Xu Qi'an vs. Cao Qingyang

Third rank?

Cao Qingyang has been promoted to the third rank?!

A commotion erupted, and everyone's expression was incredibly interesting. It had been many years since a third-rank martial artist had appeared in the martial arts world of Great Feng.

Although the martial arts alliance claims that its first leader is still alive, no one has ever seen him. That old scoundrel, who is the same age as the nation, has disappeared from the martial arts world for hundreds of years.

Cao Qingyang has now been promoted to the third rank, and the martial arts alliance's influence will reach its highest point in history, while the Zhenbei King of the Great Feng Dynasty has just passed away recently.

Does this mean that martial arts practitioners are about to rise to prominence?

Will this change the power structure of the Great Feng Dynasty?

The most excited were the martial arts alliance, a Jianghu organization, which had a third-rank official supporting it openly, a completely different concept from one that remained hidden and manipulated things from behind the scenes.

The Great Feng Dynasty only had one Prince of Zhenbei, and he has already passed away.

Now, our Alliance Leader Cao is also a third-rank official. What does this mean? It means that in the martial arts world, the Alliance's word is law, making it the second most powerful force in the Central Plains after the imperial court.

After the death of the Prince of Zhenbei, the imperial court only had one supervisor. Meanwhile, the martial arts alliance had two third-rank leaders, one new and one old, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them second best.

"Is he already a third-rank official?"

Xiao Yuenu's beautiful eyes sparkled with joy, genuinely happy for the Martial Alliance and deeply admiring its leader, Cao Qingyang.

She was a generation younger than Cao Qingyang. She remembered that when her mother was the leader of the martial arts alliance, she once commented that this leader was not particularly talented and his personality was not outstanding.

If it weren't for the former leader's incredibly unreasonable promotion, Cao Qingyang would never have become the leader of the martial arts alliance.

But over the years, Cao Qingyang has proven himself with facts. He became one of the top three on the martial arts list early on, dominating the martial arts world of Jianzhou. Now he has even been promoted to the third rank, becoming one of the few in the martial arts system.

"The Alliance Leader has actually advanced to the third rank?" Fu Jingmen, the leader of the Divine Fist Gang, could not hide his shock, his eyes widening.

"In this way, the Nine-Colored Lotus will be easily obtained. And given the Alliance Leader's appreciation for Xu Yinluo, he won't harm him. So it seems that our withdrawal from the competition will result in a huge loss."

"Imprinted regretfully from Yang Cuixue, the head of the Ink Pavilion."

The two looked at each other, their hearts aching so much they could hardly breathe.

Since they have voluntarily chosen to withdraw, when the Nine-Colored Lotus matures, neither of their factions will have a share.

Fu Jing gritted her teeth and said, "No, even if I throw a tantrum, I'll still beg the Alliance Leader for forgiveness."

Yang Cuixue's face twitched. Fu Jingmen was younger than Alliance Leader Cao, so it was fine for him to act spoiled and unreasonable. However, he was a generation older than Cao Qingyang. Although the martial arts world respected strength, seniority was equally important.

He couldn't bring himself to do it, but he was also very distressed.

While everyone was celebrating, on the other side, in the Yuezhi Manor, the disciples of the Heaven and Earth Society looked ashen-faced.

Just now, the confidence and enthusiasm that Xu Qi'an had instilled in them vanished into thin air.

"If Heaven had not given birth to Yang Qianhuan, the Great Feng would have been shrouded in eternal darkness!"

Yang Qianhuan shouted and maneuvered the ballista cannon to aim at Cao Qingyang, unleashing a volley of fire.

This was his last act of defiance.

Then, without a second thought, he teleported away.

"Boom boom boom!"

Cao Qingyang raised his hand and gently wiped it in front of him. A barrier made entirely of air appeared, cannonballs exploded, crossbow bolts broke, and within three zhang of him, there was no disturbance.

This scene further convinced the onlookers that he had advanced to the third rank; a fourth rank official couldn't have done it with such ease.

Cao Qingyang slowly stepped forward and walked up to Nangong Qianrou. His voice was calm. "You are Wei Yuan's adopted son. People with backgrounds are always different. I'll give you a choice."

"Make way, and I'll let it slide. Don't, and I'll fight you to the death."

That's just Cao Qingyang's personality; even if he's wary of someone's background, he'll say it openly and honestly.

Nangong Qianrou glanced at him, her face darkening. After a few seconds of silence, he stepped aside.

Since the opponent is only a third-rank cultivator, there's no need to throw our lives away. Besides, protecting the lotus seeds is just a task, not a mandatory one, so there's no need to risk our lives for it.

Cao Qingyang nodded slightly and continued deeper into the Yuezhi Manor.

The second challenge is a sword formation!

The leader of the formation is Chu Yuanzhen.

The top scholar, dressed in a blue robe, stood at the center of the formation, indifferently watching Cao Qingyang approach, showing no fear or apprehension because of his rank of third grade.

"I will only strike once; after that, you may come and go as you please."

Upon hearing this, Cao Qingyang's gaze fell on the longsword behind him, and he asked, "Was that the sword from behind you?"

"You are not worthy of making me draw this sword," Chu Yuanzhen said calmly.

"I can tell."

Cao Qingyang nodded. That was a sword of ambition, not a sword of arrogance. It wasn't about strength, but about having the wrong target.

"Then you're far from it," Alliance Leader Cao added calmly.

Chu Yuanzhen pointed his fingers like a sword, towards the sky, and in an instant, Sword Qi filled the heavens and earth.

Cao Qingyang, who was in the midst of it all, felt as if he were surrounded by mountains of knives and seas of swords. The ground beneath his feet, the sky above his head, and the air around him all turned into swords.

This is sword stance!

Chu Yuanzhen took a step forward and pointed his sword at Cao Qingyang.

He held no sword, nor had he conjured any object into a sword, yet in Cao Qingyang's eyes, a magnificent sword light illuminated the heavens and the earth, carrying an unstoppable sharpness as it shot towards him.

As this sword was delivered, heaven and earth seemed to unleash their murderous intent.

Cao Qingyang slowly clenched his fist, met the sword light with a straight punch, and used the personal strength of a martial artist to confront the murderous intent of heaven and earth.

Chu Yuanzhen's "sword" shattered inch by inch within his fist, the broken Sword Qi leaving sword marks on the ground, some horizontal, some vertical, some slanted, some oblique.

Upon closer inspection, each sword mark contains a unique "sword aura." For Rogue Person, each sword mark here represents the pinnacle of Swordsmanship.

If one can grasp even a fraction of this, one's cultivation level will surely increase significantly.

"I lost."

Chu Yuanzhen's right hand trembled slightly, as if in a spasm. He managed to cup his hands in a gesture of respect and make way for Chu Yuanzhen.

"By harnessing the power of the formation, even a fourth-rank martial artist would perish with this sword strike," Cao Qingyang praised highly.

He dusted off his sleeves and continued to venture deeper inside. Before long, he saw Lina, the little black-skinned girl from Southern Frontier.

"So this hurdle is about strength?" Cao Qingyang only glanced at her before seeing through her identity as a member of the Strength Gu Clan.

"I'll only throw one punch too," Lina glared at him.

"Great!" Cao Qingyang laughed.

Lina stopped talking, took a deep breath, and began to gather her strength.

Her chest rose and fell slightly, then rose and fell violently, creating a gale on the flat ground; each of her breaths caused exaggerated air currents.

An invisible force was empowering her; this was the amplification from the formation.

After a dozen or so breaths, her face began to flush, and the exposed skin on her neck, arms, and other parts of her body was stained with a layer of blood red, like a cooked shrimp.

Thump, thump... Lina's heart pounded like a relentless drumbeat. An ordinary soldier's heart would have burst under the strain.

Her blood surged like a burst dam, cleansing her veins, and her body awoke like a sleeping beast.

Strange lines appeared on the skin's surface, resembling tattoos, exuding an eerie beauty.

Click!

The ground suddenly cracked open, and Lina shot out like an arrow. During the attack, she clenched her fist, and the air seemed to explode as if she were being squeezed, producing a dull, loud bang.

boom.

After many years, Xu Qi'an heard the roar of a supersonic fighter jet again.

Lina's punch went beyond the speed of sound.

The sound lasted only a moment, then was replaced by an even louder roar, like a cannonball exploding.

Although many people did not witness this scene or could not see it with the naked eye, they were able to deduce from the changes in sound that the final explosion originated from the collision between the two people.

The shockwave ripped up the bluestone slabs, blowing away and knocking down all the surrounding houses, trees, artificial hills, and other structures, forming a circular area with a diameter of more than ten meters.

In this circular area, only bare ground remained; even the paving stones were gone.

Lina sat on the ground, panting heavily, her right arm hanging limply at her sides; the bones in her entire arm, including her hand, were completely shattered.

Cao Qingyang shook his aching fist and sighed, "In terms of sheer strength alone, the Li Gu Clan is unparalleled in the world."

In the third challenge, he saw a burly monk standing with his hands clasped together, his face filled with bitterness and resentment.

"Judging from your expression, you don't seem inclined to back down? You also want to spar with me?" the purple-robed alliance leader said with a smile.

He immediately glanced around and found that the surroundings were shrouded in mist, making it easy to lose one's sense of direction.

"This seems to be a maze, offering no boost to your combat power," Cao Qingyang warned. "You haven't even reached the fourth rank yet, aren't you afraid I'll slap you to death?"

Hengyuan did not respond, but took a step back. The mist immediately moved and swallowed him.

A few seconds later, Cao Qingyang's ears twitched slightly, and he swung his hand to his left rear.

With a muffled groan, Hengyuan appeared, staggering backward. He once again drew in the mist, then appeared behind Cao Qingyang, but was violently knocked away by the purple-robed alliance leader who had already sensed him.

He never got up again.

Cao Qingyang continued forward, piercing through the mist, and arrived at a courtyard. Here, a chilling wind blew, ghostly wails echoed, and unreal phantoms drifted in the air, emitting sharp whistles.

"You are not a third-rank official."

Amidst the wailing of countless ghosts, Li Miaozhen stood suspended in mid-air, silently looking down at Cao Qingyang.

Her body appeared almost tangible, but it was not a real physical body; rather, it was her spirit.

The Daoist School excels in Law Technique related to the Primordial Spirit, and even wizards who are equally skilled in this field are inferior to the Daoist School.

Martial artists are known for their destructive power and physical skills; while they have no weaknesses in terms of Primordial Spirit, they are not particularly outstanding either.

This Ten Thousand Ghosts Formation is specifically designed to counter fourth-rank martial artists.

"I am indeed at the third rank now, but my Primordial Spirit is still a bit short of the third rank," Cao Qingyang said frankly.

The Essence Blood bestowed by his ancestors allowed him to experience the terror and power of a third-rank martial artist in a short period of time, but his Primordial Spirit remained at its original level.

Li Miaozhen took out an illusory mirror, held it up to the air, and Cao Qingyang's figure appeared in the mirror.

She reached into the mirror, captured the figure, and flicked it into a scarecrow.

One after another, the spirits rushed towards the scarecrow, pinning down its limbs and head.

Li Miaozhen reached out and grabbed a phantom awl from thin air, about to pierce the scarecrow's forehead.

Cao Qingyang's aura surged, and the scarecrow suddenly exploded, blasting the undead pressing down on it into dust.

Li Miaozhen raised her head and suddenly let out a shrill scream.

Within the formation, countless vengeful spirits also raised their heads, letting out shrill screams.

The invisible and intangible sound waves pierced Cao Qingyang's brain like steel nails, stirring his Primordial Spirit and destroying his sanity.

At the same time, Cao Qingyang's clothes began to betray him; his belt tried to strangle him, his clothes tried to bind him, and the two sleeves were tied in knots, effectively binding his hands.

Taking advantage of the opponent's momentary lapse in concentration, Li Miaozhen swooped down, transforming herself into a sharp arrow, and shot towards Cao Qingyang's brow.

Behind her stood a massive army.

The dead surrounded her and followed her.

Cao Qingyang woke up in time, bit his tongue, and spat out a mouthful of blood mist.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle

The undead touched the blood mist and screamed as they vanished.

Li Miaozhen tumbled painfully in the air, letting out a shrill scream, her spirit dimming slightly.

"But my Qi and Blood are only of the third grade, and the blood on the tip of my tongue is extremely strong and yang. Since you haven't achieved the yang spirit, you can't withstand my blood," Cao Qingyang said with a smile.

"Raising ghosts is not easy. Will you collect these souls yourself, or will I perform a ritual for them to be released from suffering?" he sneered.

Li Miaozhen did her best. Her spirit returned to her body, and then she took off the sachet from her waist, untied the knot, and took the deceased soul back.

Cao Qingyang broke through five passes in one go. The Yuezhi Manor's painstaking plan was like child's play in front of him. He crushed them with overwhelming force.

"Alliance Leader Cao is unparalleled in the world, a first-rate hero."

"Unbelievable! I thought it would be a tough battle, but it turned out to be so easy."

"Alliance Leader Cao, we wonder if we could get a share of the spoils? We are willing to serve the Martial Alliance."

The vast army marched straight in along the road cleared by Cao Qingyang.

Everyone's faces were full of smiles. They really didn't expect Cao Qingyang to be so powerful, turning a fierce battle into a child's play.

The array painstakingly set up by high-level Warlock, and the presence of outstanding disciples from both the Celestial Person and Human Sects, were insufficient to hinder Cao Qingyang.

Unstoppable momentum.

If Alliance Leader Cao hadn't reached the third rank, this might have been a tough battle, but now, seizing the Nine-Colored Lotus is an easy task with no obstacles whatsoever.

"So the Alliance Leader was confident all along. No wonder he never cared about our attitude and was completely unconcerned about Yang Cuixue and Fu Jingmen's withdrawal," the leader of Qianji Sect remarked.

"So what is his purpose in summoning us?" The intelligent and perceptive Xiao Yuenu murmured, then fell silent.

The answer is obvious. Cao Qingyang's purpose in gathering the various gangs was not to deal with the Yuezhi Manor. Their real enemies were the Earth Sect and the imperial forces.

Even groups of wandering Rogue Person gather here are among the enemies we must guard against.

If it were just the Yuezhi Manor, Alliance Leader Cao alone could easily crush it.

The disciples of the Heaven and Earth Society gritted their teeth in frustration, gathered together, and were forced to retreat repeatedly by the assembled heroes.

They no longer needed to defend their position, because everyone had expected this to be a tough battle, a protracted struggle.

A feeling of despair welled up in the hearts of every disciple.

"Oh, that little beauty is so pretty! Haha, I don't need the lotus seeds anymore, I'm going to snatch a beauty home!"

Someone in the disciples' group saw Qiu Chanyi and their eyes lit up immediately.

Qiu Chanyi's beauty was unparalleled, even among the many beauties in the brothel.

Among the Rogue Cultivator, there is no shortage of scoundrels and lechers. Immediately, several men called their friends and surrounded Qiu Chanyi and her group.

Seeing this, the evil Daoist priest from the Earth Sect chuckled sinisterly, "That's more like it. Even if we don't get the lotus seeds, it'll be worth the trip if we can snatch back a beautiful woman."

"If you don't make a move, we'll beat you to it."

The Earth Sect Daoists are inciting ordinary people to take action and kill all these Earth Sect "traitors" who refuse to join the demonic path.

The disciples of the Heaven and Earth Society retreated again and again, retreating to the deepest part of the manor, to the cold pond where the nine-colored lotus flowers were grown.

Once we retreat to the edge of the icy pond, where else can we retreat to?

At that point, we will have no choice but to fight to the death.

The disciples of the Heaven and Earth Society showed resolute expressions.

The battle here hadn't started because at that moment, everyone heard a cold laugh coming from the direction of Han Chi:

"Alliance Leader Cao, why don't you wait a moment? Let me kill this villain first, and then we'll have a final battle."

Those martial arts practitioners who coveted Qiu Chanyi's beauty immediately fell silent and abandoned their thoughts.

They were still very afraid of Xu Yinluo.

Qiu Chanyi felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, as if that voice possessed a special magic that filled her with a sense of security.

The two sides faced off as they moved, and soon arrived at the edge of the cold pond. The first thing they saw was a nine-colored lotus flower shimmering with rosy light in the pond.

An old Daoist priest sat cross-legged by the pond.

On the only way to the Cold Pool, stood a young man dressed in black, with a high ponytail, one hand on the hilt of his sword, confronting Cao Qingyang.

In terms of sheer presence, they were in no way inferior.

"This level doesn't seem to have any formations? How does Xu Yinluo plan to defend it?" Cao Qingyang's smile was gentle, revealing an unwavering confidence.

In an instant, hundreds of eyes, all focused on Xu Qi'an.