Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

There were clusters of death flowers in front of me, nearly a hundred of them.

Their growth requires very specific environmental conditions.

There are not many places in the entire Kunlun Mountains that can nurture the 'flower of death'.

It cannot be separated from the ice layer, nor can it be artificially cultivated.

Once removed from its environment, it will quickly wither and turn into ice water.

The only way to preserve the 'Flower of Death' is to freeze it.

That's right,

It involves sealing it with a whole block of ice to prevent any leakage of its aroma.

A single block of ice can only freeze one flower.

in addition,

Even when frozen, it can only last for seven days.

Once the flowers wither, they will wilt and turn to water, losing their effectiveness.

Because it is rare and cannot be preserved, and it has the power to bring the dead back to life and revive all things.

Therefore,
Each 'flower of death' is priceless, worth more than ten thousand silver dollars.

There are 107 Death Flowers in the small valley, which means their total value exceeds one million silver dollars.

"Priceless but unavailable! Perhaps that's how it is?"

Looking at the death flowers in the valley, Chen Jie muttered to himself:

"To extract the essence of these deadly flowers, we need to use the most advanced extraction technology, which requires us to move to the 'urban world'."

"One hundred and seven flowers can yield one hundred and seven extracts."

"Seven portions are enough to wake Old Chen up. The remaining one hundred portions might be used to refine my divine sense, allowing me to break through to the 'Sitting in Oblivion' state in one fell swoop!"

The Flower of Death is a typical example of something that is expensive but unavailable; no matter how much money you have, you may not be able to buy it.

It only blooms during a specific season.

And it only blooms for one day before withering and turning into water.

Therefore,
If you want to pick them, you must do so on the day they bloom.

Moreover, it cannot be preserved for long; it only has a shelf life of seven days.

The extremely stringent conditions combined make it extremely expensive and difficult to buy.

This is the main reason why Chen Jie came to the Kunlun Mountains in person.

He used his divine sense to survey the surroundings, and found that there were only one hundred and seven Death Flowers in this valley area.

There were originally 108 flowers, but he just picked one, and it turned to water when he touched it.

Although he refined and absorbed it, the effect was greatly reduced.

To fully realize its benefits, it must be extracted.

in fact,

Inside the Imperial Armory, there is a method of alchemy that can activate the effects of the Flower of Death.

However, alchemy can only bring out 60% of its medicinal effects.

To obtain the full efficacy of the medicine, Chen Jie had to transport it back to the 'Urban World' and use the most advanced extraction technology in the modern city to extract the essence of the Death Flower.

According to the information provided by the authorities, this valley where the "death flower" appeared was discovered by a herb gatherer several decades ago.

At first, only three flowers were picked.

Unfortunately, after the herb gatherer sold the herbs, he was targeted by bandits and eventually killed.

Information about this valley is only recorded in the archives of the Imperial Household Agency, and it is difficult for outsiders to learn about it.

Chen Jie originally just came to try his luck, but he didn't expect it to grow so much.

boom--!
next moment,
Chen Jie stopped wasting time.

Once he confirmed that the transparent flowers in front of him were flowers of death, he immediately began to pick them.

First, use the Wuji Sword to cut pieces of ice from the ice layer.

Then hollow out the ice block and put the picked dead flowers into the ice block to freeze them.

A sword-wielding dharma form appeared, and a powerful force emanated from it.

The longsword danced, constantly slicing and cutting at the distant ice blocks.

For a while,
The ice was separated into pieces and hollowed out, just like turning into tofu.

Under the control of divine sense, ice blocks rapidly froze one death flower after another.

After freezing one flower, it flew to the side and neatly stacked up.

Chen Jie unleashed his full power, his attention highly focused, and his speed extremely fast.

Cut the ice, hollow it out, pick the flower of death, move it in, and freeze it again.

This is no small project.

However, under Chen Jie's powerful control, it seemed very easy, comparable to an assembly line operation.

In less than half an hour, he had picked and frozen 80% of the Death Flowers in the entire valley.

The clusters of dead flowers have all been picked and frozen.

Only a few scattered ice crystals remain around the perimeter, which have not yet been frozen.

that's it,
At the exit of the valley, ice blocks were piled up to form a small hill.

Fortunately, this is located in the Kunlun Mountains, where the temperature is very low, so the ice won't melt.

but,

When Chen Jie tapped the Blood Dragon Jade in his mind, intending to open the 'Martial Saint Gate'...

Unexpectedly, the 'Martial Saint Gate' could not be opened.

Just like that time in the deep abyss, it does not meet the conditions for opening the 'Martial Saint Gate'.

"What's going on? I specifically tried to open the 'Martial Saint Gate' back in Lianyun Village, so why can't it be done here?"

Chen Jie was completely dumbfounded.

If the 'Martial Saint Gate' cannot be opened within the valley, then a transportation problem arises.

All these frozen 'flowers of death' must be transported to Lianyun Village.

"What do we do now? How am I supposed to get all this ice out of the mountains?"

He originally planned to freeze the Flower of Death in the valley, then open the 'Martial Saint Gate' and transport it to Ice and Fire Island in the 'Urban World'.

However, the conditions for opening the 'Martial Saint Gate' are not met now, so we can only transport these ice blocks to 'Lianyun Village' and then open the 'Martial Saint Gate' for them to be moved.

The next half hour.

Chen Jie froze all the Death Flowers with ice and piled them at the entrance of the valley.

One hundred and seven ice blocks, just like a small iceberg.

It's too big for one person to move.

"It seems the only option is to hire someone to transport these ice blocks to Lianyun Village by horse-drawn carriage, and then open the 'Martial Saint Gate' to move them to the urban world."

Chen Jie thought to himself.

If we had known that the Blood Dragon Jade couldn't be activated in the valley, we should have arranged for the Cao Gang to come forward in advance, or paid the Changfeng Escort Agency's caravan to provide support.

However, these 'flowers of death' can be preserved for seven days after being frozen.

in time!
After making up his mind, Chen Jie dug a large pit near the valley.

He put all the frozen ice blocks into the newly dug pit.

The top was covered with ice and snow.

Although anyone passing by here can easily see the traces around.

but,

The valley is located in a very remote area, with cliffs blocking the way, and is more than ten miles away from the main road.

Normally, apart from herb gatherers, almost no one comes to this valley.

Even if you come to this area, you can't find the path to the valley.

After cleaning up all traces around him, Chen Jie checked everything again to make sure nothing was amiss.

"According to the map provided by the palace, there is a village of about 100 households about 10 miles north of the valley."

“I went there to find someone to help me transport all these ice blocks to Lianyun Village.”

"The villages in the Kunlun Mountains are mostly inhabited by Tibetans. They don't have many ulterior motives and are very simple and honest."

"As long as I pay more, there shouldn't be any problems."

"If the people in these villages dare to covet the 'Flower of Death,' then we'll have no choice but to unleash a massacre!"

Chen Jie thought to himself.

quickly,

He frowned slightly and couldn't help but shake his head.

"What's going on? Ever since I broke through to the 'Great Perfection of the Late Stage of Contemplation' in the Refining Spirit Realm, my resentment has not only not disappeared, but has become stronger and stronger?"

"Could it be because of the pressure Miyamoto Musashi is putting on me?"

His excessive anger has little impact on his current level of cultivation.

He can control his own consciousness and thoughts.

He glanced at the buried ice, then took out the map and examined it for a moment. The next moment...
He started walking towards the small village on the north side of the valley.

-

On a mountain road in the Kunlun Mountains.

"Shh, don't make a sound!"

Lan Feng, who was walking on the mountain path, heard Bai He beside her suddenly call out in a low voice.

Swish!
Lan Feng stopped and listened carefully to the sounds around her.

However, after listening for a while...

All that could be heard was the sound of the mountain wind blowing; there was no other sound.

"What happened?"

After Lan Feng heard no sound, she asked in a low voice, gripping her long sword tightly, not daring to relax her grip.

Bai He also gripped her long sword tightly, her gaze fixed on a pile of rocks not far from the mountain path, her expression becoming serious and full of vigilance.

Next,
She flashed to the front of the pile of rocks, picked up something, examined it carefully, and then said to Lan Feng:

"You've seen this before, haven't you?"

Lan Feng glanced at what Bai He had just picked up; it was a shuttlecock.

Suddenly, her eyes widened in surprise:

“A shuttlecock! I played this shuttlecock with Ya Ya and Chen Jie yesterday. There was a broken feather on it. I remember it very clearly.”

Bai He nodded slightly.

The thing she just picked up from the pile of rocks was Ya Ya's shuttlecock.

A feather fell off the shuttlecock, and it looked very conspicuous.

only,
At this moment, the shuttlecock was frozen solid among the rocks due to the extremely low temperature.

"Yaya's shuttlecock fell on the road; she should have passed through here!"

"Their family left via this road; it seems they left voluntarily."

Bai He looked at the shuttlecock and guessed.

Lan Feng nodded and quickly said, "Let's go back! Let's tell the people from Changfeng Escort Agency."

Bai He suddenly remembered something and shook her head, saying:
"No need! Since they left on their own, it means they don't want anyone to know where they went."

"If we notify the Changfeng Escort Agency, it will only expose their whereabouts."

"Ya Ya has lost all her shuttlecocks. They must have left in a hurry. Maybe they ran into some trouble and are hiding from their enemies."

Upon hearing this, Lan Feng widened her eyes and said:

"Hiding from enemies? Could it be bandits?"

"No, I need to go back and inform Chen Jie to be very careful and not to leave Lianyun Village."

"It's all my fault. Why didn't I think about the bandits here when I left Lianyun Village?"

"If I had known, I would not have left Chen Jie and would have stayed with him to rest in Lianyun Village."

Bai He was completely speechless after hearing Lan Feng's words.

She sighed helplessly and said, "You are really seriously poisoned. How could Chen Jie, a scholar, possibly leave Lianyun Village alone?"

"Forget about bandits, even if he encounters wild wolves, he won't survive."

It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned it, because as soon as she did, Lan Feng became anxious.

"Huh? Wild Wolf! Why didn't you remind me sooner? I need to go back!"

It was clear that she was genuinely worried about Chen Jie's safety.

Bai He threw the frozen shuttlecock on the ground and said speechlessly:

"Lan Feng, you look so distracted. You really need to think about your future."

"Is it really worth it to fall in love with a scholar and want to dedicate your life to him?"

"Alright, I've said my piece, I don't want to try to persuade you anymore."

"To be honest, I regret coming to Kunlun Mountain this time. I shouldn't have let you come with me."

"Let's go back to the caravan first. As for Ya Ya and her family leaving, let's not get involved."

"Do you remember what Master specifically told us when we left Xining? 'When you're traveling the world, don't meddle in other people's business!'"

Lan Feng was taken aback upon hearing this and was about to retort.

but,

Just then, a sinister voice came from more than ten meters behind them.

"Your master is right. When you're traveling the martial world, you really shouldn't meddle in other people's business!"

"Otherwise, if you offend someone even your sect can't afford to offend, you won't even have a chance to regret it."

"Tang Qinghu of the Qinghu Sword Sect still has some self-awareness!"

Lan Feng and Bai He instantly gripped their longswords, exclaiming in surprise, "Who goes there?"

Swish!
Five people emerged from behind a huge rock a dozen meters away.

The person walking in the very middle was a middle-aged, burly man wearing a tiger-skin coat.

His face was full of menacing features, and his eyes gleamed with a fierce light.

His face was covered in pimples, giving him an extremely domineering appearance.

Behind him followed four bodyguards dressed in black.

These bodyguards were completely covered in black clothes, just like Japanese ninjas.

Judging from the aura emanating from them, each of the bodyguards had broken through to the Marrow Transformation and Energy Transformation realm in martial arts.

at this time,

Four bodyguards stood behind the burly man in the center, staring coldly and mercilessly at Bai He and Lan Feng, like a ghostly judgment.

"That coward Tang Qinghu warned you all not to meddle in other people's business when you're out in the world."

"You guys are really something, ignoring his words completely."

"Even if you want to mind your own business now, it's too late."

The burly man with a face full of pimples ordered the guards behind him, "Arrest those two!"

"Yes!"

The four guards nodded in agreement.

Swish!
Next, one of the bodyguards made a move.

Bang!
A loud bang was heard on the mountain road.

The guard stomped his foot, and his figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

It's so fast!
The speed of the mid-stage of the Yi Sui Hua Jin realm far surpasses that of Lan Feng and Bai He.

"Oh no! Bai He, retreat quickly—!"

Lan Feng was taken aback, her gaze sharpened, and she called out to Bai He.

but,

Their martial arts skills were only at the early stage of Iron Bone Dark Force, far inferior to those of the secret guards.

in the blink of an eye,

The bodyguard who was on the move stopped in his tracks.

He was holding Bai He and Lan Feng in his hands.

one move!
Indeed, the two women were captured alive by this bodyguard without even taking a single move.

"My lord, should we kill them, or—?"

The bodyguard stepped forward and asked the middle-aged, burly man with a face full of pimples.

The middle-aged, burly man glanced in the direction of the mountain path, shook his head, and said:
"Don't kill them for now. The people from Changfeng Escort Agency are here. Take these two women with you."

"Although the Qinghu Sword Sect is not very strong, it has sided with the imperial court and has the support of the Canal Gang. It is not to be trifled with."

"Once we catch up with Yang Wenbo, we'll see if we should kill them to silence them."

finished,

The burly middle-aged man with a face full of scars glanced down at the two trembling women, a sinister smile spreading across his face, and said:

"I haven't had any meat since I left Guanzhong."

"You two are lucky. I originally wanted to kill you, but you two are decent-looking and look like virgins."

"Haha—don't worry, you will definitely not be treated badly if you become my women, Yanluo Dantu."

hum!
Upon hearing that this burly, middle-aged man with a face full of scars was the infamous Yama, Dan Tu, known throughout the martial arts world...

Lan Feng and Bai He felt their minds go blank with a buzzing sound!
They knew very well what their fate would be if they fell into the hands of Yama, the Demon King.

at this time,

They wanted to end their own lives.

but,

The guards were prepared and sealed their dantian and meridians, rendering them unable to move.

Swish-!
next moment,
Yan Luo Dan Tu and his four bodyguards, along with Lan Feng and Bai He, swiftly disappeared from the spot. (End of Chapter)