A Martial Saint in Chaotic Times: Starting with Grinding Proficiency

Chapter 149 Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies Technique

Executioner?

Han Tianming and Jiang Chengxian's faces turned deathly pale instantly, devoid of any color.

The Han and Jiang families, along with the Wei, Wu, and Wang families, were essentially five grasshoppers clinging to the same vine in Luochuan County.

Although there have been occasional frictions, we have been closely connected for over a century, and our relationship has become intertwined.

The house was raided first, then the execution was carried out.

This is no longer forcing them to take sides; it's forcing them to sever this vine themselves, making it a fight to the death.

"What? You two are unwilling?"

Dong Mo seemed oblivious to the two men's pale faces. He casually picked up a clean cloth and slowly wiped away the still-wet bloodstains on the ancient sword.

That blood belonged to Wei Tianhe.

After only a few breaths of thought, Han Tianming and Jiang Chengxian suddenly exchanged a glance.

They saw the same bitterness, struggle, and final decision reflected in each other's eyes.

"We are willing!"

"The Han and Jiang families swear to serve the Jingye Division to the death and will never betray them!"

The two lay prone on the ground, their foreheads slamming heavily against the cold, damp stone bricks with a dull thud.

The situation is better than people.

Their proud merchant alliance was nothing but a clay chicken and a tile dog in front of the behemoth that was the Jingye Division.

As heads of the family, they know how to make the right choices.

"Alright, go ahead." Dong Mo sheathed his longsword. "If any of the three families escapes, I will hold you two accountable."

"Yes! Yes!"

Han Tianming and Jiang Chengxian felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads and scrambled out, their backs looking extremely disheveled.

Silence returned to the prison once more.

"How about it? Now you know the way my Jingye Division operates?" Dong Mo sheathed his ancient sword, turned his head to look at Zhou Yuan, and had a playful look on his face.

I have indeed learned a lot today.

The swift and decisive actions not only annihilated the three major families in the blink of an eye, but also forced the other two families to completely turn against them and become enemies.

The Luochuan Merchant Alliance ceased to exist from that point on.

Zhou Yuan's heart suddenly tightened. So-called justice of outcome doesn't depend on the means; ultimately, it's about the result.

This Jingye Division is indeed not a good place to associate with.

"When I first came to the Jingye Division, I was just like you," Dong Mo seemed to see through his thoughts. "I always thought I could do everything according to the rules. But after seeing so many families being raided and wiped out, I realized that fists and strength are the biggest rules in this world."

At this point, a barely perceptible glint of fierceness flashed in Dong Mo's eyes.

A moment later, he resumed his lazy demeanor and waved to Zhou Yuan.

"Go, the commander is waiting for you deep in the prison."

Zhou Yuan nodded slightly.

His gaze swept over the ashen-faced, despairing figure on the rack.

Wei Tianhe, the Wei family, the business alliance—all have become a thing of the past.

A once-powerful family, established for decades, collapsed overnight.

Now that I've joined the Jingye Division, I won't think about anything else.

Zhou Yuan composed himself and turned to walk deeper into the prison.

The further you go in, the dimmer the light becomes, and the stronger the stench of blood and decay in the air grows.

There were no jailers guarding the place; it was pitch black and deathly silent.

Only a lone lamp at the end of the corridor flickered in the damp air, casting long and short shadows that added to the eeriness.

He walked into the last cell.

The cell was extremely spacious and completely dark from the outside, with no sign of life.

But when Zhou Yuan stepped inside, he found that Shen Xuantong was already standing with his back to him, his hands behind his back.

In front of Shen Xuantong stood five enormous black iron racks.

Each rack was bound to a Blood Exchange Realm martial artist with thick chains.

The Duan brothers, the blind old man who divined for them, the alluring woman in purple, and the disheveled, imposing man who appeared during the martial arts competition.

The five top masters of the Six Desires Demon Sect were prominently featured.

However, these once invincible Blood Exchange Realm experts no longer possessed any of their former glory.

They all hung their heads, their collarbones pierced by specially made iron chains, their breaths extremely weak, barely clinging to life, yet no different from the dead.

"Is everything handled properly?"

Shen Xuantong did not turn around; his deep voice echoed in the empty cell.

"Mm." Zhou Yuan nodded.

"What do you think of the methods used by my Jingye Division?" Shen Xuantong suddenly asked.

Zhou Yuan had already thought about this problem on his way here.

"The world is in chaos right now, and extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures," Zhou Yuan replied calmly. "If we continue to adhere to the old ways of handling official business, nothing will be accomplished."

While his words may have been somewhat embellished, they were largely his honest opinion.

"only----"

"Just what?" Shen Xuantong pressed.

"It is only necessary to ensure that those who enforce the law are guided by justice, are not misled by external forces, and truly consider the greater good of the people." Zhou Yuan paused, then continued, "Otherwise, the final outcome may be unimaginable."

After Zhou Yuan finished speaking, the entire prison fell into complete silence.

After a long while, Shen Xuantong slowly turned around.

His deep eyes were like a cold pool, calm and still, yet able to see through people's hearts.

"So, are you the one who acts for the greater good of humanity, or the one driven by selfish desires?"

Shen Xuantong's gaze was like two invisible swords, piercing straight into Zhou Yuan's heart.

Although he didn't use any force, he made people's minds tense, as if all pretense could not be hidden in front of him.

Zhou Yuan remained silent for a moment, then clasped his hands in a fist and replied firmly, "This humble officer is willing to be the person the Jingye Division desires."

"The Night Siege—whom do you want?"

For the first time, a hint of curiosity appeared on Shen Xuantong's face. This answer surprised him somewhat.

"In all these years, you're the first person to answer me like that. But this answer—is still satisfactory."

Shen Xuantong's evaluation was lukewarm.

"The Jingye Division is a big melting pot. I hope you will remember what I said today in the future."

He sighed softly, as if recalling some past events.

A moment later, he changed the subject.

"Now that you are one of my Jingye Division members, I will give you a great gift."

As soon as he finished speaking, his aura suddenly plummeted, and his blood and qi surged like they were in a furnace.

Visible streams of azure energy emanated from his body, slicing back and forth across the open ground in front of him.

The hard black stone ground was as fragile as tofu in the face of the blue aura.

Pebbles flew everywhere, and dust filled the air.

In the blink of an eye, a circular bathtub, more than half a person tall, appeared out of thin air in front of the two of them.

Immediately afterwards, five strands of qi, thinner than a hair, shot out from Shen Xuantong's fingertips, precisely slicing open the wrists of the five Blood Exchange Realm warriors in front of him.

No blood gushed out.

Only five fine lines of blood, drawn by an invisible force, slowly flowed into the newly formed stone bath.

A surge of powerful blood energy erupted from the bath, carrying an intense, almost overwhelming, life force.

"The so-called blood exchange is the process of refining and elevating one's own vital energy and blood through countless trials. With each increase in the purity of the vital energy and blood, the body's tendons,..."

Bones, skin, organs, and marrow will all undergo a qualitative leap.

"But refining one's Qi and blood is extremely difficult. It not only requires a blood-changing technique of sufficient quality, but also a massive amount of rare and precious herbs and elixirs to assist in the process."

Moreover, each advancement in cultivation level is accompanied by the risk of backlash from qi and blood, and the rupture of meridians.

This is also why Body Tempering Realm martial artists are as numerous as hairs on a cow, while Blood Exchange Realm martial artists are as rare as phoenix feathers.

This was the first time Zhou Yuan had heard someone explain the mysteries of the Blood Exchange Realm in such detail.

"The secret method of my Jingye Division is to forcibly inject the pure blood essence of these Blood Exchange Realm warriors into your body, and then use external formations to completely fuse it with your blood essence, making it your own, thus achieving a leap to the heavens."

At this point, Shen Xuantong's aura suddenly hardened, and he stomped his right foot heavily!

"Buzz!"

A complex and mysterious blood-red magic circle, centered on the bath, suddenly lit up, with countless strange runes flowing endlessly across the ground.

"This formation is called the Crimson Blood Melting Formation," and it can forcibly melt and transform all blood and energy.

Looking at the profound magic array and the immense blood and qi in the blood pool that was almost tangible, Zhou Yuan's mind was violently shaken.

"To enter the Blood Exchange Realm, having blood and magic arrays is not enough; you also need a Blood Exchange Technique."

With a wave of his wide sleeves, Shen Xuantong conjured three orbs of light, each radiating a different glow, that appeared out of thin air in front of Zhou Yuan.

One is crimson, one is azure, and one is pitch black.

"I have three blood transfusion methods for you to choose from."

"Are there any similarities or differences among these three blood transfusion methods?" Zhou Yuan asked curiously.

"The difficulty is different, the power is different, and the strength of the condensed qi and blood is vastly different," Shen Xuantong said in a deep voice.

"I choose the most difficult and the most powerful one."

Zhou Yuan did not hesitate at all.

"Are you sure?" Shen Xuantong raised an eyebrow slightly. "Within the Jingye Division, there is no shortage of people who overestimate their strength. They chose advanced blood exchange techniques, but due to insufficient aptitude, they were unable to break through for a long time, and ultimately wasted their years and became just another ordinary person."

"This subordinate confirms."

Zhou Yuan clasped his hands in a fist salute again, his attitude resolute.

"Alright, since that's the case, then so be it."

Shen Xuantong flicked his finger, and the dark ball of light slowly floated in front of Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan reached out and took it; it was icy cold to the touch, as if he were holding a piece of ancient ice.

He stared intently and saw five ancient and powerful blood-red characters slowly emerging on the surface of the dark ball of light.

The Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies Technique.

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