Forged for Four Months, Unrivaled Once Drawn!

Ever since Lu Changsheng had embarked on the path of martial arts, his journey had been remarkably smooth. Strengthening Blood, Tempering Bone, Refining Organs, all the way to the Divine Strength Realm. Whether in cultivation or in battle, he had encountered scarcely any real obstacles. Yet now, facing Guo Jiuling, nearly all of his techniques were countered by the man. This was the first time Lu Changsheng had ever run into such a predicament. His Divine Dragon Transformation, Triple Waves, and even his Ocean Wave Conception were all tremendously fierce. Even fighting one against six, Lu Changsheng held no fear. Yet Guo Jiuling's Nine-Word Mantra left Lu Changsheng unable to unleash the skills he possessed, which made him feel thoroughly constrained. *Guo Jiuling's Nine-Word Mantra can wipe my consciousness blank in an instant. It is a mental attack, one that even the Ocean Wave Conception cannot block.* *If it were only Guo Jiuling alone, it would be fine, but there are also four Divine Strength Realm experts from the Myriad Poison Cult.* Lu Changsheng carefully reviewed all the arts at his disposal. In a direct clash of strength, he knew none of these men were his match. *Wait, I still have one more technique.* A flash of inspiration struck Lu Changsheng's mind. He had another martial technique—one he had nearly forgotten himself. Only now, with that sudden spark of inspiration, did it dawn on him. The Qi and Blood Sword Casting Secret Method! Lu Changsheng had never once used this secret method, which was why it had not occurred to him for a time. Yet this secret method had been accumulating on its own all along, forging a sword of qi and blood. By now, it had accumulated for four months. Once unleashed, it could erupt with four hundred tripods of strength! Against such terrifying might, Guo Jiuling, Wang Jiudu, and the others combined could never withstand it. What was more, the Qi and Blood Sword Casting Secret Method required nothing more than a guiding thought from Lu Changsheng's consciousness. A single thought was enough. It required virtually no prolonged conscious control. No matter how fast Guo Jiuling's Nine-Word Mantra was, it could never be faster than a mere thought. With that realization, Lu Changsheng snapped his head up and fixed an unblinking gaze on Guo Jiuling. These thoughts had flashed through his mind in mere fractions of an instant; hardly any time had passed at all. Guo Jiuling stood behind the men of the Myriad Poison Cult, shielded by four Divine Strength Realm experts, yet beneath Lu Changsheng's stare, he felt devoid of any sense of safety. Guo Jiuling grew even more wary. Lu Changsheng was playing the role of Zhuang Thirteen, so he needed to maintain the bearing of a righteous hero. Taking a deep breath, he looked straight at Guo Jiuling and said, word by word, "Zhuang has a sword, forged for four months and never yet shown to anyone. Meeting Cave Master Guo today, your Nine-Word Mantra is indeed extraordinary. "I wonder, Cave Master Guo, can you withstand this sword of mine?" The moment the words left his mouth, a thought stirred in Lu Changsheng's mind, instantly triggering the sword of qi and blood within him. "Lin!" Once more came the Nine-Word Mantra, ringing like a great bell and wiping Lu Changsheng's mind blank. Guo Jiuling's reaction could hardly have been faster. Had Lu Changsheng attempted the Divine Dragon Transformation, the Ocean Wave Conception, or any other martial technique, the Nine-Word Mantra would likely have interrupted it. Yet the Qi and Blood Sword Casting Secret Method was different. It needed only a single thought to guide it. *Whoosh.* From within Lu Changsheng's body, a sword of qi and blood shot forth in an instant. This sword of qi and blood was very short. It displayed no razor-sharp edge, nor did it carry an earth-shattering aura. Wang Jiudu and the others were momentarily taken aback. Earlier, they had wondered what sort of divine weapon would require four months of sword forging. Now they understood. The sword forging Zhuang Thirteen spoke of was merely this sword condensed of qi and blood! Yet what use could such a sword of qi and blood be? The sword moved with astonishing speed, appearing directly before Guo Jiuling almost the instant it emerged. Guo Jiuling had no chance to dodge. Cautious as ever, he did not wait for the sword to reach him before thrusting out a punch. This punch likewise released qi and blood outward. He intended to detonate this sword of qi and blood in front of him rather than allow it to strike his body. Yet when his fist struck the sword of qi and blood, everything changed. *Boom!* The sword of qi and blood detonated. The strength of Lu Changsheng's sword of qi and blood lay neither in its sharpness nor its bizarre nature; even its speed was secondary, serving merely to ensure the opponent could not evade. Its true power lay in the explosion! Four months of accumulated qi and blood—a full four hundred tripods of strength—how terrifying was that? A deafening roar blasted in everyone's ears. Immediately after, everything before their eyes turned blood red. It was as though the entire sky were filled with a vast expanse of qi and blood. This qi and blood was boundless, magnificent, and breathtakingly splendid. None of them had ever witnessed qi and blood so dazzling. Yet within this boundless qi and blood lurked a terrifying force. The immense power released by the detonation pulverized everything within a radius of several zhang in an instant. "Retreat!" Lu Changsheng backed away at once. He had already been a fair distance from Guo Jiuling, more than ten zhang away. Even so, Lu Changsheng felt a scorching aftershock surging toward him like a rolling tide. With a solemn expression, Lu Changsheng watched the scene before him. Gradually, the qi and blood dispersed. The crimson haze faded from sight. Only when everything returned to calm could Lu Changsheng clearly see what lay ahead. Guo Jiuling was beyond recognition. His corpse had been torn into scattered chunks strewn across the ground. Wang Jiudu and the three Dharma Protector Elders also lay dead in pools of blood, their bodies riddled with countless holes, torn and pierced as though shredded by countless sharp blades. The four Divine Strength Realm martial artists of the Myriad Poison Cult had simply been caught in the blast radius. Lu Changsheng had only intended to slay Guo Jiuling so that the man could no longer interfere with him. Yet who could have imagined that after only a few months of forging, the sword of qi and blood would unleash such horrifying power? And this was merely four months of forging. What if it had been forged for a year, or even ten years? While Lu Changsheng was shaken, the people of Miaoshou Garden were utterly dumbfounded. What had they just witnessed? If they could somewhat follow the earlier battle between the Divine Strength Realm experts, Zhuang Thirteen's sword of qi and blood was now completely beyond their comprehension. Was this still martial arts? A single sword strike had slain five Divine Strength Realm martial artists. What kind of martial arts could be so terrifying? "Are they... dead?" "They must be. Their bodies are riddled with holes, how could they survive?" "Is Hero Zhuang... truly in the Divine Strength Realm?" Many fell silent. Yet this was a good thing. Hero Zhuang had won, which meant they had survived. It was far better than having the people from Liyang Cave and the Myriad Poison Cult triumph. "Thank you for saving our lives, Hero Zhuang!" Zheng Renxin led the members of Miaoshou Garden in bowing respectfully to express their gratitude. Lu Changsheng glanced at Zheng Renxin but paid him no heed. At this moment, he could not be bothered with heroic demeanor; he began looting the bodies. He cared little about the others, but Guo Jiuling's corpse was something Lu Changsheng would never overlook. The man's Nine-Word Mantra seemed closely connected to his own Nine-Word Thunder Sound Secret Method. Guo Jiuling's body had been torn into several pieces, and Lu Changsheng searched through each one. He truly hoped the Nine-Word Mantra had not been blown to bits by the sword of qi and blood. As he searched, he did indeed find something. Many items on Guo Jiuling were shattered. However, a piece of beast hide made of some unknown material remained completely intact. Lu Changsheng unfolded the beast hide to look. "Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method!" Sure enough, recorded upon the beast hide was the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method. Lu Changsheng tucked it into his robes immediately. Next, Lu Changsheng searched the bodies of the Myriad Poison Cult members. From Wang Jiudu, he retrieved a manual as well: the Myriad Poison Scripture. Although Lu Changsheng had previously obtained the Myriad Poison Scripture from Zhao Xing, the copy on Wang Jiudu seemed somewhat different, appearing more complete. Lu Changsheng did not let it pass and put it away as well. "Hero Zhuang, you..." Zheng Renxin was about to say something. Without sparing Zheng Renxin a glance, Lu Changsheng flickered and vanished into the night. Seeing this, a strange look flashed in Zheng Renxin's eyes. At that moment, a Zheng family Refining Organs martial artist murmured, "Patriarch, beneath Hero Zhuang's black outer robe, the inner lining looked somewhat like the attire of our Miaoshou Garden physicians..." "Hush." Zheng Renxin's face darkened, signaling for silence. He said in a low voice, "Do not think about it, and do not investigate. Act as though you noticed nothing. "Remember: having Hero Zhuang in Nanyang is a blessing for all of Nanyang, and a blessing for Miaoshou Garden!" The Refining Organs martial artist was slightly taken aback, but quickly understood. Shrewd as the patriarch was, how could he have failed to notice? Yet Zheng Renxin had not mentioned a single word of it, naturally for his own reasons. "Yes, Patriarch." Afterward, everyone began clearing Miaoshou Garden and tending to the wounded. Taking a circular route, Lu Changsheng quietly slipped back into his courtyard within Miaoshou Garden. He even went out under the identity of Lu Changsheng to assist in treating the injured. By the time everything was finished, it was already late into the night. "Zheng Renxin seems to have noticed something..." Lu Changsheng murmured softly. He glanced down at his clothes. Earlier, when the attackers from Liyang Cave had suddenly begun slaughtering people throughout Miaoshou Garden, Lu Changsheng had hastily disguised himself without changing out of his physician robes, simply slipping a set of black robes over them. That was surely the oversight Zheng Renxin had caught. Yet Zheng Renxin was clever; he had said nothing and made no commotion. In truth, it was hardly a big deal. With Lu Changsheng's current strength, whether his identity was exposed no longer truly mattered. As a Divine Strength Realm martial artist, he was beyond anything a mere Miaoshou Garden could restrain. Precisely because of this, Zheng Renxin had kept quiet. As long as Lu Changsheng remained in Miaoshou Garden, it was the greatest possible benefit to them. Zheng Renxin would even wish for Lu Changsheng's identity never to be exposed; otherwise, keeping Zhuang Thirteen in Miaoshou Garden would be even harder. Lu Changsheng paid no heed to Zheng Renxin's minor calculations. He immediately brought out the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method. Reading through it carefully, Lu Changsheng discovered that Guo Jiuling had not come to Nanyang Prefecture solely to avenge Li Ji. His greater objective was to obtain the Nine-Word Thunder Sound Secret Method in Lu Changsheng's possession. Because this Nine-Word Mantra was incomplete! Indeed, Guo Jiuling's Nine-Word Mantra was an offensive secret method for the Divine Strength Realm. It was exceptionally wondrous. Yet it lacked a portion and was not whole. The missing piece was precisely the Nine-Word Thunder Sound Secret Method. Guo Jiuling had undoubtedly wanted to obtain the complete Nine-Word Mantra! Even incomplete, its power was something Lu Changsheng had experienced firsthand. It was indeed extraordinary. If it were completed, would it not be even more wondrous? Lu Changsheng brought out the Nine-Word Thunder Sound Secret Method and compared the two side by side. The chants of the two secret methods complemented each other seamlessly. In the end, Lu Changsheng merged the chants of the two secret methods into one. The complete Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method appeared profound and difficult to grasp. Yet with Lu Changsheng's comprehension of over eight hundred points, he managed to reach the entry level in just two hours. Once he reached the entry level, Lu Changsheng truly understood the terrifying nature of the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method. This secret method was extraordinarily complex. On the surface, it seemed to be a sonic art. In reality, it operated on a mental level, employing mental techniques. Once mastered, one could unleash the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method, using the nine words as conduits to shake the enemy's spirit and plunge them into temporary mental confusion. As for how long that confusion lasted, it depended on how deeply one had cultivated the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method. Furthermore, because it had merged with the Nine-Word Thunder Sound Secret Method, the true Nine-Word Mantra could not only shake an opponent's spirit on a mental level, but also jolt their qi, blood, and internal organs. A dual assault of sound waves and mental disruption—a double blow. Under such an attack, within the Divine Strength Realm, one would be practically invincible. No wonder Guo Jiuling had been so confident, looking down on any ordinary Divine Strength Realm martial artist. Lu Changsheng immediately brought up his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 840 (Hidden Dragon in the Depths) Qi and Blood Sword Casting Secret Method: 0 days forged. Ocean Wave Conception: Progress 8% Qiantian Treasure Transformation Secret Method: Second Layer Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art: Third Layer Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method: Entry Sure enough, on the attribute panel, the Nine-Word Thunder Sound Secret Method had transformed into the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method. However, it was only at the entry level. Achieving perfection in this secret method would not be easy. Even with Lu Changsheng's high comprehension of over eight hundred points, it would take a considerable amount of time to reach perfection. Lu Changsheng also looked at the Qi and Blood Sword Casting Secret Method. Where it had previously been forged for four months, the accumulated time was now zero. He had to begin accumulating all over again. Even so, this had shown Lu Changsheng just how formidable the Qi and Blood Sword Casting Secret Method truly was. Unless absolutely necessary, he could not use it lightly. Yet once unleashed, it would surely shake heaven and earth! The following day, Miaoshou Garden was filled with mourning. Too many people had died in Miaoshou Garden this time. Far too many apothecaries and physicians had perished. The news could not be hidden from his master, Wu Jing. When Lu Changsheng went to visit Wu Jing, he found his master looking terrible. Many of the physicians who had died in Miaoshou Garden were Wu Jing's old acquaintances. In the days that followed, Wu Jing's health deteriorated continuously. Frequently, he fell into deep unconsciousness. Only through Lu Changsheng's exquisite medical skills was he brought back each time. Yet Lu Changsheng knew full well that Wu Jing's vitality was completely spent, like a lamp running out of oil; his days were numbered. In the blink of an eye, another month passed. On this day, Lu Changsheng went to visit Wu Jing as usual. Yet the moment he entered the courtyard, an apprentice called out in panic, "Physician Lu, hurry inside! Elder Wu is fading..." Lu Changsheng stepped into the room at once. He went straight to Wu Jing's bedside. At this moment, Wu Jing gripped Lu Changsheng with astonishing strength. "I have no regrets in this life. "I spent a lifetime traveling far and wide, saving countless lives. And as death approaches, I have a disciple capable of inheriting my mantle. That is more than enough! "After I die, take me back to my hometown... so the fallen leaf may return to its roots..." With those final words, a faint smile appeared on Wu Jing's face, and his breath ceased.