A Golden Age Unseen in a Thousand Years, Breaking New Ground in the Martial Dao

Of all the peers Yu Tunzhou has encountered so far, excluding his Junior Brother Li Jingxuan, An Ruyu is undoubtedly the strongest.

This woman is about the same age as him, yet she achieved Form Refinement Perfection and ranked third on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking, and this is still not her limit.

Ever since his escape from Pinghu County, this demoness has been his target, someone he seeks to trample underfoot.

Now that he has proven himself worthy of entering the top ten of the Dragon and Tiger Ranking by defeating Xie Lintian, there is no reason not to seek out An Ruyu for a friendly match.

Upon hearing the challenge from Yu Tunzhou, the girl neither refused nor accepted; she simply raised a finger and pointed it towards the sky.

Yu Tunzhou looked in the direction the girl's jade-like finger pointed, but saw nothing.

Wait a minute—in that instant, something strange seemed to have changed in this world?

"Young Hero Guo, can you still invoke the law?" An Ruyu asked with a smile.

Yu Tunzhou's expression turned serious. It was the law! He couldn't even sense the omnipresent laws of heaven and earth anymore!

"What kind of Divine Ability is this?"

"This is a technique that Locking Down Heaven and Earth; it is neither Divine Ability power nor a secret art, but rather a secondary ability resulting from the transformation of Martial Dao realm."

Yu Tunzhou was shocked. "You've broken through to the Divine Ability Realm? No, I've never heard of anyone in the Divine Ability Realm possessing such abilities!"

The transformation of the Divine Ability Realm mainly lies in the Gang Qi, the imitation of the True Form, and the development of the Dao Embryo.

The ability to Locking Down Heaven and Earth —this is already a scoped restriction on the laws governing heaven and earth.

Even on External Scenery, I've never heard of such a unique ability!

"Young Hero Guo, if you wish to fight me, you must first possess the ability to break through the Locking Down Heaven and Earth. Otherwise, within my 'heaven and earth' realm, even the power of Dao-Bestowed Divine Ability will be greatly reduced, while I will be unaffected."

An Ruyu blinked, her smile sweet. "Young Hero Guo should know very well what this means, right?"

Yu Tunzhou looked grave.

Unable to invoke the law means they cannot use External Scenery techniques, which is equivalent to losing their trump card!

The girl continued, "I originally thought that Young Hero Guo disregarded the stability of his foundation and forcibly raised his level to the Form Refinement Perfection in a short period of time in order to catch up with me. But just now, when I looked inside the hall, I saw that Young Hero Guo's Form Refinement Perfection was as solid as it could possibly be."

"But this is only the beginning."

An Ruyu said softly, "Young Hero Guo, our generation is completely different from the past thousand years because we all carry the Martial Dao aspirations of our sect and elders."

"What Deng Canglan inherited was the [Heavenly Demon's ] pioneering spirit in Martial Dao."

"And I am the culmination of the Incense-Smelling Cult's thousand-year history."

"The Buddhist School had already embarked on the path of 'using one method to unite all methods, and using one method to glimpse the Great Way,' Dharma Master Jiese is one of the practitioners of this generation."

"Sister Feng Yanleng, on the other hand, embodies the Martial Dao pioneering paths of that Old Wang and the Supreme Sword Lord."

"As for the Daoist School, it is said that some members of the True Martial Sect in this generation have inherited the methods of their predecessors and forged their own unique paths."

"Therefore, even the Heavenly Demon, the Supreme Sword Lord of yesteryear, or our sect's Dharma King, could not surpass us at the same level. In this field, we have gone further than them."

"Opening the seven orifices is the completion of Form Refinement, but it is far from the completion of Martial Dao. Only by forging a path that has never been trodden before can one be qualified to pursue higher realms in the future."

An Ruyu gracefully stepped back, a smile playing on her lips, revealing a shallow dimple. "Like us, Young Hero Guo, you have inherited the fist techniques of Great Hero Mo, but that alone is not enough for you to stand at the pinnacle of your generation. If you wish to one day stand above everyone else, you must forge your own unique path."

"Young Hero Guo, in one year, the Eternal Dragon Gate will reappear. With your strength, you will surely be invited. I eagerly anticipate witnessing your Martial Dao."

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl's figure drifted away, as if she were just playing, leaving only a faint fragrance in the surroundings.

Yu Tunzhou gazed in the direction An Ruyu had left, his expression grave.

The Art of Locking Down Heaven and Earth ----

Beyond muscles, bones, skin, internal organs, and seven orifices, what other transformations occur?

What breakthrough did An Ruyu achieve in the Chain Forming Realm to master such a heaven-defying ability?

With this technique at her disposal, not to mention ordinary Form Refinement martial artists, even martial artists at the late stage of the External Scenery Late Divine Ability Stage would be helpless in front of her as long as they could not break free from the Locking Down Heaven and Earth!

It truly was a massive campaign to suppress the enemy across a vast territory!

"----It carries the Martial Dao aspirations of my sect and elders----"

This means that An Ruyu and his group's pioneering work in the Chain Forming Realm not only stemmed from their understanding of Martial Dao, but was also the culmination of years of accumulation and experimentation by those Dharma Aspect experts and an entire sect.

An Ruyu made a mistake earlier.

He did not inherit Old Mo's unique pioneering spirit in Martial Dao.

Compared to An Ruyu and the others, he had not inherited the years of accumulated knowledge and experience from his master and elders, nor had he embarked on the path of Martial Dao development.

But he has cheat codes.

With the dual Yi within him, it's equivalent to inheriting the legacy of the Dao Venerable and Buddha! Coupled with his own Taiji, he's bound to find a path that belongs only to him!

With this thought in mind, Yu Tunzhou got up and quickly headed towards the location recorded in the Peng Feather, following the message from the Human Emperor to refine the central core of the cave deep within the cave.

That was a "coordinate," the coordinate of this grotto-heaven.

After he refined this coordinate, the cave began to show signs of closing off.

About two hours later, the cave was completely sealed off, and all the martial artists still inside were automatically expelled from the cave and appeared outside the cave's entrance.

Yu Tunzhou are among them.

He looked back and saw that the original spatial gap had closed and disappeared, as if it had never existed.

Why was the grotto sealed off?

"What did you all see and do in the cave?"

"Was this done by human hands, or was it a work left behind by the Human Emperor?"

The elders from each External Scenery looked at the closed gate to the grotto with considerable reluctance; there was no need to discuss whether the risks outweighed the rewards now.

Only Xiao Ce, the Gold-Wielding Guard, breathed a sigh of relief; this might not be a bad thing.

For the Great Yan, it's best to avoid too many power struggles that involve matters beyond the Dharma Aspect.

However, the next moment, the Xie Household's camp erupted in chaos. Enraged, a powerful member of the Xie Household attacked, roaring, "Xiao Ce, hand over Chu Mu!"

A complete sword realm manifested, which was none other than the Heavenly Evolution Stabilizes the Void that Xie Lintian had previously used. However, its power was on a completely different level, not only evolving into the complete [Heavenly Evolution Illuminates the Void Realm], but also covering an area of several miles in radius!

This display of power caused even the Gold-Wielding Guard, and the other External Scenery from different factions, to change color and shout angrily, "Xie Cangyun, have you gone mad, you old bastard?"

"All the younger generations of various families are here. Is the Xie Household planning to wipe out the entire younger generation in one fell swoop?!"

"Xie Cangyun, what did you suddenly say? Xie Lintian is dead? Dead at Chu Mu's hands?!"

Upon learning of Xie Lintian's death from their own juniors, the powerful figures from various families exchanged strange glances. For a moment, they abandoned any thought of arguing with the Xie Household and instead protected their own juniors as they retreated.

On the Tuoba Household's side, Tuoba Lie suddenly plucked out a tuft of his beard, his expression one of shock.

This competition to explore the cave has taken so many unexpected turns?

I initially thought Yu'er's defeat by Luo Nanwu would be a huge joke in this battle for the cave heavens, but now it seems that this news probably won't even rank in the top three.

Tuoba Lie sighed inwardly, realizing that comparisons were indeed necessary.

Compared to Xie Lintian, who died, Yu'er was defeated, but at least she was unharmed and her Martial Dao foundation was intact. She still has the opportunity to become one of the pillars of their Tuoba Household in the future.

Yu Tunzhou was pulled to Luo Diyang's vicinity. Many disciples of the Luo Household had already gathered there. Judging from their bulging bags, they had probably gained quite a lot in the cave.

Yu Tunzhou looked towards the Xie Household's direction. Had Xie Lintian died at Chu Mu's hands?

He frowned. If he remembered correctly, Chu Mu's opponent was An Ruyu? That vixen used someone else to do her dirty work? Why did the Incense-Smelling Cult want to kill Xie Lintian?

He quickly shook his head. Xie Lintian's death was of no consequence to him, and even better for Xie Linchuan.

"Let's retreat first. That old bastard from the Xie Household has gone mad; he won't rest until he's fought Xiao Ce."

Luo Diyang protected everyone from being affected by the lingering power of the external External Scenery as they retreated.

This retreat covered several miles.

Yu Tunzhou looked back and saw that deep within the Northern Sea Forest, it seemed as if two enormous creatures were confronting and fighting, with the sound of the earth shaking constantly emanating from them.

"Young friend Yu, was your trip to the grotto-heaven successful?"

Luo Diyang's voice entered his ears.

Yu Tunzhou nodded slightly. "Something unexpected happened, but overall it went smoothly."

"That's good. We'll head back to Xuanbei Commandery first."

Several days later.

News began to circulate that the exploration of Northern Plains Cave Heaven had come to an abrupt end.

This exploration of the cave was fraught with twists and turns.

The mere fact that the cave-heaven is suspected to be the Autumn Hunting Palace of the Human Emperor, and that it imprisons Great Sage of the remnant clan, and that the aura of the Great Sage even permeates beyond the cave-heaven, is enough to cause a sensation throughout the world.

The Northern Plains are located in the Central Plains. If Great Sage of the Demise Clan were to appear there, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Secondly, there was Xie Lintian, who ranked tenth on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking. He was first defeated by Luo Nanwu of the Luo Household, and then killed by Chu Mu, the Gold-Wielding Guard!

The martial artists on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking are not immortal, but those who make it into the top ten are almost all "treasures" of their respective families.

Once the news spread, everyone was either inquiring about the conflict between the Xie Household and the Gold-Wielding Guard, or they were looking for information about Luo Nanwu.

Although this person is a bit older and has already been removed from the list, the path of Martial Dao is never short of those who achieve great things later in life!

However, when some invitations were delivered to the Luo Household residence, they learned that Luo Nanwu, who had returned from two years of traveling the martial world, had once again left the Lineage to venture into the martial world.

Therefore, on this day...

Yu Tunzhou arrived at the Gold-Wielding Guard, removed his disguise, reverted to his original identity, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Brother Luo, the matter is accomplished. Thank you for your help."

Luo Nanwu's expression was extremely complicated at this moment, with both the joy of avenging his great enemy and a sense of helplessness. He smiled bitterly and said, "Young Hero Yu, you're too kind. I estimate that I won't dare to return to my clan for the next few years."

17

Why?

The difference in strength is too great. At least until he masters the [One Fist to Secure the Frontier] technique, he definitely won't be able to return home openly.

The Yu Tunzhou, speechless.

After saying that, Luo Nanwu suddenly burst into laughter. "I was just joking with you, Brother Yu! To tell you the truth, ever since I learned what happened in the cave, I've only regretted that I wasn't the one who defeated Tuoba Yu with one punch. I've decided to go to the Northern Dark Continent again to try my luck and strive to master my fist technique as soon as possible!"

"Brother Luo, have a safe journey!" Yu Tunzhou his hands in greeting.

"You too." Luo Nanwu clasped his hands in a fist salute, then suddenly said regretfully, "It's just a pity, Brother Yu, that you're impersonating me this time, otherwise you would definitely be in the top ten of the new Dragon and Tiger Ranking soon!"

Yu Tunzhou laughed and said, "To be honest, I used to care a lot about this ranking and just wanted to reach the top as quickly as possible, but now I'm more at ease with it."

"Why?" Luo Nanwu asked curiously.

Yu Tunzhou laughed loudly, "Because I saw something even more exciting."

In An Ruyu, he saw the tireless pursuit and exploration of Martial Dao by martial artists all over the world, which was far more interesting than pursuing the ranking on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking.

Goodbye!

Yu Tunzhou in a fist salute, turned around, and strode away, his back straight and proud.

Where to go next?

He hadn't decided yet, but it would probably be towards the Western Desert, which is where the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple is located today.

He will probably go to the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple to borrow the Heavenly Peng True Form Diagram in the end.

Before that, he needed to find his own Martial Dao.

An Ruyu and the others can do, I will not lose to them.

Mending Heaven Pavilion.

As the leading unorthodox force in the world, the Mending Heaven Pavilion acts in ways that are both righteous and wicked, disregarding right and wrong, Dao and Virtue, and only acting in accordance with its own conscience.

People only know that Mending Heaven Pavilion is the leader of the unorthodox sects, but few have seen its true appearance, because the mountain gate of the Mending Heaven Pavilion is not located in the Central Plains or the Four Great Continents, but in an independent world in the Void.

This world has no sun or moon, no stars, only an eternal vastness. Above the sky, there is a dark void, as if something has swallowed a corner of the heavens.

It stands atop the tallest building in the world.

Congratulations to Master on your return to the Dharma Aspect level.

The foremost figure of unorthodox practices in the world, the Daoist Xuanqi, bowed deeply to the figure before the window, his demeanor respectful.

The figure standing by the window was none other than the Martial Ancestor, who had escaped from Luofu Grotto-Heaven.

Lu Daolin.

He tossed a jade pendant to the Daoist Xuanqi, his tone as indifferent as if discussing a trivial matter. "Over the past thousand years, I've made some progress in Martial Dao. This is a new transformation in the Chain Forming Realm. Pass it on to your disciple who has reached the Form Refinement Perfection, help him complete the corresponding transformation, and then send him out of the mountain to find that little brat and test his current level."

He paused, his voice calm and utterly unwavering. "If he has become just another ordinary person, then cripple his Martial Dao and send him to Huaiqing's grave."

"Yes." Daoist Xuanqi took the jade pendant, then suddenly asked curiously, "May I ask, Master, did Master Lu also inherit this pioneering path back then?"

Lu Daolin noncommittal, saying, "You mean to ask if Huaiqing might pass on these breakthrough methods to that little brat, right? I don't care about that."

The Daoist Xuanqi chuckled, "Actually, what I really want to ask is, what if Master Lu hadn't told Yu Tunzhou?"

Lu Daolin silent for a moment.

Given Lu Huaiqing's high regard for Yu Tunzhou, almost regarding him as the inheritor of his Martial Dao mantle, there was no reason for the former not to pave the way for the latter, not to mention that this new Form Refinement transformation was personally deduced by him.

unless----

Either there's something wrong with this path, or Lu Huaiqing believes that Yu Tunzhou can forge his own way?

Both of them seem quite interesting.

"Master, besides the Form Refinement, do the other four realms also undergo corresponding transformations?" Daoist Xuanqi changed the subject.

"Naturally," Lu Daolin slowly, "But none of them compare to the Form Refinement realm, especially before the Dao Embryo is formed. This is the Dao Foundation, with far-reaching influence. If one takes a wrong step, even with a thousand times the effort, it will be difficult to make up for it later."

The Daoist Xuanqi's eyes revealed his understanding.

Lu Daolin said, "It seems to be the first stage of Qi Ingestion, but in fact it has already reached perfection. The only problem is that the threshold is a bit high. As for the corresponding transformation, I have thought about it for a long time, and at most it is to perform a ritual in a snail shell on the Immortal Foundation."

"There are still things to be changed regarding the Immortal Foundation?" Daoist Xuanqi's expression turned solemn.

The Martial Dao Immortal Foundation is the foundation of martial arts. The subsequent Dao Embryo depends on the foundation of Martial Dao from the very beginning; it can be said to be the essence of Martial Dao.

Lu Daolin said calmly, "In my deductions, it might be possible to possess multiple Dao-Bestowed Divine Ability simultaneously."

The Daoist Xuanqi was shocked. Multiple Dao-Bestowed Divine Ability?!

In most people's eyes, the Dao-Bestowed Divine Ability, though powerful, are nothing more than a technique at the External Scenery level. Only when one reaches the Peak External Scenery can one truly understand the value of the word "Daoist teachings"!

Similar to the formation of the Dao Embryo, the Dao-Bestowed Divine Ability are bestowed by the Great Dao. Being born closest to the origin of the Great Dao is also the method by which martial artists have the best hope of deducing to higher levels.

"Go," Lu Daolin calmly. "Teach your disciple well. If you handle this matter well, I will pass on to you a Immortal Dao immortal technique. Your Dao Path is Half-Immortal and half martial, and this technique should help you reach another level."

"Thank you very much, Master!" Daoist Xuanqi's eyes burned with fervor.

These unparalleled divine skills from High Antiquity times are still recorded and preserved in the ancestral temples of Daoism and Buddhism.

Although the world has changed drastically, the immortal Immortal Dao has declined, and even supreme divine skills can hardly regain their former power, they are still enough to help him advance further. He had already reached the Peak External Scenery Realm for many years; let's ascend to another level...

Naturally, it is the Dharma Aspect!

Late autumn.

The cold rain, accompanied by wind, swirled with withered yellow grass leaves and pelted down relentlessly.

On a barren slope beside the official road, a dilapidated mountain god temple stood all alone, with half of its roof collapsed and only half of the rotten wooden frame remaining of the mountain gate.

The clay sculpture of the mountain god in the temple has a missing arm and empty eye sockets, gazing at the heavy rain outside the temple.

Inside the temple, several bonfires crackled, and the three groups each occupied a spot.

One group of people, who looked like martial arts practitioners who traveled the world, all carried single-edged swords. The five of them started making a ruckus as soon as they entered the temple.

They were now huddled together around a pile of hay on the other side of the campfire, their heads pressed together, staring at the tattered booklet in the middle, their breathing becoming heavier.

The other two sides each had a single person.

One was a burly man with a thick beard, broad shoulders, and a thick back. His short jacket was soaked by the rain and clung tightly to his body, revealing his bulging muscles.

The other one is Yu Tunzhou.

Since leaving Xuanbei Commandery, he has once again traveled alone, venturing into the world.

To say it's about venturing into the world is really just about measuring distances between mountains and rivers on foot.

now.

The rain outside the temple was getting heavier and heavier, pounding on the broken tiles on the temple roof with a loud crashing sound.

The arguments around the campfire grew louder and louder amidst the sound of rain.

"I told you, I pulled this ' Flowing Cloud Saber Manual ' out of that old Laozi's coffin first, so it naturally belongs to me!"

The leader slammed his hand on the ground, spitting everywhere, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. "You four only lent a hand; I'll give each of you twenty taels of silver later, that'll be more than enough!"

"You're talking nonsense, you surnamed Wang!"

The man next to him suddenly stood up, pointing his finger at him and cursing, "We agreed that once we found the sword manual, the five of us brothers would split the profits and learn it equally! Now you want to hoard it all? Do you think we're made of clay?" The weasel-faced man next to him shrank back, but his voice was filled with greed. "In my opinion, none of us should learn it! This sword manual can sell for at least five hundred taels of silver at the martial arts school in the prefecture! We can split the silver and live a peaceful life, isn't that better than learning this damn sword technique?"

"Sold it? You good-for-nothing!" Another bearded man immediately glared. "With this sword manual, we can become top-notch masters. Then we'll have gold, silver, treasures, beautiful women, and mansions—what wouldn't we want? You sold this treasure for five hundred taels of silver? Have you lost your mind?"

The five men argued vehemently, each sticking to their own version of events. Their eyes turned red, and the firelight illuminated their faces, revealing their greed, suspicion, and ruthlessness.

Yu Tunzhou could see it all clearly from the side.

He glanced at the statue of the mountain god. He had heard that before High Antiquity, gods had been stationed in the mountains and rivers to oversee the world. However, after the collapse of the Heavenly Court, all the gods disappeared one by one.

At that moment, a crack appeared at the corner of the statue's mouth, as if mocking the quarrel in the temple.

Yu Tunzhou pondered whether or not to make a move.

Judging from the current situation, it seems that it won't be long before several of these five people die.

There's only this one mountain god temple within a radius of several miles; it would be too unlucky for someone to die here.

At this moment, the silent, bearded man suddenly stood up and, without the five people noticing, snatched the so-called sword manual.

He flipped through a few pages haphazardly and then threw them directly into the campfire.

Flames suddenly shot up, illuminating the five people's stiff faces.

The leading man nearly jumped up, shouting in shock and anger, "What are you doing?! Do you know this is Form Refinement- level martial art?!"

But the next moment, he was forcefully suppressed by a Martial Intention, and his face turned from flushed to pale.

I've met a master!

The burly man with a thick beard said coldly, "This is Chain Forming Martial Arts? I think it's a death warrant for the five of you! Look where your hands are! What, you're all from the same village, how many of you plan to go back together?"

Everyone's expressions froze, only then noticing that the others' hands were already on their sword sheaths.

"A mere book of lousy swordsmanship has made you want to kill your fellow villagers! What kind of lousy Martial Dao are you practicing!"

The bearded man said in a deep voice, "Get up, Laozi Laozi. I'll personally teach you a Chain Forming Martial Arts. This is a five-person combined attack technique; the power will be greatly reduced if even one person is missing."

The five looked at each other in bewilderment. Their opponent had destroyed their sword manual, and now he was going to teach them a combined attack technique?

"If you don't want to learn, then keep squatting."

The bearded man walked straight out of the temple.

The five men gritted their teeth, grabbed their knives, and rushed out of the temple.

Yu Tunzhou looked curiously outside the temple; this person was actually teaching those five people a combined attack technique.

I thought it was just a chance encounter with a common dispute over the division of spoils, but I ended up meeting an interesting guy.

About half an hour later, the sound of hurried footsteps and hearty laughter came from outside the temple.

Five people walked in, soaking wet, their clothes clinging to their bodies, their hair dripping water, but all with smiles on their faces.

The burly man with a thick beard was completely dry, indicating he was at least a martial artist who had mastered the Divine Ability power of Gang Qi.

"Thank you very much, Great Hero Zhuang!"

"I will never forget the kindness shown to me by Great Hero Zhuang today!"

The five men expressed their gratitude, but the burly man with the thick beard waved his hand and said indifferently, "Cherish your camaraderie as fellow countrymen, and don't let a worthless sword manual cause you to kill yourselves."

The five people responded in unison.

Afterward, the burly man with a thick beard ignored the five men, sat cross-legged in front of the campfire, and closed his eyes to rest.

The rain outside the temple fell heavier and heavier, turning the world into a white expanse, so that even the nearby withered trees were just blurry shadows.

At this moment.

Yu Tunzhou suddenly opened his eyes and glanced outside the temple.

A short while later, a hoarse voice came from outside the temple, unhurriedly. "Friends in the temple, may I borrow a place to take shelter from the rain? I hope I'm not disturbing you?"

The burly man with a thick beard suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp.

As soon as he finished speaking, a middle-aged man entered. He was in his forties, with a tall, wiry build and triangular eyes.

He had a long sword at his waist, and a dozen or so men followed behind him, all dressed in tight-fitting clothes and carrying swords. Before even entering the temple, they blocked the temple gate completely from the outside.

The middle-aged man at the head of the group glanced around the temple, his triangular eyes narrowing before a nonchalant smile curled at the corners of his mouth. "Brother Zhuang, you've made us search high and low. You killed our Jin Household's young master and think you can just walk away like that? There's no such thing as a free lunch."

The burly man with a thick beard sneered, "Jin Ting, you really are a good dog of the Jin Household."

The middle-aged man's smile faded, his triangular eyes narrowed and grew long, devoid of warmth. "A life for a life, it's that simple."

"A life for a life?" the burly man with the thick beard laughed loudly. "What about the villagers of half the mountain village who were killed by that little beast?"

"A bunch of lowly commoners," Jin Ting said coldly. "A bunch of lowly commoners, do they even deserve to be compared to the young master of the Jin Household?"

The atmosphere in the temple instantly became heavy.

The two men's murderous intent surged, almost forming a tangible Sha Qi, which terrified the five people who had initially shown joy, making their legs go weak.

One of them stammered, "G-heroes, we were just passing by and taking shelter from the rain. We're not acquainted with this Great Hero Zhuang at all."

Zhuang Yuan said calmly, "Let these irrelevant people leave first."

Jin Ting raised an eyebrow, glanced at the five martial arts figures, then at Yu Tunzhou, before looking away. He said with a half-smile, "Didn't you, Zhuang Yuan, want to be a good-natured hero? Well, now you beg me, or I'll kill all six of them; they'll all be your accomplices."

The five people instantly fell silent, huddled in the corner, not daring to breathe.

Yu Tunzhou raised his head, glanced at Jin Ting, and asked with some doubt, "May I ask, does the law of the Great Yan allow you to act so recklessly?"

Jin Ting was visibly taken aback, then couldn't help but chuckle, "Where did this kid who's never been far from home come from? You're talking to me about the laws of the Great Yan?"

"With this heavy rain, if I dragged you outside and killed you, I wouldn't even need to clean up. I'd just dump you anywhere in this desolate wilderness. In a few days, it would just be a pile of bones. Who would be able to find out what happened?"

Yu Tunzhou glanced at the bonfire where the sword manual had been thrown, and muttered, "I think there's more than one death warrant in this temple today."