reached the peak of power, but he was not a good teacher, so his strength was only his own.

Whereas Hai Wuya was not very strong, and he also didn’t reach the 3rd rank of Spiritual Refining Period in his younger years, but that didn’t stop him from creating the "Xumi Mountain King Sutra."

Hai Wuya, who believed in kindness, dedicated his life to developing a new form of martial arts for everyone to practice and stay healthy. He studied this for thirty years.

Although his martial arts skills were not strong, his abilities as a teacher and in exploring martial arts far surpassed Earth Sword Immortal.

"If the Martial Saint were still alive, I wonder how he would view these new martial arts," Hai Wuya thought of his former colleague, the Martial Saint, when discussing the new martial arts.

Hai Wuya took the wrong path in life and didn’t fully concentrate on practicing martial arts.

He was focused on his career and saw martial arts only as a means to climb the ranks. After becoming a high-ranking official, he stopped training hard in martial arts until the outbreak of the Inhuman War.

But the Martial Saint was a different story.

……………………………………………………….

In the morning, the sun rose, illuminating the deserted mountains.

Mist filled the forest, with occasional sounds of wolves howling.

In the forest, Wu Qiankun, the owner of Wuji Association, walked with an old man whose hair was grey.

The old man on Wu Qiankun’s shoulder looked frightened. He was once a famous figure in the martial arts world, reaching the 1st rank of Spiritual Refining Period. But now, his body was twisted abnormally as if broken violently, and there were blood stains on him.

"Wu Qiankun, both you and I are not ordinary martial artists. What do you want from me? We can discuss it. There’s no need to be so ruthless," the old man smiled bitterly.

"Discuss?" Wu Qiankun remained calm and said lightly:

"Only children bend down to talk to ants or play pretend games."

The old man was speechless, anger rising on his face, but he could don’thing.

Despite once being at the 1st rank, there was no dignity of a master in front of Wu Qiankun. It was as if he was carrying a sack of potatoes.

"There is no place for the weak in this world today," Wu Qiankun said calmly:

"Don’t blame me. If you must blame someone, blame your own weakness. Not only has your strength declined, but your mindset has also grown weaker. Falling from the 1st rank, you have lost the fighting spirit of a martial artist. Continuing to live without the readiness to fight the inhuman will be of no benefit."

The old man turned pale at these words and quickly said:

"I think I can still try my best, after all, I have the ability, maybe I can get back to the 1st rank?"

"It’s too late," replied Wu Qiankun casually.

He stopped in his tracks.

At that moment, he stood in front of a cave in the midst of these barren mountains.

The cave was very dark, no sunlight could penetrate, like the deepest night.

At the cave entrance, one step forward was deep night, one step back was dawn breaking, a clear boundary between night and day.

If you observed closely, you could notice the rocks and soil of the entire cave were trembling slightly, like living creatures.

Wu Qiankun didn’t enter the cave, he just stood at the entrance and with a strong toss, threw the old man on his shoulder deep into the cave.

"What are you trying to do—-" The old man instinctively exclaimed, but his voice faded halfway, engulfed in the darkness of the cave.

All around was silent.

There wasn’t even a sound when the old man’s body hit the ground.

The slight trembling of the cave floor also stopped, everything fell into silence.

After a while, in the deep night within the cave, two blood-red small suns suddenly lit up.

"What’s the matter?" A deep male voice sounded from inside the cave, echoing far away.

"Adoptive father, the ‘Hundred-mile Desert’ of the Great Dao Sect was forced, the remnants of the hundred-thousand army from the past Inhuman War, three hundred old soldiers have emerged from the desert and appeared in the current Jiu Province," Wu Qiankun respectfully bowed his head, talking about the recent big event that was raging in Jiu Province.

As he spoke, a tide of anxiety also filled his heart.

Wu Qiankun ranked third among the seventy two wise men of the Wuji Association, known as the "Little Martial Saint," widely recognized as the person closest to becoming a Martial Saint.

After the Martial Saint’s fake death, he took on a great responsibility and managed the Wuji Association on his own.

Among the seventy-two wise men, there were no strong warriors who could compare to the Martial Saint, not even the Little Martial Saint Wu Qiankun.

He used to spend a lot of time with the Martial Saint, feeling his presence was like a tall mountain that was difficult to climb, and he could only look up to him from afar.

But now, seeing the Martial Saint again, he felt that the Martial Saint was like an unfathomable abyss, reaching a level that he could not comprehend.

"Congratulations, adoptive father, for advancing further in your martial arts skills," Wu Qiankun said respectfully.

However, the Martial Saint remained silent, immersed in the story about the solitary city in the desert that Wu Qiankun had just told.

"Forty years ago, I left the desert alone, unable to save my comrades in the army. Now, it is the Qiao family member and the Earth Sword Immortal who have completed my unfinished business…"

The Martial Saint’s voice echoed through the mountains, spreading far and wide.

"But even if they were rescued, what can be done next? The outside world is not peaceful."

"In the desert, people can endure for forty years. But now that they have left the desert, Immortal Gate has lost face, and they will surely face a reckoning. Great Dao Sect will definitely not let it go."

Wu Qiankun thought for a moment, and cautiously asked. Will adoptive father come out of seclusion to meet with those three hundred white-headed soldiers?

"Can you even ask such foolish questions?" Martial Saint just chuckled.

"How can I face my past again… Besides, the time is not right now."

When Martial Saint faked his death, it was because of the circumstances, but it was also his own choice.

At that time, he felt that it was not yet time to battle with Immortal Gate, and he didn’t have the confidence to storm the gate of Immortal Gate.

"Martial Saint Spiritual Technique" was the secret method he relied on for survival, and this technique was still in a bottleneck period, needing more time for further exploration…

"Building upon the foundation of Martial Saint Spiritual Technique, and drawing from many ancient martial arts methods, the "Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill" has already been deduced to ninety percent, just one final step remaining…"

"Looking back, the fake death back then doesn’t seem like a mistake after all," Martial Saint mumbled to himself.

When he was alive, the world of martial arts was very quiet.

After he passed away, the Martial Arts League appeared in the martial arts world, along with the "Xumi Mountain King Sutra," the Earth Sword Immortal who could transform his body into a sword, and the Qiao family members who kept coming one after another.

Whether the changes were good or bad, the Martial Saint was happy to see them.

He believed that any change was better than staying stagnant.

"That Martial Arts League is a bit strange," Wu Qiankun frowned.

"Initially, this power only existed in the capital of Zhong Province. The threshold to join the Martial Arts League was very high, requiring a 3rd rank of Spiritual Refining Period to enter, claiming to be an opportunity to integrate martial arts and the Dao…"

"Among them, the most outstanding is ‘King Qin’."

Wu Qiankun didn’t act rashly at first, but quietly observed this newly formed martial arts organization.

After the Martial Saint passed away, the Wuji Association remained hidden and subdued, not seeking conflict.

This is the command of the Martial Saint.

Besides, Wu Qiankun was also not sure if this Martial Arts League was a newly emerging martial arts organization after the storm.

"The development of the Martial Arts League is extremely fast, so fast that it is simply illogical." Wu Qiankun frowned and said:

"Just a few months ago, it was an organization confined to the Zhong Province Imperial Capital. Now, after a few months, there is already a ‘King Qin’ who has a vast territory. It is said that his influence has reached other regions of the Jiu Province. Moreover, there are eight other Martial Arts Kings within the Martial Arts League."

King Qin and the other eight kings, collectively known as the Nine Kings, each rule a province and call themselves Martial Arts King within the Martial Arts League.

However, the other eight kings are currently hiding in the shadows, not stepping into the limelight like King Qin.

"Do you think there is something suspicious about the so-called path of martial arts enlightenment? Ha, if there truly are nine Martial Arts Kings who can develop new forms of Superb Martial Arts, providing Jiu Province martial artists with another path to enlightenment through martial arts, then it would indeed be fortunate for the world of martial arts."

All martial artists in the world are divided into 9 ranks, a classification system of the Great Yan Imperial Court.

The top-ranked martial artist is actually the pinnacle under the control of the Great Yan Imperial Court.

Even the top-ranked Spiritual Refining Period experts would be overwhelmed by the vast army of the Great Yan Imperial Court, and eventually worn out.

The so-called superb rank represents powerful individuals beyond the control of the Great Yan Imperial Court, much stronger than the top-ranked Spiritual Refining Period. They are unafraid of being surrounded, and as long as they avoid head-on confrontation, the imperial army cannot capture them.

However, even these superb martial artists would meet a dead end if they tried to attack the royal palace or military camps forcibly.

In other words, martial artists who are not afraid of being surrounded by the imperial army and are much stronger than the top-ranked Spiritual Refining Period are considered to be out of the court’s control and are known as the "superb rank."

Forty years ago, there were only ten such superb martial artists.

The Martial Saint welcomed the emergence of other superb martial artists in Jiu Province, even strange organizations like the Martial Arts League, as long as they truly discovered a new path to the "superb rank" through the integration of martial arts and enlightenment.

"New Superb Martial Arts?" Wu Qiankun shook his head inwardly.

"Developing an entirely new martial path is not easy; it is far more challenging than attaining the superb rank."

Achieving the top rank is already the pinnacle of martial arts; the previous generation’s ten superb martial artists don’t automatically represent ten different Superb Martial Arts.

If martial arts is a path in the forest, the end of the path is the 1st rank, and beyond the 1st rank are thickets of wild grass and thorns.

A superb martial artist is someone who ventures into the thickets, exploring where there seems to be no way out.

Creating a Superb Martial Arts path means that the martial artist not only ventures deep into the forest but also wields a woodcutter’s knife to clear a path that others can follow.

Earth Sword Immortal is a solitary traveler who enters the depths of martial arts when there seems to be no way forward.

A Martial Saint discovers a new path in martial arts filled with blood and thorns.

"If they are fake, then let’s eliminate them," said the Martial Saint casually.

He didn’t care much about the Martial Arts League; he was more focused on advancing his own martial arts skills.

The progress of the "Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill" has reached ninety percent, just one step away from completion.

"The day the divine skill is perfected will be the day the Martial Saint’s name resurfaces in the martial arts world," said the Martial Saint before disappearing.

The cave trembled again gently, darkness surged like a tide, and night fell once more.

Is it already ninety percent completed? Wu Qiankun took a step outside, feeling a sigh in his heart.

The Martial Saint is a very cautious person. In his eyes, he is the best in martial arts in the world and the most important person. He cannot easily put himself in danger.

So when he appeared again in the name of the Martial Saint, it was the moment he felt he could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Nine Immortal Gates in strength.

"What kind of technique is the ‘Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill’ that makes his adoptive father feel confident enough to use martial arts to fight against the Nine Immortal Gates?"

Wu Qiankun stepped into the forest, his figure disappearing into the thin mist.