Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

They were able to force Ximentang to retreat 500 meters.

This is a remarkable achievement for Dashanyan.

However, once the incendiary bomb is launched, it creates an isolation zone, making it very difficult to break through.

put all one's eggs in one basket!
Without much thought, Da Shanyan concentrated all his forces and broke through from the west.

We've reached the final moment; we must break through Ximentang's encirclement at all costs.

Oyama Iwao's decision was not wrong; the Kwantung Army had a numerical advantage and a large area of ​​strongholds.

The disparity in troop strength between the two sides is enormous. If they concentrate their forces to break through to the west, Ximentang will have no way to stop them once they break through.

At this time, Ximentang's troops were mainly concentrated in the south.

but,

Just as the Kwantung Army broke through the burning buffer zone to the west, intense gunfire suddenly erupted.

Unexpectedly, another army from Ximentang arrived and blocked the western passage.

The reinforcements arrived with three thousand soldiers led by Luo Manshan, and Meng Qiaoyun happened to be serving as his guide.

Luo Manshan entered Yongming Ridge to search for the whereabouts of the Kwantung Army, but his luck was extremely bad.

He discovered a stronghold on the outskirts and engaged in a fierce firefight with the enemy. He eventually found that it was not a Kwantung Army unit, but a group of bandits hiding in the Yongming Ridge area.

He was furious about the battle; although no one died, dozens were injured.

He made no progress and instead injured quite a few people; how could he possibly be happy?

Therefore,
Upon seeing the signal flare launched from the sky, Luo Manshan ordered his troops to quickly move towards the Kwantung Army's position.

As the two sides drew closer, the gunfire intensified.

Luo Manshan quickly realized that the south side of the Kwantung Army's garrison had been sealed off by Ximentang.

Next, the Kwantung Army will likely retreat from the west.

Meng Qiaoyun was very familiar with the surrounding terrain and immediately suggested that Luo Manshan take another mountain road to outflank and block the enemy from the west.

A pincer attack from both sides resulted in the complete annihilation of the Kwantung Army.

Having undergone rigorous training, Luo Manshan naturally understood the importance of a pincer attack.

We took a detour through the mountains to the west, which took about twenty minutes.

but,

The timing was perfect. Just as Oyama Iwao was leading his army to retreat from the west, Luo Manshan's troops launched an attack, catching the Kwantung Army off guard.

Da da—da da—!
The heavy machine gun fire swept through the enemy lines, completely shattering the Kwantung Army's formation and extinguishing the fighting spirit of the soldiers.

They all originally thought they could break through from the west.

But now a large army from Ximentang has appeared in the west, and there is no way to escape.

As the number of corpses piled up, the Kwantung Army soldiers completely panicked.

Upon seeing that the western side was blocked, Chen Jie immediately ordered a fierce attack.

At this moment, the soldiers of Ximentang were in high spirits.

These are all military achievements!
The elite special forces of Ximentang, armed with assault rifles, charged towards the Kwantung Army.

Like the last straw that broke the camel's back, the Kwantung Army finally collapsed completely with Simon's fierce charge.

Wow——!
They had no will to fight and fled into the deep mountains.

"idiot--!"

Seeing this, Da Shanyan couldn't help but curse out loud.

However, he knew very well that the situation was hopeless and there was no way to reverse it.

He no longer tried to stop the Kwantung Army soldiers from fleeing in defeat, and did not continue to organize a breakout.

In this situation, it's not about preserving the overall strength of the Kwantung Army, but about whether one can save their own life.

therefore,

Without saying much, Oyama Iwao led his personal guard, along with Sakata Takeo, Yagyu Asahi, Kishibe Fumikane, and the most elite Imperial Guard Regiment of the Kwantung Army, in a flight toward the main peak of Eimei Ridge.

With their escape routes blocked to the south and west by Ximentang, they had no choice but to flee into the deep mountains.

When the Kwantung Army soldiers saw that Daisan Iwa had all fled, their morale collapsed, and they all ran for their lives.

Some people followed Da Shanyan and fled towards the main peak of Yongming Ridge, while others simply laid down their weapons and surrendered with their hands raised.

Because of the complete defeat of the Kwantung Army, Saimon quickly stabilized the situation.

After a while,

Chen Jie met up with Luo Manshan, Huang Yaoguang, Meng Qiaoyun, and others.

In less than half an hour, Ximentang had gathered nearly 30,000 troops.

Chen Jie's spiritual sense locked onto the direction Da Shanyan had left, knowing that the other party was fleeing towards the main peak of Yongming Ridge.

then,

He ordered Huang Yaoguang to stay behind to deal with the prisoners and control the situation.

Immediately afterwards, he personally led Luo Manshan, Meng Qiaoyun, some experts from the Miao village, and Ximentang's personal guards in pursuit of Dashanyan's escape route.

With less than two thousand people left around Da Shanyan, he couldn't cause any trouble.

Let's take this opportunity to kill him and eliminate any future trouble!

Soldiers are valuable and quick.

After arranging everything around them, Chen Jie led his troops to set off immediately and pursue the enemy towards the main peak of Yongming Ridge.

At this moment, Oyama Iwao led the remaining troops of the Kwantung Army, numbering less than two thousand, and fled a kilometer into the deep mountains, thus breaking out of the encirclement.

Because the surrounding area is full of dense forest, once they shake off their pursuers, it will be very difficult for Ximentang to catch up again.

However, Chen Jie's spiritual sense had already locked onto Dashan Rock.

As long as the other party is within Chen Jie's spiritual perception range, he cannot escape.

therefore,

Under Chen Jie's leadership, Ximentang relentlessly pursued their opponent.

Da Shanyan fled in panic, moving at an extremely fast speed.

but,

Ximentang remained steadily suspended, neither too fast nor too slow.

At this moment, it is clear from the fighting spirit and momentum of both sides that Ximentang's combat power is not on the same level as that of the Kwantung Army.

Whether it's endurance, mental state, speed, or anything else, Ximen Tang's elite troops are slightly superior to the Kwantung Army.

Although the Ximentang soldiers did not appear to be moving very fast, the distance between the two sides was getting closer and closer.

Some of the slower-moving and exhausted Kwantung Army soldiers were caught up by the soldiers of the Ximentang Assault Battalion and shot dead without even a chance to surrender.

Having chosen to flee, these Kwantung Army soldiers had no intention of surrendering.

Chen Jie gave a death order—kill without mercy!

Although Dashanyan fled towards the main peak of Yongming Ridge, he was already exhausted and panting heavily.

His martial arts skills are not high, and he has not undergone high-intensity training.

As he fled for his life, his legs felt like they were filled with mercury, and every step he took was extremely difficult.

He glanced at the others around him.

Sakata Takeo, Yagyu Asahi, and others were all military officers with considerable martial arts skills, so they did not appear to be struggling.

However, of the original nearly two thousand elite troops, only less than a thousand remain.

Some of them were caught up and killed by Ximentang when they were at the back.

Others, seeing the situation was not good, simply left the main force and scattered into the deep mountains and dense forests.

Lost!

Oyama Iwao never expected that this would be the final outcome, having led 300,000 Kwantung Army troops from Northeast China into the Hanzhong region.

Suddenly, he felt a sense of despondency.

boom--!
Just then, a bullet whizzed past his ear.

hiss!
He turned around and was immediately taken aback.

Because the elite Ximen Tang troops pursuing him were less than two hundred meters away. At this moment,
Da Shanyan felt incredibly bitter, and even a little regretful.

If he had known that Ximentang would chase him to the depths of Yongming Ridge, he should have retreated towards Guixi earlier.

Not only have they failed to disrupt the situation in Hanzhong and southern Hunan, but they have also caused the complete annihilation of the 300,000-strong Kwantung Army.

I fear I will also perish in the deep mountains of Yongming Ridge.

well--!
Thinking about all this, Da Shan Yan let out a long sigh.

-

Just as Chen Jie personally led his army into Yongming Ridge in western Hunan, pursuing and killing Da Shanyan all the way.

On Baiyun Mountain in Guangfu City, a decapitation plan codenamed "Destroy Inui," overseen by Toyotomi Hidekawa, a super-strong member of the Koga Ninja Sect of the East, is being quietly prepared.

Destroy Qian—Assassinate the Qian King!

At the summit of Baiyun Mountain.

It was morning, and the sun was high in the sky.

Toyotomi Hidekawa, Tokugawa Ihide, and Fujiwara Yasuyasu appeared in a pavilion atop Mount Baiyun.

Tokugawa Hideki brought Toyotomi Hidekawa and Fujiwara Yasuyasu, the head of the Fujiwara family of the Eastern Kingdom, to meet.

Fujiwara Yasuyasu had been in the Great Qian Dynasty for almost half a year, and when he heard about the assassination of Prince Chen Jie of the Great Qian Dynasty, he pondered for a long time.

At last,
He finally received Emperor Meiji's order and agreed.

As a grandmaster of the Fujiwara family of the East, Fujiwara Yasuyasu always disdained using assassination.

However, since it was a secret order from the Emperor, he had no reason to refuse.

Ever since Chen Jie killed Chiba Teru of the Eastern Ninja Sect, Fujiwara Yasuyasu knew how terrifying this "King Inui" was.

Because he had sparred with Chiba Teru, although in terms of combat strength, Fujiwara Yasuyasu was slightly better than Chiba Teru.

but,

In a life-or-death battle, he wasn't confident of victory, let alone killing Chiba Teru.

This demonstrates just how terrifying Chen Jie, the "King of Qian," was at his peak.

Facing such a powerful opponent in such a high position, killing him would be virtually impossible.

However, for the future of the Eastern Empire and for the development of Eastern martial arts.

Fujiwara no Yasuyasu considered it for a long time before finally agreeing to Toyotomi Hidekawa's assassination plan.

of course,

Assassinating a super strong person like Prince Qian, Chen Jie, is definitely something he couldn't do alone.

Even with the addition of the Ninja Sect masters under Toyotomi Hidekawa's command, the assassination attempt was still impossible.

After all, the territory occupied by Ximentang was heavily guarded, making it very difficult to get close to Chen Jie.

Even if three hundred Ninja Sect assassins were sent, they would be useless against a super expert capable of killing a 'God-like' expert.

A flash of cold light, the sword's energy kills without a trace!

The power of the external Dharma form is incredibly strong, almost exceeding the limits of human capability.

Ordinary martial artists would be practically committing suicide in front of such a super strong person.

Toyotomi Hidekawa was well aware of this as well.

In the past, he might not have taken Prince Qian, Chen Jie, seriously.

but,

After Chiba Teru and Situ Wushang were killed by Chen Jie, Toyotomi Hidekawa dared not underestimate his enemy.

He was certainly not so arrogant as to think that he and a few other Japanese warriors, including Fujiwara Yasuyasu, could successfully assassinate the enemy.

So after finding Fujiwara Yasuyasu and obtaining his consent, he still needed to find another person to cooperate with.

This time, they came to the top of Baiyun Mountain in Guangfu City to meet a powerful figure who looked to be in his forties but was actually older than anyone else.

He was a renowned master in the martial arts world of the Great Qian Dynasty, yet he was also an incredibly low-key scholar.

Song Zhong, the leader of the Sichuan Brotherhood!
Mr. Song!

When Toyotomi Hidekawa and his entourage arrived at the pavilion atop Mount Baiyun, they saw a middle-aged man dressed in white, with his hair tied up, exuding the air of a scholar, sitting on a stone bench in the pavilion reading a book.

He was actually over 100 years old, but he seemed to have reversed his aging process, with his hair turning as black as ink.

Next to the middle-aged man was a set of Kung Fu tea utensils. The water in the teapot had already boiled, and the aroma of tea filled the air.

Meanwhile, next to the stone bench, there was a long, slender sword.

He was engrossed in the book in his hand while sipping his tea.
"By governing the city with the divine in mind, calming the body and preserving the spirit, illness will not worsen, and lifespan will be long; the gods will bless you!"

"Heaven and earth stand firm, guarded by spirit, and prospered by the Way! Master Song, it's been years since we last met, and I never expected your realm of spiritual refinement to be so advanced!"

"Do you still remember that epic battle we watched together in the East China Sea twenty years ago?"

“I remember that the ‘Master of the Startling Cloud Sword’ said this very sentence back then, and then he fought against Mr. Miyamoto Musashi at the top of the East Sea.”

"After that battle, Mr. Miyamoto Musashi returned to Japan and spent five years recuperating before he recovered!"

"It's a pity that things have changed and people are no longer the same; we can no longer witness the brilliance of the 'Sword Master of Startling Clouds'!"

When Toyotomi Hidekawa saw Song Zhong in the pavilion, he laughed and said...

It's clear that the two are old acquaintances and this isn't their first time dealing with each other.

"Time flies so fast, I can't believe it's been twenty years!"

"The battle in the East China Sea is as vivid as if it happened yesterday. Originally, both 'Sword Master Jingyun' and Miyamoto Musashi wanted to use that battle to break through to the [Martial Saint] realm."

"Unfortunately, they failed at the last moment, and both of them were seriously injured!"

Mr. Song, who was sitting in the pavilion reading a book, put down his book, looked up at Toyotomi Hidekawa, and suddenly sighed.

His voice startled Fujiwara Yasuyasu and Tokugawa Hideki, who were standing nearby.

Because Mr. Song's voice doesn't sound like a man's voice, nor does it sound like a woman's voice.

Children's voices!

That's right, his voice was a child's voice, giving people an extremely eerie feeling.

A person who looks like a middle-aged man, but is actually over a hundred years old, yet has a voice like a child's.

Such a bizarre scene is enough to send chills down your spine.

"This person—how can he be so strange?"

Fujiwara no Yasuyasu and Tokugawa Hideki were both worldly and accomplished men with a keen eye for people.

In general,

They can tell a lot about someone with just one glance, and they rarely make mistakes in their judgment.

but,

Upon seeing Song Zhong's appearance and hearing his voice, he felt a chill run down his spine.

The two sensed a terrifying killing intent emanating from Song Zhong.

This aura was extremely oppressive; they had never encountered a person like Song Zhong before.

"This is the Taoist cultural heritage of the Great Qian Dynasty, and the best method for tempering the spirit!"

"Empty your mind, cultivate tranquility, and keep your mind focused on the divine!"

"As expected of the 'Sword Master of Shocking Clouds' as the strongest person in the Great Qian Dynasty, his Spirit Refinement Realm has broken through to the 'Sitting in Oblivion' Realm!"

"If he hadn't been mentally injured back then, he would have killed Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest swordsman in the Orient, with a single sword strike!"

"It's all about timing, luck, and fate! I've cultivated for a hundred years, yet I still can't break through to the 'Sitting in Oblivion' realm!"

"Unfortunately, my life potential has been exhausted, and I have few years left to live. I will not be able to break through to the [Martial Saint] realm in this lifetime!"

Song Zhong's childlike voice echoed around, as if it were ringing in everyone's ears.

Divine intuition is what is commonly known as spiritual awareness!
Sitting in oblivion is the final major realm of refining the spirit, reaching a state of selflessness.

The state of oneness, where there is no self, no inside, no outside, and no distinction, is a state of perfect unity.

Forget both self and others, forget all worldly circumstances;
When there is nothing to reflect upon, that is true forgetting!

The threshold to the [Martial Saint] realm is breaking through from the Refining Spirit realm to the 'Sitting in Oblivion' state! (End of Chapter)