Settling the Score

It's no wonder people often say that Ninth Rank and Eighth Rank are merely improvements to the physical body, such as increased physical strength and greater power, essentially still being on the path of 'training'.

However, once you break through to Seventh Rank and master True Qi, that's when you truly step onto the path of martial arts.

Just like now, even though Zhang Heng is injured and his strength is far from its peak, Lu Zhaojin would still need to expend some effort to kill him.

Lu Zhaojin unleashed ten sword lights in an instant, crisscrossing like a woven net, enveloping Zhang Heng.

Zhang Heng's palm techniques were grand and sweeping, his True Qi surging, dissolving each sword light. He could also counterattack with a palm strike, hitting Lu Zhaojin's chest and abdomen, but it caused no substantial damage.

This made Zhang Heng's expression turn to horror. He hadn't expected Lu Zhaojin's attainments in Hardening Techniques to be so profound that even palm strikes condensed with True Qi couldn't harm him.

If it were before he consumed the Blood Ginseng, this palm strike could have made him stumble back several steps and suffer internal injuries.

Now, his physical body, nourished by the medicinal power of the Blood Ginseng, had become even tougher. Even True Qi could barely penetrate it, let alone cause damage to his internal organs.

However, the power Zhao Jinzhi had used back then was not comparable to this True Qi. That power was more refined, and if it had been even denser, it might have blasted a large hole in him.

Even his current physical body might not be able to withstand it.

Therefore, in Lu Zhaojin's mind, he definitely had to be wary of Zhao Jinzhi's trump card.

Lu Zhaojin seized the opportunity while Zhang Heng was in a panic and swung his sword towards his neck.

Zhang Heng retreated in alarm, while Lu Zhaojin pressed his attack relentlessly.

Zhang Heng crashed into the stone wall, panting. Due to Lu Zhaojin's relentless pressure, he could no longer suppress the True Qi within him. It surged again within his body, making it difficult for him to even mobilize his True Qi.

Suddenly, Zhang Heng spat out a mouthful of blood, clutching his chest with his right hand. His face turned as pale as paper, the True Qi wreaking havoc around his heart.

At this moment, Lu Zhaojin's sword also pierced straight towards him, the tip aimed precisely at Zhang Heng's heart.

Zhang Heng seemed to see Zhang Jiao and Zhang Mang waving at him. Today might be his end, and also the end of the Zhang Family.

But he, Zhang Heng, was unwilling!

After so many years, he had finally waited for an opportunity for the Zhang Family to prosper. It was so close; his Zhang Family would have become the foremost family in Shiqiao City, and he, Zhang Heng, would have become the City Lord of Shiqiao City. How could he die here?

Zhang Heng fought back desperately, no longer suppressing the True Qi within him. He fully mobilized his own True Qi, gathering it in his palm.

"Tablet Splitting Palm!"

Zhang Heng roared, and a violent gust of wind erupted around him. His disheveled hair fluttered without wind, his robes billowed, and a hurricane howled, as if exerting immense repulsive force. Lu Zhaojin's thrusting sword was obstructed and failed to land its blow.

Simultaneously, Zhang Heng's right palm, which had gathered all his strength, landed squarely on Lu Zhaojin's chest cavity, sending him flying backward. As he hit the ground, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Lu Zhaojin didn't notice that the blood he spat out was even redder, like molten lava. His gaze was fixed on Zhang Heng.

Zhang Heng remained in his palm-striking posture, but his eyes were unfocused and devoid of spirit, staring blankly ahead.

Lu Zhaojin got up from the ground. This time, the Hundred Refined Sword finally pierced his heart, and then severed his head. He was dead, beyond any doubt.

[Killed Seventh Rank Martial Artist, EXP +5000]

[EXP: 7568]

A great harvest.

Lu Zhaojin exhaled a breath of turbid air. The spot on his chest that Zhang Heng had struck was now throbbing faintly, and his breathing had become somewhat labored. It seemed he had sustained internal injuries from that palm strike.

Lu Zhaojin looked at the three diverging paths, casually chose one, and prepared to find a quiet, secluded place to upgrade the Flowing Water Art to Perfected and achieve the Seventh Rank.

Just as Lu Zhaojin left, the people who entered afterward arrived at the scene. Smelling the scent of blood in the air, their expressions changed, and they drew their weapons, guarding against unknown dangers.

They saw the corpses of the Zhang Family guards. They picked up the still-burning torches, holding them aloft to illuminate a larger area.

Finally, they could see the full picture and also the headless Zhang Heng. They couldn't help but let out a gasp, their hearts filled with worry and fear. They hadn't expected even a Seventh Rank expert to die here, and they began to hesitate about venturing further in.

In a side passage.

Lu Zhaojin sat cross-legged in a clearing just large enough for one person.

[Consume 2500 EXP to upgrade Flowing Water Art?]

Lu Zhaojin decisively chose to upgrade the Flowing Water Art.

[EXP: 5068]

[Flowing Water Art (Perfected)]

As the last two meridians were opened, an invisible stream of energy was generated within his body, circulating through the unobstructed meridians. It completed the great and small heavenly cycles, finally settling in his dantian, lingering there for a long time.

Lu Zhaojin's realm also seemed to be like a chick breaking out of its shell, advancing to the Seventh Rank, also known as the True Qi Realm.

[Realm: Seventh Rank Early Stage]

Lu Zhaojin opened his eyes, which shone with spirit, like two candles in the darkness, drawing attention. However, no one else had entered yet, so no one noticed him.

Lu Zhaojin felt the True Qi circulating within his body and under his control. When he gathered it in his palm and struck the stone wall to his right, a muffled sound was heard. A palm print was left on the wall.

At the same time, he took out the Hundred Refined Sword from his system inventory. Circulating True Qi, the sword body emitted a faint blue light. He slashed forward, and a beam of sword energy shot out, leaving a narrow, finger-deep sword mark on the stone wall ahead, exuding a sharp aura.

Lu Zhaojin sheathed his sword, a smile filling his eyes. "Now this is what a sword cultivator should look like."

With the breakthrough in his realm, his injuries were also healed. Lu Zhaojin did not delay. On Mount Qi, there was still the Zhao Family, his enemy, to deal with.

Lu Zhaojin continued forward, arriving at another open cave. Before him, there were still three diverging paths. "A cunning rabbit has three burrows?"

Lu Zhaojin chose a path at random, as he did before. Unless the owner of this cave dwelling was knowledgeable in formations and the Eight Trigrams, unwilling for others to find their remains, or intended to test visitors, then proceeding forward would surely lead to the destination.

Lu Zhaojin had no particular interest in formations or the Eight Trigrams. If he couldn't find the cave dwelling, he would simply wait by the entrance, and they would eventually come out.

Fortunately, this cave dwelling wasn't as complicated as he had imagined. The sound of intense fighting drifted from ahead, and Lu Zhaojin even recognized a familiar voice.

That voice stirred fragments of the previous owner's memories, bringing forth a weathered face that bore a seven-tenths resemblance to the previous owner, only more mature.

The previous owner's father was ahead.

Lu Zhaojin couldn't help but quicken his pace.

Or rather, the lingering obsession of the previous owner was driving him.

With Zhang Heng's death and the Zhang Family's downfall, the previous owner's final wish was to see his father one last time through this body.

Once this obsession was gone, this body would completely belong to Lu Zhaojin.

Lu Zhaojin didn't forcefully try to stop it, as he didn't want such a ticking time bomb inside him.

Passing through a narrow tunnel, the area opened up before him.

This cave was much larger than the previous ones and had no diverging paths. It seemed this was the main cave dwelling.

Towards the back of the dwelling, there was a platform with three stone pillars. On top of them sat three brocade boxes, which were likely the treasures left behind by the cave dwelling's owner.

To reach the platform, one had to ascend the stairs on either side.

In the middle of the stairs stood a stone tablet, covered in dense text, seemingly detailing the identity of the cave dwelling's owner.

But no one was paying attention.

They were engaged in a free-for-all for the treasures on the platform, with no one willing to yield to another.

Lu Zhaojin also saw the familiar figure amidst the chaotic battle, feeling a slight trance.