We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 147 Blood-Based Martial Arts: The Worst Cult Leader

The situation reached a stalemate.

After Hong Jinnian was dealt with, the two sides faced off.

Despite having three Blood-Transferring Warriors on their side, Qiao Renzhou dared not be careless in the slightest, his face more solemn than ever before.

Demon Blood Warrior!
The pressure from those four words was immense, so much so that even after killing Hong Jinnian, he didn't relax in the slightest.

Su Chen's body was also tense. The faint sense of crisis that lingered in his heart had not dissipated, and its source was the cloaked man.

The other person seemed very interested in me; their cold eyes would occasionally fall on me, with a hint of scrutiny.

After a long while, the cloaked man withdrew his gaze and made a move, immediately attracting everyone's attention.

He glanced at Hong Jinnian's corpse, his voice devoid of any emotion, and said, "I was just passing by today and had no intention of intervening. As long as you hand over Hong Jinnian's body to me, we will go our separate ways and leave. How about that?"

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Qiao Renzhou, and he vaguely guessed that Qiao Renzhou was the leader of this group.

Qiao Renzhou didn't speak, but looked at Su Chen questioningly. Seeing that Su Chen had no objection, he nodded and said, "Okay!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Qingqiu tactfully stepped forward, grabbed Hong Jinnian's corpse with a look of disgust, and then stopped his bleeding.

"let's go!"

The cloaked man said something to Wen Qingqiu, then led him away.

Only after the two completely disappeared into the night did Qiao Renzhou feel a huge weight lifted from his heart, but his expression remained very solemn.

"Thank you very much, young friend Su!" Qiao Renzhou turned his gaze to Su Chen and expressed his gratitude.

Looking at Su Chen, their eyes were filled with indescribable surprise; they hadn't expected Su Chen's strength to have reached such a level.

Su Chen gently shook his head: "Lord Qiao, there's no need to be so polite."

He paused for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "By the way, Lord Qiao, may I ask what's going on with the Demon Martial Sect?"

Not only was Su Chen curious, but even Qiao Yong turned his head to look at Qiao Renzhou.

Qiao Renzhou knew the two would definitely ask, so he didn't hide anything and explained, "I suppose you also know about one of Daqian's neighboring countries, the Great Zhou Dynasty, right?"

The two nodded.

"The Demon Martial Sect is a very powerful force in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Strictly speaking, the Demon Martial Sect is a heretical sect."

Although the cultivation methods of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Great Qian Dynasty differed slightly, both cultivated the martial arts of qi and blood.

The so-called Qi and Blood Martial Arts, regardless of its outward manifestation, is essentially about improving oneself by enhancing Qi and Blood.

However, both the cultivation methods of the Great Qian and the Great Zhou dynasties had their drawbacks.

That is, aptitude is valued. Those with excellent aptitude will naturally cultivate quickly, while those with poor aptitude will cultivate at a snail's pace.

Even for those with exceptional talent, it would take decades to cultivate to the Blood Transformation Realm.

For example, Hong Qi, although he is the most outstanding second-generation member of the Hong family, would not have been able to enter the Blood Transformation Realm without more than ten years of accumulation.

Such restrictions have led some less talented martial artists to resort to opportunistic tricks.

Within the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there are all sorts of strange beasts, which are comparable to martial artists and are extremely powerful.

Thus, some martial artists took shortcuts to obtain the blood of exotic beasts and merge it into their own bodies, exchanging the blood of exotic beasts for human blood, and then through some special method, they made the blood of exotic beasts merge with their physical bodies, thereby becoming different beings.

Not only does it possess the formidable physique of a mythical beast, it can also cultivate through unconventional methods, increasing its cultivation speed several times over.

Moreover, at the same level, ordinary martial artists are no match for demon blood martial artists.

However, this method is not without its drawbacks. How could it be so easy for humans and animals to successfully combine?

Most of them ended in failure, and these losers either died tragically or went mad and indiscriminately killed innocent people, causing widespread devastation.

Therefore, the Great Zhou Dynasty explicitly forbade anyone from using this method to improve their strength, but due to the majority of mediocre people and human greed, many forces still secretly cultivated such martial artists.

The Demon Martial Sect is one of them, and it is the largest hidden force of demon blood warriors in the Great Zhou realm.

Of course, if that were all, they wouldn't be in such a state of universal condemnation. More importantly, they have become so depraved that they have resorted to exchanging human blood for human blood.

They call this method "human blood martial arts," and I've only heard a little about it. Even just knowing a few words about it makes me feel horrified.

Human Blood Martial Arts, which involves exchanging human blood for human blood, has a higher success rate in cultivating demon blood martial artists compared to demon blood martial arts. It also has fewer restrictions and is faster to cultivate.

It was through the martial arts of human blood that the Demon Martial Sect developed rapidly and became the most powerful dark force in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Even if the Great Zhou Dynasty tried to destroy the Demon Martial Sect with the entire dynasty's resources, it would not be able to do so in a short period of time.

Moreover, it actually promoted the growth of the Demon Martial Sect. With the Blood Martial Path, the Demon Martial Sect had no shortage of martial artists.

They could easily create demon blood warriors of equal strength using the blood of powerful individuals. In that case, as long as someone in the Demon Martial Sect understood human blood martial arts, how could the Great Zhou Dynasty possibly destroy the Demon Martial Sect?

In the quiet night, Qiao Renzhou's slightly trembling voice echoed, reaching the ears of Qiao Yong and Su Chen, causing them to feel a sense of unease and being shocked by his words.

If the Demon Blood Martial Arts are already heinous crimes, then the Human Blood Martial Arts are utterly devoid of conscience.

It's no wonder that Qiao Renzhou showed such an expression when he learned that the cloaked man was from the Demon Martial Sect. Anyone would feel terrified upon learning that such a martial artist was involved.

Even though they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, the two of them were deeply moved.

Qiao Renzhou didn't care. He had reacted the same way when he first heard the news, but that wasn't the worst part.

The most terrifying thing is seeing it with your own eyes.

He had witnessed out-of-control demon blood warriors, and the description of them went beyond mere terror; it was a sense of disgust that made both body and soul feel repulsed.

"The Rebirth Sect is actually backed by the Demon Martial Sect. This matter must be reported to the Palace Master!"

Although the Demon Martial Sect is in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Great Zhou and the Great Qian Dynasty are neighboring countries, and the Demon Martial Sect is also a force that the Great Qian Dynasty is cracking down on.

They thought that destroying the Rebirth Cult would solve everything, but now that they know the Rebirth Cult is backed by the Demon Martial Sect, things are not so simple.

Even though he was once the city lord of Dafeng City, he couldn't handle this matter, let alone now that he's fallen to the position of city lord of Fengbei City.

The only course of action now is to report this matter up the chain of command to the prefect, so that the higher-ups can make the decision.

……

Clang.

Two figures appeared in an abandoned, dilapidated courtyard. Wen Qingqiu swiftly and decisively threw Hong Jinnian's body onto the ground.

The cloaked man remained silent, his cold gaze fixed on Wen Qingqiu. Wen Qingqiu felt a chill run down his spine, his feet sweating and his scalp tingling, as if the man was about to attack at any moment.

"Is the Rebirth Sect now only comprised of you?"

Finally, amidst Wen Qingqiu's anxious heart, the cloaked man spoke calmly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

Wen Qingqiu opened his mouth, unsure how to speak, and finally, all his unspoken words turned into a soft "hmm".

Feeling the cloaked man's cold gaze, Wen Qingqiu shuddered and quickly said, "Your Excellency, please rest assured, I will rebuild the Rebirth Sect as soon as possible and overthrow the Qinzhou regime so that Qinzhou will belong to the Rebirth Sect!"

The cloaked man didn't speak, his eyes fixed on Wen Qingqiu, making him feel uneasy.

After a long silence, the cloaked man snorted coldly: "Of all the cult leaders I've trained, you're the worst one I've ever had!"

Putting aside everything else, the Taiping Sect, the White Lotus Sect, the Incense Sect, and even the Red Hero Sect, each of them shone brightly and stirred up trouble in various places. Only this Rebirth Sect was all alone before it was brought out, and it's still all alone after it's brought out. It's utterly disgraceful!
But Wen Qingqiu was, after all, someone he had personally chosen, and one of the few lucky ones who had been trained into a demon blood warrior. Considering that his strength was at the bottom of the list of sect leaders, the cloaked man thought for a moment and decided to spare his life.

After all, the situation of the Demon Martial Sect is not good right now. Every Demon Blood Warrior killed is one less in number. At least Wen Qingqiu in front of him is still loyal to him.

Wen Qingqiu naturally sensed the deep dissatisfaction in the cloaked man's words, but he had no choice. He was no match for the Hong family in a direct confrontation, and he lacked the wit to develop his own power behind the scenes. He could only rely on Ding Yi.

As a result, Ding Yi failed to perform his duties, leading to the complete annihilation of the Rebirth Sect. How can this be blamed on him?
He died unjustly!

Of course, he wouldn't dare say this in front of the cloaked man.

"Very well, while I'm still in Dafeng City, I'll help you improve your strength," the cloaked man said with a sigh.

"Thank you, Your Excellency!" Wen Qingqiu's face lit up with joy upon hearing this, and he thanked him respectfully.

His gaze then fell on Hong Jinnian, a hint of longing in his eyes.

"Keep an eye on that young man tonight," the cloaked man suddenly said. Upon hearing this, Wen Qingqiu immediately pictured Su Chen in his mind, guessing that the envoy must be interested in this young man's physique. He nodded and said, "Yes!"

……

Dafeng City, City Lord's Mansion.

"This Qiao Renzhou has only been in office for less than five days, and he's already causing me a lot of trouble!"

Snapped!
The newly appointed city lord, Qian Santong, threw the official document handed over by Qiao Renzhou onto the table, his face showing a hint of anger.

He had been in office in Dafeng City for less than ten days, and Qiao Renzhou had been in Fengbei City for less than five days, yet he had given himself such a big surprise.

If it weren't for Qian Xinghai's sake, he would have definitely given Qiao Renzhou a good scolding; he really has no sense of propriety.

"My lord, this matter is of great importance. If we do not report it to the prefect, I'm afraid..." The advisor beside him picked up the official document, glanced at it, and said in a low voice.

"What's there to be afraid of? The Rebirth Sect is now just Wen Qingqiu clinging to life, and can't cause any trouble."

Qian Santong was not worried at all. If the Rebirth Sect were still as prosperous as before, he might have reported it to the Lord of the Prefecture, but there was no need for it now.

He glanced at his advisor and added, "Besides, it won't be long before my brother-in-law sends people to Dafeng City. Even if demon blood warriors appear, so what? What trouble can they cause?"

The advisor nodded, not delving into the details, and then added, "Two days ago, the Hong family sent three Blood Transformation Realm warriors to assassinate Qiao Renzhou, resulting in the complete annihilation of their army!"

"Hmph, the Hong family is getting more and more useless. They couldn't even take down Qiao Renzhou." Qian Santong sneered upon hearing this.

Even so, Qian Santong couldn't help but be curious and asked, "As far as I know, Qiao Renzhou doesn't have any martial artists at the Blood Transformation Realm by his side, right? How did he manage to withstand the Hong family's assassination attempt?"

The aide replied truthfully: "Qiao Renzhou has a servant named Qiao Yong, who is a Blood Refining Realm martial artist. In addition, Qiao Renzhou himself is also a Blood Refining Realm martial artist, but in recent years he has always presented himself as an Organ Refining Realm martial artist. This assassination attempt by the Hong family has forced him to reveal his true strength."

"That old thief, he's been hiding it pretty well."

Qian Santong muttered to himself that he neither agreed nor disagreed with the Hong family's assassination attempt on Qiao Renzhou, and decided to remain on the sidelines and see who won and who lost depended on their own abilities.

After Qian Santong finished speaking, the advisor added, "There is also a Blood Transformation Realm martial artist hidden in the Qiao residence. This person is very likely to be Su Chen, a close friend of Qiao Qiliang, who once killed Hong Qi..."

He briefly introduced Su Chen's battle record. After listening, Qian Santong's eyes narrowed and he smiled, "To have such strength at such a young age is not bad."

He then looked at his advisor and said calmly, "Ask him if he is willing to join the city lord's mansion."

The staff member knew that Qian Santong was interested in recruiting him, so he nodded respectfully: "Yes!"

After reporting everything, his staff withdrew, and he walked out of the courtyard, quickening his pace as he left the city lord's mansion.

However, upon arriving at the teahouse, entering a room, whistling, and summoning a carrier pigeon, he placed a pre-prepared note into the letterbox on the pigeon's leg and let the pigeon fly away.

After doing all that, he didn't leave, but sat down and slowly savored his tea.

……

Several days have passed.

Since the last assassination attempt by the Hong family, and after several days of adjustments, the Qiao family has completely established itself in Fengbei City.

Not long after, the Qiao family moved out of the government office, and Su Chen naturally followed.

This was probably the only time Su Chen had gone out in the past few days. During this time, he had been either refining pills or cultivating.

Because he focused too much on quantity, Su Chen didn't improve the quality of his pill refining much. However, fortunately, his efforts were not without reward.

The quality of the Qi and Blood Pills produced was the same as before, but the success rate was slightly higher, which can be considered as gaining experience.

Moreover, Su Chen has already refined enough pills in the past few days to upgrade his Iron Shirt skill.

That's right, he still intends to improve his Iron Shirt skill.

One aspect is to improve one's own strength.

His feigned death has likely been exposed, and the Hong family will surely deal with him again. With his current strength, he is no longer afraid of those at the Blood Transformation Realm, but he is not capable of resisting those at a higher realm.

Although he also wanted to cultivate other techniques to their limits as soon as possible, it seemed that the fastest way to improve his strength was still to improve his Iron Shirt technique.

On the other hand, he also wanted to know where the limits of Iron Shirt lay.

Knowing the limits allows you to see whether it can be integrated with other techniques later on.

It would be best if we could merge, then I would have found a way to advance to the Blood Transformation Realm.

If fusion is not possible, then preparations need to be made early to find a cultivation method to advance to the Blood Transformation Realm.

Three more days passed in the blink of an eye.

Su Chen reduced the number of times he refined pills, and devoted most of his time to studying new sword techniques.

Unfortunately, combining them into a sword technique at the entry-level level is not so easy.

Su Chen had intended to recreate a similar sword technique by imitating the sword techniques of the Dark Guards and Shadow Assassins, just like last time, but unfortunately it was not feasible.

Fortunately, the requirements on the panel had been met, and Su Chen happily activated the easy mode:
[Easy Mode Activated: Take a warm bath for two and a half hours to train your Iron Shirt skill to level nine.]

Su Chen eagerly finished his two-and-a-half-hour bath, and the panel in his mind quickly gave feedback: his Iron Shirt skill had been upgraded to the ninth level.

However, Su Chen was not concerned about the Iron Shirt skill on the ninth floor at this moment; his attention was entirely on the control panel.

"Iron Shirt can no longer be improved, but a simple mode can be activated. The conditions for activating the simple mode are 'Limited Fire Cloud Transformation, Limited Profound Origin Technique, Limited Unpredictable Skill, Limited Thick Earth Gate'."

In other words, as long as I raise the other four elemental cultivation techniques to their limits, I can fuse them with Iron Shirt!

Su Chen was overjoyed, which meant that he did not need to find a new cultivation technique. He could find a technique to enter the Blood Transformation Realm simply by improving his other attribute techniques.

"But what exactly is the Fire Blood Ginseng King?"

Besides the requirements for the cultivation technique, there is another requirement on the panel: the Fire Blood Ginseng King.

The conditions for the cultivation method were easy to meet, but he had never heard of the Fire Blood Ginseng King before.

However, he didn't dwell on it too much and decided to ask Qiao Qiliang later to see if he knew.

Afterwards, Su Chen began to examine the power of the ninth layer of Iron Shirt. As he had guessed, jade bones had now been condensed within his body.

"Not one segment, but five segments!"

Through the skin, Su Chen seemed to be able to see the jade bones on his hands and feet, crystal clear and filled with a unique radiance.

After a series of tests, Su Chen was overjoyed.

Putting everything else aside, the difference in strength between those with and without the Jade Bone is enormous. He even felt an urge to rush into the Hong Clan and wreak havoc.

Fortunately, he quickly calmed down. Now, dealing with Hong Jinnian shouldn't be a problem for him, but it's still too early to destroy the Hong family.

"But it's alright. It won't be long before I fulfill both conditions, and that will mark the beginning of the Hong family's nightmare!"

Su Chen's eyes flickered. By then, his feud with the Hong family would be completely over.

In the afternoon, Su Chen found Qiao Qiliang and asked him about the Fire Blood Ginseng King. Qiao Qiliang said he didn't know anything about it.

So Su Chen went to ask Qiao Yong, but Qiao Yong didn't know either.

Fortunately, after asking around, the answer was finally found in Qiao Renzhou's words:

"Fire Blood Ginseng is a specialty of Yunzhou and is quite expensive. The Fire Blood Ginseng King is the best of the best and is extremely precious. It often takes fifty years to form a single plant. It has always been held by the Chu family and is almost never sold to outsiders."

Although he didn't know why Su Chen wanted the Fire Blood Ginseng King, Qiao Renzhou still warned him, "If you really want to buy the Fire Blood Ginseng King, I'm afraid you can only go to Dayan City, the capital of Yunzhou. Only there can you find clues about the Fire Blood Ginseng King."

three days later.

Su Chen found Qiao Qiliang and bid him farewell.

When Qiao Qiliang learned that Su Chen planned to go to Dayan City to find the Fire Blood Ginseng King, he did not ask any questions. Instead, he gave Su Chen a map and told him to be careful on the road.

As Su Chen left Fengbei City, a figure emerged from the Xuan Shui Sect.

(End of this chapter)