I became a Sword Emperor in the Martial Arts World

Chapter 214 A woman three years older than a man is a treasure; a woman three hundred years older than a man is an elixir.

Huajian City, City Lord's Mansion.

In the huge bathtub paved with jade, a snow-white figure appeared and disappeared in the misty water. Her figure was curvaceous and her broad chest could not be fully grasped by one hand.

With her radiant, plump skin and stunningly beautiful face, this peerless beauty is none other than Lian Hongying, known as the most beautiful woman in Huajian City.

At the same time, she also has another identity that is admired by thousands of people—the city lord of Huajian City.

The martial arts masters of the Rakshasa Kingdom are mostly women, and the royal bloodline is particularly special; the stronger their cultivation, the more beautiful and incomparable they become.

Lian Hongying was soaking in the boiling spiritual spring, her phoenix eyes slightly closed, enjoying this rare moment of peace.

"City Lord!"

A female guard rushed into the bath, her armor plates clanging loudly: "Something terrible has happened! Another caravan in the west of the city has been attacked, and the stolen goods were tributes that were originally destined for the royal city."

When a king is to marry his queen consort, a grand celebration is naturally required, which inevitably consumes a great deal of resources.

Originally, when other caravans were attacked, Lian Hongying could simply ignore it with her strong strategic capabilities. After all, as long as she was stationed in Huajian City and used the city's formations, she would be safe.

In contrast, fighting outside the city carries far greater risks.

However, the situation is different now. The theft of the tribute is no small matter. If Lian Hongying does not react, she will be labeled as a "lazy person holding a position without doing any work".

Even if she is born into royalty and has noble blood, if she is burdened with a reputation for being "incompetent," her future career will be fraught with difficulties.

After all, the competition among members of the royal family is fierce; if you don't do it, there are plenty of others who will.

"This is forcing me to leave the city."

Lian Hongying's beautiful face showed a disdainful expression, while a cold smile curled at the corner of her mouth. Born into royalty and a veteran of countless battles, she possessed both wisdom and beauty. How could she not see that this was a trap?

However, she now has a reason to take action.

Moreover, she was extremely confident in her own strength. No matter what schemes or tricks her opponents might have, the warriors of the Rakshasa Kingdom were never afraid of battle and would naturally fight their way out.

"Looks like I need to get moving too."

As soon as she finished speaking, she abruptly got up from the bath.

A flowing flame gathered and transformed into a set of bright red armor, covering the key parts of Lian Hongying's body, but still revealing large areas of snow-white skin.

With the troop movements in the inner city, the appearance of Lian Hongying in the outer city immediately alarmed the entire city of Huajian.

The caravan has been attacked repeatedly, and this time the bandits are even bolder, daring to steal the tribute goods being transported to the royal city. Such lawlessness means that if we don't deal with them swiftly, the trade route to Huajian City will be cut off.

After all, how can a force that doesn't dare to retaliate after being slapped in the face guarantee everyone's safety?

At this moment, Lian Hongying's appearance is to demonstrate the military power of the Rakshasa Women's Kingdom to everyone.

"It's the city lord!"

"The city lord is about to make a move!"

"The Black Mountain bandits have committed arson, murder, robbery, and all sorts of atrocities; they all deserve to die!"

"Lord City Lord, you must do us justice!"

Many merchants and travelers in the city had suffered heavy losses due to the bandits' looting, and when they saw that Lian Hongying was finally going to take action, they were all excited and ran around spreading the news.

They even pooled together some money to support the city guards in their campaign against the Black Mountain bandits.

Ye Qingzhou and Huang Liwen were currently squeezed into the crowd, watching the spectacle with an attitude of indifference, just observing the show.

"So beautiful!"

Huang Liwen stared intently at Lian Hongying's stunning figure, his mouth practically watering.

At this moment, Lian Hongying's hot figure was only wearing a swimsuit-style armor, with large areas of her fair and delicate skin exposed. As the Yanhuang war beast under her moved, her delicate body rose and fell slightly, making people want to look again and again, and they could never get enough of looking at her.

Seeing this, Ye Qingzhou used telepathy to tease Huang Liwen, saying, "Brother Wen, I've heard that the city lord of Huajian City is already over three hundred years old."

"As long as you look young!"

Huang Liwen remained unmoved, but instead became even more eager, rubbing his hands excitedly: "A woman three years older than you is like holding a gold brick, a woman thirty years older than you is like giving away an empire, so this three hundred years older... won't she give me an elixir of immortality?"

Instead of working hard himself, Huang Liwen's mind is now filled with thoughts of lying down and living off his wife.

The other party is not only not as powerful as Sa, but also a Martial Saint. Even if he has to be a small horse pulling a heavy cart, he would be willing.

Ye Qingzhou didn't bother to say anything to him and continued to look at Lian Hongying's back.

He secretly activated his Heavenly Eye, and his vision instantly penetrated all phenomena, looking directly into Lian Hongying's body. He saw a ball of crimson flame burning in Lian Hongying's dantian, like a blooming red lotus.

This fire takes the sins of people as its fuel; as long as the sins are not extinguished, the fire of sin will not go out.

"The Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire, one of the Nine Divine Fires?"

Ye Qingzhou was surprised.

The fact that it was included in the "Yan Yang Bao Zhuan" shows that the Red Lotus Karmic Fire must be extraordinary.

"According to the book, the Red Lotus Karmic Fire is born from the sins of living beings. It can burn the flesh. Once it sticks to the body, it cannot be extinguished. One can only endure it until it burns away all the sins."

Ye Qingzhou was quite interested in the Red Lotus Karmic Fire.

The main reason is that the "Yan Yang Bao Zhuan" records a mental image called Nine Dragon Divine Fire. It requires gathering all nine divine fires in the world and refining them all. When encountering an enemy, one can use the power of the mental image to create nine fire dragons with the power to burn the heavens and destroy the earth.

Just as Ye Qingzhou was engrossed in watching...

"Um?"

Riding atop the Fiery Emperor war beast, Lian Hongying suddenly frowned, her face turning frosty, her heart filled with both shock and anger: "Why do I have this feeling that someone is watching me?"

How sharp is the mental cultivation of a Martial Saint?

Even if a powerful expert of the same level were to spy on her, it would be difficult to escape Lian Hongying's perception. However, the Heavenly Eye Divine Power was obtained by Ye Qingzhou through his study of the "Qimen Dunjia" (a form of divination).

This is one of the Yellow Emperor's legacies, a technique whose grade surpasses the Heavenly Rank and points directly to the Great Dao. Even a Martial Saint like Lian Hongying could not detect it.

If Lian Hongying hadn't honed her warrior instincts, she wouldn't have even noticed someone secretly watching her.

"Could there be a master hidden in the city? To be able to evade my senses, their cultivation level must be at least the eighth level of the Ascension Realm, and their Spirit Refinement cultivation is extremely high. Could they be a master from the Kun Clan?"

Lian Hongying constantly searched for enemies in the void in her mind, even pointing the finger of suspicion directly at the Kun clan, one of the five clans, especially the Gu Shu Kingdom, which specializes in mental martial arts.

In reality, Ye Qingzhou was just passing by, and he wasn't some Martial Saint at the eighth level of the Ascension Realm. He was just an unknown martial arts upstart in the Blue Star martial arts world.

The more Lian Hongying imagined, the more she felt that the Gu Shu Kingdom was very likely involved. Over the past thousands of years, the Kunlun Cave Heaven had become increasingly competitive due to population and resource issues.

Even with the Queen Mother of the West suppressing them, the numerous vassal states beneath them were already engaged in constant open and covert struggles.

The Kingdom of Gu Shu and the Kingdom of Rakshasa Women are adjacent to each other, and the two sides have often clashed over the competition for resources. Even if their relationship cannot be described as irreconcilable, it can be said that they have deep-seated grudges.

Lian Hongying narrowed her eyes, a cold glint flashing in her phoenix eyes, already plotting how to lure the snakes out of their hole and then catch them all in one fell swoop.

She was not afraid of enemies from the outside, but she was extremely vigilant about the traitor lurking among her own people.

Clearly, the Kingdom of Rakshasa Women suffered a loss in this regard.

Ye Qingzhou was unaware that, because of him, Lian Hongying had already secretly devised a fishing plan.

Standing in the crowd, observing the army that had accompanied Lian Hongying out of the city to suppress bandits, Ye Qingzhou was astonished: "One Martial Saint, four Grandmasters, and over fifty Master-level soldiers—this lineup is only going out to suppress bandits? On Blue Star, that would be enough to wipe out a country!"

"Destroying the five major powers is probably not feasible, but it's certainly enough to sweep through the other countries."

Huang Liwen nodded in agreement.

The sheer strength of Kunlun Cave Heaven's high-end combat power is evident from the bandit-suppressing force before us; one can only glimpse the tip of the iceberg.

With such a powerful lineup, no one in Huajian City thought Lian Hongying would lose. Everyone started to plan how to make up for the losses during this period after the bandit suppression was over.

However, a few days later, the merchants of Huajian City were shocked to hear the terrible news!

During the battle when Lian Hongying went out of the city to fight the Black Mountain bandits, she was besieged by three mysterious martial saints and was seriously injured!

The city guards under his command suffered heavy casualties, with all four grandmasters wounded and nine master-level martial artists killed in action, and nearly half of the soldiers killed or wounded!

How many years has it been since we've seen such casualties?

For a moment, it felt as if the sky was about to fall over Huajian City.

Especially after Lian Hongying escaped back with a group of defeated soldiers, the news quickly spread throughout the city, causing many merchants to panic and start considering whether to flee.

Panic quickly spread throughout the outer city, even affecting Shenfeng Pavilion's business.

Yes, more people are buying weapons.

Taking advantage of the situation, Ye Qingzhou doubled the price and made a fortune, tears welling up in his eyes.

Outer city district, ironware market.

The gate of Shenfeng Pavilion was pushed open violently from the outside, and Qiong Jie, whose chest was wrapped in gauze, walked into the weapons shop.

Are you injured?

"Sigh, I was ambushed and slashed. If I hadn't run away fast enough, I probably would have lost my life in Black Mountain."

Qiong Jie touched his still-bleeding wound, wincing in pain: "I knew I shouldn't have gone with the city guards to try and get something for nothing. I didn't get anything, and I almost lost my life."

Ye Qingzhou poured him a glass of strong liquor and inquired about the battle situation: "What exactly happened? Huajian City mobilized half of its city guards, and City Lord Lian Hongying is a Martial Saint. How could they lose?"

"Sigh~"

Qiong Jie downed a large bowl of strong liquor in one gulp, then wiped his mouth and cursed, "Damn it, the Black Mountain Bandits sent out three Martial Saints and ten Grandmasters in one go. This battle is clearly a trap. Judging from the situation, it seems that a new round of national war is about to begin."

"Nation war?"

Ye Qingzhou was very curious about this, so he quickly refilled Qiong Jie's cup, filling a large bowl with strong liquor.

Qiong Jie drank with relish and immediately began to speak: "You come from outside the cave heaven, so it's normal that you don't know. The so-called national war is just a war that breaks out between vassal states."

"Would the Queen Mother of the West allow such a thing?"

Ye Qingzhou was puzzled: "If the vassal states were to annex each other, wouldn't the resulting powerful empires be able to directly threaten the rule of Kunlun Mountain?"

Qiong Jie smiled contemptuously upon hearing this: "Why would the Queen Mother of the West object? This is something she has tacitly approved of. A powerful figure at the Emperor Realm carries the Dao within their body, and the Dao that the Queen Mother of the West carries is war, which governs the conquest and slaughter of the world."

"I see."

Ye Qingzhou suddenly realized: "This means that the more wars break out between the vassal states, the stronger the Queen Mother of the West becomes."

"more than."

Qiong Jie put down his wine bowl and gestured for Ye Qingzhou to quickly refill it. After Ye Qingzhou refilled it, he grinned and continued, "The Kunlun Divine Mountain has long had the Queen Mother's decree: the vassal states can wage war against each other, but the annihilation of a state is absolutely forbidden. A defeated weak state can at least preserve its own capital."

Eight hundred fiefdoms mean eight hundred royal cities. Even if there were truly extraordinary heroes who could sweep across the land, they would still be unable to completely conquer and unify the country.

Potential adversaries, if they unite, can conserve their strength, endure hardship, and have a chance to turn the tide.

"The Queen Mother of the West has a clever plan."

Ye Qingzhou understood the Queen Mother of the West's plan after only a brief analysis.

The purpose of establishing eight hundred fiefdoms was to ensure that these fiefdoms were constantly at war, while the safety net of the royal city was to give those who failed the opportunity to start over.

Under such intense competition, a large number of people exceeding the carrying capacity of the cave will be consumed by the war.

The Great Dao of War, which the Queen Mother of the West embodies, can also draw power from it and continue to grow stronger, making it a win-win situation. The Queen Mother of the West wins twice.

"Kunlun Grotto-Heaven is simply a paradise for the strong and a hell for the weak."

Ye Qingzhou shook his head and sighed. He liked martial arts, but he disliked war.

"Isn't this too cruel?"

Listening to Ye Qingzhou's conversation with Qiong Jie, Huang Liwen felt a chill run down his spine, and he couldn't help but feel sympathy for the common people in Kunlun Cave Heaven.

Without a doubt, this is a country permeated with the social Darwinist system, where the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, is played out to the fullest extent.

In Kunlun Cave Heaven, everything the weak possess will ultimately become fuel for the strong to advance.

Ye Qingzhou, however, sensed a sense of urgency and couldn't help but speculate: "The Queen Mother of the West is so aggressive in her military campaigns, probably not only to improve her own cultivation, but also to fight against that unknown and powerful enemy."

Huang Liwen saw the cruel survival rules within Kunlun Cave Heaven, while in Ye Qingzhou's eyes, Kunlun Cave Heaven was a giant military camp.

The eight hundred fiefdoms were used as training grounds for troops.

For thousands of years, the Queen Mother of the West continuously poured fresh blood and flesh into this closed space, forging powerful armies and cultivating highly skilled martial arts masters.

This overwhelming force, like Mount Tai pressing down, was certainly not prepared for conquering Earth.

Just as the three were chatting, two small figures carrying lunch boxes walked into the weapons shop.

"Brother Ye Long!"

The young girl's voice was clear and melodious, like that of a nightingale.

Ye Qingzhou looked up at the sound and saw a little girl who was a little over a meter tall and had a cute and innocent appearance. She was the landlord's daughter, Yin Yulan.

"I've brought you your food."

The little girl's face was fair and flawless, and her eyes were big and bright. It was clear that she would grow up to be a beauty. Even among the Rakshasa tribe, her appearance was outstanding.

Walking behind Yin Yulan was her brother, Yin Guangwu, who had an adorably ugly appearance.

The two are ten and eight years old, which would be considered elementary school students on Earth. They probably wouldn't have any other worries besides homework.

However, in Kunlun Cave, many children have to help with chores at the age of six.

As for attending school, one must be ten years old and pass the selection process at martial arts academies located in various places before being qualified to embark on the path of martial arts and become a promising martial artist.

Seeing Yin Guangwu looking dejected and low-spirited, Ye Qingzhou asked with concern, "What's wrong? Were you bullied?"

"My brother failed the martial arts academy entrance exam."

Yin Yulan put down the lunchbox and said, word by word.

The brother and sister had no background. Their father worked as a groom for nobles in the inner city, and their mother supplemented the family income by doing odd jobs such as washing and cooking. Even the house they rented to Ye Qingzhou was the result of generations of hard work and savings from their ancestors.

Therefore, if Yin Guangwu wants to stand out from the crowd, the only way is to pass the examination, enter the martial arts academy, and embark on the path of martial arts.

The Martial Arts Academy holds two exams a year. If you fail the spring exam, you can only wait for the autumn exam.

If you fail the fall exam, you'll have to wait until next year.

If you fail the exam for five consecutive years, you're basically out of luck when it comes to martial arts.

Not being able to become a martial artist means being relegated to the bottom of society; Kunlun Cave Heaven is just that cruel. This isn't just true for the Rakshasa Women's Kingdom; it's the same for other vassal states.

This is the first time Yin Guangwu has tasted failure, so he is currently in a very low mood.

Seeing this, Ye Qingzhou comforted him, saying, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Maybe you'll succeed next time? Don't be discouraged. In life, there are wins and losses. As long as you don't lose heart, losing isn't such a big deal."

This bowl of chicken soup instantly inspired the illiterate Yin Guangwu, who felt Ye Qingzhou's words made a lot of sense: "Brother Ye Long, have you ever lost?"

"no."

"..."

Yin Guangwu suddenly felt terrible.

I feel wronged and want to cry!

Seeing this, Huang Liwen couldn't help but retort to Ye Qingzhou, "Why are you spouting such obvious truths? He's still just a child."

He then squatted down and encouraged Yin Guangwu with a smile, saying, "Want me to teach you martial arts? I'm very good at it, you know."

After saying that, he rolled up his sleeves, showing off his huge biceps.

He now possesses professional-level skills, and on Earth, he would certainly be qualified to teach classes.

Unfortunately, Yin Guangwu was very disgusted, pouting and shaking his head in refusal: "I don't want to."

Why?

"You're so weak, I need a poor old man to teach me martial arts."

"Haha, that's right, I'll teach you a powerful sword technique!"

Although Qiong Jie looked ugly and fierce, he actually had a good personality. He immediately drew his sword and performed a sword dance, which made Yin Guangwu clap his hands happily.

"Hey, you little rascal!"

Huang Liwen was furious watching from the sidelines. He had meant well, but he was still being looked down upon!

Then came some incomprehensible remarks such as "rude" and "blind," which filled the entire weapons shop with cheerful laughter.

(End of this chapter)