Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Martial Seal

“Qian Tu, you have nowhere left to run. Surrender now!”

The Direct Disciple Liu Shengyu had taken action personally, while three Elite Disciples guarded three directions, leaving Qian Tu no chance to escape.

“Liu Shengyu, I’m very curious. How did you discover my identity?”

Though surrounded, Qian Tu calmly drew a Soft Sword from his sash. He had been extremely cautious in Qinghan Mansion; very few people knew his true identity.

He observed those who knew his secret every few days to ensure they wouldn’t betray him, and no one else was even aware of his existence.

“If you don’t want anyone to know, don’t do it in the first place.”

“Since you delivered yourself to my doorstep, I’ll be sure to give you a warm welcome.”

Liu Shengyu drew his Long Rainbow Sharp Sword. This was a weapon a level above Thousand Refinement Weapons, far surpassing them in both sharpness and durability.

Wielding a weapon of the Long Rainbow Sharp Sword’s caliber, not even an Inner Master would dare to block it directly. Its sharpness was simply too terrifying.

Normally, even a Direct Disciple would only possess a Thousand Refinements Weapon. The reason Liu Shengyu had something like the Long Rainbow Sharp Sword was because his father was the Sect Leader of the Cyan Yuan Sect, making him the Young Sect Leader.

Barring any accidents, he was destined to be the next Sect Leader of the Cyan Yuan Sect.

“Liu Shengyu, let me see just how much power you, the Young Sect Leader of the Cyan Yuan Sect, truly possess.”

Qian Tu gripped his Soft Sword, making no attempt to flee.

He could sense that it wasn’t just these four present; someone else was hiding in the shadows. If he tried to run, that person would surely strike.

He understood even more clearly that he was being used as a whetstone for Liu Shengyu’s sword.

With no chance of escape, he decided to risk his life for a final gamble. If he could kill Liu Shengyu, it would be more than worth it.

Qian Tu’s Soft Sword twitched, and a phantom image of twinkling stars appeared over his body. This was the Starry Sky Mark, the Martial Seal formed upon achieving Great Success in the Spirit Jade Palace’s Chenyu Sword Technique.

When a Martial Seal empowered the body, the Combat Power one could unleash would increase exponentially.

“Nine Oxen and Two Tigers, Martial Seal, enter my body!”

As Liu Shengyu’s words fell, phantom images of an Ox Demon and a Tiger Demon appeared on his body. This was the Nine Oxen and Two Tigers, an empowerment gained after cultivating both the Ox Demon’s Mighty Fist and the Tiger Demon Bone Cultivation Fist to the Perfection realm.

The “Nine Oxen” referred to the berserk Ox Demon, while the “Two Tigers” represented the domineering Tiger Demon. They were part of the Cyan Yuan Sect’s complementary External Refining Cultivation Methods; when both were cultivated to Perfection, they worked in tandem to provide immense benefits.

In an instant, Liu Shengyu’s Long Rainbow Sharp Sword moved. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Qian Tu.

The long sword slashed, its Sky-Breaking Sword Sound as mournful as a winter cicada, stirring up a bone-chilling wind.

Qian Tu’s Soft Sword transformed into countless specks of starlight, dotting the air.

Both fighters were incredibly fast. The clash of their Sword Weapons rang out continuously while the three Elite Disciples watched intently, giving Qian Tu no opportunity to escape.

And in the shadows, someone was still watching.

…

「Inside the T-shaped Room.」

Zhao Qiyang’s body had already been cleared away, and the remaining disciples had returned to their usual routines.

Not long after leaving, Sun Qi Wu and the others ran into disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall. They learned that the situation in Hanlin Mansion had mostly stabilized. The only source of trouble in the Medicine Hall, Zhao Qiyang, was now a corpse, which came as a surprise to the Law Enforcement Disciples who had been sent to apprehend him.

The Law Enforcement Hall members were naturally aware that Zhao Qiyang’s cultivation had suddenly erupted, allowing him to severely injure an Elite Disciple at the third layer of External Refining Copper Skin. They had been specifically dispatched to capture him.

The remaining traitors were all under control; as long as they didn’t leave the Hanlin Mansion’s Medicine Hall, there would be no more danger.

Hearing this from the Law Enforcement Hall disciples naturally put the disciples in the T-shaped Room at ease, as it did for those in the neighboring pharmacies.

There were many injured disciples in the Pharmacy, so the disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall had arrived quickly. After confirming Zhao Qiyang’s death, they left just as swiftly.

Once Yang Chan knew that the Medicine Hall was secure, he decided not to go out. ’Why go looking for trouble?’ he thought. ’It would be no fun at all if I became part of the spectacle.’

BOOM!

Just as Yang Chan was checking on the injured disciples, a violent explosion drew everyone’s attention.

That was a bit loud.

Yang Chan’s gaze shifted in that direction. He realized the sound came from the area where the Servant Disciples lived, which made him think of someone.

Qian Tu, the Steward from Lingyu Palace. According to Elder Lü Zhenghai, he was an expert in External Iron Bone Refining.

’But could an External Refining Iron Bone Expert really be this powerful?’

The question surfaced in Yang Chan’s mind.

He had never seen an expert of this level in action, and the commotion was far beyond what he had expected.

’After I return to the Sect, I’ll find a chance to get promoted to Elite Disciple. Then I can learn other Martial Arts and discover more of the secrets of Martial Arts Cultivation from the Instructor Hall.’

Yang Chan planned silently.

He hadn’t felt much when he’d heard about the deaths of the Cyan Yuan Sect’s Elder who practiced Inner Cultivation of the Lungs and Spleens and the Direct Disciple who practiced External Iron Bone Refining. After all, everyone dies eventually.

But now, seeing that External Iron Bone Refining alone could cause this much destruction, he couldn’t help but wonder just how powerful the Combat Power of a Grandmaster of Inner Cultivation of the Lungs and Spleens would be.

“Liu Shengyu, I admit you’re strong! But if you want my life, you’ll have to trade yours for it!”

“Blood Source Burst Refinement!”

“Starry Martial Seal!”

As a formidable surge of Qi and Blood Power erupted, Qian Tu’s aura skyrocketed. At the same time, his entire body began to glow like a source of light, glittering as if studded with stars.

Even in broad daylight, it was a dazzling sight that was impossible to ignore.

Yang Chan saw him too. Qian Tu had leaped high into the air, appearing as a ball of light. Though his features were obscured, Yang Chan recognized his voice clearly the moment he spoke. This level of Combat Power was beyond anything Yang Chan had anticipated.

It made Yang Chan grateful for his own caution; otherwise, he would likely have been in grave danger.

He had originally thought there was a ceiling to Martial Arts Combat Power, but now it seemed he had underestimated it. This only strengthened Yang Chan’s resolve to return to the Cyan Yuan Sect. ’There are too many experts down here,’ he thought. ’It’s too dangerous. It’s better to be prudent and stay within the Cyan Yuan Sect to safely raise my strength.’

“Hmph! A defeated foe is still a waste, even with a burst of power. Allow me to send you on your way!”

“Ox Demon Martial Seal!”

“Tiger Demon Martial Seal!”

“Nine Oxen and Two Tigers, Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound!”

The Direct Disciple Liu Shengyu snorted, leaping high into the air as well. Phantom images of the Ox Demon and Tiger Demon appeared behind him. As the phantoms merged into his body, a sound like rolling thunder emanated from within him.

Even from a distance, the sound caused Yang Chan’s heart to tremble as if a thunderclap had exploded right above his head. A natural sense of panic washed over him, and he even felt the urge to flee.

And that was from far away; Qian Tu, who faced Liu Shengyu directly, must have been enduring far more.

Yang Chan noticed Qian Tu’s figure falter in mid-air, and a gap appeared in the light enveloping him.

But Liu Shengyu’s long sword shot forward, and with a single strike, it slammed the airborne Qian Tu back down to the ground.

Instantly, Yang Chan felt the very ground beneath him tremble, a testament to the immense power behind Liu Shengyu’s attack.

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