Defeating Qiu Li

"I heard that what Chief Qiu is most confident in is this pair of Iron Palms."

"Then I will not bully you. I will use palm techniques to fight you as well. If you can defeat me, you win."

Lin Xiao slowly sheathed the Embroidered Spring Blade at his waist and spoke softly.

Qiu Li's expression grew increasingly grim, his eyes narrowing. "Young man, your strength is indeed impressive, but you are far too confident. I have cultivated Iron Sand Palm for nearly fifty years."

"I may not dare claim to be among the very best, but when it comes to palm techniques, I have never feared anyone."

Lin Xiao smiled faintly. "Yesterday, on my way to Stability Prefecture, I encountered someone who also used Iron Sand Palm. However, he was from the Yin Family. I wonder whether Chief Qiu knows him?"

"He also used Iron Sand Palm, and he was from the Yin Family?"

Qiu Li pondered for a moment, then his face suddenly darkened.

"My lord must be referring to my junior brother. That traitor actually hid his name and pledged himself to the Yin Family. No wonder I could not find him."

"After I finish sparring with my lord, I will certainly go to the Yin Family to find him and avenge my master."

Lin Xiao nodded and did not continue asking about the grudge between the two men.

He had merely been curious whether Qiu Li was connected to Yin Ke Ren's old servant.

After all, it was too much of a coincidence that both of them knew Iron Sand Palm.

"Enough, Chief Qiu. I still have many official duties to attend to. Let us settle this matter quickly."

As soon as the words fell, Lin Xiao attacked.

A hazy black aura coiled around his hands as he struck toward Qiu Li like lightning.

Though Qiu Li did not know what technique Lin Xiao was using, he did not dare be careless.

Dark light once again enveloped his hands as he unleashed Iron Sand Palm.

Their palms collided, and a terrifying shockwave burst forth from where their palms met.

Yet after just one exchange, the dark light on Qiu Li's hands began rapidly fading.

"Hm?"

"My true qi is rapidly diminishing. It feels as though something is absorbing its power."

Qiu Li did not dare hesitate. He hurriedly struck out with his other hand as well, intending to break free from Lin Xiao's control.

Lin Xiao smiled faintly and abruptly struck out with his other hand too.

Their palms pressed together, and they immediately began competing in inner force.

"You..."

By the time Qiu Li sensed that things had gone terribly wrong, it was already too late.

The dark light over his palms rapidly weakened, then vanished completely with a pop.

Then his once-powerful palms quickly withered and grew gaunt.

"What kind of demonic art is this? It can actually absorb my inner force."

Lin Xiao said calmly, "Heaven's End, Earth's Destruction Soul-Searching Hand."

Heaven's End, Earth's Destruction Soul-Searching Hand was one of the seven martial arts recorded within the Heaven Severing Earth Extinguishing Grand Universe Hand of the Heaven and Earth Converging Yin-Yang Great Compassion Ode.

Not only were its moves vicious, it could also absorb the cultivation of others.

If someone who did not understand this martial art's nature fought against it, their power could very well be drained completely.

However, Qiu Li was indeed a martial arts master. None who could break through to the master realm were simple figures, and in decisiveness, they far surpassed ordinary people.

Knowing that if this continued, his decades of cultivation would be completely drained, he directly reversed his true qi and, at the cost of severe injury, blasted Lin Xiao away.

Pfft!!!

After breaking free from Lin Xiao's restraint, Qiu Li hurriedly said, "My lord's cultivation is vastly superior to mine. This old man will no longer interfere in this matter."

Killing intent shrouded Qiu Li. Lin Xiao had wanted to kill him on the spot, but considering that the Iron Palm Gang behind Qiu Li might still be of use, he withdrew his killing intent.

"Very well. Since Chief Qiu admits defeat, I will not make things difficult for you. Go."

"Many thanks, my lord, for sparing my life."

After speaking, Qiu Li turned and left without the slightest hesitation.

No matter how those martial artists of the jianghu called out to him, he did not stop.

What a joke.

Helping those martial artists stand up for themselves was one thing; after all, it could still raise his reputation.

But asking him to risk his life for others was something he could not do.

Lin Xiao was powerful, and his techniques were bizarre. If he kept forcing himself onward, death would be his only outcome.

As expected of the imperial court. A single person they casually sent over possessed such terrifying strength.

He truly did not know how terrifying the imperial court experts stationed in those other prosperous prefectures must be.

Nor did he know how the jianghu forces in those prefectures managed to withstand the imperial court's pressure.

In truth, Qiu Li had overestimated the imperial court.

Though the imperial court was powerful and suppressed nineteen provinces by itself, even if it sent a martial arts master to a place like Stability Prefecture, that person could not possibly suppress them as effortlessly as Lin Xiao had.

Unless it sent an unrivaled expert of the Great Grandmaster Realm.

The imperial court had quite a few Great Grandmaster Realm experts, but each had their own duties. They could not possibly be deployed to a place like Stability Prefecture.

At present, the imperial court and the jianghu martial world resembled a chessboard locked in an even match.

Every powerful chess piece had its purpose. Once a powerful piece was moved away, the entire board would immediately be thrown into disorder.

It might even create an uncontrollable situation, allowing the other side to seize the initiative and ultimately lose the entire game.

The imperial court's Great Grandmaster Realm experts corresponded to the local martial forces in every province.

Compared with Stability Prefecture, those transcendent jianghu factions were far more terrifying.

Once those transcendent factions began stirring up trouble, they might plunge the entire Wu Kingdom into chaos.

The Wu Kingdom not only needed to suppress internal threats, but also defend against the surrounding nations.

Northern Qi, the Western Regions, the Southern Wilderness, and the Eastern Sea.

Among these nations, Northern Qi was the strongest.

Stability Prefecture lay at the border between Northern Qi and the Wu Kingdom.

Within Howling Tiger Pass north of Stability Prefecture, an imperial expert, King of the North Ji Wujiang, had been stationed year-round.

Ji Wujiang was at the peak of the Great Grandmaster Realm, known as the number one person beneath the Void Shattering Realm.

It was said that he had guarded Howling Tiger Pass for fifteen years, never allowing Northern Qi even the slightest chance to step onto the Central Plains.

He could be called one of the imperial family's princes with the greatest real power.

He held far more authority than Prince Qing.

Northern Qi lay far beyond the frontier, and its people were fierce by nature—a people born for battle.

Their cultivation methods mostly focused on external arts. Every one of them was valiant and skilled in combat, born warriors.

It was said that Northern Qi's foremost expert, the Imperial Advisor of Northern Qi, had entered the Dao through external arts and stepped into the Void Shattering Realm. His combat power was incomparably fierce; with every punch and kick, he could easily shatter mountains and rivers.

However, both sides had an agreement: Void Shattering Realm experts were not permitted to act freely in wars between nations.

Only when a nation truly stood at the brink of life and death could Void Shattering Realm experts take action.

Of course, if both sides wished to fight a life-and-death war, they could also issue formal challenges to one another.

As for the Eastern Sea and the Western Regions, they were made up of many vassal states and martial factions.

They were all nations existing in the form of alliances.

The Western Regions had thirty-six vassal states, and the course of war was decided by the votes of thirty-six lords.

The thirty-six lords jointly revered a Great Shaman, who was also a supreme expert of the Void Shattering Realm.

Most of the Eastern Sea consisted of islands. Each island had a powerful jianghu faction, and they existed in the form of a martial alliance.

As for the Southern Wilderness, it was said to be exceedingly mysterious, filled with tribes everywhere, with a War God Hall ruling over all the tribes.