This martial saint's health bar is too thick

Chapter 643 Subtle Clues, Hidden Dangers!

Ancient Yang City.

A small town located in the south of Da Lan Chao.

In the bustling market, the cries of peddlers, the sounds of children playing, and the cursing of shrewish women mingled together, creating a lively scene.

A woman dressed in blue and wearing a cloak walked through the crowd.

The woman's demeanor stood out in the crowd, and she should have attracted a lot of attention, but for some reason, the people around her seemed not to see her at all, and no one cast a glance at her.

The woman was none other than the 'Sword Immortal' Ning Qingman.

She recuperated alone in the south, in a secluded mountain retreat to avoid being spied on or disturbed.

But she would occasionally visit Guyang City, which was the closest to the seclusion point.

In order to replenish the elixirs needed for cultivation.

Although he was already a Martial Saint, his speed of absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was sufficient to sustain his daily needs.

However, relying solely on absorbing the primordial energy of heaven and earth to cultivate is not very efficient.

In a non-combat state, spending ten minutes refining a high-quality pill might be equivalent to absorbing vital energy for several hours.

In other words, by taking just one pill, Ning Qingman could save several hours to comprehend the Dao principles, practice swordsmanship, hone her supernatural abilities, and explore the Martial Dao Domain, among other things.

This is also why the higher the level of a powerful individual, the more they need the support of a major force.

The two martial artists were at the same level; one was a rogue cultivator, and the other was backed by a powerful force and had an ample supply of medicinal pills.

Both of them cultivate for eight hours every day. While a rogue cultivator might spend four hours absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, a martial artist backed by a powerful force spends eight hours a day truly cultivating, comprehending, and refining their martial arts.

If this continues, the latter's one year of cultivation will be equivalent to the former's two years of cultivation!
Over time, the gap widened significantly.

Ning Qingman comes from the Ning family, although the Ning family has declined after that upheaval.

However, after Emperor Hongguang ascended the throne, he intended to make amends to the Ning family, providing compensation in various ways and preserving a portion of the Ning family's foundation.

Ning Qingman travels the world alone, seemingly living the life of a wandering cultivator, but in reality, the Ning family provides her with resources, which, together with the resources she acquires through various means, are barely enough for her cultivation needs.

Ning Qingman's direct relatives have all died, and the Ning family today is completely different from the Ning family of yesteryear.

However, Ning Qingman still took care of the Ning family, and the Ning family was very happy to support a Martial Saint as the family's backer.

The Ning family left a group of people in Guyang City specifically to serve Ning Qingman.

Ning Qingman walked through the bustling city and entered a teahouse.

This teahouse is usually open on weekdays and is used to gather information.

Behind her is a group of people dedicated to serving Ning Qingman.

Ning Qingman walked smoothly up to the third floor, entered a private room prepared just for her, and sat down to wait quietly.

Throughout the entire process, she did not alert anyone.

She does not possess any supernatural abilities related to concealment, nor does she know any magic.

She didn't try to hide herself when she walked from the bustling city center to here.

She seemed to blend perfectly into her surroundings, becoming a part of the world, which is why she never attracted the attention of others.

For a sword immortal like Ning Qingman, who is known for her sharp and unassuming nature, achieving this is especially difficult.

This is a state of harmony between humanity and nature!
Although she was seriously injured in the battle of Cuiqing City, the life-or-death struggle also brought her considerable gains.

After nearly a year of recuperation, she has gained some new insights.

Now that the sword is sheathed, it will surely be even sharper when it is drawn again after the injury has fully healed!
A moment later, someone walked to the door of the private room and knocked gently.

Ning Qingman turned her head and realized that the person who had come was not the one who was supposed to be in contact with her.

Today wasn't the day she was supposed to go into the city to retrieve the elixir. It was only because the Ning family activated the emergency communication talisman she had left for them that she made a special trip out of seclusion to Guyang City.

"Enter."

Ning Qingman said calmly.

The person cautiously pushed open the door and came in.

He was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man who bowed and greeted Ning Qingman with his hands clasped.

"I am a member of the Secret Investigation Division. I apologize for disturbing you, Immortal Ning, but I have a few words to say."

Ning Qingman was no stranger to the Secret Investigation Division.

Its predecessor was the world's number one intelligence organization, "Under Heaven". After surrendering to the imperial court, it was renamed the Secret Investigation Division and was led by Li Fei.

When Li Fei handed a piece of the Thousand-Machine Shadowless Silk to Ning Qingman, he also gave her some of the Secret Investigation Division's authority to help her track down Li Ming's whereabouts.

Even after Li Ming's death, Li Fei did not reclaim this authority.

Ning Qingman was not at all surprised that the Secret Investigation Division could contact her through the Ning family; a vague unease rose in her heart.
"What?"

"The Western Kingdom used special means to trap Marshal Wenren outside the Vajra City."

"The Duke of Jing'an went to rescue the Grand Marshal, but was ambushed and killed by Buddhists."

"Ming Qi, a contemporary Buddhist disciple, broke through to become a Martial Saint. Xuan Xin Zhenjun, the leader of the Shangqing Sect, defected to the Buddhist sect and joined forces with them to besiege and kill the Duke of Jing'an."

The visitor only said three sentences, but Ning Qingman's expression changed.

She suddenly stood up from her seat, her aura of harmony with nature instantly changing, as if a divine sword had appeared between heaven and earth, about to be drawn!

"Who sent you?"

The cold voice made the newcomer tense, and he quickly said:
"I was just following orders; I don't know which superior gave the order."

Ning Qingman did not press the matter further.

She knew this person was definitely not sent by Li Fei, because if Li Fei wanted to ask her for help, he could have contacted her directly using the Thousand Shadowless Silk.

Faced with such a life-or-death situation, Qianji Wuyingsi failed to send a single message.

Ning Qingman knew that Li Fei did not want to involve her, and even less did he want her to be in danger again.

"Fool."

An invisible sword aura shattered the room's window, and the sword immortal vanished from the room.

The person who came looked up, relieved, and quickly ran out of the private room to report back.

Not only did Li Fei not send a message to Ning Qingman, but he even issued a death order to the entire Secret Service on his way to the Western Kingdom—

No one is allowed to reveal the war situation in the Western Regions to Ning Qingman.

However, Ning Qingman still learned about this through the Secret Investigation Department.

It was all because someone had placed a move in the Secret Service beforehand.

Lingxu Mountain.

Dengxian Pavilion.

The place where Wu Hui Zhenjun broke through to the top is now also the place where he cultivates in seclusion.

At this moment, outside the gate of the Ascension Pavilion, a man dressed in the robe of the Feather Transformation Sect stood upright, looking up at the top of the Ascension Pavilion.

A moment later, a voice came from inside the pavilion:

"Junior Brother Wulin, I had no idea that you had become a member of the Great Blue Dynasty?"

The man, whose Daoist name was Wulin, was a top-level True Person of the Feathered Ascension Sect. He was responsible for the selection, teaching, and appointment of new disciples within the sect and held a high reputation and status.

Shortly after Xuanxin Zhenjun defected, Wulin suddenly arrived outside Dengxian Pavilion, wanting to meet Wuhui Zhenjun.

Upon hearing Wu Hui Zhenjun's words, Wu Lin frowned slightly:
"Before I even spoke, Senior Brother Headmaster knew I had come for the Great Blue Dynasty. So, it means that the Buddhist sect had already contacted Senior Brother Headmaster before I did?"

"That's right, the Buddhists did indeed contact me through someone."

"That's what True Lord Wuhui said."

Although the Feathered Ascension Sect's motto is to seek immortality in the mountains and ignore worldly affairs.

However, not everyone in the sect is willing to abide by this principle.

Just as the Daluo Sect and Shangqing Sect have been constantly meddling in worldly affairs, there are also many people in the Yuhua Sect who have many ideas in their hearts and are unwilling to spend their whole lives on the mountain seeking immortality and enlightenment.

Wu Lin's eyes were serious: "Has Senior Brother already agreed to the Buddhist sect?"

Wu Hui Zhenjun: "If I had agreed to the Buddhist sect's request, shouldn't I have already set off for the Western Kingdom?"

Wu Lin asked anxiously, "So, Master, you're still going to remain neutral this time?"

"Let them fight it out, what does it have to do with me?"

Wu Hui's tone was indifferent.

"Master, you've already helped the Great Blue Dynasty once before!"

"That was to obtain Qingxu's insights from his breakthrough before his death."

"But the Buddhists wouldn't think that way! If the Buddhists win this time, my Feathered Ascension Sect will never have peace in the future!" "For hundreds of years, my Feathered Ascension Sect has never set foot in the mortal world. No matter who gains power, as long as they don't provoke us, our sect will not pose a threat to anyone. The Buddhists will not provoke us because of this matter."

"That's what True Lord Wuhui said."

To kill a top-tier expert comes at a great cost!

Wu Lin sneered: "Senior Brother Headmaster, have you ever considered that you agreed to the Great Blue Dynasty's request to draw your sword against Buddhism last time because of a certain matter? Who can guarantee that you won't draw your sword for other reasons in the future?"
Whoever comes to power in the future, as long as they remember this matter, they will be wary of you and of my Feathered Ascension Sect!

Wu Hui Zhenjun remained silent.

He did seem somewhat unsure about this matter.

Because he broke the principles of the Feathered Ascension Sect for his own selfish desires.

However, after obtaining Qingxu's insights on breaking through to the next realm before his death, he did not keep them to himself. Instead, he compiled them into a book, added his own insights and understanding, and put it into the Ascension Pavilion.

In the future, important figures of the Feathered Ascension Sect will all have the opportunity to browse this priceless notebook!
"Senior Brother Headmaster, since our Feathered Ascension Sect has already sided with the Great Blue Dynasty once, why can't we continue to do so? The Great Luo Sect has a blood feud with the imperial court, and the Shangqing Sect is two-faced and not trustworthy."

If my Feathered Ascension Sect can firmly stand on the side of the Great Blue Dynasty, then from now on, the three Taoist sects will all revere my Feathered Ascension Sect! The prestigious positions of member of the Righteous Law Pavilion, Pavilion Master, and Imperial Preceptor of the current dynasty can all be held by members of my Feathered Ascension Sect!

Wu Lin looked somewhat agitated.

Given his status in the Feathered Transformation Sect, if the Feathered Transformation Sect could replace the Shangqing Sect, then the position of True Person Xuanchen should now be his, and he would assume the position of Pavilion Master of the Righteous Law Pavilion!
“Junior brother, I still remember when we went up the mountain together and were accepted as our master’s personal disciples. At that time, you said to me with a firm look on your face that you were determined to seek the supreme immortal path in this life. The summit was not your destination. You wanted to see the scenery above the summit.”

Wu Hui Zhenjun sighed, "Have you forgotten all these words?"

Wu Lin's expression darkened, and he clenched his fists.

He smiled bitterly and said, "When I was young and ignorant, I thought the Great Dao was right under my feet. After a hundred years of hard work on the mountain, I realized how difficult it is to seek immortality, how lofty the Great Dao is, and how insignificant I am."

The disciples chosen by the Feather Transformation Sect all had a firm Dao heart from the beginning.

But over time, many people, like Wu Lin, will realize that they will never be able to reach that goal in their lifetime.

Let alone ascending to immortality, many people can't even reach the peak, the top-level True Person, or even the True Person realm.

Some people can grit their teeth and persevere, but others gradually lose sight of their original intentions.

There was a long silence.

Wu Lin lowered his head and gritted his teeth, saying:
"Since you, Master, are still unwilling to take action, please forgive me. I have taken it upon myself to arrange for people to leave the mountain, and I will also be leaving the mountain soon!"

If you want to seek immortality and enlightenment, then go ahead and seek it.

But don't hinder others from pursuing their own future.

These are the words Wu Lin wanted to say to Wu Hui.

Wu Hui sighed, "Even if you rush to the Western Kingdom now, it will be too late."

These people, including Wu Lin, are not top-tier experts; their flight speed and endurance are far inferior to those at the peak.

They are now heading to the Western Kingdom, but by the time they arrive, the great war may have already ended.

Even if it doesn't end, Wu Lin and the others won't have much fighting power left.

Wu Lin's expression was resolute: "There's no need for you to worry about this, Master. Thank you for your kindness!"

After saying this, he bowed to the Ascension Pavilion, then turned and rode the wind away.

After leaving the gates of the Feathered Ascension Sect, Wu Lin did not head towards the Western Extremity Kingdom.

The judgment of True Lord Wuhui was correct; even if these people rushed to the Western Kingdom now, it would be too late.

Therefore, Wu Lin never intended to go to the Western Kingdom in the first place.

Huishan Town.

This small town is less than seventy li away from the mountain gate of the Shangqing Sect as the crow flies.

Lan Yu sat in the room, nervously touching the assault rifle in his hand.

After being recruited by Li Tianyu, this "Northern Gun King" led his brothers away from the Northern Border Army and joined the Barbarian Slayer Army.

After the great war in the North ended, Lan Yu received a secret mission.

After that, he left the northern lands with a group of elite warriors and secretly came to Huishan Town.

The martial artists who came here with Lan Yu all had one thing in common—

Excellent marksmanship!
Their extraordinary abilities are well-suited for using firearms, and in actual combat, they have all killed people of a higher level than themselves using firearms.

More than 300 martial artists arrived in Huishan Town, and each of them was equipped with a new type of assault rifle from the Western Continent.

Lan Yu once boasted to his teammates:
"Give me a new assault rifle, and I can kill a Foundation Establishment stage martial artist on the battlefield!"

In fact, after acquiring the assault rifle, Lan Yu was indeed confident that he could do this.

Even if the martial artists who came with him were not as skilled with spears as he was, they could still kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator by shooting if they cooperated with each other!
If the more than 300 soldiers in Huishan Town were to face 300 Dao Foundation stage cultivators, the initial distance between the two sides would be more than 500 meters, provided the battlefield terrain was suitable.

In the end, those three hundred Foundation Establishment stage experts will surely die!
Lan Yu felt that the most skilled spearmen in the entire Great Blue Dynasty were probably all gathered here.

What was the strategic objective of concentrating all the "gun kings" in the army and equipping them with the most advanced gunpowder weapons?

No matter how you look at it, it seems like there's only the Shangqing Sect nearby!
But how could they possibly attack the Shangqing Sect?
Even with his confidence, Lan Yu didn't believe they could accomplish such a thing.

The Shangqing Sect could easily wipe out all three hundred of them by sending just a few martial arts masters or true immortals!

Filled with doubt and unease, he lay low in Huishan Town and trained for a year.

Lan Yu and the others suddenly received orders today—

Prepare for battle!

The orders issued from above confirmed Lan Yu's guess; the target was indeed the Shangqing Sect!
"Remember this: once you breach the Shangqing Sect's gates, you will split into five teams and each team will be tasked with capturing the following five locations."

More detailed operational tasks were then communicated.

With the big battle imminent, Lan Yu was a little nervous.

"Hey, do you remember that batch of cannons that arrived last month? They're probably planning to use them to blast open the gates of the Shangqing Sect!"

"Use cannons? Can they even blast that open?"

"It's a new type of cannon from the Western Continent, and it's very powerful."

"."

Lan Yu heard the chatter of his comrades.

Over the past year, the imperial court has been secretly transporting a large number of cannons to Huishan Town.

Now it seems that these cannons were also intended to attack the mountain gate of the Shangqing Sect!
"What other preparations has the imperial court made in order to attack the Shangqing Sect?"

Lan Yu thought to himself.

Suddenly I didn't feel so nervous anymore.

Lanling City.

Imperial Palace, Imperial Study Room.

Ye Ze'an placed a piece on the chessboard.

Qin Ziheng looked at him:
"We just received news that 'Sword Immortal' Ning Qingman has already set off, and Wu Lin and the others are also heading towards Shangqing Sect."

Ye Ze'an had naturally planted the moles within the Secret Investigation Division beforehand.

He knew that Li Fei was unwilling to involve Ning Qingman in the disputes between the imperial court and other forces, and even less willing to let Ning Qingman risk her life alone.

But as the Grand Secretary of the current dynasty, Ye Ze'an would not consider personal feelings too much.

All he knew was that if this 'Sword Immortal' was willing to make a move, the chances of the Great Blue Dynasty winning would increase by three points!
As for Wu Lin and others from the Feathered Ascension Sect, they were also secretly recruited by Ye Ze'an.

After the decisive battle began, the prime minister did not arrange for Wu Lin and others to go to the main battlefield in the Western Kingdom, because there was no time.

He sent Wu Lin, a top-tier True Person, with the experts from the Feather Transformation Sect to the Shangqing Sect, which was closer!
Ye Ze'an was wary of the Shangqing Sect and had long ago planted his own seeds of discord.

He couldn't stop Xuanxin Zhenjun from turning against Li Fei in the face of battle.

However, it can directly checkmate the Shangqing Sect!

Next, he will attack the Shangqing Sect. He wants to see if Xuanxin Zhenjun can stay on the main battlefield and attack Li Fei.
Ye Ze'an was just an ordinary mortal, and indeed could not harm Xuanxin Zhenjun in the slightest.

But he can destroy Xuanxin's heart!

Arrangements were made for the two major desert kingdoms in the southern border region.

Arrangements for Ning Qingman.

Arrangements made in response to the Feathered Ascension Sect.

Arrangements made for the Shangqing Sect.

In this decisive battle, the prime minister has done the best he could!
"I have no other options left."

After Ye Ze'an made his move, he looked up at Qin Ziheng and said.

Qin Ziheng took a deep breath and turned to look out the window:
"The Duke of Jing'an has never disappointed!"

(End of this chapter)