Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

A group of ninjas dressed in black samurai attire, with cold and ruthless faces.

They exuded a terrifying killing intent, like death gods emerging from hell.

at this time,

All the ninjas dressed in black samurai outfits knelt silently on the ground, surrounding Nanzo Mitsuko's coffin.

These Japanese ninjas, even those with the lowest martial arts skills, were at least at the Great Perfection of the Marrow Transformation and Energy Conversion stage.

The highest level of martial arts skill is even at the mid-stage of the Meridian Opening Qi Realm.

"Photon! Don't worry, I will complete the mission you failed to finish!"

"I will offer the blood of my enemies to your spirit in heaven."

"Go in peace!"

The leader was a tall, elderly man with piercing eyes and an aura of terror emanating from him.

Late stage of the Meridian Opening Qi Technique!

That's right,

This tall and imposing old man was, in fact, just like Guan Shanyue and Huang Zhidao, a super strong person who had reached the Great Perfection of the Meridian Opening Qi realm.

With each step he took, the hard rocky ground seemed to be engraved with a steel stamp, leaving a deep, half-inch footprint.

The rocks beneath his feet felt like soft mud.

He didn't exert force intentionally; rather, his true energy leaked out due to anger.

A force field that was in harmony with heaven and earth caused such terrifying destructive power.

But let's not even mention the huge storm that Nanzo Mitsuko's death stirred up in Japan.

all of these,
Chen Jie had no idea.

After receiving Zhang Feifan's telegram informing him that Ximentang had already captured Chongyang, Chibi, and Jiayu counties, he did not rush to send troops to attack Wuchang Prefecture.

In Xianning Prefecture, Chen Jie practiced calligraphy every day to cultivate his character and lived a leisurely life.

The Great Perfection of Blood-Transporting Pill Technique – Condensing Qi!
This is a process of transformation of true qi, and also the biggest threshold for the sublimation of martial arts.

What he needs to do is to completely integrate his spiritual refinement realm into the sword intent of "the origin of all things, the cessation of war through martial arts".

Infinite sword intent!

These eight characters encapsulate the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth, and the meaning of the Eight Trigrams of the I Ching.

Refine its spirit, understand its intent, and observe its form!
Chen Jie wielded his longsword with each move, sometimes majestic and powerful, sometimes gentle as the wind, sometimes chilling and deadly, and sometimes continuous and unending!
His swordsmanship became increasingly refined, and his understanding of sword intent deepened.

The realm of spiritual refinement has reached an unprecedented state, tranquil and serene.

Since Chen Jie left the capital, the three chief eunuchs of the Imperial Palace, Guan Shanyue, Kou Yin, and Cao Shaoqing, have all stayed by his side to protect his safety.

On this day, after all the affairs of Ximentang were arranged.

Chen Jie and the three chief stewards were having hot pot at the General's Mansion in Xianning Prefecture.

"Since Yokoyama Sora and Nanzo Mitsuko of the Black Dragon Society were killed, the Black Dragon Society has been very inactive recently."

“Especially in the capital, Tianjin, Shandong, southern Jiangsu, northern Jiangsu, eastern Zhejiang, and Songjiang Prefecture, the Black Dragon Society’s branches have all withdrawn.”

"Nanzo Mitsuko is known as the Black Dragon Society's number one female ninja. Her martial arts skills are no less than those of our Grand Steward."

"Since she entered the Great Qian Dynasty, more than five experts have died by her blade."

"I've always wanted to find an opportunity to kill her, but I never expected that she would die by my lord's sword in the end."

"Perhaps—this is her destiny!"

Guan Shanyue laughed heartily, looking very happy.

He picked up a bowl with one hand, placed it on the table, filled it with wine, and then drank it all in one gulp.

"happy--!"

The meal for these four top-notch chefs was very simple – just a regular hot pot.

But these wines are aged delicacies from the Imperial Palace of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Guan Shanyue and the other two were the chief stewards of the inner palace, so they were naturally familiar with these wines.

but,

Being able to drink freely outside the palace is one of life's greatest pleasures.

Guan Shanyue prefers to drink from a bowl rather than a cup. He has a straightforward and bold personality.

In addition, his tall stature was somewhat inconsistent with the appearance of the Grand Eunuch of the Palace; he looked more like a chivalrous hero who ate meat and drank wine in the martial arts world.

Chen Jie and Cao Shaoqing weren't particularly interested in alcohol; they preferred to have a small drink, so they naturally used small wine glasses.

Kou Yin practiced the Dragon Claw Hand martial art, and his personality was equally bold and unrestrained. He liked to drink from a bowl.

The hot pot was filled with piping hot broth, simmering a wild deer that had just been hunted, and the aroma was irresistible.

Beside her were two maids, Chunlan and Xiahe, who were helping to prepare hot pot ingredients and set out the bowls.

Qiuju and Dongmei were busy in the kitchen.

This time, Li Lingyue did not come with Chen Jie from Jinling, but instead had four attendants accompany him.

Thirteenth Aunt is in Beijing, while Eighth Sister is in Qingzhou, Shandong, taking care of her pregnancy.

"Nanzo Mitsuko has a very powerful background; she belongs to the Chiba clan, the ninja sect of the Eastern Seas!"

"The most powerful technique of the Chiba Clan is the Great Eastern Flow Ninjutsu. Most of their martial arts are inherited from the Five Elements Sect of our Great Tang Dynasty."

"Since the Tang Dynasty was replaced by the Qian Dynasty, the Five Elements Sect has disappeared from the world, and its lineage has not appeared in the martial arts world."

“The ‘Great Eastern Style Ninjutsu’ is incredibly powerful once it is mastered to its fullest extent.”

"Nanzo Mitsuko's martial arts skills are almost on par with mine. I'm confident I can defeat her, but killing her is virtually impossible!"

"Come! My lord, this bowl of wine is my toast to you!"

“If your swordsmanship hadn’t reached such an unbelievable level, even if the three of us ganged up on Nanzo Mitsuko, she might still have escaped.”

Guan Shanyue slammed his arm onto the table, and with a shake, delivered a Shaolin Vajra Palm strike to the table.

The wine bowl on the table remained untouched, but wine splashed out of it.

next moment,
The wine condensed in the air, forming a ball that looked like a large drop of water.

Gurgle—!
A drop of water fell from the sky, landing precisely in his open mouth, which he drank in one gulp.

"Great Annihilation Technique! Excellent! I never expected that Elder Guan had mastered the Great Annihilation Technique to such a high level."

"My Dragon Claw Hand technique is still the same as before, with no breakthroughs, so I won't embarrass myself by showing it off."

Seeing that Guan Shanyue's internal strength was so profound, Kou Yin smiled, picked up his wine bowl, and obediently began to drink.

Although he was one of the chief eunuchs, his martial arts skills had also broken through to the mid-stage of the Meridian Opening Qi realm.

but,

Compared to Grand Steward Guan Shanyue, who was at the late stage of the Tongmai Gangjin realm, he still didn't have any martial arts skills to show for himself.

The four of them drank and chatted, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

The three chief eunuchs were Chen Jie's mentors and friends. They not only taught him martial arts but also helped him clear his meridians and so on.

Therefore,
Although Chen Jie was already the "Prince Qian," he never put on airs in front of the three chief eunuchs.

"Brother Guan has mastered the Great Annihilation Technique. Today, I would like to ask Brother Guan for some pointers. I hope that Brother Guan can also give me some guidance on my Cotton Palm!"

Swish-!
No sooner had he finished speaking than Cao Shaoqing, standing beside him, slashed outwards with his palm, his target being Chen Jie's wrist holding the chopsticks.

Make a sound in the east and attack in the west!

He showed no murderous intent, but his movements were as fast as lightning.

obviously,
The three stewards wanted to verify this thoroughly and find out just how skilled Chen Jie was in martial arts.

Because neither Cao Shaoqing, nor Kou Yin, nor Guan Shanyue could see through Chen Jie's cultivation level.

Unfathomable!

Although Chen Jie's martial arts power exertion level was only at the Great Perfection of the Blood Pill Force, his Spirit Refinement level had already broken through to the Late Stage of the Heart Fasting Realm.

Compared to when he killed Nanzo Mitsuko in Songjiang Prefecture, Chen Jie's martial arts skills and combat power have more than doubled in the past month.
After activating the [Martial Saint Gate] twice in a row and breaking through to the Great Perfection of the Blood-Moving Pill Force, he activated the [Martial Saint Gate] resonance once more before leaving Jinling.

Therefore, his spiritual refinement realm has reached the late stage of the Heart Fasting Realm, which is higher than that of the three Grand Stewards.

This is why Guan Shanyue felt that Chen Jie's combat strength was unfathomable.

Ok?
Chen Jie's intuition has never relaxed.

Noticing that Cao Shaoqing's cotton palm was cutting towards his wrist, he immediately raised his hand, and the moment the chopsticks fell, his five fingers, like steel claws, grabbed at the back of Cao Shaoqing's hand.

but,

The moment his claws were extended, the attack was instantly interrupted.

boom!
Cao Shaoqing pressed down with his cotton palm, making a precise contact with Chen Jie's hand.

Use the opponent's force against them, and transform the cotton palm technique!
As the palm sank down, Chen Jie's hand missed its mark.

"My lord! Your swordsmanship is very strong, but your 'Dragon Claw Hand' is still somewhat inferior to Kou Yin's!" Cao Shaoqing laughed and moved his palm forward, grabbing at Chen Jie's wrist again.

"Excellent! The 'Wind and Rain' of the Cotton Palm is indeed extraordinary!"

Chen Jie's eyes lit up, and he flicked his hand back. Then, with a "Dragon Flying and Phoenix Dancing" move, he slammed his claw into Cao Shaoqing's palm.

The timing of this claw strike was extremely precise, as fast as lightning, and fleeting.

Cao Shaoqing's expression suddenly turned serious, and he stomped his foot forcefully while sitting down.

Whoosh-!
The next moment, his back arched, as if his spine had formed a bow.

He pressed his palm down sharply, narrowly avoiding Chen Jie's claws.

At the same time, his other hand moved like a cobra, slapping Chen Jie's shoulder.

Chen Jie knew that his skill was the "retreating palm" technique in the Cotton Palm style, which uses retreat as a means of advance and releases power instantly.

The accumulated power is concentrated at one point, just like a palm transforming into a cobra.

Next up is the vicious and ruthless "Bone-Melting Palm," also known as the "Bone-Melting Cotton Palm," which is extremely difficult to deal with.

but,

Chen Jie's current spiritual refinement has reached the late stage of the "Heart Fasting" realm, and he is only one step away from the "Concentration and Observation" realm.

The art of fasting the mind!

Do not listen to others, but listen with your heart;
Do not listen to it; listen with your heart and with your spirit!
The ear stops at hearing, the mind stops at symbolism.

At this point, Chen Jie no longer needed to observe with his eyes to anticipate the enemy's moves.

His claws changed instantly, like a fairy scattering flowers, his five fingers spreading out in an instant.

Like a blooming flower, it shot straight upwards and struck Cao Shaoqing's palm like a thunderbolt.

puff--!
A silent voice rang out.

When Cao Shaoqing's cotton palm clashed with Chen Jie's claw technique, his strength trembled slightly and dissipated instantly.

Before he could even unleash his "bone-melting power," it was instantly neutralized by Chen Jie's claw attack.

Although Chen Jie's claw technique is somewhat similar to the Dragon Claw Hand in terms of movement.

but,

It is neither the authentic "Dragon Claw Hand" nor "Eagle Claw Kung Fu," nor the Iron Claw Kung Fu from "Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training."

This claw technique incorporates several martial arts styles, becoming Chen Jie's unique claw skill, which is unpredictable and combines both strength and gentleness.

boom!
A powerful shockwave spread outwards.

The chair beneath Cao Shaoqing's feet was shattered by a powerful force.

Woohoo——!
Immediately afterwards, a strong gust of wind swept by, and the chair shattered and was swept out the door like dust.

Although both sides held back during this exchange, neither unleashed any killing intent.

However, the outcome is already decided!
Chen Jie used a claw technique to instantly break through Cao Shaoqing's cotton palm.

"Impressive skill! I never imagined that my lord's claw technique had reached such a level!"

"I'd also like to learn a trick from you!"

Just as Chen Jie defeated Cao Shaoqing with a single claw strike, Kou Yin beside him also made his move instantly.

His claws, like a coiling dragon, swirled downwards in an instant, heading straight for Chen Jie's face.

Dragon Claw Hand - Dragon Claw Splitting Hand!

This is the Dragon Claw's killing move, which Kou Yin has mastered to its pinnacle.

but,

The moment he made his move, Chen Jie's intuition had already anticipated it.

Swish-!
Chen Jie transformed his claws into palms and countered with a 'Prajna Zen Palm'.

puff!
Kou Yin grunted and used his Dragon Claw Hand to block downwards, while his other arm reached from left to right to grab Chen Jie's shoulder.

With its claws combined, the dragon's claws fly left and right in a fierce counterattack!
Dragon Claw Hand VS Prajna Zen Palm!

Bang Bang Bang!
The two exchanged blows head-on for over a dozen exchanges, and Kou Yin was greatly shaken.

Click!

The chair next to him was violently impacted, and with a cracking sound, it too turned into dust and shattered completely.

Thump thump thump—!
Kou Yin took five steps back, then stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

hiss--!
He couldn't help but be taken aback, staring at Chen Jie in disbelief.

How can this be?

This head-on confrontation had no room for opportunism.

but,

Chen Jie, with his mastery of the Blood-Moving Pill Technique, actually managed to withstand Chen Jie's mid-stage Meridian-Opening Qi Technique.

This is a head-on clash of internal strength cultivation!
Guan Shanyue and Cao Shaoqing, who were standing nearby, were equally astonished.

Chen Jie's peak combat strength has surpassed the understanding of the three chief eunuchs.

His "Prajna Zen Palm" skill is like Mount Tai pressing down, fierce and invincible, unstoppable.

Although Kou Yin's martial arts level had broken through to the mid-stage of the Meridian Opening Qi realm, his internal strength was no match for Chen Jie's.

How could this scene not overturn the three people's understanding?

As the two sides unleashed their combined energy, a violent tremor swept through the surrounding area.

Just then, Guan Shanyue made his move!

Among the three chief stewards of the Imperial Palace, Guan Shanyue was the chief steward, and was referred to as "Boss Guan" by the other two.

His martial arts level is the highest, having reached the late stage of the "Tongmai Gangjin" realm, and his "Da Pomian Gong" is unfathomable.

of course,

The four were merely sparring; they did not display any murderous intent or use any weapons.

Therefore, although Chen Jie defeated Cao Shaoqing and Kou Yin.

However, in a life-or-death battle, it would be hard to say whether Chen Jie could easily win against the combined attack of the two.

After all, a siege is completely different from a series of friendly sparring matches.

Guan Shanyue unleashed the most powerful technique of the Great Destruction Technique, turning the wooden chair into dust and sweeping it out the door.

Chen Jie remained calm and suddenly stomped his foot.

then,

He slammed his palm on the table, and the chopsticks on the table instantly flew into his hand.

A dull thud came from his wrist, elbow, and shoulder.

The moment the chopsticks landed in his hand, the air seemed to explode.

Wuji Sword Technique – A sword strike without a sound!
Silent and still, a thousand swords without a trace!
The silence of the sword represents speed exceeding the limit, reaching the realm of infinity, not true silence!

Therefore,
Chen Jie used chopsticks as a sword, and the sword intent he unleashed shattered the air.

The power was exerted invisibly, and the sword intent actually tore through the air.

This shows that Chen Jie's mastery of the Wuji Sword Technique has reached an astonishing level.

In terms of martial arts power exertion, he was already able to unleash innate qi with sword intent at the 'Blood Pill Force' level!
Chen Jie has been 'condensing his inner energy' all this time!
His internal energy had advanced to the point of being thick and condensed, and once he unleashed his swordsmanship, it was like a vast and ever-changing starry sky!

Chen Jie had sparred with Kou Yin and Cao Shaoqing many times and knew each other very well.

This time,
He wanted to see from Guan Shanyue how much of a gap there was between his martial arts skills and the 'late-stage mastery of the Meridian Opening Qi' realm.

The last time we ambushed Nanzo Mitsuko in Songjiang Prefecture, it was after all five masters working together.

Furthermore, Nanzao Guangzi had only recently broken through to the late stage of the 'Tongmai Gangjin' realm.

And now,
Chen Jie was about to spar with Guan Shanyue in his prime, so he naturally dared not be careless in the slightest.

No matter whether it's fist techniques, claw techniques, leg techniques, palm techniques, or other martial arts, none of them have any advantage in front of Guan Shanyue.

The only chance to cross borders and defeat Guan Shanyue is to use the "Limitless Sword Technique".

He gave it his all, holding nothing back.

Chen Jie's "Silent Sword Strike" erupted instantly, even Kou Yin and Cao Shaoqing, who had just been repelled, couldn't help but widen their eyes in surprise.

Sword Explosion!

hiss--!
This is the highest level of mastering the sword with one's inner energy.

One sword breaks all laws!

He condensed his sword intent into sword energy, which exploded into the air, piercing through the body and killing people invisibly.

How could a martial artist who hasn't even broken through to the Meridian Opening Qi stage unleash such a terrifying [Sword Explosion] technique?
Guan Shanyue felt his head buzz, completely stunned. (End of Chapter)