Immortality starts from the liver proficiency

Chapter 334 Nothing
Even if Bi Yuan were to stand in front of Xu Yunfan, in a simple contest of internal energy, he might still be slightly inferior to Xu Yunfan.

Xu Yunfan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, suppressing the surging emotions in his chest.

A glance around revealed that only a dozen or so Dao Sect disciples had gathered in the area during this time, and all of them were injured. Some were clutching their bleeding arms, while others were leaning on broken weapons to stand up.

These were all disciples of the Daoist sect, their faces filled with shock, anger, and indignation.

The sudden attack by the Great Zhou army caught them off guard, resulting in heavy casualties.

In the distance, the setting sun was like blood, and the corpses of dozens of Great Zhou soldiers lay scattered on the bluestone slabs, their still-uncongealed blood meandering into streams along the cracks between the bricks.

With a clear "clang," the rusty iron sword in Bi Sheng's hand returned to its sheath. The blood that had seeped into the blade seemed to come alive as it swam among the mottled rust, turning the originally dark red rust into an eerie purplish-black.

He raised his hand to wipe away a bloodstain on his cheek, his voice like the clash of cold iron: "Take all your disciples and evacuate from Yujing. Set off immediately. I will pave the way for you."

Bi Sheng withdrew his gaze from the direction of the imperial city; the blood groove on the mottled iron sword still bore traces of undried blood.

He turned and stared at Xu Yunfan on the stage, whose aura was slowly receding. His usually cold and hard voice revealed a rare hint of warmth: "The road ahead is yours to walk alone."

"The disciple understands."

Xu Yunfan's voice was as calm as a deep pool.

Bi Sheng nodded slightly. "Now that you possess the dragon's aura, if the Empress dares to harm you in secret, she will be personally severing the lineage of the Great Zhou Dynasty. They will only have a chance on the arena. You... must win!"

Xu Yunfan's gaze was like lightning, and his true energy suddenly condensed, transforming into a tangible golden light that flowed across his body before quickly receding inward.

He clasped his hands in a salute, his voice steady and firm: "Please rest assured, Uncle-Master. Now that I have received the dragon's aura, I will naturally prove my Dao through martial arts. This is also my way."

Bi Sheng nodded slightly, his fingertips swirling with true energy that gathered on the iron sword, causing the rusty sword to emit a low hum in its sheath.

As he turned, the hem of his black robe swept across the still-wet bloodstains on the blue bricks, leaving a dark red trail.

"Disciples, follow me. I will clear the way for you."

The sound wasn't loud, but it made every Daoist disciple straighten their backs.

Xu Yunfan watched everyone leave, his gaze lingering on Chen Hong's retreating figure for a moment.

Although the round-faced disciple's clothes were covered in dust, there wasn't a single tear, making him stand out conspicuously in the group where everyone was injured.

He narrowed his eyes, his knuckles unconsciously tapping the handle of the Shaking Mountain and Suppressing Sea Hammer, a barely audible cold laugh mixed in with the metallic vibrations.

He stopped paying attention and looked down at the ring.

The arena had already been cleared, with crushed nameplates and torn ribbons scattered on the bluestone slabs.

The remaining three officials huddled under an oil-paper umbrella, the leader of whom was constantly wiping the bloodstains off his body with a silk handkerchief.

Upon seeing Xu Yunfan looking over, the official's handkerchief fell to the ground with a thud.

A glint of light flashed in Xu Yunfan's eyes, and his white teeth, revealed when he grinned, were as cold as blades.

At this moment, the spectators below the arena had long since disappeared, leaving only a few officials from the Great Zhou government who were in charge of the imperial examinations and martial arts tests.

"This lord."

Xu Yunfan stomped on the broken arrow that lay at his feet, the black steel shaft making a teeth-grinding cracking sound on the sole of his boot.

"Now that I've advanced, when will the next arena session begin?"

Only by constantly competing and completing the entire imperial examination process can a true winner be determined.

This was an indispensable meeting, and Xu Yunfan had to come to the final conclusion alone. The official's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and cold sweat trickled down his temples, soaking the cloud and goose patch embroidered on the collar of his official robe.

He opened his mouth, but before he could utter a sound, a voice carrying an iron will boomed like thunder: "The scientific expedition will proceed as normal, everything as usual."

Tell him the time.

The moment that sound rang out, the temperature around the training ground plummeted.

Xu Yunfan's pupils contracted slightly as he saw a towering figure appear below the arena.

Chen Wei, the Grand Commander of the Imperial City Guard, held a twelve-foot-long, jet-black spear, a seventh-tier divine weapon, with its tip pointing diagonally at the ground. The dark red blood grooves gleamed eerily under the true energy emanating from his palm.

Xu Yunfan's right hand instinctively rested on the double hammers at his waist, his fingertips rubbing the uneven, non-slip texture on the hammer handles.

Suddenly, the creaking sound of a taut bowstring came from the rooftops all around.

Three hundred imperial guards emerged from the shadows of the streets, their steel jungle of spear tips gleaming coldly in the rain, the bright yellow ribbons wrapped around their shafts proclaiming them as the Empress's personal guards.

Xu Yunfan raised an eyebrow and looked at him: "Is this the kind of people Commander Chen wants to fill the hole?"

Chen Wei sneered, his eyes filled with undisguised killing intent.

"Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad. You won't live long."

The official suddenly straightened his back, his voice carrying the confidence Chen Wei had instilled in him.
"The next match is scheduled for tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM)!"

His trembling finger pointed north, “The central square of Jade Capital City, the Xuanwu Martial Arts Arena! At that time, the top three martial artists from all six realms and seventy-nine states will gather!”

The six top sects of the Great Six Kingdoms naturally do not need to participate; they will only step in after the seven winners of these so-called martial arts champions have been determined.

But Xu Yunfan is different; he needs to take it one step at a time and reach the end.

This was exactly what the Dao Sect wanted. Every victory would allow the Xuanhuang Qi of the Great Zhou Dragon Vein to descend and cleanse him, increasing his power and true energy.

Xu Yunfan nodded slightly. He stepped off the stage, and spiderweb-like cracks immediately appeared on the bluestone slab.

When Chen Wei stood three zhang away from him, he slightly raised the black spear in his hand. The spear tip immediately produced a clanging sound, and several wisps of spear energy shot out, creating several deep, invisible holes under Xu Yunfan's feet.

"Commander Chen wants to fight me?"

Xu Yunfan's voice was calm, but a hint of eagerness flickered in his eyes.

He was eager to test how far his strength had progressed. A flood of cultivation memories filled his mind, making him unlike those martial artists who had just entered the ninth realm.

Xu Yunfan is a top-tier master who has been immersed in Qi cultivation in the Nine Realms for at least sixty years.

He noticed that the tip of the opponent's twelve-foot steel spear was always pointing diagonally at the ground, which was the starting stance of the "Earth-Splitting Spear Formation" used by the Imperial City Guard in battlefield combat.

Chen Wei suddenly sneered, slamming his spear heavily on the ground, causing the armor of the surrounding Imperial Guards to clang: "I have received His Majesty's decree to escort you back to the post station today."

His towering figure pressed forward half a step, a dull echo emanating from beneath his black iron mask.
"After all... if something goes wrong with you, wouldn't it be a pity for the Dao Sect's fortune?"

From afar came the soft clatter of roof tiles, and the cold gleam of three hundred spirit-corroding crossbows flickered in the setting sun, their poisoned arrows locked onto Xu Yunfan's vital points.

Xu Yunfan suddenly laughed and shook his head slightly, saying, "Look at you, always thinking about nonsense."

He turned and walked out of the arena. He didn't even need to use his true energy; with just his physical strength, every step he took caused the surroundings to tremble slightly.

(Thank you everyone for realizing I was waiting for you. Thank you for your monthly tickets and recommendation votes. Thank you all for your support and subscriptions. Thank you!)

(End of this chapter)