From Martial Arts Dungeon to Master of Martial Arts

Inside the city lord's mansion.

The magnificent reception room was furnished with tables and chairs made of mahogany. Yang Baiyu sat in the main seat and addressed the people in front of her.

"These demons are wreaking havoc in the city. Now we need to work together to slay them here."

"Stop with the empty talk. The city has been occupied by demons. Why not ask the county town for help instead of discussing how to deal with them? Can we even handle them?" the muscular man from the Hundred Martial Sect said in a deep voice.

His figure stood out among the group of people.

"Are you looking for death? If the people of the county see that demon and see anything, the entire Changshu will be destroyed. You must know what happened to the Three Lords City. Just because they were researching demonic martial arts, the imperial army slaughtered the entire city, not even sparing three-year-old children." The only surviving Qi expert of the Shangguan family, the thin man, without his mask, exuded an air of refinement.

"Hmph! We supported your Shangguan family, but in the end we suffered defeat. Now, they're more like demon warriors than demons. Now that they're approaching the Upper Realm, how are we supposed to fight them?" The Hundred Martial Sect Master said in a deep voice.

Jingyu listened to their discussion with her eyes closed and an air of composure.

Every household contributed to this matter, but in reality, Zhenyuan Temple contributed the least; they only provided some specially made demon flesh and blood.

Some contributed manpower, some contributed labor, and some helped cover for the Shangguan family; everyone was waiting for the day the Shangguan family succeeded.

Unfortunately, they ultimately failed and lost everything. Now they all need to erase all traces of their involvement.

Zhenyuan Temple didn't do much; selling demon flesh and blood was normal, since various weapons and pills were needed.

"Who said it was a failure? Isn't that a success?" Shangguan Qijin expert said in a deep voice, "If we can get his corpse and study his blood and flesh, we can obtain the secret manual for success. If we can cultivate it, then we will naturally be fearless."

"The premise is that we can kill that demon. We don't know the situation of the demon yet. He is seriously injured and unconscious, so he must have a way to protect himself. Moreover, if we make a move directly, he will definitely be awakened. How confident are you?" Jing Yu interjected at this moment.

"He absorbed everyone in the inner city, so he'll inevitably become a superior demon. How can we possibly fight him?"

Superior demons are definitely not something that these Qi-based martial artists can contend with.

"Whether we fight or not, we'll die. So, Master Jingyu, what advice do you have for us?" the female owner of Hongyu Pavilion asked.

"In the end, it's a matter of survival against all odds. I have no other choice but to fight." Jing Yu spread his hands, looking helpless. "I'm prepared to die at the hands of those demons. Even if the court investigates afterward, they won't be able to trace it back to Zhenyuan Temple. What I'm asking is... are you prepared to die here?"

The crowd's faces immediately darkened; they didn't want to die like this.

If this matter hadn't been so significant, they would have fled long ago.

"If you all have no other choice," Yang Baiyu said at this moment, "then we will have no choice but to fight to the death. If we succeed, we can study the demon's corpse. If we fail, even if we don't die at the hands of that demon, the imperial court will not let us go."

"Even if you win, you still want to study that demonic martial arts?" The Hundred Martial Sect Master said in a deep voice, "This research has already dragged us into trouble. We've already dealt with most of it, and you still want to continue!"

He is afraid now; the entire Hundred Martial Sect is now teetering on the brink of life and death.

Continuing is a gamble.

"We already have a successful example. As long as we have his corpse, we can replicate his techniques. When we master the Demon Martial Arts, we can also get a share of the spoils in this chaotic world." The expert Shangguan Qi said in a deep voice, "We martial artists are fearless. You are so timid and hesitant. No wonder you have been hiding in Changshu all this time."

"Bang!" The Hundred Martial Sect Master shattered the armrest with a palm strike, stood up, and looked at the Qi expert from the Shangguan family: "How about we settle this between ourselves here?"

"What kind of ability is it to bully someone at the initial stage of Qi Refining? If you're so capable, go and destroy that demon!" The Qi Refining expert from the Shangguan family said coldly, but he didn't dare to fight the other party directly.

The Shangguan family was one of the three major families supported by the City Lord's Mansion. They were considered newcomers and their foundation was indeed not as deep.

Otherwise, how did such a dirty business as demonic martial arts end up in their hands?

"Alright, enough talk," Yang Baiyu interrupted the two. "Arguing is pointless. We've waited until the midday sun is at its strongest before we make our move. Now, neither of us has any way out."

The leader of the Hundred Martial Sect glared resentfully at the Qi expert from the Shangguan family.

He was still somewhat wary of this city lord, after all, this man was rumored to be the number one expert in the entire Changshu.

Jing Yu said with a smile, "Now that you're done arguing, leave a will. Although it's unlikely to get delivered, you should at least have something to remember before you die."

Everyone glared angrily at Jing Yu.

Yang Baiyu also glanced coldly at Jingyu and said, "I'd like to witness the True Qi of Zhenyuan Temple today. I hope you won't disappoint me."

"Don't worry, I won't stay behind this time." Jing Yu's face also showed a solemn expression.

...

The gates of the city lord's mansion slowly opened, and a group of people filed in.

"Then let us give it our all." Yang Baiyu looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice, "If we give our all but fail to exert ourselves, and this leads to our complete defeat, none of us will survive."

He gave Jing Yu a special look; this guy was a seasoned pro at slacking off.

"Why are you looking at me? Of course I know the situation is serious. I've already agreed to go all out, so I won't hold back anymore," Jing Yu said with an innocent expression.

"Let's go, everyone." Yang Baiyu withdrew his gaze and walked forward, with the others following behind.

The group walked on in silence, the atmosphere heavy, and even Jing Yu's smile slowly disappeared.

This battle will not be easy.

Just on the road.

His gaze inadvertently swept across a small alley.

"Is there something you need, Daoist Jingyu?" Yang Baiyu had been observing Jingyu and naturally noticed the unusual look in his eyes.

"It's nothing." Jing Yu merely frowned and continued walking forward.

And in the alley around the corner.

Mu Sheng was leaning against the wall, hidden in the shadows, a wooden mask spinning between her fingers.

With such skills, achieving the state of neutralizing force is incredibly easy.

Today, he was not wearing his usual clothes, but a black, tight-fitting outfit. His hands and feet were bound, and he had a broadsword to ward off evil on his back.

"We're going to have to fight tooth and nail this time."

As soon as the wooden mask in his hand came to rest, he slowly put it on his face. Several black ropes tied it tightly behind his head.

The mask had a hint of black, resembling a gaping, malevolent demon.