Martial Cultivator

The world was entirely black and white, filled with an unreal sensation.

But this was a world that was not real in the first place.

Daoist Yingshan stood within the black-and-white void. After Chen Chao shattered the phantoms, this one of the greatest figures in Three Streams Manor’s history seemed almost to merge with the world itself.

Chen Chao sensed the peculiar sensation. He slightly furrowed his brow, letting the qi surge through his body, gathering in his meridians. Then, without hesitation, he delivered a saber strike.

The terrifying saber qi instantaneously transformed into a dragon, lunging toward Daoist Yingshan.

In front of Daoist Yingshan, ripples immediately formed, like a drop of ink spreading, creating a vast expanse.

One slash passed through, and the black ink scattered, as if unwilling to resist this strike. Yet it quickly blocked the saber’s qi, splitting it in two.

But in the blink of an eye, the saber’s qi dissipated without a trace.

Chen Chao frowned slightly, but soon sensed a qi surrounding him. Daoist Yingshan had somehow appeared beside him. He pointed a finger, and the black ink exploded outward, carried by terrifying qi, as if painting another landscape in that instant.

Chen Chao had no time to dodge. Countless ink dots struck his body. His black robe, though intact, suddenly felt heavier, as if invisible shackles had been added, as if he were shouldering a mountain.

Daoist Yingshan let out a cold sneer, as if he had anticipated this, completely unsurprised. Then his fingers curved into a hook, and he lifted Chen Chao effortlessly, the young martial artist struggling helplessly, crashing repeatedly toward the sky.

At the same time, countless ink dots fell from the sky, the size of meteors.

It was as if an ink rain had begun, or countless black meteors were crashing to the earth with unstoppable force.

Chen Chao was first struck by one dot, then plummeted like a kite with a broken string toward the ground. Meanwhile, the remaining meteors continued to strike his body.

“Even if it’s the so-called strongest martial artist physique in the world, I want to see how long you can endure.”

Daoist Yingshan’s voice rang through the black-and-white world, though he himself was nowhere to be seen. At least, Chen Chao could not currently locate him.

But even so, being struck by so many ink dots, Chen Chao still gripped Cloud Mud tightly, never letting go.

The qi within his body was surging, trying to break the constraints imposed by the ink dots on his black robe. After refining the qi within himself, Chen Chao’s internal qi now far surpassed his former self.

As the qi flowed, cracks began to appear across his black robe. The ink immediately stained these cracks, spreading over Chen Chao’s skin, but quickly halted.

With a crack.

The ink solidified into chunks and began falling from his body.

At the same time, Chen Chao’s clothes also tore apart completely.

Chen Chao’s upper body, covered in countless scars, was now exposed. Though his appearance had seemed ordinary when clothed, his lines and muscles were now clearly visible.

Freed from the constraints of his clothing, Chen Chao gripped Cloud Mud once more and scanned his surroundings.

Daoist Yingshan’s traces was difficult to locate. That was typical of these qi refiners, they had so many techniques that facing them in battle was always frustrating.

But Chen Chao simply looked up at the black-and-white world, then took a deep breath. Since he could not find what he sought, there was no need to search at all.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Chao slowly ascended into the sky. Ripples spread in all directions, ink swirling through the air, qi flowing endlessly. Chen Chao said nothing. After arriving at high altitude, he quietly smiled. “Hide as much as you like. If I find you, it won’t end well.”

Before his words could fade away, the black-and-white world suddenly erupted into chaos. Countless streams of ink began to pour down, a rain of black ink filling the heavens.

Through Chen Chao’s eyes, streams of qi flowed before him, bristling with killing intent.

But in the next moment, an even more terrifying qi suddenly surged.

Across the black-and-white world, a saber light cut through. A radiant white line with some golden color suddenly appeared. It stole all color from the world. The white line began to move through the black-and-white world, shattering chaotic qi wherever it passed. Slowly, it sprouted claws. At its forefront, a dazzling white mass began to coalesce.

From the black-and-white world, a faint dragon roar echoed.

The dazzling white mass gradually formed into a massive dragon head beneath Chen Chao, slowly lifting its gaze.

......

......

A resounding dragon roar echoed across heaven and earth.

The black-and-white world began to shatter. With the roar, waves of terrifying qi crashed in all directions. The force was so immense that it shook the entire black-and-white world.

Chen Chao justed carried his saber, standing on the dragon’s head, expressionless.

As the world continued to collapse, it did not take long before Daoist Yingshan’s true body was once again forced out. He revealed his figure not far away, then looked at the young martial artist with complicated eyes.

Chen Chao smiled faintly. ”This official thought you were some remarkable figure. Turns out, nothing more than this.”

Daoist Yingshan spoke softly. ”I truly underestimated you. But since you can shatter black and white, are you not afraid of being dragged into it yourself?”

Chen Chao grinned. ”If there’s one truth this official understands, it’s this: no matter how many reasons you have, if your fist isn’t big enough, no one’s going to listen to your crap.”

All principles in this world stood upon a fist strong enough to uphold them.

Without a big enough fist, there was no way to speak of reason.

”Just like now. This official demolished your Ancestral Hall, so what if some old fellow who’s been dead for who knows how many years crawls out? Can you stop it?” ”Of course, as for why this official tore down your Ancestral Hall, you definitely don’t want to hear the reason, and this official doesn’t care to say it. Right now, this official only hope you can linger a little longer. This official might wipe out your Three Streams Manor later and sever your Dao lineage once and for all.”

Chen Chao spoke slowly, his voice calm.

Daoist Yingshan said evenly, ”If that is the case, then all the more I can’t allow you to leave.”

Chen Chao said nothing, merely beckoning at Daoist Yingshan. The meaning was clear... come and try.

Daoist Yingshan remained silent. At this moment, the robe on his body finally became fully visible, even its patterns were sharply clear.

As for his features, they could now be seen clearly as well.

Before, one could see Daoist Yingshan’s face, but there was always something indistinct about it, as if shrouded in an aura that blurred reality. Now that the aura dispersed, his true visage finally revealed itself.

Daoist Yingshan had a gaunt face, with high, jutting cheekbones, giving him a somewhat otherworldly air. But he just so happened to be burdened with an exceedingly ugly pair of drooping brows, leaving his appearance strangely incongruous.

Yet precisely such a face was unforgettable at a glance, etched into memory, because such a face was truly too unique.

But Chen Chao only glanced once before no longer paying any mind to this figure, famous throughout the history of qi refiners.

Because at that moment, the collapse of the black-and-white world suddenly accelerated. Then the entire sky colapsed. Chen Chao opened his eyes, seeing only darkness.

”All dead already, and you think pulling these ghostly tricks will scare me?”

Before the words had even fallen, a boundless saber light burst forth. The endless blackness, upon meeting that saber light, erupted with dazzling brilliance.

It was as if heaven and earth were lit in that instant.

Even if this world were nothing but darkness, there would still be a saber to cleave it apart.

And as for the one wielding that saber, by now, everyone knew. It was that unbelievably young martial artist.

Daoist Yingshan stood within the pitch-black heavens and earth, staring at that radiant saber light, his eyes filled with doubt.

In his own era, he had never seen such a martial artist, nor had he ever imagined one could reach such a step.

But before he could lament further, that saber was already at his chest.

......

......

Unlike the two sides fighting, the spectators could only see the mountaintop turn into a stretch of black and white, and after that they could no longer make out what was happening up there.

No one knew how much time passed, before the black and white gradually regained color, and the world once again became vibrant and full of hues. Only then did everyone hear the sound of shattering.

The mountaintop shook endlessly, countless rocks tumbled down from the mountain forests, crashing nonstop.

The lake of Three Streams Manor, already reduced to ruins, also quivered violently.

It was fortunate that the qi refiners watching were all extraordinary. Otherwise, their minds would have long since fallen into chaos.

No one knew how much time passed before the shaking finally subsided.

Between heaven and earth, a sudden stillness descended.

It was so quiet that even the qi refiners watching seemed able to hear their own heartbeats.

”It’s over.”

After a moment, someone spoke, still unsettled in spirit. Although their eyes were fixed on the mountaintop, at this moment they could not see a single thing clearly there.

”Even Daoist Yingshan appeared. No matter how formidable that young martial artist is, I’m afraid he has died with regrets here.”

”Indeed. A figure like Daoist Yingshan is certainly considered a great name within the past thousand years. Even if it was only a remnant soul, how could that young martial artist possibly be his match?”

”It’s over. The only thing unknown is, after Three Streams Manor killed this Lord Warden Commander, how the Great Liang Dynasty will respond.”

”He was the one at fault first. Since he wanted to tear down another’s Ancestral Hall, such an outcome is only natural.”

......

......

The voices of those watching by the lakeshore continued unceasingly.

”Go, let’s head up the mountain, and see how that Lord Warden Commander died!”

Someone suggested it, and others were already moving. The qi refiners all headed toward Three Streams Manor’s Ancestral Hall, or rather, the ruins of the Ancestral Hall.

Liang Jinjin stood rooted in place, silent.

Large groups of qi refiners flew toward the mountaintop one after another. Soon, some at mid-mountain saw the already lifeless Sword Immortal Zhang Nanting.

Many qi refiners stopped before this sword immortal, who had cultivated both sword dao and qi refinement, their gazes complicated. Among the emotions, aside from regret, there was more relief. A sword immortal of terrifying killing power, and one who simultaneously mastered the secret arts of qi refiners, yet such a figure had not come from their own sect.

Since he did not hail from their own sect, his death was at least not a particularly bad thing.

Past the mountainside, people soon arrived at the summit.

Here was utter devastation. The Ancestral Hall that once stood there was now nothing but rubble. The centuries-old foundation of Three Streams Manor was considered completely destroyed at this moment.

This truly shocked the heart, for after all, everyone present was of the qi refiner lineage. Seeing this, it was inevitable to feel some sorrow.

”Even so, Three Streams Manor has not entirely lost face.”

Someone spoke softly.

Then, everyone froze.

Because they saw, amidst the ruins, a young man standing bare-chested.

He held a saber in his hand.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, this Lord Warden Commander, who was the most arrogant and also the youngest in the history of the Great Liang Dynasty, grinned and asked with a laugh, ”That probably didn’t count as killing a person. So, who among you wants to give it a try?”