Origin Paradise!

A lieutenant general laughed and said, "Lord, you are a brave and unstoppable force as you charge into battle alone on the road. Why not show us a few skills?"

"In the military, it all comes down to fists," a commander sighed, shaking his head.

Many officers spoke up.

Jiang He picked up another chicken foot with her chopsticks and turned to look at the Prince of Anbei in the main seat.

The Grand Commander Wang still held considerable prestige, but he was already finding it increasingly difficult to control this group of fierce and ruthless generals. People naturally strive for higher positions, and if the soldiers of Yizhou wanted to continue developing, they had to support the Prince of Anbei. Meanwhile, the serious rebellion in the south further fueled the ambitions of the soldiers of the Anbei Governor's Office.

As for the current competition, it may seem like a simple contest of strength and competitiveness, but in reality, it has far-reaching implications. Winning, losing, drawing, injuring, crippling, or killing will all represent different choices.

Jiang He waited for a moment, but the Prince of Anbei remained silent.

He had already understood what the other person was thinking.

For this prince, borrowing foreign aid to quell the fire at the governor's mansion was a matter of utmost urgency, and he was willing to reward him with real power and influence. However, if he let the wolf into the house, the foreign aid and the four generals would stand together, which would only make things worse.

The Prince of Anbei naturally knew General Chen's temperament. This banquet was exactly what he had been waiting for. The position of adjutant general and the "Treatise on the Rise and Fall" were both part of the "give before you take" principle.

Jiang He neither confirmed nor denied this. In the simplest terms, it was a matter of taking money to do something. As long as the other party offered enough, he would have no problem assassinating the four generals tonight. Whether it would succeed or not was another matter.

The best course of action is cooperation; otherwise, we'll just be used like a disposable knife.

Jiang He said, "Why don't we ask Your Highness to leave a prize?"

"The Duke who quelled the rebellion has great courage."

“A dignified lieutenant general could easily deal with a mere strongman.”

"I don't think we need to guess who will win this prize."

The King of Anbei nodded and said, "The winner of the martial arts contest will receive five Chengxuan bronze tokens."

The bronze token martial arts correspond to the mid-level martial artist level. In Anbei Wang's view, if someone wins, they can use it to reward their subordinates, and if they lose, it will not benefit the opponents.

Jiang He got up and walked out of the Xiaoyong Hall to the open space outside. After the Prince of Anbei spoke, the leader of the personal guards in the corridor immediately arranged for the guards to bring over two weapon racks, which were filled with all kinds of weapons, including swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, and forks.

General Chen beckoned, and at the end of the hall, a strong and robust man suddenly stood up. He was exceptionally tall and strong, and despite it being late autumn, this man of extraordinary strength was only wearing a short jacket.

"Commander He, don't let the Earl think that my Yizhou has no one to rely on."

"I will obey my orders."

Commander He clasped his hands in a fist salute and strode out of the hall.

All the generals left their seats, and even the few garrison commanders who felt it was none of their business didn't mind watching the spectacle.

The Prince of Anbei glanced at her, and the princess understood. She said, "Commander He is a rare and valiant general in our Anbei army. He was promoted three levels for his merit in being the first to charge into battle. Now, his level of mid-grade martial arts has reached perfection. Even in the vast martial arts world, he is a top expert among the younger generation."

“Let’s begin,” said the King of Anbei.

As soon as he finished speaking, Commander He shouted, and a faint black light rose from the front of his body under his short jacket. His true essence combined with his body, greatly enhancing his defense. This Iron Shirt technique was only a rudimentary mid-grade martial art, but it could effectively protect him in the midst of battle.

Among the onlookers, a sharp-eyed warrior exclaimed in admiration:

"Commander He's Iron Shirt technique has reached a high level. When he uses his internal energy, he can easily withstand swords and spears. Compared to his progress in martial arts, his daily training is even more admirable. Anyway, I'm not willing to go through that kind of hardship."

General Chen remembered the appearance of the soldier, who seemed to be trying to get closer to him.

Chapter 119 Iron Generation Kung Fu

Outside the Hall of Valor.

He Qianhu took a step forward, and the floor cracked into several pieces. Iron Shirt was just a martial art he had picked up for self-defense. At this moment, his entire right hand was surrounded by a strong gale, shaped like a sharp claw. When he raised his hand and swung it down, it burst out with a buzzing sound that could shatter gold and break jade.

Superior Martial Art: Dragon-Capturing Claw.

Once you reach the mid-level martial artist stage, your true essence can be released outside your body. This time, the sharpness of the dragon claw's edge in the dragon-capturing strike is no less than that of a precious sword or saber.

Jiang He watched as the figure in front of him approached. Neither of them chose any of the weapons on the weapon rack. Due to his agility value of 13 points, he felt that his opponent was a little slow, somewhat like the slowed-down movements during a martial arts demonstration.

With a single punch, the immense force of Ming Jin (a type of internal energy) was unleashed.

Jiang He struck his opponent's wrist with incredible speed, and the Dragon-Capturing Claw seemed to break in the middle, the gale instantly dissipating into nothingness. Then he threw another punch, aiming straight for the heart.

He Qianhu felt a sharp pain in his wrist, his blood boiled, and his face contorted in rage. He immediately adjusted his position and forcefully took the punch to his chest. Then, he swung his right hand a second time, and the Dragon Claw reappeared with terrifying force. As a mid-level martial artist, he had also mastered the techniques of Ming Jin.

boom!

The hard sensation came from the tip of his fist. Jiang He felt as if he had hit iron. Martial arts are only divided into minor and major achievements, which respectively represent the ability to use the skills freely and the ability to master them.

As the dragon claw attacked, Jiang Hesong used his fist as a palm strike, then suddenly struck with the heel of his palm, unleashing a powerful force from his wrist. He used both visible and hidden strength simultaneously.

One day, when the inner and outer are integrated into one, the transformative power will naturally arise.

The immense force caused He Qianhu to stagger backward. A dark and profound strange force permeated his body, sweeping through his limbs and bones, completely disrupting and disintegrating his own internal strength. The dragon claw gale dissipated in the blink of an eye.

The hidden strength of a superior martial artist is absolutely superior to the manifest strength of a mid-level martial artist.

He Qianhu gritted his teeth and endured it. His left hand overflowed with true energy, resembling a tiger's head, while his right hand surged with fierce winds and dragon claws. When his fist and claws struck out together, the momentum was astonishing.

The Dragon-Capturing Claw and Tiger-Taming Fist complement each other perfectly. If Commander He were to advance to the rank of a superior martial artist and combine them into the secret technique Dragon-Capturing Tiger-Taming Hand, its power would increase exponentially.

With a roar like a dragon and a howl like a tiger, Jiang He delivered a brutal straight punch. The cyan and red energy swept forward without any skill, and the moment it touched the gale and true essence, the excellent level of corrosive power quickly annihilated it, and the tip of his fist struck his opponent's chest.

The hidden force surged like seawater, and a large, clear hole suddenly appeared in He Qianhu's chest.

Jiang He punched his opponent in the forehead again, the punch continuing until it shattered half of the skull. He followed up with a hand chop, the fierce corrosive power amplified, instantly severing the man's head.

He Qianhu's headless corpse fell, his death a gruesome sight; the Iron Shirt defense was as fragile as paper in the face of corrosion.

In the shadows, the black figure serving the Prince's Palace remained silent. The Duke of Pingluan clearly displayed his internal strength skills, but his aura remained at the level of a mid-grade martial artist. Combined with the strange occurrences in Chengxuan Tower earlier, a terrifying guess quietly emerged.

In just a few rounds, Commander He, a mid-level martial artist at the peak of his skill, died. General Chen's expression was gloomy. The man's attack was so fast that he didn't even have a chance to stop him. He lost a loyal general without any gain, and he was so heartbroken that he almost gritted his teeth.

"Lord Earl's promotion to the highest rank is just around the corner."

One of the generals looked displeased. By killing Commander He in public, Pingluanbo had essentially cut himself off from the various factions of the four generals. From now on, this guy would be a lone minister, and lone ministers often act violently. To gain credit and rewards, they would inevitably have to take people down with them.

The King of Anbei finally smiled genuinely at this moment tonight.

"Your uncle has unfortunately passed away. I am a generation older than you, so I will give you a courtesy name a few years in advance. If it is 'Ji Ping Huo Luan' and 'Qing He Zhuo Zhuang', then how about this courtesy name, Wu Yang?"

"I'll shoot you..." Jiang He clasped his hands in a gesture of respect with a calm expression. It was a pity that every word he uttered in this occasion was a formal statement. Otherwise, this guy wouldn't have been able to gain such an advantage so easily. Being a generation ahead in seniority meant having a greater advantage in status.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

The soldiers looked on with envy. In this situation, giving a junior a courtesy name was like stamping his official status as a member of the direct line. The prince was so fond of the Duke of Pingluan. However, mastering the hidden strength meant that he had a high probability of becoming a high-ranking martial artist. A young and fierce general who could fight against hundreds of armored soldiers was indeed worth recruiting.

The shadowy figure reappeared and handed the four bronze medals to Jiang He.

"My lord, please come with me."

After the two left, the King of Anbei led his generals back to the Hall of Valor to continue the interrupted banquet.

……

Chengxuan Tower.

Jiang He strolled on the second floor. The mid-grade martial arts here were all-encompassing, but none of them could significantly improve his combat power.

"We need to come up with a core idea."

Jiang He recalled He Qianhu's Iron Shirt technique from earlier. This skill mainly strengthens the forebody and has decent defensive capabilities. Without using corrosive energy and the Everlasting Regret Spear, his normal attacks are actually not very effective.

The shadowy figure followed behind, and being alone with the Grandmaster who seemed to have been possessed and reborn made him feel a little anxious.

An hour later, Jiang He had ten more cultivation manuals in his hand, all of them from the "Iron" generation.

Iron Head Kung Fu, Iron Crotch Kung Fu, Iron Bridge Kung Fu, Iron Shirt Kung Fu, Iron Embryo Kung Fu...

The shadowy figure stared blankly for a moment. “Lord, there’s no end to the training. This kind of rudimentary hard skill requires training in the coldest and hottest winters and summers. It takes repeated physical exertion and recuperation to see results. With your talent, you don’t need to wait for recuperation. Mastering internal strength will make you a top-grade martial artist in no time. It will only take a few years, and your martial arts skills will exceed the number of copper tokens.”

"Are you an old man?" Jiang He asked.

The shadowy figure looked bewildered. "No."

"Go and inform the prince that I want to take these ten books with me."

Jiang He picked up the martial arts manuals of the Iron generation, not interested in exchanging them one by one. He went back and forth repeatedly, which was also a good opportunity to test the tolerance of the Prince of Anbei.

The shadowy figure left for the Hall of Valor, only to return half an hour later.

"Your Excellency, the Prince said that only nine books can be taken."

Jiang He nodded. The Prince of Anbei didn't care about a few mid-grade martial arts manuals, since the entire building belonged to the Prince's mansion. However, he clearly didn't want to tolerate his bottom line being crossed again and again. The number nine was essentially a warning.

After the selection was completed, Jiang He handed back a copy of the Iron Back Kung Fu, a martial art that largely overlapped with the Iron Shirt technique.

As we left Chengxuan Tower again, the banquet in Xiaoyong Hall was drawing to a close.

Jiang He did not join the commotion. Instead, he went to the neighboring Pingluan Earl's mansion. Although the nominal master was not there, the servants, maids, and guards inside were still able to keep the mansion running normally.

……

Meanwhile, in the study of the Yan family mansion.

The head of the Yan family took a sip of the cliff-drenched tea from Suzhou and Hangzhou. The tea trees that produce this tea are very unique. They grow on cliffs and only sprout when it rains. When the rain stops, the leaves fall. If you want to pick the tea, you have to take a great risk.

Behind him, the attendant's shadow reported on the movements of the Prince's Palace.

Across from the desk, a young man in a brocade robe was resting with his eyes closed.

"Did the Prince of Anbei choose a courtesy name for the Earl of Pingluan?"

"That's something new."

"With the death of the commander, the two nobles are now bound together by a single rope."

"Since that's the case, let's teach the Duke of Pingluan a lesson."

The offering's shadow quietly departed.

The head of the Yan family instructed his eldest son: "It is the Jianchi Mountain Sword Tournament, which takes place once every twenty years. People from all over the country are everywhere. You should not go out recently. There may be some extraordinary people among them. You still need to continue practicing your skills. If our Yan family can produce a grandmaster, then our thousand-year heritage can be considered secure."

The young master said helplessly, "Father, repeatedly robbing and killing land caravans, even with the canal transport as cover, is still too risky."

The head of the Yan family coldly rebuked, "Foolish child, how can you cultivate the Five Organs Monk's divine skills without fresh internal organs? There's no need to mention this matter again; your grandfather has already tacitly agreed to it."

The young master sighed.

Chapter 120 Advancement to Mid-Rank Martial Artist

late at night.

After meeting with the housekeeper, Jiang He went directly to her bedroom and began practicing the Withered Heart Sutra.

Thanks to the guidance of the Daoist Ku Rong, he quickly entered a state of basic tranquility, calmly sensing the ever-flowing and omnipresent "qi" between heaven and earth.

Martial artists are divided into three ranks: superior, middle, and inferior. To become a formal inferior martial artist, one needs to sense the heavens and earth and generate the first wisp of true essence.

There are 365 acupoints in the human body. After the true essence is born, it will grow stronger and accumulate in the dantian according to the different cultivation paths of different techniques. This process is the stage of a low-grade martial artist. The true essence can enhance fists, feet and weapons.

Once one of the twelve meridians is fully opened and a small internal circulation is formed, one can be promoted to a mid-grade martial artist and release true energy externally. At this stage, half of the martial artists have mastered the Ming Jin technique.

Once all twelve meridians are opened and a large internal circulation is formed, one can be promoted to a superior martial artist and use extremely powerful secret techniques. Half of the masters at this level have mastered the technique of hidden force.

For a superior martial artist, the process involves opening up the eight extraordinary meridians.

In the bedroom, Jiang He held her breath and concentrated.

As a player, he possessed a large amount of energy, and the sensing process went quite smoothly.

[Hint: You have gained one energy point]

[Energy Value: 1601/1601]

As the Heart Meridian of Withering and Flourishing circulates, a newly generated wisp of energy flows sequentially through the acupoints.

Different cultivation methods select different acupoints in terms of both number and order, resulting in a wide variety of cultivation methods, as numerous as the stars in the sky.

As time went by, Jiang He's skin gradually lost its luster, her cheeks became thin, and her eye sockets became sunken.

A withered state appears.

[Hint: You have acquired the Common-level Energy Trait - Wither]

Depression, sluggish thinking, and general weakness.

Jiang He felt as if she had walked through the desert for countless days, like a piece of rotten wood that was about to be weathered.

Outside, a slender little girl in white ran in carrying a bowl; the fourteen bloodstone stones had been boiled into a soup.

"Big snake, don't die!" Zhuang Ya whispered.