Treason (Seeking Collection)

[Hundred Refinements Martial Arts: Fifth Layer]

[Zither Arts: Third Layer]

[Go Arts: Third Layer]

[Calligraphy and Painting: Fourth Layer]

[Spiritual Turtle Breathing Technique: First Layer]

[Profound Yin Soul Control Fragment: First Layer]

[Azure Dragon Probes the Clouds Hand: First Layer]

[Heavenly Show Points: 0 (88%)]

"I've been drawing a bit too much attention lately. I'm afraid someone might hold a grudge against me..."

Gazing at the attribute panel of the Heavenly Show System, Zhong Shenxiu fell into silent contemplation.

"And... the attribute panel seems a bit cluttered too... I should simplify it a little, otherwise my eyes will blur and my head will ache."

With a thought, he prodded the quirky system, and more information surfaced:

[Detected mergeable options. Merge Zither Arts, Go Arts, Calligraphy and Painting?]

"Yes!"

[Zither Arts, Go Arts, Calligraphy and Painting merged!]

[Zither, Go, Calligraphy, and Painting: Third Layer]

[Detected that Hundred Refinements Martial Arts can be fused into Azure Dragon Probes the Clouds Hand. Fuse?]

"Yes!"

[Azure Dragon Probes the Clouds Hand upgraded!]

[Azure Dragon Probes the Clouds Hand: Third Layer!]

After this round of operations, Zhong Shenxiu immediately felt much more at ease.

In truth, the merging and fusing of skills within the Heavenly Show System had always been one of its functions; he simply hadn't bothered with it before.

"Zither, Go, Calligraphy, and Painting were always meant to be merged, and since it follows the majority layer, it stays at the third layer."

"As for Hundred Refinements Martial Arts, it can be considered the accumulated cultivation from my previous world, all turned into experience. Fusing it into Azure Dragon Probes the Clouds Hand raised it by two layers."

Zhong Shenxiu silently sensed it.

At this moment, Azure Dragon Probes the Clouds Hand had practically become an instinct of his body—every move, every stance, flowed naturally and brimmed with boundless power.

Moreover, since the Xiantian Qi Gong had also been devoured by the superior Spiritual Turtle Breathing Technique, the traces and roots of his past life were now thoroughly concealed.

A faint joy stirred in Zhong Shenxiu's heart. He sat down to cultivate the Spiritual Turtle Breathing Technique, attempting to break through his acupoints.

On the Spiritual Turtle Breathing Diagram, there were thirty-six acupoints in total, each corresponding to one of the thirty-six acupoints in the human body. If all could be opened, he would reach the pinnacle of Xiantian.

Among the Ten Directions Beast Art, besides the Spiritual Turtle Breathing Technique, there were several other techniques, all paths of Xiantian Qi Refining.

However, if one cultivated them all to their peak, though still limited to the Xiantian realm, they would gain the strength of a dragon-elephant, the qi of a turtle-snake, and a vajra body—boundless benefits that could forge the most solid foundation.

Furthermore, it was also a prerequisite for cultivating the Myriad Beast True Body.

Though Zhong Shenxiu had some thoughts on this, a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush. He decided to first cultivate one inner technique and one combat skill, reaching the Xiantian pinnacle before considering anything else.

As for what came after—that could wait.

Immersed in cultivation, the night passed swiftly.

By the next day, Zhong Shenxiu changed into a suit of Black Iron Armor and went to see Feng Xi'er.

This set of iron armor weighed over a hundred jin. An ordinary person probably couldn't even wear it, let alone move freely—only a martial artist at the peak of Houtian could manage it.

Of course, the armor's defensive power was extraordinary, comparable to having cultivated a hard technique like the Black Tortoise Hundred Refinements Armor to the third or fourth layer.

If he were to duel an ordinary Martial Arts Master, he would hold an immense advantage.

Zhong Shenxiu had already refined True Qi and was a Xiantian expert, so wearing this armor felt no different from ordinary clothes. He strolled leisurely to the commander's tent to pay his respects to Feng Xi'er.

Feng Xi'er, however, was not wearing armor. She was dressed in a light green silk skirt, looking rather like a delicate beauty swaying in the wind. A jade hand held a writing brush as she frowned at the documents on the table.

"Your subordinate greets the Colonel!"

Zhong Shenxiu was the first to bow.

Feng Xi'er raised her head and glanced at him, then suddenly smiled—like a spring breeze brushing the face, like a hundred flowers in bloom: "You really have forgotten me..."

Zhong Shenxiu put on a bewildered expression: "I wonder if the Colonel has ties with my Su Family?"

"Years ago, I once visited the Su Family with my grandfather. You were merely a branch member, standing among the crowd to pay respects. I only caught a distant glimpse—it's no surprise you don't remember..." Feng Xi'er set down her brush. "Not long after, I heard that the Su Family had run afoul of the law, and the main line was all executed..."

Zhong Shenxiu's heart was as still as an ancient well, yet before his eyes, the scene from that day seemed to surface.

Like wolves and tigers, the Blazing Han Iron Cavalry ruthlessly trampled through the manor, shouting, "By order, we are to seize the Su Family. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"

Even the sky was filled with various forbidden arts and the radiance of cultivators locked in battle...

'Aristocratic clans watch over each other. The Su Family was a Commandery Prestige, yet they were wiped out in a single morning—they must have been caught up in something that pierced the heavens... They say it's related to the princes' struggle for the throne...'

Zhong Shenxiu sighed inwardly.

Logically, the Su Family wouldn't be so foolish, but greed knows no bounds. A Humble Family aspires to become a County Magnate, a County Magnate schemes to rise to Commandery Prestige, and a Commandery Prestige hopes to become an Aristocratic Clan...

Under normal circumstances, accumulating such status would take a thousand years or more, so currying favor with the powerful becomes a shortcut.

Of course, the price of failure is also extremely brutal.

Zhong Shenxiu even vaguely felt that the Su Family wasn't at the core of this—they were merely collateral damage, caught in the crossfire, or made an example of.

Otherwise, a branch member like him probably wouldn't have survived.

Now, realizing the gravity of the situation, he began to put on an act again, his lips trembling, his face pale, and the whites of his eyes turning red.

"Enough... Let the past be the past. No need to speak of it."

Feng Xi'er waved her hand. "Meeting me is a stroke of fate for you. Work well with me this time, earn some merit, and you might shed your criminal status... In the future, you'll have a place in the world. Just don't think about restoring your family."

"I wouldn't dare entertain such thoughts."

Of course, Zhong Shenxiu could only say this.

Though he had resolved to take on Su Daozhi's Karma, most of that man's relatives were already dead.

As for revenge, that wasn't something he could speak of at this moment.

"I don't care if you're sincere or not—I'll take it as truth."

Feng Xi'er said, "I've been ordered to root out the remnants of the Felix Family. The Black Mountain region is the top priority. The Iron Cavalry must patrol daily, especially the Great Rift and the Altar Ruins... I once had someone divine the timing. There are still two months until the Blood Moon Night, which is when Hestings County most loves to sacrifice to their evil gods. If those scoundrels are going to act, it will be then... You're familiar with the terrain. Make sure you earn plenty of merit."

"I obey!"

Zhong Shenxiu clasped his hands, but his heart sank.

'Two more months until the Blood Moon Night? That's even shorter than I thought... My time is running out...'

The monster inside him would claim his soul on an ordinary Full Moon, let alone during the Blood Moon Night.

'But... hunting down the remnants of the Felix Family? That family... I know them well!'

Hestings County had long since fallen, and many of the secrets of that mysterious family were buried in history.

But Zhong Shenxiu was different. Inside him resided an ancestor of the Felix Family, and many of those secrets were personally set up by that very being.

If he could manipulate it slightly, or even borrow some tricks like peering into memories, he might actually reap considerable benefits!