Beginning with the Five Animals Fist to Become a Saint

Chapter 549 One Strike Kills a Grandmaster, the Dust Settles!

In the mountains and forests shrouded in night.

As clusters of blood blossomed, each one of the fleeing Five Swords Sect disciples collapsed, wounded and unable to move.

After a dozen breaths.

Jiang Ning stopped attacking and then shook his head.

"There are too many people; it's really difficult for one person to capture them all!" he sighed inwardly.

Even with his intervention, many Five Swords Sect disciples still managed to escape his attack range, especially those who got up to check the commotion; they were able to easily escape the sect.

All he could do now was observe the effectiveness of Feng Xiaochen's troops blocking the roads.

Then, his gaze returned to the square.

Many of the Five Swords Sect disciples did not choose to scatter and flee, but instead spontaneously engaged in combat with the people he led.

Even though people were injured from time to time, they still fought bravely.

In that short span of time, some of his men fell to the ground, bleeding profusely, their fates unknown.

"Truly admirable!" Jiang Ning thought to himself.

At this point, he stopped making a move and stood in mid-air, quietly watching the commotion below.

As his immediate supervisor, he has helped more than enough.

Once they embark on this path, there will be no shortage of battles to come, and he will not be able to be by their side to protect and support them at all times.

Ultimately, the only person you can rely on is yourself.

These people will eventually be able to stand on their own.

Without experiencing large-scale battles and accumulating sufficient combat experience, how can one become capable of standing alone?
These people didn't have his opportunity.

He stared silently down below, his eyes burning with fury.

In the firelight, he could clearly see the trajectory of each exchange between the people below, the changes in their blood and qi, the flow of their strength, and the surge of their inner energy.

The Five Swordsmen disciples who stayed behind to cover the rear in the square, under Jiang Ning's watchful gaze, attacked without holding back.

They knew their fate was sealed.

If we don't seize this opportunity and work hard now, we'll never have another chance.

"Sigh!" Jiang Ning sighed inwardly.

A strong gust of wind ripped through it.

clang--

In an instant, a glint of cold light in the midst of the chaotic battle was deflected.

A man dressed in a dark red official robe touched his neck, feeling the pain of his skin being cut open and the dampness of blood on his fingertips. He felt as if he had survived a calamity.

He thought his life was about to end there after that unavoidable stab.

Unexpectedly, someone stepped in and saved his life.

"Is he an adult?" The thought flashed through his mind. He dared not be distracted and continued to focus all his attention on charging into the chaos.

After Jiang Ning chose to help secretly, he did not hesitate any longer.

The chaotic battle unfolded before his eyes, occasionally a gust of wind would break through the air, resolving a crisis for one of his men.

With his secret assistance.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the chaotic battle in the entire square had ended.

The five sword disciples who stayed behind to cover the rear almost all chose to die in battle, with only a few being captured.

As the battle settled down, the entire square quickly returned to calm.

Zhou Xing, Xie Xiaojiu, and Feng Jiuge exchanged a few words, and then Xie Xiaojiu and Feng Jiuge led their group deeper into the Five Swords Sect complex.

"My lord!" Zhou Xing greeted Jiang Ning from below with a bow.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning landed.

"What about the casualties?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Three were killed, nine were seriously wounded, and the rest suffered minor injuries of varying degrees," Zhou Xing said, cupping his hands in greeting. His robes were also stained with blood.

Jiang Ning nodded.

"Take your men down the mountain and go to the northern route to provide support!"

“Yes, sir!” Zhou Xing replied.

Then he called to the rest of the group and they quickly headed down the mountain.

On one side of the square.

Feng Xiaochen left some of the wounded to clean up the battlefield, and then ordered his deputy to lead his men in several separate groups.

The Five Swords Sect was situated in a mountainous area, making it easy to hide. He also led his men to begin a thorough sweep of the Five Swords Sect's territory.

In the blink of an eye.

Only a dozen or so wounded soldiers remained in the square to clear the battlefield.

The bodies were categorized.

The bodies of comrades and the wounded, in particular, were placed on a clean platform to the side.

Seeing this scene before me.

Jiang Ning also closed his eyes and focused all his energy on activating his divine sense.

In an instant, his divine sense enveloped the entire mountain belonging to the Five Swords Sect, covering every corner.

Whether it was in the sky or on the ground, everything entered his mind.

He saw where everyone was positioned.

They saw groups of people surging towards various places in a carpet-like fashion, with fierce battles taking place along the way.

He also saw Xie Xiaojiu leading his team straight towards the Five Swords Sect's treasure vault.

His gaze then fell in the direction of the treasure vault.

The treasure vault doors remained tightly shut, and drops of blood had already fallen in front of them.

There were several lifeless corpses not far away.

Clearly, a battle had taken place at the entrance of the Five Swords Sect's treasure vault amidst the chaos.

Jiang Ning's gaze immediately fell on the white-haired old man at the door.

"As expected, a sect that has flourished for nearly a hundred years must have some foundation!" Jiang Ning thought to himself.

Upon noticing the old man at the entrance of the Five Swords Sect's treasure vault, he knew that he was someone that Xie Xiaojiu and the others could not handle.

Immediately.

He gripped the Five Swords Sect's Supreme Elder in his hand and flew through the air. In an instant, he was one step ahead of Xie Xiaojiu and slowly landed at the entrance of the Five Swords Sect's treasure vault.

With the emergence of Jiangning.

The old man, who had just been calm and composed, immediately stood up.

"Old man Cheng, you've actually fallen into the hands of a young man!" The old man at the door said solemnly.

"Grandmaster?" Jiang Ning asked.

"A Celestial Master?" the old man at the door asked.

Jiang Ning nodded, and the old man nodded as well.

"Truly, a new generation replaces the old!" the old man at the door remarked with emotion as he looked at Jiang Ning.

"As expected, the Five Swords Sect does have some foundation!" Jiang Ning said.

"I am not a member of the Five Swords Sect!" the old man immediately spoke first.

"Aren't you from the Five Swords Sect?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Because I have a good relationship with Old Man Cheng, and I am old and have no descendants, I am living in the Five Swords Sect to retire." As soon as he finished speaking, the old man quickly made way for the Five Swords Sect's treasure vault.

"Do you think I'll believe that?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Just ask Old Ghost Cheng, he'll know. I was a big shot in my youth, known as Old Ghost of the Yellow River!" the old man quickly explained.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning's gaze fell on the silent Supreme Elder of the Five Swords Sect.

“Envoy Jiang, he is not lying to you. He is not a member of the Five Swords Sect. Apart from myself, the Five Swords Sect has never had a second Grandmaster! Every Grandmaster was once a powerful and influential figure with a great reputation. They must have had their own growth trajectory. How could they appear out of thin air?” The Supreme Elder of the Five Swords Sect spoke.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning nodded slightly.

This can be considered an acceptance of that statement.

Because what he said makes sense.

Every grandmaster starts from the ninth rank, and then takes one step at a time to eventually enter the ranks of the third rank grandmaster.

How could someone who grows up to become a grandmaster remain unknown and leave no trace of their growth?

Even he, having completed the process so quickly, has already gained considerable fame.

"Old Ghost of the Yellow River," Jiang Ning murmured.

"I'm here!" the old man guarding the Five Swords Sect's treasure vault immediately responded. "You have a huge loophole!"

"What vulnerability?" the old man asked.

“The Five Swords Sect’s treasure vault is such an important place that it’s impossible to let an outsider guard it!” Jiang Ning said.

The words fell.

A flash of light appeared in his hand, followed by the appearance of a long sword.

Upon seeing this, the old man was slightly taken aback, but he regained his senses in less than a tenth of a breath.

Right now.

Boom——

In the still night sky, a thunderclap boomed, like the spring thunder at the turn of winter and spring, awakening the earth and bringing all things back to life.

The thunderous sound went straight to the soul.

The old man suddenly seemed dazed.

next moment.

He felt his consciousness blur and everything went black.

It was then quickly engulfed by darkness.

As the old man who had just been guarding the treasure vault slowly collapsed into a headless corpse, Jiang Ning couldn't help but secretly admire him.

He secretly praised the Jingzhe sword technique.

The most wondrous aspect of the Jingzhe sword technique is its intent.

The sword intent burst forth, as if it could awaken the earth and cause the spring thunder to reawaken everything.

This loud bang not only rang in my ears, but also in my mind, containing an impact on my soul.

This impact on the spirit and soul intensified further when he experienced the transformation from Yin to Yang, and his divine soul began to evolve into a Yang spirit.

In matches between players of similar skill levels...

A moment of distraction can often become a fatal flaw.

Especially for him now, a single slash carries two profound meanings.

One type is the Awakening of Insects, which impacts the soul.

One method is the wood-splitting knife technique, which has the effect of cutting through anything.

With a burst of sword intent, a single strike could extinguish waterfalls and rivers, bringing them to a standstill.

The combination of these two true meanings was enough for him to kill an ordinary grandmaster with a single strike.

Jiang Ning sheathed his sword.

The blade in his hand flashed with golden light and was then pocketed.

"Old Ghost Huanghe didn't lie to you!" The Supreme Elder of the Five Swords Sect said, looking at the corpse slowly falling to the ground.

"That's not important anymore!" Jiang Ning shook his head.

"My lord!" A familiar voice came from not far away.

Jiang Ning turned his head and saw that the person who came was Xie Xiaojiu, who had led the team.

"Seal off this treasure vault and forbid anyone from approaching!" Jiang Ning ordered.

"Yes, sir!!" Xie Xiaojiu glanced at the corpse on the ground, then bowed and accepted the order.

Jiang Ning grabbed the Supreme Elder of the Five Swords Sect and disappeared in front of Xie Xiaojiu in a flash.

Even though the Five Swords Sect's Supreme Elder was old, weak, and seriously injured, he dared not leave him alone to be guarded by others.

He was well aware of how terrifying a Grandmaster could be.

Even a grandmaster who is on his last breath cannot be protected by ordinary martial artists.

The strongest among his subordinates is Xie Xiaojiu, who only reached the sixth rank because of his special training.

The difference between the sixth rank and the third rank is not just a little bit, but a world of difference.

This is why he chose to strike suddenly and kill the old man known as the Yellow River Old Ghost.

It wasn't just because of the judgment he had just made, but also because he couldn't control such a deep-thinking, shrewd, and experienced master.

I don't have time to look at this grandmaster tonight.

Even though the Five Swords Sect is now only a remnant of its former strength, it still poses a huge challenge to those he brought with him.

In the governor's mansion, apart from him, the strongest among his subordinates was a sixth-rank official.

The Five Swords Sect is a top-tier sect in Dongling County.

Not only were there grandmasters, but also several fourth-rank masters, as well as a group of elders who had entered the fifth-rank inner strength realm.

There are even more sixth-rank martial artists.

Just now in the square, there were half a city's Star Chasing Crossbowmen in command, one hundred for one city and fifty for half a city.

Such a number could pose a threat to a Grandmaster.

Even He Changkong, who was at the peak of the fourth rank, was hit by arrows when faced with a volley of more than twenty crossbow bolts.

Because of the presence of this powerful elite force wielding Star Chaser crossbows, the battle in the square was able to end quickly.

But it's different when you break it down into smaller parts.

The imbalance in high-end combat capabilities between the two sides will be particularly evident.

If he doesn't make a move, he could take down the entire Five Swords Sect tonight, and who knows how many people will die or be injured.

An hour later.

The sky was bluish-gray, a vast expanse of dark sea.

At this time, the Five Swords Sect returned to silence once again.

"My lord, the statistics are complete! The Five Swords Sect currently has a total gold inventory worth approximately 25,000 to 30,000 taels of gold." Xie Xiaojiu respectfully reported to Jiang Ning.

"So many?" Jiang Ning was somewhat surprised.

He had previously heard about Xiao Emei's statistics on the Water Moon Sword Palace.

According to Xiao Emei at the time, there were only about 12,000 taels of gold.

The Five Swords Sect has inevitably lost some wealth in the chaos, but it still has a value of 25,000 to 30,000 taels of silver.

This is equivalent to having two Water Moon Sword Palaces.

Hearing Jiang Ning's question, Xie Xiaojiu remained silent.

“My lord, the Five Swords Sect has a much deeper foundation than the Water Moon Sword Palace!” Xiao Emei, who was following beside him, explained.

Hou Yingying, who was following behind her, had already restrained the murderous aura she had just unleashed and had become unusually gentle.

During the hour-long wrap-up work, Hou Yingying, the Grand Elder of Shuiyue Sword Palace, and Xiao Emei also participated.

Moreover, quite a few Five Swords Sect disciples died at their hands tonight.

But no matter how many people they had just killed or how much killing intent they had unleashed.

Standing beside Jiang Ning at this moment, he also became unusually gentle.

Tonight, I witnessed Jiangning's strength.

Hou Yingying knew that her previous feelings were not wrong at all.

Jiang Ning's strength far surpasses that of Xiao Qiushui in the past.

Facing He Changkong's Hundred-Step Flying Sword, he was completely fearless.

Facing the Supreme Elder of the Five Swords Sect, he crippled him in just a few moves, rendering him incapable of resistance.

Jiang Ning's combat strength and methods have exceeded the two men's understanding.

Not knowing their true nature and depth only fueled their fear.

Hearing Jiang Ning's doubts, Xiao Emei quickly spoke up to explain, afraid that Jiang Ning would think she had made a false summary.

She knew that if Jiang Ning had the strength to destroy the Five Swords Sect, then he certainly had the strength to destroy the Water Moon Sword Palace.

"Xiao Jiu, how much cash do you have?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Your Excellency, there are over three thousand one hundred taels of gold and two hundred and thirty thousand taels of silver," Xie Xiaojiu reported.

Jiang Ning said, "Tonight's participants will each receive ten taels of gold, and the death compensation will be one hundred taels of gold for each person. At the same time, two hundred thousand taels of silver will be given to Feng Xiaochen."

"Yes, sir!" Xie Xiaojiu replied.

"Twenty percent of the figures should be tallied and prepared to be handed over to the national treasury. The rest, please handle them properly!" Jiang Ning pondered for a moment before giving the order again.

"Yes, sir!" Xie Xiaojiu replied again.

"Also, pack all the rare and precious materials of the Five Swords Sect into boxes and sort them, and transport them to the Water Moon Sword Palace. I will be staying there for a few days! I will need them then!" Jiang Ning continued.

"Yes, sir!!" Xie Xiaojiu accepted the order once again.

(End of this chapter)