Becoming a martial arts god starting from the mortician.

Another loud noise came from the sky, and the two looked up.

In mid-air, the dark clouds were torn open, creating a huge gap. Two figures collided violently in the gale.

One of them, dressed in a flowing blue robe, was none other than Jiang Xinyue, the usually lazy and unassuming head of the Observatory. At this moment, he was no longer the weak scholar he once was; his aura was as vast and powerful as the ocean, and as his palms moved swiftly, layers of blue qi exploded in mid-air.

The man fighting him had a refined and shrewd face, and wore a moon-white robe. If it weren't for the jet-black life-giving hair on his head that almost dripped ink, and the overwhelming murderous aura emanating from his body, he would have looked like a learned scholar from some academy.

"Bang!"

Jiang Xinyue struck down with her palm, the devastating force of which slammed into the scholar's chest.

The middle-aged scholar grunted, his body violently retreating dozens of feet in mid-air. He stomped his feet, shattering several air currents before finally regaining his footing. He glanced down at the slightly dented collar of his robe, a mocking smile playing on his lips. His body was at its peak of the Perfected Realm, his vital energy undiminished; though the palm strike was powerful, it had failed to damage his very foundation.

"You lackey of Dayan, today I will make sure you die in Chengping County!" The scholar's voice was like rolling thunder, resounding throughout the inner city.

Jiang Xinyue's face was ashen, and she remained silent. With a stomp of her foot, she lunged forward again. The two instantly became entangled in a fierce battle, their fists and feet clashing, the air currents surging and tearing apart the surrounding clouds.

Shen Qi narrowed his eyes. Although Jiang Xinyue had the upper hand, she couldn't play freely. The evil cultivator, relying on his strong physique, was ruthless and completely disregarded the lives of those below, holding her back like a persistent leech, leaving Jiang Xinyue no time to pay attention to the battle below.

The gaze shifts downwards. The wide main street of the inner city has been transformed into a meat grinder.

A hundred or so black-robed evil cultivators attacked like wolves among sheep, their moves ruthless and unpredictable, specifically targeting the tops of the heads and the heart meridians of the martial artists. Although the members of the Surveillance Bureau and the armored soldiers of the Patrol Battalion managed to form a battle formation, they were forced to retreat steadily under the enemy's frenzied onslaught.

"Hold on!" roared a martial artist wielding a thick-backed broadsword, slashing back the evil cultivator in front of him.

Before he could sheathe his sword, two pale white bone spikes, like venomous snakes emerging from their holes, pierced his chest with a "thud." The black-robed evil cultivator grinned maliciously and clenched his fists. The martial artist's body convulsed violently, his martial meridians were drained, and his corpse was tossed into the blood like a tattered sack.

The sounds of clashing weapons, blades piercing flesh, and desperate roars mingled together. The defenders' formation was being compressed, and they had retreated to the crossroads. One more step back, and the heart of the inner city would be completely exposed.

"Damn it!" He Shan sat upright on his horse, his eyes bloodshot.

"Sir..." Shen Qi whispered.

"Once the Observatory's defenses collapse, these bastards from the Hidden Netherworld Cult will advance unimpeded. At that point, the entire Chengping Prefecture will become a death trap! Not a single one of the hundreds of thousands of people here will survive!"

Without any hesitation, He Shan grabbed Shen Qi by the back of his collar.

"grown ups?"

"Get down!"

He Shan suddenly exerted force with one arm, lifting Shen Qi off the horse and throwing him onto the bluestone slab by the street.

Shen Qi rolled twice on the ground to dissipate the force. Just as he regained his balance, he heard He Shan roar from his horse:

"Kid! I have to go kill someone. Your eyesight is good, but it's useless now! Find a rat hole and hide, don't fucking die here!"

Before he could finish speaking, He Shan squeezed the horse's belly with both legs.

"kill!"

The black warhorse let out a deafening neigh, transforming into a streak of black lightning. The vanguard of the martial guard, wielding a crimson spear, plunged headlong into the battlefield without hesitation. The spear, like a dragon, instantly pierced the chests of two evil cultivators, pinning them firmly to the bluestone slab.

Shen Qi rubbed his aching shoulder, and without the slightest hesitation, he turned around decisively, hugging the base of the tall city wall, and stealthily made his way into a secluded alleyway under the shadows. His steps were slow, and he even suppressed his breathing to a very low level.

After running for half a mile, the ruins of a restaurant, half of which had been smashed down by a tremendous force, blocked their path. Broken beams and rubble were piled up like mountains, and dust was flying everywhere.

Shen Qi was about to go around when he suddenly stopped.

Within the vision of the Eye of Fate, amidst the deathly silence of gray and murky black, a strange light shone from the depths of the ruins.

The red and blue colors intertwine, and the life threads entwine and coil, vaguely forming a half-open bamboo slip and an illusory official seal.

Yan Qing.

This eldest son of the Yan family was buried here.

Shen Qi's eyes flickered. The Yan family was deeply rooted in Chengping County, and Yan Qing possessed the extraordinary talent of "Danxia Arching Tree." If a good relationship could be established, the benefits would outweigh the drawbacks.

Without much hesitation, he moved swiftly toward the crimson-blue light.

As you get closer, a strong smell of blood hits you.

At the edge of the restaurant ruins lay four or five corpses, dressed in the uniforms of the Yan family's servants, their faces now contorted in grotesque expressions.

It was obvious that his martial meridians had been forcibly removed.

Shen Qi quickly withdrew the few strands of dark red remnants floating in mid-air, grabbed the charred broken beam pressing down on it with both hands. This beam weighed several hundred kilograms. He took a deep breath, circulated his qi and blood, and exerted force by lowering his waist.

"rise!"

The pebbles tumbled down, revealing a figure dressed in a fine cotton robe below.

It was Yan Qing.

This once gentle and refined young man was now covered in dust, his eyes closed, and he was in a deep coma. Shen Qi reached out to check his breathing and felt his bones, finding no fatal external injuries. He was probably knocked unconscious by the aftershocks of the collapsing restaurant and then, by some twist of fate, shielded by the corpses of the servants, thus escaping death.

Shen Qi glanced at the still-brilliant destiny mark above his head and sighed inwardly at his incredible luck. Anyone with such a blessed destiny would suffer a backlash if their life force were forcibly seized; he certainly wouldn't touch it.

The shouts of battle outside grew closer. Shen Qi grabbed Yan Qing by the back of his collar, forcibly pulled him out of the ruins, and dragged him across the street to a grain shop with its door half open.

The grain shop was in a mess, and the shopkeeper was nowhere to be found. The pure white rice was scattered all over the floor. In times of famine, this grain, which people would fight tooth and nail for, was now mixed with the dirt and ignored.

Shen Qi dragged Yan Qing behind the sturdy mahogany cabinet, then carried over several heavy grain sacks, blocking the way completely. Finally, he gently closed the door, leaving only a small gap for observation.

"Young Master Yan, whether you live or die depends on your own fate."

Shen Qi sat on the counter, panting heavily. He listened to the increasingly close shouts of battle outside, his eyes flickering in the darkness.

His hands clenched unconsciously as he felt the faint life force within his body. In this world, human life was as worthless as grass; only by becoming stronger, only by constantly acquiring higher-level life threads, could one truly take control of their own life.

In the distance, Jiang Xinyue's angry shout suddenly pierced the sky, shattering the chaos of the long street.

Immediately following was a piercing scream that tore through the sky.