The two martial halls began fighting with real blades and real spears, gambling their lives.
More than three hundred martial artists took part in the final battle.
They fought until heaven and earth went dark, until blood flowed like a river.
Even the county yamen did not dare step forward to mediate.
Only after the fighting ended did the yamen constables dare come out to clean up the mess.
In that battle, both father and son of the Wang family were beaten to death by the master of Black Tiger Martial Hall.
With its top-tier fighting force gone, Golden Saber Martial Hall naturally collapsed at the first blow.
Not long afterward, Golden Saber Martial Hall scattered like monkeys when the tree fell, utterly destroyed.
Black Tiger Martial Hall became the final victor.
Yet strangely, on a late night three days later, every member of Black Tiger Martial Hall was killed.
But the people who wiped out Black Tiger Martial Hall did not take over the assets of either Black Tiger Martial Hall or Golden Saber Martial Hall.
After killing everyone, they vanished outright. It seemed they did not care about the martial halls' wealth at all.
Later, all the properties, money, and other assets of Black Tiger Martial Hall and Golden Saber Martial Hall were taken over by the Xian'an City county yamen.
Golden Saber Martial Hall's main compound was then converted into a private school.
After listening to the teacher's account, you understood the full sequence of events.
But you did not understand why everyone in Black Tiger Martial Hall had suddenly died three days later.
Was it a coincidence?
More than a hundred vigorous martial artists had all died overnight.
It could not possibly have been a coincidence!
Or was there actually an even greater force behind Golden Saber Martial Hall?
Had Black Tiger Martial Hall been exterminated in retaliation?
"There are still experts?"
You became more cautious about taking revenge on Golden Saber Martial Hall.
You wanted to ask further about Black Tiger Martial Hall's extermination.
But the teacher did not know the specific details either.
You could only let it go. After all, it had happened twelve years ago.
You did not continue showing your face around Xian'an City.
The force behind Golden Saber Martial Hall might notice you.
You knew the only thing you could do was continue improving your strength.
You headed south all the way, arriving at Huanan Village, a small village at the foot of Celestial Peak Snow Mountain.
The weather in this small village was frigid, so the population was sparse. It was very suitable for living in seclusion.
You quietly bought a small courtyard and secluded yourself there from then on.
While your neighbors chopped firewood every day to keep warm, the cold weather had no effect on you.
A bone tempering martial artist no longer feared the cold.
Sometimes, you even stripped off your upper garments to cultivate amid the ice and snow, quickly shedding excess heat.
Everyone who saw you was shocked. They all praised you as a great fool, saying you did not know hot from cold.
You continued cultivating as usual.
In the sixty-second year, your seventh Condensing True Qi succeeded.
The True Qi after this refinement not only grew more powerful, but could now break through the defenses of a Skin Refinement Late Stage martial artist.
Its range of coverage also increased to three zhang.
The method of firing Condensing True Qi had become a genuine long-range attack.
The weather fully entered the depths of winter.
Heavy snow fell upon Huanan Village.
Looking out from your small courtyard, all you could see was an expanse of white.
Though the weather was cold, every household instead became livelier.
Because New Year's Eve would arrive in three days.
Even the poorest farming households would buy a red lantern and hang it outside their courtyard gates.
Dots of vivid red adorned the pure white world, and the festive atmosphere gradually deepened.
New Year's Eve.
Snowflakes drifted down, and ten thousand households shone with lamplight.
You did not cultivate today.
You set out a table and chairs in the small courtyard and arranged several fine dishes.
On the small stove beside you warmed the most expensive Drunken Immortal Brew from Fulin Tavern.
A bite of food, a sip of wine—you drank by yourself.
"Young Master He is certainly in the mood. Poor me, I do not even have anywhere to go~"
A familiar voice, tinged with resentment, drifted over.
Wan Qingluan appeared in your small courtyard.
Her dress was snow-white, and her features were breathtakingly beautiful.
Snowflakes rustled down onto her shoulders.
At this moment, she no longer possessed her usual cold and aloof air, nor had she retained her liveliness.
Her eyes were unexpectedly full of sorrow and resentment.
You secretly found Wan Qingluan's change in temperament strange.
But you did not ask further, instead inviting her to have a cup of warmed liquor.
Wan Qingluan sat across from you with a sigh.
You and she began drinking cup after cup.
From time to time, she said a few words to you, but her expression remained sorrowful.
Looking into her resentful eyes, you almost suspected that you had wronged her before.
But in truth, you were not familiar with her at all.
During that time, she repeatedly invited you to join the Extinction Sect.
But you firmly refused every time.
A sect that everyone wanted to beat to death.
Whoever wanted to join could join. You definitely would not.
The two of you drank until the sky gradually brightened.
After staying up all night, even your healthy routine had been disrupted.
You returned to your room to catch up on sleep.
When you woke in the middle of the night, Wan Qingluan was still in your courtyard.
"Damn, has she latched onto me?"
You walked over. "Heroine Wan, you have eaten and drunk enough. Why have you not left yet? Don't tell me you plan to go through the motions and sleep with me?"
Wan Qingluan raised her little white face. Her crystalline lashes trembled, and her face was filled with terror.
"Young Master He, please, do not drive me away!"
A martial artist several realms above you was actually pleading pitifully for you not to drive her away.
You felt that something was not right about this situation.
But Wan Qingluan did not look like she was pretending.
You looked at her. "Heroine Wan, is someone hunting you?"
If there truly was a martial artist who frightened even Wan Qingluan hunting her down, then you certainly would not be able to protect yourself.
In that case, you could only activate escape mode again.
Wan Qingluan shook her head. "Young Master He, no one is hunting me. I just think the outside world is very frightening."
Wan Qingluan's tone was sincere. She was not joking.
You frowned at her.
Wan Qingluan, whose cultivation was so profound, was actually saying that the outside world was dangerous.
Wasn't the outside world dangerous precisely because of dangerous people like you, Wan Qingluan?
You hesitated and pondered for a while.
Then you suddenly had a clue.
You abandoned your courteous attitude and roared sternly at Wan Qingluan, "Wan Qingluan, tell me! Why do you think the outside world is dangerous? If you don't tell me, I'll throw you out!"
Wan Qingluan trembled, her tone weak. "There are so many people outside whose cultivation is higher than mine. It is very dangerous!"
"Then just don't provoke those experts. Are they going to attack you automatically?"
"But, but I still think it is very dangerous..." Wan Qingluan's face was full of worry.
From Wan Qingluan's attitude, you gradually became certain of your guess.
You again roared at Wan Qingluan in a low voice, "Wan Qingluan, every time I see you, your temperament is different. What is going on? If you don't tell me, I'll still throw you out!"
"I... I do not know either..."
Wan Qingluan's gaze wandered. At a glance, you could tell she was lying.
You directly picked Wan Qingluan up, making as if to throw her out of your small courtyard.
"Young Master He, don't drive me away! I'll tell you!" Wan Qingluan said hurriedly.
Frightened, Wan Qingluan's blood and Qi surged, leaving her face faintly flushed.
A glimmer of crystalline moisture also shimmered in her eyes, making her look pitiful and lovable.
Wan Qingluan spoke with a faint sob in her voice. "The reason you thought my personality was different those previous times was because of the cultivation technique I practice."
A cultivation technique that affected one's personality sounded rather sinister. You felt it did not sound like any proper cultivation technique.
But on second thought, it made sense.
The Extinction Sect was one of the Three Great Demonic Cults. Wouldn't it be embarrassing if they practiced proper cultivation techniques?
They would not even dare greet acquaintances when they met them outside.
People of demonic cults ought to cultivate bizarre demonic arts. That was perfectly reasonable.
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