Gao Wu: Ten years of sparring experience, one move and the world knows him.

Chapter 146 Confrontation
Strangely, this wave of spiritual energy overflow did not occur at the northwest border.

It seems that only the mountains and rivers of the Central Plains, with their centuries-old or millennia-old sects, have such treasures.

Fortunately, although there was no leakage of spiritual energy, this incident, for some unknown reason, slowed down the actions of the enemies in the fog zone.

This slowed down their offensive.

The entire frontier region has entered a rare period of peace.

The imperial court also took the opportunity to train and redeploy personnel.

A large number of martial artists were sent to the frontier defense lines.

As the incident of spiritual energy overflowing was widely publicized online, the imperial court also released signals about the situation on the frontier through certain channels.

The entire internet was instantly in an uproar.

It turns out that they have enemies outside, and war is taking place on their borders. It turns out that the world is not peaceful.

As information gradually became more inaccurate, doubts and questions arose.

Why not use weapons of mass destruction, the army's steel torrent!

A series of doubts and distrust of the imperial court surged forth like a tidal wave.

As a result, many bloggers started popularizing science online, explaining the situation in Northwest China.

For example, the enemy's fog can disrupt electromagnetic signals, and the enemy's divine weapons have many strange abilities.

The enemy is elusive and can block infrared signals, among other things.

The final conclusion was that if the other side attacked our territory, we could naturally defend against it by carpet bombing with rockets, but this area would also be completely destroyed.

But what is the point of such a Pyrrhic victory?
The only solution at present is to send martial artists to the battlefield and let them act as soldiers to resist the enemy through individual combat.

This idea resonated across the internet and sparked a strange wave of thought.

That is, since martial artists enjoy generous treatment from the imperial court, priority access to various resources, and social respect.

Shouldn't they stand up, serve their country, and defend their homeland?

This concept has artificially transformed the voluntary act of warriors protecting their homeland into a duty and mission.

You have to do it this way. If you don't, you'll be letting down the court and society.

This strange wave has made martial artists the target of everyone's criticism.

After all, most people in this society are ordinary people. They have all, to varying degrees, envied the good benefits of martial artists and suffered bullying from some of them.

With the crowd in a state of high spirits, more and more people naturally responded.

"Defending the country is fine, but what do they mean by all this? Don't they enjoy the protection of the imperial court? It's as if we owe them something?"

Upon seeing these online messages, Qin Rui's pretty face flushed with anger.

"Exactly, it's outrageous. We are all Chinese, why are we divided into martial artists and non-martial artists? We should all stand together against external enemies."

Li Xinran also said with some annoyance.

"The two older sisters definitely haven't bullied, uh, haven't been bullied by anyone."

"The world is full of people who are jealous of talent and ability, and who bully the weak and fear the strong. We don't need to pay attention to them. Right, brother?"

Zhao Xin said with a smile.

At this moment, the group was in a pavilion in the Qingcheng Sword Sect. Although the outflow of spiritual energy had ended, their cultivation had not stopped.

Now that they were already here, Zhao Rui naturally wouldn't let them leave, insisting that they stay here and diligently practice their martial arts.

"Times have changed. The age of martial artists has truly arrived!"

Zhao Rui said calmly.

In the end, this world is still ruled by strength.

They thought this would make martial artists a target of public criticism and make them less desirable.

But what they didn't know was...
This, in turn, enabled martial artists to truly rise above ordinary people.

This also indicates that a new social order is about to emerge, and new conflicts are about to erupt.

"Don't worry about outside affairs, focus on your cultivation. We'll go back next week."

Zhao Rui said calmly.

"Oh, I see!"

Everyone responded in unison.

The surge of public opinion online did not lead to real-world conflicts or changes.

It seems that martial artists don't care about these things, and they don't argue about these issues at all.

……

Three days later, Master Yu led Yun Hao and Zhao Rui to the Sichuan Provincial Government headquarters.

The day before, they received a notice from the imperial court that a meeting would be held in the provincial capital.

Originally, Master Yu thought he could go alone, but the other party said that Master Yunhao and Zhao Rui should go together.

Clearly, the other party is very familiar with the situation in Qingcheng and knows who is currently in Qingcheng's decision-making circle.

The other party did not disclose the content of the meeting.

Standing in front of the Sichuan Provincial Government Office, Zhao Rui looked up at the enormous square building and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

This is the power center of a province!
A place that governs the lives of tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of people.

"Go in. What's meant to be will be, and you can't escape it!"

Master Yu smiled and took the lead in stepping up the stairs.

Zhao Rui smiled and followed along with Yun Hao.

Just as the three of them stepped onto the top of the stairs and headed towards the entrance, several staff members warmly greeted them.

The identities of these people surprised Zhao Rui. According to the standards of his previous life, they were at least high-ranking officials in the province.

It seems this meeting is of great importance.

After being warmly received by the group, the three entered a conference room that was not very large but luxuriously decorated.

As soon as he entered, Zhao Rui saw several bald men and some unfamiliar people sitting solemnly in their seats.

"These gentlemen must be the Taoist priests of the Qingcheng Sword Sect. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Upon seeing Zhao Rui and his group arrive, an elderly man at the head of the table rose slightly and said with a smile.

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone introduced him: "This is our Sichuan Provincial Governor!"

At the same time, Zhao Rui and the other two were introduced.

When Zhao Rui was introduced, everyone present looked over.

Clearly, news of Zhao Rui's feat of defeating a thousand warriors with a single flute on the mountain had already spread.

"Elder Zhao is a man of great talent at such a young age; he is truly a blessing to Qingcheng and to our Sichuan province!"

The Daotai (local official) glanced at Zhao Rui and nodded in praise.

"My lord, you're welcome!"

Zhao Rui smiled and said politely.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, everyone present greeted each other again.

Zhao Rui then realized that these bald men were all high-ranking members of the Emei Sect.

But there were no members of the Emei Sword Sect.

Two others are from the Tang Clan of Shu Mountain, while the rest are renowned figures in the Sichuan martial arts world.

Zhao Rui didn't recognize any of them and gave them a perfunctory response.

After everyone finished exchanging pleasantries, they all took their seats.

The governor at the head of the table then spoke, "The reason I've gathered you all here is twofold: first, to convey the message from our superiors, and second, to discuss the future of Sichuan Province with you all..."

After a brief opening, staff members handed out the documents to everyone.

Zhao Rui opened it and his heart tightened.

Inside were some materials about the Otherworldly Realm of Guixu.

As expected, the imperial court had already been informed of the Guixu incident.

"The Land of Return to Nothingness is no different from the Central Plains. Its people live year-round in places rich in spiritual energy, are as light as swallows, and possess immense strength. They are born with martial arts talent... Martial artists in this land absorb innate true energy, which often allows them to unleash their elemental power. The strong can move mountains and fill seas, and command wind and rain without a second thought..."

People from the Central Plains, when they first entered this land, still harbored great ambitions... But later, the imperial court suffered defeats, and the various states retreated.

At that time, the various factions were preoccupied with their own problems and powerless to resist, so they had no choice but to take their disciples, followers, and affiliated people and seek a place to hide...

Zhao Rui became increasingly alarmed as he looked at the document.

Only then did they realize that more than 500 years ago, the martial arts practitioners, as well as the armies and civilians from various countries, who entered the Land of Guixu did not conquer Guixu as easily as they had previously thought.

Instead, they waged a protracted war against the people of the Ruins of Return for hundreds of years, barely managing to survive.

Their territory actually occupies less than 10% of the Guixu land.

The ancestors of the Guixu Land were not only born with strong physiques, but also had unique martial arts techniques.

Its strength surpasses that of the grandmaster martial artists in the Central Plains!

After hundreds of years of struggle, the remaining forces of Blue Star in the Ruins of Return have gradually stabilized their positions.

Now that the Ruins of Guixu have returned, they will naturally not sit idly by and wait for their doom.

So when spiritual energy revived, they used secret techniques to send people back to the Central Plains.

They were the ones who subsequently pushed the imperial court to unify the country with military might.

As for the people who appeared in the northwest, they were the true ancestors of Guixu.

After hundreds of years of fighting and integration with various factions in the Central Plains, they have also learned a lot of knowledge about the Central Plains and are no longer the barbaric people of the past.

This time, taking advantage of the approaching but not yet arrived Guixu, they made advance arrangements with various factions in Central Asia and certain Western countries.

The transmission of Western martial arts over the past century has been obtained from them.

Of course, the complexity involved cannot be summarized in a few words, but Zhao Rui has grasped the general idea.

"The Ruins of Guixu are approaching, and the imperial court is under great pressure. We hope that you will all uphold your loyalty to the country and love for the people, and give your full support..."

The entire meeting lasted a full two hours.

There were roughly two issues. One was that before the arrival of Guixu, all factions should cooperate with the imperial court to deploy troops and strive to increase the quantity and quality of martial artists as soon as possible.

Secondly, when the Ruins of Guixu arrive, all factions must set an example by guarding the heartland of the Central Plains, and if necessary, send troops to protect the country.

"My lord, my Qingcheng Mountain only has a handful of cats and dogs, and is truly not up to the task."

Master Yu said with a worried expression.

Even including the twenty or so teenagers sent by the imperial court later, the number of people from Qingcheng was only sixty or seventy.

Most of them were young Taoist priests, while there were only seven or eight middle-aged and elderly Taoist priests with real strength.

Their strength is pitifully weak.

If it weren't for Zhao Rui, who acted as a bridge between heaven and earth, Qingcheng Mountain would probably be in a very different state.

"Master Yu is too modest. Who doesn't know the sharpness of the Qingcheng Sword Sect's sword energy and its unparalleled secret techniques... This matter is not just a matter for Sichuan Province, but a game of chess played by the imperial court..."

"I am aware of your difficulties, but the province has relevant preferential policies to help you..."

Soon, a staff member brought up a new policy and regulation document.

The document prominently displays: "Interim Measures for Guiding Opinions on the Independent Management of Martial Arts Sects within the Jurisdiction."

It contains several pages of various new regulations concerning the management and operation of the sect.

For example, the management agencies for nature reserves will no longer be established, but instead they will be replaced by auxiliary agencies for cultural collection, compilation and dissemination.

Each faction has priority in enjoying the management rights of mountains, forests, and streams within a 100-kilometer radius of its sect.

There are also preferential policies like these, with the central goal of making the sects rich.

"Amitabha!"

The people of Emei couldn't help but chant Buddhist mantras; this was exactly what they wanted.

Yu Zhengnan is no saint either; which faction or group doesn't need to eat?

We'd be starving.

Seeing this, he also put his palms together and chanted "Amitabha Buddha," without offering any further opinions.

After the meeting, the Daotai (local official) hosted a banquet for the eminent figures from various schools of martial arts in Sichuan Province, where they had a long and fruitful discussion.

Afterwards, everyone returned to their respective mountain gates.

The development of the sect is naturally handled and planned by Yu Zhengnan, a proper Taoist priest.

Zhao Rui's title of honorary elder is just a formality.

After spending two days on the mountain, Zhao Rui led Qin Rui and the other two back to Jeju.

After being cleansed by spiritual energy, and with the practice of the Returning Origin Technique during this period, Qin Rui and the other two have made great progress in their cultivation.

Qin Rui and Zhao Xin, in particular, will likely break through their levels in a month or two.

"Brother, do you think it'll still be useful to take the college entrance exam in the future?"

Zhao Xin asked hesitantly.

"Going to university is not about taking the exam, but about learning. If you feel there's nothing to learn, then of course you don't need to go."

Zhao Rui frowned and said.

"The path of martial arts should be in accordance with one's nature, follow the natural course, and not be overly demanding."

Zhao Rui continued, "Who knows what will happen in the future? But a university degree is definitely not as important as it used to be for martial arts students."

"Hmm, I'll think about it some more."

Zhao Xin stayed in Jizhou for one day before Zhao Rui sent him back to Lincheng.

He hadn't been home for a long time, and with winter break approaching, now was the perfect time to go back and visit.

To be honest, he's really been "neglecting his studies" this semester!
This semester, he has spent most of his time in Qingcheng Mountain. He rarely goes to classes or even to the martial arts team.

My studies have fallen far behind.

If it's an exam, failing is a certainty.

Fortunately, due to his special status, Wang Zhanshan applied to the school for special treatment, and was given the answers directly for exams.

That saved me a lot of trouble.

Zhao Rui drove back to Lincheng, but instead of going home, he went to his hometown first.

They sent Zhao Xin back.

Upon hearing that Zhao Rui was coming, Zhao Jinze and his wife hurriedly prepared food and drinks at the best restaurant in the county.

At this point, Zhao Jinze in the county town was no longer just an ordinary public servant.

He had become a powerful figure in the county, with influence over both the legitimate and criminal worlds.

All of this was naturally thanks to Zhao Rui.

"Third Uncle, Third Aunt, there's no need for all this formality. It's much better to eat at home!"

Upon arriving at the hotel, Zhao Rui smiled and said to Zhao Jinze and his wife.

“You rarely come back, so try some hometown food. The food in the school cafeteria can never compare to what you get at these restaurants.”

Zhao Jinze laughed.

Zhao Rui smiled and didn't refuse any further. The family chatted and laughed as they ate their meal.

"This time, the imperial court's control over martial artists is unusually strong. Two martial artists who were hiding in the county were unexpectedly exposed..."

During the conversation, Zhao Jinze casually mentioned it.

"Hidden? Uncle, you're someone from the Martial Arts Association, and you don't know?"

"How could we know? These two were originally ordinary people, but in just six months, they cultivated to the fifth level of martial arts."

"If the martial arts census hadn't slipped up, the two of them probably would have held out until they reached the Grandmaster level before going out."

Zhao Jinze said it as a joke over tea.

"Third Uncle, what kind of martial art do you think could allow an ordinary person to reach the fifth level of martial arts in just six months?"

Zhao Rui said in a serious tone.

Zhao Jinze was stunned when he heard this.

Yes, what martial art could have such an effect?
(End of this chapter)