In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

Upon hearing this, Princess Taiping couldn't help but admire Zhang Xiaoshan's foresight.

"Does the young master plan to go into seclusion to heal his injuries next?"

"No need, just go fishing and enjoy the spring scenery."

By this time, news of my serious injuries had spread, so I needed to appear completely unharmed.

"Humph!"

Upon hearing this, Princess Taiping immediately felt it was a real pity that Zhang Xiaoshan didn't use his talents in the court.

"Shan'er!"

At this moment, an anxious voice came from outside, and Zhang Xiaoshan's expression suddenly changed again, turning extremely pale.

Huang Rong was puzzled at first, but when she saw the people entering the courtyard, Murong Jiu and the others immediately understood the reason. It turned out that Zhang Yuan was accompanied by many people who had come to investigate the truth.

"Shan'er!"

Zhang Yuan looked worriedly at Zhang Xiaoshan, who was lying on the sofa in a relaxed, reclining position, looking as if he hadn't woken up yet.

"Dad, why are you here?"

"Why am I here? How could I not come for something this important? How are you feeling right now?"

"Father, don't worry, it's not a physical injury. It's just that my primordial spirit left my body and was injured by the shock."

Therefore, aside from some drowsiness, rest will be sufficient for recovery.

Hearing Zhang Xiaoshan's explanation, Zhang Yuan remained extremely worried.

soul?

Given his current level of cultivation, how could he not know the terrifying nature of injuries to the primordial spirit?

"What exactly happened? How could your spirit leave your body?"

“It was not my will, but that person took the Heavenly Dipper Step in the air and sealed off the space around me with Qimen Dunjia.”

"If I hadn't used this move, to break through the space sealed by projecting my primordial spirit, I would have been severely injured by its finger, and I fear I would have been the one to die from my injuries next."

Hiss...

Even the women who knew that 'one was faking death and the other was faking injury' never expected that the seemingly simple confrontation would be so perilous.

Heavenly Dipper Steps to seal off space?

The primordial spirit sword energy broke through the spatial blockade?

It sounds like a myth, but for those who actually witnessed this battle, some of the things they didn't understand suddenly became clear.

No wonder the Bad Commander could ignore the sword energy in the Sword Prison just now?

It's because the space is no longer in a single dimension!

Such terrifying Taoist methods left everyone terrified upon hearing them.

This is the real showdown between the best.

"Then what treasures do you need? We'll send someone to collect them."

"Father, it's no use. You know my habits."

"How many treasures and medicinal herbs do you have here, child? The injury to your primordial spirit, aside from things from mythology, can only be healed through slow, quiet rest."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuan couldn't help but sigh.

The crowd that followed also had shifty expressions; this was definitely huge news.

Even so, the Zhang family is still the Zhang family.

After all, Zhang Xiaoshan's primordial spirit was only injured, not seriously. Even with only 30% of his strength remaining, he was still powerful enough to sweep across the Nine Provinces.

"Father, rest assured, my injury is not incurable. Father, have you forgotten that I possess a priceless treasure?"

Treasure?

Zhang Yuan's eyes lit up immediately, as if he had just realized something.

"For an ordinary person, if their primordial spirit is severely damaged, resting will only restore some of their energy."

But the child possesses the Dragon Pearl. With a period of rest, the Dragon Pearl's power will slowly restore the child's spirit; recovery is only a matter of time.

"Alright, you need to get more rest!"

"Don't worry, Father."

Upon hearing that Zhang Xiaoshan possessed the Dragon Ball, those who had initially felt somewhat relieved were suddenly struck dumb.

That's right. Others might be in serious trouble if their primordial spirit is severely injured, but Zhang Xiaoshan has the Dragon Pearl protecting him, so recovery is only a matter of time.

Unless they seize this opportunity to launch an attack, once Zhang Xiaoshan recovers, the Zhang family's prestige will undoubtedly rise even higher.

The terrifying strength of that peak duel; Zhang Xiaoshan at his prime was arguably the best in the entire Nine Provinces.

Those who came with Zhang Yuan to visit, carrying the news from the Zhang family, quickly spread the word throughout the entire Nine Provinces, causing a huge uproar.

The fate of the mysterious master remains unknown, and Zhang Xiaoshan's primordial spirit is severely injured; this battle can be described as a lose-lose situation.

And it was a showdown between the best!

Many unparalleled masters and grandmasters in the martial arts world deeply regretted this.

Chapter 524 Is the Bad Guy Commander Dead?

"Is the fate of the Bad Commander unknown?"

The battle was so intense that no expert in the Nine Provinces doubted its authenticity.

The Tiangang Yubu technique, which seals off space, is a perfect combination of martial arts and esoteric arts, reaching an incredible and supreme level. Perhaps only by stepping out of this space can it be broken.

Therefore, Zhang Xiaoshan's sword strike, which involved his primordial spirit leaving his body, was absolutely stunning!

Two unparalleled masters, beings that astound the world.

Many masters of Qimen Dunjia (a form of divination) want to glimpse the mysteries of the Tiangang Yubu (a step in the Heavenly Gang Formation).

Countless swordsmen across the land yearn to witness the astonishing power of a sword strike that transcends the body's primordial spirit.

In particular, Zhang Xiaoshan's skills are not limited to just this one sword strike. The Heavenly Blade is unparalleled, and the Sword Prison is divine, both of which are supreme techniques of swordsmanship.

Zhang Xiaoshan is renowned throughout the world for his Pure Yang Finger, yet he uses Heavenly Blade and Sword Prison as his ultimate techniques, which shows his exceptional talent.

The greatest genius in Kyushu is now unshakeable.

However, the news about the men in black has aroused speculation among many forces.

How capable is Zhang Xiaoshan?

Putting aside this decisive battle, the previous ones were known throughout the Nine Provinces to be super masters at the Grandmaster level, and not just simple beginners at the peerless level.

In particular, the ultimate sword technique he unleashed at the end—the Sword Twenty-Three, which involved the soul leaving the body—was beyond the scope of ordinary martial arts.

The black-clad man's methods were equally unfathomable. The Heavenly Blade and Sword Prison were like nothing in front of him. If Zhang Xiaoshan hadn't left his body with his primordial spirit and struck him on the head at the last moment, he would have been defeated without a doubt.

Such terrifying methods could not have been used by an unknown person.

The Heavenly Steps that seal off space?

In an instant, many people guessed his identity, and were even more shocked.

Meanwhile, many forces were stirring with ambition. The death of the Bad Commander and the severe injury to Zhang Xiaoshan's primordial spirit, especially since the Zhang family itself did not interfere in the affairs of the Nine Provinces, were undoubtedly great news for those demons and monsters.

"Is the news true? The Grand Marshal is dead?"

Deep in the Miao region lies a picturesque mountain ridge.

In a Miao village that resembles a heavenly gate, layer upon layer reaching straight to the clouds, with a height of no less than three hundred feet, lies the legendary Chiyou Village.

At this moment, in the main hall on the highest floor, Chi Xue, the leader of the stronghold and the sect master of the Demon Sect, could not believe the information in his hands.

How could such a terrifying being possibly perish and vanish?

"Chief, this news comes from the Central Plains, and we are also familiar with the person who killed the Bad Commander."

"Who?"

Looking at the scouts below, even the elders of the Ancient Miao were curious.

"Which young master of the Zhang family is it!"

"It's him?"

Everyone was shocked upon hearing this, even the old man who had met Zhang Xiaoshan before looked horrified and couldn't believe it.

The terrifying nature of the Bad Commander has always been linked to their Miao region.

But unexpectedly, even an invincible and terrifying figure like the Bad Commander was defeated, and his fate remains unknown.

"what happened?"

"Chief, it's like this..."

A clash of titans, a battle of dragons and tigers!

The Bad Commander's Yu Step into the Air, a technique of divination and escape; Zhang Xiaoshan's Heavenly Blade Sword Prison, a departure of the primordial spirit from the body.

This duel, which was completely genuine, left even the high-ranking members of the Ancient Miao clan bewildered.

One involves Qimen Dunjia (a form of divination), and the other involves the concept of the primordial spirit.

They have all reached the pinnacle in their respective fields, which is equivalent to their invincible demonic bodies having undergone nine refinements.

"So, the Bad Commander was severely injured by Young Master Zhang's counterattack, a sword strike using his primordial spirit?"

"That's right, the news has spread throughout the entire Kyushu region."

Moreover, on the day of their duel, all the experts in the capital watched from the banks of the Luoshui River. They witnessed the Bad Marshal being pierced through the body by a sword from the Yuan Shen and falling into the Luoshui River, where he remains missing to this day.

As for Young Master Zhang, his primordial spirit was also severely injured by the Bad Commander. Although his body is unharmed, the injury to his primordial spirit...

Upon hearing this, how could anyone not know the terrifying nature of damage to the primordial spirit?

This is something from legend.

Moreover, a master who can condense their primordial spirit is already considered a legendary immortal. Once their primordial spirit is severely damaged, it is far more serious than a severe physical injury.

Even the most miraculous medicine of ten thousand years may not be effective.

"It seems it's true!"

A battle of this caliber, with grandmasters and peerless experts from within the capital city watching, must be genuine.

At the same time, no one expected that the boy from back then would have grown to such a terrifying level.

That's the leader of the Bad Guys, possessing not only the ruthless power of Heaven's Will, but also the supreme swordsmanship of Sword Prison. His strength is likely even greater than their chieftain's, not to mention the final part involving the primordial spirit...

"The Twelve Caves should have received the news by now."

"In that case, let's prepare in advance and send the Twelve Caves to test the waters. If the Grand Marshal is truly dead, and that Young Master Zhang is severely injured and unable to escape, then we need not worry."

"Yes!"

···

"The commander-in-chief is dead? That's impossible!"

With the Commander-in-Chief's strength, who in the world could kill him?

The thirty-six Heavenly Generals gathered at Hidden Soldier Valley, but as soon as they arrived, they received news that the Bad Commander's fate was unknown.

For the scoundrels, the blow was nothing short of devastating.

In everyone's eyes, the Bad Commander has always been a god-like figure.

They never imagined that the Bad Leader would ever fail, let alone be defeated.

"This news came from the capital, and the commander-in-chief died in a fair duel, not from being besieged!"

The information about the Bad Guys is more detailed than that of any other faction.

After it was passed around among the group, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Even if they didn't believe that the Bad Commander had died, they were well aware of the danger of this battle; it was a fight to the death for both sides.

Heavenly Steps of Yu, sealing off space?