The End

"Kill!"

The four closed in around the Book Platform. The Green-robed Daoist and the Middle-aged Confucian Scholar each drew a long sword, while the White-browed Old Monk and the Old Beggar faced him barehanded.

Within the encirclement, the Storyteller stood with his hands behind his back, as composed as ever.

Though they outnumbered him, the four dared not be careless. Surging Gang Qi burst forth, and they opened with killing moves.

"Heavenly Gang Returning to Origin!"

"Vast Qi Unfurling!"

"Buddha's Dharma is Boundless!"

"Arrogant Dragon Regrets!"

Four killing moves struck from every direction, Gang Qi taking form as they bore down fiercely upon their opponent.

"Ha!"

The Storyteller gave a clear, hearty laugh. He remained standing in place, immovable as a mountain. Only Gang Qi condensed around him, forming a protective barrier that withstood attacks from all sides.

Twelve Heavenly Gates Golden Bell Shield?

Yes and no!

"Boom!"

Sword Qi and palm strikes crashed down upon the unstable-looking barrier with an earth-shattering blast. The stone-based Book Platform cracked under the impact, web-like fissures spreading across it as dust and smoke billowed outward.

Amid the rolling dust, four figures flew backward and crashed down into the four corners of the Storytelling Arena. They staggered step after step, shattering stone tiles beneath their feet before barely managing to steady themselves.

Four against one, and they had struck first—yet they had been blasted away instead?

Why?

"After all these years, you still haven't made any progress!"

With those quiet words, the dust dispersed, revealing the Book Platform covered in cracks and the Storyteller standing upon it with his hands behind his back.

They were all in the True Gang Realm, and the four had unleashed their killing moves together, yet he had not suffered the slightest injury?

"Combat Scroll!"

Though they had anticipated this outcome, seeing it for themselves still left the four grim-faced and furious.

The Great Zhou Martial Scripture was an unparalleled tome. Its Combat Scroll had been created by the Martial Ancestor of Great Zhou after gathering martial techniques from across the land, taking their essence, discarding their dross, and achieving Mastery Through Comprehension. It stood first in combat techniques and unmatched in battle.

As commander of Great Zhou's Secret Guard, the Storyteller cultivated two of the Twelve Martial Scriptures. One was the Cultivation Scroll, the Merit Scroll that formed the foundation of cultivation within the Martial Scripture General Outline. The other was the Combat Scroll, devoted to battle and slaughter, granting him formidable combat strength.

Now that he had displayed this combat art, the protective barrier created through Mastery Through Comprehension of martial arts such as Tai Chi Primordial Chaos, Twelve Heavenly Gates, and Indestructible Vajra was not only extraordinarily resilient, but could also dissipate an opponent's Gang Qi and rebound their force. Their combined killing moves had failed to harm him at all, while they themselves had been injured instead.

This was the Combat Scroll: offense and defense as one, unrivaled in battle. Among those of the same realm, no one could stand against it!

"Only the Martial Scripture can contend with the Martial Scripture!"

"Only the Combat Scroll need not fear the Combat Scroll!"

These had been the most widely circulated maxims throughout the land during the two hundred years since Great Zhou brought order to the realm.

Naturally, the four knew this as well. If possible, they too wished to use the Martial Scripture against the Martial Scripture, and the Combat Scroll against the Combat Scroll.

Unfortunately... they could not!

Though Great Zhou had implemented its policy to Spread martial arts throughout the world, creating a golden age of the Martial Dao where Everyone is like a dragon, allowing both elderly men and young children to cultivate the Martial Scripture, that did not mean its methods had spread everywhere for all to know.

The Martial Scripture available throughout the land only contained methods for the Inner Force and True Qi realms. To obtain Gang Qi cultivation methods and the mysteries of True Martial, one had to enter an official Great Zhou Martial Arts Academy for further study. For example, only at Heavenly King Mountain, the foremost holy land of the Martial Dao, could one obtain the Martial Scripture's Gang Qi methods and the core mysteries of its various scrolls.

How could rebels and remnants like them dare enroll in a Martial Arts Academy? Would that not be seeking death?

Of course, they had tried before, disguising themselves and infiltrating those places, or simply grooming martial talents with clean backgrounds and sending them to the Martial Arts Academies. Once those talents completed their studies, they would pass the Martial Scripture methods on to them.

Yet for some unknown reason, after those talents and infiltrators entered the Martial Arts Academies, they either vanished without a trace or defected to the enemy, directly pledging themselves to the Great Zhou Imperial Court. Not only had they failed to acquire the Martial Scripture's techniques, but Great Zhou's Secret Guard had also swept through and crushed them, severely damaging their strength. They had truly lost both the wife and the army.

After several such attempts, they had no choice but to accept reality. They gave up on infiltrating the great Martial Arts Academies to steal their teachings and instead sought to obtain the Martial Scripture through other means.

But despite exhausting every effort, they had only acquired a few incomplete fragments, utterly lacking any coherent system. Even now, they still used martial arts from more than two hundred years ago, along with the Inner Force and True Qi techniques contained within the Martial Scripture.

As for the Martial Scripture's core Gang Qi cultivation methods and its transcendent True Martial arts, they had never even seen them, much less cultivated them.

Thus, when facing the Storyteller, whose foundation was the Cultivation Scroll and whose techniques came from the Combat Scroll, who had deeply cultivated the Martial Scripture's methods, even four against one gave them no advantage.

Knowing all this, why had they come? Did they possess some reliance that could counter the Combat Scroll?

"The Martial Scripture Fighting Scroll is indeed formidable!"

"But so what?"

"You are still only one man!"

"That Tyrant seeks immortality and has gathered the strength of the entire realm to forge a path for the Martial Dao, yet after more than two hundred years, he has achieved no result. The Gang Qi realm remains the Absolute Peak. We all possess Gang Qi cultivation. No matter how profound and miraculous the Great Zhou Martial Scripture may be, it cannot possibly let one man fight four!"

"When your Gang Qi is exhausted, your death will come!"

"The Martial Scripture may be wondrous, but it was still born from our martial arts. How much stronger can it truly be?"

"Kill!"

The four spoke coldly, making no attempt to conceal their intentions before launching another attack.

The Great Zhou Martial Scripture was unmatched beneath heaven. In a one-on-one fight, none of the four would be his match.

But this was not a one-on-one fight. They were all True Gang masters, and together, the four held an absolute numerical advantage. They could completely compete with him in Gang Qi reserves, exhaust him, and then kill him.

That was their reliance. So long as he could not break their encirclement in an instant, they were certain of victory in this battle.

"Exhaust my Gang Qi?"

"Why go through such trouble?"

Hearing this, the Storyteller merely smiled. "If I cannot take you down in three moves, I will kill myself on the spot!"

"Hmm!?"

The moment those words fell, all four men's expressions changed, an inexplicable sense of unease rising within them.

But the Storyteller ignored them. Raising a hand, he said, "Pay attention. First move—Combat Scroll Subduing Dragon!"

With that, Gang Qi took form and burst from his palm. Four Dragon Shadows appeared, crashing outward in all directions.

"This..."

"How can this be!"

The four men's pupils contracted. They hurriedly mobilized their Gang Qi to block the fierce Dragon Shadows.

However...

"BOOM!!!"

A tremendous explosion shook all directions. Amid the rolling dust and smoke, the four were blasted outward, slamming into the high walls before collapsing to the ground. Blood spilled from their mouths as their bodies convulsed.

"Whoosh!"

A fierce wind swept past, scattering the dust. The Storyteller walked out calmly, looked at the four heavily wounded men lying on the ground, unable to rise again, and shook his head. "It seems I overestimated you."

"With such power..."

"You... are not Su Changqing!"

The four suffered grievous injuries, shock and fury filling their faces as they stared at the Storyteller on the platform. "Who exactly are you?"

Within their shock and anger were fear, confusion, and unwillingness before imminent defeat!

They had investigated this long ago. They knew this Goulan was a Secret Guard stronghold of Great Zhou, and they had thoroughly learned the strength of Su Changqing, the Secret Guard commander here. That was why they had dared to come confidently and surround him.

But now...

This strength, this cultivation, was absolutely not the original Su Changqing!

If he was not Su Changqing, then he was...?

"It would be one thing if your martial arts were poor, but your intelligence work is this bad too. If it were me, I would have smashed my head against a wall long ago. How could I still have the face to keep living in the world?"

The Storyteller shook his head, then wiped a hand across his face, revealing his True Face of Mount Lu.

"Chen Cejun!"

"It was actually you!"

Upon seeing his true appearance, the four were all startled, but soon understood.

The Green-robed Daoist spat out a mouthful of blood and looked at the man on the platform. With a bitter laugh, he said, "Who would have thought? Who would have thought that the dignified Grand Pillar of the State of Great Zhou and commander-in-chief of the Heroic Guard would personally travel thousands of miles to this borderland for the sake of people like us? Hahaha, we did not lose unjustly. Not unjustly at all!"

"But what if we have lost?"

As he spoke, he forced himself to stand and stared directly at Chen Cejun. "The Tyrant's cruel and reckless rule has driven the realm to the brink of revolt. We have lost today, but you will not keep winning forever. One day, you too will suffer complete defeat, condemned beyond redemption and never able to rise again! Hahaha!"

"Indeed!"

The Middle-aged Confucian Scholar beside him also forced himself upright. He sneered at Chen Cejun. "That Tyrant's actions have already utterly alienated the people. How many in the court now harbor resentment, their hatred blazing to the heavens? Do not think we fear telling you: for us to remain like a centipede, dead yet not stiff, the lords of the court have given us great assistance. Even the Li Family Imperial Clan—the current emperor of Great Zhou—has secretly aided us quite a bit! Hahaha!"

"That is natural."

The Old Beggar laughed sinisterly. "Which emperor would be willing to have an immortal Ancestor pressing down on his head? Naturally, he would seek every possible way to send him to heaven. His own blood relatives act this way—one wonders how that old ghost feels!"

"Hahaha!"

The four laughed darkly. They had already accepted their crushing defeat and were using their last strength to sow discord.

Chen Cejun shook his head and ignored them, merely asking with a faint smile, "Even if I had not been here today, what chance did you have of succeeding?"

"Ten percent?"

"Twenty percent?"

"Or thirty?"

"You did not even have even odds, did you?"

Chen Cejun stood with his hands behind his back, an amused expression on his face. "You had no confidence at all. Why did you still come here to die?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

The four fell silent at his words.

"Because you had no choice but to come!"

Chen Cejun answered for them. "Because the Western Barbarians received word that Great Zhou will soon send troops against them and expand our territory. They became afraid and could no longer sit still. So they forced lackeys like you, who had pledged yourselves to them, to plot today's affair and strike first so as not to be caught passively, correct?"

"..."

The four remained silent.

Chen Cejun shook his head and sighed. "You refused to be people and insisted on becoming lackeys. Now you have ended up like this. How pitiful. How laughable!"

"You..."

"Pfft!"

Those words struck at their hearts and aggravated their wounds, causing all four to vomit blood as they could no longer hold on.

Chen Cejun paid them no heed. With his hands behind his back, he walked outside. A squad of Secret Guard members filed in behind him and shackled all four men, whether alive or dead.

"Grand Pillar of the State!"

Two Secret Guard commanders followed closely at his sides and reported in deep voices, "News has arrived. The Western Barbarians have taken the bait. Their army is advancing toward the border, and the General of Cavalry has already led his forces out."

"Very good!"

Chen Cejun nodded and said calmly, "The Secret Guard will move with the army. There must not be a single mistake!"

"Yes!"

"..."

Three days later, on the East Sea Coast.

"Caw! Caw!"

"Crash~!"

Birds cried, and waves surged. The natural splendor of heaven and earth shook the soul and made one feel immeasurably small.

Upon a sea cliff, at the edge of a precipice, a youth sat alone.

No one knew how long he had sat there. His black hair had fallen loose onto the ground, and his clothing had weathered into tatters. Yet the exposed skin beneath bore no marks of wind or frost. Instead, it glowed faintly with the luster of flawless jade.

Suddenly...

"Crash!"

Raging waves struck the shore, white spray battered the cliff, and a wild gale suddenly swept in. The youth's cross-legged body rose from the ground and hovered in midair. Tangible Gang Qi emerged in misty waves, shining brilliantly like a blazing sun. Then it condensed to the utmost limit, drawing inward layer by layer, making him appear like a divine being.

Gang Qi took form, then drew inward into his body. Under layer upon layer of compression, quantitative change brought qualitative change. It gathered within the youth's dantian like a newborn sun. Though it gave off no dazzling radiance, it contained limitless potential.

But at the very limit of that condensation, just as success was about to be achieved...

"Pfft!"

The youth's body trembled. Blood burst from his seven orifices, while the Gang Qi condensed to its limit within his dantian—already made tangible—suddenly collapsed. It surged through his limbs and bones, burst through flesh and skin, and exploded into a cloud of blood mist.

"Bang!"

The youth's body crashed heavily to the ground, shaking the cliff and splintering it with countless cracks.

The youth remained seated in silence for a long time. Only After a while did he open his eyes. The blood covering his body and his tattered clothes both vaporized and vanished like smoke.

Then, without rising, the youth merely raised a hand in summons.

"Ancestor Emperor!"

"Master!"

"Martial Ancestor!"

At once, figure after figure flew through the air and landed behind the youth, bowing deeply in salute.

Without turning his head, the youth only said, "Rise."

"Yes!"

No one dared disobey. They all stood and looked at the cracked cliff beneath the youth and the bright bloodstains on the ground, their expressions tense.

At last, an elderly man dressed in a bright yellow robe spoke first. "Ancestor Emperor, this is...?"

"I failed."

Xu Yang shook his head and muttered, "The key to Condensing Gang and Embracing the Dan lies in the spirit. The spirit controls the body, the body moves the Qi, Qi condenses into Gang, and the Dan is embraced within the dantian. This line of thought is correct. But the power of the soul is unlike the power of Qi and blood. It is extremely difficult to strengthen. My Divine Strength was insufficient, and I could not control the Gang Qi. In the end, all my efforts fell short."

Having said this, Xu Yang finally turned around and addressed the others. "Therefore, above True Gang, the fourth realm should be Divine Gang. We must find a way to strengthen the power of the soul and Transform Void into Substance before we can effectively control Gang Qi and enter the fifth realm—Embracing the Dan!"

"Divine Gang?"

"Embracing the Dan?"

The others were stunned, their eyes shining. Several elderly men stepped forward in delight. "Martial Ancestor, is this the path of the Martial Dao beyond?"

"No. This is only my current hypothesis. Whether it can truly succeed still requires step-by-step practice."

Xu Yang shook his head. Looking at them, he suddenly smiled for no apparent reason. "That depends on all of you!"

"This..."

None present were ordinary people. They immediately realized something and looked at Xu Yang with uncertainty. "Martial Ancestor?"

Having said that, their hearts all skipped a beat. They fell to their knees in unison, their eyes filled with grief and terror.

Xu Yang smiled and said calmly, "I'm going to die."

"This..."

"Ancestor Emperor!"

"Master!"

The moment those words were spoken, everyone grew even more terrified, at a complete loss for what to do.

Xu Yang shook his head and said calmly, "Human strength has its limits, and every life has an end. That is the natural order. There is no need to grieve."

"Patriarch..."

Though he said so, they still could not hide the sorrow on their faces. A few people were even weeping on the ground.

Xu Yang paid them no mind and continued, "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. I leave the burden to you. Take care of yourselves!"

Having said that, regardless of their reactions, he closed his eyes. A radiant glow rose from within his body and drifted away as his vigorous life force rapidly faded.

"..."

Whoosh!

Everyone froze. Before they could recover, a fierce gust swept past, scattering everything to the wind.

"Ancestor Emperor!"

"Master!"

"..."

Martial Era: Era 1723, Great Zhou Tianwu 217, June 28. Li Qingshan, the Martial Ancestor, shattered the void and ascended in daylight from Tianwu Cliff Top on the East Sea Coast, becoming the Ancestor of the World and a Martial Dao True Immortal!