Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 166 What is a Hero? Sword and Footprints Across Mountains and Rivers
The vast blue sky stretches out, a sword enters the Dao, slashing three thousand times in a single breath.

Daliang City, which has always been known for its motto "Even in death, chivalrous spirits remain, worthy of the world's heroes," is now like boiling oil and water, and in the blink of an eye, the entire city is in an uproar.

In the dim night sky, it seemed as if an immortal had descended to earth, stepping on the Seven Stars and wielding a sword to cleave through the city of Daliang.

At that moment, behind the boy was a little girl with silver hair, gazing intently at the person in front of her.

She still remembered a sentence the other party had said: "Tianzong has no swordsmanship and has never learned a single move."

A person who has never learned swordsmanship has displayed such terrifying swordsmanship skills today, even able to overpower a top-tier existence at the Grandmaster level.

If someone claims to have never learned swordsmanship, then those in the martial arts world who have practiced swordsmanship should probably find a block of tofu to smash their heads against.

"Daliang."

"I possess a sword, to question the chivalry of the martial world, to question the vicissitudes of the righteous path, to question the Great Liang City: what is chivalry?"

Suddenly, a thunderous shout resounded throughout the entire city of Daliang.

At this moment, those who were still awake or had been woken up felt their hearts stirred upon hearing these words.

What is a chivalrous hero?

Xiaomeng was taken aback when she heard this. As the most outstanding genius of the current generation and even several generations of the Taoist Heavenly Sect, and a potential cultivator, he was now in Daliang City asking not what the Tao was, but what the chivalrous was.
"Given the interests of the world and personal gain, how should a chivalrous person choose?"

The boy's words were like a thunderclap from the heavens, shocking people and silencing them all.

As residents of Daliang City, everyone here, regardless of who they are, has heard of or personally experienced the story of Lord Xinling, Wei Wuji, rescuing Zhao for the greater good, and knows the true weight of the word "chivalry."

Xiu Yuan swung his peach sword, and the sword light swirled and shot out like a rain of arrows, but its power was dozens of times greater than that of a rain of arrows.

In a short time, the residence of Grand Minister Wei Yong was in complete chaos.

Yan Wu's figure moved swiftly, like a slippery eel, using the houses as cover.

"Between the heart of one person and the heart of the people, how should a chivalrous person choose?"

The voice was deep, and the sword still gleamed.

In the world of martial arts, these chivalrous people value loyalty and disregard life and death, but how many of their actions are truly worthy of praise?

A single disagreement could escalate into a fight, and today, for the sake of a woman, they slaughtered the entire family, leaving no one alive.

Tomorrow, he will take advantage of another girl he fancys and forcefully seize her.

The powerful and influential have countless retainers, many of whom only know how to repay kindness, but are unaware of what true chivalry and righteousness mean to heroes.

Do you still remember those two valiant heroes, their glory resounding throughout Daliang City? Though they died, their chivalrous spirit lingers, worthy of being heroes of the world.

Hearing this not-so-weathered voice, the martial arts practitioners of Daliang City all came out of their rooms and looked towards the direction from which the voice came.

The events of that year still echo in my ears.

But today's Daliang has already changed.

"I have heard that the greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people!"

Suddenly another sigh arose, piercing straight to the heart, instantly silencing the entire city of Daliang.

For those who don't understand what chivalry is, this sentence undoubtedly elevates the concept of chivalry to an infinite level.

"To fight against evil and uphold justice is chivalry!"

"Helping those in distress is chivalrous!"

"To do something knowing it's impossible in the face of danger is chivalrous!!"

What followed was a series of affirmations, like nails driven into wood, each blow deeper than the last, leaving the entire city's martial arts community rooted to the spot, as if struck by lightning.

Regardless of what others thought, as the boy continued to speak, his thoughts gradually became clear.

An aura different from the current one began to awaken from the darkness, and Yan Wu, the patriarch of the Armored Sect who was still hiding, was taken aback.

Then his expression suddenly changed. There is a relatively large dividing line between Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster, whether in terms of true qi or martial power.

He could sense the opponent's current situation. The opponent's internal strength was far superior to that of ordinary grandmasters, and even surpassed his own, but in reality, he had not crossed that threshold. Otherwise, the situation would not have been like this when he faced the opponent.

However, the aura emanating from the opponent now contains the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, which is a special situation encountered when a Grandmaster breaks through to the Great Grandmaster realm.

"The Tribulation of Questioning the Heart!"

"He's about to break through his current realm!!"

Upon realizing this, Yan Wu paused, as if rooted to the spot. In the current situation, he had little chance of winning, so he absolutely could not let that young man break through to the next level.

Otherwise, Daliang City today would be a laughing stock.

"Where are the imperial guards?"

Yan Wu suddenly shouted, and Dian Qing and the others who were still rushing towards the Grand Minister's residence changed their expressions. They were all too familiar with this voice; it was their patriarch from the Armored Sect.

"really."

Dianqing and Mei Sanniang exchanged a glance, and then a voice mixed with powerful internal energy echoed across the long street.

"The Imperial Guards of Liang are here!!"

"The Imperial Guards of Liang are here!!"

In the shadows, someone who heard this looked on with interest. Among the martial arts practitioners in Daliang City, some had forged their own paths, and relatively speaking, such people would not be swayed by the young man's words.

"They're actually from the Armored Sect."

"It's that old codger from the Armored Sect!"

"However, this time, he seems to have provoked an extremely terrifying being. If things go wrong, both sides will be severely injured."

"That should be the residence of Grand Commandant Wei Yong, right? Does his presence there mean something has happened to Wei Yong?"

"I heard that one of the commanders of the Imperial Guards, I think his name was Li Qing, has also died."

When trouble arises, few people get involved, but many watch the spectacle; in a way, that's the nature of the martial arts world.

Everyone has their own vision of the martial arts world, and the martial arts world is definitely not what that young man described. He was just talking about chivalry in the martial arts world.

"Boy, we people of Great Liang don't need you to teach us what chivalry is. In the martial world, repaying kindness and avenging wrongs is chivalry!"

A light rain began to fall from the sky. Yan Wu's hair and beard stood on end as he looked up at the sky. His aura was like a raging storm soaring to the heavens. The old man standing in place had his right fist on his waist, and an incredibly terrifying fist intent surged around him. The raindrops within three zhang around him actually stopped in mid-air.

"A traitor who slaughtered the Great Liang dares to bark like a dog in my Great Liang!!"

"absurd!!"

The old man smiled coldly, looked at the sword light pouring down in front of him, stopped dodging, and stomped his foot hard.

The ground within a radius of several meters suddenly collapsed, and then he was shot into the sky again.

In mid-air, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, revealing an old man from the Armored Sect whose upper body was completely torn, his muscles bulging, and his right fist crackling with lightning.

"Since you want to challenge the Sword City of Daliang, then you'll have to face my fists first!"

boom! !

Yan Wu suddenly threw a punch while in mid-air. This punch was extremely terrifying. With him as the center, the rain curtain was forced to retreat within a space of dozens of feet. The raindrops seemed to be under some kind of pressure and changed direction, rushing towards the boy above.

As Xiu Yuan watched Yan Wu charge forward again, his wooden sword trembled, and the sword light began to connect, transforming into a blazing sun in the blink of an eye.

"What kind of tactic is this??"

In the distance, the onlookers were startled by this scene; the methods these two were using were beyond the expectations of ordinary people.

Just as the force of a fist, with its intent and energy, could force the rain curtain to retreat, such power is clearly beyond the comprehension of acquired or innate levels.

Coupled with the boy's incredible skills, even the hidden experts in the Innate Realm in the city felt that they were not in the same world as these two.

Then, the boy pressed down with one hand, and the blazing sun swayed and fell, as if a new great sun had appeared in the sky.

A terrifying heatwave swept over us, accompanied by surging sword energy.

This time, neither of them chose to dodge, but instead clashed head-on.

Yan Wu narrowed his eyes, unleashed a punch, and his body somersaulted in mid-air, landing on a pavilion in the Grand Minister's residence.

Looking at the boy standing in mid-air, the old man's eyes held a strange glint.

Generally speaking, standing in mid-air means you can't use your body for leverage, which is a disadvantage. That's why skilled fighters almost never leave the ground for extended periods during combat.

But this boy is different. He seems to have a way to stay airborne for a long time, and the height of his opponent makes it extremely inconvenient for him to make a move.

Therefore, at this moment, Yan Wu had an idea: to knock that boy down. He couldn't let the other party stay in that place forever, otherwise it would be too passive.

Just then, the fist energy collided violently with the blazing sun. With a loud boom, the sun was shattered. Seeing this, Yan Wu couldn't help but sneer.

Attacks that can rival the pure fist of a martial artist can only be tangible; anything fancy or flashy will only vanish into thin air.

However, the old patriarch of the Armored Sect soon stopped laughing. Behind the blazing sun, there was an extremely dense array of sword lights.

When the sword light was like rain, it was already extremely troublesome. Now that the sword light exploded directly in mid-air, the consequences were predictable.

Without even the slightest hesitation, Yan Wu turned and ran. His fist energy lasted only three breaths before being pierced by the sword energy.

Then, the sword energy, undiminished, slammed down on the Grand Marshal's residence once more.

The next moment, the entire city of Daliang trembled.

On the ground of the Grand Minister's residence, there was a pit several tens of feet deep.

Seeing this, Yan Wu, who had already dodged far away, twitched his eye twice. If such an attack were to land on a person, probably not even bone fragments would be left.

Just as he had a chance to catch his breath, he heard a voice coming from the end of the street.

"Master!"

In mid-air, the boy sheathed his wooden sword and placed it flat in front of him, a different kind of energy flowing within his body. This wondrous sword formation was something he had comprehended in Xinzheng, Korea; its power was indeed considerable, but it was not his strongest technique at this moment.

Xiu Yuan sighed softly.

"The Southern Dipper governs life, the Northern Dipper governs death."

"The martial world and the dynasty are not the same world, yet they seem to be one."

Xiaomeng stood to the side, her heart stirred slightly.

In this chaotic world, there has never been a clear boundary between the martial arts world and the imperial court. The tragedy in Chenjia Village originated in the imperial court, but today it may end in the martial arts world.

Xiu Yuan's gaze sharpened as he looked up into the deepest part of the sky, where the stars still lingered.

Then a somewhat ethereal voice echoed in mid-air.

"Tian Shu."

"Tianxuan."

As the sound rang out, the previously dim starlight in the sky began to twinkle again, and a murderous intent spread from the sky.

"Tianji, Tianquan"

As soon as the words "Tianquan" landed, a phantom of a dipper-shaped star suddenly appeared in mid-air, followed by an oppressive atmosphere that enveloped the entire city of Daliang.

The oppressive atmosphere was so intense that everyone present felt breathless, as if the sky were about to fall.

At this moment, a trace of fear rose in Yan Wu's eyes as he stood on the ground. The aura emanating from the other party reminded him of the extremely exaggerated starry sky realm he had encountered a few days ago.

As an old monster who had lived long enough, he also had some knowledge of the stars in the sky.

The stars the other party is referring to are the Big Dipper, which is associated with warfare and killing.

The meaning of the Big Dipper, once comprehended, will not be used for saving lives, but rather for a deadly move with extremely strong killing power.

At this moment, before the moves were even fully formed, a chilling aura was already gathering between heaven and earth, a very dangerous omen.

Aside from the old patriarch of the Armored Sect who was almost a Grandmaster, everyone else present felt a bit gloomy, and an indescribable sense of oppression descended upon their hearts.

"Who exactly is that person?"

One man fighting against a thousand soldiers is already an extremely exaggerated combat ability in the martial arts world. Is this young man planning to challenge an entire city by himself?

In mid-air, Xiu Yuan's voice continued, and he called out three more names in succession.

“Yuheng, Kaiyang, Yaoguang”.

Then the sky suddenly trembled, and starlight descended upon this place across endless space and time. At the same time, among the seven kingdoms, the top experts with profound cultivation and those who had studied the stars all felt this change in the world.

"Is it that person??"

In the Yin-Yang School's headquarters, a woman in palace attire released the three-legged golden crow she was holding, her face filled with disbelief. She felt as if the entire starry sky had been disturbed.

The Big Dipper, radiating boundless killing intent, seemed to have been drawn down to the human world.

"Grandmaster??"

A man dressed in a black robe appeared on a huge seat built high up, his usually calm voice now tinged with surprise and uncertainty.

"This aura...is it someone from the Daoist Heavenly Sect?"

After a while, the other party spoke again.

Upon hearing the words "Taoist Heavenly Sect," the woman in palace attire frowned slightly. Compared to Taoism, the Yin-Yang School was the sect that had a deeper understanding of the stars. How could they possess such a method of guiding starlight?
"Lord Donghuang, does the Daoist Heavenly Sect not have this kind of cultivation technique?"

The man in black robes was none other than Donghuang Taiyi, the leader of the Yin-Yang School, while the woman in palace attire beside him was none other than Dongjun Yanfei, the extraordinary woman of the Yin-Yang School.

Upon hearing Yan Fei's words, Donghuang Taiyi remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly.

"The Taoist Heavenly Sect does not have such a technique. What this person cultivates is not the power of stars, but the Taoist principle of 'harmony with the world.' However, the other party has already mastered this technique to a high degree, and can merge with heaven and earth and transform into all things."

"Although the power of stars is rare, it is still within the Dao, so it can naturally be used by him."

"As far as I know, a few days ago, someone comprehended the mysteries of the stars and grasped their power. I never expected it to be this Taoist Tianzong figure."

Upon hearing Donghuang Taiyi's words, Yanfei's eyes flickered uncertainly.

Taoism is a very special school of thought. The Yin-Yang School originated from Taoism. Although Taoism is currently divided into the Heavenly School and the Human School, its strength should not be underestimated.

In particular, the Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Sect, Bei Mingzi, has been a Grandmaster for many years. Even Donghuang Taiyi would not want to provoke such a person.

Recalling what Donghuang Taiyi had said earlier, Yanfei guessed, "Is it Beimingzi?"

Donghuang Taiyi was shrouded in a huge black robe, making it impossible to see the other person's face. After hearing Yanfei's guess, the leader of the Yin-Yang School replied slowly after a while: "No, it's a young man."

"Have someone investigate who this young man from the Taoist Heavenly Sect is."

Donghuang Taiyi had no recollection of this person who had suddenly appeared in his senses. Unlike the Human Sect, the Heavenly Sect focused solely on cultivation and rarely descended the mountain.

Therefore, people in the martial arts world don't know much about the Heavenly Sect, but they know much more about the Human Sect. After all, the Human Sect emphasizes doing whatever one pleases, which inevitably leads to more contact with the secular world.

Upon hearing the order, Yanfei nodded gently.

"By the way, how's Yan Dan's situation?"

Upon hearing Donghuang Taiyi mention something else, Yanfei's eyes revealed a strange glint. The Yin-Yang School's target was the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations, and Yan Dan was a crucial part of that.

"It's still under control."

The gaze returned to the city of Daliang. Suddenly, seven stars appeared in the sky. The young man looked up, stroked his peach-shaped sword, and said in a deep voice, "I have a sword that I will give to the Wei Kingdom and to the world."

"The world today is ultimately wrong!!"

"Strategists strategize in the hall, fierce generals fight on the frontier. Favorable timing, advantageous location, and popular support. Yan can be attacked, and so can Japan. Today, towers and tripods stand tall; tomorrow, swords and tread upon mountains and rivers. The people of the capital sing in unison the Great Wind Song. Leading all the ministers, we come to offer our congratulations."

The sound, like the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger, resounded throughout the heavens and earth. This time, even the experts in Daliang City were moved.

Xiaomeng's eyes flashed with electricity, and a sword light seemed to surge forth from the depths of her gaze.

"Sword and Footsteps Across Mountains and Rivers"

The sound ceased, the wind rose, a fierce gale howled, and a great killing intent, sword light, and starlight surged forth.

Feeling the chilling killing intent descending from mid-air, and looking at the Imperial Guards beside him, Yan Wu dared not hesitate. He used a secret military technique to instantly condense the spirit and energy of these thousand Imperial Guards into a single rope.

This allowed him to reach an even higher level, going from being infinitely close to the realm of a grandmaster to becoming a true grandmaster.

Then, an aura instantly enveloped the entire team.

"Grandmaster, I can help."

The tall and imposing Dian Qing stood to one side and spoke in a deep voice.

Yan Wu gently shook his head.

"This young man comes from the Taoist Tianzong sect. He sought revenge for the blood feud in Chenjia Village of Guancheng. Later, Lian Po used him to eliminate Li Qing, Xu Di, and Wei Yong."

"Originally, I intended to keep the two of them, since the deaths of Wei Yong and Li Qing needed to be explained to the King. However, I did not expect things to develop to this point."

"If you survive this battle, do not seek revenge!"

Upon hearing this, Dian Qing and Mei San Niang's expressions darkened. They hadn't expected so many schemes to be involved. As for the matter of Lian Po, the two siblings knew about it.

"Grandmaster??"

Mei San Niang was somewhat skeptical. Could this young man really have the strength to fight against a thousand soldiers? But she shouldn't forget that there were more than just these thousand people in Daliang City.

"If we cannot capture this young grandmaster in this battle, his rise to power will be unstoppable, and it is impossible to predict how far he will go."

“I have seen relevant records in ancient books. When one cultivates to the end, one can become an army and roam the world. This is called a Grandmaster. But there is another realm above the Grandmaster. There are very few descriptions of that realm. There are only four words: ‘Land Immortal.’”

Before Yan Wu's words had even finished, boundless starlight fell upon the scene, its terrifying force like a meteorite crashing down. Even the ordinary imperial guards, protected by the armored sect's hard skills, were unable to withstand any of its strikes.

Looking at the defensive technique, which was as thin as paper and could be broken at the slightest touch, Yan Wu couldn't help but smile bitterly.

The method of guiding starlight can no longer be called martial arts; he estimated that even that old guy from the Yin-Yang School couldn't do it.

"Grandmaster!!"

Watching the Imperial Guards fall one after another, Dian Qing tightened his grip on the two swords in his hands. This situation was simply too frustrating.

Yan Wu looked up at the indifferent-looking boy in mid-air and couldn't help but sigh. At this point in the battle, the other party probably had no intention of stopping. Before the initial plan could be implemented, the situation had already changed dramatically.

At the current rate, these Imperial Guards will be corpses in thirty breaths at most.

Rather than die meaninglessly, he would rather take a gamble.

The group of warriors were originally a bunch of crazy people who refused to accept their fate, and he was no exception.

"In a moment, I will go and try to save your lives. Don't hesitate, go as far away as you can."

Hearing Yan Wu's sorrowful words, both Dian Qing and Mei San Niang's eyes reddened. Throughout their time together, Yan Wu had always been a kind and loving elder. He was the one who saved Ximen Dian from a critical condition.

"Don't act like a timid, submissive girl!"

"We warriors have already lived a life worth living, and with the help of these thousand men, it's not necessarily me who will die!"

After saying this, Yan Wu took a deep breath, as if swallowing a whale, absorbing all the essence of these thousand people into his own body.

The immense power surged into his body, instantly breaking through the threshold of becoming a Grandmaster. Feeling the surging power within him, Yan Wu smiled, but the smile was cold.

The seemingly successful breakthrough was only temporary, but the price they paid was incredibly heavy: the lives of a thousand Imperial Guards, and his future as a Grandmaster at the peak. Even if he survived this battle, he would be completely crippled.

However, Yan Wu couldn't care less about anything else at this moment. He then stepped on the ground, and half a street collapsed under his foot. His figure then turned into a black line and rushed towards the boy in mid-air.

"If you want to become a Grandmaster, first ask this old man if he'll allow it!!"

(End of this chapter)