Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 716 The Demise of the Great Zhao Kingdom?

Li Chang moved swiftly, and in the next instant, he transformed into a blur and shot away.

Immediately afterwards, the horse beneath the man was kicked away. The man on horseback was quite strong; even when caught off guard, he managed to leap up while holding the child in his arms, dodging Li Chang's attack.

However, he soon found a knife held to his neck.

"A martial artist with innate abilities!" the man exclaimed in shock.

Li Chang looked at him coldly, "My surname is Li, do you know me?"

A fine layer of sweat immediately appeared on the man's forehead. "It was my fault, please spare my life, sir."

After saying that, he knelt down in front of Li Chang and kowtowed, begging for mercy.

The child in his arms was about five or six years old, kneeling trembling beside the man.

At this moment, the martial artists who had been chasing behind also arrived.

"Stop!"

They tightened the reins and came to a chaotic stop about seven or eight zhang in front of Li Chang.

"Senior Ning Tongyuan of the Shaking Mountain Sect, may I ask your esteemed name?" Ning Tongyuan appeared to be in his forties, and judging from his cultivation level, he should be a half-step Xiantian.

The man kneeling in front of Li Chang was also a martial artist at the half-step Xiantian level.

In the vast ocean, a half-step innate expert is already considered a master. Although there are quite a few of them, they are definitely not something you can see everywhere.

In Lushan County, even a half-step Xiantian expert is considered a master, but there are far more of them.

Along his journey, Yang Zhengshan had only met three martial artists who were half-step into the Innate Realm, but he had not yet met any Innate Realm martial artists.

"The Shaking Mountain Sect?" Li Chang looked at Yang Zhengshan.

Yang Zhengshan stroked his beard and said calmly, "Keep him alive, kill the rest!"

"Here!"

Upon hearing this, the guards who were eating immediately put down their bowls and chopsticks, drew their swords, and transformed into killing gods, rushing towards the hundred warriors.

Amidst the flashing blades, severed limbs flew through the air, and crimson blood splattered everywhere.

"Wait, my master is Han Ruhui, the Mountain-Crushing Palm Master."

"Please, senior, for the sake of my master, spare us!"

Ning Tongyuan was both shocked and furious upon seeing this, but he still restrained the urge to attack.

Because he could tell that the group of people in front of him were not simple.

Unfortunately, his words were like casting pearls before swine.

Yang Zhengshan didn't care about the Hanshan Sect at all. Since the Hanshan Sect didn't have any Martial God Realm experts, Yang Zhengshan had nothing to fear.

As for Han Ruhui, the so-called "Mountain-Crushing Palm," Yang Zhengshan had no idea what kind of person he was.

Moreover, they need to conceal their identities and do not want to reveal their origins, so these people in front of them only have one way out: death.

Only the dead cannot reveal their existence.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of martial artists were killed. The ruthlessness of the method terrified Ning Tongyuan and the man.

"come over!"

Wang Lei stepped forward and dragged Ning Tongyuan in front of Yang Zhengshan.

Ning Tongyuan's face turned pale as he was shocked to discover that Wang Lei was also a Xiantian martial artist.

"Does your Shaking Mountain Sect have any Martial God Realm inheritances?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

Ning Tongyuan remained silent.

"Still a tough nut to crack?"

Yang Zhengshan looked at Wang Lei, who grinned and said, "Hehe, I love dealing with tough guys!"

After saying that, he took out a short sword and plunged it into Ning Tongyuan's collarbone without warning.

Ning Tongyuan's eyes bulged out, and he let out a painful howl.

He wanted to resist, he wanted to struggle, but Wang Lei's palm pressed on his shoulder, squeezing it like an iron clamp, making his shoulder painful and unable to move.

Wang Lei pulled out the blood-stained dagger and then stabbed it into Ning Tongyuan's other shoulder blade.

The guards around him wiped the blood off their swords, sheathed them, and then continued to eat their hot meals.

They ate while watching Wang Lei torture Ning Tongyuan, occasionally shouting a few words as if cheering.

"My lord, cut off his ear and give it to me as a snack with my wine!"

"I want to eat his tongue!"

"Ugh, can't you eat something normal?! You ate his tongue, how is he supposed to talk now!"

"It's alright, we'll use it as a snack with our drinks after he dies!"

They were like cannibalistic demons, saying extremely disgusting things while still eating heartily.

After a few words, Ning Tongyuan was so frightened that he almost wet himself.

"I said, I said!"

"Oh dear, the show's over!"

Ning Tongyuan cried out, tears streaming down his face, "I'll talk, I'll talk, please don't eat me!"

Upon seeing this, Li Shangyuan's lips twitched slightly.

Meanwhile, his apprentice Tang An sat with the guards, laughing heartily without a care in the world.

The cannibalism theory is obviously nonsense.

They're just trying to scare people.

They had previously captured several bandits, and it was this tactic that intimidated them into revealing everything they knew.

The wicked need the wicked to grind them down. None of these guys are good. Conventional methods won't scare them at all. Only by being more wicked and evil than them can you make them feel fear.

"Does the Hanyue Sect have a Martial God Realm inheritance?" Yang Zhengshan asked again.

In fact, he was already fairly certain that the Hanyue Sect did not have a Martial God Realm inheritance, but he still wanted to ask.

“No, no, none of the three sects of Lushan have a Martial God Realm inheritance!” Ning Tongyuan said.

"Hmm, where can I find the inheritance of the Martial God Realm?" Yang Zhengshan continued to ask.

“Kyoto has it, the royal family has it, and thirty years ago the royal family even had a Martial God Ancestor. The royal family must have a Martial God realm inheritance!” Ning Tongyuan said.

At this moment, the man captured by Li Chang suddenly spoke up: "I know where there is a Martial God Realm inheritance!"

"Oh! Where?" Yang Zhengshan became interested and looked at the man.

The man stared tremblingly at the long sword before him. Yang Zhengshan waved his hand, signaling Li Chang to remove the sword.

Seeing the long sword returned to its sheath, the man finally breathed a sigh of relief. "In reply to your question, senior, the Lingxiu Sea does indeed possess such a lineage. All three sects and twelve families within the Lingxiu Sea have Martial God Realm inheritances!"

"Moreover, it is rumored that the three sects also possess the inheritance of the Martial Immortal Realm!"

Yang Zhengshan's eyes lit up, and he quickly walked up to the man. "Martial Immortal? A realm above the Martial God Realm?"

Upon hearing this, a strange light flashed in the man's eyes. "That's right. Condensing a golden body is comparable to a god, meaning a martial god. Condensing a divine soul to evolve the rules of heaven and earth can be called a martial immortal!"

Yang Zhengshan's expression shifted slightly. "What does 'golden body' mean?"

"The physical body is incorruptible and decayless, and the true energy is ever-flowing!" the man said.

"It has nothing to do with the Dao?" Yang Zhengshan's eyes widened.

"The Dao Intent?" The man looked bewildered.

Yang Zhengshan waved his hand, and lightning shot out from his fingertips.

"This is spirituality, not the will of the Tao!" "What do you mean?"

"Spirituality is the spirituality that one perceives from heaven and earth and nature."

Isn't that the essence of the Dao?
Yang Zhengshan looked at Xuanzhen with a face full of astonishment, and Xuanzhen was also dumbfounded.

"Does breaking through to the Martial God Realm not require comprehending spirituality?" Xuanzhen asked, his voice trembling slightly.

The man shook his head. "No need. The Innate Realm is about cultivating both body and qi. You only need to comprehend spirituality after entering the Martial God Realm."

Several people looked at each other.

If this person isn't lying, then it means their martial arts have gone astray.

Whether it's spirituality or the will of the Tao, it's just a difference in terminology, and it's not a problem.

The key issue is that breaking through to the Innate Realm does not require comprehending the Dao, but rather requires cultivating a golden body.

Entering the Dao is likely something that only those in the Martial God Realm need to cultivate, and it may be a necessary condition for entering the Martial Immortal Realm.

No wonder, no wonder!
Countless martial artists, including countless innate martial artists, west of the Stormy Sea have been unable to reach a higher level of martial arts.

That's like doing the splits!

They've taken a big step!
It would be strange if someone at the Innate Realm could successfully leapfrog into the Martial Immortal Realm.

It's no wonder that innate martial artists west of the Stormy Sea find it difficult to comprehend the Dao.

This is not something they should be involved in at all. They've gone down the wrong path, and no matter how hard they try, it will ultimately be a mistake.

The man glanced at Yang Zhengshan, then at Xuanzhen not far away, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "It's a good thing to comprehend spirituality ahead of time. Many geniuses with exceptional comprehension can comprehend spirituality at the Innate Realm!"

Yang Zhengshan didn't know what to say.

This isn't a question of whether or not one should comprehend spirituality; rather, they've devoted too much time and energy to the Dao, which has actually hindered their physical and internal energy cultivation.

"who are you?"

Yang Zhengshan then asked.

Since this person knows so much about the Martial God Realm, his identity must be extraordinary.

Ning Tongyuan, a disciple of the Shaking Mountain Sect, was unable to get a word in edgewise, clearly indicating that these matters were not something that just anyone could know.

The man glanced at the child beside him, took a deep breath, and then kowtowed heavily to Yang Zhengshan, saying, "I am Tian Hu, the bodyguard of Prince Ji, and he is the heir apparent of Prince Ji!"

"Please, senior, spare the prince's life. I am willing to serve you faithfully and at your service!"

Crown Prince, a member of the royal family!
Yang Zhengshan looked at the five or six-year-old child thoughtfully.

Why are you fleeing for your lives?

The Great Zhao Dynasty was indeed in a state of disarray, but this did not mean that the Great Zhao royal family had completely lost its power.

The Great Zhao royal family is different from the Great Rong royal family. Although the Great Rong royal family has innate martial artists, their numbers are small, only two or three.

The Great Zhao royal family is not only a royal family, but also one of the twelve families of the Lingxiu Sea. Even without a Martial God Realm expert, their strength and foundation are still very powerful.

As for why the Zhao royal family lost control of the dynasty, Yang Zhengshan estimated that it might be related to the struggle over the Lingxiu Sea.

With three sects and twelve families, it would be strange if so many forces didn't fight tooth and nail together.

Tian Hu touched his forehead to the ground, his body trembling slightly, "The Great Zhao Dynasty is dead!"

Yang Zhengshan was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"The capital city has fallen, the dynasty has collapsed, and the Ji Prince's mansion has been besieged and killed by the Hanshan Sect. I could only flee with the young master!" Tian Hu said, his voice choked with emotion.

Yang Zhengshan stared blankly at Tian Hu.

He had just been thinking that the Zhao royal family had a deep foundation and should still have considerable power, but he was immediately proven wrong by Tian Hu.

The Great Zhao royal family has been destroyed, so wouldn't the Three Clans and Twelve Families have become Three Clans and Eleven Families?
No, not necessarily!
Perhaps someone has already filled the position of the Zhao royal family.

"Who has the Martial God Realm inheritance fallen into?" Yang Zhengshan naturally didn't care about the life or death of the Great Zhao royal family; all he cared about was the Martial God Realm inheritance that the Great Zhao royal family possessed.

"I am unaware of this. I am merely a guard of Prince Ji and have never been to the capital!" Tian Hu replied.

"Who then breached Kyoto?"

"Lu Fusheng, Lord of Tianque City!"

"Oh, tell me the details!" Yang Zhengshan said.

"Tianque City is a major city in Donghua County of our Great Zhao Dynasty. The Lu family has been the city lords of Tianque City for generations, with a history of eight hundred years. Twenty years ago, the Lu family broke away from the control of the imperial court. Ten years ago, the Lu family even united with many martial arts forces in the eight eastern counties to fight against the imperial court!"

"Four months ago, the Lu family led an army of 100,000 men, winning battle after battle, and marched to the gates of the capital!"

"Three months ago, Kyoto fell!"

Tian Hu said tremblingly.

Although he explained it simply, Yang Zhengshan and the others understood what was going on.

This is different from the situation in Da Rong. The Da Rong court is unstable, and many nobles hold military power in the border towns. However, after the Da Zhao royal family lost the protection of a Martial God Realm expert, many martial arts forces jumped out and declared themselves kings.

The main reason for this situation is the difference in perspectives.

In Da Rong, innate martial artists all have their own pride and generally will not attack martial artists below the innate level. However, here, innate martial artists are no different from acquired martial artists and will still charge into battle and conquer territories.

"So, the royal family's Martial God Realm inheritance is very likely to have fallen into the hands of Tianque City?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

“This scoundrel really doesn’t know!” Tian Hu said.

Yang Zhengshan nodded slightly and continued to ask, "Do you know what this Martial God Realm inheritance is?"

"It's a cultivation method!"

"Nonsense, I asked what kind of cultivation method it is," Yang Zhengshan said irritably.

"This, this humble one really doesn't know. I've only heard that in order for a Xiantian martial artist to break through, they must have both Earthly Fiend Qi and Heavenly Gang Qi entering their body!" Tian Hu said.

Yang Zhengshan's eyes lit up as he received another piece of information he was unaware of.

What are Earthly Fiend Qi and Heavenly Gang Qi?

"This... I don't know! I really don't know!" Tian Hu hurriedly said.

"What else do you know?" Yang Zhengshan wanted to get more useful information.

Tian Hu wore a bitter expression. "Senior, I am merely a martial artist who has not yet reached the Innate Realm, and I know very little about the techniques for breaking through to the Innate Realm!"

Yang Zhengshan was somewhat disappointed, but he also understood that what Tian Hu said was probably true.

Tian Hu only has the cultivation of a half-step Xiantian, not even a Xiantian martial artist, so how could he know the cultivation techniques of the Martial God Realm?

In fact, he already knew quite a lot. After all, he used to be a member of the Great Zhao royal family and had access to some confidential information.

Yang Zhengshan looked at the three people in front of him: two adults and one child.

How should we deal with these three people?

"Kill him!" Yang Zhengshan said, pointing at Ning Tongyuan without hesitation.
This person is of no use now, so we can't keep him alive. We should kill him first.

Before Ning Tongyuan could react, the short sword in Wang Lei's hand had already pierced his throat.

Seeing Ning Tongyuan fall in front of him, Tian Hu trembled with fear.

The child was lying on the ground, unconscious.

"Senior, spare my life! Senior, spare my life!" Tian Hu begged for mercy repeatedly.

Yang Zhengshan looked at him and said, "Get up and check if the child is alright!"

Tian Hu froze for a moment, then overjoyed, "Thank you, senior! I thank you for your great kindness!"

Yang Zhengshan waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's all go eat!"

(End of this chapter)