Myths Begin From Boys' Gong

Wenbo looked around but did not see his fifth son or the woman who had been tied up earlier, and was shocked.

He had already realized that this man and woman were probably specifically targeting his fifth young master, and even that Fang Han, who had made the initial suggestion, might have ill intentions and was therefore suspicious.

However, the most urgent task is no longer to assign blame, but to find the Fifth Young Master and resolve this matter as soon as possible.

As for those who died, they can only blame their lack of skill and bad luck.

"Who are you? Do you know that going against the fifth young master of the Fang family is tantamount to provoking the Fang family and what you will face?"

Wenbo had been living in the Fang family for decades and had long regarded the Fang family as his own, putting the Fang family first. At this moment, he came up and used his power to intimidate others, which was quite impressive.

Meng Zhao, however, didn't seem to care at all, and smiled slightly.

"So what if it's the Fang family? We martial artists believe in the survival of the fittest. No matter how strong the Fang family is, they can't control me right now. But you, you're clearly an outsider, yet you've put all your heart and soul into the Fang family. It's very strange."

"Serving as a dog for the Fang family, are there really so many benefits to be had that even a master like you would be willing to do it?"

Wenbo was furious upon hearing this. Under normal circumstances, he would have already killed the person opposite him, but at this moment, not knowing Fang Zijun's situation, he still dared not act rashly, and only said calmly,

"Speak your mind, as long as you don't harm the Fifth Young Master, everything is negotiable."

Meng Zhao nodded, his expression very satisfied.

"This is the proper attitude for negotiation. I came to see Young Master Fang not for anything else, but to glimpse the mysteries of the Fang family's Seven-Turn Cold Toad Devouring Divine Skill."

"You can rest assured, my aim in acquiring this skill is not for cultivation or to leak it, but rather to use it as a blueprint to create a new martial art. It will never be used against Young Master Fang, much less harm him."

Wenbo was startled, and suddenly realized what was going on.
"So it was you who spread those martial arts techniques throughout the city!"

Everything fits together.

In fact, recently, the upper echelons of Kaiyan County have all vaguely sensed that someone or some force is secretly plotting something.

Especially recently, there have been several cases of people dying suddenly from qi deviation during practice.

Now it seems that what their patriarch Fang said was indeed true. Someone really wanted to use all living beings as pawns and expendable resources to deduce and create a martial art. However, what they didn't expect was that their Fang family's Seven Revolutions Cold Toad Devouring Divine Art had also been targeted.

"Brother, do you know what you are saying?"
The Seven Revolutions Cold Toad Devouring Divine Skill is extremely domineering, with astonishing cold energy and ruthless decisiveness. How could it possibly be used to create a new martial art? I'm afraid you'll end up with nothing.

"Alright then, I can make the decision. I'll select three top-tier internal martial arts techniques from the Fang family's armory as an exchange. This will be entirely beneficial for your skill development!"

Wenbo said this mainly for two reasons.

Firstly, the Fang family's secret techniques must never be revealed, at least not under normal circumstances.

Secondly, this is also true. The Fang family's Seven-Turn Cold Toad Devouring Divine Skill is a superior skill. It is said that its origin is the Nine-Turn Cold Toad Devouring Moon Skill, which belongs to the Fang family's ancestral court. Now, the Fang family is only a branch, which is why they only have the Seven-Turn Cold Toad Devouring Divine Skill.

Even so, it is still a rare and supreme internal martial arts technique in this world. The internal energy it produces contains an incomparably fierce cold energy, which is far stronger than ordinary techniques such as the Frost and Ice Divine Skill, the Frost and Ice Technique, and the Ice River Record.

Such internal energy is extremely domineering and exclusive, not to mention trying to change its nature to make it the foundation of a completely new martial art.

Therefore, Wen Bo came to persuade Meng Zhao and expressed sufficient sincerity.

Firstly, this person's origins are unknown, and since he dared to create such a feat, he must either be an unparalleled powerhouse with a high level of skill, or a powerful, unknown force with a large number of members and experts, making him difficult to deal with.

Secondly, the Fang family's patriarch suffered severe injuries in his previous battle with Zheng Lie of the Heavenly Fire, and has not yet recovered. It is not advisable for the family to create external enemies.

Thirdly, the Fang family has a profound foundation. Besides the Seven Revolutions Cold Toad Devouring Divine Skill, they can actually offer three top-notch internal martial arts techniques to exchange for Fang Zijun.

He believed that the terms he offered were already quite generous, and the other party had no reason to refuse.

Meng Zhao shook his head.
"Wrong. Since I dared to create this technique, I have naturally already established the framework of this martial art. What I need is an incomparably domineering frost-type internal energy cultivation method. I am determined to obtain the Seven Revolutions Frost Toad Devouring Divine Art. Unless your Fang family can produce another ice-type ultimate technique, you will not be able to impress me."

After a pause, Meng Zhao continued,

“I know very well what you are worried about. Fang Zijun is indeed a villain, an evil person, and I don’t like his behavior either. However, he has never provoked me. If he had been obedient, I would not have rashly offended the Fang family to death, taken action against him, or done anything to punish evil and promote good.”

So you can rest assured, once I get what I want, I will safely send Young Master Fang back.”

Wenbo was furious. He had already been polite and made so much concessions, yet the other party was still being aggressive and didn't know how to be sensible.

As for the other party's promises, Wenbo couldn't believe them at all.

If someone were truly so law-abiding, why would they meticulously plot to deal with Fang Zijun?

Even if the other party is from the county town, he would still have some faith in them, no matter which family they belong to, because the county town has its own rules.

But the other party's origins were unknown, and there was a high probability that they were some powerful outsider, so he naturally couldn't believe it.

Not only would he not know how, but no one in the Fang family would believe it.

Moreover, Wenbo was not simply negotiating with the other party; he was also carefully observing the environment and structure of the entire land temple.

At this moment, he was certain that his fifth son was still in this dilapidated temple, just hidden in some corner.

It's very simple. Because this dilapidated temple is sealed off on all sides with no gaps, the only way out, apart from the main gate, is to force open a path.

But this will definitely create a great deal of buzz, and he can't possibly be completely unaware of it while he's out there.

Therefore, he deduced that Fang Zijun was still in the dilapidated temple, but was being held captive, and the person guarding him was probably the woman named Qi Fang.

If that's the case, then he can't let the other party take Fang Zijun away.

This was also his initial plan.

If Fang Zijun is taken away and cannot be rescued in a short time, then the focus should be on negotiation and bargaining to bring her back safely.

But now that Fang Zijun is in the dilapidated temple, he naturally has more options.

For example, killing the unknown person on the other side and forcibly taking Fang Zijun back.

He had lost patience and didn't want to continue the tug-of-war or get entangled with the other party.

However, Wenbo wasn't entirely confident about the martial arts skills of the person in front of him.

The opponent possessed the martial arts ability to disperse clouds and mist, allowing them to artificially create a favorable weather environment for themselves. Furthermore, their hidden weapon skills were extremely high, and with a single strike, they killed all eight members of Fang Zijun's trusted guard team.

With just these two skills, Meng Zhao could gain considerable fame in Kaiyan County. Moreover, the fact that his opponent was preparing to create a new achievement made his level of skill even more profound and unfathomable.

Wenbo took a deep breath and said,

“My fifth son is still hiding in this local temple and has not left. I don’t want to break ties with you. Let’s each take a step back.”

"I'll take the Fifth Young Master with me, and I guarantee the Fang family won't pursue this matter. I'll also give you five top-tier internal energy cultivation techniques and a three-year supply of secret medicines. This is my final offer."

Meng Zhao shook his head almost without hesitation.
"It seems you still haven't realized where our differences lie. Fine, I'm also very interested to see what the secrets of the Fang family's martial arts are. I just wonder if you've even learned the basics of the Seven Revolutions Cold Toad Devouring Divine Skill?"

Wenbo was an old servant of the Fang family. He was a master himself and had received a lot of guidance from the old patriarch Fang over the years.

Even if one doesn't truly master the Seven Revolutions Frost Toad Devouring Divine Skill, one can likely learn a few basic techniques to enhance their combat power.

Wenbo said nothing more, stepped forward, reached out and grabbed, and an invisible force transformed into a vortex, surging towards Meng Zhao.

Although this energy was formless, it possessed a very peculiar quality. Wherever it passed, the void was filled with chills, condensing into an extremely cold aura.

This icy aura can restrict a person's movements and impose certain constraints. At the same time, the vortex-like energy also has the characteristics of tearing, sucking, and disrupting.

The combination of these two techniques, along with the extraordinary internal energy, is enough to make a name for oneself in Kaiyan County.

Meng Zhao remained fearless, exhaling loudly as his palms formed a circular shape, gathering clouds that rose layer upon layer, transforming into a surging, turbulent palm force.

The clouds gather in clusters, their strength both enduring and powerful.

The two collided, and in an instant, a series of tearing sounds echoed through the void.

Meng Zhao lightly swayed his sleeves, dispelling the oncoming chill, and dripped drops of water from his fingertips, appearing calm and serene.

Wenbo, with equally powerful internal energy, directly shattered the palm strike of the Cloud-Dispelling Palm, and with a thought, said...
"Your palm technique is exquisite, like clouds and mist, unpredictable in its realism and illusory nature, while also containing immense counter-force, making it a superior technique."

However, your internal energy seems insufficient. Could it be that you are injured?

Wenbo's conjecture was also based on his own understanding.

Judging solely from the martial arts skills Meng Zhao displayed, he is definitely a master among masters. Even from just a glimpse, his true skill is evident.

Without twenty years of arduous practice, one could never reach such a level of effortless mastery.

However, it is rather strange that twenty years of arduous training did not result in a corresponding level of internal strength.

Wenbo then recalled the incident of Xiongfei being killed and made a judgment in his mind.

Perhaps it was because the man in front of him, though successful in assassinating Xiong Fei, was also severely injured, which explained his lack of internal strength.

A similar example is their old patriarch, Fang. Although he defeated Zheng Lie, he has been recuperating for many years and is unable to make a move.

Thinking of Xiongfei, Wenbo felt a sense of solemnity.

Fortunately, this man was severely injured by Xiong Fei before his death, otherwise I might not be his match today.

With his mind made up, Wenbo used his movement technique again, transforming into a streak of green and rushing towards Meng Zhao.

His hands transformed into the most domineering weapons in the world, with energy flowing freely in his palms, yet also containing a chilling true intent. Amidst the layers of illusions, he displayed the demeanor of a martial arts master.

His movements were simple and straightforward, yet incredibly swift. With each dash, he amplified his own power, further enhancing his combat techniques.

However, Meng Zhao displayed the demeanor of a grandmaster of martial arts at this moment.

With every move, they neutralized Wenbo's attacks. The two moved in tandem, fighting and retreating in a short time, leaving several feet deep in the ground where they stepped, before finally leaving the temple and arriving outside.

Fang Hao and Fang Yong, who had been cautiously watching the land temple, dared not even breathe loudly after witnessing the intensity of the battle between the two.

Just kidding. Putting aside everything else, Wen Bo and Meng Zhao could kill them with a single move. If they rashly rushed into their fighting circle and were swept by their residual force, they would probably lose their lives.

"Hiss, where did this expert come from? He's so powerful. Even Wenbo, who is a rare expert in the Fang family, is unable to do anything to him."

In their eyes, Meng Zhao, though not handsome, had an extraordinary demeanor and was incredibly skilled.

Every casual palm strike, punch, finger strike, and claw strike contains countless mysteries, as if the ultimate secrets of martial arts are contained within them.

In comparison, Wenbo's martial arts skills and performance were certainly good, but compared to Meng Zhao, he was simply crushed on the beach.

In fact, Wenbo also noticed something amiss at this time, which further confirmed his guess.

In terms of martial arts realm and strength alone, this person is probably far superior to me.

However, his internal strength was insufficient; otherwise, if they were of equal skill, he would have been defeated long ago.

Even though they appear to be evenly matched now, in reality, he is at a disadvantage.

Because he is now gathering the strength he has accumulated over decades to fight his opponent head-on, especially by activating the Cold Seed given to him by the Fang family, which enhances his own vortex force, resulting in a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts.

It should be noted that the vortex force he cultivated was also of the highest caliber, and when combined with this icy energy, it was far superior to ordinary internal martial arts in terms of combat.

Even so, he could only barely hold his own against Meng Zhao, which only shows how astonishing the opponent's strength was.

In fact, it wouldn't be too difficult for Meng Zhao to take down this person with his bare hands in a short period of time.

He might be faster with a sword, but when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, he is also a grandmaster-level figure. Even though there is a difference in internal strength, and the gap is huge, it is not insurmountable.

The key point is that during his fierce battle with Wen Bo, he also developed a great interest in Wen Bo's internal energy cultivation method.

Although he had not studied the Vortex Force martial art in depth, he was certain that it played a crucial, even vital, role in the creation of the Three-Part Returning Origin Qi.

Especially the Three-Part Return to Origin technique; Meng Zhao believed that with the help of this technique, the difficulty would drop by more than three levels.

That's why he deliberately fought against it, wanting to study it deeply and understand its nature.

Once this person is captured, we will interrogate him about his martial arts manuals and secret medicine recipes.

That's an incredible deal! (End of Chapter)