As all the wealthy merchants departed, a terrifying smile spread across the Eerie Youth's lips.
Suddenly, his neck swayed slightly, twisting into an inconceivable shape like a snake's neck. His pair of dark, sinister eyes abruptly settled on Jiang Dao.
"Are you from the Jiang Family?"
The moment Jiang Dao met his gaze, the hairs all over his body rose uncontrollably, as if some unknown ferocious beast had suddenly fixed its eyes on him. His body reacted on its own, every muscle tensing.
His five fingers clenched tightly around the saber hilt as he asked in a low voice, "Yes. Who are you?"
"The Jiang Family, heh heh... Without my permission, no one is allowed to leave now!"
The Eerie Youth smiled.
Jiang Dao's heart rapidly sank.
"Has my Jiang Family offended you?"
"Yes. Last night, you killed one of my Malevolent Spirits."
The Eerie Youth spoke blandly.
Jiang Dao's pupils contracted.
That rotting Malevolent Spirit had been controlled by this youth?
He immediately turned and left, swiftly departing from the place. Turmoil roiled in his heart, and his five fingers nearly crushed the steel saber.
Trouble!
The thing he had feared most had indeed happened!
The Malevolent Spirit he had killed had an owner behind it.
The Eerie Youth watched Jiang Dao's retreating figure, his neck swaying as though boneless. He was indescribably strange, giving off a faint stench of rot and gloom as he stared at Jiang Dao with a bizarre smile.
"M-My lord, since he offended you, why let him leave?"
General Gongsun asked nervously from the side.
The Eerie Youth's pitch-black eyes swept faintly toward General Gongsun, his voice eerie and enchanting. "Don't you think it's quite fun to let someone slowly fall into despair, then kill them bit by bit?"
General Gongsun immediately shuddered.
A cat toying with a mouse!
This was the classic cat toying with a mouse!
But he had never expected Jiang Dao, the Jiang Family's eldest young master, to be so ferocious that he had killed a Malevolent Spirit?
Could it be that he had also become one of those bizarre entities?
Jiang Dao returned all the way home, his face incomparably grim.
Jiang Dalong came forward at once. Upon noticing Jiang Dao's expression, his heart jolted, and he asked, "Dao'er, did something happen again?"
"No, Father. Don't worry!"
Jiang Dao shook his head heavily. "Don't rush to leave today. Let's stay in the city for another two days and see."
He did not wish to reveal the truth now, lest it cause another wave of panic.
Under the current circumstances, Jiang Dao had clearly become the backbone of the entire family. Any news from him could potentially cause chaos, so he had to endure it.
But Jiang Dalong had sharp eyes. At a glance, he saw that Jiang Dao was burdened with worries, and he could not help growing anxious again.
After hesitating slightly, he said, "Dao'er, I plan to gather all the city's wealthy merchants, prominent gentry, and some highly respected people at our home tomorrow to discuss a countermeasure. If the authorities still insist on sealing the city, we'll join forces and charge out. At worst, we'll rebel together. I refuse to believe the authorities can stop so many families."
He was prepared to go all out. No matter the cost, he had to leave Hengzhou.
Jiang Dao felt heavy at heart and nodded gently. "Leave everything to Father's arrangements!"
Only he knew this method would not work, because that youth atop the city wall was clearly no ordinary person.
The authorities had 'them' backing them. No matter how many people gathered, it would likely be useless.
But doing something was still better than doing nothing.
After bidding Jiang Dalong farewell, Jiang Dao sought out Pang Lin once more.
"Master Pang, I want to look for more secret manuals. Are there any auctions in the city? Could you keep an eye out for me?"
Jiang Dao asked.
"Young Master wants to seek other secret manuals? Alright, but the city has been in chaos lately. I'm afraid those auctions may no longer be able to operate. I'll personally go take a look this afternoon."
Pang Lin said.
"Thank you for your trouble, Master Pang!"
Jiang Dao said.
Afterward, he returned to his room and opened the panel again.
Four martial arts had now reached the realm of one hundred and twenty years later. Only the Wind Chasing Saber remained at the realm of sixty years later.
Looking at the Wind Chasing Saber, he hesitated slightly and fell into thought.
Could the Wind Chasing Saber be fused into the Blood Shadow Saber Art?
The two saber arts had originally been utterly unrelated. Yet he had practiced one for one hundred and twenty years and the other for sixty years. His comprehension of both had reached the point of consummate mastery, so fusion was entirely possible.
The essence of the Wind Chasing Saber Art was one word: fast.
Fast as a gale!
So fast it chased the wind!
The essence of the Blood Shadow Saber was primarily slaughter.
All forty-nine forms existed solely for slaughter.
Jiang Dao sat cross-legged on the bed and began to deduce them within his mind.
The two saber arts turned into countless streams of information, intertwining, merging, and evolving within his mind. He removed overlapping and cumbersome movements one by one, retained the essence of each, and added many new movements based on his own understanding—movements ordinary people could never perform.
Even the creators of these two techniques could never possibly have cultivated such ordinary martial arts to the realm of sixty or one hundred and twenty years later.
But Jiang Dao had done so.
Thus, standing upon the shoulders of his predecessors, the fusion proceeded with exceptional smoothness.
Two hours passed.
Jiang Dao opened his eyes again, a trace of fatigue flashing through them.
An entirely new saber art appeared in his mind.
At the same time, the words on the panel began to change.
The two saber arts gradually blurred, vanished, and fused into one, becoming a new saber art.
Whoosh!
Blood Shadow Soulchaser Blade (Beginner) Can be modified.
Jiang Dao let out a breath of relief and smiled. He immediately focused his thoughts and tapped it.
The words behind Blood Shadow Soulchaser Blade began changing rapidly.
Ten years!
Twenty years!
Thirty years!
It soon reached sixty years!
Hum!
An incomparably vast force immediately surged from every limb and bone of Jiang Dao's body, vast and mighty as it spread into every corner of him. Every muscle was filled with that powerful strength.
His comprehension of saber arts instantly rose by several levels.
As the Blood Shadow Soulchaser Blade was modified to the realm of sixty years later, every value on the panel changed as well.
Strength: 2.8 Speed: 2.4 Spirit: 1.3 ...
"My spirit increased?"
Jiang Dao suddenly noticed the subtle change on the panel.
His spirit had previously remained at 1.2, yet it had now directly become 1.3, increasing by a full 0.1.
"Could fusing techniques also raise my spirit along the way?"
He pondered inwardly.
But no matter what!
After cultivating the Blood Shadow Soulchaser Blade for sixty years, his strength had once again increased severalfold.
He brought his five fingers together and swept them fiercely.
Crash!
The air let out a piercing howl as it was ripped apart, terrifying in its force, like a blood-red afterimage flashing past.
Killing intent assaulted the senses!
Whether in speed or killing intent, the fused technique was countless times stronger than before.
"This technique is definitely no weaker than the Mad Demon Staff Art. If I can continue fusing other saber arts, perhaps I'll directly create an unprecedented saber art."
Jiang Dao's eyes flickered.
He faintly saw an entirely different path.
He would cultivate the saber arts of every school and sect, then fuse and absorb them one by one. By then, perhaps he could become a Saber Saint of his generation.
At dusk.
Pang Lin finally hurried back from outside, his face filled with excitement. He brought news that even greatly shocked Jiang Dao.
"Young Master, I just visited several auction houses to inquire. Dragon City Auction House actually has an internal cultivation technique!"
Pang Lin said excitedly.
"What? An internal cultivation technique?"
Before you continue