A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 203 Flame Marrow Jade King
The Golden Knife Alliance's mountain gate stands in the Golden Knife Valley, eight hundred miles south of the Five Elements Sect. The valley is named after the Golden Knife Alliance.

Two golden swords, each ten feet tall, stood at the mountain gate, exuding a chilling aura.

Not long after Li Weizhou led Luo San and Wang Kui to pay their respects at the mountain gate, Zhao Qiankun led the experts of the alliance out to greet them. His crimson gold sword was slung diagonally behind his back, and the earth dragon scales on the scabbard gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

"Sect Leader Li, what brings you here? May I ask what brings you here?"

Zhao Qiankun's voice was not loud, but it carried a deliberately contrived air of authority.

Li Weizhou looked up at the three large characters "Golden Knife Alliance" on the mountain gate plaque. The spiritual ink was mixed with gold powder, which seemed to exude the arrogance of a nouveau riche, but in reality, it was the core of a formation.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhao Qiankun, saying calmly, "Alliance Leader Zhao, hand over Zheng Shou. This villain has committed heinous crimes and should not be allowed to live."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qiankun's brows furrowed sharply.

Zhao Qiankun had a resolute face with three deep lines etched on his forehead, slightly deep-set eyes, and dark brown pupils that resembled the sediment at the bottom of a river valley. He usually looked at people with a scrutinizing gaze, but now, when he looked at Li Weizhou, that scrutiny was mixed with a heavy expression.

His short beard was as stiff as needles, each hair standing on end, yet the corners of his lips were always pursed into a straight line, making it clear that he was a person accustomed to giving orders.

In his eyes, Li Weizhou was like an ancient sword that had not yet been sharpened but already gleamed with a cold light.

Despite his young age and youthful slender build, the spiritual energy beneath his black robes was astonishingly refined. In particular, the five phantom swords, though suspended in mid-air, felt like sharp blades pressed against his throat, sending chills down the spine of this late-stage Spirit Origin cultivator.

This kid is too sharp, so sharp that he's unreasonable.

They could have relied on the Five Elements Sect's influence to gradually exert pressure, but instead they chose to come directly to their doorstep and overturn the table, not even bothering to consider the reputation of the Golden Knife Alliance.

But this sharpness concealed a deep confidence; the coldness in his eyes was not youthful recklessness, but a genuine willingness to dismantle his Golden Knife Alliance.

Zheng Shou, on the other hand, was a completely different person. He was tall and burly, with shoulders almost twice the width of an average person. He had a square face but a pair of slanted, triangular eyes with more white than pupils, making everyone he looked at seem like he was glaring at them.

What's most eye-catching are his arms, which are thicker than an average person's waist. His forearms are covered with runes the size of copper coins, and the veins on the back of his hands bulge like dragons. His knuckles are bluish-black, marks left by years of forging his iron arms.

"Sect Leader Li is joking."

Zhao Qiankun's voice deepened as he slowly said, "Zheng Shou is a retainer of our Golden Saber Alliance. He has been a member for over thirty years. Whether he has merits or demerits, he will be dealt with according to the alliance rules. Although the Five Elements Sect is powerful, it shouldn't overstep its bounds and interfere in the affairs of our alliance, should it?"

"Out of bounds?"

Li Weizhou took half a step forward, his spiritual energy surging slightly. The ten-zhang golden swords on both sides of the mountain gate suddenly hummed, and the sunlight reflected off the blades rippled.

He immediately recognized that the golden knife was the core of the formation, and judging from its spiritual energy fluctuations, it should be able to unleash a strike at the Spirit God Realm level if it were to suddenly activate.

Among the sects below the Seven Sects of Northern Spirit, the Golden Saber Alliance's strength is undeniable.

Li Weizhou remained calm, a smile playing on his lips, as he stared at the golden knife and said, “Twenty-five years ago, the Zhang family of Nanlu had twenty-four members smashed into a pulp with an iron arm, not even sparing the infants in their swaddling clothes. Zheng Shou then used the Flame Jade Essence he had stolen from the Zhang family to hold a three-day celebration banquet. Surely Alliance Leader Zhao is aware of this? And this man’s heinous acts are by no means limited to this one incident.”

Zheng Shou suddenly stepped out of the shadows, his iron arm clanging loudly, causing the golden swords on both sides of the mountain gate to vibrate even more. He snarled, "Li, don't spout nonsense! I'm acting on behalf of Heaven to punish the Zhang family for hoarding their criminal property!"

"Doing justice for the heavens?"

Behind Li Weizhou, Luo San tossed a yellowed scroll of cloth from his storage talisman. On it was a fragment of the Zhang family massacre case. Luo San read aloud, "This is the record left by the cultivator who investigated the scene back then. It says, 'A young girl was nailed to a door panel, with an iron arm mark three inches deep.' Is your so-called 'acting on behalf of Heaven' really such a heinous act against a seven-year-old girl?"

The blood spirit on the cloth turned into a small phantom when it met the wind. It was a little girl with her hair in a topknot, staring at Zheng Shou with empty eyes.

In truth, Zheng Shou didn't remember whether this person actually existed, but feeling guilty, he naturally assumed it was true.

His expression changed drastically, and he roared as he lunged forward, shouting, "Spreading heresy! I'll tear you apart!"

"presumptuous!"

Li Weizhou's eyes turned cold, and the phantom of the Green Wood Sword suddenly appeared above his head. The sword's cry pierced the wind in the valley. Zheng Shou's iron arm had just been raised to mid-air when it was blocked by an invisible spiritual energy wall. With a "bang," it bounced back, and the calluses on his iron arm were shaken open with fine cracks.

Seeing this, Zhao Qiankun drew his crimson gold sword with a clang, the blade shimmering with intense spiritual light, and said sternly, "Sect Leader Li, do you really want to tear off the mask of civility?"

Li Weizhou said calmly, "It's not that I want to break off relations, but he owes a blood debt that must be repaid. Debts must be repaid, and murderers must pay with their lives. This is the way to uphold justice." With that, he lightly raised his fingertips, and the illusory image of the Green Wood Sword transformed into a stream of light, heading straight for Zheng Shou's face.

Zheng Shou was, after all, a mid-stage Spirit Origin cultivator. Although he had been knocked back by spiritual power, he reacted very quickly. He crossed his iron arms again to protect himself, and a layer of earth-yellow protective shield suddenly appeared on his arms. That was the "Iron Wall Technique" that he had cultivated for many years.

Unlike the ordinary "Iron Wall Skill", his protective shield had an additional layer of flames.

The protective barrier, which should have crumbled with a single blow, actually blocked Li Weizhou's sword strike.

"what?"

Li Weizhou hesitated for a moment, then his gaze became more serious as he examined Zheng Shou's protective shield. He then aimed three of his five swords at Zhao Qiankun and two at Zheng Shou before unleashing another strike.

"Too deceiving!"

Before Zhao Qiankun's roar had even subsided, the Crimson Gold Blade had already transformed into a blazing streak of light, its blade whipping up the valley's gale-force winds as it slashed towards Li Weizhou with the force to scorch mountains and boil seas.

He finally made his move, because he hadn't expected Li Weizhou to show him absolutely no respect...

This strike embodied his life's cultivation. Wherever the blade passed, the air was scorched into distorted heat waves. The ten-zhang golden blade array eyes on both sides of the mountain gate hummed in response, and the runes on the blades lit up. Countless tiny golden blades flew out from the array eyes, shooting towards Li Weizhou like a rainstorm.

As long as this outcast is eliminated, the Five Elements Sect will remain the same dilapidated sect.

Sooner or later, he'll change his surname to Xuanyuan!
"Well come."

Li Weizhou's gaze remained unwavering as his three divine swords suddenly solidified before Zhao Qiankun: the Earth Sword, heavy as Mount Tai, stood before him, shattering all the golden blades in the sky. The Blazing Fire Sword transformed into a fiery lotus, meeting the heat wave of the Crimson Gold Blade; the moment the two flames collided, a blinding white light erupted, evaporating the valley's moisture into mist. The Hidden Water Sword circled to the side, its chilling aura forcing Zhao Qiankun to back down, slowing his attack by a fraction.

The three swords were unleashed simultaneously, effectively suppressing Zhao Qiankun, who was at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Origin Realm.

Zhao Qiankun's hand gripping the hilt of the knife trembled slightly. Only then did he truly understand that Li Weizhou, this person from the lower realm, actually possessed such profound abilities.

On the other side, Zheng Shou's courage grew after seeing Zhao Qiankun make his move. The fiery shield on his arms suddenly expanded, and his iron arms slammed towards Li Weizhou like a battering ram. The runes on his arms lit up and made a sizzling sound. He had actually integrated the spiritual power of the Flame Jade Marrow into his Iron Wall Technique, making the shield several times harder than before.

Li Weizhou scoffed. It would be quite a challenge if someone else from the sect dealt with them. He simultaneously attacked Zheng Shou's two divine swords. The Green Wood Sword moved with lightning speed, its blade adorned with intricate runes. Li Weizhou possessed the deepest mastery of this sword; the runes transformed into countless vines, coiling towards Zheng Shou's legs. The barbs on the vines carried wood-elemental spiritual power, specifically designed to break through earth-elemental protective shields.

The Xuanjin Sword unleashed endless golden light and stabbed down fiercely!

"Crack!"

Zheng Shou screamed as a deep, bone-revealing wound was slashed across his left arm, and the Flame Shield instantly dimmed.

Taking advantage of the moment, the greenwood sword tightened, binding him tightly to the spot, its barbs piercing his flesh, making it difficult for him to even circulate his internal energy.

"Alliance Leader Zhao, shall we continue fighting?"

Li Weizhou's voice came through the roar of colliding spiritual energy, carrying a faint sarcasm, and said: "Although your Golden Blade Formation can unleash a strike at the Spirit God Realm, do you think it can do anything to me? After this sword strike, you will have no way to maneuver."

Zhao Qiankun gazed at Zheng Shou, who was bound by the ink vines and struggling, then at his own crimson-gold saber, which was being forced back step by step by the three divine swords. His Adam's apple bobbed twice. He could feel the golden saber array's core at the mountain gate burning hot—a sign of forcibly unleashing a strike at the Spirit God Realm. But if he really had to use it…

Today, his and the Golden Knife Alliance's fate may not be much better than Zheng Shou's.

"That's all..."

Zhao Qiankun abruptly sheathed his sword, the crimson-gold blade clattering to the ground. The flames on the blade gradually died down. He said, "If Sect Leader Li wants to take Zheng Shou away, then let him go. But..." He looked at Li Weizhou, his eyes filled with a hint of humiliation and pleading, and said, "Please, Sect Leader Li, spare some face for the Golden Blade Alliance."

Li Weizhou didn't care. He glanced at Zheng Shou, who was still cursing loudly, perhaps knowing he couldn't escape death, and then looked at Wang Kui.

Wang Kui took out a tattered rag and stuffed it into Zheng Shou's mouth.

Li Weizhou took out a handkerchief, wiped his hands, and then looked at Zhao Qiankun and said, "You earn your own reputation. You want this kind of trash? Are you two birds of a feather?"

After a moment of silence, Zhao Qiankun shook his head and said, "Of course not. Sect Leader Li can inquire about it. I have never done anything immoral or immoral."

Zheng Shou's sobs subsided, the resentment in his triangular eyes almost solidified, but he could only be dragged along by Mo Teng, staggering towards the edge of the valley.

Zhao Qiankun watched their retreating figures and suddenly said, "Sect Leader Li, Zheng Shou has a map of the Yan Yu Marrow mine. That mine... has some connection with the Xuan Yuan Dao Sect."

Li Weizhou didn't stop walking, and said indifferently, "They haven't even found a mineral vein, yet they have connections with the Xuanyuan Dao Sect? If the Xuanyuan Dao Sect comes to ask for people, tell them to go directly to the Five Elements Sect."

The wind in the valley gradually subsided, and the ten-foot-long golden sword at the mountain gate stopped humming, leaving only ripples of spiritual energy on its blade, like lingering anger.

Zhao Qiankun picked up the crimson gold sword from the ground. The blade reflected his pale face. The experts in the alliance behind him all hung their heads dejectedly, and no one dared to speak.

From the shadows, a disciple suddenly whispered, "Zhao Qiankun, why didn't you force Zheng Shou to stay? You must know, Zheng Shou is forging the Flame Marrow Jade King! Only he can..."

"Shut up!"

Zhao Qiankun abruptly interrupted him, his knuckles white as he gripped the hilt of his sword. He glared at him and said, "Why didn't you force me to stay? With that effort, you could have sent a letter to the Xuan Yuan Dao Sect, requesting an expert to come and rescue me. My skills are too low to deal with experts at the level of the seven sect leaders!"

The disciple exclaimed anxiously, "How can we possibly make it in time?!"

Zhao Qiankun snorted coldly and said, "What do you know? I deliberately revealed the news about the Flame Marrow Jade Mine to arouse his greed, so he won't be in a hurry to kill you. What 'acting on behalf of Heaven' is nothing but self-interest. You should quickly inform the sect and try to get your Supreme Elder to intervene. Zheng Shou is the person you need. I've done all I can. The rest is up to you."

Upon hearing this, the disciple gave Zhao Qiankun a deep look and immediately sent a message to the sect.

……

Zheng Shou was dragged on the ground by Mo Teng, the gravel scraping his hands raw and bloody, but he twisted like a madman, making urgent "woo-woo" sounds in his throat. The resentment in his triangular eyes had long been replaced by something more urgent: the greed for life in the face of death.

Wang Kui was about to kick him again when Li Weizhou stopped him, saying, "Untie his mouth."

Li Weizhou's voice was flat, his gaze falling on Zheng Shou's left arm, where the robe was worn through, revealing a patch of skin with a dark red sheen. He could vaguely see a swirling halo beneath the skin, a hundred times more potent than the spiritual energy of ordinary Flame Jade Marrow, carrying a scorching heat.

The moment the tattered rag was ripped off, Zheng Shou began coughing violently, tears and snot streaming down his face. He didn't bother wiping them away, and roared in a hoarse voice, "Sect Leader Li! I have a treasure! It's the Flame Marrow Jade King! The thing we stole from the Zhang family back then wasn't Flame Jade Marrow at all, it's the Flame Marrow Jade King!"

Upon hearing this, Luo San, Wang Kui, and the others were stunned.

The Flame Marrow Jade King is a legendary treasure, one in ten thousand years. What Zheng Shou obtained back then was this rare treasure.

No matter how you look at this filthy thing, it shouldn't have such good fortune.

Seeing their emotions, Zheng Shou's eyes lit up with wild joy, and he said urgently, "It's true! I only got the news by chance back then, which is why I acted hastily. Otherwise, the news would never have leaked. I was afraid that someone would steal it, so I used the Blood Refining Method of the Sin Clan to fuse it into the bone of my left arm and nurtured it for twenty-five years. Now it has been fused with my flesh and blood and my sea of ​​consciousness!"

He desperately tried to raise his left arm, but Mo Teng held it tightly, forcing him to twist in vain. He said increasingly urgently, "Actually, I've wanted to leave the Golden Knife Alliance for a long time. I only realized later that the news about the Zhang family was passed on to me by those bastards. They know I have the Fiery Earth Body and are planning to raise me into the Blood Jade King's flesh cauldron, which will be of great use in the future. So you see, even though I've had such a great fortuitous encounter, I still haven't reached the Spirit God level. It's because they're suppressing my progress, forcing me to constantly absorb Fiery Marrow Jade every day. I don't know what evil intentions they're harboring!"
"Sect Leader Li, you are a good man, and your master is a true gentleman! I've decided to pledge my allegiance to you! If you spare my life, the Jade King is yours, the mine is yours, and I can even help you smelt it. This Jade King recognizes its master; unless I willingly submit, no one can break it!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Kui and the others were all deeply moved.

Acting on behalf of Heaven? Such a good thing?
However, a sharp "clang" rang out as the sword was drawn from its sheath. Immediately, the smug look on Zheng Shou's face froze, his eyes filled with fear and confusion, and his mouth opened and closed but he could not utter a word.

A huge human head was suspended in the air.

Then a raging fire broke out and quickly burned the man to ashes.

"next."

Li Weizhou didn't even glance at them before leaving.

Although Wang Kui and his men were disappointed, they were filled with even greater pride and righteous indignation.

A leader whose words and deeds are consistent and whose pronouncements are truthful is clearly more worthy of following!

The Golden Knife Alliance members watching from a distance all changed their expressions drastically and turned back to report the news...

……

(End of this chapter)