Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 442 Sword Qi Soars to the Sky, One Sword Pierces 882 Armor!

In a one-on-one fight, martial arts masters are stronger, even those from humble backgrounds possess some martial arts skills.

When their numbers increase to a certain level, the well-trained Imperial Guards and Imperial Army can easily defeat these scattered and unruly soldiers participating in the martial arts tournament.

Fukang'an led a group of battle-hardened veterans who were well-equipped, well-trained, knowledgeable in battle formations, and skilled in large-scale coordinated operations.

According to the timing, dragons fought in the wilderness, their blood turning black and yellow.

In terms of terrain, the air is thick with murderous intent, which is advantageous for the battlefield.

In terms of human resources, we have a numerical advantage and can wait for the enemy to tire themselves out.

The timing, location, and people were all in favor of Fukang'an. Feng Suzhen had many martial arts masters under her command, but they were not united, each had their own schemes, did not obey orders, and were greedy for small gains.

Even with experts like Tie Haitang, Ge Ying, Li Shengnan, and Lan Xiaodie leading the charge, they were still forced to retreat by Fukang'an. After an hour and a half of bloody fighting, the battlefield defense line was finally breached.

Fukang'an was shocked. He had thought that these scattered soldiers would be defeated in one battle, but he did not expect that Feng Suzhen could command these useless people and hold out for an hour and a half.

For Fukang'an, who was of noble birth, had a high opinion of himself, and considered himself a famous general, this was a great humiliation. He kept waving his command flag and ordering his soldiers to charge and kill.

Feng Suzhen kept retreating.

Do it all at once, second time tired, third time exhausted.

This is an eternal truth.

Already scattered and disorganized, they should have fled in all directions after the defeat, becoming a disorganized mess.

The battlefield situation was completely the opposite.

During the continuous retreat, Feng Suzhen found her only advantage: the unchangeable advantage of terrain.

The front features the fierce and powerful Eight Banners cavalry.

The back side depicts a vast ocean.

With no way to retreat in front and pursuers behind, they unexpectedly formed a desperate situation with the help of Tie Haitang and others.

With nothing to lose, a fight to the death, a battle with no turning back.

In this way, those martial arts practitioners who wanted to escape, surrender, or play both sides were inspired and their blood was pumped up. Even if they didn't understand battle formations and even if they had their own thoughts, they could still form an effective team when Feng Suzhen's orders were delivered.

Fukang'an clenched his fists in resentment.

A "backwater formation" is not simply a matter of risking one's life, nor can it be achieved simply by setting up a formation along the coast.

If you can't win, you can run away. But if the general in command is not capable enough, it is very likely to lead to a rout.

With the slogan "Break the cauldrons and sink the boats," the commander was Xiang Yu, an unparalleled general throughout history, invincible and unstoppable. Even when surrounded by enemies on all sides, he dared to launch a desperate charge.

In this desperate battle, the commander was Han Xin, an unparalleled military genius. Han Xin believed that the more soldiers one had, the better; no matter how many soldiers there were, he could command them with ease.

Ordinary generals who try to imitate these two will inevitably end up with a poor imitation. Throughout history, there are countless examples of people who have failed when trying to imitate famous generals' military tactics and formations.

To put it bluntly, even if Han Xin were reborn, he wouldn't be able to form a battle formation with a group of martial arts practitioners with different intentions right after taking over. The reason why the situation of having one's back to the river was formed was all thanks to Fukang'an.

Fukang'an's move was to kill.

Cao Xiong, kill!

Kill Wanyan!

Kill the Four Secret Venerables!

From beginning to end, it was a frenzied slaughter!
If Fukang'an were to use a divide-and-conquer strategy and allow some experts to surrender, no matter how harsh the conditions, they would have no choice but to accept it under such circumstances.

Fukang'an was too arrogant. He thought he could easily kill all these martial arts sects. The more he killed, the fiercer the resistance became. He left no way out for others. If I can't kill Fukang'an, can I not kill the soldiers?
Ninety-nine percent of the martial arts practitioners present were skeptical of Feng Suzhen, but the situation was too dangerous, and there was no chance of survival except to follow orders.

Even if you are hacked to death or stabbed to death by gunfire, if you follow Feng Suzhen's orders to fight, at least you can fight back and take someone down with you, taking a big bite out of them.

Battle-hardened veterans charged in formation, their overwhelming aura condensing into a blood-red mist that covered a hundred miles, turning the entire sea area crimson—far surpassing even martial arts practitioners.

No matter how badly their momentum crumbles or how poor their teamwork is, they still have some martial arts foundation.

One man fighting for his life is invincible against ten thousand.

What's more, it involves thousands of martial arts practitioners risking their lives.

Since the start of the war, the losses of his soldiers have made Fukang'an extremely anxious. Even if he successfully eliminates these people, the final result will be that he has done nothing but made a mistake, and he will be severely reprimanded.

Fukang'an had an excellent relationship with Emperor Qianlong. There is an anecdote that Fukang'an was actually a prince, Emperor Qianlong's illegitimate son, and that Emperor Qianlong showed him great affection.

Fukang'an will not lose his official position because of this, but he will inevitably lose face, the kind of face that will be utterly humiliating.

For the proud and arrogant Fukang'an, this humiliation was unacceptable. He was determined to break through the enemy's defenses and sweep away all enemies with a thunderous offensive.

Everyone must die!
For him, every single one of them who survived was a humiliation.

Feng Suzhen kept leading her men to retreat, while Fukang'an kept ordering his soldiers to attack. Of course he could attack; he was in an absolute advantage, and he had to lead his troops to attack.

However, Fukang'an overlooked one thing.

Unbeknownst to him, Fukang'an led his most elite Flying Dragon Guards to the side of the arena. He knew that there was gunpowder buried under the arena, and that the gunpowder was the agreed signal. However, he did not know how much gunpowder Cao Xiong and Wanyan Honglie had buried. If he had seen the blueprints, he would know that the violent explosion that had occurred earlier had only detonated less than 10% of the gunpowder.

Li Zhaoting could not exert his monetary power in the Qing Dynasty, but he could exert his "wife's power" anytime, anywhere.

Li Zhaoting has a wife who is the leader of the Xiaoyao Sect.

Even more coincidentally, the Xiaoyao Sect had eight disciples who were proficient in various Qimen Dunjia techniques. Although these people had mental ailments and were not very sharp-minded, they were absolutely experts among experts when it came to the Qimen Dunjia techniques they chose.

Even more coincidentally, one of them was an expert in civil engineering, specializing in building secret passages and mechanisms. He was the one who oversaw the construction of Xue Muhua's manor.

"Master Craftsman" Feng Asan!

The sixth junior brother of the "Eight Friends of Hangu Pass"!

One of the teachers in the Li family.

His elective courses are the most popular.

Li Zhaoting, in the name of "the sect leader's wife," ordered Feng Asan to build the arena mechanism. Feng Asan led dozens of craftsmen to dig overnight and hollowed out the arena.

Cao Xiong and Wanyan Honglie's gunpowder was all stored in batches by Feng Asan, who built a water gate in the secret passage. When the mechanism was triggered, seawater was used to impact the gunpowder. The gunpowder specially made by Tianmen ignited upon contact with water and exploded if it was overheated.

This has sparked curiosity among some people!

No matter how capable Feng Asan is, how could he build so many mechanisms in just a few days?
Because Li Zhaoting sought help from a big boss, who loved to spend money and have fun. Several years ago, on a whim, he hired dozens of tomb raiders to form a mole team, who were best at digging tunnels.

Working in three shifts, the mole squad can dig more than a dozen tunnels in three days, and can also dig a tunnel that leads directly to the prison in one night.

This big boss is—Wan Sanqian!

Not to mention the gunpowder traps stored under the arena, in the original story, the famous Black-Clad Arrow Team of the Eastern Depot was completely wiped out by the Groundhog Squad in one fell swoop. Wan Sanqian used his money power to trick Cao Zhengchun into speechless despair, his mentality completely collapsed, and he was then killed by Zhu Wushi.

Given Li Zhaoting's reputation in the martial arts world, borrowing Wan Sanqian's Groundhog Squad would be no problem at all. Wan Sanqian likes to invest in experts and likes experts to ask him for help, especially experts who are loyal and righteous. There is nothing cheaper than using money to gain Li Zhaoting's favor.

Feng Asan led the Groundhog Squad in three shifts and set up the traps in just three days. When Fukang'an led his troops to chase them to the vicinity of the arena, the traps were activated.

Deadly Trap - The Hidden Demon Gate!

The Ghost Gate in the Underworld is made of rough wood, like the gate to the underworld. It is two feet wide, eight feet long, and four inches thick. Below it are pillars supporting the sky, wheels pushing mountains, and ropes weighing a thousand pounds.

The area above is suitable for setting up camp and riding horses, while the area below can be used to hide elite troops. It is best suited for deployment on muddy and sandy ground.

When the enemy arrived, they pulled the heavy rope, causing the wheel to turn and the trap to collapse. The area covered by the trap instantly became a death trap, with no one in sight.

Give Feng Asan a month, and he can lead the Groundhog Squad to dig out the underground ghost dwellings that cover several miles, and create a natural barrier between the fleeing soldiers and the pursuers.

The sinkhole gate was activated with a rumble, triggering a chain reaction of gears that pulled the sluice gate, allowing seawater to enter.

In less than three seconds, sparks burst forth from the dark secret passage. The gunpowder of Tianmen had to be dried and preserved, so Cao Xiong had skilled craftsmen build a drying chamber. The outside was made of thick bluestone slabs, and the inside was wrapped with three layers of dry sand.

Even at the beach, it can last for half a month.

The disadvantage is that the internal space is relatively small. When it is impacted by seawater, sparks fly and flames erupt. Just then, the top activates the underground gate, connecting it to the air, which allows the gunpowder to burn fully and produces a muffled thunderous sound.

"boom!"

A muffled fart echoed through the air!
Everyone felt a tightness in their chest and shortness of breath, as if their chests had been pounded by eighty sledgehammers, making them feel suffocated.

The next second, flames shot into the sky.

A series of explosions occurred on the beach, igniting all the gunpowder. From above, a fire dragon several miles long, baring its fangs and claws, rushed into the sky.

In an instant, the traps set by Feng Asan were fully activated, and Cao Xiong and Wanyan Honglie's plan to destroy everything fell on Fukang'an.

The heavenly fire spread, flames leaping and raging. The battle-hardened veteran, who had survived countless near-death experiences, was engulfed by the flames before Fukang'an's eyes. Fukang'an was filled with rage, his true energy surging in his chest, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Li Zhaoting! I will kill you! I will kill you!"

Even a fool could figure it out: this must have been Li Zhaoting's arrangement. From beginning to end, Li Zhaoting never intended to target the Manchu martial arts world. Dealing with the Great Enlightenment Monk and the Fire-Worker Monk was about slaying demons and monsters; his relationship with the Abbot of the Dry Bamboo Hermitage was based on mutual respect and a discussion of swordsmanship; and killing Fan Yao was at the behest of his predecessors. He never used a single move against Cao Xiong, Cao Yu, or Ao Fei.

Even Wu Sidao found it strange; this was not Li Zhaoting's usual character. The Li Zhaoting of the past would have already drawn his sword and attacked, unleashing a barrage of powerful moves.

Li Zhaoting's appearance of being overworked and on the verge of collapse might fool Yang Xiao and Fan Yao, but it couldn't fool the old fox Wu Sidao. Only then did Wu Sidao realize which big fish Li Zhaoting was trying to catch.

The Great Enlightenment Monk is the bait!
The Fire-Worker Monk is a bait-maker!
The Abbot of Kuzhu Hermitage is a parasol!

Yang Xiao and Fan Yao are like fish fry that have been caught!

Fukang'an is the real target, the one Li Zhaoting has been longing for. If Fukang'an doesn't make a move, Li Zhaoting certainly won't go all out. In other words, when Fukang'an leads his troops into battle, Li Zhaoting will back down and call it a day!
Li Zhaoting is best at seizing opportunities.

What seemed like an insignificant, fleeting opportunity to outsiders was as slow as a snail in Li Zhaoting's eyes. The fighting spirit that had been building up since the start of the war erupted like a tsunami!
"Qiang!"

A sword rang out from amidst the raging flames and billowing smoke.

The sword's cry was clear, melodious, ethereal, and exquisite.

It seemed as if thousands of green bamboos rose from the beach, then burned fiercely in the flames, turning into raging infernos.

Li Zhaoting drew his sword and stabbed at Fukang'an.

This sword strike was nothing special.

Like a mischievous child scribbling randomly with a paintbrush.

This sword strike is so captivating that it's impossible to look away.

After a thousand years, the world's most agile and natural swordsmanship has reappeared.

This kind of swordsmanship shouldn't exist in the human world.

This is not a sword technique imagined by humankind.

This is the divine and enlightened spirit of heaven and earth.

The Abbot of Kuzhu Temple spent sixty years practicing Zen meditation and cultivating himself throughout his life. He only comprehended the "Buddha Bamboo," which is called "Six Roots Purified." Li Zhaoting's sword strike was a peerless move he comprehended based on the Abbot's profound enlightenment, great joy and sorrow, great transcendence and great freedom before his death.

With this sword strike, the clouds parted, the fog dissipated, and the world lost its color.

This sword strike, like a spark igniting a prairie fire, spreads endlessly.

This sword strike was heard but not seen.

This sword technique is rare even in heaven and earth.

Even powerful figures like Feng Suzhen, Li Shengnan, and Wang Shenglan couldn't discern where the sword came from or where it was headed. They could only hear clanging and crackling sounds, see Fukang'an's personal guards clutching their throats and collapsing, see the Imperial Guards groaning in pain, and see the Eight Banners cavalry lying limply like wheat being harvested.

A thousand years ago, Yue woman Aqing swept through three thousand Yue soldiers with a bamboo stick, and no one could stop her even for a moment.

A thousand years later, Li Zhaoting unleashed the sword energy of the Yue Maiden Sword, causing the heavens and earth to change color. The sword blade flowed and pierced through 882 pieces of armor with a single strike, wiping out the imperial guards.

Fukang'an has exceptional talent in martial arts. He has practiced a copy of the Divine Foot Scripture and has been nourished by food and medicine since childhood. His skill is several times more profound than Jiang Yuyan's. Furthermore, he has honed his martial arts skills on the battlefield, making him three levels above Cao Xiong, Cao Yu, and Su Penghai.

Fukang'an bit off the tip of his tongue, using the pain to stimulate his consciousness, and desperately unleashed a fatal blow. However, when he raised his head and saw Li Zhaoting's eyes, he was so frightened that he lost his will to fight, and then felt a slight pain in his neck.

The azure sword's edge swept across Fukang'an's neck like a comet's tail, severing his head.

"Whoosh!"

Fukang'an's head was flung into the air.

"Fukang'an is dead, who dares to step forward!"

"Fukang'an is dead, who dares to step forward!"

"Fukang'an is dead, who dares to step forward!"

Li Zhaoting unleashed his Lion's Roar technique, the sound carrying for miles. Within a radius of several dozen feet, corpses littered the area. Fukang'an's head landed on the flagpole, swaying left and right in the sea breeze.

Even though Li Zhaoting's face was deathly pale and his body was almost exhausted, who would dare to directly confront even half a move of the astonishing sword energy he had witnessed? The higher one's martial arts skills, the more one could feel how transcendent Li Zhaoting's sword strike was.

Of course, the drawbacks are obvious.

The sword strike pierced through 882 armors, causing great damage to Li Zhaoting himself. Even though he had hidden three spiritual herbs under his tongue before the battle and swallowed them in one gulp, it was still of little use. His dantian was dry, like a dried-up well.

Wang Shenglan and Li Shengnan flew over.

Wang Shenglan held a gun in one hand, swung it horizontally, leaving a trail in its wake: "Those who cross the line will be killed without mercy!"

With his other hand, he pressed against Li Zhaoting's back, reversing the Northern Darkness Divine Skill to stimulate Li Zhaoting's true energy and blood.

Li Shengnan supported Li Zhaoting with one hand and activated the Heavenly Cripple and Earthly Deficiency Repairing Technique with the other. Using the method of replenishing deficiencies by restoring the damaged and supplementing the deficient by taking from the surplus, she filled Li Zhaoting's dantian with her own vital energy, leaving behind a seed of true energy.

With tens of thousands of troops under the command of Fukang'an and assisted by numerous deputy generals, these men were initially shocked. Then, thinking of Fukang'an's death, they realized that if they were afraid of Li Zhaoting's authority and dared not step forward to fight, Qianlong would certainly not let them off the hook. So, they immediately ordered their soldiers to charge.

Wang Shenglan snorted coldly, flicked her toes, and knocked away several spears, which pierced the chests of several deputy generals.

Feng Suzhen, Lan Xiaodie, and Bai Yunfei joined forces to perform the "Ambush from Ten Sides" piece, with the pipa, bamboo flute, and zither playing in a repetitive cycle, creating a desolate and chilling atmosphere.

Chu Liuxiang sighed, "Alas~ Whenever I achieve something and feel complacent, Li Zhaoting always pours cold water on me, telling me that I'm out of my mind to be so smug about my achievements!"

Yongning exclaimed in surprise, "Is he a human or a ghost? Is Li Zhaoting a human or a ghost? Is he really alive? A young man in his twenties? Or is he a hundred-year-old monster?"

Wu Sidao said calmly, "Not enough! Li Zhaoting's sword strike has exhausted him too much. Even with the assistance of Wang Shenglan and others, as long as the deputy general reacts and swarms in, Li Zhaoting and the others will not escape death."

After a pause, Wu Sidao used his last burst of energy to analyze the situation: "This sword strike was too brilliant. It will not only make him famous throughout the world, but it will also arouse greed. Tie Haitang and others will try to snatch it. How will Li Zhaoting deal with that?"

Yongning sneered: "Master is right! With Fukang'an as a threat before, all these martial arts figures, whether from the underworld, the legitimate world, Buddhism, or Taoism, cooperated sincerely. Now that Fukang'an has been killed and there is no longer any life-or-death crisis, how many people would not want to learn Li Zhaoting's amazing swordsmanship?"

Chu Liuxiang said, "Remember one thing!"

At the same moment, Lu Xiaofeng blocked the path of the Immortal and Fan Dengfeng: "Remember one thing, all of Li Zhaoting's injuries, illnesses, and exhaustion were acted out. He really likes fishing with a straight hook."

Fan Dengfeng said coldly, "Lu Xiaofeng, Feng Suzhen made my Changbai Sect disciples lead the charge, and the Changbai Sect's elite forces suffered 70% casualties. I'm going to find her and demand an explanation!"

The immortal continued, "We are not unreasonable people. As long as compensation is given, we will return to Changbai Mountain immediately and will not make things difficult for Master Li."

Lu Xiaofeng's expression was serious: "Do you think Lu Xiaofeng is made of clay? Fan Dengfeng, do you believe that I can kill you in one move, or you'll win if I use two moves!"

Wu Sidao's analysis is very correct.

With Fukang'an's death, martial arts practitioners, thinking they were out of danger, instinctively wanted to kick him while he was down.

Just then, several cannonballs fell from the sky, and a giant warship appeared on the water. It was Li Zhaoting's Blackwater warship, renamed "Changying"!
It is inspired by the phrase "holding a long spear to bind a blue dragon"!
The helmsman was a member of the Sky Eagle Cult.

The captain is Li Pangui.

Mei Zhu, Jiang Yuyan, Lan Fenghuang, and others stood at the bow of the boat, weapons in hand. Lan Fenghuang angrily said, "We've known all along that you bastards are ungrateful! We don't want to be the leader of the martial arts alliance, so go and fight for it yourselves!"

At this point, Blue Phoenix waved her hand, releasing a cloud of blue poisonous mist: "Anyone who dares to step forward, I will use a hundred kinds of deadly poisons to kill your entire family!"

Feng Suzhen smiled with satisfaction.

This was Feng Suzhen's final contingency plan.

Mei Zhu, Jiang Yuyan, and Lan Fenghuang's martial arts skills are not suitable for participating in the martial arts tournament, especially Lan Fenghuang, who is likely to become the target of everyone's attacks. It would be better for them to leave in advance as a backup plan for escaping. They should anchor the Changying ship on a distant island and sail slowly over after the battle begins, arriving just in time to meet the enemy.

Not too fast, not too slow, not too much, not too little, just right.

The Changying was originally moored in Miaozhou and maintained by the Tianying Sect. Upon learning that the Guandong Martial Arts Conference was being held in Dalian Bay in Jinzhou, it immediately sent a message by carrier pigeon, asking the Tianying Sect disciples to bring the ship as a means of escape.

Li Zhaoting left by boat.

Without Fukang'an commanding the army and with the most elite imperial guards eliminated, no one could stop Chu Liuxiang and Lu Xiaofeng from escaping, and the two easily left the place.

Yongning had Wu Sidao to arrange a way out.

Wu Sidao passed away suddenly when his life was over.

Ge Ying, Tie Haitang, and the others, who had been hiding their tracks all along, thought to themselves that with Li Zhaoting gone and Fukang'an dead, the loss of experts was heavy, so they might as well take this opportunity to compete for the title of martial arts alliance leader.

Just then, the Eight Banners cavalry charged in.

Fukang'an's deputy dared not offend the formidable Li Zhaoting, nor Feng Suzhen or Wang Shenglan, and could only watch helplessly as Li Zhaoting left. But the remaining martial arts figures were not to be let go!
Kill these people and they will live.

If these people are let go, they will surely die.

The carnage has begun once again!
(End of this chapter)