Meeting the Enemy

One day later.

Li Xian felt the blood and qi within him linked into a single whole, surging powerfully through his body, and understood his current state.

"Great accomplishment in blood exchange and marrow washing."

Beyond great accomplishment in blood exchange and marrow washing lay perfection.

That meant further honing one's blood and qi until they reached their limits.

But such limits were essentially of little significance.

It was like the difference between eating one's fill and stuffing oneself.

The latter might stave off hunger longer than the former, but when food was plentiful, there would be little difference between the two.

Only when fighting a martial artist at great accomplishment in blood exchange would someone at perfection gain an advantage, relying on their longer-lasting blood and qi to wear their opponent to death.

Usually, only martial masters stuck at the step of primordial unity and an impervious body would helplessly continue whiling away their time and reach perfection in blood exchange.

Those with real ability...

Li Xian directly achieved Embracing Qi and Forming a Core.

The blood and qi within him began circulating spontaneously along the pathways of Embracing Qi and Forming a Core, unified as a Primordial Unity.

One circuit, two circuits, three circuits...

With the wealth of experience he had accumulated in embracing qi and forming a core, Li Xian needed only six circuits before his blood and qi formed a self-sustaining cycle, circulating spontaneously without end.

"An impervious body."

His expression remained calm.

He showed neither sorrow nor joy at entering a martial realm equivalent to the first rate of this world.

Ever since obtaining the Five Elements Art and seeing through the essence of the Body Without Leaks Realm, he had known that this step would come as naturally as water flowing into a channel, posing no obstacle to him.

He circulated his qi through a full circuit, carefully sensing the changes brought by his impervious body.

Under this cyclical circulation, the energy leaking out of his body decreased significantly.

More of the energy supplied from outside was effectively used, accumulated, and compressed little by little.

"It seems... like a great core."

Understanding seemed to dawn on him.

In his previous life, embracing qi and forming a core had suffered from insufficient medicinal tonics and inadequate foundations, making blood exchange and marrow washing difficult for the human body. Though later generations of astonishing talent had developed the method of embracing qi and forming a core, they merely condensed vital essence and qi into a mass, embracing a small core.

An impervious body, however, used the flesh itself as a core, circulating qi through full circuits without end.

What it embraced was the great core of the human body!

Compared with embracing qi and forming a core, the great core of the human body naturally offered better prospects.

But in terms of cultivation difficulty, forcibly embracing qi and forming a core with inadequate foundations required far more delicate skill than forming the great core of an impervious body.

"The former is like engraving a hundred characters on a one-centimeter bamboo slip, while the latter is like engraving a thousand characters on a ten-centimeter bamboo slip. The difference in delicacy and difficulty is far more than tenfold, isn't it?"

Li Xian sensed the changes in his impervious body.

Vital essence and qi no longer leaked out. As they accumulated inside him, they would naturally compress gradually.

Once they were compressed to a certain degree, a cultivator could achieve Blood and Qi Mastery, turning what had originally been only a vague, elusive sensation into blood and qi force they could control.

That step marked Leakless Realm great accomplishment.

Next, by uniting spirit with vital essence and qi, refining essence into qi, and Using the False to Cultivate the True, one could transform the qi of their vital blood into true qi capable of physically manifesting.

To cultivate true qi...

"Mastering supernatural energy!"

If he could use his true qi to erect a three-foot wall of qi, he might remain composed even when facing a hail of gunfire head-on.

The next step is Blood and Qi Mastery. Zhang Shuheng, and Blood Eagle, leader of the Thirteen Eagles of Luoyang—I hope you've both achieved Blood and Qi Mastery and reached great accomplishment in the Leakless Realm, so I can experience firsthand, with my own body, the violence and devastation of blood and qi entering it.

Li Xian said this inwardly.

The anticipation in his eyes for these reinforcements invited by the Marquis's Residence grew stronger.

On the evening of the second day after Li Xian attained an impervious body.

A party of thirteen riders, travel-worn and dusty, rode on without restraint.

Pedestrians and traveling merchants along their route all hurried out of their way.

One peddler carrying goods on a shoulder pole failed to dodge in time and was sent flying by a horse, his internal organs ruptured, his fate unknown.

That alone showed how tyrannically these thirteen riders behaved.

Sweeping along in a cloud of dust, the thirteen riders reined in at the Five-Li Pavilion outside Lijiang City.

"Whoa!"

Thirteen tall, powerful horses came to an abrupt halt.

The dust they stirred up battered the dozen or so people waiting outside the pavilion in sheets.

Zhao Tianming, Fang Rui, Bai Yup an...

The notable experts of Lijiang's Dingfeng Marquis Estate and the Yueyang Prince's Residence were all among them.

Though showered in dust, the two blood exchange and marrow washing martial masters, Zhao Tianming and Bai Yup an, showed not the slightest displeasure. Instead, their faces were wreathed in smiles. "Chief Blood Eagle, heroes, you've come a long way. Thank you for your efforts on the journey. We've specially prepared warming wine and some local Lijiang delicacies for you. Please come into the pavilion and rest a while..."

The Thirteen Eagles of Luoyang had arrived.

But the smiling welcome of the two blood exchange and marrow washing experts received no warm response from the Thirteen Eagles of Luoyang.

Their leader, Blood Eagle, remained astride his tall horse worth a thousand taels, showing no intention of dismounting.

To avoid alerting the Zhou Family with a grand display, they had prepared only one Green Silk Curved Canopy Umbrella and a few Insignia Plaques. Sweeping his gaze over this reception, the first-rate expert with an impervious body said indifferently, "Enough. It'll be dark soon. Let's not waste time. Where is Li Xian? Lead the way."

Zhao Tianming paused, then hurriedly said, "Chief Blood Eagle, you've ridden a thousand li, traveling hard for days. Why not rest for a day? Tomorrow morning, the experts from our two residences can join you, and we can turn out in full force to crush them to powder with the might of a thunderbolt!"

"Rest for a day?"

Blood Eagle looked down at the blood exchange and marrow washing martial master. "The Zhou Family has some reputation in Lijiang. If we enter the city with such a show of force, how could they not know? And with the reputation of the Thirteen Eagles of Luoyang, once they learn we're here, they'll surely flee in terror! If Li Xian hides in the deep mountains and ancient forests, who'll drag him out? You?"

"Enough nonsense. We Thirteen Eagles of Luoyang are already here. What are you still dawdling for? Get someone to lead the way, and have the money you promised us ready! As for Li Xian, we'll take care of him!"

A burly man behind Blood Eagle spoke impatiently.

Zhao Tianming glanced at him.

This was the fourth brother, Vulture.

An expert at great accomplishment in blood exchange and marrow washing, he had brought his White Tiger Biting a Corpse Saber to the pinnacle.

He had once fought two blood exchange and marrow washing experts head-on and cut them both down, displaying unparalleled ferocity.

But...

Considering how crucial this battle was, Zhao Tianming still steeled himself and said, "Li Xian and Zhou Juechen are both at the Dragon Spring Martial Arts Hall. Neither is weak, and they have many Zhou Family experts around them, giving them strength in numbers. Why don't you rest here a moment? I'll have Attendant Bai contact Commander Zhang of the Prince's Mansion right away and ask him to bring a small group of elites to join you first..."

"Useless!"

This time, Blood Eagle rebuked him without leaving him the slightest dignity. "Don't you even understand that speed is the essence of warfare!? If you're going to kill, you must act decisively, coming and going like the wind, swift as thunder!"

This was the style of the Thirteen Eagles of Luoyang!

It was also the code of survival that allowed them to run rampant through Luoyang!

"Lead us into the city!"

He barked the order outright.

He seemed to regard the two blood exchange and marrow washing experts, Zhao Tianming and Bai Yup an, as subordinates he could order about at will.

His attitude darkened both Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing martial masters' expressions.

But ultimately, they needed his help. Moreover, the Thirteen Eagles of Luoyang had a fearsome reputation, slaughtering entire households at the slightest provocation, so neither Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing martial master dared flare up.

Zhao Tianming immediately swung into the saddle. "I'll lead the way."

Beside him, Bai Yup an seethed inwardly, but he understood that the bigger picture had to come first.

He merely gave a Prince's Residence Guard an order. "Notify Commander Zhang immediately. Have him bring the elites to join us. Don't make a big show of it, lest we beat the grass and startle the snake."

"Yes."

The Prince's Residence Guard hurriedly acknowledged the order.

The thirteen riders became fifteen, spurring their horses toward Lijiang City.

Soon, Lijiang City's towering walls appeared at the edge of their vision.

But just as they were about to ride straight into the city, Blood Eagle, at their head, seemed to notice something and suddenly raised a hand.

The next moment, like the finest cavalry, the twelve riders obeyed instantly, bringing their horses to a halt in unison.

Caught off guard, Zhao Tianming and Bai Yup an, riding behind them, nearly crashed into their formation.

Even though they hastily stopped their horses, they still could not avoid a flurry of confusion.

Blood Eagle glanced at the two, then swiftly turned his gaze toward two figures standing on the main road not far from the city gate.

Years of licking blood from a blade's edge had made him keenly sensitive to the trace of danger coming from them.

Just then, having stopped his horse, Zhao Tianming immediately recognized the pair as well. "Zhou Juechen!? Beside him... is that Li Xian!?"

"Did they learn we were coming and try to flee, only for us to cut them off?"

Bai Yup an sounded uncertain.

"No!"

Blood Eagle said indifferently, "They've come to seek death!"

The leader swung off his horse, bringing a Horse Saber down with him. His gaze immediately settled on the slightly older Zhou Juechen. "Jiangzhou's newly risen first-rate expert? What a pity. You finally struggled your way to this step, only to become a corpse today!"

"Big Brother, let me handle Zhou Juechen! I've wanted to experience the skills of an impervious body expert for a long time!"

The fourth brother, Vulture, licked his lips, his eyes burning.

But a single glance from Blood Eagle stifled his blazing fighting spirit.

Even a lion used its full strength to hunt a rabbit.

The Thirteen Eagles of Luoyang had survived and run rampant to this day by being overbearing toward the weak and cautious toward the strong. That was their iron law of survival.

However recently Zhou Juechen had become a first-rate expert, he still possessed an impervious body. Did the fourth brother really think his White Tiger Biting a Corpse Saber qualified him to challenge such an expert?

"Li Xian is our primary target. I'll kill Zhou Juechen. Li Xian is yours!"

As Blood Eagle spoke, his fierce gaze swept over the third, fourth, and sixth brothers. "I know killing him will be easy for you! But go lightly. Don't actually cut him down with one stroke. I want him alive!"

"Understood, Chief, I..."

Vulture immediately answered.

But before he could finish, Zhou Juechen and Li Xian, blocking the road ahead, had already moved first.

Yet, contrary to everyone's expectations, Zhou Juechen, the newly risen first-rate expert, was clearly charging toward Vulture and the others, while Li Xian...

His target was none other than Blood Eagle, leader of the Thirteen Eagles of Luoyang!

"Trading pieces?"

Blood Eagle instantly guessed his intent.

The next second, the first-rate expert with an impervious body narrowed his eyes viciously. "Trading pieces with me!? Good, good, good! I'll grant your wish!"

He strode forward to meet Li Xian head-on.

(End of chapter)