Chapter 104: Fanning The Flames (I)

The spring breeze swept gently through the land. Songyi City lay in the south, and the weather had grown much warmer with the arrival of spring. In recent days, marching troops were often seen passing outside the city, all heading to reinforce the front lines.

The sight of these troops eased the fear and tension that had gripped the people's hearts.

With so many soldiers heading to support the front, surely the rebel army would not remain rampant for long... right?

Since their last major offensive, the bandits had suffered heavy losses. Many of their elite fighters had perished, forcing them to retreat and recover. In the days that followed, Baishi Mountain remained quiet, with no major clashes breaking out.

Time slipped by, and a full month had passed. Lin Zheyu and his companions' posting had ended, so they began their journey back.

Outside the city, a column of over 200 men marched slowly toward Songyi City.

"Finally, we're back! That damned place was suffocating. I'm going to spend 3 days and 3 nights at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion!" exclaimed Jia Yanyong excitedly.

"Watch yourself," muttered Xie Jiang with a glance.

"

Heh

," Jia Yanyong snickered boastfully.

"You?" Ning Hui burst into laughter.

Whenever the group was together, they often bickered and teased one another for fun.

"Damn it, I just wasn't in the mood that day. You picking a fight, brat?" shouted Jia Yanyong angrily.

"Nah, bro. I'm not in the mood, either," said Ning Hui as he idly picked his ear.

"I happen to have a powerful tonic that nourishes the kidneys and boosts virility. Any takers?" said Lin Zheyu with a serious cough.

"

Hahaha...

" Xie Jiang and Ning Hui couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Jia Yanyong shot Lin Zheyu a glare, ready to challenge him to a fight, but swallowed the urge. That brat was someone he couldn't afford to provoke, and definitely couldn't beat. Every time he sparred with Lin Zheyu, he was utterly crushed without a chance to fight back. It was unbearably humiliating.

***

Atop the walls of Songyi City, several burly men watched Lin Zheyu and his companions enter the city with shadowed, brooding eyes.

"

Hmph

, those Nine Nether Sect fools are useless. They couldn't even take Baishi Mountain, yet they dared to prattle about immortality!" said Xing Jing'an coldly.

He had gone along that night, intending to fish in troubled waters and capture Lin Zheyu in the chaos. But he had not expected those idiots to fail.

"No, those guys were hardly members of the Nine Nether Sect; they were just a rabble—mere tools of the sect." Xing Zhicheng shook his head and said, "The true Nine Nether Sect believers are only those few we've been in contact with. Their strength is formidable."

"Father, what exactly are those Nine Nether Sect people after?" asked Xing Penghai in confusion, unable to make sense of the sect's recent actions.

"Followers. What they want is to recruit more followers. Do you know where many of those refugees who received no aid ended up? A great number were taken in and settled at Lion Valley by the Nine Nether Sect," Xing Zhicheng said in a deep voice. "I suspect the rise of the rebel army has been fueled from behind the scenes by the Nine Nether Sect."

"Exactly. Since the founding of Great Wei, the state religion has been enforced, while other sects have been suppressed and purged. The Nine Nether Sect can only hope to grow by secretly expanding in the shadows while the rebel army is on the rise," said Xing Zhiyuan as he nodded in agreement.

"That boy has returned. What do you plan to do?" asked Xing Zhicheng, turning to Xing Zhiyuan.

Xing Zhicheng and Xing Zhiyuan were blood brothers and shared a close bond. That was why Xing Jing'an and Xing Jinglong were on such good terms with Xing Penghai.

"I won't wait any longer. I'll seize him myself and interrogate him. Maybe I can extract some clues," said Xing Zhiyuan.

So much time had passed, yet the family elder's investigation had yielded no leads about Xing Jinglong's death. He had no intention of waiting any longer.

***

Upon returning to Songyi City, Senior Brother Han Mo had already gone out again to suppress bandits, so Lin Zheyu did not see him. He took some time to visit Old Master Chen, who was still ruddy-faced and robust, having just returned from a leisurely visit to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion that very day.

As before, once back in Songyi City, Lin Zheyu and his group were once again tasked with maintaining order on Baiwei Street and several nearby streets. However, Qiu Gaoxuan had been severely injured and needed a period of recuperation. Moreover, after the battle at Baishi Mountain, they had lost two Organ Forging Realm experts and more than a dozen Bone Forging Realm fighters, leaving them short-handed.

The next day.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Cold gleams flashed through the courtyard. The long saber in Lin Zheyu's hand moved as if part of his own body, shifting fluidly and changing at will. His understanding of the Golden Goose Technique had reached a sublime level, so his movements were light and unpredictable, and he could advance and retreat with effortless ease. With the Golden Goose Technique under his feet and the Sixfold Saber in hand, Lin Zheyu's blade, though fierce and powerful, carried an unexpected grace in his execution.

Whoosh.

His gaze sharpened, and his aura grew heavier. The style shifted; it was now less graceful and more domineering. The saber in his hand roared through the air, stirring up gusts of cutting wind.

With a sharp swish, his blood qi erupted from within, and as the saber slashed forth, an invisible pressure coiled around him, radiating an overwhelming momentum qi.

After a month of secluded training at Baishi Mountain, his grasp of fist momentum had grown far more refined. It was no longer limited to his fist techniques but was gradually being woven into the Sixfold Saber.

Compared to before, the Sixfold Saber now carried a domineering intent. Under such a domineering saber force, even before the blade landed, its target would be struck with soul-piercing fear.

Lin Zheyu sheathed his saber and stood still, carefully savoring the sensation he had just felt.

"This is still not enough. My martial conviction isn't strong enough. The momentum lacks substance and can only intimidate those with weak will. It won't do much against fierce beasts or those with iron resolve," muttered Lin Zheyu to himself.

He had cultivated the Sixfold Saber entirely through his own effort, never once using Origin Force to boost his progress. However, his comprehension was strong, and martial techniques often shared common principles. With his other arts already advanced, he could draw insights from them, allowing his saber technique to progress swiftly. After several months of practice, he was already close to reaching Advanced Mastery.

Time passed, and Lin Zheyu had trained continuously for over six hours. Panting heavily, he finally came to a stop.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 5]

[Skills: Barbaric Ox Fist (Perfection), Golden Goose Technique (Sixth Stage: 12%), Tortoise Breath Grand Method (Third Stage: 3%), Sixfold Saber (Initial Mastery: 58%), Poison King Body (First Stage: 0%)]

As expected, after the first transformation of my blood qi, every three training sessions yield one instance where I gain 2 units of Origin Force.

During his days at Baishi Mountain, once he had exhausted his supply of herbs, every unit of Origin Force gained from pushing his limits could only be stored with nowhere to spend it. He had accumulated 3 units of Origin Force there, and with 2 more gained today, he now had a total of 5 units saved up.

"I need to find a way to make money," muttered Lin Zheyu to himself.

Among his techniques, only the Barbaric Ox Fist had reached Perfection. The Poison King Body was still at zero percent. That technique was out of reach for now as it was far too expensive to cultivate.

After resting for a while, Lin Zheyu rose to his feet. He sat cross-legged and began refining the power of his blood qi. Lacking sufficient herbs to boost his strength, he could only allow his body to recover slowly.

However, with his physique strengthened by the first transformation of blood qi, he could quickly return to peak condition as long as he rested enough. That was the true power of blood qi. Blood qi had an extraordinary effect on alleviating soreness and accelerating the healing of injuries.

As threads of blood qi began coursing through his body, Lin Zheyu's complexion improved considerably. The power of blood qi flowed through his body, seeping into his flesh and accelerating his recovery.

Despite his current weakened appearance, with his formidable physique from the first transformation of blood qi and the fresh strength he had just refined, he could still easily crush even peak Organ Forging Realm martial artists.