Martial Saint Realm, Crisis Returns

Liu Ruyan told Ren Xiaoyao the Dragon Head's information.

The Dragon Head was Xiao Qingfeng.

At twelve, he had been adopted by Yuan Tiangang and became Yuan Tiangang's foster son.

At twenty, he attained the Super-Rank Grandmaster Realm.

Three years later, the Empress captured Yuan Tiangang. The Dragon Capturing Organization collapsed and nearly fell apart, yet at that very time, twenty-three-year-old Xiao Qingfeng attained the True Man Realm, reorganized the Dragon Capturing Organization, and became the new Dragon Head.

It was said that ten years ago,

Xiao Qingfeng had already attained the Heavenly Human Realm.

His current strength was even more unfathomable.

Even someone as powerful as the Devil Master

held this Dragon Head in immense awe.

He did everything possible to avoid a clash between the Demonic Sect and the Dragon Capturing Organization.

Moreover,

what made Xiao Qingfeng even more terrifying was that he had cultivated only a fragment of the Great Evolution Tome. If he could obtain the complete tome, no one could imagine what heights he might reach.

It was precisely because of this

that Liu Ruyan had previously wanted to steal Li Chunfeng's Great Evolution Tome

and present it to the Devil Master.

Ren Xiaoyao nodded as well. "This Dragon Head is indeed formidable, but I have faith in Master. He will certainly be able to suppress everything."

He claimed to have faith in Li Chunfeng,

but in truth, Ren Xiaoyao had sufficient faith in himself.

Li Chunfeng was now in the Heavenly Human Realm as well.

Yet Ren Xiaoyao's power was roughly equivalent to five hundred Li Chunfengs.

In other words, it was equivalent to five hundred Heavenly Human Realm martial artists.

And if Ren Xiaoyao used the Great Sun Divine Sword to employ sword techniques,

his combat power could double again.

That meant

the ultimate combat power Ren Xiaoyao could erupt with

was equivalent to a thousand Heavenly Human Realm martial artists.

Although Ren Xiaoyao was cautious and low-key,

his strength was right there for all to see.

He had enough confidence and assurance

to deal with any enemy.

Seeing Ren Xiaoyao's immense confidence in Li Chunfeng, Liu Ruyan's face filled with curiosity as she said,

"Could it be that Li Chunfeng has relied on the Great Evolution Tome to surpass the Heavenly Human Realm and enter the Martial Saint Realm? If so, Ren Xiaoyao, you must seize this opportunity as well. Your talent is outstanding. If you can cultivate the Great Evolution Tome, your future achievements may not be inferior to Li Chunfeng's."

"The Martial Saint Realm?"

It was Ren Xiaoyao's first time hearing of this realm, and he asked curiously, "Is the Martial Saint Realm the next realm after the Heavenly Human Realm?"

"Correct!"

Liu Ruyan nodded.

"I only heard my father mention this realm by chance. It is said that the first Director when Great Gan was founded was in the Martial Saint Realm. Only then was he able to help Great Gan establish its dominion."

"It is said that after entering the Martial Saint Realm from the Heavenly Human Realm, one's combat power will increase by dozens or even a hundredfold. The reason the Dragon Head wishes to scheme for the Great Evolution Tome is likely because he wants to charge into the Martial Saint Realm as well."

At the mention of the Martial Saint Realm,

Liu Ruyan's heart was filled with reverence.

The Heavenly Human Realm was already the pinnacle of the martial world.

If a Martial Saint Realm expert emerged,

they would undoubtedly ascend to become Number One Under Heaven.

But when Ren Xiaoyao heard that the Martial Saint Realm was equivalent to several dozen or a hundred Heavenly Human Realm experts, he lost interest in it.

Even the Martial Saint Realm

was not qualified to be compared with him.

After Liu Ruyan delivered this information to Ren Xiaoyao,

she quietly descended the mountain.

In truth,

Bai Su and Yao Luochen really did possess Ten-thousand-year Ginseng.

After returning to the Imperial Observatory,

Bai Su and Yao Luochen did not hesitate either.

They directly presented the Ten-thousand-year Ginseng to Li Chunfeng.

Li Chunfeng naturally handed it over to Ren Xiaoyao in turn.

Now,

the spiritual energy in Ren Xiaoyao's room was abundant to the extreme.

The spiritual energy Ren Xiaoyao absorbed

basically all came from this Ten-thousand-year Ginseng.

Ren Xiaoyao had a premonition in his heart:

once he absorbed all the spiritual energy within the Ten-thousand-year Ginseng into his body, he would be able to break through from his current realm and step into the next cultivation realm.

Ren Xiaoyao looked forward to it greatly.

The reason he avoided leaving the Imperial Observatory

was because Ren Xiaoyao felt

that although the Dao Realm Fourth Heaven was powerful enough, it was still not secure enough. But if he could enter the Dao Realm Fifth Heaven, Ren Xiaoyao would have absolute confidence that he could sweep across all of Great Gan.

Only then would Ren Xiaoyao consider leaving the Imperial Observatory.

After all,

there were some matters

he needed to investigate thoroughly.

For instance, who exactly was his birth mother, Luo Mengshen?

Why had Ren Xuanji forbidden him from practicing martial arts?

Before he came to the Imperial Observatory, who had poisoned Ren Xiaoyao's body?

Why had Princess Taiping secretly dispatched the Evil Sect to assassinate him back then...

Ren Xiaoyao needed answers to all these questions.

Therefore,

Ren Xiaoyao was also incomparably eager for the upcoming Dao Realm Fifth Heaven.

Within the Imperial Observatory,

the atmosphere had grown tense these past few days.

Lin Ping had previously made contact with Princess Taiping.

Perhaps Lin Ping had sensed the immense crisis within the Imperial Observatory this time as well.

He chose to leave the Imperial Observatory directly and join Princess Taiping's service.

As for this,

the others felt nothing much.

But Lin Ping's master, Song Duanyang, was distraught for quite some time.

After all, Song Duanyang had always regarded Lin Ping as his own son.

In fact, Song Duanyang had another young disciple,

named Dongfang Ye.

In these past few days,

it was said that he had been taken back by his lineage.

Dongfang Ye's lineage was mysterious and powerful.

The reason he had come to the Imperial Observatory back then

was the same as Ren Xiaoyao's.

It was because the Empress had issued an imperial decree.

No one knew Dongfang Ye's background.

But when the Empress came to the Imperial Observatory last time,

she specifically met with Dongfang Ye.

From this, it was evident

that Dongfang Ye possessed a heaven-reaching background as well.

With that,

only Ren Xiaoyao, Li Chunfeng, Song Duanyang, Bai Su, and Yao Luochen remained in the Imperial Observatory.

As well as the Director, who was in a deranged state.

Other than Ren Xiaoyao and the Director,

everyone, including Li Chunfeng, was extremely tense.

Because the scale of things this time was simply too great.

Outside the Capital City,

the Empress had already summoned back

a hundred thousand troops from various places in Great Gan to stand guard.

This was to prevent those with ulterior motives from launching an assault on the Capital City during this period.

Although those martial artists with one foot in the grave wanted the Ten-thousand-year Ginseng, the threat they posed was simply too great. If they suddenly charged into the Capital City, the realm itself might change hands.

The Empress had no choice but to guard against it.

Even the True Martial Sect had been dispatched

to keep watch over Fulong Mountain.

This was to ensure that if matters spiraled out of control,

the Empress could make prompt decisions according to the situation.

On this day,

at the foot of Fulong Mountain,

countless martial artists with graying hair

gathered one after another.

Yet walking at the very front of this group of martial artists

was a refined and easygoing middle-aged man.

His bearing was otherworldly, like that of a prince or noble.

This man was naturally Xiao Qingfeng, the Dragon Head of the Dragon Capturing Organization.

His strength was unfathomable,

enough to be called heaven-reaching.

The martial artists behind him

were all renowned sect masters from the martial world several decades ago.

After the Empress ascended the throne,

she demanded that the martial world's sects either submit to the Imperial Court

or be branded Demonic Cults and eradicated by the Imperial Court.

After going through a round of purges,

the Empress discovered that the remaining hard bones were truly too difficult to chew through.

And the sects that still remained also discovered that the Empress's methods were simply too forceful.

Both sides reached an understanding.

These sects could refrain from submitting to the Imperial Court,

and the Imperial Court would no longer target them.

However, these sects had to lie dormant

and could not openly recruit disciples on a large scale.

Thus,

in the martial world,

the sects appeared to be declining to the extreme.

But in truth,

the foundations of the sects remained.

The foundations of the martial world remained.

At this moment,

the white-haired sect masters appearing at the foot of Fulong Mountain

were the true foundations of the entire Dagān Jianghu.

They were far beyond comparison with the puppets the Empress had dispatched against the Imperial Observatory last time.

Ren Xuanji watched the martial artists below Fulong Mountain from afar, his expression extraordinarily grim. Never before had he seen so many True Man Realm martial artists.

More than three hundred Martial Artists in the True Man Realm!

What a terrifying concept!

And yet.

These three hundred-odd True Man Realm Martial Artists

were not ordinary True Man Realm Martial Artists.

They were all old monsters who had lived seventy or eighty years.

Just like Yuan Tiangang before.

They were existences infinitely close to the Heavenly Human Realm.

Behind these True Man Realm Martial Artists with grizzled hair and beards,

many young people followed as well.

These youths were naturally their disciples.

Because the Empress did not permit sects that refused to submit to her to expand,

these old monsters

mostly had only one disciple.

Yet these disciples were all carefully selected inheritors of their legacies.

Their strength was all far from ordinary.

Wherever Ren Xuanji's gaze fell,

there was not a single Martial Artist below the Super-Rank Realm.

The martial world's foundations are actually this terrifying, yet the Empress was still able to suppress the martial sects until they could barely breathe. It seems Qianqiu Pavilion played a major role in it!

Ren Xuanji thought to himself.

Qianqiu Pavilion.

Even with Ren Xuanji's status,

he had not been qualified to come into contact with it before.

The reason he knew of Qianqiu Pavilion was because Ren Ruohai had caught its eye and been chosen as a disciple. Only then did Ren Xuanji learn that such a colossal entity existed within Great Gan.

Then.

Ren Xuanji looked playfully toward Fulong Mountain's summit.

That was where the Imperial Observatory was located.

The Imperial Observatory.

This time, it was likely going to be completely wiped flat.

Everyone had already gathered.

At this moment, Xiao Qingfeng, the Dragon Head of the Dragon Capturing Organization, spoke. "Everyone, follow me up the mountain. Whoever can seize the Ten-thousand-year Ginseng and live another life, let each rely on their own abilities!"

"Live another life!"

Behind Xiao Qingfeng, those Martial Artists whose lifespans were nearly exhausted revealed unprecedented fervor in their eyes upon hearing those words.

To them, glory, wealth, and heaven-shaking Martial Art

could not compare to the temptation of living another life.

And they all knew in their hearts

that what Xiao Qingfeng sought was not the Ten-thousand-year Ginseng.

It was the Great Evolution Tome in Li Chunfeng's hands.

Xiao Qingfeng and these old fellows had no conflict of interest.

Thus, everyone was willing to follow Xiao Qingfeng's command.

More than three hundred figures Vast and Mighty Stepped Onto the mountain steps.

Before long.

The Imperial Observatory entered everyone's sight.

Li Chunfeng stood with his sword at the highest point of the steps. Though he was Looking Down, as he watched the more than three hundred figures below the mountain, even after attaining the Heavenly Human Realm, he still felt a chill run through his liver and gall.

Xiao Qingfeng saw Li Chunfeng as well. He rode True Essence into the air, and only when he reached the same height as Li Chunfeng did he call out loudly.

"Li Chunfeng, we have come here today for the Ten-thousand-year Ginseng. How can such Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures be monopolized by you alone? Every Martial Artist among us wishes to contend for a second life. I hope you will hand over that Ten-thousand-year Ginseng!"

Li Chunfeng gave a chuckle and said.

"I did indeed obtain the Ten-thousand-year Ginseng before, but it has now been Swallowed Into my stomach and completely digested. Even if I wished to hand it over, I could not. You should all Retreat; there is no meaning in continuing this entanglement."

Upon hearing Li Chunfeng's words.

Every Martial Artist on the steps had Eyes Ready to Burst.

They wished they could skin Li Chunfeng alive and swallow him whole, for in their eyes, Li Chunfeng had completely destroyed their hope of living a second life.

Seeing this, Xiao Qingfeng revealed a playful smile at the corner of his mouth and said.

"Li Chunfeng, you truly have some nerve. You actually dared to enrage all these old fellows. I think they will definitely skin you alive and swallow you whole today. Unless you are in the Martial Saint Realm, I cannot think of any possibility for you to Live On."

"Today, it is either you die or I live. What does it matter whether I anger them or not?"

Li Chunfeng merely Shook His Head and said.

"Besides, Xiao Qingfeng, how do you know that I am not in the Martial Saint Realm? You cultivated a fragment of the Great Evolution Tome and still achieved the Heavenly Human Realm. I cultivate the complete version, so why can I not become a Martial Saint?"

"You cannot be a Martial Saint. You are merely an ordinary Heavenly Human."

Xiao Qingfeng was not angered by Li Chunfeng. Instead, he chuckled and said.

"Though what I obtained was a fragment of the Great Evolution Tome, I have cultivated its essence. I can accurately sense the Energy Fluctuations within your body. You are far inferior to me."

"However, there is no need for me to act today. The people below can tear you to pieces."

Xiao Qingfeng was very confident. Victory Assured was in his grasp today.

But upon hearing Xiao Qingfeng's words, Li Chunfeng raised the Great Sun Divine Sword in his hand. He gave a chuckle, met Xiao Qingfeng's gaze, and said.

"Perhaps you are right, but you are also wrong."

And at this moment.

Within the Imperial Observatory.

Words appeared before Ren Xiaoyao's eyes once more.

[It has been detected that the Imperial Observatory to which you belong has once again Encountered a crisis of destruction. You have the following choices:]

[One, swiftly flee the Imperial Observatory. You may obtain the reward: one Thousand-year Ginseng.]

[Two, discreetly resolve this crisis. You may obtain the reward: Martial Arts Technique: Life and Death Palm.]