"Boom!"
A burst of firecrackers, a joyous welcome to the New Year.
On New Year's Eve, every household in Qingzhu Village hung red lanterns and set off firecrackers and fireworks.
In this era, only the countryside permitted firecrackers and fireworks.
Only the unchanging festive sounds of fireworks and firecrackers made it feel a little like the New Year.
As the New Year approached, King Qian, Chen Jiuyang, fought and killed enemies daily, striking fear into the martial arts world of Feng Province.
Many who relied on their martial artist influence took crooked paths, engaging in usury, underground casinos, and deliberately setting traps to harm people.
Even in Qingzhu Village, there were those who gambled on mahjong. An ordinary villager who worked in construction or factories, saving tens of thousands of yuan a year, would be targeted by thugs. They would gamble away their savings overnight and incur tens of thousands in debt.
Upon learning of this, Chen Jiuyang showed no mercy. He acted directly. Those with lesser offenses were sent to the Six Gates to be imprisoned, while those with more serious crimes were beheaded by Chen Jiuyang's blade.
With such scoundrels and martial artists within who preyed on the villagers, and forces like the Killing God Hall and the Longevity Alliance with ulterior motives outside, Chen Jiuyang's relentless killing brought about a period of relative peace.
Fengcheng, Black Market.
Several individuals clad in black robes, their true faces hidden, gathered in a teahouse within the black market.
The table was laden with exquisite delicacies and expensive wines, their aromas filling the air. Yet, no one touched them. Firstly, they dared not remove their masks, and secondly, their expressions were grim.
"During the New Year, this King Qian is truly heartless, intending to purge the entire martial arts world of Feng Province!"
"Why act now, and not earlier or later?"
"King Qian wants to emulate Du Manying, using us as stepping stones to forge his eternal fame."
"King Qian's calculations are indeed clever, but they will ultimately fall short. With the New Year here, according to the plan, the top experts of the Killing God Hall and the Longevity Alliance should be making their move. Tonight's battle is our last stand. We must exert all our strength to separate King Qian from the Sword Wielders."
The combat power of the Sword Wielders should not be underestimated.
...
Qingzhu Village.
Chen Biandao and Elder Han stood guard before Chen Jiuyang's training room.
After days of combat, Chen Jiuyang's martial arts cultivation, state of mind, and techniques had further improved. Now, with the arrival of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Chen Jiuyang was in seclusion, seemingly aiming to break through to the sixth level of the Earth Realm and advance his martial arts cultivation further.
Elder Han said, "After Chen Jiuyang seals the King of Qian, breaking through to the Heaven Realm will be a natural progression."
Chen Biandao nodded slowly and said, "I know. In a few more days, we will head to Longjing to prepare for the Asian Martial Rankings World Competition. Almost all families have forcibly elevated their participating contestants' martial arts cultivation. With the suppression of national destiny and the Martial Rankings' fortune, no accidents have occurred."
Elder Han said, "I heard news that some martial artists from other countries have already entered Longjing, intending to spar with the current generation of Martial Rankings martial artists from Long Country in advance."
Chen Biandao's expression slightly tensed and he said, "This is normal. The battle for national destiny, which occurs every sixty years, involves national selection, inter-continental competition, and then participation in the world competition. This is the only way to maximize the benefits of national destiny."
Elder Han said, "In recent years, South Korea and Japan have been ambitious. Their arrival in Longjing together this time likely bodes no good."
Chen Biandao's expression deepened slightly and he said, "South Korea and Japan are backed by the United States. After raising dogs for decades, would they use them without ulterior motives?"
Just then, Deng Zun entered from outside, holding a red-sealed envelope from the King of Northern Yan. Chen Biandao's brow immediately furrowed, "A red urgent letter?"
"A letter from the King of Northern Yan to the King of Qian," Deng Zun reported.
"Jiuyang is currently in seclusion; it is a great taboo to disturb him rashly. However, since the King of Northern Yan has sent an urgent letter, it must be read. Therefore, I will examine it on Jiuyang's behalf," Chen Biandao deliberated, then opened the envelope:
"Hmm?"
Chen Biandao suddenly let out a loud exclamation, but his voice was abruptly cut short.
"Grandma Han, you should take a look too."
Chen Biandao handed the envelope to Elder Han expressionlessly. A moment later, Elder Han's face darkened:
"How dare these Japanese and South Korean martial artists be so bold!"
The content of the letter stated that the Japanese and South Korean Martial Rankings martial artists had been extremely arrogant in Longjing. In just a few days, they had injured dozens of people and openly provoked and insulted the young generation of Martial Rankings martial artists of Long Country.
Yan Hongming had written to request Chen Jiuyang to travel north to Longjing as soon as possible to teach these foreign martial artists a lesson together.
The two looked towards the training room.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
Long, resonant breathing sounds emanated from the training room.
The two exchanged glances, their eyes showing joy, "Jiuyang's martial arts should have made further progress."
"Swallowing Qi like a dragon, blood like the sea."
After an unknown period of time.
"Boom!"
A massive shockwave suddenly erupted from within the room.
At this very moment.
Several chilling killing intents descended abruptly.
Chen Biandao and Elder Han's faces darkened instantly, "These damned insects, how dare they be so audacious!"
"You two go and face them first. Interesting, very interesting." Han Peiling, holding a bottle of aged wine, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the walls and see Chen Jiuyang inside, said, "Can the ancient invincible method truly appear in this world?"
"Yes, Ancestor!"
Chen Biandao and Elder Han took their orders and rushed out of King Qian's mansion, engaging in combat with the half-step Heaven Realm experts from the Killing God Hall and the Longevity Alliance.
Inside the room.
Chen Jiuyang was attempting to break through his cultivation.
The vast qi and blood within his body were hot like a furnace fire, burning like gold, but it was not enough.
Chen Jiuyang felt he had not yet reached the limit of the Divine Might Invincible Path.
Divine Might like a prison traversed the five internal organs and divine repositories of the human body, emphasizing the soul.
The Divine Invincible Path was similar, but it placed greater emphasis on qi and blood.
Chen Jiuyang needed to transform his blood to achieve metamorphosis.
Before him lay a dense array of precious medicinal herbs and spiritual materials.
"Boom! Boom!"
The qi and blood within his body churned like ocean waves, boiling and roaring.
The qi and blood burned like gold, but had not yet become gold.
Treasures are refined in fire, and after a thousand days of tempering, golden light appears!
"Change! My! Blood!"
Chen Jiuyang sat cross-legged in the medicinal cauldron, treating himself like Sun Wukong in Journey to the West, entering the furnace himself to forge Fiery Golden Eyes.
His majestic qi and blood burned, activating all the medicinal herbs before him. With a gulp, he drew in the potent medicinal energy, which entered his body and flowed into his stomach, being fully absorbed and transformed into golden qi and blood.
"Rumble!"
The waves of qi and blood crashed incessantly. The golden qi and blood propelled the ordinary qi and blood to burn, aiming to transform Chen Jiuyang's entire body into golden qi and blood.
Chen Jiuyang's skin was flushed red and tinged with gold, exuding a sacred aura.
Outside the room.
"It seems he is about to succeed," Han Peiling sat on a lounge chair, squinting as he drank his wine. His ears picked up the sounds from within the room; the intense, continuous crashing of waves was breathtaking.
"Bang—"
With a loud explosion, the commotion inside the room abruptly ceased.
"Tap! Tap-tap!"
Then, the sound of light footsteps followed. A figure with hair as dark as a waterfall, his upper body bare, his flesh crystal clear and tinged with gold, emerged from within.
Han Peiling asked, "How was it?"
"By chance, it succeeded."