As cheers and celebrations echoed throughout the government office and the Guard Academy, Huang Tian, Ji Fan, Shen Chuan, Yu Jingcheng, Bai Yuanfu, and the others took their seats in a brightly lit hall.
Taking the head seat without hesitation, Huang Tian looked toward Yu Jingcheng. "How is the situation in the commandery right now?"
Yu Jingcheng replied, "Ever since the news spread two days ago that the armament master of the Juntian Ocean-Subduing Ruler had appeared in a small town outside the city, elders and disciples from the major sects of Qin Province, along with countless itinerant martial artists, have been surging into Kunyun. We estimate that even more experts from outside Qin Province will arrive soon.
"The commandery is quite chaotic right now, but fortunately the true experts haven't arrived yet, so no major unrest has broken out."
Shen Chuan asked, puzzled, "Speaking of which, how do you know that armament master is the real deal? How was he exposed? Surely he couldn't have gone around shouting that he's the armament master in town, right?"
Stroking his beard, Yu Jingcheng said, "Actually, no one realized he was an armament master at first. The crux is that an acquaintance recognized him. That armament master is named Wei Shen. Just three months ago, he was merely an ordinary martial artist who had barely developed force.
"Yet only three months later—now—he has already become a Rank Five martial artist! What a terrifying rate of progress! Back then, even the Commander took a full two and a half months!"
With those words spoken, the hall fell silent. Everyone turned their eyes onto Huang Tian, and the atmosphere grew rather peculiar.
There was no helping it. Even an armament master backed by the power of a Void Realm divine armament required three months to reach Rank Five, yet Huang Tian had needed only two and a half months!
If not for the fact that Huang Tian's cultivation path was traceable, along with the fact that he had never displayed a Void Realm divine armament to the outside world, many would have suspected that he was an armament master as well.
Even so, there were still many who suspected he possessed a Void Realm divine armament or some extraordinary secret treasure—such as Niu Kuanyu, Old Man Yun, and others...
After a good while, Bai Yuanfu coughed, breaking the odd atmosphere in the hall, and picked up where Yu Jingcheng had left off.
"Wei Shen's old friend recognized him and deduced that he harbored a great secret, but knowing he couldn't take Wei Shen down himself, he reported it to a deacon of the Changjian Sect, one of the five great sects in the commandery, in exchange for a reward.
"That deacon was very alert and didn't act on his own. Instead, he reported it up to the sect master. The Changjian Sect Master then invited their Supreme Elder out of seclusion and brought along five Rank Four elders to capture Wei Shen together.
"Faced with this ambush, Wei Shen had no choice but to unleash the Juntian Ocean-Subduing Ruler. Relying on the power of the Void Realm divine armament, he not only killed three elders in return, but also fought the Changjian Sect's Supreme Elder to a mutual wound.
"Then, seeing that the commotion from the clash was far too great, Wei Shen panicked and used the divine armament's flight ability to take to the air and flee. But taking flight only made things worse; once in the air, he was far too conspicuous. Pursuers from all sides gave chase directly, and Rank Three Grandmasters who caught wind of it also pursued him through the air, frightening him into abandoning flight and dropping to the ground to hide."
Ji Fan asked, "And now?"
"Right now, he should be hiding somewhere near the commandery city to tend to his injuries while evading the hunt from multiple factions. Within a forty-li radius around the commandery city, itinerant martial artists holding portraits of him are searching everywhere. Our own men are looking for him as well, and even ordinary commoners are hunting for him in hopes of claiming a bounty."
"Is it possible he used disguise techniques to escape?"
"It isn't that simple. First, his left shoulder is injured to the bone—a distinguishing trait far too obvious—and the stench of blood cannot be concealed.
"Second, ordinary disguises are easily seen through by martial artists of the middle three ranks, unless he can completely alter his aura and temperament like Thousand Faces Old Ghost. But the chances of that are minuscule."
That unique skill of Thousand Faces Old Ghost was something not even Rank Three Grandmasters could replicate!
Though Wei Shen possessed a Void Realm divine armament and his cultivation speed was astonishingly swift, he couldn't possibly learn Thousand Faces Old Ghost's methods in such a short time. More importantly, he had nowhere to learn them—Thousand Faces Old Ghost had long been dead, having perished at Huang Tian's very hands...
Shen Chuan clicked his tongue. "This Wei Shen is truly unlucky. After obtaining the Void Realm divine armament, he hid carefully for over three months without being discovered, and his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.
"Who could have guessed that out of Kunyun Commandery's ten million people, he would run into an old acquaintance in some small town? And to make matters worse, that acquaintance was a scoundrel, or else he wouldn't have been exposed at all.
"Had he been given another year or two, with his rate of progress, he might have reached Rank One. With the divine armament in hand by then, even a Celestial Being might not have been able to capture or kill him. Why would he have ended up hunted all over like this?"
The others nodded in deep agreement.
Unlike other weapons in the mortal realm, a Void Realm divine armament could be absorbed into its master's body. If he hadn't been recognized by that acquaintance, Wei Shen almost certainly would never have been cornered into using the divine armament against enemies and revealing his identity.
Then again, compared to him, the armament master in Yong Province had suffered an even worse fate.
When the Thundering Lightning-Chasing Divine Sword emerged, it had landed in a village of nearly ten thousand people. Following that, all the villagers were slaughtered clean by the converging martial artists. Only the armament master narrowly escaped, yet his identity and appearance were exposed in the process.
Afterward, it had been a ceaseless cycle of fleeing and hiding, enduring trial after trial between life and death...
For Wei Shen to have hidden for over three months and developed his strength a little was already considered quite fortunate.
Ji Fan remarked, "Under these circumstances, Wei Shen probably won't be able to hide for much longer."
Yu Jingcheng sighed. "He should still be able to manage ten to fifteen days."
The reason he sighed was that after ten to fifteen days, experts from other provinces would arrive in Kunyun, and when that happened, fierce battles and chaos would be unavoidable.
Huang Tian said calmly, "No matter who comes or how many arrive, it does not matter. Continue your search for Wei Shen. The moment there is word, report to me via flying messenger immediately. I can arrive in an instant."
The intense confidence conveyed in his words gave everyone a sense of reassurance.
Indeed, with Huang Tian, who could kill Saint Yang, overseeing the commandery, who would dare cause widespread havoc? Even a Rank One Grandmaster would have to weigh whether they could endure a single palm strike from him!
After handing down his instructions, everyone dispersed, and Huang Tian returned to Qinghui Garden.
The moment he entered the residence, the estate stirred with excitement and bustle. Servants and maidservants all wore smiles, brimming with joy.
After Aunt Qin and Heng'er offered their greetings, Aunt Qin swiftly reported the estate's recent affairs and household expenses. Having listened, Huang Tian gave a slight nod. "I understand."
In truth, there were no major matters—nothing more than this family coming to present gifts or that family delivering an invitation. As for the estate's expenses, to Huang Tian, they amounted to less than a drop in the ocean.
Looking at Heng'er, Huang Tian smiled. "How has your study of reading and writing been going lately?"
Heng'er said with a touch of pride, "This servant can already write a few lines of poetry, and I know how to balance the ledger!"
"Not bad, not bad," Huang Tian praised her, then asked, "Have you also been practicing martial arts recently?"
Heng'er let out an "ah," wondering how Huang Tian had noticed. A bit bashfully, she said, "Y-Yes, recently I've been practicing a few stances with Sister Yun. She said that in these turbulent times, one needs some martial arts for self-defense. And... and she said the stances she taught me can make a girl slimmer..."
Sister Yun was the only woman among the many estate guards hired for the residence.
Hearing this, Huang Tian chuckled. "She's right. In times like these, learning a bit of martial arts is beneficial. Practice diligently and persevere, and you'll surely see results."
"Mm!" Heng'er nodded firmly.
After the two left, Huang Tian stood alone amid the flowers in the rear courtyard, adopting the Cloud Dragon Stance as he quietly familiarized himself with his heightened strength after developing divine intent.
*Whoosh—*
Between every stance and movement lay profound wonder; spiritual qi surged like a tide, converging upon him.
'Once divine intent is formed, it seems I align far more intimately with the world. The efficiency of absorbing spiritual qi during cultivation is even higher. According to my previous estimate, it would have taken two months to break through to Rank Two, but now, it only takes a dozen or so days!
'Besides that, amplified by divine intent, even a casual strike commands more spiritual qi than before, vastly increasing its power!
'Just how big is the gap between me and a Celestial Being now?'
A Celestial Being's greatest strength lay precisely in divine intent. Under the amplification of divine intent, an ordinary move was far more potent than when unleashed by a Rank One martial artist!
Yet now, he had condensed divine intent ahead of time, and three types at that! Of course, it could also be called an incomplete Divine Intent of the Five Elements Cycle.
Compared to a Celestial Being, his deficiency in divine intent had essentially been made whole.
'In other words, all I lack now is the intensity of my true qi and vital blood.'
He understood clearly. 'I haven't fought a Celestial Being yet, so I don't know how much stronger their vital blood and true qi are compared to an ordinary Rank One martial artist, or how they compare to mine...'
Though he wasn't entirely certain, he still possessed some confidence if pitted against a Celestial Being. Even if he couldn't win, he was confident he could hold his ground for a while. After all, the amplification of combat power provided by true qi and vital blood was not as absurd as that of divine intent; even if a gap existed, he could resist for a time.
'Good. Back to cultivation!'
Having gained a rough grasp of his capabilities, he gradually immersed himself in cultivation, his body like a bottomless pit, whale-gulping the spiritual qi between heaven and earth...
...
Ever since the news of Huang Tian's return to Kunyun Commandery City spread, the atmosphere across the entire commandery relaxed significantly from its previous tension. Many martial artists carefully reined in their recklessness; even Rank Two and Rank One martial artists who had rushed in from other provinces and commanderies dared not strike out wantonly.
Yet though the atmosphere eased, the hunt for Wei Shen did not slacken in the slightest.
The Six Doors, Martial Restraint Guard, disciples of major sects, itinerant martial artists from all quarters... cast an inescapable dragnet closing in on Wei Shen.
In the blink of an eye, seventeen days passed.
In a dilapidated house in Liangqing Town, some twenty li from Kunyun Commandery City, Wei Shen leaned against a gray wall. Barely in his early twenties, he possessed thick eyebrows and carried an aura of valor, yet at this very moment, his expression was exceedingly grim.
'Outside, people hunting me are everywhere. I don't even dare go out to buy medicine for my wounds...'
He glanced down at his left shoulder. There was a gruesome wound there. Although it had healed considerably nurtured by his vital blood, it still hindered his movements. If he engaged in combat, it would inevitably expose a flaw.
'Moreover, the smell of blood from the wound is very difficult to conceal.'
He thought with bitter hatred, 'Damn Hua Lin! If he hadn't leaked my situation and drawn the greed of the Changjian Sect, how could I have been driven into this corner? If given the chance in the future, I will definitely kill him!'
At the thought, he grew angry with himself for not being careful enough back then. Had he worn a disguise every time he went out, Hua Lin would never have recognized him, none of this would have happened, and he could have continued to lie low.
*Tap, tap...*
Just as he was filled with regret, two sets of uneven footsteps suddenly sounded outside the house.
"Senior Brother, there's an abandoned house here. Should we go in and have a look?"
"All right, let's check it out."
*Crunch...*
The sound of broken roof tiles being stepped on drew closer. Wei Shen's expression turned grave as he crept behind a collapsed wooden plank, holding his breath and focusing his mind.
Two young men in matching gray robes, clutching swords in hand, walked slowly through the residence before coming to a stop several zhang away from the plank.
Twitching his nose slightly, one of the young men seemed to catch a scent. His eyes went wide, and just as he was about to speak, his companion hastily raised a hand to stop him, saying:
"Junior Brother, I just searched over there and found nothing. What about you?"
The junior brother snapped to his senses. "N-No, nothing on my side either. Aside from a few rats, I didn't see a thing."
"If there's nothing, let's leave. On to the next place—no time to waste."
"Right."
The footsteps receded into the distance. Behind the wooden plank, Wei Shen let out a breath of relief. 'Good thing I wasn't discovered. I should be able to hide here for another day or two...'
Sitting on the gravel-strewn ground, he rested his head against the wall and let out a long sigh.
Minute by minute passed. The sun tilted westward, orange light washing over the broken walls and ruins.
*Boom!!*
Suddenly, a piercing, ferocious whistle ripped through the air, accompanied by incessant sonic booms. Wei Shen, leaning against the ground, went pale with shock. He violently threw off the wooden plank and leaped several zhang to his left.
The very next instant, the spot where he had just been sitting was engulfed in blinding sword light, carving a deep gully over a dozen zhang long into the ground.
He looked up and saw a middle-aged martial artist standing in midair, sporting a long beard and holding a longsword in his right hand.
The moment the man spotted Wei Shen, he was overjoyed. "To think you truly were hiding here! Wei Shen, hand over the divine armament and I will spare your life. Otherwise, today will be the day you die!"
As he spoke, he swept his silver-white longsword. In the blink of an eye, over a thousand chilling streaks of sword qi crisscrossed the sky. Piercing the heavens, they plummeted straight toward Wei Shen, shrieking through the air and slicing shattered stones and broken timber into dust wherever they passed!
'A Rank Two expert!'
Wei Shen wanted to curse out loud, but he had no time. With a beckon of his right hand, a profound-black, broadsword-like heavy ruler materialized in his grasp, which he swung up horizontally to block.
*Bang!!*
Surging power crashed like a mountain and sea, blasting him heavily backward. He smashed through several walls, sending dust billowing in all directions.
*Cough—*
Vomiting a large mouthful of blood, before he could even clamber out from the rubble, sword qi rained down upon him once more like a torrential storm.
"Damn it!"
Cursing in fury, he slapped his left hand hard against the ground, his body flipping backward through the air in rapid retreat. He then raised his right hand, and the profound-black heavy ruler immediately radiated a soft, lustrous glow.
With a thunderous rumble, his entire body was pulled by the heavy ruler into the sky, rocketing outward like a streak of flowing light.
"Don't even think of running!!"
The middle-aged martial artist bellowed. Treading upon the empty air, his feet crushed the atmosphere into visible ripples, and with a sonic bang, he shot after him like a cannonball.
As night fell, two streaks of light streaked across the sky one after the other, drawing the gaze of countless onlookers. In mere moments, even more streaks of light leapt into the heavens, giving chase in their wake.
Chapter 134