Under the moonlight, the air temperature was extremely low. A young man's blood and qi were burning hot, white steam rising from his body. He walked with the bearing of a dragon, and with each step, a wave of heat and a gust of wind surged towards the two men.
The eyes of the two Gu clan martial artists immediately narrowed: "So young, with blood and qi forged into a furnace. This person must be the recently renowned Chen, the God of Slaughter, Marquis Xuanyang."
"This person is not to be trifled with!"
"This person is likely here for the people being broken out of prison by the Zhu family. We have no mortal feud with him."
Upon seeing Chen Jiuyang, the two men made their decision.
One martial artist in Gu clan robes spoke to Chen Jiuyang, "Marquis Xuanyang, I have long admired your name. Let us each mind our own business, and not interfere with each other, how about it?"
Chen Jiuyang slowly raised a hand, and the Yan Sheng Saber, which was stuck in the ground, was pulled out by a surge of true qi, returning to Chen Jiuyang's hand.
The Han Ling Sword had always been protected and refined, thus possessing immense power. However, the Yan Sheng Saber had been sealed for who knows how many years before Chen Jiuyang took it out, far from reaching the level of the Han Ling Sword.
A cold and chilling voice spat from Chen Jiuyang's mouth, "You know I am Marquis Xuanyang, yet you committed prison breaks and murder in Ziyang County. Do you still have the audacity to speak of not interfering with each other in front of me?"
"I don't know who gave you the nerve."
As Chen Jiuyang slowly gripped the saber, an aura that sent a shiver down their spines rose from his body.
"Zheng—"
Under the moonlight, the Yan Sheng Saber flashed a chilling light that made one's hair stand on end.
"Attack!"
The martial artist in Gu clan robes' expression darkened. He raised his hand, his weapon gleaming. His entire body surged with true qi. One person directly attacked Chen Jiuyang, while the other brewed a divine intent technique. Their coordination was excellent: one to delay, the other to prepare a killing blow.
"Rumble!"
Facing the terrifyingly explosive true qi attack, a thought suddenly flashed through Chen Jiuyang's mind. His entire body was riddled with flaws. This true qi was showy but unsubstantial, like tofu that could be crushed with a gentle squeeze.
Chen Jiuyang didn't know why he had this thought, but as it arose, he stood in place without any other movement. He lightly raised the Yan Sheng Saber in his hand and slashed forward with the tip.
The true qi move of the martial artist in Gu clan robes instantly shattered under the saber tip.
The man's brow furrowed. Chen Jiuyang hadn't used any true qi just now, merely touching his true qi move with the saber, and it had dissolved his attack. What was going on?
Chen Jiuyang vaguely had a realization. The cultivation methods in the current martial arts world were actually the ancient path of cultivation. It was just that they had reached the same destination through different routes, and the realms of martial arts cultivation were different.
If that were the case, then the problem lay in the circulation of true qi through the twelve major acupoints at the Profound Realm.
Thus...
The qi protection garment also had a problem.
However, in the brief exchange, Chen Jiuyang had already understood much.
If that were so, then the method of true qi circulation was also problematic.
What is a martial artist?
To advance fearlessly, to cleave open the path of life and death with a single saber strike. All strength should be used for attack!
With his thoughts clear and a sudden enlightenment, Chen Jiuyang's Yan Sheng Saber suddenly slashed forward!
The chilling light was sharp and transformed into a half-moon. It was another saber strike aimed at the martial artist in Gu clan robes, as if to decapitate him.
"Presumptuous!"
The martial artist in Gu clan robes was startled, then roared in anger. His entire body surged with true qi, condensing into a qi protection garment, attempting to withstand Chen Jiuyang's saber strike.
However, Chen Jiuyang suddenly lowered the Yan Sheng Saber in his hand and, with his other hand, transformed it into a saber-hand and struck towards the martial artist in Gu clan robes. He didn't use any true qi, relying purely on the strength of his blood, qi, and flesh. The rapidly swung saber-hand was like a bullet, shattering the martial artist's qi protection garment. The force had not yet ended, and it continued towards his face.
"I'm going to die!"
The martial artist in Gu clan robes was terrified. Looking at the incoming saber-hand, a thought flashed through his mind: if he didn't block this saber-hand, he would be killed outright.
With a roar, all his strength surged forth. He crossed his arms in front of his face, forming a cross, to withstand Chen Jiuyang's saber-hand.
"Bang—"
The saber-hand fell, emitting an air explosion sound like two massive objects colliding.
The martial artist in Gu clan robes standing before Chen Jiuyang had bloodied arms, shattered bones, and his arms exploded, revealing bone-white, bloody bone.
"Blocked!"
While enduring the pain, the martial artist in Gu clan robes felt a sense of surviving a disaster.
"As expected."
Chen Jiuyang's brow furrowed slightly, as if confirming his suspicions.
"Marquis Xuanyang, die!"
An angry roar sounded. The divine intent technique of the other martial artist in black Gu clan robes had been fully brewed and was now attacking Chen Jiuyang.
It was a divine intent phantom resembling a poisonous bee, streaking towards Chen Jiuyang.
He had brewed this move for a long time, exhausting almost all his soul and true qi. Even a peak Grandmaster of the Earth Realm would have to avoid its锋芒. Chen Jiuyang was too arrogant, and facing two opponents who were also Grandmasters of the Earth Realm, he actually intended to deal with them without using true qi or techniques.
Chen Jiuyang would surely pay the price for his arrogance. A ferocious smile flashed across the face of the black-clad Gu clan martial artist.
"Bang—"
The next instant, the smile on his face froze.
Chen Jiuyang caught his divine intent technique with his bare hand, then crushed it with a gentle squeeze.
"Even the divine intent techniques are not right. They lean more towards ancient magic."
"To call it martial arts is actually a path of cultivation that has been tampered with."
"And you are all too weak."
"Not reaching the Half-step Heaven Realm, unable to condense divine might, you cannot unleash the true power of these techniques."
Chen Jiuyang sighed softly. The gap between the Earth Realm and the Heaven Realm was truly as their names suggested: one on the ground, the other in the sky. The chasm in strength was like a natural barrier, causing people to retreat. No wonder so many people sought the path to heaven.
No wonder so many people dared not cause trouble upon hearing Zhou Fangzun's name. Truly, a person's reputation preceded them, inspiring fear.
The higher one stood, the farther one could see, and the more one knew how far they were from the heavens.
Then, Chen Jiuyang exerted force with his feet, his figure flashing. The Yan Sheng Saber in his hand swung out with extreme speed, leaving two afterimages.
"Ch—"
Two heads, accompanied by a spray of blood, shot into the sky. The headless bodies then fell.
"The leader is dead..."
Exclamations of fear and shock arose from the darkness, followed by over a dozen figures emerging from the shadows and fleeing into the distance.
Chen Jiuyang slowly sheathed the Yan Sheng Saber, "Constable Liu, these escaped fish are for you."
"Hahahaha, Marquis Xuanyang, rest assured. I will definitely not let these petty criminals escape!"
Liu Hanguang's hearty laughter echoed from the darkness.
Then, more than ten figures emerged from the darkness, led by Lu Shanhai of the Heavenly King Alliance.
Lu Shanhai looked at Chen Jiuyang with a gaze of awe and admiration: "The younger generation is truly formidable. You have truly grasped some truths about ancient martial artists within the martial path you created."