Liver into a martial arts legend: starting with Embroidered Spring Blade

Chapter 164 A Battle That Shook the World: Murong Qiudi's Scheme! [Two Chapters Combined]

As night deepened, the tycoon met his end.

Shangguan Jin Hong was dressed in rags and covered in wounds. He was surrounded by Jiang Xuan and his three companions, with no way to escape. He was no longer the imposing figure he once was, and was in a sorry state, on the verge of certain death.

The sounds of fighting and shouting around them gradually subsided. The Money Gang was doomed, and countless disciples scattered like birds and beasts, leaving behind only corpses and various severed limbs scattered on the ground. The stench of blood was thick and heavy, and the night wind made the scene even more tragic and desolate.

He was filled with anger, bitterness, a hint of resentment, and the fear of facing death.

He never expected that just because of a Heavenly Demon Harp, he would provoke such a powerful enemy, not only putting himself in a desperate situation, but also causing his years of planning and development to vanish.

His pride and arrogance ruined him.

He shouldn't have come here tonight, and he should have tried to leave earlier when he saw Jiang Xuan appear.

After a fierce battle, he has exhausted most of his strength and was injured by Jiang Xuan. Even the idea of ​​bowing down and begging for peace has become a luxury.

"Do you want to maintain your dignity, or do you want me to help you maintain your dignity?" Jiang Xuan asked indifferently.

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jin Hong felt even more regret and shame... but in the end, all of it turned into a resolute fighting spirit and killing intent.

Since he had reached a dead end, then... even if he died, he would die a glorious death in battle!
Tonight, though I die, I am still the overlord of Jiangnan and a hero of the martial arts world!
Swah——

Without uttering a single wasted word, he moved swiftly, transforming into a blur as he charged toward Jiang Xuan, determined to finish this unfinished life-or-death duel.

He couldn't believe that he, a grandmaster at the second step of the realm of artistic conception, would be defeated by a fifth-grade grandmaster of the same realm.

Even if he is certain to die tonight, he will personally wash away this shame!

"Come on, this suits me perfectly! Tonight, I'll personally send you on your way!"

Jiang Xuan coldly shouted, seeing through Shangguan Jin Hong's purpose, but he was not afraid at all. He gripped the Youlong Blade and met the attack head-on.

Rumbling--

In an instant, the two were locked in battle once again, the sounds of clashing weapons and exchanging magical energies resounding in all directions, shaking the heavens and the earth.

The three old men, Tianji and his companions, retreated in unison to avoid the aftershocks of the battle, but each still guarded a direction, blocking Shangguan Jin Hong's retreat.

Having come to this point, they naturally couldn't let Shangguan Jin Hong leave alive.

Within Jiang Xuan's body, the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art and the Absorption Technique were operating simultaneously. One was mainly for defense and combat, enhancing the power of the Overlord Intent, while the other transformed him into a 'human magnet,' continuously drawing upon Shangguan Jin Hong's essence, energy, and spirit, and absorbing the blood from his body.

Shangguan Jin Hong's gaze was resolute, filled with boundless killing intent. He completely let go, only diverting a portion of his energy to suppress the agitation of his spirit and energy, allowing the blood to be absorbed from the wound, no longer resisting, and displaying more of his strength in the fight.

Before his blood is drained, he must defeat Jiang Xuan, wash away his shame, and prove that he is not a piece of trash.

The battle between the two was terrifying. It seemed as if the heavens themselves were about to be blasted through by their combined power. The Dragon Blade and the Mother-Child Dragon-Phoenix Rings collided rapidly, and the endless sparks that flew around them enveloped the two of them. It looked incredibly dazzling, yet it was filled with a deadly danger.

From a distant high-rise building, a low sigh echoed: "Shangguan Jin Hong is finished, and the Money Gang is finished too!"

Murong Qiudi's expression was complicated. She had already seen through the outcome of this battle. Shangguan Jin Hong seemed fierce, but in reality, he was just a cornered beast fighting for his last breath.

Jiang Xuan didn't even need to go all out; he only needed to defend and block Shangguan Jin Hong's final offensive. He could simply wear him down.

The scales of victory have completely tipped in Jiang Xuan's favor.

“Miss, the Money Gang has retreated, and Shangguan Jin Hong is surely dead. Should we take this opportunity to go to the Money Gang’s headquarters…” Zhu Ye Qing suggested, her eyes flashing, wanting to take this opportunity to plunder the Money Gang.

"Xiao Zhu, do you want to die?" Murong Qiudi frowned slightly, finding it hard to believe that he would say such an idiotic thing.

For so many years since its founding, the 'Celestial Venerable' has never dared to step into the sphere of influence of the Money Gang.

Now, facing a 'Netherworld' capable of destroying the Money Gang, how dare they try to snatch food from the tiger's mouth? Are they courting death?
"I'm sorry, Miss." Zhu Yeqing quickly bowed her head and admitted her mistake.

Murong Qiudi remained silent, turning to look at the two combatants in the distance, her beautiful eyes flickering, lost in thought...

Clang! Boom!

Under the cover of night, the two clashed fiercely. Shangguan Jin Hong exerted all her strength and fought bravely and aggressively. Less than half of her true energy was being consumed at an alarming rate. With the support of her inner energy, she brought out the power of the Mother-Child Dragon-Phoenix Rings to the extreme, bombarding Jiang Xuan again and again, determined to defeat Jiang Xuan before she bled to death.

Despite having three top experts in the lineup, Jiang Xuan remained fearless. He used his true qi, physical body, and mental intent to protect himself, relying on his speed advantage to engage in a fierce battle with Shangguan Jin Hong.

In a brief moment, the Dragon Blade in his hand was imbued with the spirit of a hegemon, each strike displaying a unique and wondrous scene. It clashed with Shangguan Jin Hong's golden ring hundreds of times without showing the slightest sign of weakness.

In fact, as the fight progressed, he regained the upper hand and suppressed Shangguan Jin Hong's fierce arrogance.

As the blood rapidly drained away, Shangguan Jin Hong's speed slowed down, and his breath gradually weakened.

Vitality, energy, and spirit are the foundation of a person; none of them can be lacking, not even for grandmasters.

The core of 'essence' is qi and blood. Once qi and blood are depleted, no matter how high your realm or how strong your strength, you will eventually exhaust yourself and die.

Shangguan Jin Hong was in despair. He had gone all out and fought with his back against the wall, but he still couldn't defeat Jiang Xuan.
If it were an ordinary fifth-grade grandmaster, their vital energy would have been exhausted long ago, and they would have been destroyed by him.

But this young man, who was not even half his age, was like a tireless bull, incredibly tenacious. Even after fighting for so long, he was still not exhausted. Even though he was covered in blood and became a blood-soaked figure, his fighting strength remained at its peak.

He couldn't believe it. What kind of powerful martial arts did Jiang Xuan cultivate? How could there be such a monstrous master in the world?

As blood flowed, his body was warning him that he had lost nearly 70% of his blood. If he did not stop and recuperate in time, even if he survived this battle, it would be extremely difficult for him to return to his peak condition in the future. This would cause permanent damage to his future martial arts path.

But he had given up on life and death, letting his blood continue to be drained, and continued to resist and fight back, exchanging blows with Jiang Xuan time and time again.

He was simply unwilling to accept that after years of hard work, he was no match for a young man in his twenties. As a grandmaster at the second step of the realm of artistic conception, he was defeated in a one-on-one fight.

Are we all practicing the same martial arts and the same state of mind?

For the first time, he doubted himself and felt lost.

Finally, as his body grew weaker, his defenses weakened, and with a loud bang, his protective aura was shattered once again. The remaining force slammed into him, causing him to cough up blood and fly backward, crashing heavily into the ruins.

"It's time to end it!"

Jiang Xuan spoke, drawing his sword and charging forward. He could sense that Shangguan Jin Hong's remaining blood and energy were dwindling, making it difficult for him to contend with Shangguan Jin Hong any longer.

The once fierce tiger of Jiangnan has become a sick tiger.

boom!
Shangguan Jin Hong had just gotten up when he was slashed away again.

This time, a long gash appeared on his chest, the flesh torn and twisted, looking incredibly gruesome, but the flesh inside was pale, with not a trace of blood seeping out.

His blood has been drained.

"Is this... the end?" His eyes were dim, his face and body were deathly pale, almost skin and bones, and he stood in the wind, swaying precariously.

"How can I die like this? I'm not reconciled... I haven't become the overlord of the martial arts world yet!"

He exerted all his remaining strength, his true energy surging forth along with his aura, gripped the golden ring tightly, and struggled to stand up straight, wanting to make one last desperate attempt, but was once again suppressed by Jiang Xuan's domineering aura.

"That's it!"

Jiang Xuan stepped forward, but instead of slashing down, he grabbed Shangguan Jin Hong's shoulder and pinned him to the ground. Then, he unleashed his Absorption Technique at full power, squeezing out every last bit of value from Shangguan Jin Hong.

Shangguan Jin Hong felt his remaining true energy and blood being drained away, and even his spiritual power was rapidly dissipating. He sighed inwardly, finally acknowledging his defeat and ceasing his struggle.

The world was silent. The old man of the heavens and the others witnessed all of this and were speechless and lost in thought. Although they had been mentally prepared, they still found it hard to believe and even somewhat unacceptable when the moment actually came.

Shangguan Jin Hong was a figure who had dominated Jiangnan for over twenty years, commanding respect and fear, and was someone no one dared to provoke. He had even comprehended the second step of the realm of enlightenment. Yet now, he had actually been defeated by a Grandmaster.

"He actually did it..." the old man murmured, also doubting himself, wondering if the martial arts he cultivated were the same as those Jiang Xuan cultivated.

How can his martial arts be so terrifying?!

Tread...  

Xi Yu, Huang Xuemei, and others led hundreds of Netherworld experts forward, their expressions equally complex and incredulous, with most of them displaying fervent reverence in their eyes.

Many of them were unaware of Jiang Xuan's identity, and had not even seen him many times. They only knew that their Palace Master was the supreme leader of the Netherworld, the 'Netherworld Emperor'.

Their identity and strength were unknown, and some even questioned why an unknown person could be their leader.
But now, all the doubts have disappeared.

In their hearts, there is only faith.

Only an unparalleled expert like this, who can defeat a Grandmaster of the Intent Realm while being at the Grandmaster Realm, is worthy of being their leader!

Everyone stepped forward silently, shielding Jiang Xuan in the center and protecting him.

"Gurgling..."

Jiang Xuan remained silent, focusing solely on absorbing the remaining essence and spirit of Shangguan Jin Hong.

Tonight's battle wasn't as easy for him as it seemed on the surface.

He had also given it his all, but he was still badly injured. His internal organs were truly ruptured, his meridians were scattered and disordered, and even his usually invincible Vajra Body was broken. His body was covered with spider web-like cracks, blood seeped from his pores, and he was in excruciating pain all over his body.

His true energy was now reduced to less than 20%.

If it weren't for the powerful cultivation techniques and robust physique, as well as the tenacious vitality, any other grandmaster would have perished long ago in such a dire situation.

But he also gained a great deal from this battle.

The progress of each martial art has been greatly improved, especially the Absorption Technique. With the continuous operation of this battle, its proficiency is increasing almost every moment. It has caught up and is about to enter the mastery stage.

But in Jiang Xuan's own view, the greatest gains were actually in combat experience and the tempering of his martial arts heart.

Through this decisive battle, he firmly believes that if he encounters a formidable opponent of this caliber again in the future, he will never face such a difficult situation.

Even without the help of others, he can kill them all by himself.

This is the confidence he gained from this ordeal and the brilliant results.

As long as he maintains this mindset, his future path in martial arts is destined to be smooth, and his progress will be even faster.

This is a priceless treasure that no amount of progress in martial arts can buy!

"call……"

Finally, Jiang Xuan drained Shangguan Jin Hong's last bit of spiritual power. This overlord of Jiangnan closed his eyes forever at this moment, leaving the world full of resentment and unwillingness, and completely turning into a withered corpse.

Moreover, its body was also covered in wounds, with white flesh rolled up like withered tree bark.

[Martial Arts: Absorption Technique (Minor Success)]

【Progress: 9455/10000】

Jiang Xuan finished his practice, glanced at the system panel, and nodded in satisfaction.

In another half month at most, the Absorption Technique will reach its peak. Having absorbed the essence and spirit of a grandmaster, his injuries have improved, and his mental state has also improved considerably.

Moreover, there is still a lot of unrefined true energy remaining in his body.

Once this true energy is refined and absorbed, one should be able to attempt to open the sixth acupoint and enter the sixth rank realm.

"Hall Master!"

Upon seeing that Jiang Xuan's 'recuperation' was over, the Netherworld people stepped forward to pay their respects, their expressions extremely respectful.

Tonight, the casualties among the Netherworld members were not heavy, with less than one-fifth of them dying. However, there were quite a few injured. The Money Gang has stood strong in Jiangnan for many years, and there are still quite a few experts among its members.

However, now that Shangguan Jin Hong is dead, the Money Gang is basically finished.

Jiang Xuan nodded, looked at the Heavenly Mystery Elder and Li Xunhuan and the others who were walking over from a distance, and said, "Thank you both for coming to help this time."

He still wore a mask and disguised his voice. Although his identity was already obvious, there was no need to say it outright. After all, he was not representing the imperial court this time, and everyone could understand without saying a word.

The old man Tianji immediately understood Jiang Xuan's meaning but did not expose him: "With your martial arts skills, young friend, you can accomplish the feat of reversing the situation on your own even without our help. Besides, I really didn't help much."

Jiang Xuan shook his head: "If it weren't for the two of you standing guard so that I wouldn't have any worries, it wouldn't have been so easy to deal with Shangguan Jin Hong."

"That is the truth, young friend, there is no need for modesty."

The old man Tianji shook his head and sighed, "In the past ten years, you are the third person to defeat a Grandmaster while only at the Grandmaster level. Moreover, Shangguan Jin Hong is no ordinary Grandmaster. The quality of your battle tonight far surpasses that of the previous two."

"I'm afraid that before long, once this matter is spread, your name will be known throughout the entire Ming Dynasty, and you will be able to occupy a place in the highest ranks of the martial arts world."

Upon hearing this, the Netherworld people beside him were also moved, and many of them felt excited and extremely proud.

The Palace Master's name resounds throughout the martial world, and they, as people of the Netherworld, naturally share in his glory.

"Please keep tonight's events a secret." Jiang Xuan shook his head. Compared to the gains from this battle, whether he became famous or not was of no concern to him.

On the contrary, the more details of this battle are circulated, the greater the possibility that his identity will be exposed, which is not what he wants.

At least for now, continuing to hide one's identity can avoid a lot of trouble.

As long as the Heavenly Mystery Elder and others don't spread the word, his people naturally won't tell. As for the ordinary Golden Money Gang disciples, they only know that Shangguan Jin Hong died at their hands, and they may not be able to guess his identity.

After all, not everyone has such a high level of understanding as to know what knife intent or sword intent is.

"Don't worry, young friend, we know what we should say and what we shouldn't say." The old man Tianji and Li Xunhuan nodded slightly in agreement.

"This time, you said you came to lend a hand, but actually it was you who helped me solve a problem, young friend. I thank you for your help." The old man Tianji bowed, his expression complicated.

In the years since the rise of the Money Gang, the Sun family has not had an easy time. Even he and his granddaughter were forced to wander the world, hiding their identities to avoid being hunted down by the Money Gang.

Now that Shangguan Jin Hong is dead, his troubles are over.

“Three chances, this one doesn’t count.” Li Xunhuan also spoke up. He had agreed to help Jiang Xuan three times for free regarding the Xingyun Manor matter.

He didn't make a move this time, so he couldn't shamelessly count it as an opportunity to strike.

Jiang Xuan nodded, which was taken as his approval.

He said, "This trouble should be over. If you have urgent business to attend to, you may leave now."

The Money Gang can solve the two biggest problems right now: the Eagle Sect and the Emei Sect.

However, Shangguan Jin Hong's threat is actually far greater than Yin Tian Zheng's. Even among Grandmasters, there is a difference in strength.

The Sky Eagle Cult is an established force, but in recent years, it has been powerless to stop the Money Gang's continuous expansion. Instead, it has shrunk its territory considerably and has never had a large-scale confrontation with the Money Gang.

Clearly, Yin Tianzheng was no match for Shangguan Jin Hong.

After this battle, Jiang Xuan had a clearer understanding of his current strength. Since he had already eliminated Shangguan Jin Hong, he naturally no longer cared about Yin Tian Zheng.

If he knows what's good for him, this matter will end here; otherwise, he wouldn't mind killing another Grandmaster.

As for Abbess Miejue of Emei, Jiang Xuan paid her even less attention.

She was just an old nun who could only intimidate second- or third-rate forces with the power of the Heaven-Slaying Sword. If it weren't for a veteran master like Dugu Yihe guarding the mountain gate, the Heaven-Slaying Sword would probably have been taken away long ago.

Now that Dugu Yihe is dead, the Emei Sect is in dire need of protection.

If Miejue really dares to come, Jiang Xuan wouldn't mind teaching this old nun to face reality.

Fortunately, I'm currently lacking a suitable sword.

That night, the great battle in the south of the city shook the entire city of Wenzhou.

Countless people were filled with anxiety, and the government offices in the prefectural city were sleepless all night. Only after the battle was completely over did they send people to clean up the mess. This shows how powerful the Money Gang was in Wenzhou City. Even the local government was afraid of them and dared not get involved in cases involving the Money Gang.

But after tonight, all of this is destined to change.

Sure enough, after learning about tonight's events from various informants, everyone in the yamen was horrified.

Shangguan Jin Hong perished, the Money Gang was defeated and split apart, scattering and fleeing in all directions...

They could hardly believe what they were seeing and hearing.

Shangguan Jin Hong, who had dominated Wenzhou for over twenty years, is dead just like that?!
……

The headquarters of the Money Gang is located in the central area of ​​Wenzhou City, covering an area of ​​over a hundred acres. It is luxurious and magnificent, with pavilions, towers, halls, warehouses, libraries, training rooms, martial arts arenas, etc. It has everything, and its decoration is grand and majestic, just like a small palace, extremely splendid.

But at this moment, with the defeat in the south of the city and the news of Shangguan Jin Hong's death, the Money Gang was deserted and quickly occupied by the Netherworld people.

First, Xi Yu led her people to take stock of the Money Gang's assets, and the final result was an extremely astonishing figure.

"The Money Gang's treasury contains over ten million taels of silver, over one million taels of gold, countless precious treasures and medicinal herbs, and hundreds of martial arts manuals..."

As the drizzle fell, I recounted the harvest, my eyes filled with awe.

Even Jiang Xuan was moved upon hearing this, finding it hard to believe.

"Is this the foundation of a top-tier power?" Jiang Xuan exclaimed.

The Money Gang had occupied Wenzhou for many years, and its influence extended throughout the Jiangnan region. In just over twenty years, they had amassed such a large fortune.

Even though Youming has made a lot of money in the past two years, it is still far less than this.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Xuan ordered, "Immediately dispatch manpower to move everything away, leaving nothing behind."

Since he was here in the guise of the Underworld to handle this matter, he naturally wouldn't hand over this money to the imperial court.

These are the foundations that will determine whether the Netherworld can rise rapidly in the future.

Xi Yu nodded and asked, "The Money Gang might not let this go. Many of their elites died tonight, but they still have thousands of members..."

Jiang Xuan waved his hand and said indifferently, "With Shangguan Jin Hong dead, the remaining people can't cause any trouble. Let them fight among themselves."

Without Shangguan Jin Hong's suppression, the Money Gang would soon collapse.

Even if someone were to successfully reintegrate the Money Gang, the other factions in Jiangnan would not stand idly by.

After all, the Money Gang has risen rapidly and become a powerful force in the region over the years, but it has done so by stepping on countless bloodstains, and it has made quite a few enemies.

Now that Shangguan Jin Hong is dead, the Money Gang has fallen from grace and will soon be swallowed up and divided up by other forces.

The martial arts world is indeed bloody and realistic.

Jiang Xuan had no intention of taking over the territory and power of the Money Gang. He had already taken enough of the gold and silver that the Money Gang had accumulated over the years, and there was no need to take the rest.

If you've eaten the meat, you have to give other forces some soup. Only in this way can they extricate themselves from this turmoil as soon as possible and retreat safely.

After seeing everyone off, Jiang Xuan found a room and began to circulate his qi to recuperate, making the most of the time to refine the true qi he had absorbed from Shangguan Jin Hong's body.

The danger is not over yet, and he must recover to his peak condition as soon as possible. If he can take this opportunity to break through to the sixth-grade Grandmaster level, that would be even better.

While he was recuperating, Xi Yu and others quickly arranged for people to transport the valuables. Yan Shisan, Xia Xueyi, and others set their sights on the various martial arts manuals and weapons collected by the Money Gang, and each of them found something they liked.

This battle was a win-win situation, with everyone gaining something.

In particular, Yan Shisan comprehended the fourteenth sword after this battle, breaking through to the Heavenly Sword Realm. Although he was not as brilliant as Jiang Xuan, from then on, he was considered to have few rivals in the martial world.

He began preparations and planned to send people to find Xie Xiaofeng, intending to fulfill the challenge they had made years ago.

This was his lifelong wish.

at the same time.

On the other side of the city, not far from the Money Gang, a group of men in black were hiding in the shadows, monitoring the Money Gang's every move.

Looking at the boxes of gold and silver treasures being transported out of the Money Gang, Zhu Yeqing was extremely envious.

"Miss, the Money Gang has dominated Jiangnan for many years, amassing countless riches. Are we really going to let the Netherworld people take it all away?"

Zhu Yeqing couldn't help but speak up: "Jiang Xuan, as the commander of the Imperial Guard, is manipulating the Netherworld and interfering in the affairs of the martial world. We only need to spread this news, and we can take advantage of the situation and reap the benefits..."

Murong Qiudi understood his meaning perfectly well, and said calmly, "If you want us to die, then go ahead and bring your men to do it. I will not stop you."

Zhu Yeqing's expression changed slightly: "Xiao Zhu wouldn't dare."

"Xiaozhu, your ambitions are growing bigger and bigger."

Murong Qiudi glanced at him and said, "Having ambition is a good thing, but you must know how to assess the situation and understand what you should and shouldn't do. Otherwise, today's Money Gang will be tomorrow's us."

"Miss's teachings are correct. I will remember your instructions." Zhu Yeqing felt a chill run down her spine. Thinking of the terrifying scene she had witnessed tonight, a trace of fear appeared in her eyes. She couldn't help but swallow hard, completely dispelling the greed in her heart.

Murong Qiudi narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "This sum of money is beyond our reach, but if we want to profit, we can look for other avenues..."

"What does Miss mean?" Zhu Yeqing was taken aback.

Murong Qiudi's eyes flickered. After pondering for a long time, she made up her mind and said, "Go and arrange a meeting with this 'Lord of the Netherworld' for me!"

"Miss, you mean..."

Zhu Yeqing's expression changed, and a bad premonition suddenly rose in her heart. Could it be that Miss wants to cooperate with this 'Lord of the Underworld'?

Isn't this like asking a tiger for its skin?!

(End of this chapter)