Steam-powered martial arts: My virginity cultivation technique has been broken.

The reason why the Wufa Sect changed its name to the Five Elders Immortals Sect was not only because it feared being purged by the Great Chen Empire, but also because it had developed in the Bailang Kingdom for a hundred years and integrated with the local beliefs. Wufa Daxian was the highest god, and below him were four other immortals whose status was second only to him: the Mountain Elder, the Water Fairy, the Fire Grandfather, and the Wind Old Woman.

Due to the rise of the Five Elders Immortal Sect, the imperial court in the White Wave Kingdom was divided into two factions: the Divine Palace Faction and the Jinchuan Faction.

The Shengong faction consisted of followers of the Five Elders Immortals sect, while the Jinchuan faction was a traditional local aristocratic force.

"Noda! Surrender now! Are you really going to go down this dark path?!"

In the White Wave Kingdom, only royalty and nobles have surnames. Ordinary people, even if they become officials, only have given names. When they need a surname, they usually take the first character of their given name.

Judging from their names, both Noda and Honoka are from commoner backgrounds, but being a commoner does not mean being poor. Noda comes from a merchant family and came to Dachen to study in his early years, where he studied martial arts at the Imperial Martial Academy.

After returning to China, he joined the army, fought bravely and became a powerful figure in the Jinchuan faction within the army. He also protected envoys from the Bailang Kingdom on several occasions when they came to Dachen to pay tribute.

Ten years ago, the Five Elders Immortals Sect became the state religion of Bailang, and the Divine Palace Sect gradually seized control of the court, beginning to plot to break away from the control of Da Chen. Because the Jinchuan Sect was a pro-Da Chen force, it was heavily suppressed, and Noda was forced to leave the army. He never expected to end up on this ship.

Noda ignored Zhang Zhenfu Shi's advice and continued his frantic attack while looking for an opportunity to escape.

He had no choice. If Bai Lang were still the same Bai Lang, if Da Chen were still the same Da Chen, he would never dare to steal the secrets. The Divine Palace Faction had almost completely taken control of the Bai Lang Kingdom's court, and many scholars of the Jin Chuan Faction had begun to abandon the classics and start reading divine books.

This time, the cult leader threatened him with the lives of his entire family, forcing him to enter Chen.

"Since you show no remorse, spare your life!"

Zhang Zhenfu used his family's top-tier martial art, the Tianji Gong, with a move called "Shifting Stars and Changing Things," to catch the blade energy that Noda was slashing at him. His whole body erupted with energy, and strange distortions appeared around him. Although both were at the second-rank upper level, Zhang Zhenfu's internal energy was obviously more domineering. The opponent's solid blade energy was melted. Then, with a silent and invisible sword finger, the destructive power surged through the clouds and waves, stretching for hundreds of feet without ceasing.

Noda's internal strength was only at the lower level of the Earth rank, but he was able to stand out among the martial artists of Bailang Kingdom. This was due to his talent and his superb movement technique, which was at the upper level of the Earth rank. He had cultivated it to the point of perfection, which was close to instantaneous movement. Just as the sword was about to strike, his figure suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Zhang Zhenfu Shi. The two continued to fight.

Ku Ning stopped at the stern, dropped his longsword, used his inner energy to clear away the bloodstains, and leaned against the railing, leisurely watching the two fight. He knew of the Tianji Skill, the ultimate technique of the Nine Tigers Zhang Clan, a high-grade Heavenly rank. Legend had it that at its peak, it could draw upon the power of stars and shatter everything. This family had one Martial God and two Martial Kings, making them the most powerful force in the three provinces of Central and Southern China.

They originated from a top-tier sect from three hundred years ago, the Beidou Sect.

According to the records of Baige Temple, after the destruction of the Beidou Sect, three Heavenly-level martial arts techniques were left behind: Tianji Gong, which was paired with the Divine Sword Finger; Tianxuan Gong, which was paired with the Cloud-Turning Palm; and Tianshu Gong, which was paired with the Three Dharma Bodies.

Three years ago, the Mountain Temple, which possessed the Tian Shu Gong (Heavenly Pivot Skill), participated in a Dharma assembly of eminent monks and Taoist priests. As for the location of the Tian Xuan Gong, it is unknown. Some say it is on the top floor of the Martial Academy's library, but the Martial Academy has not acknowledged this. Others say it is in a shipwreck in the South China Sea, but this cannot be verified.

A top-tier Heaven-level weapon fighting a low-tier Earth-level weapon to a draw—that's a disgrace to our ancestors!

Ku Ning decided to lend a hand to this wretched Zhang Zhenfu. He activated his Copper Eye, and driven by his true energy, the inscriptions on the wheel began to activate, emitting a ghostly blue light. He had always relied on his own strength to fight. His Copper Eye only used some basic abilities; since it had reached the Earth-level, it naturally possessed some extraordinary qualities.

"The long night is broken, the sun rises in the east, and Xihe shines."

The copper eye emitted invisible circular ripples that spread for three seconds before rapidly converging and shooting away, generating extreme high temperatures along the way.

After Noda dodged Zhang Zhenfu's divine sword finger once again, he had just appeared when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back, his skin burning and smelling hot. He was shocked. Someone could tell where he was moving. When he turned around, he saw a young martial artist with a handsome face grinning at him.

You've lost!

Taking advantage of the situation, Commander Zhang thrust two sword-finger strikes towards Noda's heart—one for attack, the other to block his movement. Previously, time was limited, allowing only a single strike; now, with only a second more, every second counts in a battle between masters. Even with Noda's lightning-fast, elusive movements, he still needed time to execute his attack. With his path blocked, Commander Zhang moved to Noda's other side, launching a direct sword-finger strike. Noda had no time to dodge, managing to clasp his arms to protect his vitals, but instantly his hands were crippled, and he was defeated.

"Despicable! You could never have caught me without that kid's sneak attack!"

Noda, unwilling to accept defeat, frantically searched for excuses. Commander Zhang sealed his acupoints, then looked at Ku Ning and nodded in gratitude. That eye was indeed extraordinary. He had noticed the Bronze Eye long ago; alchemical artifacts of this level were not something ordinary people could obtain.

"Do you think this is a martial arts competition? And you dare to resort to underhanded tactics like sneak attacks?"

Noda was lifted up by the Imperial Guards and looked at Ku Ning, his lips slightly parted, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

He wanted to ask how the other person had detected his location. Others might not know, but he was certain that his perfected movement technique was beyond the reach of mechanical prosthetics. This person had a secret; he was at least not a seventh-grade cultivator. In the end, however, he didn't ask. The victor is king, the loser is villain. He had already lost face with that despicable remark; why humiliate himself further?

After this matter was settled, Commander Song returned: "Commander, the interrogation revealed that the woman is one of the twenty-four high priests of the Five Elders Immortal Sect, the one truly responsible for carrying out the plan."

Commander Zhang laughed twice: "Good! We have given the Regent our instructions. You must keep a close watch on these people and send them to the capital immediately." As he spoke, he beckoned to Ku Ning, calling him over.

"Head镖师 An, you've done us a great service today. Would you be interested in joining our Imperial Guard? With your intelligence and skill, being a镖师 is a waste of your talent. If you join us, we guarantee you'll reach the fifth rank within ten years."

"You're too kind, Commander. I still prefer to roam the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world) freely."

If it were three years ago, when the Commander of the Imperial Guard personally recruited him, he might have agreed. But now times have changed, and things are different now.

The work was all for nothing. It was supposed to be a recruitment drive, but Ku Ning, who had helped so much, received absolutely no reward. Ku Ning instantly lost all admiration for them: "The Imperial Guards are incredibly rude. Thumbs down."

The ship docked, and the group disembarked. Commander Zhang and Commander Song stood on the ship watching them sail away.

"Brother Song, this kid is no ordinary man. Most young martial artists would be overjoyed at the prospect of joining the Imperial Guard. But he refused outright."

"Sir, should we investigate him further?"

"No need. Everyone has secrets. We, the Imperial Guard, haven't reached the point where we suspect everyone. Besides, we've already found out what we could. As for the rest, we can only wait and see if he slips up later."

Commander Song glanced at the hypocritical garrison commander, then looked back at Ku Ning's retreating figure with a solemn expression.

Ku Ning felt very familiar to him, as did his martial arts style. He was very likely also a disciple of a temple, and one that was at odds with their Nandu Fengling Temple.