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

Chapter 207 Breakthrough, Ultimate Sword Drawing Technique, Demonic Martial Arts Chaos in the Great Qian Dynasty (10,000 words)

The banquet was a great success, with both hosts and guests enjoying themselves.

Su Chen and Zhu Yan enjoyed the treatment of emperors.

The next day, Emperor Qian sent someone to deliver the Spirit Essence Pills that Su Chen needed, exactly one hundred and thirty-two in total.

After receiving the pills, Su Chen began his cultivation.

Similar to the Qi and Blood Pill, his body also has limitations in absorbing the Spirit Essence Pill.

The five meridians can only withstand a maximum of one Spirit Essence Pill per day.

This speed is astonishing compared to other martial artists who have opened their meridians.

Most martial artists who have opened their meridians only need one Spirit Essence Pill a month, but for Su Chen, it's very slow.

However, there are still more than twenty days before the competition begins, which is enough time for him to break through before the competition starts.

In addition to his daily cultivation by consuming Spirit Essence Pills, Su Chen also practiced sword-drawing techniques using the royal family's sword-fighting manual.

The Imperial Library contains everything from basic martial arts techniques to advanced blood-moving techniques, with the exception of meridian-expanding techniques.

It is no exaggeration to say that the accumulated wealth of the Great Qian Dynasty over hundreds of years is all contained in the Sutra Repository.

Su Chen alone found over a hundred sword technique manuals at the entry-level, and more than fifty of them were actually usable.

These fifty-odd books are all complete sword technique manuals; any one of them would be a precious manual that would be fought over if it were out in the open.

Now, however, it is like a naked girl appearing before our eyes without any restraint.

At this moment, Su Chen was filled with nothing but surprise and delight.

He couldn't wait to practice these sword techniques.

He didn't bring much silver or gold with him this time, but that's alright, the palace has plenty.

Emperor Qian, who readily agreed to even Lingyuan Pills, naturally wouldn't hesitate over such monetary matters.

Whether it's silver or gold, Su Chen can have as much as he wants.

One door, two doors...

The sixteenth level of the sword-drawing technique, the seventeenth level of the sword-drawing technique...

Almost every day, Su Chen's strength underwent tremendous changes.

During his battle with Su Chen, Zhu Yan increasingly felt that Emperor Qian and Qian Ruyuan were blind.

Even with his own breakthrough and confidence that he could sweep through the Great Qian and Great Zhou, he still felt his life was out of his control under Su Chen's sword-drawing technique.

terrible!

However, this situation did not last long.

Just when Su Chen thought he could finish mastering all fifty sword techniques by spending money, the panel showed that his sword-drawing technique had reached its limit.

"You can't even fuse any more techniques after only the twenty-fourth level of the sword-drawing technique?"

Su Chen complained, saying that he had only practiced nine extra sword techniques, yet his sword-drawing skill had already reached its limit.

That's really disappointing.

The panel displays:

[Easy Mode: 0 uses of the Draw Sword Technique (Level 24 Draw Sword Technique + 100 Spirit Essence Pills + any Ultimate Yuan Power Sword Technique/use)]

The conditions for enabling simple mode have not changed significantly.

It's simply a matter of upgrading the quality, changing from silver to spirit pills.

"But what is this Yuan Power Sword Technique?"

Su Chen looked at the last condition. There had been similar conditions before, but back then it was the Forceful Blade Technique.

The two are clearly different.

Only after inquiring with Zhu Yan did I learn that the so-called Yuanli sword technique was a sword technique cultivated at the level of the Meridian Opening Realm or above.

The most fundamental difference between the two is that one is driven by force, while the other is driven by energy.

After learning the result, Su Chen looked through the remaining sword techniques, but unfortunately, they were all force-based sword techniques.

Even among those incomplete sword technique manuals, not one was a sword technique using elemental energy.

Unwilling to believe in such superstitions, Su Chen found a manual of powerful sword techniques and practiced it to its limit, but unfortunately, it failed to elicit any response from the control panel.

This made him feel helpless.

Compared to sword-drawing techniques, these forceful sword techniques are utterly weak.

Moreover, even if he did cultivate it, he probably wouldn't use it much afterward, so Su Chen only picked out a few cultivation books that interested him and then gave up.

In the following period, Su Chen allocated his time reasonably, spending most of it sparring with Zhu Yan.

Although Zhu Yan had already stated that he was not afraid of the opponents sent by Daqian, he was just in case.

If they could improve their cultivation level within the next two weeks, it would be entirely beneficial for both Da Qian and Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan had no choice but to accept it, enduring Su Chen's semi-torturous training every day.

During his sparring session with Zhu Yan, he discovered that Zhu Yan's application of both internal force and external energy was quite crude.

So he taught the Myriad Wonders of the Profound Mind to Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan treasured it as if it were a priceless gem, immersing himself in the practice of the Myriad Wonders of the Profound Heart every day.

In their current sparring sessions, they rely primarily on their own understanding of the Profound Heart Myriad Wonders Style, and without exception, Zhu Yan has almost never won.

When he had a spare moment, Su Chen asked Emperor Qian if he had the last three forms of the Myriad Wonders of the Profound Heart Style.

Emperor Qian shook his head to indicate that there was no such thing. This manual was left behind by the founding ancestor, and it only contained the first move.

There is a complete version of the first form in the palace, but it is consistent with the content given by Ma Chen.

He also learned from Emperor Qian that the reason why the Dragon Guards insisted on arresting Ma Chen was not because of the secret manual, but because of face.

Ma Chen's theft of the Chun Yuan Jing from the palace is undoubtedly a slap in the face to the royal family. If he is not brought to justice, how can the royal family maintain its dignity?

However, after Emperor Qian learned of the relationship between Su Chen and Ma Chen, the matter was dropped.

He recalled the Dragon Guards, dropped the warrant for Ma Chen's arrest, and did not demand the return of the Chun Yuan Scripture.

According to him, this Pure Yuan Scripture has been in the palace for hundreds of years, and no one has been able to successfully cultivate it.

Even if Ma Chen obtains it, he won't be able to cultivate it. It's impossible for Ma Chen to be more talented than the people the royal family has accumulated over hundreds of years, right?
Emperor Qianlong was quite confident about this.

This day.

"Turn on Easy Mode".

The panel notification sounded as expected: "Easy mode activated: Take a warm bath for one hour to train your Vajra Iron Shirt skill to the sixth level."

The warm water was already prepared. An hour later, the panel suddenly changed, and the Vajra Iron Shirt skill advanced from the fifth level to the sixth level.

The most obvious change is that most of the internal energy has been converted into Yuan energy, nearly doubling his strength.

The difference between a five-lineage martial artist and a one-lineage martial artist is five times or more.

At the beginning, the difference between martial artists with different Xuanmai may not be very large, but it becomes more and more obvious as time goes on.

Upon learning that Su Chen had made a breakthrough, Zhu Yan was eager to try it out and volunteered to take on the task of testing Su Chen.

Four Great Meridians vs. Five Minor Meridians.

After the two fought for several hours, Su Chen came to a conclusion.

Without using the Myriad Mysteries of the Profound Heart and the Sword Drawing Technique, Zhu Yan has a slight advantage in a simple contest of Yuan Power.

Once Su Chen begins using the Profound Heart Myriad Wonders Style, his strength gains a slight advantage.

If both sides go all out, Zhu Yan is no match for Su Chen. Su Chen can crush Zhu Yan with just one move of his sword-drawing technique.

There are less than three days left until the martial arts competition.

The Emperor summoned the two men to discuss something.

A list was placed in front of the two of them; it contained the names of the three martial artists from the Great Qian Dynasty who were participating in the competition.

The three martial artists were named Zhou Ruoyun, Yuan He, and Chen Hongyu.

While the two were looking through the files on Zhou Ruoyun and the other two, Emperor Qian said:

"Among these three people, Yuan He is seventy years old and is the son-in-law of the Great Zhou. His apparent strength is at the Great Perfection of the Second Meridian, but that was the strength he displayed five years ago. If he has made some progress in the past five years, he may have already entered the Perfect Realm."

Chen Hongyu is ninety years old and is a figure of the ancestor level of the Feiyu Sect of the Great Zhou Dynasty. On the surface, he has the strength of the three meridians at the great completion stage. However, this news was spread by the Feiyu Sect and it is difficult to verify its authenticity.

As for Zhou Ruoyun…

At this point, Emperor Qian's expression changed slightly, and his tone became somewhat unnatural: "He seems to be a martial artist who suddenly appeared. I have never heard of him before. If I'm not mistaken, he should be a martial artist hidden by the Great Zhou."

Like Qian Zhiyong, Da Qian would not have revealed his abilities if it weren't for this martial arts competition.

Presumably, Zhou Ruoyun, who shares the same surname as the Great Zhou royal family, is also one of the Great Zhou's trump cards.

Emperor Qian didn't care about this. They couldn't find out about Zhou Ruoyun, and neither could the Great Zhou find out about Qian Zhiyong.

What concerned him was the strength of Yuan He and Chen Hongyu, apart from Zhou Ruoyun.

In a battle between two martial artists of the same lineage, Yuan He would be superior to Sun Ao.

In a three-way battle between three-way martial artists, Chen Hongyu was superior to Qian Zhiyong.

Only Zhu Yan, a fourth-level martial artist, remained, but they were currently unaware of Zhou Ruoyun's strength.

Su Chen and Zhu Yan weren't worried. After learning about the three people, they took their leave.

Three days passed in a flash, and the day of the martial arts competition finally arrived.

This martial arts competition was very well hidden; it wasn't held in the palace, but rather in a mountain villa.

It is said that it was decided by Song Yang, the envoy stationed in Daqian.

For Song Yang to gain the approval of the Great Zhou, his strength must be greater than that of Zhou Hanwen, the Great Zhou's envoy.

Not long after dawn, Su Chen met Zhu Yan and the two entered the main hall.

There were already two people waiting inside the hall.

A man with white hair and a youthful face, exuding a restrained aura, smiled and nodded upon seeing the two, displaying a very amiable attitude.

The other person was middle-aged, with a cold expression. His eyes lingered on the two of them for only a few seconds before looking away.

"Now that all four of you have arrived, let's set off."

Not long after Su Chen and Zhu Yan sat down, Emperor Qian, who had changed into casual clothes, arrived and addressed the four of them.

Led by Emperor Qian, the group arrived at Huanghu Villa in about half an hour.

"Ancestor."

They were greeted by the Great Qian Ancestor, an old man with white hair and beard, before whom the Qian Emperor showed exceptional respect.

"These are the people you chose?" Ancestor Qian nodded, his gaze falling on Su Chen and the other three.

Emperor Qian replied respectfully, "Yes, Ancestor."

"The people from Great Zhou have arrived. Come in with me."

Ancestor Qian didn't pay any attention, withdrew his gaze, and said something.

The group entered the manor and soon arrived at the arena for today's martial arts competition. A wide arena made of sturdy ironwood was presented to them.

"coming!"

On the other side of the arena, two old men opened their eyes one after the other.

As Su Chen and his companions approached, they immediately sensed a faint pressure descending upon them.

"Humph!"

Just then, Ancestor Qian let out a soft snort, and the oppressive aura vanished instantly.

"The old man in the purple robe is the envoy of the Great Zhou. The person next to him is the patriarch of the Great Zhou. The three people standing behind him, from left to right, are Zhou Ruoyun, Chen Hongyu, and Yuan He."

Emperor Qian lowered his voice and introduced them to the four people, his gaze sweeping over the group from Da Zhou.

Su Chen looked up and his gaze fell on Zhou Ruoyun on his left.

He was dressed in black, his face was pale, as if he had been malnourished for a long time, and his body was extremely thin. He stood there with his eyes closed, in an attitude of indifference.

“My benefactor, the guy in black is very strong; he's the strongest of the three.”

Just then, Zhu Yan's voice came from beside me.

Clearly, Zhu Yan had also noticed Zhou Ruoyun.

Su Chen nodded and asked, "Are you confident?"

If nothing unexpected happens, Zhu Yan will face off against Zhou Ruoyun.

"Don't worry, although he is strong, I am stronger. I will definitely be the one to win in the end," Zhu Yan said confidently.

Although his cultivation level hasn't improved much in the past month, his combat strength is now vastly different.

Although he couldn't sense Zhou Ruoyun's strength, he was still confident he could defeat her.

"Song Yang, now that both sides have arrived, let the duel begin."

Zhou Hanwen looked at the composed middle-aged man on the other side of the ring; it was Song Yang.

None of them expected Song Yang to be so young; judging from his appearance alone, he was no different in age from the Emperor Qian.

However, they all learned from Emperor Qian that Song Yang was over 130 years old, older than anyone else present.

Because of her age-defying techniques, she looks so young.

Hearing Zhou Hanwen's words, Song Yang nodded: "Then let's begin."

Both sides are in position.

The competition adopted a lottery system, and those with the same number became opponents.

To show respect for Song Yang, the three from Da Qian were to draw lots first. Song Yang waved his hand, signaling the three of them to go up and draw lots.

The draw results will be out soon.

To the Emperor Qianlong's relief, the results of this lottery were too biased towards the Qianlong Emperor.

In the first round of the competition, Sun Ao faced off against Chen Hongyu.

In the second round of the competition, Qian Zhiyong faced off against Yuan He.

In the third round of the competition, Zhu Yan will face off against Zhou Ruoyun.

At first, he was worried that Sun Ao would face Yuan He, and Qian Zhiyong would face Chen Hongyu.

In that case, there's no need to go to the third round; the outcome of the competition would probably already be decided.

Now, as long as Qian Zhiyong plays normally, he can win a game.

only……

He glanced at Zhu Yan, then at Zhou Ruoyun, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"The duel begins."

Just as he was thinking, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

As the words fell, Sun Ao and Chen Hongyu went on stage one after the other.

Without a single wasted word, the two immediately took action.

"Hmm? Sun Ao has the strength of the second meridian perfection!"

Knowing he was no match for Chen Hongyu, Sun Ao went all out from the start.

He made no attempt to conceal his hidden strength; it wasn't just that he had mastered the two meridians, but that he had reached the pinnacle of the two meridians.

Unfortunately, even with such strength, it was still as fragile as a pheasant in front of Chen Hongyu, utterly vulnerable.

After persisting for over a hundred rounds, Sun Ao was defeated.

"In the first round, Da Zhou won."

The unfavorable start made Old Ancestor Qian's expression slightly unpleasant, but he didn't say anything.

He also knew that the gap between the two sides was too great, and it could not be bridged by simply hiding one's strength.

The second round began, and it was Qian Zhiyong's turn to go on stage. Old Ancestor Qian's expression softened slightly.

Yuan He followed closely behind, displaying his strongest combat power.

To Emperor Qian's surprise, Yuan He's strength was at the peak of the second meridian, far from being a match for Sun Ao.

This frustrated him greatly. If Sun Ao had faced Yuan He in the first round, Da Qian might have already won a game.

Fortunately, the final result was pleasing. With the help of various methods, Qian Zhiyong successfully defeated Sun Ao and won a game.

Only one game left.

All eyes of the people of Daqian turned to Zhu Yan.

Even several people from Da Zhou stared blankly at Zhu Yan; he was simply too young.

He was far too young, at least compared to most of those present.

Ignoring everyone's gaze, Zhu Yan nodded to Su Chen, then leaped onto the arena.

In contrast, Zhou Ruoyun walked step by step toward the arena.

On the arena, the two faced each other across the distance.

"The contest begins!"

As soon as Song Yang finished speaking, Zhu Yan launched the first attack. He wanted to finish the battle quickly and did not intend to waste any time.

With his body surging with Yuan energy, Zhu Yan spread his hands and slowly raised them.

Countless sparks immediately rose up around it; these were the sparks from the Myriad Wonders of the Profound Heart Technique.

Although not as dazzling as Su Chen's thousand needles firing simultaneously, the hundreds of sparks radiating light and heat immediately caught everyone's attention.

The temperature on the arena suddenly rose, and water vapor rapidly evaporated. Zhu Yan was surrounded by sparks, as if he were a god who controlled fire.

"Go."

Zhu Yan gave a soft shout, and more than seven hundred sparks spun wildly, flickering with firelight, sweeping towards Zhou Ruoyun in an overwhelming rush.

Zhou Ruoyun took a step back, stomped her foot hard on the ground, and leaped into the air to avoid the attack of the sparks.

Just then, the sparks suddenly changed direction and shot into the sky.

In the end, they merged together, transforming into a fire dragon, carrying raging flames, and attacked Zhou Ruoyun in mid-air.

Zhou Ruoyun was taken aback by Zhu Yan's unexpected methods and was momentarily stunned. However, he quickly recovered, clenched his fist, and threw a punch.

A thunderous sound suddenly erupted in mid-air as the Yuan energy transformed into a gigantic fist shadow, hurtling down and creating waves of air.

"what?"

However, to his surprise, just as the fist shadow and the fire dragon were about to make contact, they instantly dispersed, turning into sparks that soared upwards and rushed towards Zhou Ruoyun once again.

"Not bad!"

Song Yang's eyes lit up slightly, and he gave an approving sound.

The others were also amazed by Zhu Yan's exquisite control, and their expressions varied.

boom!
The punch struck the ring, leaving a large hole and creating splashes.

"Ok?"

Zhu Yan frowned slightly, and Zhou Ruoyun actually dodged his attack again.

However, he did not panic, but instead used Spark to attack Zhou Ruoyun again.

Below, Su Chen sighed inwardly in regret.

If Zhu Yan had a slightly more refined control over the Myriad Mysteries of the Profound Heart, that attack would have been enough to inflict severe damage on Zhou Ruoyun.

Now all we can do is wait for an opportunity.

"Is this all you have?"

Seeing that Zhu Yan had no other moves besides this one, Zhou Ruoyun's face darkened, and she demanded an explanation.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan chuckled and said, "Yes!"

After he finished speaking, a huge triangular spike appeared out of thin air, spinning at high speed, and slammed into Zhou Ruoyun.

Caught off guard, Zhou Ruoyun had nowhere to dodge. Sensing the terrifying power emanating from the triangular dagger, he let out a long roar, a furious cry like that of a wild beast that instantly echoed outwards.

"Demon Blood Warrior!"

A murmur of surprise rippled through the audience as they gazed upon the savage body that resembled no human form.

At this moment, Zhou Ruoyun's body swelled several times its original size, and every hair on her body stood up like iron.

Its face resembles that of an ape, and its body is as large as a mountain, like a giant, ferocious ape, giving people a sense of awe and pressure.

A roar pierced the sky, causing the surrounding air to tremble.

boom!
A deafening crash resounded, creating a series of surging sound waves that traveled in all directions.

With this huge explosion, the arena below could no longer hold on and shattered with a loud bang.

In an instant, a fierce wind howled, air currents surged, and wood chips flew everywhere.

The space where the two were located had a chaotic feel to it.

Everyone present was a highly skilled cultivator, and their eyelids twitched as they looked at the two people on the arena.

Zhou Hanwen and Song Yang both narrowed their eyes, a hint of surprise in them.

Such power is unmatched even by weaker Qi Gathering warriors.

A barrier of Yuan energy surged around Su Chen, and he stared intently ahead with a somber expression.

He had known for a long time that the Great Zhou was colluding with the Demon Martial Sect, but he never expected that the Great Zhou would so blatantly use Demon Blood Warriors to compete.

Fortunately, Zhu Yan was strong enough that he was not injured.

After the intense collision, both men were left suspended on the shattered arena.

Zhu Yan didn't seem injured; on the contrary, he seemed eager to try again.

Opposite him was Zhou Ruoyun, who was several times larger than him.

Unlike the many demon blood warriors Su Chen had seen, this person had clear and bright eyes.

He looked down at Zhu Yan, and seemed to sense the fighting spirit in his eyes, and was taken aback.

"Great Zhou Ancestor, why are there demon blood warriors in this martial arts competition?"

Before the two could exchange blows again, a cold and fierce shout suddenly rang out. Ancestor Qian suppressed his anger and questioned him.

Old Ancestor Zhou frowned deeply; Zhu Yan's strength had somewhat exceeded his expectations.

I thought I could defeat Zhu Yan without forcing Zhou Ruoyun to reveal her true strength, but now it seems I miscalculated.

This young man is the strongest of the three.

Upon hearing what Ancestor Qian said, Ancestor Zhou glanced at Zhou Hanwen and said indifferently, "It seems there are no such rules in this competition."

After hearing this, Zhou Hanwen looked at Song Yang and echoed, "Senior Brother Song Yang, what do you think?"

"Since there's no such requirement, let's continue," Song Yang said after a moment's thought.

This provision was not included in their agreement.

Upon hearing this, even though Ancestor Qian was unwilling, he could only shut up.

He helplessly turned his gaze to Zhu Yan in the arena, hoping that he could defeat Zhou Ruoyun.

Looking at the huge difference in their physiques, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of pressure.

Old Ancestor Qian and the others looked worried, while Su Chen appeared calm and composed.

The two started fighting again.

Upon learning that Zhou Ruoyun was a demon blood warrior, Zhu Yan abandoned his previous playful attitude and became more aggressive.

His nearly month-long sparring experience was fully displayed in his hands.

Zhu Yan unleashed a variety of Yuan Power techniques, each move causing Zhou Ruoyun some degree of trouble.

He was far away from Zhou Ruoyun, but he suppressed her with just the Myriad Wonders of the Profound Heart Technique.

This situation was somewhat unexpected.

Zhou Ruoyun roared repeatedly, her anger burning fiercely as time went on.

The clarity in his eyes was gone, replaced by a bloodthirsty gleam.

Those ferocious eyes seemed to want to tear Zhu Yan to pieces.

Roar!
Forced to retreat again by Zhu Yan's moves, Zhou Ruoyun could no longer hold back and roared to the sky.

Such momentum is comparable to a powerful attack, and weak martial artists simply cannot withstand it.

After a roar, Zhou Ruoyun's body trembled, and he stomped his foot, his body crashing down like a giant mountain.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Yan's eyes hardened, and his internal energy surged wildly. In the blink of an eye, a tiny triangular dagger condensed in his hand.

The lake water below seemed to be pulled along by the high-speed rotation of the triangular spike, creating a bottomless whirlpool.

Seeing Zhou Ruoyun's heavy attack coming in, Zhu Yan shouted.

The triangular dagger in his hand blazed with dazzling fire, soaring upwards, stirring up waves, swirling the air, and drawing the attention of everyone in the arena.

"go to hell!"

Zhou Ruoyun roared and pushed her demon blood to its limit. With a punch, her powerful blood energy condensed on her fist and shot through the sky.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a human-shaped mountain slammed violently into the indestructible flaming triangular spike.

At the moment of impact, a dazzling spark burst forth like a mushroom cloud.

Then, a tremendous explosion, like the collision of meteors, erupted in mid-air, causing the entire sky to tremble.

Huge shockwaves radiated outwards from the two people, cutting a five-meter-deep gash into the mountain a hundred meters away.

In an instant, the mountain trembled violently, and rocks tumbled into the lake, creating towering waves.

"Won!"

Su Chen stared blankly at the two people at the center of the explosion, his tense expression finally relaxing, and his heart settled down with the sound of the explosion.

In the end, Zhu Yan emerged victorious in this battle.

Zhou Ruoyun is very strong. Among these six people, he is the strongest after Zhu Yan.

Without Zhu Yan, he probably would have won the battle, but unfortunately, he encountered Zhu Yan, who was stronger than him.

puff.

A figure fell into the lake, stirring up waves, but the memory lingered in the hearts of Zhou Hanwen and the others, leaving them unable to calm down for a long time.

"Zhu Yan wins the third round!"

It wasn't until Song Yang's unsettling voice rang out that the outcome of the duel was finally decided.

"Won!"

The old ancestor and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief, and long-lost smiles appeared on their faces.

Even Qian Zhiyong, who was usually serious, twitched the corners of his mouth, his eyes overflowing with joy.

Upon hearing this conclusion, Zhu Yan breathed a sigh of relief. This battle had been a great source of pressure for him.

Simple techniques are no longer enough to harm Zhou Ruoyun; only a direct confrontation will work.

And that was indeed the case; in the end, he relied on his powerful Yuan energy to defeat Zhou Ruoyun.

"Benefactor!"

After winning, Zhu Yan returned to his original position and nodded to Su Chen.

Emperor Qian showed no displeasure at Zhu Yan's attitude; on the contrary, he greeted him with a smile.

"My benefactor, I feel that I will break through again soon!"

However, Su Chen's smile quickly froze.

This damn pervert!
He silently muttered a complaint to himself and glared at Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan was a little puzzled. He had just shared his joy with Su Chen, but why did his benefactor seem to be about to beat him up?
Illusion?
He scratched his head, stopped thinking about it, and turned his gaze forward.

Zhou Ruoyun regained her human form, leaped out of the water, and returned to the Great Zhou army, but her eyes remained fixed on Zhu Yan.

Full of hatred!

Zhou Hanwen and the others also looked extremely ugly, and their glances at Zhu Yan from time to time were filled with murderous intent.

This made Zhu Yan somewhat unhappy.

He lost the duel because he was less skilled, so why did everyone treat him like the murderer who stole his father's wife and glare at him so fiercely?
If you're not convinced, then wait until he breaks through and have a match with him!
Of course, he only thought these words in his mind and did not intend to say them aloud.

“As expected, the Great Qian Dynasty’s fortunes have not run out. In this competition, our Great Zhou Dynasty concedes defeat.” Zhou Hanwen cupped his hands towards Song Yang and said.

He then looked at Ancestor Qian and said, "As for the matter of tribute, we will proceed as Senior Brother Song Yang suggested, starting next year."

Ancestor Qian naturally agreed and nodded slightly.

Having lost the duel, Zhou Hanwen had no interest in conversation. He greeted Song Yang and left in a gloomy mood.

Even at this point, Zhou Ruoyun was still glaring angrily at Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan didn't even glance at Zhou Ruoyun, choosing to ignore her completely.

After Zhou Hanwen and the others left, Ancestor Qian led a few people to bid farewell to Song Yang: "Your Excellency, if there is nothing else, we will take our leave."

Song Yang nodded, then turned his gaze to Zhu Yan: "Zhu Yan, stay here."

"Yes!" Ancestor Qian glanced at Zhu Yan and gave him a look.

Zhu Yan frowned, intending to refuse, but Su Chen stopped him.

In the end, Zhu Yan was left behind, while Su Chen left with Ancestor Qian and the others.

The expressions on everyone's faces were varied.

Emperor Qian glanced back at Zhu Yan, his expression unreadable.

Zhu Yan's remarkable debut has even impressed Song Yang.

Although he didn't know why he was left behind, he knew that with just one word from Song Yang, Zhu Yan could rise above the royal family.

It all depends on whether Zhu Yan is willing or not.

The group quickly left the manor and were about to leave when suddenly an astonishing commotion erupted inside.

Boom boom boom!
It was like a mountain collapsing, or like an earth dragon turning over; the entire mountain village was affected and began to tremble violently.

"what's going on?"

Everyone looked bewildered. When they turned around, they saw the arena filled with light and dust.

"not good!"

Upon seeing this, both Ancestor Qian and Su Chen's expressions changed drastically, and everyone immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Before Ancestor Qian could move, the group felt a gust of wind whistling past. Upon closer inspection, they saw that it was Su Chen.

"His speed..."

Ancestor Qian was stunned for a moment, his cloudy eyes filled with deep shock.

Su Chen's speed was actually three points faster than his own!

Without a second thought, he took a step forward, covering more than ten steps in the blink of an eye, leaving behind the words: "Let's go take a look."

Zhu Yan is in trouble!
With a look of anxiety on his face, Su Chen pushed his speed to its maximum and rushed towards the manor.

Although it's unclear why Song Yang attacked Zhu Yan, if you want to harm Zhu Yan, you'll have to ask for his permission first.

In less than ten breaths, Su Chen arrived at the battlefield, but to his surprise, the two sides fighting were not Song Yang and Zhu Yan.

"what happened?"

He spotted Zhu Yan outside the battle circle at a glance, and in a few strides he arrived beside Zhu Yan, asking curiously.

Upon seeing that it was Su Chen, Zhu Yan explained, "Shortly after you left, someone attacked Song Yang."

An attack on Song Yang?

Su Chen was taken aback upon hearing this, then turned his gaze to the area where dust was billowing up in the distance.

Through the thick dust, I saw that unusual figure.

He exclaimed in surprise, "It's a Demon Blood Warrior!"

"What?" Zhu Yan exclaimed in surprise.

Su Chen stared intently, his expression grave. How could a demon blood warrior appear here and even dare to attack Song Yang?

Could this be Zhou Hanwen's idea?
Various thoughts surfaced in my mind, only to be interrupted by a roar.

Just then, Elder Qian and the others arrived and were greatly surprised to see the demon blood warrior fighting Song Yang.

"What, what's going on?"

The group looked at Zhu Yan and Su Chen, and Zhu Yan briefly told them what had just happened.

Upon learning that it was the demon blood warrior who had attacked Song Yang, the group froze in place.

"He...he is the sect leader of the Demon Martial Sect!"

Emperor Qian stared ahead, made out the appearance of the attacker, and blurted out.

Ancestor Qian still harbored doubts: "How could the Demon Martial Sect Master be here, and what about his strength..."

Looking at the Demon Martial Sect Master who was fiercely fighting with Song Yang, Ancestor Qian's face was full of surprise and doubt.

"Ancestor, the sect leader of the Demon Martial Sect is named Zhou Tianci, and he is a member of the Great Zhou royal family!"

Ever since Qian Ruyuan informed Emperor Qian, he has sent people to inquire about the relationship between the Demon Martial Sect and the Great Zhou royal family.

After a month of investigation, they finally found out the background of the Demon Martial Sect Master.

His name is Zhou Tianci, and his surname reveals his connection to the Zhou Dynasty.

Indeed, Zhou Tianci was the brother of the current emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. He failed in his struggle for the throne and later disappeared.

Who would have thought that he was not missing or dead, but instead transformed into the leader of the Demon Martial Sect, who brought calamity to the Great Zhou and Great Qian dynasties?

However, none of these news reports could compare to the awe-inspiring scene before our eyes.

To Emperor Qian's surprise, Zhou Tianci's strength was actually comparable to Song Yang's.

You must know that Song Yang is a Qi Gathering Warrior, and he is a warrior who has crossed over from the Three Meridians to the Qi Gathering stage.

Even Zhou Hanwen was no match for him, but judging from the current situation, it was clear that Zhou Tianci was suppressing Song Yang.

how can that be!

Emperor Qian could not hide the shock on his face.

Gazing ahead, Ancestor Qian's eyes became serious.

Zhou Tianci's attack made him think of many things; this attack was very likely a conspiracy by the Great Zhou.

The goal was to eliminate Song Yang.

Although Song Yang has advanced from the Meridian Opening stage to the Yuan Gathering stage, his realm is unstable, and he cannot fully unleash his strength.

In this situation, it is the easiest to kill.

Especially since today is the date of their duel, Song Yang, who is usually elusive, will definitely show up, giving Zhou Tianci an opportunity to make his move.

Under other circumstances, neither Zhou Hanwen nor Zhou Tianci might have been able to find Song Yang.

Because Song Yang's residence was not only secluded, but also heavily guarded.

Even if Zhou Tianci could find Song Yang, Song Yang could still escape if he was no match for him.

To think that Song Yang could be killed is nothing short of a pipe dream.

However, due to the martial arts competition, Song Yang has withdrawn all the guards from the manor.

The absence of outsiders actually gave Zhou Tianci an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

boom!
The battle ahead grew increasingly fierce, with the sounds of fighting rising and falling like thunder.

"not good!"

At that moment, Emperor Qianlong exclaimed in surprise.

A figure flew backward from the billowing dust, crashing heavily onto the pavilion in front of it like a sandbag.

With a loud crash, the pavilion collapsed, kicking up a cloud of dust.

And that figure was none other than Song Yang.

Upon seeing Song Yang knocked down, a look of horror crept onto everyone's faces.

"Zhu Yan, come with me and make a move."

Song Yang slowly stood up, looking somewhat disheveled. He spat out black blood and addressed Zhu Yan, who was not far away.

Before Zhu Yan could reply, Zhou Tianci charged in like a meteor.

He had already revealed his demonic form, that of a falcon.

Not only is it incredibly fast, but thanks to the demonic blood of the eagle, it can also hover in mid-air.

boom!
After exchanging a hundred blows, Song Yang had already realized the terrifying energy contained within this body and dared not confront it head-on.

So he planted his feet on the ground and dodged Zhou Tianci's attack.

Zhou Tianci remained unfazed, continuing to display his extraordinary speed as he entangled with Song Yang.

"Zhu Yan, quickly lend a hand to Envoy Song!"

Upon hearing Song Yang's words, Ancestor Qian immediately turned to Zhu Yan. Among everyone present, only Zhu Yan was capable of fighting Zhou Tianci.

The others would likely be defeated in a single move, and even if they went to help, it would be futile and would only increase casualties.

Zhu Yan nodded after hearing this, knowing the seriousness of the matter. Once Song Yang died, Zhou Tianci would definitely not let them off the hook.

So he leaped into the air, becoming a blur, and charged directly into the battlefield.

Zhu Yan's appearance surprised Zhou Tianci, but he didn't take it to heart.

He had just witnessed Zhu Yan's strength, and he didn't think that a martial artist who had opened the meridians could pose any threat to him.

But at that moment, tiny specks of light began to appear in his pupils, growing larger and larger until they filled his entire field of vision.

His pupils contracted, and he looked into the distance. At the end of his vision, Zhu Yan stood suspended in mid-air, his hands holding up the sky full of crimson arrows.

The rockets obediently floated around him, and with a soft shout, they burst forth like soldiers receiving a command.

In an instant, the rockets in the sky transformed into dazzling meteors, leaving behind hundreds of streaks of starlight as they shot toward Zhou Tianci.

Zhou Tianci was surprised that Zhu Yan could launch such an attack, and his eyes narrowed slightly, but a cold smile appeared on his lips: "Overestimating yourself!"

He remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.

Just as more than 700 rockets were about to hit him, Zhou Tianci slightly raised his hand, and as he bent his palm, it was as if the surrounding air currents were being crushed, and then he quickly clenched his fist.

boom!
With a single punch, sonic booms resounded through the surrounding air, echoing across the sky.

"No, get out of here!"

Upon seeing this, Song Yang, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but shout.

Without Song Yang's reminder, the moment Zhou Tianci threw a punch, Zhu Yan felt a terrifying sense of crisis envelop his entire body.

He dared not be careless, and while controlling the rocket, he kept his distance from Zhou Tianci.

Bang bang bang!
Sparks flew in the air as Zhou Tianci annihilated seven hundred rockets with a single punch, turning them into a rain of fire that poured down from the sky.

The remaining force of the fist slammed into the spot where Zhu Yan had just been, leveling all the buildings below.

Seeing that Zhu Yan had dodged his attack, Zhou Tianci's eyes flashed, and he swayed and rushed straight towards Zhu Yan.

Before dealing with Song Yang, he had to deal with Zhu Yan first.

If this person hadn't defeated Zhou Ruoyun, causing the plan to fail, he wouldn't have needed to make a move today.

Since he started this whole thing, let's give him a quick and painless end.

A flicker of panic crossed Zhu Yan's eyes as he watched Zhou Tianci hurtling towards him.

The recent exchange had made him realize one fact clearly: he was no match for Zhou Tianci.

So he decisively shouted, "My benefactor, help me!"

(End of this chapter)