High Martial Arts: Starting with a Martial Saint Peak Cultivation

The spirit lamp in the meditation room burned quietly.

The mist on the warm jade plate was thinner than before, and the air was filled with an aura of metal and law energy, like rust mixed with honey.

Chen Yuan sat cross-legged in the center.

The speed at which the ten fingers formed hand seals had slowed down.

Wanbaohe's main body slowly rotated above his head, and the dazzling starry river had grown nearly 20% larger than it had been half a month ago.

The earthen-yellow patterns of the Xuanhuang Bell were completely imprinted on the river's surface, giving it a heavy, defensive feel, like an invisible armor enveloping the entire galaxy.

The crimson light of the Binding Sky Silk was still in the process of merging, like a slowly flowing line of blood, being swallowed up little by little by the Myriad Treasures River.

Fine beads of sweat clung to Chen Yuan's forehead, and his knuckles were slightly white from making hand seals for so long.

"It's almost done... The Heaven-Binding Ribbon is almost finished."

He muttered to himself.

"After fusing the Heaven-Binding Ribbon, finally fuse the Soul-Capturing Bell."

"In at most another week, Wanbaohe will be able to reach a new level."

Outside the meditation room.

A tranquil afternoon sun shines on the lake, and water birds land on the shore to peck at the roots of aquatic plants.

No one bothered him.

Time passed slowly, and the light in the cultivation room gradually changed color as the Wanbao River fused.

.........

And on the distant edge of the Purple Mystic Starfield.

On that forgotten, desolate planet, a group of people are also busy at work.

The dust continued to whistle across the planet's surface.

The sound was just like someone playing a worn-out cello in the distance, deep and lingering.

Tiny grains of sand hit the rock wall, making a crackling sound.

The sky was leaden gray, without clouds or light.

Only the faint star in the distance left a very thin orange-red halo on the edge of the horizon, like a line drawn with a blade.

The edge of the camp.

A figure was rapidly approaching.

It was a flat, shuttle-shaped flying boat, about three zhang long, with a bluish-gray body and its surface covered with hidden runes.

The airship was extremely fast, flying almost close to the ground.

The sand and dust swirling up on both sides left two long, grayish-yellow tails at the stern of the boat.

The airship came to a steady stop at the edge of the camp, and the cabin door slid open silently.

Four figures filed out of the cabin, with a middle-aged cultivator in a dark blue robe leading the way.

He looked slightly tired, but his eyes showed relief after completing the task.

He strode quickly toward the dark tent in the center of the camp and stopped three zhang in front of it.

"Immortal Lord Xuanying, your subordinate Zhao Yuanzhi has led the last exploration team back and completed the mission."

The tent curtains fluttered slightly.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord walked out slowly, his dark cloak trailing on the gravelly ground, making a soft rustling sound.

He looked Zhao Yuanzhi up and down and nodded slightly.

"It's good that you're back."

"Did anything major happen on the road?"

Zhao Yuanzhi clasped his hands in response: "Reporting back to the Immortal Lord, things have generally gone smoothly."

"We followed the original route stealthily, without making contact with any patrols from local forces."

"The overall strength of the Canglan Empire is consistent with the intelligence we previously gathered."

"The only truly powerful beings on the surface are the Earth Immortal-level Domain Envoys, Imperial Generals, and those who have been granted royal titles."

"Supreme Realm experts who are comparable to our Celestial Immortals rarely show their faces, and there is not a single Immortal King in existence."

"Their cultivation system is indeed based on beast taming, but their core law cultivation is not fundamentally different from ours."

"We also discovered a Celestial Realm that is about to open in the eastern star region of the Canglan Empire, but considering the team's need for secrecy, we did not linger to explore it further..."

After listening, Xuan Ying Xianjun's eyes showed no change.

The situation was not beyond his expectations.

"very good."

The last exploration team has now returned, all exploration work has been completed, and there were no casualties. This exploration trip can be described as a perfect ending.

"We will depart for the Cloud Ripples Immortal Realm in one hour. Get everyone moving."

Zhao Yuanzhi clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, then turned and strode quickly toward the camp.

"Everyone, get moving!"

"Immortal Lord Xuanying has ordered that we depart and return in one hour!"

His voice echoed across the camp.

The once quiet campsite instantly came alive.

The gray-robed disciples emerged from the tents; some were dismantling the tents, some were gathering up the array flags, and others were extinguishing the campfires.

The dark blue flame hissed as it was extinguished, releasing a damp, woody ash smell.

Everyone moved swiftly, like a group of well-trained worker ants.

"Finally, I can go back..."

A young disciple, who was only at the early stage of True God, said in a low voice to his companion while rolling up the tent cloth.

"I've been stuck in this lousy place for months, it's dusty every day, and the wind has made my face rough."

His companion nodded in agreement and put one of the battle flags into his storage bag.

"That's right, I dream of going back to the sect's spiritual spring pool for a bath."

"You have no idea, the last time I was meditating in the middle of the night, I almost got my face covered in sand."

"That thing, mixed with gravel, scrapes over like a knife."

"Our Yunlan Starfield is still the best; it has plenty of spiritual energy and not so much dust."

"However, when I get back this time, I'll have a lot of sect contribution points."

"I heard that as long as you go back alive, everyone can get at least 30,000 contribution points."

"I want to exchange these for a bottle of Spirit-Strengthening Pills to further improve my cultivation."

Several disciples nearby gathered around upon hearing this, their faces beaming with undisguised smiles.

"Thirty thousand contribution points? That's enough for me to exchange for a top-grade treasure!"

"I plan to save them up and exchange them when we launch a major offensive against this unknown land. Then I can kill a few more local rebels and the contribution points will snowball and double."

"Now that you mention it, I remember. When our four major sects launched a joint attack on this place, how were the spoils divided?"

"Let's follow the sect's rules. Whoever kills the victim keeps the loot, and the sect takes a cut."

"Tsk tsk, then I'll have to practice my skills properly."

"I've heard that the creatures in this star field aren't very strong; the strongest are only at the Celestial Immortal Realm."

"Then, with our Celestial King ancestors taking action, wouldn't it be a crushing victory?"

"Stop talking, stop talking, get to work! The Immortal Lord said we'll depart in an hour."

The group chatted and laughed, but their hands didn't slow down at all.

One by one, the gray-blue tents disappeared, revealing a flat, open space once more.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord did not participate in those trivial matters.

He strode toward the east side of the camp.

There were three slightly larger tents set up there. The material and color of the tents were no different from those in other places, but each tent had a different pattern embroidered on its top.

One is embroidered with purple cloud patterns, another with blue wave patterns, and the third with cyan sword patterns.

That was the residence of the three leading cultivators from Ziyun Sect, Biyue Palace, and Taiqing Hall.

Before Xuan Ying Xianjun even got close, the curtain of the tent in the middle was lifted.

A female cultivator dressed in purple stepped forward first.

She was around thirty years old, with a pretty face, slightly upturned phoenix eyes, and a faint smile on her lips.

A purple jade pendant hung from her waist, swaying gently as she walked.

This person is called Immortal Lord Zi Ning, from the Zi Yun Sect, and has the cultivation level of a peak Earth Immortal.

Behind her, the two leaders from Biyue Palace and Taiqing Palace also came out one after another.

The one from Biyue Palace was a middle-aged male cultivator with a thin face, wearing a light blue robe, named Bihan Immortal Lord.

The one in Taiqing Palace was a young cultivator with a cold and stern face, wearing a white robe that reached the ground, and carrying an ancient blue sword on his back. He was named Qingxuan Immortal Lord.

The three of them had clearly also sensed the commotion in the camp.

Immortal Lord Zi Ning spoke first.

"Fellow Daoist Xuan Ying, has your last exploration team from Nine Nether Valley returned?"

Her voice was clear and crisp, like jade striking each other, with a hint of languor.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord nodded.

"Just got back, everything went smoothly."

"The situation is consistent with the intelligence brought back by the other exploration teams, and there is nothing unexpected."

He paused.

"The reconnaissance has been completed. I have ordered the camp to be packed up, and we will set off back in one hour."

Zi Ning Immortal Lord gently exhaled.

"Finally, I can go back."

"I've had enough of hiding in the sand like a mouse for the past few months."

Immortal Lord Bihan shook his head, his tone tinged with sarcasm.

"Before I set off, I thought this unknown land would be extremely dangerous."

"As it turns out, the strongest person on the surface isn't even at the Immortal King level."

"If I had known it was such an easy target, I wouldn't have brought so many defensive treasures with me."

Qingxuan Immortal Lord was sparing with words, only saying one sentence briefly.

"Go back, report, and send troops."

Zi Ning Immortal Lord glanced at him, then turned her gaze back to Xuan Ying Immortal Lord.

"Fellow Daoist Xuan Ying, when do you think our four major sects will be able to officially set off?"

Immortal Lord Xuanying pondered for a moment.

"After the news is relayed back, the patriarchs of each family will discuss and formulate a battle plan and coordinate their forces."

"It could take as little as three to five months, or as long as one to two years."

"But in my opinion, with such a piece of fat meat right in front of them, the ancestors won't let it cool down for long."

Immortal Lord Zi Ning smiled.

"That's good."

"My disciples have already started planning what contribution points to exchange for resources."

"If this drags on any longer, they'll probably be talking about it even in their dreams."

After exchanging a few more words, the group went their separate ways to gather their own disciples.

The packing up at the camp was done very quickly.

In less than an hour, the valley that had been covered with tents and flags had become clean and tidy.

All that remained were gravel, flattened soil, and dozens of neatly arranged figures.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord stood at the very front.

He glanced at everyone, making sure they were all in place.

Then he raised his right hand.

A dark gray light appeared in his palm, like a pool of solidified mercury, slowly unfolding with his will.

The dust was pushed aside by the light, and a very faint humming sound emanated from the air.

The ball of light grew larger and larger.

It quickly spread out into a curtain about three zhang square.

The curtain is dark gray all over, with countless fine runes flowing on its surface.

The runes crawled back and forth on the curtain like ants, emitting an extremely restrained spatial fluctuation.

This is a top-grade Heavenly Rank shielding treasure – the Sky-Covering Curtain.

It is comparable to the highest-grade and most prestigious products.

Once deployed, it can conceal all energy aura within a ten-zhang radius, so that even a Supreme Realm expert passing by would not notice anything unusual.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord's mind stirred.

The flow of runes on the sky-covering curtain suddenly accelerated, and the entire curtain seemed to be kneaded by an invisible hand, rapidly shrinking into a palm-sized ball of gray light.

It fell into his palm.

The moment the barrier dissipated, the location of the camp was completely exposed to the desolate sky.

Dust and sand poured back into the valley, stirring up a hazy, gray mist.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord did not pause at all.

He flipped his left hand again, and a ball of bluish-white light rose from his palm.

The light grew brighter and larger.

In just a few breaths, a white and blue building materialized in the air.

The ship was about fifty zhang long and more than ten zhang high, with smooth and elegant lines.

The bow of the ship is carved with a crane with its wings spread as if about to take flight. The crane's head is held high and its wings are spread out, with every feather clearly visible.

The ship's hull is covered with a faint, luminous protective membrane, and there is a row of portholes on each side of the hull, through which one can see the exquisite and elegant interior furnishings.

A flag hangs at the stern, embroidered with four interwoven patterns: purple clouds, blue waves, a green sword, and a black bird.

That was the symbol of the alliance of the four major sects.

The Celestial Rank Supreme Flying Palace Treasure – Azure Cloud Shuttle.

This clearly demonstrates the extreme importance that the four major sects of Yunlan attach to this unknown star field.

The crafting process for flying palace-type treasures is extremely complicated, requiring countless rare and precious materials, and the crafting difficulty is extremely high.

Even the forces of immortal kings cannot easily mass-produce them.

A top-grade Celestial-rank flying treasure.

Its value is terrifying, and it is extremely precious.

If this star field truly harbors top-tier experts capable of threatening them... this advance team of several hundred people will suffer heavy casualties at the very least.

In severe cases, the entire army could be wiped out.

Even this incomparably precious Azure Cloud Shuttle will be seized on the spot!

Even though the four major sects have eight Immortal King ancestors and a strong foundation, they still feel the pinch of losing a top-grade Heavenly Palace Treasure.

Moreover, there is also a shielding treasure of the same level, the Sky-Covering Curtain.

The latter is simply not as precious as the former...

A disciple in a gray robe gazed at the ship and couldn't help but whisper to the person beside him.

"A top-grade Heavenly Rank... Apart from the journey here, I have never ridden in such a fine flying boat in my entire life."

His companion also swallowed hard.

"Our four major sects have really gone all out this time."

"The value of this one treasure alone is enough to feed a small sect for hundreds of years."

Immortal Lord Xuanying ignored his disciples' discussions.

He was the first to step into the Azure Cloud Shuttle.

The others followed closely behind, filing in one after another.

Immortal Lord Zi Ning, Immortal Lord Bi Han, and Immortal Lord Qing Xuan walked at the forefront of their respective sect's disciples.

Hundreds of figures boarded the ship one after another, their footsteps echoing across the pale blue deck.

The interior decoration of the ship's cabin is extremely exquisite.

Wall lamps formed from condensed light lined both sides of the corridor, illuminating the passageway brightly.

A faint scent of sandalwood permeated the air, the essence of the sacred wood seeping from the cabin walls.

Many disciples wore relaxed smiles after taking their seats.

"This chair... is a million times more comfortable than the rocks in our camp."

A young disciple leaned back in the soft chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

"You're right, this trip is worth it just for the seat alone."

His companion next to him also sank into the backrest, closed his eyes, and began to doze off.

Some people didn't get any rest.

Several capable-looking disciples sat in a corner, whispering and discussing something.

"When I get back, I'm going to get a new set of top-quality protective spirit armor."

"This exploration didn't encounter any danger, but the next time we attack this place, it will be a different story."

Even if the opponent is weak, injuries are inevitable during a fight.

"Let's gather all the necessary supplies to save our lives first."

The other person nodded.

"I want to upgrade to an offensive Arcana."

"Our four major sects' joint attack will definitely be a frontal advance by the cultivator army. The more enemies we kill, the more contribution points we will earn."

"I'll exchange all my possessions for magical artifacts capable of causing widespread destruction, and make a fortune."

There were also several senior disciples with composed expressions.

They weren't in a hurry to figure out how to use their contribution points.

They simply sat by the window, gazing at the desolate planet receding further and further away outside the porthole, their eyes filled with a hunter's calm.

"This star system... is indeed a good place."

"Abundant resources, large territory, yet fragmented."

"Once our army arrives, this piece of meat will belong to Yunlan."

No one noticed the expressions on their faces.

But that unwavering confidence was as deep as the wine at the bottom of the glass.

After all the disciples boarded the ship.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord took one last look at the empty valley.

He turned away from the desolate sandy land and stepped into the cabin of the Azure Cloud Shuttle.

The ship trembled slightly.

A bluish-white light burst forth from the bottom of the ship, like ripples on a lake surface stirred by the wind.

The Cangyun Shuttle rose smoothly into the air.

The sand and dust were pushed aside by the aura emanating from the bottom of the ship, forming concentric gray-yellow rings that spread outwards.

The ship rose higher and higher, faster and faster.

They quickly passed through the thin atmosphere of that desolate planet and entered the deep vacuum region.

Looking through the porthole, the gray-black planet had become a speck the size of a grain of rice.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord stood in the top control room of the Azure Cloud Shuttle, his hands behind his back.

My gaze went through the crystal porthole ahead, looking at the boundless dark sea of ​​stars.

The concealment runes of the Azure Cloud Shuttle were all activated, and the entire ship, like a silver fish swimming in the deep sea, silently glided across the starry sky.

The main engine in the bilge emitted a deep hum, like the even breathing of a sleeping giant.

He raised his chin, his voice low but carrying a sense of satisfaction that had finally settled.

"Return journey."

"Set off."

The Azure Cloud Shuttle tilted slightly and accelerated towards the Cloud Ripples Immortal Realm.

Outside the porthole, the stars of the Purple Mystic Starfield receded one by one.

Like petals scattered by the wind, they drifted further and further away.