High Martial Arts: Gains one point of health per second, sweeping across the heavens.

After the last wisp of valuable battlefield blood essence was absorbed and refined, Su Jie's system panel showed that the amount of blood essence had reached 12,200 points!

This number has already far exceeded the 100 million points of Qi and Blood required to condense the tenth Martial Vein!

Feeling the surging energy within his body and the exhilarating numbers on the system panel, Su Jie let out a long sigh of relief.

With this enormous resource, reaching the tenth meridian is a certainty!

[Ding! Host's Qi and Blood have exceeded 100 million points. Do you wish to immediately begin condensing the tenth Martial Meridian?]

[Note: The tenth martial vein is the ultimate martial vein. The condensation process will trigger unusual phenomena in the energy of heaven and earth, and there is a very small chance of awakening martial vein supernatural abilities. Please choose your location carefully.]

By this time, the beast tide had completely receded, disappearing into the darkness in the distance, leaving behind only a devastated battlefield and a lingering stench of blood.

Sword Master waved his sleeve to disperse the residual energy, and in a flash, he arrived beside Su Jie.

He glanced at Su Jie and keenly sensed that Su Jie's aura was much more stable and robust than before.

Although his left arm was still somewhat uncomfortable, it was no longer a major problem, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. This child's recovery ability was truly astonishing.

"It's good that you're alright, young friend." The Sword Venerable nodded slightly. "This place is not safe to stay for long. Although the beast tide has temporarily receded, there may be unforeseen changes in the depths. Follow me to leave. You need to fully heal your wounds and digest what you've gained."

Su Jie nodded. He also sensed that from the darkness at the source of the beast tide, an even more powerful gaze seemed to sweep across the battlefield, filled with scrutiny and indifference.

However, he suppressed the urge to immediately go into seclusion, and his gaze involuntarily turned to the direction where President Chen Mingyang had fallen.

"Senior, please wait a moment." Su Jie's voice was low and heavy, carrying an unyielding weight. "President Chen perished while saving me. I must bring him back to the headquarters of the Tiandu Provincial Martial Arts Association."

A hint of approval mixed with the same sorrow flashed in the Sword Venerable's eyes. He nodded and said, "That's only right. I will go with you."

The two figures flashed, quickly arriving at the spot where Chen Mingyang had fallen. However, the scene before him caused Su Jie's pupils to contract sharply, and an uncontrollable rage instantly surged to his head!

Beside Chen Mingyang's body, two elegantly dressed, spotless young men were squatting!

Their brocade robes and jade belts were completely out of place with the bloody and desolate battlefield around them, and they showed no signs of having experienced a bloody battle. Clearly, they had arrived from the safe rear after the beast tide had subsided.

At this moment, the two men were frantically groping Chairman Chen's body, their faces showing a mixture of tension, greed, and excitement.

One of them was holding a jewel-encrusted dagger and was trying to pry off the priceless Crimson Sun Crystal from Chen Mingyang's breastplate, while the other had already partially removed the ancient storage ring from Chen Mingyang's finger!

"Hurry! This old guy has all sorts of good stuff on him!"

"Stop talking nonsense and take it! This place is bad luck!"

They urged each other on in hushed tones, showing no respect whatsoever for the hero's remains beneath their feet.

"What are you doing?!" Su Jie's angry shout was like a thunderclap.

The two richly dressed young men were startled and turned around abruptly. When they saw that the newcomers were a young man with tattered clothes and a restrained aura, and an ordinary-looking old man, their panic was quickly replaced by anger and arrogance.

"Where did this bumpkin come from? Daring to meddle in my business?" The young man with the dagger stood up and waved his hand impatiently. "Get lost! You can't touch the things here!" He clearly mistook Su Jie for a rogue martial artist who also wanted to take advantage of the situation.

Another man stood up, dusted off imaginary dust from his fine clothes, and said arrogantly, "Kid, open your dog eyes and see clearly! We are the direct descendants of the Li and Zhao families of Jinling! If you know what's good for you, get lost and don't make trouble for yourself!"

They didn't know Su Jie at all, nor had they seen his previous battles. Judging from his clothes and age, they assumed he was an unknown nobody who was arrogant and domineering because of his family background.

Looking at their ugly faces, and then at Chairman Chen Mingyang's deceased body, Su Jie laughed in fury: "The Li family and the Zhao family? Very well... very well indeed! The hero's body is barely cold, and you parasites are already eager to devour it?"

With undisguised killing intent, Su Jie walked forward step by step.

The two youths were intimidated by Su Jie's gaze and killing intent, and subconsciously took a step back, but their words remained defiant: "You... what do you want to do? If you dare to touch us, the Li family (Zhao family) will never let you off!"

"What are you doing?" Su Jie's voice seemed to come from the depths of hell, "Sending you to apologize to Chairman Chen!"

Before he finished speaking, Su Jie's figure vanished like a ghost, and the next moment he appeared in front of the two of them!

With his left hand, imbued with immortal martial spirit, tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound, he swung it left and right like swatting flies!

"Bang! Bang!"

Two muffled thuds! The two richly dressed youths didn't even have a chance to react before their protective light shattered instantly, and their heads were smashed to pieces by the palms containing terrifying power, just like fragile earthenware pots!

Red and white substances splattered everywhere, the headless corpse swayed, and then fell heavily to the ground.

Su Jie didn't even glance at the two filthy corpses. He took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed his surging killing intent.

He slowly knelt on one knee beside Chen Mingyang's body, carefully put the storage ring that had been half-removed back on, and gently pressed the loosened Crimson Sun Crystal back into place on the Heart-Protecting Mirror.

His movements were gentle and solemn. Then, he took off his tattered outer robe, gently covered Chen Mingyang's body, and slowly lifted him up.

This old war god, who has guarded Tiandu Province for decades, still has a heavy body, as if he carries the hopes and expectations of countless people.

"President Chen, let's...go home," Su Jie said softly, his voice choked with emotion.

Holding Chen Mingyang's body, he and the Sword Venerable transformed into streaks of light and silently departed towards Jinling City.

Two streaks of light streaked across the sky and landed in the square in front of the headquarters building of the Tiandu Provincial Martial Arts Association.

Su Jie, carrying Chen Mingyang's body covered in robes, appeared alongside the Sword Venerable.

News of their return had already spread, and the square was now filled with countless people—surviving martial artists, government officials, citizens who had rushed to the scene, and longtime subordinates of Chairman Chen Mingyang.

When they saw the imposing figure in Su Jie's arms, covered by robes and lifeless, the once noisy square instantly fell into a deathly silence. Then, suppressed sobs and uncontrollable cries of grief spread like a tide.

"President!"

"President Chen...!"

"How could this happen..."