Martial Arts: Starting with Upgrading the Dilapidated Temple

Chapter 154

"Ancient Soldier Tomb".

The Abyss rested across his lap, its blade emitting an extremely faint hum.

The dark gold patterns turned scalding hot, and an almost greedy pulling force came from the hilt of the knife.

It wants to go.

Xu Hao raised his hand and pressed down on the knife handle.

He unleashed his inner energy, forcefully suppressing the abyss's restlessness.

A line of small golden characters appeared at the edge of the scroll.

[Unlocking the deeper area (Ancient Military Tomb) requires upgrading the Blessed Land level to LV3.]

[Upgrade Requirements: Devour the core of a blessed land of the same level, or sacrifice a massive amount of high-level resources (cultivation techniques, exotic beast flesh and blood, spiritual items).]

Xu Hao opened his eyes.

The geological veins of Zezhou are extremely stable, making it unrealistic to forcibly dig down two hundred zhang (approximately 600 meters).

The only option is to upgrade through the blessed land.

Abundant resources.

He stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and looked north.

In Yongzhou City, someone has already amassed a fortune for him that spans six generations.

In Yongzhou City, at the main residence of the Mu family, in the Cuiwei Pavilion.

Mu Chenyuan sat in a grand chair, holding a cup of calming tea in his hand.

The tea was very hot, but his hands were trembling.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from the courtyard.

The butler scrambled across the threshold, shouting, "Master! The young master is back!"

Mu Chenyuan suddenly stood up.

Mu Yunchuan was helped in.

He was covered in blood, his brocade outfit torn to shreds, and his left arm hung limply, clearly dislocated.

There was no one behind him.

Mu Chenyuan's gaze passed over Mu Yunchuan and looked towards the courtyard gate.

Empty and desolate.

"Where is your second uncle?" Mu Chenyuan's voice trembled.

"Gone." Mu Yunchuan collapsed to his knees with a thud, tears mingling with blood as they splashed onto the bluestone slab. "All gone. The two guest elders, my second uncle, the brothers from the Enforcement Hall—none of them came out."

Of the elite team of over thirty people, only this one person remains.

Snapped.

The teacup in Mu Chenyuan's hand fell to the ground and shattered.

His vision went black, and he slumped back into the armchair, letting out a series of labored, bellowing breaths.

"What happened? How could so many people be dead at the edge of the Dead Bone Forest?!" Mu Chenyuan stared intently at his eldest son.

Mu Yunchuan raised his head, his face still showing lingering fear.

"It was that man in black! He followed us to the Forest of Withered Bones!" Mu Yunchuan spoke rapidly, his voice sharp and shrill. "At first, everything was normal. My second uncle and I had set up the bronze cauldron formation properly, and just as a few crystals condensed inside, this man, using some unknown method, suddenly triggered the earth's ley lines! Black ice pillars spewed from the ground, freezing more than a dozen brothers to pieces on the spot!"

He caught his breath and continued, "The two guest elders joined forces to fight the enemy. That man drew a dark gold longsword and used only one move—a strike as heavy as Mount Tai within ten zhang (approximately 33 meters). The guest elders didn't even have time to release their internal energy before their heads were severed!"

Mu Chenyuan gripped the armrests of the chair tightly with both hands.

Killed two late-stage Inner Strength Realm cultivators in one move?

Does it trigger the earth's evil energy?

This is something that ordinary martial artists cannot do.

This is a monster!

"My second uncle risked his life to protect me." Mu Yunchuan pulled a blood-stained cloth bag from his pocket, held it above his head with both hands, and said, "He said the Mu family line cannot end, and told me to take these things and run away."

The butler stepped forward, took the cloth bag, and handed it to Mu Chenyuan.

Open the cloth bag.

Inside were five dark gold leyline crystals and a fragment of half a horse-slaying sword blade.

Mu Chenyuan stared at the half-blade, his eyes twitching violently.

This is Mu Lao Er's personal weapon.

Mu Chenyuan closed his eyes.

Two streams of tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Yun Chuan." Mu Chenyuan opened his eyes, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

"My son is here."

"From today onwards, you will take over all remaining personnel in the Enforcement Hall." Mu Chenyuan's voice was hoarse, revealing a ruthless determination. "Block the news. Send these crystals to Heron Mountain immediately. Keep that living god in check."

Mu Yunchuan clutched his injured left arm, sweating profusely from the pain, yet still forced himself to speak: "Father, the Xuan Yin Cold Iron that Second Uncle retrieved—"

The Qin family is probably in an uproar. How about we find an excuse to go back? We could say our subordinates have lost their minds—"

"Retreat?" Mu Chenyuan kicked away a shard of porcelain, sending it flying and shattering into dust against the doorframe. "Have you lost your mind? You've barely retreated, and Qin Wang'an will be back with his entire family to tear down our Mu family's gate. That's like admitting defeat without being asked!"

Mu Yunchuan immediately lowered his head, feigning a trembling silence.

Mu Chenyuan paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, his withered fingers cracking as he clenched his fists: "Second brother handled this matter sloppily, but at least the person is dead and the matter is settled. Those few good-for-nothings, Qin Dazhuang, only saw a horse-slaying sword, not even their faces. As long as we stick to our guns and deny everything, that old bastard Qin Wang'an won't dare to launch a full-scale war against the Mu family at this critical juncture."

"This batch of cold iron—"

"Put it in the warehouse first, and don't let a word of it get out."

Mu Chenyuan walked to the desk and reached out to push aside the Duan inkstone on the table.

Click.

An extremely faint sound of a mechanical spring rang out.

A hidden compartment pops up on the desktop.

Mu Yunchuan slightly raised his eyes, his gaze like a hook across the edge of the table, fixed on the hidden compartment.

Inside lay several oddly shaped brass keys and a dark, heavy dispatching plaque.

Mu Chenyuan grabbed the iron plate and slammed it onto the table with a loud bang.

"Your second uncle is gone, and your retainer has also fallen. There are few capable people left in the family. From today onwards, you will have full authority over the family's defenses."

"yes!"

Mu Yunchuan stepped forward and picked up the dispatching iron plate with one hand.

As he took the token, his gaze swept over the brass key in the hidden compartment once more.

I've remembered the location.

"Go, treat your injuries." Mu Chenyuan waved wearily and slumped back into his armchair.

Mu Yunchuan bowed and withdrew.

Step out the threshold and turn into the corridor.

Mu Yunchuan looked down at the iron plaque in his hand, and a slow, upward curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

three days later.

Yongzhou City.

The news spread throughout the entire state capital.

"Mu Lao Er led his men into the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, and the entire army was wiped out."

"Both of the Mu family's retainers are dead. Guest elders! Guest elders from the Inner Stronghold!"

"Mu Chenyuan was so angry that he vomited blood that very day."

"I heard that Mu Yunchuan, the eldest son of the Mu family, has taken over the Law Enforcement Hall and is blocking all exits from the Mu family."

When the news reached Kuyetang, Qin Wang'an was holding a bowl of ginseng soup.

He put down the ginseng soup, his triangular eyes narrowing into slits.

"The Mu family's main military force has been reduced by more than half—" Qin Wang'an rubbed his fingers together, his fingertips greasy with ginseng oil. "Quite a coincidence. First, my Qin family's cold iron was robbed, and then the Mu family's elite forces were all wiped out in the Ten Thousand Poison Forest. Interesting."

The butler lowered his head and dared not respond.

"What did Gu Xiangtian say?"

"The Gu family head said—he is willing to stand with the Qin family through thick and thin. But he demands that the Mu family receive 30% of the medicinal herb fields afterward."

"Thirty percent? He has the nerve to ask for that much?" Qin Wang'an sneered. "But now the Mu family's flesh is rotten. If we don't eat it, it'll just benefit others. Let's sign a secret agreement with the Gu family first. Once the Mu family's funeral is over, the two families will join forces to take over all of the Mu family's outposts on the Zezhou border."

"—What about the Myriad Poisons Forest?"

Qin Wang'an picked up the ginseng soup and took a sip.

"The Myriad Poisons Forest can kill even those at the Inner Strength Realm; it's not something my Qin family can afford to mess with. We'll leave it alone for now."

He paused, then suddenly remembered something.

"Go, reinvestigate the middlemen involved in the acquisition of Hantie. Investigate from the source."

The steward acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Qin Wang'an sat alone in the empty Bitter Leaf Hall, tapping his fingers lightly on the table a few times.

Something just doesn't feel right.

It's as if an invisible thread connects the Mu family, the Qin family, and the Observatory.

The person who made the connection remained hidden in the shadows.

into the night.

Liuyao Town, the backyard of Jishetang.

Ji Sanjin is grinding herbs.

Xu Hao rolled in, bringing in a gust of night wind.

"How is the situation?" Xu Hao walked to the stone table and sat down.

Ji Sanjin poured a cup of hot tea and pushed it over: "The Qin family hasn't made a move. Qin Wang'an suppressed his men's anger and sent three groups of people to Shengzhou to investigate Han Tie's middleman. He suspects someone is setting a trap."

"The old fox's intuition is pretty accurate." Xu Hao picked up his teacup but didn't drink it.

"Has word gotten out that something happened to the Mu family? What's the Gu family saying?"

"The whole city knows about the Mu family now. Gu Xiangtian is making outrageous demands, wanting 30% of the Mu family's medicinal herb fields before he'll ally with the Qin family. Qin Wang'an is still haggling with him." Ji Sanjin rubbed his hands together. "The Mu family is currently refusing visitors."

Xu Hao flipped his wrist and pulled something out of the storage room, throwing it onto the stone table with a clatter.

A heavy horse-slaying sword.

The hilt was wrapped with gold thread, and the blade was broken in half.

Then, another left ear that had been pickled with quicklime was thrown out.

Ji Sanjin's eyelids twitched: "Mu Lao Er's knife?"

"Didn't Qin Wang'an want evidence? Give it to him." Xu Hao tapped the stone table. "Find a clean-cut informant and find a way to get these two items into the Qin family. Also, attach a note saying 'The robbers of the Qingniu Ridge, the second son of the Mu family.'"

Ji Sanjin gasped.

If this thing were thrown into the Qin family, no matter how much Qin Wang'an suspected someone was setting a trap, he wouldn't be able to suppress his anger.

Mu Lao Er's weapon and ear are here. If the Qin family doesn't fight back, they'll be finished in Yongzhou.

"If this fire gets started, the Qin and Mu families will be fighting in the streets tomorrow." Ji Sanjin sheathed his broadsword and ear. "How do you plan to clean up this mess?"

"There's no need to end this. Let them fight." Xu Hao stood up. "The Mu family is currently outwardly strong but inwardly weak. Once the Qin family makes a move, Mu Chenyuan will reveal all his trump cards. Only then will the waters of Yongzhou be truly stirred up."

"Has anyone brought you anything?"

Ji Sanjin took out a string of oddly shaped brass keys from his pocket.

He threw the keys on the stone table, making a dull metallic clanging sound.

"An hour ago, a man wearing a straw hat slipped in through the back door, dropped off his things, and ran away." Ji Sanjin rubbed the old scar beside his broken ear. "His build looked like Mu Yunchuan, the eldest young master of the Mu family. What kind of bewitching potion did you give him?"

Xu Hao picked up the key and ran his thumb along the intricate teeth marks on it.

"He's a smart man. Smart men know how to survive." Xu Hao put the key in his pocket, stood up, walked to the courtyard wall, stopped, and turned back. "Who's in charge of this Mingcui Tower area?"

Ji Sanjin was taken aback: "That's the biggest brothel in the south of the city, the Mu family's place. What?"

"Go and get some stock."

Xu Hao flipped over the courtyard wall and disappeared into the night.

South of Yongzhou City stands Mingcui Tower.

At midnight, the building was still brightly lit, and the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air.

Xu Hao did not use the main entrance.

He evaded the patrolling thugs and slid directly into the ground through the ventilation shaft in the back alley.

Mu Lao Er had explained that it was three zhang underground.

Xu Hao landed on both feet.

This is a narrow passageway with ever-burning lamps embedded in the walls on both sides.

At the end of the passageway is a large gate cast from a single piece of refined steel.

There is no keyhole on the door, only three grooves.

Xu Hao took out three uniquely shaped copper keys from his pocket. Mu Yunchuan was quite efficient; these were genuine items from the hidden compartment in Mu Chenyuan's study.

Insert the copper spoons into the grooves one by one.

Click. Click. Click.

The dull groan of the mechanism starting up filled the air.

The steel gate slowly slid open to both sides.

A musty, bookish smell and a strong medicinal aroma wafted over.

Xu Hao walked into the armory.

The 300-square-meter underground space is filled with rosewood bookshelves and display cabinets.

The accumulated wealth of six generations, the foundation of one of the three great families of Yongzhou, is all here.

At first glance, there are mountains of medicinal herbs on the left, neatly stacked martial arts manuals on the right, and ten large wooden boxes inlaid with copper in the very center.

Xu Hao walked to the wooden box and casually lifted the lid.

A full box of blood crystals gleamed with an alluring red light under the ever-burning lamp.

The family fortune spanned six generations; they were indeed very wealthy.

Xu Hao patted the dust off his hands.

In Yongzhou, ordinary people who want to learn martial arts have to sell themselves into servitude to the three major families in exchange for a few doses of boiled medicinal dregs.

In the Mu family's armory, bundles of century-old Ghost Face Ganoderma lucidum were piled up in the corner like radishes.

The ancients were right: "The poor are learned in literature, the rich in martial arts."

Xu Hao was too lazy to look closely.

Being picky is not his style.

Close.

Place your palm on the first row of bookshelves.

The cultivation technique, along with the rosewood frame, vanished into thin air, falling entirely into the Sumeru Granary.

Then came the second row, and then the third row.

Medicinal herbs, weapons, and blood crystal boxes.

Xu Hao was like a diligent cleaner, taking everything he could get his hands on, even the few dusty porcelain bottles in the corners of the wall.

Deep within the armory, in a corner previously hidden by several large medicine shelves, lies a protruding blue brick. On this brick sits a solitary, inconspicuous black wooden box.

There were no mechanisms, no formations, not even a lock.

It's just sitting there so openly.

Xu Hao walked over, and Shi Yuan twirled it halfway in his hand before using the hilt of his knife to pry open the box lid.

It didn't contain any extraordinary martial arts skills, nor any elixirs for prolonging life.

There was only a small, palm-sized piece of black metal.

The edges of the fragments were jagged, as if they had been forcibly broken off from a huge iron plate.

The surface is covered with a layer of dark red rust, and half of a broken ancient seal character can be vaguely seen.

Xu Hao stared at that half-word, his eyes narrowing.

The material, the aura—it all feels so familiar.

The surface of the fragments was covered with cracks, from which faint wisps of deathly aura could be seen.

This deathly aura is of the same origin as the aura emanating from the strange creature Bai'e, who was at the Tongqiao Realm before, but it is more than a hundred times purer.

The moment the finger touched the shard, a cold, viscous aura of death crept up the fingertip and into the meridians.

Xu Hao snorted coldly, his dark gold heart pounded heavily, and the domineering power of the earth vein directly crushed the death energy into powder.

Within his mind, the scroll depicting the blessed land suddenly trembled.

The normally pale gold lettering had turned a glaring blood red.

Fragments of "Abyss Navel" detected.

Almost simultaneously, the Devouring Abyss Blade at his waist trembled violently.

It emitted a metallic hum, and the dark gold patterns shone so brightly they were almost burning hot.

The knife hilt pressed desperately towards Xu Hao's palm, an irrepressible, greedy desire rising within him.

Xu Hao slapped the hilt of the knife with his backhand.

"Promising."

The Abyss let out a frustrated buzz and then fell silent.

Xu Hao stared at the metal fragment in his hand.

How did the items from the Observatory of Astronomy end up here?

Suddenly, extremely faint footsteps came from outside the door.

They weren't patrolling thugs.

The footsteps stopped outside the steel gate.

A soft, high-pitched voice drifted in through the crack in the door.

"Back in the capital, we heard that a dragon crossing the river with a dark gold longsword had appeared in Yongzhou. We never expected that the dragon wouldn't be in the water, but would instead disappear into a rat hole."