The Formlessness of the Law

Inside the cave, the pungent stench of blood spread through the air.

Time passed. No one knew how long it had been before two figures emerged from within: the Third Master Zhao Meng, disguised as Iron Hand, and Qian Wen. Compared with Zhao Meng, Qian Wen was in far worse shape, his body marked by multiple rat bites.

As for the other six, they had all remained inside the cave. In such a peculiar environment, ordinary people simply could not hold out for long against those strange rats.

"Finally, we're out."

Having survived the disaster, Qian Wen could not help but feel a surge of joy as he stepped out of the cave. But at that moment, he abruptly noticed Zhao Meng, walking ahead of him, come to a halt. Following Zhao Meng's gaze, he saw a figure standing there—straight as a verdant pine, emerging from the darkness and blocking their path.

"Jiang Wang..."

At the sight of that figure, Qian Wen's heart trembled. After what had just happened, Jiang Wang had become unfathomable in his eyes. He no longer believed Jiang Wang was merely a simple martial arts fanatic. It was at that moment that Zhao Meng, wearing the Quicksand mask, moved.

"Die!"

Killing intent burst from his heart. Facing Jiang Chen, who blocked the way, Zhao Meng did not hesitate in the slightest and attacked at once. His five fingers clenched into a fist as he drove his fist force to its utmost limit. The instant Jiang Chen appeared, he had already resolved to kill him.

In response to that punch, Jiang Chen simply struck out with his palm.

Buzz. Fist and palm collided, and their blood and qi crashed together. Jiang Chen's body drifted backward like willow fluff on the wind, while Zhao Meng staggered back three large steps.

In that instant, Zhao Meng's expression beneath his mask finally changed.

"First-rate... You actually broke through to the first-rate realm."

Looking once more at Jiang Chen, a trace of shock and suspicion flashed through Zhao Meng's narrow eyes. After that exchange, he had confirmed that Jiang Chen had already advanced to the first-rate realm, his strength no weaker than Zhao Meng's own.

"You advanced to the first-rate realm and even mastered a talisman art capable of commanding rats. You really know how to hide yourself. But the more that is true, the less I can spare you."

"Seven-Injury Fist!"

His killing intent blazing, Zhao Meng no longer concealed anything. To kill Jiang Chen, he directly used the martial art that had made his name. In an instant, his fist force surged by thirty percent.

The Seven-Injury Fist injured oneself before injuring others. Though its consequences were grave, its explosive power was tremendous, granting it a great advantage in battle.

Yet Jiang Chen remained unmoved at this sight. He was not particularly surprised that Zhao Meng had appeared here. Golden Sand Valley involved too much; for the sake of caution, it was only natural for Zhao Meng to make the trip personally.

Moreover, as one of the Quicksand Bandits, Zhao Meng might not necessarily trust the other Quicksand Bandits. Golden sand stirred men's hearts, and only acting personally was truly secure.

"Die!"

He stomped the ground and shot forward like a cannonball. Locking onto Jiang Chen, Zhao Meng threw his strongest punch.

Jiang Chen's expression did not change in the slightest. His eyes were indifferent, and he looked at Zhao Meng as if he were already dead. At that very moment, Zhao Meng suddenly let out a scream. His five viscera burned as though engulfed in fire, while faint flames seemed to gush from his seven orifices.

In that instant, his originally fierce fist momentum collapsed like a landslide. His whole body curled up like a boiled shrimp as he rolled wildly across the ground.

Seeing this, Qian Wen, who had originally intended to assist with a punch and seize the chance to ambush Jiang Chen, was immediately terrified. Zhao Meng's sudden transformation had completely exceeded his expectations.

"This is talisman art—talisman art! You are no mere martial artist. You're a cultivator..."

His blood and qi boiled as though raging flames scorched his body. Looking painfully at Jiang Chen, Zhao Meng immediately understood.

As a member of the Quicksand Bandits, he knew something about cultivators and had even come into contact with cultivation himself. Earlier, when he saw Jiang Chen command the rats, he had only assumed Jiang Chen had cultivated some special talisman art. The main reason was that he had never imagined a cultivator would lurk in this den of water bandits for so long, lowering his head and playing the subordinate beneath him for all that time.

After all, most cultivators possessed a streak of pride and looked down upon martial artists.

"So what if you're a cultivator? My fate is mine—"

His face twisted savagely and his eyes were bloodshot. Enduring the agony, Zhao Meng struggled desperately, wanting to throw one final punch. But in the next instant, the eerie bloodfire thoroughly ignited all the blood and qi in his body, turning him into a massive torch.

At that point, Zhao Meng's so-called willpower became nothing but an illusion.

A miserable scream echoed through the surroundings. Under the searing bloodfire, Zhao Meng's features twisted as his entire body shriveled at a visible rate.

Jiang Chen's gaze stirred slightly at the sight.

"Though the pure Bloodflame Art is powerful against creatures of flesh and blood, it is too rigid. Living beings possess intelligence; as long as they respond properly, they can in fact restrain the Bloodflame Art—for instance, by cutting away flesh to survive."

"But mixing bloodflame with blood and qi, then driving it into another's body, is far more concealed. Though it takes longer to erupt, once it does, ordinary means cannot restrain it at all."

Jiang Chen let Zhao Meng burn into ashes as all manner of thoughts passed through his mind.

During their first exchange, he had transformed bloodflame into blood and qi and driven it into Zhao Meng's body through his palm force. He could accomplish this for two reasons. First, his soul was sufficiently powerful, and his mastery of talisman arts far surpassed that of ordinary people. Second, it was thanks to his research into blood and qi over these past days. He had integrated bloodflame into his own blood and qi, then erased the will contained within his own blood and qi to bypass the resistance of the opponent's blood and qi, allowing it to meld easily into another's body.

From this point on, the Bloodflame Art in Jiang Chen's hands had begun to break free of its original shackles, revealing more possibilities. The law had no fixed form; it was not something immutable.

Having witnessed it all, Qian Wen had been frightened witless. He no longer held the slightest thought of opposing Jiang Chen. He did not want to end up like Zhao Meng, with neither corpse nor bones left behind. As for fleeing, that thought had indeed crossed his mind. Yet when he prepared to act, an inexplicable sense of danger enveloped him. He had a premonition that if he dared run, he would surely die.

"Fourth Master Jiang, I am useful! I know where Zhao Meng hid the golden sand. I am willing to help you find all of it. Please spare this dog's life..."

Kowtowing like a pounding pestle, Qian Wen dropped to his knees and begged repeatedly.

Jiang Chen ignored him completely. He walked over to Zhao Meng. Though Zhao Meng's corpse and bones had vanished beneath the bloodfire, the mask he wore, his black robe, and all the other items on his person remained entirely unharmed.

"This mask is rather unusual. It actually contains traces of spiritual resonance. It seems the Quicksand Bandits have gained something after seeking immortals for so many years."

Reaching down to pick up Zhao Meng's mask, Jiang Chen's mind stirred. He had already sensed something on the southern slope before; now, he confirmed it. Of course, the spiritual resonance contained in the Quicksand mask was extremely faint. It could not be considered any extraordinary object, at most having been tainted by a trace of aura.

"Soul Illumination!"

Activating his ability, Jiang Chen seized Zhao Meng's not-yet-dispersed soul after taking the mask. At that moment, countless secrets surfaced in his mind, including the location where Zhao Meng had hidden the golden sand.