Wan Jian returns to his clan!

Chapters 125, 126, 127, and 128: A true man should not remain subservient to others for long.

It is thirty li southwest of Mingyang.

Emerald Cliff.

Beside the ancient tree, a burly young man, shirtless, wielding a greatsword, was slashing wildly with sweat pouring down his face, roaring wildly.

The greatsword emitted a deep, whistling sound, stirring up gusts of wind around it, causing fallen leaves to scatter and obscure the setting sun...

On his skin, there were countless snake-shaped cracks, densely covering his entire body, like porcelain that had been broken and then forcibly glued back together.

A melody from a zither drifted from a thatched cottage not far away.

The clanging and tinkling sounds, one moment filled with the clanging of swords and the next with the gentle murmur of flowing water...

The flock of birds that had just flown away soon circled back and lingered around the thatched hut.

Hearing the lingering melody of the zither, Shen Wanjian stopped his sword dance, sheathed his sword, and turned around.

His eyes, which shone with a silvery light, were cold and cruel, but they returned to normal in the blink of an eye. A gentle smile squeezed out of his stiff, square face. "Little sister, you've worked hard. If you hadn't used the Seven Emotions Heavenly Sound to ignite the anger in my heart, I wouldn't have been able to master this Star Guiding Technique."

Shen Xinzhu walked out, carrying her zither and covered in sweat. She rolled her eyes and said coldly, "Shen Mu Tou, what do you care about this grotesque, cracked-up appearance? Did you master the [Star Guiding Technique]?"
"So, you plan to go on stage like this during the Three Sects Competition, make Senior Brother Yue Lingfeng and the others laugh themselves to death, and then you'll win, right?"

"No, this... you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. The [Star Guiding Technique] is inherently difficult to master. If it weren't for this rapid training, it would be impossible to truly master the Eight Subduing Dragon Swords. But look at the power of my sword techniques..."

Shen Wanjian pointed to where he practiced his sword.

Where he had stood, the fallen leaves had been blown away by the wind, revealing dozens of deep, crisscrossing sword marks on the rocky ground.

On the ancient camphor tree next to it, the bark was also peeled back, revealing sharp sword marks.

"This sword technique is quite strange. Without a strong physique and a tenacious will, it is just a superficial imitation and does not have much power."

Now that I have mastered three moves, I can say that I am invincible among those below the third rank. Even if it comes at a price, it will be worth it.”

As he said this, a sinister glint flashed in his eyes: "Don't you want to fight the Joyful Union Sect and the Blood Lotus Sect sooner to avenge our mother...?"

"No, the one who deserves to die the most is that Green Serpent from the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect. We can't be satisfied until we cut off its head. When the Six Halls returned north, if it weren't for the twelve ferocious beasts blocking their way, the Heavenly Sound Hall wouldn't have been completely wiped out, and Mother wouldn't have died..."

Shen Xinzhu frowned, her eyes filled with sorrow.

"However, if you continue training like this, you might die before you even get your revenge..."

"Why don't you stop your cultivation and come back to Mingyang City with me? Old Man Lu's medical skills are most adept at regulating life force and nourishing the body, which will be very helpful for your condition."

"No way, I can't be bothered to listen to the old man's nagging... That coward, he was afraid of this and that back then. To this day, he's still holed up in Mingyang City, having accomplished nothing."

On a grand scale, he couldn't serve the court and bring peace to the people; on a smaller scale, he couldn't protect his wife and children, or seek revenge. Living like that was truly too stifling…

"You can't say that about Father. He has his own difficulties."

Shen Xinzhu let out a soft sigh and stopped talking about the topic: "Shen Mutou, the reason I came here this time is actually to tell you some news."

Yue Lingfeng had already broken through to the fourth rank during his morning sword practice. If things go as expected, his swordsmanship and martial arts skills will definitely reach a higher level before the Three Sects Grand Competition...

The most important one isn't him, but Lu Wubing!

"Hmph, although Yue is famous and his swordsmanship is strong, he may not be able to break my Eight Subduing Dragon Swords. He is too arrogant. What does this have to do with Brother Lu?"

Last time I heard Old Man Lu mention that he had already become a disciple of Wangtian Cliff, so he must have just started learning swordsmanship, right?

He was young but had a lot of guts, and he had been eliminating bandits and outlaws all the way. He was a true member of our community.

He should come to our [Jin Yu Tang], hehe..."

It was only at times like this that Shen Wanjian's true, simple-minded nature came to light.

It was as if the previous ferocity and tyranny were just an illusion.

"You... never mind, I just wanted to tell you that the reason Yue Lingfeng broke through to the fourth rank was because he was forced by Lu Wubing's swordsmanship during the morning sword sparring. He was reborn from the ashes in a desperate situation and forcibly broke through the sixteenth meridian."

"how is this possible?"

Shen Wanjian didn't react at first when he heard this.

After thinking about it carefully, he widened his eyes and asked, "Brother Lu, what sword technique are you using?"

"The Thirteen Deadly Swords".

"Good guy!"

A look of horror appeared on Shen Wanjian's face.

He's not ignorant; he's just straightforward.

The more knowledgeable one becomes, the clearer one understands what it means to be able to force Yue Lingfeng into a desperate situation and force him to break through on the spot using only a set of basic Heavenly Star Sword Techniques.

It's not that making a breakthrough in the heat of battle is bad; it's often something you have to do when you have no other choice.

Compared to normal nurturing, which is a natural process, this method is not only less effective, but it can also damage the meridians and acupoints.

It will take a lot of time afterwards to slowly repair and refine one's internal energy.

Why would an ordinary person choose such a dangerous method if they could break through normally?

If something unexpected happens, or if a breakthrough isn't achieved, then things will be terrible.

Therefore, during the morning sword practice competition, Yue Lingfeng must have become really angry as the competition progressed... Not wanting to lose face, he tried his best to win, so he took a risky gamble, which is actually the same reason as his forced practice of the [Star Guiding Technique].

"Although I haven't spoken with Brother Lu, from a distance that day I saw him as a refined and handsome young man, whose cultivation didn't seem particularly profound. How come I didn't know he could be so powerful?"

Shen Wanjian scratched the back of his head, puzzled.

"There's a lot you don't know. This world is vast, and geniuses emerge one after another."

Not to mention too far, in our two southeastern states, there is Senior Brother Yue from Wangtian Cliff, Murong Tiangang from Murong Manor, Xie Qiudi from Shenjian Manor, and Xiao Yuehua from Huanhua Sword Sect...

Which one of them isn't exceptionally talented? What's so strange about adding another Lu Wubing?

"But, sister..."

"No buts, if you keep practicing like this, I'll personally go to the Hehuan Sect to take revenge."

I heard that the old demon Lianhua broke into Wangtian Cliff at night and lost an arm and a leg in the [Heavenly Star Demon-Slaying Sword Formation] set up by Uncle Ouyang and Uncle Qin.

The Thousand-Faced Demon Xiao Shantong died on the spot, and the Hehuan Sect should have been at its weakest at this time..."

"No, I don't want to practice anymore, okay?"

Shen Wanjian was greatly surprised upon hearing this.

My delicate little sister went to the Hehuan Sect. Isn't that like sending a lamb to the slaughter?

If something were to happen to my little sister, how could I face my deceased mother?

"You need to be more careful, Shen Mutou. You're about to get married. Don't make people worry. You have to leave an heir for our Shen family."

Shen Xinzhu sighed again, not wanting to say anything more, picked up the zither, and slowly descended the cliff.

……

Shen Wanjian stood there for a long time before he regained his composure.

Under the Dragon-Subduing Sword, there is no chance of survival.

A true man should wield a three-foot sword, achieve unparalleled feats, vent his anger and vengeance, and ride a horse while singing a long song.

Where is there room for romance and marriage? Haha...

"Young Commander, the brothers of the Flying Fish Tribe have sent word that they have found the bandits who plundered Shuangxi Village."

This group of bandits is likely a remnant of the Zhenhai Guard's Left Commander's troops who were scattered after their defeat. Their leader, Dongfang Gu, was formerly a military advisor to the Prince's court. They are currently traveling southeast towards Yanshan Marsh.

One person hurriedly climbed the cliff and reported the news.

"What a Zhenhai Guard! When fighting the Dongyi, they were as weak as rabbits, but when they harmed the people, they were as fierce as tigers and wolves."

Shen Wanjian, clad in silver armor and wielding a blood-dripping broadsword, wiped it on the corpses of the river pirates at his feet and sneered, "Issue the orders: Flying Fish, Cloud Bay, and Mountain Yin tribes, follow me to besiege Dongfang Valley. We must not let this man cross the Qing River and see Zhao Zhengming alive."

Under the guise of acting on behalf of Heaven, Zhao the traitor has been plundering the area, and sooner or later he will set his sights on Mingyang City.

Killing the general who defected at this time would weaken his strength.

A faint silver light reappeared in Shen Wanjian's eyes, this time with traces of blood patterns appearing within it.

A crimson hue seemed to emanate from the greatsword in his hand.

"Use starlight to refine the body, use blood sacrifice to forge the sword, wipe out the tigers and wolves, and bring peace to the world."

……

Menghu'ao is not a valley, but rather a place where two mountains enclose a river, and the mountains end where the plains begin.

This is a vast meadow, a great place to raise horses and set up camp.

Yuanxi Garrison is located here.

At this time, the wild grass grows tall, and the green carpet stretches like a sea...

In the distance, the long river stretches like a ribbon, its surface shimmering with light.

In the military camp, there was a tall and strong young man, about 2.12 meters tall, who looked like a hill.

With his legs spread wide, shirtless and surging with energy, he roared, "Release the arrows!"

Surrounding him were hundreds of archers and dozens of crossbows, ready to fire.

The leader of the small flag said with difficulty, "Lord Yu, this is too dangerous. How about we withdraw half of our forces?"

"Follow orders."

Yu Qingshan let out a muffled groan like a tiger's roar, which made Zhang Xiaoqi sway. He dared not be negligent and waved his hand.

"collapse……"

More than a hundred bowstrings resonated.

The sharp arrows pierced the air, a dark mass hurtling straight towards the tall, strong youth.

The next moment, I'll shoot him into a pincushion.

Everyone's heart was in their throats, thinking that if they shot and killed Yu Qingshan, the young general of Yuanxi Guard, in their own camp, it would be a huge joke.

Commander Li Feiying had no sons of his own, so he adopted Yu Qingshan as his son and treated him like his own.

He patiently taught him martial arts, showing concern and care, displaying the demeanor of a loving father...

Li Feiying not only wanted his adopted son to inherit the mantle of the "Tiger Soul Lineage" Tianxing, but also wanted him to carry on his own aspirations.

Expand the army, prepare for war, recover lost territories, and ride cavalry to block the river.

"A real man cannot live a day without power."

When Li Feiying was young, he followed his father to travel in the northern border of the western frontier. He watched helplessly as his loyal old man risked his life several times, only to be tormented and manipulated by Shangguan Cuo.

In the end, his credit was taken away, and he became depressed.

He was framed and imprisoned for refusing to kneel and pay respects to a eunuch without a penis.

What was carried out was a corpse that was unrecognizable as human.

From that moment on, Li Feiying knew that nothing in this world could be trusted except for the gun and sword in his hand and the troops under his command.

As for the glory of the Heavenly Star Sect and the rise and fall of the Great Li Dynasty, what utter nonsense is that?

Although Li Feiying thought this way, he also knew that his talent was not actually that good. No matter how much he squeezed out his potential, without external help or a stroke of luck, his life would be nothing more than this.

Unable to fulfill his ambitions, he was unwilling to give up and always thought about trying again.

Now that the opportunity has come, he doesn't want to let it slip away.

Seeing his adopted son Yu Qingshan radiating golden light in the arena, his skin and bones faintly glowing with a glassy luster, his eyebrows twitched heavily.

The next moment, more than a hundred powerful arrows struck Yu Qingshan, breaking and bending them.

A golden arc of light rebounded in all directions.

Within half a foot, the steel arrowheads softened and glowed red... They fell to the ground, into the water, and emitted puffs of white steam. The wooden shafts, as if thrown into a furnace, burst into flames in the blink of an eye.

"What a magnificent golden body of the Great Sun! This work is complete."

Li Feiying was overjoyed, and a faint smile appeared on his face, which had always been as cold as mountain rocks and ice.

"Take the gun."

He casually drew the large spear from his bodyguard's hand, swung his arm, and the spear transformed into a black shadow, accompanied by a rumbling whistle, and pounced in front of Yu Qingshan.

Yu Qingshan didn't dodge, but just chuckled, slightly turned his body, and shrugged his shoulders.

boom……

The spear exploded into countless fragments from head to tail.

Looking at Yu Qingshan's shoulder again, there was only a red mark, which quickly returned to its glassy luster, with a shimmering red flame appearing.

"Father, my skill has reached a high level of mastery. Ordinary weapons can hardly harm me. I wonder if I can win the Three Sects Grand Competition?"

Yu Qingshan strode forward with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, walked up to Li Feiying, bowed respectfully, and asked with a muffled laugh.

“If Senior Brother Ouyang has no other means, he is doomed to lose this time.”

Qingshan, you've mastered the [Great Sun Glazed Golden Body], and you're naturally suited to the [Tiger Soul Heart Method], making your attacks as powerful as a collapsing mountain and as impenetrable as a fortified city. I truly cannot fathom how Yue Lingfeng could possibly break through your defenses.

This time, you must not only win, but also crush all the disciples of Wangtian Cliff, the main branch of Tianxing.

Being superior to others may breed jealousy; being far superior means those others can only look up to you and admire you.

Those disciples are one thing, but we really need the name of the Celestial Star lineage.

When the time comes, if we raise our voices, even if the entire south follows suit, we can at least gain more benefits.

And with Senior Brother Bi of the Ziyang Sect, they had no choice but to rely on him even more.

"Father, there is something I don't understand. Uncle Bi of the Ziyang Sect has been fighting with the Northern Zhou Demonic Sect in battles, almost to the point of being irreconcilable enemies. He is also of one mind with my Tianxing Sect, so why is he..."

"You mean, why did he want to secretly plot against the Heavenly Star Sect?"
You're still young, so it's not surprising that you don't understand.

When people have enough to eat and wear, they crave wealth and beautiful wives. Having everything they need, they even desire absolute power…

Who knows what Senior Brother Bi is really thinking?

All that matters is power, wealth, beauty, and immortality.

Legend has it that the Primordial Ancestor passed down his teachings to three friends, and the Primordial Sword Technique was once hailed as "a single sword splits heaven and earth, and the physical body shatters the mortal realm"...

Shattering the void is not the same as shattering the void. For example, the Second Generation Han Hai Patriarch and the Great Brahma Yuan Shen Monk both achieved the "extinction of the physical body and the shattering of the void of the spirit".

Although it is also incredibly powerful, surpassing heaven and earth, it is still slightly inferior to the Primordial Ancestor's [golden body flying across, splitting the sky with one hand].

Although I don't know exactly how the Primordial Ancestor did it, I do understand one principle.

If you don't understand what someone is thinking, then just follow in their footsteps.

"Are you saying that Master Bi actually wants to cultivate the Sun, Moon, and Stars together, refine the Primordial Chaos Sword again, and follow the path of breaking through the void with the physical body?"

A look of horror appeared on Yu Qingshan's dark red face.

If so.

It was indeed necessary to subdue the Tianxing and Mingyue sects and integrate all their mental cultivation techniques into one.

If we gather the disciples of the three peaks and collect rare and precious materials, it is indeed possible to recreate the [Hun Yuan Sword].

Putting aside everything else, just take the Tianxing Sect. With just one Hanhai Zhenren, they can shatter the void and surpass the world. Their foundation is far superior to that of Ziyang Peak. Who wouldn't want such a legacy?

Uncle Bi must be dreaming about it like crazy.

With his talent and ability, if he could acquire these sword techniques and mental cultivation methods and integrate them into one, he might be able to forge a path to greatness.

"So, Godfather is very optimistic that Senior Uncle Bi of the Ziyang Sect will succeed?"

"Whether I approve or not is irrelevant. What matters is that they want to use us to get what they want, and so can we."

If we hadn't been hypocritical and made promises, how could we have gotten them to willingly offer up the "Great Sun Cleansing Method"?
It must be said that some of Senior Brother Bi's ideas are very forward-thinking. The Three Peaks Technique is divided into Sun, Moon and Star, but in fact, they lead to the same goal through different paths.

Our Tianxing Sect's [Glazed Golden Body Technique] and the Ziyang Sect's [Great Sun Cleansing Body Technique] are a perfect match.

By cultivating both simultaneously, one can attain the Great Sun Glazed Golden Body, impervious to all evil and indestructible...

Now that you've experienced the power of the Golden Body, if you were to charge into battle alone against the entire Northern Zhou army, would you dare to charge?

"With the golden body protecting me, even if there are thousands of troops in front of me, I can still fight my way in and out seven times, and make the blood flow like a river."

"That's right. They'll do their thing, and we'll do ours. Remember, no promise is as valuable as the power you have in your hands."

With the return of the Ji family princess to the capital, internal strife is likely to reignite in Dali.

I've always felt that Princess Wenxiu is just a target laid out in the open...

Ji Jiufeng is a cunning and scheming person, and in recent years he has become increasingly insane. He must be playing a grand game.

But no matter how one calculates, the threat from Northern Zhou cannot be ignored. Therefore, I am certain that the court will reopen peace talks, and this time it may involve ceding territory and paying tribute…”

"Outrageous! What a tyrannical ruler!" Upon hearing this, Yu Qingshan thought of this damned world and the days when he crawled through the mud, fighting with wild dogs for food...

A chilling glint flashed in his eyes, and with a snap, he broke the steel spear shaft in his hand.

Li Feiying's eyebrows twitched wildly. He stared blankly at his adopted son's palm and saw golden and red flames like mist on it, which made him feel terrified.

He thought to himself, "The Glazed Golden Body and the Great Sun Cleansing Technique seem to have no hidden dangers. Moreover, after being combined and refined, their power is boundless, and I can begin cultivating them myself."

"It's not that there's no way to salvage the situation. Prince Gong has been preparing for this for a long time, having already mobilized his troops."

His subordinates are numerous strategists and generals... He has not yet launched an attack, clearly still waiting for the right opportunity.

When the world is in chaos, rebellion will inevitably rise, and that will be our time to achieve great things.

Li Feiying coldly laughed, "I am not as pedantic as Senior Brother Ouyang, who would try to curry favor with Ji Jiufeng. As long as Prince Gong can resist the Northern Zhou army, what's wrong with following his lead?"

At this point, Li Feiying saw a cold glint in his adopted son's eyes, and his face was full of excitement.

Clearly, they also wanted to go to the battlefield to gain fame and fortune.

He frowned slightly and said coldly, "Qingshan, the most urgent thing is for you to put all your energy into the Three Meridians Grand Competition and focus on cultivating the Tiger Soul Heart and the Glazed Body. You must achieve unity of mind and body. This matter cannot be neglected. Put aside the daily military training for now."

Putting aside the matter of military training means letting other fellow disciples take charge of military affairs for the time being.

The title of young sect leader of the Tianxing Sect is very useful. Once he can gain a righteous cause, he can easily control the three branches of Tianxing Sect, and then he can attack or defend at will.

In terms of martial arts skills, they can naturally make further progress.

The Tiger Soul lineage possesses the Glazed Golden Body Technique, the Tiger Soul Heart Technique, and the Shadowless Sword Technique.

But ultimately, they didn't even have a single top-tier sword technique.

All I can say is that some are so full they die of overeating, while others starve to death.

They also felt resentful.

If his lineage wins the competition, things will naturally be different from before.

Restoring the former glory of the Tianxing Sect is just around the corner.

Yu Qingshan was slightly taken aback, then immediately bowed in response.

"I understand, and I will certainly do my best."

Li Feiying laughed loudly three times, then turned and left.

Yu Qingshan crouched down, reached out, and gently picked up the steel spear that he had just broken in two. Looking at the slightly melted section at the break, he slowly raised his head, straightened his back, and murmured:
"A true man, born between heaven and earth, how can he remain depressed and inferior to others for long?"

……

"I must say, Senior Brother is a very good comrade-in-arms. He truly deserves to be called a rising star and a genius swordsman, renowned throughout the three states."

Despite having little combat experience, he possesses an exceptionally unique talent in adapting to enemy situations and in the execution of swordsmanship.

After his battle with Yue Lingfeng, Lu Wubing truly felt that he had, to some extent, filled in the missing piece.

What is he missing?

It's not about swordsmanship level; this thing has the destiny of "Heaven rewards diligence" in its hands. Every time it practices a sword, it will gain something. Once it reaches a certain level, it will be blessed with divine wisdom, almost like intermittent "sudden enlightenment".

Understanding the secrets of various sword techniques is just like an ordinary person practicing for decades or even centuries.

Practice makes perfect, perfection leads to wisdom, wisdom leads to the method, and the method leads to the truth...

Therefore, he was not worried at all about his swordsmanship level.

It's not even about internal skills, external skills, lightness skills, or mental cultivation.

As long as there are methods and paths available, he can use his diligence to grind for them.

The time spent may vary, but there is always continuous progress without any bottlenecks.

The reason why the speed of internal energy cultivation is not as obvious as the speed of swordsmanship cultivation is now.

The real reason is that practicing internal energy cultivation and circulating it through the body takes a long time. It's better to practice swordsmanship, where a single sword move can be completed in a few seconds.

The result is that swordsmanship improves quickly, while internal energy improves slowly.

But this is relative.

Compared to other disciples, his internal energy cultivation was more than ten times faster.

As for the body-refining techniques, the reason for such rapid progress is not entirely due to the reward of hard work, but also to the infinite vitality of the [Form] character seal, which has transformed the body silently.

(This is an explanation for readers who have been confused. Please stop asking why external cheats are useful for swordsmanship and external martial arts but not for internal martial arts, and why combat awareness doesn't keep up even when swordsmanship skills improve... I don't want to write filler content.)
The one thing Lu Wubing truly lacked, a quality he possessed in both his past and present lives, was practical combat experience.

In his past life, he was a working-class man. When he was bullied, even fighting back was considered mutual fighting. He had no experience other than pulling hair.

For the first sixteen years of his life, he enjoyed wealth and luxury. His greatest practical experience was actually playing hide-and-seek with the little jade maid.

In this situation, no matter how high one's swordsmanship level or how strong one's internal energy, one can only defeat the enemy with a single, decisive move.

In other words, it relies on speed to overpower the opponent.

If you can't outrun your opponent with speed, and you have to rely on strategy, tactics, and changes, you'll be completely lost.

In sword fighting, the various feints, real attacks, hard and soft techniques, body movements, distance control, and the ability to use an opponent's force against them are not skills that can be learned in isolation.

Sword duels have to be fought; what's the point if there's no opponent?
This is the art of war.

It was during his sword duel with Yue Lingfeng that he realized this crucial point.

His basic thirteen sword techniques immediately made rapid progress, directly entering the mastery stage.

The end of the paper is so shallow that I know that this matter must be carried out.

Knowing something is one thing, doing it is another.

Fighting against geniuses and masters, seeking victory and progress through battle—this is an indispensable method of training.

Having figured this out, Lu Wubing felt his swordsmanship and martial arts had greatly improved. He was about to take out the True Meaning Bead of the [Subduing Dragon Sword] to comprehend the swordsmanship.

"Meow..."

I heard a soft, gentle meow from a cat.

Looking up, I saw the cat leap in through the window.

Its fur was fluffy, clumps of hair, and covered in grass juice and dirt, but it held a red-skinned, golden-veined fruit in its mouth.

"Golden Jade Fruit".

Lu Wubing was greatly surprised.

Where is it?
……

(End of this chapter)