Mortal Saint

Chapter 68: Chapter 66: Manifesting Sainthood with the Blade! Minor Success in the ’Sword Mountain Stance’, a Possible Upgrade for the Primordial Daoist Talisman?

"I think the Young Head has misunderstood something."

Ji Xiu said with a smile:

"What makes you think you can just say ’let’s call it even’ and we’re done?"

"The debts between us, one by one, can’t be settled with just a word."

"A Life and Death Contract, signed in black and white. Once we’re on the stage, even the County Yamen can’t interfere with Martial Artists."

WHOOSH!

His figure leaped from the deer’s back.

"After you."

His simple words fell.

The thin blade was already back in the youth’s hand. In the next moment, it was poised to draw blood, enraging and startling Yang Yan. He stumbled backward, his hand reaching for his own saber:

"Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"If it weren’t for you finding a good Master, this Young Master could crush a Groom like you ten thousand times with one finger! You believe me? Ten thousand times!"

"And now you’re talking about a Life and Death Contract? Did cultivating Golden Muscle and Jade Veins rot your brain? You haven’t even passed the Bone Barrier! Even if you were a reincarnated Human Immortal, you couldn’t defeat someone whose force has reached the marrow! You idiot!"

"After I take care of you, I’ll just run for it! My old man was tight-lipped about your Master’s background, but I bet my family’s connections mean we don’t have to be afraid of you!"

SCRAPE...!

Yang Yan dragged his saber, scraping it against the ground with a hissing sound, his eyes bloodshot as he gritted his teeth.

’This little brat. You gain a little strength and now you’re trying to act like a Martial Saint? Like the Leader in his youth, who could kill me with a single glance?’

’You must have fried your brain practicing martial arts! You really think I’m afraid to take you down just because you have a Master?’

’After I kill you, I’ll just skip town tonight. Since when have I, the Young Head of the Tiger and Leopard Hall, ever had to put up with this kind of shit!?’

He leaped into the air. His Spinal Dragon connected to his meridians, making a WHOOSHING sound. Blood Marrow surged with Force, instantly bursting his clothes apart!

With a single leap and slash, he aimed to take Ji Xiu’s head!

’Heh, my Saber Technique is already perfect. Father once said that after a bit more refinement, I should go to my uncle to learn Nourishing Stance and Concealing Martial Arts. How can you possibly...’

However.

"Is that all you’ve got?"

Ji Xiu glanced over, finding the Saber Technique ’riddled with holes.’ He couldn’t help but feel contempt:

"The Young Head of the Tiger and Leopard Hall, and your skills are this crude?"

’Crude?’

Yang Yan was shocked and enraged. Before he could speak, he saw Ji Xiu raise his blade, his eyes suddenly flashing with a silver light. A chill ran through Yang Yan’s heart:

’Ten Steps One Kill... this kid’s Sword Dao Attainment is comparable to a master who’s been immersed in this blade for over a decade. I can’t fall for his tricks. I have to crush him with sheer force...’

Before the thought was even finished, he saw the youth’s Spinal Dragon suddenly tremble.

In an instant, the Qi and Blood around his body flared like a fiery cloud. A ferocious aura spread through him, as if Force itself was bursting from his bones. His great tendons tightened, and the Power Dao in his wrist more than doubled!

"Bone Tempering Realm... Spinal Dragon?!"

Yang Yan was terrified.

But then...

The hair on his body stood on end as he vaguely sensed an ephemeral ’stance’—like a searing fire, like forged steel—begin to crush him, constricting his breath and throwing his technique into disarray...

He was dumbfounded.

"Th-this is..."

BANG!

Through the shattered main entrance of the gambling den, in a flash, a blade sliced through the twilight, piercing steel and shattering iron!

Ji Xiu twisted his wrist. His stance was like a Sword Mountain and Fire Sea as he swung horizontally, directly cleaving the Tiger and Leopard Hall’s Young Master’s saber in two before viciously plunging his blade into his opponent’s shoulder blade!

SQUELCH!

He pressed the blade in, the coldness in his eyes unwavering, and drove it forward several steps!

He pinned Yang Yan straight to the ground. Watching the blood fly, his eyes, instead of wavering, grew brighter as he murmured:

"Master Duan, is this what it means to ’draw blood’..."

"Why am I not as scared as I was during my first fight?"

He remembered fighting Qiao Jin with a Wooden Blade and how terrified he had been afterward.

Now, having pinned the arm of the Tiger and Leopard Hall’s Young Master to the ground, his heart was instead pounding with excitement, with no trace of fear...

Ji Xiu smiled.

"As I thought... I’ve never stopped moving forward."

Yang Yan was horrified, his face twitching as he stared at Ji Xiu. "You..."

SLAP!

Ji Xiu expressionlessly took out the Life and Death Contract and forcibly pressed Yang Yan’s thumb onto it.

"Sign it."

Feeling his arm go numb, his body no longer under his control, Yang Yan was overwhelmed with grief and indignation.

’What the hell, you’re going to kill me and you’re still worried about the rules?!’

"I’m a reasonable person."

Ji Xiu looked at his expression and grinned, quite satisfied.

’I see. No wonder Master Duan likes to be reasonable.’

’When reason is in your own hands...’

’It really does feel good!’

[Defeated a Bone Tempering Realm ’Marrow-Penetrating Force’ expert with ’Sword Mountain and Fire Sea Stance’. A thousand days of hammering is not as good as drawing the blade’s edge. Progress advanced by +47!]

[Current: (54/1000)]

"Oh?!"

When the feedback from the Primordial Daoist Talisman appeared, Ji Xiu’s eyes lit up.

’All my hard work practicing dozens of slashes can’t compare to unsheathing my blade just once!?’

’So, the path I’m on isn’t the path of Ji the Blade Deity grinding for levels at Ten Li Slope, but a glorious Dao of ’making a grand show, becoming a Manifested Saint before the masses, defeating all heroes, and proving my own blade’!’

Just as Ji Xiu’s heart was soaring, feeling he had discovered a new path...

"Brother Ji! Watch out!"

Zhang Qing, struggling on the ground, roared with all his might!

At the same time, from all directions, the dozen or so experts Yang Yan had brought with him—including the Bone Tempering master Zhang Shiyao—having recovered their senses and taken in the scene at the gambling den, all rushed forward at once!

Ji Xiu glanced to the side and couldn’t help but grin.

"Excellent timing!"

’You all...’

’...are the proof of my tireless, bitter training!!’

...

「A while later.」

The dust settled.

More than a dozen experts of the Bone Marrow Refining and even Bone Tempering realms lay scattered on the ground.

[Defeated a Bone Marrow Refining Realm ’Muscle Forging’ expert with ’Sword Mountain and Fire Sea Stance’. A thousand days of hammering is not as good as drawing the blade’s edge. Progress advanced by +17!]

[Defeated a Bone Tempering Realm ’Spinal Dragon’ expert with ’Sword Mountain and Fire Sea Stance’. A thousand days of hammering is not as good as drawing the blade’s edge. Progress advanced by +33!]

[Defeated a Bone Marrow Refining Realm ’Muscle Forging’ expert with ’Sword Mountain and Fire Sea Stance’. A thousand days of hammering is not as good as drawing the blade’s edge. Progress advanced by +14!]

...

[Sword Mountain and Fire Sea Stance: (313/1000)!]

[Tutor’s advanced progress has reached Minor Success in ’Sword Mountain and Fire Sea Stance’, comprehending ’Sword Mountain Stance’!]

In an instant, all the Profound Mysteries of ’Nourishing Stance and Concealing Martial Arts’ flooded into Ji Xiu’s mind.

He looked at Yang Yan, upon whom he had forcibly pressed the thumbprint, as the dust settled.

He then turned to look at Zhang Qing and with a domineering wave of his hand, announced:

"Little Sixth, your debt..."

"...your big brother has settled it for you!"

With that, his blade swung down, taking the head of Yang Yan, the Young Head!

Cutting the weeds and pulling out the roots!

The Jade Deer, lying in a nearby corner, watched in amazement.

’Like master, like apprentice!’

’The Armless Martial Artist from the other day, who tore apart demons with his bare hands and refined them in an instant...’

’...and this black-clad youth today, who dominated the entire floor with a single long blade...’

’...they’re practically cut from the same cloth!’

And just as Ji Xiu let out a long breath, about to grab Zhang Qing and make a quick escape before the Tiger and Leopard Hall did something desperate...

Suddenly————

[Item detected nearby that can upgrade the rank of the ’Primordial Daoist Talisman’!]

[Item detected nearby that can upgrade the rank of the ’Primordial Daoist Talisman’!]

Ji Xiu’s eyes narrowed. He snapped his head up, looking toward the second floor!

There...

...standing silently at the corner, was a figure dressed in black.