Martial arts ascend to the gods

Chapter 349 Zhao He
A person standing nearby, who was at the Bone Forging Innate level, said, "He should be at the Blood Shaking Innate level. His body doesn't sway, his feet are steady, and when he accelerates, he doesn't seem to be struggling or panting. He should be forging his bones soon."

The young man replied, "No, judging by his physique and speed alone, he seems to be a Bloodthirsty Innate cultivator, but his aura is only that of a True Liquid Innate cultivator. If you don't believe me, you can ask the two seniors."

"As expected of Young Master Zhao, his insight is shrewd."

"Hey, I've seen a lot, but my actual combat skills are still lacking." Zhao He didn't care about these people's flattery.

"To be honest, your practical skills are indeed a little lacking compared to the top geniuses, but they are not much different from the normal first tier, and are about the same. What you deserve the most praise for is your courage."

A faint smile appeared on Zhao He's lips, but he suppressed it.

He glanced again at the back of the unknown person, and for some reason, he felt that the person had a special aura.

“I’d rather you stay in Xiongjing,” said an old man not far away.

"I'll use myself as bait and see if Tong Tianxia dares to take the bait. If he does, I'll respect him as a man, regardless of victory or defeat. If he doesn't... well, he's just a coward, not worth mentioning."

"Truly a hero of our time," the surrounding bodyguards exclaimed in unison.

Zhao He unfolded his fragrant wooden fan and gently fanned himself, saying, "I've always wanted to visit the Tree People World, but I've never had the chance. This is a good opportunity to go and see it. It would be absurd to have used the Heart of Life and never been to the Tree People World. Besides, I might even encounter some wild elves."

"Young master is truly a remarkable person." Everyone laughed together.

Zhao He smiled and said, "I've long heard of the elves, but I've only seen them in videos. Naturally, I'd like to get to know them."

"It is said that in the original world of the Tree People, the Elf Empire was the most powerful, and the Tree People were just vassals. Unfortunately, the elves later considered themselves invincible and became increasingly arrogant, stagnating in their development of power and only focusing on art."

"After that, we experienced the last war of the ten realms, were defeated by the giant insect race, and were even transformed into the genes of the giant insect race, which greatly increased the intelligence of the giant insect race."

"The treants, who were originally looked down upon by the elves, have always followed the teachings of the Tree God and continued to cultivate, and are now able to contend with the giant insect race."

Zhao He sighed, "It's truly a pity that the white elves have been reduced to wild elves."

"However, there is another version in the historical records of the Treants. It is said that the founders of the so-called Elven Empire were originally wild elves who later obtained the 'Root of the Original Tree' of the Treant race. They accidentally gained knowledge of magic and combat, and with good luck, they developed and grew strong. After developing to a certain extent, they fell into a state of civilizational stagnation, and it was normal for them to return to being wild elves."

Zhao He said, "Our human race must never make the same mistake as the wild elves. Only by constantly exchanging with other civilizations and absorbing the power of other races can we maintain our prosperity. Human history is almost identical; those countries that closed themselves off from the world, whether ancient or modern, Chinese or foreign, all declined and perished rapidly."

"Young Master Zhao has a broad mind; we martial artists are far inferior to him."

Zhao He said, "Hey, it was my grandpa and my dad who said it. They both support communicating with the outside world and learning from each other's strengths."

Zhao He suddenly stopped talking.

After a few words of flattery, everyone noticed that Zhao He had suddenly lost interest, so they all shut up.

Zhao He sighed softly, thinking that although his grandfather and father both supported communication with the outside world, their approaches were different.

Grandpa preferred to be well-versed in all fields of knowledge, and then to distinguish truth from falsehood. Although this process was more tiring and longer, it would allow one to go further.

The father, however, preferred to directly acquire the power of the Ten Realms for his own use, to overcome the immediate difficulties first, and not to consider how far he could go in the future.

Zhao He was conflicted.

Rationally, I support my grandfather, after all, he is a martial saint.

Instinctively and emotionally, she supports her father more.

"Perhaps there's no inherent superiority or inferiority between the two, but I'm more suited to the latter..."

As night deepened, the group stopped and set up camp on the spot.

Zhao He and his trusted confidants entered the tent and used a magical artifact to isolate themselves from the outside world.

"We have several important matters to attend to on this trip."

"First, lure him out of his hole and see if Tong Tianxia dares to make a move. If he does, we'll chop him up."

"Second, participate in the battle between the giant insects and the treants, and hunt down as much Water of Life, Treant Heart, and Heart of Life as possible. These three are very important for future plans, and we can make appropriate use of the Zhao family's name. In order to prevent anyone from being ungrateful, find an opportunity to kill a group of martial artists to establish our authority and let them know that no one can compete with the Zhao family."

"Thirdly, of course, is the White Lake Lotus Fruit. The Dragon Scale Vermilion Fruit is too rare. Even if someone gets it, they will eat it themselves and never sell it. I can only settle for second best and try to get the White Lake Lotus Fruit."

"However, although the Baihu lotus fruit is good, my goal is the Baihu mother fruit."

"Unfortunately, my third brother had bad luck..."

"As for the fourth point, it's about continuing to search for the 'Six Volumes of Dongjun.' Alas, the 'Miscellaneous Collection of Dongjun' clearly only has five volumes, but... do you think Grandpa left behind a sixth volume or not?"

“You were there at the time, young master. The old martial saint’s words were indeed a bit strange. He said that someone would definitely bring the sixth volume back to the Zhao family, but it seemed to imply something else, that it wasn’t really the ‘Six Volumes of Dongjun’.”

"Grandpa said that only those who master the Six Volumes of Dongjun are true members of the Zhao family. My dad didn't understand either, and no matter how he asked, Grandpa wouldn't say anything more."

"However, the Six Volumes of Dongjun involve the foundation and future of the Zhao family. Regardless of whether it is true or false, it must not be allowed to outsiders."

"We will definitely do our best."

"We have two grandmasters and one hidden in the shadows; we have no fear of anyone on this journey."

"The other two grandmasters have been cooperating, but the other grandmaster seems a bit arrogant."

Zhao He replied, "After all, he's a Grandmaster, with the potential to advance to Martial Saint. It's normal for him to be a little arrogant. Such a person deserves respect, unlike some others..." Zhao He's eyes flickered as he slowly said, "Some people have started testing us. The Ancient River Sect, with its important lineage, not only excluded my elder brother and me, but also secretly rejected all disciples from the Zhao family's forces. Two of our secret agents were killed by Heavenly Fire."

"It is said that the actual people in charge of the Guhe Research Bureau are Chen Changyi, Chen Shouhu and Wang Boxiong, and the rest are just decoys. The fact that the Demon City Army and the Martial Guard have joined forces must be because the two number one figures of the two major forces spoke at the same time, otherwise the three of them would not dare to do so."

Zhao He said, "If those two personally target us, then it will be troublesome. Back then, Wang Boxiong and Chen Shouhu were very close to Tong Tianxia and Ma Xingkong. Who knows what role they played in this matter? Moreover, on the day my third brother was killed, Wang Boxiong pretended to be in seclusion for cultivation."

"I heard something a few days ago: the Lou family had Lou Feiqiong monitor Ma Xingkong's nephew."

"Ma Xingkong's nephew? A nobody. The Lou family is really going downhill. If I didn't think Lou Feiqiong was a decent person, I really wouldn't want to bother with them," Zhao He said, shaking his head.

"Lou Feiqiong still has the potential to become a Grandmaster. His recent series of fortuitous encounters suggest he may have some great opportunities."

"Feiqiong is hardworking and has good character. Unlike the children of other major clans, he is not arrogant or lazy. He should be considered to have a good opportunity."

Xiongjing.

One of the Lou family's basements was converted into a listening room.

Information about Zhou Leng will be sent here as soon as possible.

After finishing dinner, Lou Feiqiong went into the listening room.

"Young Master Lou, this is the information we've been monitoring today."

Lou Feiqiong took the written file and flipped through it while saying, "Get to the point."

"After receiving the conscription order, he went to the Water Island Demon City and should be arriving at the Tree Man Demon City base soon."

"Huh? Wasn't he injured during the counter-offensive?"

"Yes, it might be for something like the Water of Life, so we should go as soon as possible."

Lou Feiqiong sighed inwardly. Zhou Leng would not risk his life for a mere Water of Life. He must have been inspired by justice to join the battle despite his injuries.

Information from a few days ago indicated that Zhou Leng and Shan Heyuan were severely injured.

Since the mountains and rivers have not yet recovered, Zhou Leng must be covered in injuries.

After reviewing the information, Lou Feiqiong shook his head and said, "Judging from the available information, Zhou Leng must have had some fortuitous encounters, but he's only at the average level of a disciple of the Ancient River Sect. This guy is also arrogant and conceited, and he continued to fight before his injuries had fully healed. If his injuries worsen, it will be difficult for him to advance to the Grandmaster level."

The two people in the listening room nodded in agreement.

"Young Master Lou, you're right. After reading about Zhou Leng's background, I feel it's impossible for him to become a Grandmaster."

"Yes, he clearly advanced to the Innate Realm, but he pretended to be in the late stage of the Vitality Realm to bully the Vitality Realm students of Xihai Martial Arts University. This is too much."

Lou Feiqiong said, "I sparred with him in Hundred Peaks Valley, and his strength is not that great at all."

"It has to be you. If you hadn't pointed out that Zhou Leng was a natural-born pretense cultivator, we would all have thought he was very strong."

Lou Feiqiong laughed and said, "I'm too lazy to pay attention, but the family made me do it. He went to the Tree People World, so it's hard for us to get any useful information. I'm also planning to go there, pretend to bump into him, and observe him secretly."

"Is it too dangerous?"

"Don't worry, I heard Zhao He went too. I'm quite familiar with him."

"You have to be careful."

"Okay, I'm leaving. Remember to listen carefully. When it's over, I'll have my family send you a big red envelope."

"Thank you, Mr. Lou. Please take care."

Lou Feiqiong left the listening room with a smile.

Late at night, Zhou Leng entered the Demon City base of the Tree People world.

The Tree Man Demon City base was brightly lit, and not only humans, but also dwarves, spirit masters, and even giants came and went.

Outside the base, the sounds of battle rang out, accompanied by the piercing screams of giant insects.

Zhou Leng glanced around. The base was enormous, with a Tree of Life several hundred meters tall standing in the center.

The Tree of Life is surrounded by buildings belonging to various races.

On the city wall at the far end of the base, lights flickered and figures moved about.

Behind the city wall stood enormous ancient war trees, their branches raised high, their innate power coalescing into highly poisonous rocks, which they then hurled.

Each piece of highly poisonous rock was thirty to forty cubic meters in size, like a small house. When it fell, it exploded with a deafening roar.

The War Trees are life forms that exist between tree-people and plants. Each one is thirty or forty meters tall, far exceeding the height of giants, resembling tall buildings that guard the Demon City base.

Suddenly, a giant black centipede rushed up the city wall and pounced on the ancient war tree.

(End of this chapter)