"Let me ask you, if you were to devour every bit of flesh and blood from my Qiao’s family, will you be able to slay an immortal?"
This statement was deafening, causing Jade faced Flying Dragon and the others who were observing to feel suffocated and have difficulty breathing.
A brave eater.
A brave one who let him eat.
The conversation between Qiao Zhong and Martial Saint completely exceeded the understanding ability of these wanderers.
"What does this Qiao Zhong want to do? Betray the family?" Those two martial artists looked at Jade faced Flying Dragon beside them.
"This…" Jade faced Flying Dragon’s mind also stalled for a moment.
If Qiao Mu suddenly spoke, willing to sacrifice himself who was already destined to die, in order to save them, his temporary teammates, they could still somewhat understand.
After all, although these kinds of characters were extremely rare and mostly lived in the stories told by storytellers, they were not completely nonexistent.
However, sacrificing one’s own family to save these few strangers they had just met?
This obviously doesn’t make sense.
"Qiao Zhong must have had another purpose, perhaps there really exists a powerful Qiao family. He challenged Martial Saint in the name of Qiao’s family." Jade faced Flying Dragon could only think of this explanation.
"Challenging Martial Saint to a life-and-death battle in the name of Qiao’s family, using the blood and flesh of Qiao’s family to fill Martial Saint’s voracious mouth."
As for what Qiao Mu said, there are still many powerful hidden clan elders in his family…
The more Jade faced Flying Dragon thought about it, the less likely it seemed. He considered it as mere words to appease Martial Saint, exaggerating the situation.
After all, Qiao Zhong is not young anymore, he claims to be in his sixties.
Even if there are stronger elders in his family, how many could there be?
The lifespan of an ordinary martial artist is not much longer than that of a normal person.
The 85-year-old Martial Saint can’t be counted, of course.
Someone like Qiao Zhong, a martial artist who is still energetic at sixty years old, is already a rare and exceptional practitioner with high accomplishments in internal cultivation.
The leader of Qiao Family in Heyang City was originally destroyed. He practiced Qiao Family Long Life Fist, which is said to be extremely powerful. Despite being 80 years old, his vitality and blood remained strong.
A hundred years ago, Qiao Family in Heyang City produced a martial arts master who was a hundred years old and had strong vitality. He was already a well-known figure in the world, and even the Great Yan Emperor at the time heard of this matter and specially invited him to the palace to teach him the secret of longevity.
So, how many elders and experts in the Qiao family that Qiao Zhong mentioned could be older and stronger than him at the age of sixty?
Martial Saint understood this better than people like Jade-faced Flying Dragon.
Therefore, in response to Qiao Mu’s words, he just lightly pulled the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that made people like Jade-faced Flying Dragon shudder.
"What Qiao family? If such a large clan really existed in this world, I would have destroyed them long ago."
"However, your fighting spirit is not bad."
He loosened his fingers.
Qiao Mu, who had already been squeezed into unconsciousness, fell to the ground.
"Since you have already decided to die, then I will let you continue to live in hardship and let the Qiao family behind you seek revenge, challenge me, it doesn’t matter how many come."
The Martial Saint thought that Qiao Zhong was just talking tough before he died and didn’t take it too seriously.
"You are the same." The Martial Saint turned his head and looked emotionlessly at Jade-faced Flying Dragon and the others in the distance:
"You can continue to fear and hate me."
"Remember today’s weakness and powerlessness as a weakling, then continue to live in hardship and survive."
"Remember, every dog has its day." He spoke with great emphasis:
"Go become stronger, train in martial arts, and one day stand in front of me again, challenge me like Qiao Zhong did, try to kill me, or die by my hands."
The Martial Saint stood tall and looked down on Jade-faced Flying Dragon and the others, who were almost collapsed on the ground:
"Killing me is your only chance at survival."
"Not kill us? No, it’s not that he won’t kill us, but rather that it’s not yet the right time, right? In the eyes of the Martial Saint, we, the fruits…are not yet ripe." Jade faced Flying Dragon had a distressed expression.
He deeply looked at the Martial Saint and Qiao Mu, who had fallen to the ground with serious injuries, as if wanting to deeply imprint these two people in his mind.
Then, supporting the other two who were also seriously injured, he turned and left.
Only one of them, a fifth-ranked martial artist with a severed arm, didn’t move.
His arm had been severed by the Martial Saint with a single blow earlier.
"Why are you standing there? Hurry up and leave!" Jade faced Flying Dragon frowned, urging him.
"The Martial Saint is unpredictable. If you don’t leave now, he might change his mind later."
"Leave? Where to? I’ve also practiced the ‘Martial Saint Spiritual Technique.’ In this vast world, where would there still be a place for us to stay?"
The martial artist with the severed arm could only give a bitter smile.
"After today’s escape, for the rest of my life, I will live in fear, feeling anxious and helpless every day."
This made Jade faced Flying Dragon fall silent for a moment.
Wu Qingxin is stronger than all of them, and her talent is much stronger. She reached the 4th rank many years ago, and later she switched to cultivate the path of immortality and was honored as a Saintess by the Immortal Gate Xuantian Sect.
Including Wu Qingxin and the three thousand disciples, even the previous generation’s strongest martial artists, they are all the nourishment to achieve the rank of Martial Saint.
No matter how hard they practice, how far can they progress?
The martial artist with the severed arm clenched his teeth, his hair bristling, and stared at the Martial Saint:
"I would rather die here than become one with a cannibalistic demon like you, become your prey-"
He swung his long sword with his remaining left arm, aiming to slash his own neck.
However, this slash didn’t come down.
As a gentle breeze swept by, the one-armed fighter’s eyes shrank, and his body was suddenly covered by a large shadow.
The Martial Saint appeared behind him.
"Did I allow you to die?" The Martial Saint lightly pinched the knife in the one-armed fighter’s hand with two fingers, and the long blade shattered loudly.
"As weaklings, your lives are no longer in your hands."
"Suicide? What use is there in wasting life like that? You’d best let me take care of you."
He lightly clasped the one-armed fighter’s head with two fingers, as if squeezing fragile porcelain.
"What kind of Martial Saint are you? Clearly, you are a demonic creature that feeds on humans!" The one-armed fighter, held in the Martial Saint’s hand, shouted angrily.
"If I am a demonic creature, then what is an immortal?" The Martial Saint laughed uproariously in the darkness of the night, his laughter echoing far into the forest.
In the next second, just like Wu Qingxin before, the one-armed fighter’s body quickly withered, falling from the sky like leaves.
"His character is decent, but his strength is a bit weak."
He turned around.
Jade faced Flying Dragon and another remaining martial artist barely displayed their light skills, flying away into the distance.
"Master, should we just let them leave like this?" Star Xuan Envoy, who had been silent all along, asked.
"If they leave, this matter will likely soon spread throughout the world."
"Then let it spread throughout the world." Martial Saint casually said.
"During the forty-year Inhuman War, starting from when I established the Wuji Association to spread top-tier techniques, the number of martial artists ranked below 4th rank has far exceeded any previous generation in the martial arts world… but no martial artist has emerged who can challenge a cultivator. If things continue like this, they will ultimately become slaves to inhumans."
He walked onto the grass, holding the severely injured sixty-year-old Qiao Mu in his hands, as a powerful aura surged into the frail body, seemingly healing him.
After a long while, Qiao Mu slowly woke up.
"Why not kill me … to use me as bait, to attract Qiao’s family?" he said.
"If you kill me, Qiao’s family can still be able to find you…"
"Shut up," the Martial Saint said coldly.
"Whether you want to die or not, it’s up to you."
"But whether you can die now is up to me, it has nothing to do with you."
The Martial Saint lowered his head and looked at the withered and decaying body of Wu Qingxin next to him.
"You’re still a bit weak, not good enough."
"Qiao Zhong, even though you’re old, if you have such determination and spirit, you must still have potential, it’s not time for you to die yet."
"Since you have the will to die, why not use your body to do something for me?"
"You wanted the Spiritual Refining Technique, right? If this happens, I will give you the best martial arts."
Qiao Mu:….
Just a moment ago, we were fighting each other to the death, and now you want me to do something for you?
"Oh, don’t rush to refuse. Listen first, with your determination, you probably won’t refuse."
Martial Saint held Qiao Mu between his two fingers and gazed calmly at a towering mountain range in the distance.
That is a famous scenic spot in Nan Province, called Qingming Mountain Range.
The main peak of the Qingming Mountain Range is Qingming Peak, soaring into the clouds. On top of it, there is a renowned Taoist temple bustling with worshippers called Qingyun Temple.
"You dying in my hands right now would be too insignificant." Martial Saint said nonchalantly.
"If you were to assassinate the current Great Yan Emperor and confront the inhumane Xuantian Sect, wouldn’t that be even better?"
When it comes to cultivators, a hint of darkness appeared in Martial Saint’s deep black eyes.
"Let me see how brave you are. When faced with a true cultivator in the clouds, how much of your courage will remain?"
Qiao Mu doubted the humanity of Martial Saint, and Martial Saint felt the same.
A determined and powerful martial artist cannot be convinced with words.
"If this matter succeeds and you manage to survive, I will give you the most advanced martial arts techniques. I look forward to seeing you again many years later."
"If you die, the powerful elders from your family that you spoke of will seek revenge. I will handle them all."
Martial Saint didn’t ask if Qiao Mu was willing or not.
The principles of martial artists aren’t spoken but shown through fists.
Since his principles are stronger, it’s only natural for him to make the decision.
He tightly pinched his fingers together, and after finishing speaking, immediately knocked him out.
"Devouring Qiao’s family, filling my appetite? Haha," the Martial Saint simply laughed.
It doesn’t matter what Qiao Mu thinks.
It doesn’t matter if there is a Qiao family behind him.
Of course, if there is a powerful Qiao family that can also impress the Martial Saint, saying those words just now, then the Martial Saint would seriously consider.
In the end, the sixty-year-old man named Qiao Zhong standing in front of the Martial Saint is not strong enough.
The Martial Saint looked at him with respect, listened to him speak a few more words, but it was because of the determination and fighting spirit that the old man displayed, not his strength.
"Qiao’s family… Which Qiao family is this?" Martial Saint asked the Star Xuan Envoy behind him.
Qiao is just a common surname, and the Martial Saint has wiped out more than one Qiao family.
"….Qiao Zhong’s identity is unknown. But when it comes to the Qiao family in Nan Province, there should be two." said Star Xuan Envoy.
"The first one is the Heyang City’s Qiao Family, which has already been exterminated, practicing the Long Life Fist…. But they have been wiped out."
Speaking of this, Star Xuan Envoy glanced at Martial Saint.
"It’s not the Heyang City’s Qiao Family." Martial Saint said calmly.
"I only left a strange little girl from the Heyang City’s Qiao Family… Could there still be other clan members? It has nothing to do with this matter, please continue."
Although Qiao Zhong displayed the Qiao family’s Long Life Fist and Stacking Wave Strength, the Long Life Fist Sutra had already been taken away by Martial Saint and circulated within the Wuji Association to a small extent, making it difficult to trace Qiao Zhong’s origin.
"The second one is a few well-known individuals with the surname Qiao recently causing quite a stir in Yan City and Heyang City…"
Star Xuan Envoy mentioned this with a slight toothache.
The former Yan City City Lord, Guo Yan, was actually killed by Qiao Sen, which was also due to his misjudgment of the intelligence.
But unexpectedly, the Qiao family, who was originally judged as "non-existent" by the Star Xuan Envoy, gradually became famous and even appeared in front of the Martial Saint, speaking those awe-inspiring words.
"It sounds like there might be something to look forward to, let me eagerly await the revenge of the Qiao family," the Martial Saint said, signaling with his eyes to the Star Xuan Envoy.
The Star Xuan Envoy, wrapped in his robe, stepped forward and lifted Qiao Mu’s body, quickly disappearing into the night.
However, the Martial Saint didn’t leave immediately, but stood at the edge of the dilapidated temple, looking up at the moon.
Not long after, another figure gracefully arrived.
It was a middle-aged man with a blood-stained robe, a determined expression on his face. He had a long gash across his waist, almost cutting him in half, but very little blood flowed from it.
What was even more astonishing was that the flesh around this narrow wound was slowly wriggling, gradually healing itself.
"Since you’ve come here, you must be the one who led the Xuantian Sect away?" the Martial Saint asked.
The blood-stained middle-aged man didn’t immediately respond, but instead cast a glance at the withered corpse of Wu Qingxin, furrowing his brows slightly. S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
"Martial Saint…" he said in a deep voice.
"If one day I die, it will not be for you."
"Oh? Wu Qizheng," Martial Saint smiled lightly.
"You can try to kill me… but your heart is not set on that."
Wu Qizheng has the same last name as Martial Saint, and he was also one of the three thousand martial arts geniuses of the past.
Among these three thousand disciples, Wu Qingxin is special.
She left the nurturing grounds of the three thousand disciples early and joined the Immortal Gate.
Wu Qizheng, on the other hand, was different.
The three thousand disciples of the past were martial arts geniuses that Martial Saint spent forty years searching for throughout the world.
Each one is extraordinary, exceptionally talented, and has received guidance from the strongest warrior in the martial arts world, Martial Saint. They practice the best martial arts techniques.
Among the three thousand disciples of that year, the number of those still alive today is actually less than a hundred.
Wu Qizheng is one of the three thousand disciples who survived through this brutal selection process.
He is still able to stand by Martial Saint’s side to this day, not because he is strong enough.
It’s because even if one’s martial arts skill is exceptionally strong, it’s still difficult to compare with Martial Saint.
He is alive because he is useful.
"Wu Qingxin’s weakness lies in her state of mind, but you, Wu Qizheng…" Martial Saint said casually:
"In today’s world, being ‘righteous’ can be a fatal weakness."