292 Conquer the World by Force, Bloodshed in the Martial Arts World! (1/2)

Fu Baoguo’s voice spread far and wide.

All the deployed soldiers raised the weapons in their hands as they cheered in unison, ”This heart and this body are devoted to serving the country; the will shall never waver until death shall it rest!”

With a single command, the troops departed.

Fu Baoguo’s muscular build sat mounted on the horse easily, galloping forward like a released arrow without turning his head back.

Somehow, Old Grand Commandant Fang felt a sense of resolution watching the back of his prized disciple. It was as if… Fu Baoguo was never coming back, this was his last time leaving!

His direct-lined successor, his close disciple – it was farewell!

…

This was a small temple.

Where nothing and nobody existed within thousands of miles in the mountains, this small temple stood quietly.

This temple worshipped the Great Sage True Lord, one of the transcendent immortals of legend for hundreds of thousands of years in the Tianxuan Continent.

The legend of him was renowned, but to have this lord’s temple in such a secluded location was still a wonder in itself, a remarkably picturesque scene.

Incense smoke was curling up in the small temple.

A person in robes was sitting with his legs folded into a lotus position, his eyes closed without moving nor saying a word. His face was obscured by the rising smoke, obscuring it from view.

It was just like the Great Sage True Lord who was being worshipped, where his true face could not be seen; there was a sense of blurriness like this person was amidst the clouds and did not belong to the worldly realm.

There was another person in front of this man – Venerable Lord Saber, who was littered with wounds and bore numerous injuries.

Venerable Lord Saber had been ambushed by three parties prior to his arrival; his basic Qi was already damaged but with Yun Yang’s stab, his skill method was handicapped. He then rushed all the way here without rest nor recuperation. He was near his end; if he recuperated with just his individual cultivation base, it would be difficult to recover for years.

”So, this tower’s various setups in the Empire of Yutang is entirely gone, without any lucky ones managing to escape?” The person in robes spoke faintly.

”Yes.” Venerable Lord Saber’s head was bowed.

”Has He Hanqing died as well?” The person in robe said indifferently, ”Even his double?”

”A lot of unexpected events have happened recently. First, Ling Xiaozui inexplicably condemned He Hanqing and planted a soul-freezing stab within him; before he could entirely drain the stab away, He Hanqing couldn't use his clone at all. To forcefully use it would only damage his spiritual soul even further. This time, He Hanqing was killed outright, his head separated from his body.”

Venerable Lord Saber continued to explain, ”Before he died, he executed the Art of Soul Inducement continuously, so his spiritual soul would have been expended. Even if his double were still here, it would have been difficult for him to go back to his body to be resurrected.”

The person in robe snorted and said nonchalantly, ”So many years of setting up plots, so many years of martial arts world experience, and yet he was uprooted by a child, the one that got away – even losing his life ultimately! If the entire Four Seasons Tower were made up such men, we can hardly speak of a foundation of a thousand years and a conglomerate of eternity!”

Venerable Lord Saber dared not say anything in response to that.

”The hundreds of people set in Yutang is about a quarter of the Four Seasons Tower’s force! How easily they were destroyed!”

The robed man had his eyes closed, his expression stoic. ”It looks like He Hanqing is really old!”

Venerable Lord Saber kept quiet for a bit before saying in a low voice, ”What has happened up to now may not wholly be He Hanqing’s fault. It’s also partly because the enemy is simply too strong. In the last battle, it’s not the survivors of the Nine Supremes that we were up against, they were… the School of Spring and Autumn and the Concourse of the Underworld… The most fundamental reason for this battle’s failure is the simultaneous appearance of the Concourse of the Underworld’s ten court kings. They performed well and their attack caught us by surprise; their follow-up tactics were incessantly dire too. The difference in abilities of both sides was too much and it was difficult to overcome! Faced with such a situation, perhaps a small move could cause the martial arts world to be at war; this subordinate dared not make rash decisions and has especially come to inform my lord.”

The man in robes said lightly, ”It looks like it’s been too long since the Four Seasons Tower intimidated the martial arts world. The practitioners have all forgotten the Four Seasons Tower’s terror… the fear that prevented the clans from simply daring to step on the tower.”

Despite the indifference in his tone, there was a barely-hidden hint of rage in his words.

Venerable Lord Saber trembled slightly before his eyes exuded a strong sense of fighting spirit.

”Back then, the Four Seasons Tower’s twelve halls, four Supreme Lords, five sides of heaven and earth, twenty-four celestial heads, and three-hundred and sixty-five formidable men subdued the martial arts world and secured the status of being its top sect. So few years have passed and this intimidation is non-existent already?”

The person in robes opened his eyes slowly, two rays of light shot out from them. ”The martial world is forgetful; the practitioners have gotten used to forgetting as well. Therefore, a lot of experts dare not return to seclusion once they have obtained fame – because as long as they go back to seclusion, their legend will cease to exist in the martial world.”

”A lot of people can only show themselves in the open continuously, continue to perform feats, keep making their reputation known, keep on dueling in the martial world… Only then could their statuses and reputations be maintained. Only when their status and reputation are kept alive for a long time in the martial world that profit will be a constant companion.”

”Whoever it is, whether in the imperial court or the martial world, whether scholar or martial practitioner – as long as one is alive in this world, one lives for two words; personal gain!”