Beginning with the Five Animals Fist to Become a Saint

Ten miles outside Wolonggang.

On a hilltop.

Several figures stood atop it, gazing into the distance at Zhuge Manor nestled in the hills.

A man with his hands behind his back, wearing an earth-yellow robe, was Li Sixiang, the vice sect leader of the Crossing Immortals Sect.

A newly promoted second-rank Grandmaster.

One of them was a woman with a slender waist. Her face was covered by a purple veil, so her features were not clearly visible. However, judging from her figure, she was no different from a young woman of sixteen or seventeen. Her waist was no wider than a palm, and her arms and legs were as straight as chopsticks.

Her every glance exudes a captivating beauty, yet also carries a mysterious and deadly aura.

Another person had regular features, an imposing face, and eyes that shone with a captivating light. He carried a large broadsword on his back.

It exudes an air of integrity, and standing atop the mountain, it evokes a sense of solidity and grandeur, like a towering mountain.

The last person had long hair hanging down over their forehead, obscuring the upper half of their face, so their eyes could not be seen.

The lower half of his face was covered with bluish stubble.

At this moment, the man was casually leaning against a crooked tree, holding a wine jug and continuously pouring wine into his mouth.

Suddenly.

A crane's cry pierced the sky, and several pairs of eyes turned to the sky.

From the clouds, a crane was seen rapidly descending.

"The royal Cloud Shadow Crane!" said the middle-aged man with an upright demeanor.

"It's Jiang Ning!" Li Sixiang's gaze sharpened, then a smile spread across his face: "He really did come!"

"Is he the target of your Immortal Crossing Sect?" A woman's ethereal and melodious voice rang out from beneath the purple veil.

“Miss Xi is right, this person is one of our targets! The Alliance Leader’s departure from his seclusion to take charge of the overall situation was instructed to bring out this newly appointed Inspector of Zeshan Prefecture,” Li Sixiang said.

Just then.

The man who had been leaning against the crooked tree, engrossed in drinking, suddenly spoke.

"Did Alliance Leader Li receive instructions? Does that mean instructions from whom?"

Li Sixiang looked at the man with a full beard and a decadent demeanor, and slowly nodded.

“Brother Jing is right. If it weren’t for those people’s instructions, why would the Alliance Leader have come out of seclusion at this time?”

Upon hearing this, the woman in the purple dress immediately supported herself with her hands on her slender waist.

"So, in that sense, we're all just tools."

"Shouldn't you have guessed it before coming to Guangning Prefecture?" said the righteous-looking middle-aged man.

During their conversation.

The crane plummeted rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, they landed at the entrance of Zhuge Manor.

"And who are you two?" Upon seeing the man and woman descend from the crane, the guards at the entrance of Zhuge Manor immediately stepped forward and asked respectfully.

"Jiang Ning!" Jiang Ning introduced himself.

Upon hearing the name, some of the guards paused, while others looked astonished.

These days, a gloomy atmosphere hangs over the entire Zhuge family, and naturally, there is a lot of discussion about the governor of Zeshan Prefecture.

Logically speaking, the governor of Zeshan Prefecture would step in to resolve the predicament faced by Zhuge Manor at this time.

Because the Zhuge family had served the court for generations, even if it wasn't considered meritorious, they had still put in hard work.

The Zhuge family also held a pivotal position in the entire Guangning Prefecture.

If the Zhuge family runs into trouble, it will mean a complete imbalance of power between the two sides in the entire Guangning Prefecture.

Local sects that were originally neutral will all side with the other side under these circumstances.

Therefore, although they had never seen Jiang Ning's face, they had heard his name countless times.

Not to mention, the name Jiangning had already spread throughout the thirty-six prefectures of the nine provinces.

The greatest prodigy in eight hundred years.

The Great Xia Martial Arts Champion.

Marquis of Dongling of the Great Xia Dynasty.

One of the Kyushu Inspectors.

Any one of these titles would be enough to make him famous far and wide, let alone all these titles gathered on one person, and such a young person at that.

"Greetings, Marquis of Dongling!"

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

"."

Several guards from Zhuge Manor immediately bowed to Jiang Ning, addressing him with different titles each time.

“This is the seventeenth princess of the royal family!” Jiang Ning spoke again, and then said, “Please go and inform the Zhuge family head on our behalf.”

"Greetings, Princess!"

"Greetings, Princess!"

"."

The guards of Zhuge Manor bowed solemnly to Ji Mingyue.

Then someone said, "Please wait a moment, I will go and inform them."

"No need!" A dignified and deep voice suddenly came from behind.

The guards turned around and saw several figures appear in their line of sight beside the screen wall.

Upon seeing the faces of those people, the guards who had been standing at the entrance of the manor all gripped their swords, clasped their hands, and bowed in salute.

"Greetings, Patriarch! Greetings, Elders!"

"Greetings, Patriarch! Greetings, Elders!"

"."

At this moment, a total of eight guards holding swords and knives stood at the entrance of the manor and bowed in unison in the direction where Zhuge Qingsong was.

Zhuge Qingsong led several clan elders forward quickly.

Upon arriving within ten feet of Jiang Ning, he immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute and knelt on one knee.

"This humble citizen, Zhuge Qingsong, greets Your Excellency and the Seventeenth Princess!"

Seeing this, the elders behind him looked astonished.

Some people looked at each other.

Then some people followed Zhuge Qingsong's actions, clasping their hands and kneeling on one knee.

"This humble citizen, Zhuge Hongjing, greets Your Excellency and the Seventeenth Princess."

"This humble citizen, Zhuge Hongyi, greets Your Excellency and the Seventeenth Princess."

"This humble citizen, Zhuge Huai Ren, greets Your Excellency and the Seventeenth Princess."

The clan elders behind Zhuge Qingsong bowed to him in a few scattered manner.

As the clan elders bowed, some still looked hesitant, while others appeared uncertain.
"You're too kind, everyone! There's no need for that!" Jiang Ning waved his hand, and a gentle aura spread out, supporting everyone.

Zhuge Qingsong stood up.

Seeing this, the others also stood up.

Those who had hesitated and wavered now showed expressions of relief.

Since Zhuge Qingsong was the first to get up, they no longer needed to worry about it.

There's no need to force yourself to kneel before this young man.

Just then.

cough cough-

Jiang Ning's cough interrupted everyone's thoughts.

"My lord, are you unwell?" Zhuge Qingsong asked hesitantly.

"It's nothing, just a minor ailment. The power of the curse has seeped into my lungs, so it's inevitable that I'll cough a little every day," Jiang Ning said calmly.

"My lord, what brings you here today?" an elder from behind Zhuge Qingsong asked.

"We came here because of the Zhuge family!" Jiang Ning said.

"My lord, you are under a curse that has penetrated your very being, yet you still traveled thousands of miles to Wolonggang. This is truly a noble act!" Zhuge Qingsong clasped his hands tightly and bowed to Jiang Ning.

Because Zhuge Qingsong exerted too much force, one could clearly see the bulging veins on his hands and his trembling hands.

He seemed quite excited. Then he added, "However, I just heard the Marquis mention that the power of the curse has seeped into his lungs! This is no small matter. I wonder how much of the Marquis's strength he can currently unleash."

His words also voiced the doubts in the hearts of those behind him.

Because they all knew that Jiang Ning was one of the nine provinces' inspectors, specifically the inspector of Zeshan Prefecture.

However, in terms of strength, he was far inferior to the other state inspectors.

The other eight provincial inspectors were all top-tier martial arts masters at the peak of the first rank.

Even the weakest is at the Hunyuan Realm.

The most powerful even reach the state of oneness.

Jiang Ning and the others already knew that although he was a prodigy, he was only a second-grade Grandmaster.

Even though second-grade Grandmasters are powerful, they have no right to look down on them.

However, compared to the provincial governors, they were a level below in strength.

Moreover, the news that Jiang Ning was cursed had already spread throughout the land, and they had long heard of it.

Now that I have witnessed it with my own eyes, I know that it is not a rumor, but the truth.

"Sixty or seventy percent!" Jiang Ning said calmly.

"Sixty or seventy percent!" Zhuge Qingsong frowned upon hearing this, then bowed to Jiang Ning: "Given your current health condition, I am truly grateful that you have traveled so far to visit my Zhuge Manor! However, you are currently unwell and can only exert sixty or seventy percent of your strength! The bandits are powerful, with no fewer than four second-rank Grandmasters. It is not that I underestimate you, but you are not fit to fight now. Forcing a fight would only be a pointless death, and the safety of the Seventeenth Princess is in your hands!"

As Zhuge Qingsong finished speaking.

The atmosphere at the entrance of the villa became heavy.

All the elders' gazes fell on Jiang Ning.

They noticed that Jiang Ning's face was somewhat pale, unlike the rosy complexion of ordinary martial artists.

Jiang Ning covered his mouth and coughed lightly.

The occurrence of this phenomenon clearly indicates a problem with the lungs and internal organs.

Otherwise, with the body of a second-grade Grandmaster, he would already be immune to heat and cold, and free from illness and disaster.

Just now.

An elder from the clan behind Zhuge Qingsong stepped forward.

"The Marquis is benevolent and righteous, and the entire Zhuge family admires him deeply."

"However, just as the patriarch said, today's situation is not an ordinary martial arts brawl, but a deadly trap set by several grandmasters working together!"

"Even a lone lord like you is no match for four. In addition, you are ill and your strength is diminished. Even if you were to help, you would only lose your life in vain."

"Now that things have come to this point, my Zhuge family doesn't want to drag others down with us for no reason."

Another burly elder with a deep and composed aura stepped forward, his gaze calm and his figure heavy as thunder.

"Your Excellency is currently unwell; please return. The safety of the Seventeenth Princess is no trivial matter."

Seeing this scene.

Jiang Ning smiled faintly, showing no anger.

Although these people's words seemed to belittle him, they also revealed the integrity of the Zhuge family.

Knowing that his help could give the Zhuge family a better chance of survival, they resolutely refused to let him join the game.

Such behavior, on the contrary, made him feel even more that the Zhuge family was alive.

“You are all mistaken. I am not the only one who has come to our aid. I have only arrived on a crane ahead of you. Marquis Wenyuan and the others will arrive in person shortly,” Jiang Ning said.

"Marquis Wenyuan" "Shen Wenyuan"

The members of the Zhuge family whispered among themselves, discussing the matter in hushed tones.

"At the same time, Marquis Wenyuan also invited Wang Wenzong, the Dragon of Jiujiang!" Jiang Ning added.

“Jiujiang Dragon, Wang Wenzong?!” Zhuge Qingsong suddenly looked up at Jiang Ning, his face showing astonishment.

"They actually managed to get him involved!!"

"If Wang Wenzong is willing to help, then our Zhuge family is saved!!"

"I was wondering why this Marquis of Dongling was so confident, coming alone. It turns out that the Dragon of Jiujiang will be here soon!"

"."

While Zhuge Qingsong looked astonished, the elders all showed expressions of excitement.

Wolonggang is not far from Guangning City.

They also knew a great deal about Wang Wenzong, who lived in seclusion in Guangning City.

That was a ruthless man who had taken the lives of several grandmasters.

They had no doubt that Wang Wenzong was weaker now than he was back then, because they knew that none of the eighteen dragon heads were real people, but rather half-dragon, half-human creatures with powerful bodies and vigorous vitality.

Their lifespan is also much longer than that of ordinary people.

A hundred years is not the limit for the eighteen dragon heads.

At this moment, the previously heavy atmosphere dissipated, and the faces of all the elders of the Zhuge family revealed undisguised joy.

"It seems that the name of the Dragon King of Jiujiang, Wenzong, is indeed impressive!" Jiang Ning thought to himself.

"Lord Marquis, Princess, please come inside." Zhuge Qingsong respectfully gestured for them to enter, his expression showing some excitement.

This was clearly because they had heard the news Jiang Ning had mentioned.

The imminent arrival of the Dragon King Wenzong of Jiujiang instantly gave him hope for survival.

the other side.

Although Li Sixiang and his group were standing on a hilltop ten miles away from Zhuge Manor.

However, with his eyesight, he could see everything happening at the entrance of Zhuge Manor, and he also saw Jiang Ning cough afterwards.

He only looked away after watching Jiang Ning and Ji Mingyue walk into the manor and disappear behind the buildings.

"It seems the power of the curse has indeed penetrated into my internal organs!"

He then smiled and shook his head.

"Why is the Vice Alliance Leader laughing?" A woman with a slender waist and a purple veil noticed the expression on Li Sixiang's face and asked.

“I laugh at Jiang Ning for being cut short halfway through his journey. No matter how talented he is, his fate is sealed and he doesn’t have much of a chance left!” Li Sixiang said.

at this time.

The middle-aged man with a full beard, who had been drinking alone, put down his wine jug: "A prodigy who hasn't grown up isn't a prodigy, he's a dead man!"

"I wonder who cast the curse on him!" the slender woman said again.

"Who else could it be but those people!" The righteous-looking man spoke calmly, then continued, "Those people don't want to be suppressed for another eight hundred years! Even if there's only a one percent chance of it happening to him, they don't want to gamble! That Martial Saint from back then has suppressed them for over eight hundred years, making them afraid to even breathe."

"Shall we go now?" the man who was drinking asked again.

"No rush!" Li Sixiang shook his head, looking confident. "Since it's said to be noon, then it's noon! Does anyone have any objections?"

"The Alliance Leader can make the arrangements!" The slender woman put her hands on her hips, looked into the distance, and smiled gently, as if she had thought of something.

time flies.

The sky was overcast and gloomy.

In the main hall of Zhuge Manor.

As another incense stick gradually burned out.

The initially relaxed atmosphere gradually turned tense.

“My Lord,” an elder of the clan, who was restless, couldn’t help but speak up.

"Huaiyuan, be quiet! Don't you believe what the Marquis said?" Zhuge Qingsong, sitting on the main seat, spoke with an imposing air.

Upon hearing this...

The restless elder immediately shut his mouth, suppressing his agitation.

Jiang Ning picked up the teacup and took a small sip to moisten his throat, but he still couldn't suppress the cough that was rising in his lungs.

Cough cough--

He covered his mouth and coughed lightly twice, his face slightly flushed.

Seeing this, Zhuge Qingsong exchanged a glance with another clan elder at the Grandmaster level, and then secretly shook his head.

He could see Jiang Ning coughing almost every short period of time.

Moreover, this cough was clearly not feigned, but rather an uncontrollable itching and pain in the lungs.

Looking at Jiang Ning, who looked so young, a hint of reluctance appeared in his eyes.

He possessed extraordinary talent, yet died young; he knew how cruel that was. (End of Chapter)