Five-Step Grandmaster

Tonight, Sanyuan City was far from peaceful.

Especially near the Huang Family, teams holding torches poured out, like fiery dragons heading in all directions.

Fang Xi's feet seemed to stir up the wind, his speed was extreme, yet someone was chasing closely behind him – it was Huang Yuanwu!

Originally, if he had gone all out, he could have easily shaken off his pursuers and disappeared without a trace using his camouflage.

With the methods of an immortal cultivator, even the Nine-Life Mastiff couldn't find him.

This was his confidence in daring to cause chaos in Sanyuan City!

However, his target this time was Huang Yuanwu, so he naturally wouldn't flee.

The two chased and fled, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived at the back garden of a dilapidated house.

The garden was filled with rockeries, and the weeds were withered and yellow. A pond had lost its living water and was filled with a foul stench.

Under the moonlight, Fang Xi turned around, looking calmly at Huang Yuanwu, "You dare to follow me, you have quite the nerve!"

"Heh... A little fellow who just stepped into the Martial Master realm, daring to boast so wildly!"

Huang Yuanwu, with his ape-like arms and bee-like waist, stood still, exuding an imposing presence.

Beside him, the Nine-Life Mastiff, as black as a lion, let out low growls and roars.

"With the Nine-Life here, I can confirm there are no ambushes around... And you!" Huang Yuanwu's gaze was slightly serious, "Our previous encounter confirmed you haven't condensed your Fist Intent yet, yet your strength is comparable to a second-stage Martial Master. You're a genius! But if you provoke my Huang Family, even geniuses from the most powerful factions will die!"

It seemed he had mistaken Fang Xi's identity.

But it made sense. With Fang Xi's recently broken-through Martial Master realm, his strength was comparable to a second-stage Martial Master, just like a genius from a major power with extraordinary talent and a renowned master's guidance!

If he knew Fang Xi was just a pauper in martial arts, and that he attacked this time purely out of desperation to steal the Huang Family's secret manuals, he would be utterly speechless.

"Enough nonsense... Your subordinates will arrive in about fifteen minutes."

Fang Xi spoke with a smile, circulating his Primordial Chaos Energy throughout his body, his form suddenly rising.

The next moment, the ground seemed to tremble, and a terrifying power generated from the soles of his feet, traveled through his waist, spine, and arms... finally connecting into a single line, transforming into a devastating punch!

"Today, I will let you know that a genius who hasn't fully grown is no genius at all!"

Huang Yuanwu roared, pushing his hands forward as if pushing mountains.

Swish!

Fang Xi's fist collided with his palm, like a surging tide crashing against a reef. No matter how ferocious the Primordial Chaos Energy was, it was ultimately shattered, scattering into ripples.

Huang Yuanwu was a third-stage Martial Master, a top expert in Sanyuan City, and his strength naturally surpassed Fang Xi's!

He sneered, and his terrifying True Energy was about to counterattack.

The next moment, he suddenly felt something was wrong!

A terrifying penetrating force, like a sharp needle, pierced his hand, breaking through his skin and flesh, even injuring his bone!

It turned out that just now, Fang Xi's fist had dispersed, and a small black needle hidden within had erupted.

A one-time Magic Tool – the Bone Piercing Nail!

"You... despicable!"

Huang Yuanwu stumbled back three steps, looking at his palm, where a dark bloody hole had appeared.

"Damn body cultivators are so troublesome!"

Unbeknownst to him, Fang Xi was also complaining.

If it were an immortal cultivator facing this attack, the Bone Piercing Nail would have already pierced through their palm and then their heart.

But the physique of a third-stage Martial Master was truly astonishing. Even though the Bone Piercing Nail's power was close to the limit of a Low-grade Magic Tool, it was stopped by his iron-like bones.

"To resort to such underhanded tactics, how despicable!"

Huang Yuanwu frowned, intending to use his True Energy to compress the wound, but found he couldn't stop the bleeding at all.

Even worse, his entire arm began to ache intensely, causing him to curse.

"Heh heh... With scum like you, there's no need for any chivalry."

Fang Xi turned and struck the Nine-Life Mastiff's head with a palm.

It turned out that this half-Demon had secretly crept behind him while he was exchanging punches with Huang Yuanwu, intending to launch a sneak attack.

But now, Fang Xi was furiously rubbing its head!

A terrifying surge of True Energy erupted, sending the Nine-Life Mastiff flying into the pond, splashing water everywhere.

Huang Yuanwu's expression didn't change in the slightest. He suddenly turned and ran!

One of his arms hung limply, clearly unusable for the time being.

Even as a third-stage Martial Master, fighting another Martial Master with one arm tied would be a significant disadvantage.

However, before Huang Yuanwu could even jump over the wall, he suddenly felt a fierce wind rushing towards him.

Puff!

A dark light flew over, transforming into a ghost-head saber, and fiercely slashed at him.

"Ah!"

Huang Yuanwu let out a scream and fell back into the courtyard, a knife mark so deep it exposed bone on his chest!

"You... who exactly are you?"

His eyes were filled with despair, but he couldn't recall when the Huang family had offended someone with such heaven-defying abilities!

"The person who's here to take your life!"

Fang Xi took out a few more Talismans and chuckled.

At the same time, he was also making comparisons in his mind:

'Although Martial Masters are equivalent to cultivators at the second stage of Body Refining, they are much easier to deal with than cultivators...'

'If it were a Body Cultivator, they would absolutely not expose such a huge opening, because Martial Masters have no experience dealing with cultivators...'

'Furthermore, Body Cultivators would also use various Talismans or even Magic Tools and armor to enhance themselves...'

'The Martial Masters of Da Liang are simply too naive...'

The next moment, Fang Xi, without hesitation, tore open a 'Golden Light Shield' Talisman and charged forward, trading injuries with Huang Yuanwu...

Before long, he left the desolate house, carrying Huang Yuanwu, whose limbs were broken.

Not long after, the experts and guards of the Huang family arrived, out of breath. They looked at the messy scene and exchanged bewildered glances...

The next day.

The Monster Hunting Association.

"Did you hear? The Huang family suffered a great disaster?"

Some martial artists spoke in hushed tones, their faces alight with schadenfreude.

After all, the Huang family had previously been known for their arrogance and high-handedness.

"Just yesterday, that second young lady of the Huang family provoked someone she shouldn't have and was killed on the spot... The Huang family had just issued a harsh threat, and guess what? The second master of the Huang family went missing that very night..."

"That's a Colonel, who dares to slap the face of the imperial court and the Dingzhou army?"

"Who? Of course, it's a peerless fiend... This person is about twenty years old, looks like a scholar, and is known in the jianghu as 'Ghost's Bane'!"

A martial artist spoke with pride, clearly well-informed, and began to brag.

"Oh? Why is he called Ghost's Bane?"

The other martial artists quickly pressed for details.

"Naturally, it's because this Ghost's Bane has no known origin, yet his Martial Arts are incredibly powerful, and he acts with impunity, treating the laws of the government and the king as child's play... Even more terrifying is his personality, which is quite... vile. Do you know under what pretext he stormed the Huang Manor last night? I heard... it was just because someone from the Huang Manor stepped out with their left foot first, which offended his taboo..."

The surrounding martial artists listened and were speechless.

Another person interjected, "How come I heard... it was because they stepped out with their right foot first?"

Even so, everyone's scalp tingled, and they subconsciously looked at their own legs, not wanting to provoke such an inexplicable enemy.

"Heh heh... You thought the disappearance of the second master of the Huang family last night was the end of it?"

The martial artist who spoke first chuckled, "That Ghost's Bane is truly audacious. After abducting the second master, he quietly returned to the Huang Manor and is said to have gone on a killing spree, killing many people... Even the Patriarch Huang, Huang Yuanding, was severely wounded. If not for the timely arrival of the government and the Dingzhou army, he would have likely been beaten to death!"

"Even if he didn't die, after this battle, the Huang family will probably decline... Not only decline, but they don't even know who their enemy is. What do you say... is that frustrating?"

An old man put down his teacup and sighed softly, "The Huang family has done many unrighteous deeds; they deserve this retribution!"

"Haha, that's true. Let's have some tea, some tea..."

Fang Xi was unaware of the commotion outside, nor did he wish to know.

At this moment, he was in a room, meticulously studying a secret manual in his hand.

He had taken Huang Yuanwu away last night and obtained a large amount of information using the Soul Bewitching Technique.

Then he immediately launched a surprise attack, turning the Huang Manor upside down – in reality, he was searching for the secret manual and the Divine Intent Diagram; injuring the Huang family head was just a casual addition...

"A descendant of the Huang family once studied at Yuan He Mountain and reached the realm of a fourth-step Martial Master, only a step away from Grandmaster... Later, they came down the mountain and passed down this 'Heavenly Wind Secret Scroll'!"

Fang Xi carefully flipped through the ancient book, which was the original, complete with the Divine Intent Diagram.

After he took it, the Huang family's Divine Intent Diagram inheritance would likely be severed...

"The cultivation of Martial Masters: first-step Martial Master, condensing Fist Intent; second-step Martial Master, breaking the Mud Pill Palace; third-step Martial Master, hardening bones and muscles; fourth-step Martial Master, spirit and strength merging... Then comes the Grandmaster, whose spirit merges with heaven and earth, achieving unity between man and nature!"

The first two steps of Martial Master cultivation were information Fang Xi had extracted from Linghu Yang's mind.

Linghu Yang had only heard about them from his master and did not have specific cultivation methods!

But the 'Heavenly Wind Secret Scroll' contained them!

Fang Xi knew his own capabilities; he had just broken through to Martial Master and was not even a first-step Martial Master.

However, his own foundation was solid, his Qi and Blood had broken the human limit, his talent was extraordinary, and he had mixed and practiced several major cultivation techniques, creating the Primordial Chaos True Skill, thus possessing astonishing strength that allowed him to fight second-step Martial Masters!

If he added a few tricks from a cultivator, even third-step or fourth-step Martial Masters would fall for it.

But for a Grandmaster who has taken the fifth step, that is, a True Gang Martial Saint, it's hard to say.

"Martial Master cultivation only has four steps. Taking the fifth step makes one a Grandmaster Martial Saint! Thankfully, thankfully... I thought there would be at least nine steps... and further subdivisions like half-step, half-step peak, and half-step great completion!"

Fang Xi wasn't planning to fight a True Gang Martial Saint right now.

His philosophy has always been to overpower his opponents. Being able to defeat an enemy a minor realm higher is good, and being able to crush an enemy a major realm higher is excellent.

Being able to subdue an army without fighting is the best!

Immortal cultivation values life; what kind of behavior is fighting and killing?

Not to mention, a True Gang Martial Saint is equivalent to a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator at the third level of Body Refining. Asking him to challenge an opponent a minor realm higher? Let's just forget about it...

Although Martial Saints in this world would most likely die when facing a Body Refining third-level cultivator from the immortal cultivation world, one shouldn't look down on them.

'Body Refining third-level cultivators have the advantage of the immortal cultivation world's foundation and can use external items... In terms of mindset and willpower, they might not necessarily surpass the Grandmasters of this world...'