Foundation

"What?"

"Bastard!"

"Who gave him the nerve?"

Hundred Broken Mountain, King's Peak, inside the Hall of Righteous Gathering. Tables were slammed as the leaders seated to either side glared furiously.

Only the middle-aged man seated in the central seat of honor remained calm. He looked coldly at the Middle-aged Scholar reporting below. "Did he really say that?"

"He did!"

The Middle-aged Scholar nodded. "Heavenly King, this Li Qingshan is truly unruly and outrageously bold!"

"Hmph!"

Seated in the foremost chair was Liang San Jiang, the Central Heavenly King of Hundred Broken Mountain and one of the five chief stronghold masters across the northern seven and southern six provinces. He gave a cold snort. "That man does have some ability, but for him to challenge Hundred Broken Mountain over this is simply far too presumptuous."

"Big Brother is right!"

"That brat doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth!"

"If he refuses a toast, then make him drink a forfeit!"

"Wipe out Qing Feng Village tomorrow!"

"Big Brother, give me two hundred brothers, and I'll bring you his head right now!"

"A mere Qing Feng Village hardly warrants Third Brother's personal attention. The two of us will be enough."

Seeing Liang San Jiang state his position, the leaders on both sides eagerly volunteered for battle.

"No rush!"

Though Liang San Jiang was quite pleased to see his subordinates vying to fight, he still shook his head. "This man may be arrogant, but he has some skill. He is no easy opponent, so we must not underestimate him rashly. Strategist, what do you think?"

"The Heavenly King is absolutely right!"

Seeing Liang San Jiang ask for his opinion, the Middle-aged Scholar did not dare delay. "Though Li Qingshan is arrogant, he is certainly not one to make empty boasts. I heard that he had once been a mere mountain villager from Xiao Huang Village. His parents died early, and he suffered constant bullying. His clan members had nearly consumed his entire inheritance."

"Yet with great resolve, he sold himself to the Lu Family, fought against the Li Family, and set wolves against tigers. While protecting himself, he seized the chance to grow stronger. In only a few years, he had risen rapidly in the Lu Family and mastered an archery technique capable of Piercing Willow at a Hundred Paces."

"Afterward, the Li Family found a Noble Patron, and the Lu Family sought reconciliation. They intended to cast him aside as a disposable pawn, but before they could act, he struck first. In a single night, he wiped out both the Li and Lu Families, then fled into the mountains with his younger siblings. From then on, he was like a dragon entering the sea, utterly unstoppable!"

"In just five short years, he destroyed Qing Feng Village, occupied Little Yellow Mountain, took in large numbers of Fugitives from the mountains, and strengthened his stronghold. He also taught martial arts freely and never spared clothing, food, gold, or silver. Not only the mountain Fugitives, but even people from nearby villages, counties, towns, and Prefectural Cities knew him as a man of generosity and extraordinary magnanimity—a hero of the age."

"Furthermore, he understands many ingenious crafts. Not only can he produce refined snowflake salt, he has also made unusual goods such as soap and glass. Using them, he opened trade routes through prefectures and counties and partnered with prominent clans and wealthy merchants. He earns gold by the day."

"Though he earns gold by the day, he keeps none of it back. On one hand, he offers huge rewards to purchase martial arts manuals from famous masters and major sects across the land. On the other, he buys iron armor, weapons, grain, fodder, and meat. Now, not only is his own martial arts unfathomable, but his men are like wolves and tigers, Each and every fearless of death and competing to lay down their lives..."

"Hmph!"

Before he could finish, he was interrupted. The Middle-aged Scholar froze, then Awakened and looked up. Sure enough, Liang San Jiang's gaze was icy, while the leaders on both sides looked even less pleased.

Too many words led to mistakes!

Alarmed, the Middle-aged Scholar hurriedly lowered his head and tried to salvage the situation. "In short, Li Qingshan is no ordinary petty thug. Though Hundred Broken Mountain possesses ten times his Strength, and we have a peerless hero like the Heavenly King as well as so many valiant leaders, we still must not underestimate him. We should advance cautiously and proceed step by step..."

Only after this neither-too-heavy-nor-too-light round of flattery did Liang San Jiang's expression ease somewhat.

However, the leaders were still displeased.

"Hmph, Strategist, do not bolster Others' ambition while weakening our own!"

"That Li Qingshan is just a snot-nosed brat who has not even finished drinking milk. How dare he be so arrogant?"

"If he refuses a toast, he can drink a forfeit! Tomorrow, we will destroy Qing Feng Village!"

"His Qing Feng Village has only existed for a few years, yet he dares to clamor against Hundred Broken Mountain?"

"Level his stronghold and Capture Alive this man. After a proper interrogation, won't that refined salt business, along with those soaps and glasswares, all become ours?"

"Third Brother speaks well!"

The leaders eagerly volunteered for battle. Liang San Jiang also nodded and laughed. "No matter how crafty this man may be, he cannot stand against the combined strength of my brothers. Pass my order: assemble the three armies. Tomorrow, march on Little Yellow Mountain, flatten Qing Feng Village, Capture Alive this man, and raise the glory of our—"

Whoosh!

Before he could finish, an arrow tore through the air and shot straight at his face.

"Hm!!!"

Liang San Jiang's pupils contracted. His body sprang up on instinct, barely evading the deadly arrow.

As one of the five chief stronghold masters across the northern seven and southern six provinces, the Central Heavenly King who dominated Hundred Broken Mountain, Liang San Jiang was naturally no weakling. More than ten years ago, he had cultivated True Qi. His Ghost Head Golden Saber was famed throughout the thirteen northern and southern provinces, and like the heads of various sects and veteran martial artists, he was a master-level expert.

Even with such Strength, faced with that sudden, unannounced arrow, he was still utterly shocked. True Qi erupted from him reflexively, and only through instinctive movement did he barely evade the terrifying shaft.

However...

After one arrow came another. It had been fired in advance, predicting his path and locking onto the point where he would dodge for survival. He could neither evade nor retreat, and did not even have time to react.

Pfft!!!

The powerful arrow pierced his body with a dull thud. Though it struck his shoulder blade rather than a vital point, the pain and force still sent Liang San Jiang tumbling into the gold-lacquered chair.

And at that moment...

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three arrows flashed like lightning in rapid succession. Before anyone could react, blood burst forth in a dazzling spray.

"Ah!!!"

A miserable howl followed. Liang San Jiang sat sprawled in the gold-lacquered chair, powerful arrows having pierced all four of his limb Joints and nailed him fast. The agonizing pain made his eyes bulge and nearly split his sockets, forcing a scream from him.

"Big Brother!"

"This..."

The sudden change came too fast for anyone to respond. The leaders stared at Liang San Jiang as he screamed in agony, not knowing what to do, when they saw—

Whoosh!!!

Pfft!!!

The sound of an arrow breaking air and the sound of flesh being pierced rang out one after another in an instant. Everyone's pupils shrank as the violently splattering blood shocked them beyond movement.

On the gold-lacquered chair, Liang San Jiang lay limp as mud. Powerful arrows had pierced all four limbs, and another had entered through his mouth and exited through the back of his skull, completely snuffing out his life.

"Big Brother!!"

Only then did the crowd Awaken. They shot to their feet in horror and turned toward the outside.

As their gazes shifted, they saw a man stride in from outside the hall with the gait of a tiger. His imposing bearing was like a mountain, and murderous intent radiated from him.

"You...!"

The terrified crowd could barely speak.

The newcomer paid them no heed. He drew the Nine-Ringed Saber from his back with a backhanded motion. The chilling blade reflected a fierce gleam that made their eyes ache and filled them with even greater terror.

"You, Come at me together!"

With those words, slaughter began anew. The Hall of Righteous Gathering instantly plunged into flashing blades, Sword Shadow, and a storm of blood.

A short while later, the sounds of fighting within the hall gradually faded, but smoke and flames rose outside. The entire stronghold had fallen into chaos.

Pfft!

Inside the Hall of Righteous Gathering, the final slash flashed with frigid brilliance. Blood sprayed scarlet, and a head separated from its body.

Xu Yang stood in the hall with his heavy saber in one hand. Looking around, he saw nothing but corpses, severed limbs, and decapitated heads.

As the only survivor in the hall, the Middle-aged Scholar looked at Xu Yang, whose saber was unstained by blood yet whose edge was terrifying. His legs gave way, and he fell to his knees. Lowering his head, he said in a trembling voice, "Th-this humble scholar greets Leader Li. C-congratulations, Leader Li, on taking the f-foundation of Hundred Broken Mountain..."

"Ha!"

Xu Yang laughed, sheathed his saber, and looked at the kneeling man. "You know how to read the situation."

"Thank you for the praise, Leader Li!"

Sensing no killing intent from him, the Middle-aged Scholar felt slightly relieved and forced himself to remain composed. "Liang San Jiang was a narrow-minded and willful man who overestimated himself. For him to dare oppose Leader Li, he truly brought death upon himself..."

"Enough. Spare me the nonsense!"

Xu Yang had no time for his flattery and went straight to the point. "Where is the Storehouse?"

Hearing this, the Middle-aged Scholar did not dare waste another word. He struggled to his feet and said fearfully, "The stronghold Storehouse mostly contains ordinary goods. Liang San Jiang was selfish and self-serving, so all the rare treasures he plundered are in his private vault. He also hid quite a few Divine weapons and sharp tools, as well as Martial Arts Manuals. Leader Li, please follow me..."

He did not ask why Xu Yang had so little martial honor. They had clearly agreed to set out three days later, so why had he come today, shamelessly launching a sneak attack with a Strong Bow and sharp arrows to kill the unprepared Liang San Jiang?

Because this was the martial world. The victor was king. Anything else was meaningless.

Hundred Broken Mountain, King's Peak, had changed hands from this day onward!

Xu Yang's plan had also taken a crucial step forward.

Ever since occupying Qing Feng Village and gaining a certain degree of Strength and a stable foundation, he had begun to reveal the advantages of a transmigrator. Relying on techniques such as refined salt, soap, and glass, he amassed great wealth.

He did not hoard this wealth in his hands. Instead, he continuously converted it into Strength. On one hand, he paid heavily for Martial Arts Manuals from famous masters and major sects throughout the land, enriching the foundation of his martial arts. On the other, he purchased grain, meat, weapons, and iron armor, trained his subordinates, and expanded the stronghold.

In this low-martial world without supernatural powers, money was immensely powerful. Xu Yang spared no expense and invested without hesitation, so the results were naturally impressive. Not only did his martial arts advance swiftly, but the stronghold's Strength also grew at a rapid pace.

Unfortunately, wealth was not omnipotent. Xu Yang soon encountered a bottleneck—the bottleneck of his own martial arts, and the bottleneck of the stronghold's development.

There was no need to say much about martial arts. With financial investment and the traits of his skills, Xu Yang cultivated Inner Force in only a few years and mastered many martial arts. But the cultivation of True Qi after Inner Force was an untransmitted secret of the major sects.

Though he possessed cheats such as the Attribute Panel and skill traits, those traits could turn the rotten into the miraculous, but they could not Create something from nothing. At least, the skills and traits he had developed so far could not do so.

Therefore, he could only offer huge rewards to purchase martial arts from famous masters and methods for cultivating True Qi.

Yet before he could obtain the methods, trouble came knocking. Covetous eyes and schemes arose one after another, and Liang San Jiang was one of them.

Martial arts cultivation was like this, and the stronghold's development was much the same. Little Yellow Mountain was too small, and Qing Feng Village was even smaller. Though he had taken in many Fugitives from the mountains and even attracted countless impoverished commoners to seek refuge with him, he could not change this fundamental issue of scale. He soon reached a bottleneck and drew the wariness of the authorities, bandits, and all other factions.

To break this deadlock, he decisively made his move against Hundred Broken Mountain.

Hundred Broken Mountain stretched from south to north and lay in the Central Plains. It was one of the main transport routes between north and south. Its Mountain Range was continuous and vast, its depths filled with bandits. Passing merchant caravans were often robbed, hence its name, Hundred Broken.

Liang San Jiang was a True Qi expert and an influential figure of the greenwood. Thirty years ago, he used overwhelming force to unite the bandits of Hundred Broken Mountain, becoming one of the five chief stronghold masters across the northern seven and southern six provinces. He was known as the Central Heavenly King of Hundred Broken Mountain.

After taking control of King's Peak, he gained the support and service of the bandits throughout Hundred Broken Mountain, and his power became extraordinarily formidable. The Imperial Court repeatedly sent troops to encircle and suppress him, but every campaign ended without success. This only made his reputation more imposing, and he was at the height of his power.

He had set his sights on the recently risen Qing Feng Village, yet he never expected Xu Yang to have set his sights on his Hundred Broken Mountain as well.

For Xu Yang, as long as he killed this man and seized the foundation of Hundred Broken Mountain, he could occupy its natural defenses and no longer fear encirclement and suppression by the Imperial Court and local authorities.

Furthermore, by controlling such a vital transportation route, he could collect the profits of trade between north and south. Combined with refined salt, soap, glass, and other goods, becoming the richest man under heaven would be effortless.

Money could reach the gods. When that time came, the problem of martial arts cultivation methods would soon be resolved, and nothing would hinder his advance to become a True Qi Grandmaster.

Therefore, after Liang San Jiang sent men to his door, Xu Yang acted decisively. He first used the three-day agreement to deceive others, then infiltrated King's Peak and shot Liang San Jiang dead outside the Hall of Righteous Gathering.

Over the past few years, he had diligently cultivated martial arts. Not only had he established his Inner Force Foundation, but his Bow and Arrow Technique had also improved greatly with the support of martial arts. Combined with a Divine Skill like Butchering the Ox and the finely crafted Iron Bamboo Bow that he had personally made—one Others could hardly draw—even Liang San Jiang, a True Qi Grandmaster, could not withstand his ambush and died on the spot.

Once Liang San Jiang died, there was no longer any suspense in This battle. Of the dozen or so remaining Stronghold Leaders, the strongest had only cultivated Inner Force. To Xu Yang, they were nothing more than Mud Chickens and Clay Dogs, not even One-Round Opponents. In mere moments, all were slain by the Nine-Ringed Saber In hand, honed into a Sword That Cuts Iron Like Mud and capable of Cuts Armor and Breaks Steel with ease. Hundred Broken Mountain thus changed hands.

With the foundation of Hundred Broken Mountain in his grasp, he would henceforth be like a bird soaring into the sky and a fish entering the sea. Looking across the world, nothing would restrain him any longer.

Thus...