Chapter 87: 89, 90 Northern Monster Named Blade King, Madam's High Righteousness Serves the Barbarian Lands (Big Chapter, Please Sub

【Name: Song Cheng】

【Talent: Chang Sheng Bu Lao】

【Add Points: 427 points】

【Realm: Yellow Grade Grade A】

【Cultivation Method】

Mountain Spirit Blade Qi Secret Canon (Yellow Grade Grade A) (Completion)

Xuanwu True Form (Nine Forms) (Yellow Grade Grade B) (Completion) Xuanwu Body (Perfect) 【Skills】

Three Styles of Mountain Felling (Yellow Grade Grade A) (Blade Qi) (Style 1: Mountain Splitting, Style 2: Mountain Suppressing, Style 3: Giant Spirit)

Four Styles of Xuanwu (Yellow Grade Grade B) (Blade Shield) (Style 1: Shadowless, Style 2: Flood Dragon Mountain, Style 3: Immovable Honored One, Style 4: Nightmare Dream) (Completion)

Pear Blossom Thousand Hands (Completion) Combat Power: 290~580.

"Style 3, Giant Spirit."

The youth thought silently in his heart.

Afterwards, he raised his hand into the void, and a formless Qi escaped from his arm.

That was a dark, heavy arm wreathed in clouds and mist; that was a massive phantom supported by formless Qi. The phantom stood over a zhang tall, with a majestic face and tightly closed eyes, looking like a small giant with the imposing air of a divine general clad in heavy armor.

Yet in the blind man's Heart Eye, this was a giant radiating a pale golden light.

The youth retracted his fist, and the phantom vanished.

The Completion of the Qi Realm was exactly this kind of phantom.

After Song Cheng paused, he thought about his senior brother's combat power.

It was "160~292," right?

He let out a breath.

"Finally, I have surpassed the strongest person I can see. If Senior Brother were to give it his all, he should be able to make me feel a little pain, right?"

"After studying the 'Mountain Spirit Blade Qi Secret Canon,' the probability of my own cultivation method deduction has also increased to 6.4 per thousand, but it is still too low.

I still need more tempering.

I must also find a way to see the Qi Realm cultivation methods over at White Camel Manor."

"How should I go about it?"

Song Cheng began to ponder.

The world changes, winds and clouds gather and disperse, thousands of chaotic phenomena rush toward him, and the temptations of prosperity and power surround him, yet Song Cheng never forgets what he needs to do most: in the most stable environment, use the most stable means to pursue stronger power.

Therefore, even though his strength already far exceeded that of the "Prefecture City's second-ranked Big Hall Master senior brother," what welled up in his heart was not thoughts like "I can go out and roam now."

He was thinking about continuing to grow stronger.

After a long while,

He sorted out many of his thoughts.

One, I should arrange a persona of a martial arts fanatic for myself; a martial arts fanatic, well, that wouldn't be strange, nor would it be easy to offend people;

Two, go to White Camel Manor more often to walk around, see if I can win over the Manor Master, increase the favorability, and subsequently see his family's cultivation methods;

Three, up to now, he had actually seen power stronger than the "Prefecture City's second-ranked Big Hall Master senior brother" outside, and that was the army. The "momentum" of an army, in its ebb and flow, might reach a very high level; even just a small squad of soldiers was already stronger than the Big Hall Master. Furthermore, according to his understanding, in Great Shang and the Northern Barbarians, individual martial prowess was certainly important, but what truly determined victory or defeat was the overall quality of the army and the battlefield decisions of those who wielded the troops. Perhaps the mystery of the "Mysterious Grade" was hidden within that?

Four, since the Ghost Tide is rampant, Chen Yu is right; if we cannot stop the evil Ghosts, then at least we can choose an evil Ghost that is close to us.

Five, can Ghost techniques increase power? The youth sat in the tea shed and pondered.

The northern winter is always prone to snowfall.

The white snow, not knowing when, fell and scattered again, landing in the frozen pond and piling up like cotton wool.

But the youth could not see this beauty.

Suddenly, his tense nerves relaxed, because he heard footsteps coming from behind, and immediately after, a pair of hands covered his eyes from behind, and a delicate, mischievous voice came: "Guess who I am."

"I guess it's Song Cheng."

"Guessed wrong, I'll punish you..." An Daxiaojie's beautiful eyes swirled, the word "you" drawn out in a long tone, yet she did not know what to follow it with.

Song Cheng said: "Then punish me by staying outside the house for one night."

An Daxiaojie said: "In your dreams!"

She was wrapped in a fluffy fur coat, which felt very comfortable to touch.

She sat down beside the youth and snuggled into his arms again.

She had already begun to prepare herself mentally to be a mother, and at this time, she was particularly attached to this man who was about to bestow upon her the little life in her womb, even learning to act coquettishly, even though she had once been an ambitious and formidable Chamber of Commerce president.

"Jia Er is still refining Pills; she has been refining too fiercely lately, refining in the daytime and at night too."

"Mm, I know."

"Is Grandmother going on a long journey?" An Daxiaojie's form of address also changed along with her man's.

"She has a premonition."

Song Cheng responded.

Then he added: "Rather than calling it a premonition, it is better to call it an inevitability.

Because she wants to expose the existence of the Ghost Servants to everyone and make them wary of the true enemy, so... she will inevitably leave.

She does not know when this inevitability will happen, so naturally, she wants to teach the knowledge she has mastered to someone.

Jia Er knows Grandmother's intentions, so... one is desperately teaching, and one is desperately learning."

An Daxiaojie hugged him somewhat nervously and asked softly: "Then will you go with her?"

She knew that what Lady Zhushan was doing was very great, and as that lady's partner, her man should be magnanimous and passionate in accompanying her.

But she was also worried and reluctant to let him go.

Because what Lady Zhushan was doing was very dangerous.

Based on her understanding of Song Cheng, Song Cheng does not like to take risks, but this time, she is not sure.

Not only is she unsure, but even Song Cheng himself is somewhat unsure.

He has also tried to convince himself, saying that he could gain experience after going out, saying that he is already quite strong now, and saying that Lady Zhushan cannot do without him.

But just as Young Miss asked this question, he had an answer: "If I were a shrinking turtle that only knows how to protect its home, would An Jie despise me?"

"What woman would despise her own man? As long as you do not regret it yourself," An Chenyu said softly.

Song Cheng said: "If I am unable to attend to everything at once, leaving you, Jia Er, Ying'er, and this vast An Family in danger, then I would regret it."

Life always requires choices.

Whether to be a hero who disregards everything, or a coward who keeps and protects the home, I choose the latter."

An Chenyu chided: "What kind of comparison is that? You are my hero."

She hugged the youth tightly, pressed against his clothes, and grabbed the youth's palm, gently pressing it against her other cheek.

The night is hazy, and snow flies across the sky.

The long-familiar layout of the courtyard and the sketched lines gave him a sense of belonging and peace of mind.

And thinking that although there is a Ghost Tide now, the situation has paused slightly, which is also a good opportunity to catch one's breath, it would not be unreasonable to give birth to an heir at this time. This peace of mind doubled.

The two clung to each other in silence.

Two hearts beat in the silent snowy night, and both could hear each other.

Suddenly, An Chenyu said softly: "Today, I am suitable for conception. Do you want to come inside? That way, you will have an excuse when you refuse Mother-in-law again."

Song Cheng said: "No excuse is needed; I am just such a person who likes to look after the home."

A great man has ambitions in all directions, but I have ambitions for my small home.

I will admit it generously, why bother to cover it up?"

An Chenyu laughed in spite of herself: "You are clearly so powerful, having cultivated the Hundred Strengths and Hundred Forms, able to contend with the Big Hall Master, and now you have received the secret manual of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall. I imagine that with your talent, you will have mastered it in a month at the latest."

"Yet, someone as powerful as you simply does not love taking risks, does not love being a hero, and does not love roaming the world."

Song Cheng said: "Why must one take risks, be a hero, and roam the world?"

An Chenyu said: "To successfully cultivate a technique, one needs to gain experience."

Besides, life is short. If ordinary people are the long grass hidden in the dim light, unknown to all, then heroes are the gorgeous fireworks blooming in the sky.

Fireworks, how beautiful they are."

Song Cheng said: "If you like watching fireworks, I will have Ling'er go buy some."

An Chenyu was stunned, smiled, and said again: "Then today, are you coming in or not?"

Song Cheng said: "I am."

In the heavy snow, the youth picked up the Young Miss in her fluffy fur coat. The warmth he felt was no longer the desire that had only greedily craved her cold, glamorous beauty when they first met, but a kind of warmth.

He stepped forward, following the ink-wash-like path toward the houses with distorted lines in the wind and snow.

The door closed.

Amidst the rustling sounds.

A great battle was on the verge of breaking out.

One was hard, one was soft.

Hard and soft back and forth, clashing and intertwining... it stopped only after a long time.

Young Miss took a pillow, placed it under her buttocks, and carefully took care of herself.

Before long, the two fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next day, morning.

Ying'er drove the carriage, carrying Young Miss to "inspect" the various An Family properties again.

Nowadays, by leveraging the influence of Song Cheng and Tong Jia, the An Family has been devouring others, and in these six months, its scale has long since grown to be much larger than before.

Whenever some old folks think back to the deep winter at the beginning of this year, when this young couple rescued from Tanghe Village was still relying on the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce to live, they cannot help but feel deeply moved.

Song Cheng reached out in front of the mirror, letting Ling'er dress him in his robes, then tied on his long saber, put away the "Mechanism Shield," and went to the Dining Hall to eat breakfast.

The couple, along with Ying'er and Young Miss, and Ling'er following him.

At this time,

Ling'er stood under the eaves of the Dining Hall, rubbing her small hands, and asked: "Master, are we going out today?"

The small pink skirt she was wearing had been replaced with a pink fur coat; one could tell at a glance she was a maid of a wealthy family.

Song Cheng said: "Let's go to the martial arts hall."

Ling'er said "Alright," and then went to drive the carriage.

It was just that the weather was freezing, and even the reins were cold and stiff.

Ling'er's small hands were frozen white, and tiny blue veins showed under her snow-white skin; she gave a delicate shout: "Giddyap!"

The horse pulled the carriage, causing the wheel hubs to stir up snow dust.

The youth, wrapped in a black robe, leaned in the dark corner of the carriage.

The carriage left the An Mansion, crossed a bridge, and slowly entered the noisy market.

Song Cheng still remembered when he first arrived, the Third Uncle of the An Family, later the Chen Family, and those outer sect disciples of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall; in short, it had not been smooth sailing.

But now, everything is calm.

He yawned, sniffed his nose, smelled a fragrance, and called for the carriage to stop, then saw it was someone selling a type of shrimp pancake.

Song Cheng did not get out of the carriage and called out: "Buy four, and go get a pot of clear wine."

Suddenly thinking that he had been working hard with An Jie to conceive these past few days, he then said: "Forget the wine."

Before long, a voice came from outside the carriage.

"Sister Ling'er, it must be Master Song in the carriage. I cannot accept the money for these pancakes; let me treat you all."

"Take it." Ling'er placed the money on the table, took the pancake, and left. She wasn't stupid; a pancake that didn't cost much was being treated like the real deal, who would want to be greedy?

Returning to the driver's seat, she passed the pancake through the curtain.

The carriage began to move again through the bustling, smoke-filled streets.

Song Cheng smiled and said, "Does everyone outside call you Sister Ling'er?"

Ling'er said, "Isn't it because I'm basking in your glory, Master? Even those much older than me call me Sister Ling'er."

Song Cheng chewed a bite of the shrimp pancake; the crust was crispy, and the shrimp had been boiled whole, stir-fried, and seasoned with a secret sauce, making it very fragrant. He then added casually, "Do they call me Master Song outside now?"

Ling'er said, "Isn't that so? Master Song, who in Hanping Prefecture doesn't know you?"

Song Cheng said, "I always feel it makes me sound old; I still prefer people calling me Little Song."

Ling'er, driving the carriage, couldn't help but roll her eyes and retorted, "If you want someone dead, just grab them and make them call you Little Song."

"If the junior martial brother of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall's Big Hall Master is 'Little Song,' then where does that put the big shots of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall? Would they let someone who said that off the hook? Master, you have to know, even an Ordinary Disciple of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall can easily crush everything these people have."

"If you don't let them call you Master Song, that's the same as telling them not to hang around here anymore. They would only be terrified; they might even kneel down and kowtow to you to beg for mercy."

Song Cheng said, "You know quite a lot."

Ling'er said, "But I still didn't recognize your true self, Master. Otherwise... when I first met you, how could I have spoken to you like that?"

Song Cheng smiled.

While they were talking, the carriage came to a stop.

They had arrived at the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall.

Song Cheng stepped out of the carriage, and immediately two strong young disciples in front of the gate stepped forward and said respectfully, "Junior Martial Uncle."

The martial arts hall had a hierarchy of seniority and positions.

If there was a position, one addressed them by position; if not, one addressed them by seniority.

Song Cheng turned back and called out, "Ling'er, tie up the carriage, then come in with me."

Ling'er revealed a grinning face and replied, "Alright, Master."

She was still wondering if her master was going to leave her outside.

It was freezing cold on the carriage.

Besides, it was quite impressive to enter the martial arts hall with her master.

Song Cheng looked at the two disciples and said kindly, "Which elder is in the hall?"

One disciple said, "The Third Elder is here, currently with the Big Hall Master."

Duan Xin?

Song Cheng thought of that young elder.

Of course, this "young" was only young among the elders; in terms of age, he was at least twenty years older than him, and his own children were the same age as him.

Song Cheng nodded slightly and then stepped inside.

He came today for no other reason than to defeat all the experts in the Prefecture City.

His strength had already skyrocketed; even if he "hid six parts and showed four," he could still become the number one in this Prefecture City.

"Number one in the Prefecture City," in the past, would certainly have meant constant trouble.

But now, it was within a range he could handle.

The logic was simple: if you have three parts of talent but strive for the fame and fortune that requires four parts of talent, that is called seeking wealth in danger, that is called taking a gamble on luck.

But if you yourself have ten parts of talent and only strive for the fame and fortune that requires four parts of talent, that is very steady and very safe.

The reputation of "Number one in the Prefecture City" looked very high, very conspicuous, and very much in the limelight.

But for his current power, it didn't amount to much.

Moreover, he needed this reputation.

Firstly, it was to increase the value and the weight of human favor in his "bestowals."

For the same "two thousand shi of grain," "bestowed by the number one expert of Hanping Prefecture, the strongest of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall" was completely different from "bestowed by a merchant association."

Secondly, it was to increase the opportunities for him to encounter challenges.

The title of "Number One Expert" was always tempting; as long as someone held this title, there would inevitably be people in the pugilistic world coming to challenge them.

Why?

All Martial Artists have pride; unless they have fought, who would admit that someone else is number one?

If you want to be number one, you are destined to accept challenges.

Song Cheng was currently afraid that no one would come to challenge him, making it impossible to increase his deduction probability, so... putting this sign out was for the best.

Thirdly, it was to raise his level to increase his chances of coming into contact with "Mysterious Grade" forces.

Just as he was thinking, Song Cheng had arrived in front of a snow-covered courtyard. The disciples at the gate saw him and hurriedly went to report.

"Big Hall Master, Third Elder, Junior Martial Uncle Song is here."

A voice came from inside the courtyard.

"Come in quickly."

Song Cheng stepped inside.

The Big Hall Master smiled and said, "I was just seeing the Third Elder off; what interest does my junior martial brother have in coming here?"

Song Cheng said, "Senior Martial Brother, I am contemplating the Blade Canon and need to gain experience. So..."

He paused for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and said, "Little Song would like to ask the Third Elder for guidance."

The Big Hall Master was stunned.

He had been helping his junior martial brother hide his light.

Why did this junior martial brother suddenly want fame himself? This... "Junior Martial Brother, cultivation is a process of grinding; clearing the heart and calming the mind is the Great Dao. Haste makes waste," the Big Hall Master urged earnestly.

The Third Elder smiled slightly and said, "Hall Master, perhaps it is good for the junior martial brother to know the level of the Qi Realm in advance."

The Big Hall Master swept a speechless glance at him.

The Third Elder asked in confusion: "What is it?"

The Big Hall Master said: "You cannot beat him."

Third Elder:???

"Impossible!"

On the other side, Song Cheng cupped his fists and said: "Senior Brother Duan, please."

The Third Elder looked at him with suspicion and uncertainty.

Song Cheng drew his blade and assumed the starting stance of the first form of the Mountain-Cleaving Three Forms, "Mountain Split."

At this, the Big Hall Master was also stunned, because he could see that Song Cheng's "Mountain Split" posture was executed extremely well; although it was somewhat rough, it was quite normal considering this youth had only just come into contact with the *Secret Canon of Body-Breaking Mountain Spirit Blade Qi*.

The Third Elder smiled slightly, his reddish-brown leather battle robe fluttering, and holding a long-handled broadsword, he said: "Junior Brother, I will use Qi, watch closely."

Having said that, an invisible aura burst out from his body, like transparent tide water "gurgling" as it boiled and surged onto the long blade, causing the air around the blade's edge to distort.

"Blade Qi is formless and can be projected; even at a distance of over ten zhang, a single strike can reach it. The opponent may not even have the chance to observe this Blade Qi, and even if they do, they will be unable to react. At this realm, dodging is basically non-existent. So... does Junior Brother still wish to fight?"

He felt some concern, then swept a glance at the Big Hall Master.

The Big Hall Master, however, nodded.

Although the Third Elder was suspicious in his heart, he still said: "Junior Brother, be careful."

Having said that, he swung his long-handled broadsword, gave it a light flick and a stir, and all the wind and snow in the entire courtyard surged like an angry tide, carving out a pale moon arc, then the whole thing, along with the wind current that could tear a person's face, slashed toward Song Cheng.

The wind and snow were merely the aftermath.

Hidden truly within it was that strand of pure Blade Qi containing killing intent.

Formless and colorless, impossible to guard against! Below the Qi Realm, there is simply no time to react; only a Martial Artist at the Completion of the "Form" Realm who has cultivated Protective Qi can barely use their Protective Qi to struggle and block a wave.

Song Cheng watched that Blade Qi, suddenly raised his blade, blocked, and parried.

Boom! The Blade Qi shattered.

The Third Elder couldn't help but praise: "What pure Protective Qi."

Song Cheng feigned contemplation, as if deep in thought, then a moment later suddenly said "Senior Brother, be careful," and then gripped the blade with five fingers, imitating the Third Elder's movements by giving it a light flick and a stir, stirring up the sky full of wind and snow, and slashed like a cold winter moon.

The oppressive arc of light, wrapped in wind currents, smashed through the air, like a string of pearls bursting, and rushed rapidly toward the Third Elder.

Big Hall Master:???

Third Elder:???

Although the Third Elder was confused and puzzled, his reaction was still fast; he hurriedly swung his blade to parry Qi with Qi.

Boom! The two layers of Blade Qi exploded in mid-air, and the flying snow that had been swept up went "boom" and scattered everywhere.

After the Third Elder slashed out his blade, he froze, and almost subconsciously roared from his throat: "Blade Qi??!!"

The Big Hall Master knew about Song Cheng's Profound Martial Body, but he did not know about Blade Qi.

And this was even the Blade Qi of the *Secret Canon of Body-Breaking Mountain Spirit Blade Qi*.

The two were dumbfounded.

This was no longer a genius.

This was a monster among monsters; was he a natural-born Martial God?

"Senior Brother, the fight is over," Song Cheng said indifferently, then lunged forward with his blade.

The two engaged in battle.

The Third Elder discovered with horror that this Junior Brother was growing rapidly in the process of fighting him; before the fight, every move and every style was still somewhat clumsy, but this clumsiness was disappearing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Clang! A crisp sound rang out.

The long-handled broadsword held by the Third Elder was knocked away, spinning in mid-air with a fierce arc of light, then slammed into the ground, the handle still vibrating and humming.

The Third Elder looked at his own hand, listening to the sound of the blade handle trembling, and froze.

For a moment, the courtyard was quiet to the extreme.

The three people were as still as statues.

Not just the three of them, even the disciples of the Mountain and River Martial Hall on duty outside the courtyard were completely motionless.

No one dared to believe it.

No one could believe it.

If it were anything else, it might be one thing, but the *Secret Canon of Body-Breaking Mountain Spirit Blade Qi* had only been passed down to the youth by the Big Hall Master himself not long ago.

He just flipped through it, mastered it, then sought out an elder for practice, and he succeeded? The shocked gazes had already turned into looks of horror.

Immediately, the horror turned into a wave of frantic heat, mixed with an impatient urge to shout to the outside world: "Our Mountain and River Martial Hall has produced a peerless genius."

The Big Hall Master was the first to react; he patted the Third Elder on the shoulder, called the disciples from outside in, and said in a deep voice: "No one is allowed to spread word of today's events."

The Third Elder looked deeply at Song Cheng; there was no sense of defeat in his eyes, nor any sense of loss, only a blazing heat.

Why?

If you lose to a junior with similar aptitude to your own, you would be angry.

But if you lose to a monster, you would only sigh and be shocked that "there is such a monster in the world"? And if this monster is one of your own, you would have eyes shining with excitement, feeling "Holy crap, this monster is one of our own!" The Third Elder's current feeling was "painful, shocked, curious, and very happy all at once."

Losing to such a monster is not shameful.

Therefore, he looked at the two disciples and said: "I will not speak of it; if word leaks out, it will be your doing."

The two disciples were startled and hurriedly said: "Disciple..."

But before the words could finish, Song Cheng interrupted.

"Senior Brother, I..."

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then said, "I feel that if it gets out, it doesn't really matter."

He tilted his head, his black hair dancing wildly in the wind, and the black cloth before his eyes also fluttered violently.

Although they could not see his eyes, the Big Hall Master, the Third Elder, and those disciples all saw his longing and yearning.

Song Cheng said, "Junior Brother, in pursuit of martial arts, I wish to see the heroes of the world."

His calm voice contained boundless heroic spirit and dominance.

After speaking, he bowed respectfully again and said, "Senior Brother, are the Great Elders still here? I would like to go and ask them for guidance."

As his voice fell, the courtyard became much quieter again.

The Big Hall Master pondered for a moment and said, "Junior Brother, have you... thought it through?"

Song Cheng said, "I have thought it through."

The Big Hall Master said, "Then follow me to the martial arts stage to spar once more.

If you win, Senior Brother will help you spread the title of 'Number One in Hanping Prefecture, North Land Blade King'.

If you wish to fight, I will add one more thing for you: whoever can defeat you on the stage shall receive thirty thousand taels of gold and three promises from my Mountain River Martial Arts Hall."

Nearby, the two disciples had already forgotten to breathe, their hearts pounding wildly.

Even the Third Elder's Adam's apple bobbed.

North Land Blade King? Thirty thousand taels of gold? Three promises from the Mountain River Martial Arts Hall?

Song Cheng thought for a moment and asked, "Among the heroes of the world, what rank would Senior Brother place me in?"

The Big Hall Master said, "I do not know, but entering the top hundred should be possible."

Song Cheng asked again, "Above the Qi Realm, what is the next realm?"

The Big Hall Master said, "I do not know."

Song Cheng asked, "Does it exist?"

The Big Hall Master said, "I do not know."

Song Cheng scratched his head and said worriedly, "If this title is spread, will it attract terrifying old monsters? If I cannot beat them, wouldn't my Mountain River Martial Arts Hall really have to agree to three conditions? And pay thirty thousand taels of gold?"

Big Hall Master: Third Elder: Both were left speechless, neither laughing nor crying.

This Junior Brother, one second he was incomparably domineering, the next he was so cautious? Is he really this pragmatic? The Big Hall Master coughed and said, "Junior Brother, win against me first. Last time we sparred, I still held back. This time, I will not."

Song Cheng nodded.

A moment later, the two stepped onto the martial arts stage.

The Big Hall Master dismissed the disciples, calling only the elders, the Internal Affairs Envoy, and the External Affairs Envoy currently in the Prefecture City, and after a brief explanation, they took their stances on the stage.

"Junior Brother, once the Qi Realm reaches Completion, one can manifest a martial Dao phantom. Last time, Senior Brother held back and did not show it to you. Now, take a look."

After speaking, the Big Hall Master's aura swelled, and an invisible energy supported a giant figure over a zhang tall, clad in heavy armor.

"This is, the Giant Spirit."

"Once the phantom is formed, every move and style I make, even if performed casually, contains power far exceeding the usual."

"This is because all techniques not only contain my own Qi, but also the Qi of the Giant Spirit."

"With both energies connected, the power rises to a new level."

Song Cheng slowly drew his blade and said, "Senior Brother, please."

The Big Hall Master did not say much more, first testing him with a slash.

The blade Qi surged, much stronger than the Third Elder's from before.

He followed up with a casual strike.

A huge lunar arc appeared in the space.

Song Cheng swung his blade and shattered it with a "Bang!"

He then stepped forward with his blade, the blade Qi crisscrossing as he engaged the Big Hall Master.

In the midst of the clash, he seemed to be learning; at first, it was just blade Qi, but slowly, "phantom fragments" began to appear on his body surface occasionally.

This learning ability made the eyelids of the elders off-stage twitch.

After a long while, the Big Hall Master waved his hand and said, "That's enough, let's stop; I have lost."

He had fully realized that this Junior Brother was just using him to learn.

Song Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Senior Brother, after the battle just now, I have gained some insights and would like to discuss them with you."

The Big Hall Master nodded, but then looked at the others and smiled, "I used to only hear storytellers talk about where a once-in-a-century genius had appeared, and thought it was just nonsense, but today... such a genius has finally come to my Mountain River Martial Arts Hall."

"This is the opportunity for our martial arts hall to rise."

The others also watched with bright eyes.

Belonging to the same faction, in a time surrounded by vicious Ghosts and powerful enemies, the appearance of someone with such terrifying talent was welcomed and celebrated by everyone.

The Big Hall Master said, "Then let the news spread; say that Junior Brother is the North Land Blade King. Since Junior Brother wants to see the heroes of the world, then let him see them. This is also beneficial for enhancing the prestige of our Mountain River Martial Arts Hall."

Song Cheng whispered, "Senior Brother, the gold and the three promises, let's not mention those for now."

The Big Hall Master's eyelid twitched, and he replied in a low voice, "Fine, we won't mention them."

Immediately after, Song Cheng challenged the elders off-stage, defeating them one by one, leaving everyone shocked and convinced.

However, to Song Cheng, "victory" did not really mean much, because this was expected; what troubled him was that the "deduction probability" had not increased, remaining at 6.4 per thousand.

Clearly, the higher the level of the technique, the more difficult and demanding it was to deduce.

As for the reputation of "North Land Blade King," he did not feel it was particularly impressive or high-status; what he looked forward to was the tiny life perhaps growing in An Chenyu's womb.

Only a few days passed.

Song Cheng defeated everyone in the Mountain River Martial Arts Hall, and the name "North Land Blade King" spread like wildfire, traveling far and wide at a rapid speed.

On this day, west of Hanping Prefecture City, at the edge of the crimson-cloud wilderness, someone led a team, and there were many barbarians wrapped in animal skins in the group.

Yet the leader was a person of the Great Shang.

The visitor paid respects to the Prefect of Hanping Prefecture and then stated their purpose.

This matter was quickly reported to those above.

An internal conflict occurred within the Barbarian tribe; many "human traitors" led by the Golden Crow King, as well as Ghost servants hiding among the Barbarians, were all executed. The Barbarians are now somewhat panicked, as they have no idea if there are still Ghost servants hiding in their own camp.

Therefore, upon hearing that there were Soul Refiners in the Prefecture City who could see ghosts and demons, the great Barbarian King sincerely dispatched an envoy to invite the Soul Refiners to visit the camp.

As a gesture of sincerity, the great Barbarian King even took the initiative to send his son and daughter as hostages; they are currently outside the city, and as long as the Soul Refiner is willing to go to the Barbarian camp, the Barbarian King's children will enter Hanping Prefecture.

The three giants of Hanping Prefecture quickly began to deliberate.

Then, they had an answer.

Lady Zhushan held several volumes of books and carefully handed them to Tong Jia, saying with a gentle expression, "Everything I haven't finished explaining is in these books, including the method for medicine men. Just study them diligently."

Tong Jia bit her lip, but did not say anything like "Can't you not go?"

The invitation from the great Barbarian King was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Lady Zhushan.

Originally, Lady Zhushan had planned to visit one place after another after the war, but she had not expected such a change to break out in the Barbarian camp.

Even though the path ahead was filled with thorns, she was prepared to go.

She hated evil ghosts, hated them to the extreme.

Evil ghosts had destroyed everything of hers.

She could not let evil ghosts grow stronger.

Tong Jia threw herself into Lady Zhushan's arms.

The plump woman wearing a dowdy, thick robe gently stroked her hair and said, "You and little Song are both good children. With little Song taking care of you, Granny is at ease."

After saying this, she took a few deep breaths, and then, in a voice no one else could hear, she whispered, "The Soul Refining method is an ominous technique; do not practice it."

"Especially the visualization method; don't even touch it."

"Unless, unless one day you meet a cursed person, then you could let that person try it. But you must, must be wary of that person!"

Tong Jia was stunned for a moment.

Lady Zhushan said sternly, "Promise me!"

Tong Jia nodded gently and said, "I promise."

Lady Zhushan's expression finally relaxed, and then she turned to look at the disciples of Zhushan Temple, pointed at Tong Jia, and said, "While I am not in the Prefecture City, she shall be the acting Temple Master of my Zhushan Temple."

"You all, why haven't you paid your respects to Temple Master Tong!?"

Tong Jia was at a loss.

But the disciples of Zhushan Temple had already bowed down in a dense crowd, saying, "Greetings, Temple Master Tong!"

The next day.

Lady Zhushan led several disciples, some medicine men, and Duan Xin, the "Third Elder of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall" who happened to be traveling the same way, to accompany the Barbarian envoy and head north with the credentials.

Meanwhile, the great Barbarian King's son and daughter also entered Hanping Prefecture to serve as hostages at the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall.

The road was long, with thin mist flowing like gauze.

The Barbarian envoy, Lady Zhushan, and the others had already gone far away.

Suddenly, Duan Xin frowned, looked around at the surroundings, his expression solemn, and after a moment of thought, he asked abruptly, "Did any of you hear a fox laughing?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Lady Zhushan, however, sighed long and said, "Elder Duan is not suffering from auditory hallucinations, but this matter is my secret. I ask that Elder Duan please escort me to the Barbarian lands."

(End of this chapter)